Your wedding rings are for life – so you really have to like them! In the second of a four-part series, Patricia-Ann Young hears from a couple who couldn’t find what they wanted, so went bespoke to get it
Eilidh McFie and William Clapperton had an elopement in the wilds of Ardnamurchan and lined up bespoke rings by Katie Lees Jewellery
“We got in touch with Katie Lees during the first Covid lockdown to discuss having a bespoke engagement ring made,” recalls Eilidh. “We loved working with her and knew we wanted her to make our wedding bands too. When we first spoke about buying an engagement ring, we agreed that we would go bespoke. It was important for us to support a small local business, to be able to pick the exact stones we wanted and to know they had been ethically sourced. We also loved the idea of designing the rings together and knowing that they would incorporate what we both love. Katie made the whole process so special.
“Engagement and wedding rings are meant as a sign of love and commitment and going bespoke just made that even more true for us. My wedding band was made with my engagement ring in mind. When placed together they become one, but it was important for us that they could sit perfectly on their own too. Katie did an amazing job to make this possible.
“William was a little unsure of which metal he wanted for his ring. He felt traditional gold was too harsh-looking and silver was too pale. Katie suggested going with raw gold, which is a lovely in-between colour that he just loved. He was also able to get a width and finish that suited him perfectly.
“We have never gone by ‘tradition’ or trends, and we wanted our rings to be what we liked and to show our individuality. For us, it was never about getting the biggest diamond ring that we could afford, but to show off our own uniqueness. By going bespoke it made buying our rings an experience – something special to remember and to help celebrate our love.”