Ding dong. It’s time for the unveiling of our fourth wedding special. As is customary for this issue, we like to focus on a group of real-life ceremonies: The Elopers are among this year’s stars. 

Less a scandalous absconsion these days, the modern elopement is more of a scaled-back ceremony held not so much in secrecy but with spontaneous laissez-faire. The couples featured shared their vows in ceremonies that ranged from a mountaintop betrothal (complete with skis) to a drive-through wedding in Las Vegas. And although tiny, their nuptials suffered from no lack of joy. 

I can well understand why people opt to “run away”. The pressure to adhere to all sorts of rules and customs can be completely overwhelming. On the flip side, others find themselves oddly compelled to observe arcane rituals. Against all expectations, her own included, FT columnist Gillian Tett chose to embrace the orthodoxy of a big white dress when she got married to Henrik Jones last summer. Tett wrote a PhD thesis about the significance of wedding traditions and had for years forsworn them. Then she got engaged and all her principles went out the window (she even wore a matching veil). Or did they? She writes here about her bridal “journey” and the sartorial decisions she had to make. Fair dos. Had I got married in the magnificent surrounds of the gothic chapel at King’s College, Cambridge, I would also have meringued it. I might even have topped it with a tiara, too.

On which note, wedding jewellery this season has got us in a spin – the latest engagement rings are a whorl of gemstones and precious metals. I’m especially partial to the diamond-studded “spiral”, a new addition to the Repossi Blast range, and the curvaceous swirls that come courtesy of Pragnell. 

Or perhaps you prefer a dalliance with silver? Long overlooked, silver has been propelled into high fashion once again, thanks to the current price of gold and the 100th anniversary of art deco. In the event that you require a last-minute wedding present (or indeed an anniversary gift), I urge you to consider buying the lovers a silver swan, a symbol of monogamy, or something botanical from Buccellati.

Too much? Then what about a cookie? This week we feature two stars of the baking trade: Biscottificio Antonio Mattei, Tuscany’s most famous cantucci-maker (whose factory is now open for visitors), and Van Stapele Koekmakerij, in Amsterdam, master bakers of a single product: the dark chocolate Van Stapele cookie. With its signature white-chocolate filling, the cookie is so popular the shop sees queues around the block. Because true love takes the biscuit. 

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THREE MORE STORIES TO READ THIS WEEK

Cake artist Sophia Stolz: ‘I’m sad when the party ends’ The baker and food stylist loves meringue and Marlboro Lights and Vienna’s techno scene Jemima Kelly: ‘Don’t judge me, I’m a Gemini’ The FT’s resident contrarian tries to make sense of astrology Exbury, the Rothschilds’ garden refuge Marie-Louise Agius and her uncle Lionel de Rothschild are cultivating a shared passion at the family’s 200-acre Hampshire estate

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