I can’t hide it – I absolutely love designing jewellery when the heart is involved. It could be engagements, anniversaries, the birth of a child – or in this case – for a wedding.
But this was not a commission. The couple wanted to come to Orkney and spend a day making their wedding bands.
I was delighted – but worried as it was not something I had done before however for this beautiful couple I was honoured to be part of their journey.
As it was February 2020, none of us really knew what the world had in store for us. We hadn’t really yet understood what COVID meant – or the length and number of times we would hear the word ‘Lockdown’. So, I write this blog without pictures of the finished rings. They will be revealed at another time – hopefully later this year when the couple finally get to be married.
The planning process for the workshop started off with us discussing their designs over the phone and email – what they wanted to feature and what they wanted from the day. Whilst I wanted to keep things simple, I was also determined to help them create rings they would be proud of for years to come.




I was delighted that on the day they took to it really well – which was a relief as there was saw-piercing, soldering, polishing and not as gentle hammering as you would believe. It was a great feeling to be able to share the process with them. They couldn’t believe how much time it took to create jewellery. It was an interesting perspective and one I don’t really think about when I am absorbed in my work.
They thoroughly enjoyed their day – and we all enjoyed the glass of Prosecco at the end. I am so glad that we managed to do it.
We genuinely had the best day
“It is lovely to have seen where the jewellery that Zoe makes is made but also to feel like you were being a ‘real’ jeweller yourself. We genuinely had the best day, and are so excited to wear our jewellery for ever, and completely proud that we got to make it for each other – thank you Zoe for saying yes to my request you’ve made it possible for us to have the rings we wanted in the way we wanted them.”
– Feedback from the lovely pair
When we are allowed to mix socially again, I plan to make this workshop available to book via my website. If you or someone you know would like to create their wedding bands, then please feel free to get in contact.