Sunday, December 3, 2006

Choose the Perfect Engagement Ring

Engagement rings are what most girls dream of getting at some point. There are so many styles and prices available, even when you only have a little to spend, you can usually find something that you will like. In most cases, before your husband-to-be has even thought about it, you have already been window shopping prematurely. It's ok! We've all done this! Sometimes, men don't think as much about this as we do.

When I was looking, I had only to walk across the street from the office where I worked, in a middle-class suburb near Dallas. All of the jewelry was wax casted and custom designed. A jewelry designer/goldsmith showed me a few antique and modern engagement ring styles, and then offered to design a one-of-a-kind setting for me. I agreed on the latter, and decided, with Steve, that the ring would have a solitaire setting that was surrounded by smaller baggets. The surrounding diamonds made the solitaire diamond appear more pronounced, as the setting was raised substantially more than the traditional engagement ring styles usually are. This design, though it boasted a full carat diamond, which also made me feel like a princess, even though we had little money to invest in a ring.

This many years later, however, I understand that there are certain criteria to follow when going shopping ahead of time for particular or any engagement ring styles and designs. (I imagine Steve, having been in business for over twenty years, knew these steps already, thereby saving me the need to research, which was tougher in those days, as we didn’t yet have access to the net.) Anyway, here is what I understand you keep in mind when considering engagement ring styles:

First, it is up to your likes and dislikes and depends upon what you want to or can spend.

Next, the engagement ring should be easy to wear, should be “practical” for everyday, all-day wear.

The ring should be well-designed and subsequently well-crafted, so that the gemstones are securely set and the prongs of the setting do not snag, etc.

And finally, according to a veteran jeweler online, the ring has to look good. That’s where your individual taste comes into play.
Your ring should enhance your hand. Depending on whether you have long, slender fingers or have short chubby fingers, will depend on the type of ring you will choose. I know I always wanted a wide wedding band, but when I tried one one, it was so uncomfortable I would have never worn it. Buy something you like and feel good about. Whether or not you choose expensive or inexpensive, doesn't matter. What matters is how you treat each other in the ultimate relationship.

Custom Wedding Rings for the Perfect Couple

Wedding rings are unique to the individual personality. There are so many jewelry stores and independent jewelers out there that have merchandise that will appeal to just about all of us. But there are those of us that want something that no one else has and that's where we come to the main topic, custom wedding rings.

Have you found that special someone? You know, the one that makes your heart go pitter patter? Well, one thing is for sure, when it happens you will know it. The whole "seeing fireworks" thing is not a mere figure of speech. There's just a natural bond that draws you closer and closer.
Eventually that big day comes. The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and the bells are ringing. Your wedding day can certainly be an occasion to remember. Since this special event can creep up rather quickly, it's prudent to be prepared. Have you considered wedding rings yet? This can be a wishy-washy subject. You like something, and then you don't. You're considering one style of ring, but then you're not sure if it's the best one. Yep, that sounds familiar to me. Fortunately these days you're not limited to the small selection of wedding bands found in the local jewelry stores. In fact, custom wedding rings are well within your reach.

Have you considered custom wedding rings for that big event? Now, I want you to stop and think; how many times are you planning to get married in this lifetime? Well, hopefully your answer is one. This means you should vastly consider all options at hand. Your primary goal is not to find a beautiful wedding ring, but to find the absolute perfect wedding ring for your sweetheart. This can not always be accomplished at the local mall. You may have to delve into the world of custom wedding rings. I remember when I decided to pop the question. This stirred a great desire within me. I had to find the perfect engagement ring. This meant exhausting all options regarding custom wedding rings and engagement rings. I turned to my trusty laptop for assistance. After hours of browsing a variety of websites specializing in custom wedding rings, I had found the one. Or should I say, created the one. Yes indeed folks; there are actual websites that allow you to design the ideal wedding ring, online. I knew from the start that I wanted a platinum band with a heart shaped diamond and two sapphires on either side. This was my creation.

My intended was absolutely thrilled with the creation I had designed. No one else she knew would have anything even similar to her ring. And the fact that I designed it made it even more special to her and our relationship. Women love a man that is romantic and also creative.
If you are interested in custom wedding rings, then I suggest you get searching. Searching through cyberspace that is. You can easily surf through a variety of web-stores that offer custom wedding rings for reasonable prices. Make that special ring the perfect ring.

