In March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic brought the wedding season to a halt, with lockdowns forcing couples to cancel, reschedule and rethink their big day. As people all over the United Kingdom followed the advice to ‘stay home’ and ‘stay safe’, many brides and grooms found themselves facing uncertainty around their wedding day plans.
In the early days of the pandemic, cancellation was the unavoidable option but as restrictions eased, some brides and grooms got inventive to make their big day as special as possible. Many couples gladly made compromises and changed their original plans, such as reducing guest numbers, moving the wedding breakfast outside, or involving family and friends via video calls.
During these difficult times, as intimate ceremonies have replaced large guest lists, socially distanced layouts swapped with carefully organised table plans and wedding favours are often no longer given, some age-old traditions have gone by the wayside. As the world adjusts to a new ‘normal’, some are choosing to move away from certain wedding day customs but some traditions have meanings that stretch back centuries, passed down through generations.
Coins are a lasting way to incorporate a touch of tradition into a wedding, symbolising wishes for luck and prosperity for the happy couple’s future, and The Royal Mint has brought together centuries of experience and craftsmanship to design a collection that honours these traditions with new and exciting gifts. Established more than 1,100 years ago, The Royal Mint has a history like no other and our 2022 Wedding Collection has everything from vintage sixpences to modern gold bullion bars and an environmentally conscious silver penny to commemorate those special occasions.
Presented in beautifully decorated packaging inspired by flowers that have featured on coins through the ages, each precious gift is ready to present to the happy couple. Our modern silver six pence can complete the age-old saying, ‘something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue and a sixpence in her shoe’ and a luxurious rose gold six pence can make a beautiful gift. The Wedding Journal, complete with a set of gleaming coins dated with the special year, is a great way to mark the moment and record all the little details of the big day.
Whatever the future holds for the wedding industry, one thing is for sure – the gift of coins is a tradition that is here to stay. The Royal Mint’s Wedding Collection is available now, with a range of year-dated gifts to suit small celebrations to big budgets.
SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW
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