Sofia and Fred's Story
One very cold and windy evening in July 2014, Fred surprised me on a cliff in the sunset on the Swedish west coast by proposing to me. It was in the middle of vacation and since he knows how picky I am there was no actual ring, instead we made one out of wild flowers.
And how I love him for knowing me that well, I had almost an exact picture in my head of an engagement ring I had seen in a movie once.
The very same evening I started to search the web for antique jewelry boutiques in Stockholm where we live, but strangely enough there were utterly few. And none of them were even close to what I had in mind: I wanted a vintage inspired, bohemian chique and romantic ring. Not too fancy but still exclusive, and at the same time simple, but still unique.
The hunt immediately began when we got back to the city. I think we visited every jewelry boutique in the capital of Sweden, to my poor future husband's horror (he hates shopping). And since I seriously feared he would not survive another day of window shopping, I kind of chose to go with "the second best" alternative. Not that it was bad: It was a stunning alliance ring with over thirty small diamonds created by a Danish designer, both modern and classic.
The next few months I naturally focused more on the guest list, seating, catering and dress. But somehow I could not let go of that picture in my head of the vintage ring. Meanwhile I had heard rumors that such rings could be purchased in London. But gosh, how would I afford a trip over there now? Could I buy it online instead? And if that was the case, would it really be safe to ship it over...? Everything seemed like an impossible project, until... ...
my thoughtfully, loving and freaking amazing future husband told me that we actually should go there and buy it ourselves, since he had to go there anyway on a business trip.
Just a few weeks later we met up in central London. And our visit in the old jewelry neighborhoods was truly an experience itself. Michael from the London Victorian Ring Company was a really charming man who helped us find exactly what we wanted. And although I had made my research in advance, the ring was even more beautiful in reality. Actually it was perfect.
I chose an incredible Edwardian model with squiggly leaves in white gold, with sparkling diamonds on each sides of one single stone diamond. It was almost exactly as the one I had seen in that old movie once. On our way back to the hotel Fred and I almost started to quarrel since I wanted to wear it immediately, if only for a little while. But nope, Fred was super stubborn and hid it the minute we entered our room – something I soon forgot since he had planned a fantastic evening out in London with both marvelous food and a musical.
And it was SO worth waiting for. Because once we stood there in front of families and friends a few weeks later and Fred put it on my finger, I almost lost my breath since I almost had forgotten how beautiful it was. Not only for its special design, but also for its story. Also I could glance down at it a hundred times a day during our honeymoon just to see that it was still there. Actually, I still do from time to time.
So, dear Michael and everybody else at the London Victorian Ring Company: We cannot thank you enough for finding us the perfect ring. Because for us it will never be just a piece of metal, but a symbol and long lasting memory from one of the happiest times in our life.
//With all our love and gratitude
Sofia Yoo and Fred Edlund
@Minayoo80
@fred_edlund
Images: Emma Ivarsson
Dress: Made by Angela Berndtsson behind the Swedish brand Noyemi