By: Megan Jander
When it comes to weddings, bridal registry is huge. But behind every bridal registry piece is an artist with a story and Beatriz Ball is no exception. In the 60s, Cuba was taken over by Communism regime and eventually Ball was forced to flee her homeland to Mexico. There she became close friends with two sisters whose father was the head of an important metalwork company, as silver was abundant at the time and many Mexican artisans were using the metal to their advantage. This is where her career began.
The industry was booming, providing many Mexican artisans with jobs. Ball says she sort of copied what they were doing using a similar version of the prevalent metal alloy. Because the industry was successful, many smaller “Mom and Pop” shops were available for her to buy from to start her own pieces. After receiving many requests and giving the promise of providing products of a special quality, Ball decided to build a factory. Today, everything she sells is her own unique design.
When World Bride Magazine interviewed the woman behind it all, she radiated grace and confidence, features manifested in her timeless collections.
“I believe we’re the best in the world. Our products are made like no one else’s,” she says in a humble but poised manner. “Everything is made by hand one at a time by a group of polishers we cultivated that polish like no one else; we do it the way the Greeks and Romans did. The surface and shine is unique.”
The most important thing that Ball wants customers to know about her and her collections is the story of the handmade.
“So many tell you it’s handmade and it’s not. The story of the handmade is the story behind our pieces. The quality we achieve with rudimentary methods has a lot of feel to it, it speaks to you. You enjoy it through your senses.”
As for brides and bridal registry, Ball says they are the core of the business and that “brides love that they don’t have to polish and that our pieces are decorative and practical. It has to be multifunctional and beautiful, glamorous and special.”
The Vento and Soho Collections are best-selling traditionally and historically with brides. Ball says she wants brides to say, “Oh yeah, my mom had a piece like that but this is my piece”, combing vintage and modern with class and elegance.
So, when I was curious about her views on the United States’ latest involvements with Cuba, her response not only clarified her amazing personality, but also reflected her company’s impact on us.
“It’s fantastic and a courageous thing to do. Cuban people suffered tremendously but they’re wonderful people and it really is a special place.”
