baha'i wedding bands

Matt and Carmen came to me looking for wedding rings. They wanted their rings to symbolize their union, of course, but it was also important to them that the rings be a constant reminder of the nature of the union as they understood it:

“When, therefore, the people of Bahá undertake to marry, the union must be a true relationship, a spiritual coming together as well as a physical one, so that throughout every phase of life, and in all the worlds of God, their union will endure; for this real oneness is a gleaming out of the love of God.”
– “Selections from the Writings of `Abdu’l-Bahá” (Haifa: Bahá’í World Centre, 1982), sec. 84, pp. 117–18

In the Baha’i tradition, the vows recited by the couple are “We will all, verily, abide by the will of God.” We talked about incorporating the vows into the rings Carmen and Matt liked the idea. It wasn’t as important to them whether the vows were visible or not, that as long as they knew it was there it would be enough for them. I wanted to find a way to make them visible.

After playing with various designs, we decided on having the vows, in Arabic, incorporated into a design arranged around the ring. By borrowing motifs from the floral patterns at the gates of the Bahá’í Shrines, and transforming the vows into stylized calligraphy, we were able to capture what was most significant to Matt and Carmen. The balance of the floral and calligraphic motifs brought the entire ring together.

“We felt very much as part of the process, from the beginning in the design, where Vedad helped us see what possibilities exist for rings, to sending us photos of the rings.”

– Matt & Carmen