A ring is for life and when two people in love decide to get married, it is tradition to exchange rings, an act that symbolizes their union.
Of course, I could not do without crafting something special for this occasion and so, some years ago, I created the Lagoon Wedding Rings, in Italian Fedi Laguna.
These rings, which can be in yellow or pink gold or in silver, are a homage both to love as an emotion and also to my city and its shimmering waters. Venice and its lagoon in fact are intertwined in an inseparable way, tied by the strongest bond possible.
As you may known, the way the lagoon is made is partly natural and partly modified by men, in the sense that it was the Venetians of the past who created the worldwide famous Grand Canal and, in order to improve the environment and the quality of life, reclaimed various areas and shaped numerous canals.
This work of changing and adaptation, has always been a labor of love, as only by knowing how the lagoon functions, Venetians could implement canals and waterways. A very delicate work requiring incredible respect, knowledge, dedication and sacrifice. All attributes that belong to love too.
It is not by chance, in fact, that the Lagoon Wedding Rings have an irregular shape, like the waters of my beloved city. The canals of which Venice is made up of are imperfect, exactly like love, and this is what makes them so special and unique.
I have always believed that love is far from perfection. Love means acceptance, at all times, in the good and in the bad moments. Love means being present and being there for the other person when it is most needed, going through difficult times together and overcoming them. In a way, we can say that Venice and Venetians have the same relationship with the water, which gave to the city an immense richness thanks to salt, but also has been causing a lot of damage, like with the phenomenon of acqua alta (our high tides). Despite all the difficulties implied in living here, Venetians have always dealt with these threats and have found and keep trying to find new solutions in order to keep the city alive and be able to stay here and cherish every moment. All Venetians are in love with their city, we may often complain... but in the end we remain astonished by our unique sunrises and sunsets each single day.
Like in a couple! A wife or a husband will complain about their partner... sometimes it is normal to argue too, but then they make peace and become stronger together. This is what I consider the beauty of imperfection.
Anyhow, the bond between Venice and its lagoon has always been so strong that every year we still celebrate The Marriage of the Sea, a ceremony held during the the Festa della Sensa, held on the feast of the Ascension to commemorate two significant dates in our history: the first being May 9, 1000, when the DogePietro II Orseolo rescued the denizens of Dalmatia imperiled by the Slavs, and the second when in 1177 the Doge Sebastiano Ziani, Pope Alexander III and the Holy Roman Emperor, Frederick Barbarossa agreed to the Treaty of Venice which ended the long-standing differences between the Pontificate and the Holy Roman Empire.
During the Marriage of the Sea, following a boat parade, the Mayor of Venice takes on the role of the Doge and throws a ring into the lagoon to symbolize Venice's marriage to the sea.
All these words to explain why my wedding rings have this shape and why they are so special to me. I make them hoping to add joy to the couples I have the fortune to meet along my way, and to make them even more unique, I give the bride and groom the possibility to personalize them by adding their own signature, and I won't deny that I always get extremely emotional when it happens.
To end this post, I will use my favorite quote:
'Omnia Vincit Amor'