October 6, 2025
This past weekend, an event took place in our household. For me, the events that I was involved in were two weddings and playoff baseball games. But others in my family were focused on another event—the release of Taylor Swift’s new album, The Life of a Showgirl. From the time of the announcement to Friday night, an excitement had been brewing. Whether you are a Swiftie or not, you have to admire the marketing rollout. It is amazing. And while the album is exciting. I am really excited about the next album. Or what I hope will be the next album. I wrote a post a few months ago wishing for something to happen, and it finally did. Travis Kelce proposed to Taylor Swift on August 10th, 2025. The world heard the news on August 26th.
The proposal will have reverberations in the wedding world. And that is precisely what I was hoping for. I wanted to see some things change in the wedding world.
The first thing that will have an impact is the ring.
The ring that Travis Kelce chose was very original. It is the kind of ring that makes engaged and married women look at their current rings and say, “Interesting.” And it is having an impact on the couples who are just beginning to look at rings. All of a sudden, people are going in different directions.
Her ring features a unique vintage "old mine cut" diamond, sparking a frenzy for antique-style jewelry. Everyone is going through some of Grandma’s old rings to look for something similar. It is not the ring you would expect on a celebrity, and that is what makes it unique.
An “Old Mine Cut” Diamond is a nostalgic style, hand-cut with chunky facets and rounded corners, making it unique and distinct from modern cuts. This style was a standard cut from the early 1700s to the late 1800s. They were cut by hand by skilled artisans, resulting in variations in shape and size. The ring has a vintage, timeless look.
The difference between antique jewelry and a brand-new look is quite simple: antique jewelry tells a story. There is usually a story of a spouse wearing the ring for decades, or it being passed down in the family. It is the kind of ring that goes with the story of someone’s great-great-grandparents coming to this country on a boat. “All she had was a bag and this ring on her finger.” Or the idea that a young man chooses her grandmother’s ring to propose instead of going out to buy something brand new. Those are great stories. One of the popular taglines is “A Diamond is Forever.” However, in reality, most people do not consider “old jewelry.” In other words, we did not believe a diamond is forever. That is up until now.
It fits Taylor Swift, who is a storyteller. New rings do not have a story yet. The story begins with the proposal. And that will start and become a great story. However, Taylor was seeking something that already held meaning and symbolism, much like Swift's music. The ring has truly caused a frenzy. Hashtags like #TaylorSwiftRing and #SwiftEngagement have gained global traction.
As cool as the ring is, and as classy as the whole proposal was, I am way more interested in the music. Not necessarily what is on her newest album. I am hopeful for the next one.
As I wrote a few months ago, I really do like Taylor’s song, "Love Story." It is hard to believe it came out in 2008! Part of the song's appeal is that it flies in the face of the modern engagement/wedding story. It is a classic tale told in about three minutes. While there is a never-ending supply of music about falling in love, romance, or sex, there is far less about the journey to the wedding day. Everyone sings about falling in love, but not many sing about staying in love. One of the few wedding songs is, in fact, by Taylor Swift. Love Story is about a forbidden Romeo & Juliet romance that eventually earns a father’s approval and a last-minute wedding. While it is a great song, that is not the story of most engaged couples today. The couple is in love, but they cannot afford a big, expensive wedding. They are just focused on getting married. That is it. Once the guy talks to her dad, they throw together a quick ceremony. The focus is not on planning an event for 10 months; the goal is simple. She will never have to be alone. He loves her, and that’s all there is to know.
However, as much as I wish that song would refocus couples, I hope that Taylor Swift will write new music about the engagement season, offer new insights on the transition, and share some of the emotions and depth of meaning this “era” brings. For many couples, engagement is a holding pattern that devolves into event planning. I am hoping Taylor will offer a new perspective. As I always tell couples, the goal is not a wedding, the goal is marriage.
The other hope is that, once the wedding happens, a new wedding album will be released. We need about 8-10 new songs in the wedding world. What we have now is traditional/ classical wedding music, a Beatles medley (which will always be a standard), the Bridgerton soundtrack (which I like), multiple renditions of "A Thousand Years" (which came out in 2011, if you can believe that), or "Marry Me" by Train, which was released in 2009. I need some new songs. No offense to all the outstanding musicians and DJs I work with every weekend, but we need a new ceremony playlist. I hope that Taylor will deliver it. Taylor Swift can redefine the wedding day soundtrack for generations to come.
As I said a few months ago, I hope they call me if they need a minister for the ceremony.