Custom wedding rings are really one of the best things that you can purchase for the love of your life. It makes a statement that she is unique and therfore deserves a unique ring to fit the occasion.

Planning For the Ultimate Honeymoon Vacation

Honeymoons are one of the traditions that we all look forward to when we marry. Unfortunately, we don't always get the honeymoon we have dreamed of and have to settle for less. Even so, the whole concept of the honeymoon is to get away with your new spouse and spend some quality alone time, together.

Are you in that stage with your sweetheart? You know, that ideal stage that typically comes at the beginning of all worthwhile relationships?
It's called the honeymoon phase, and it's probably one of the best times you'll ever have. So, now that you're all depressed because that phase is a part of your past, I want to talk about that next big step. You know what one that is. Heck, we all know that time will arrive some day. While some of us yearn for the stellar moment, others dread it like they're hitting a mid-life crisis. I'm referring to that day with the organ playing and the church bells ringing. So as birds are choking on all that rice that was just flung carelessly into the air, you're happily contemplating honeymoon vacations. Yes indeed, that's the part we all look forward to. Although the wedding day may get you choked up, that ideal honeymoon getaway will set it all back in order. Where are you taking that dream trip?

What comes to mind when you contemplate honeymoon vacations? Are you a "basking in the sun kind of individual" or more of a "gliding down the snowy slopes sort of person?" Regardless of what honeymoon vacations you're anxiously brainstorming, one thing is for sure; now days you can plan it all from the comfort of your own home. That's right all you newly weds. Get ready for a whole new cyberspace of honeymoon vacations and wonderful romantic getaways.

When we married, we could not afford a really nice honeymoon. It was actually two years before we even got away for a trip to Padre Island. It was close to a disaster but we did recover and we're still amrried!
Currently I am planning a second honeymoon for me and my loved one. Now I believe it's time for a more Caribbean style of trip. Okay, who am I kidding? That's what my wife decided, but it's not like I could pass on such a thing.

Incredible honeymoon vacations like this don't come along too often. Even if they are follow-up honeymoon vacations. It was rather easy to plan out if I do say so myself. All I needed was the dates we wanted to go and return, plus my laptop. Once I dove into cyberspace, sorting through numerous tropical honeymoon vacations was a breeze. You simply narrow down all the best package deals.

With tons of websites fighting for your business, it's easy to find a great all-inclusive package. That can include airfare, lodging and food. How awesome is that! Get online and check out oodles of honeymoon vacations now.

Where ever you decide to spend your honeymoon, keep in mind that the main objective is being together alone. You don't have to spend a great deal of money to have a really good honeymoon. Just enjoy the fact that you are starting your life with someone you love.

Formal Wedding? How About A Bridal Bouquet?

Formal weddings are one of the most elegant affairs we all share at some point in time. They are a time for renewal of old friend, long lost relatives and can give a memorable event for the wedding couple. In this day and time, weddings have gone from simple to outrageous. If you are short on cash, you can cut corners and still have a beautiful wedding by doing a lot of the tasks yourself.

My daughter is planning her wedding. So many of her friends have been getting married, and she has been part of their weddings. As a result she is well aware of the costs involved with getting married. She has spent hundreds of dollars being a bridesmaid. Not only purchasing the dresses to wear, but also for shower gifts and bachelorette parties. She is trying to keep the costs down not only for herself but for her friends involved in the wedding. We are going to help financially and the one area that we agreed where we will not cut corners is on the bridal bouquets. My daughter and I have a close relationship and one of our special bonds is our love for flowers. We have spent many hours together tending the flower gardens in the yard. When we attend weddings together one of the first things we both notice is the bridal bouquets.

Because this area is special to us my daughter asked me to help pick out the bridal bouquets for her special day. I explained to my daughter that when I was married I had found large price differences between the different florists. We decided that we would check with several in the area. We wanted to see pictures of bridal bouquets that each had done in the past so we went to each floral shop rather than call. We made a list of five florists and decided that we would spend the day together.

The first florist we went to had several photo albums filled with bridal bouquets that she had created in the past. She had photos of corsages and table and altar arrangements in addition to the bridal bouquets. She was excellent at carrying through the main flower through all the arrangements. Her prices were quite high, she did write an estimate for completing the arrangements that my daughter wanted. She explained that the prices would vary depending on the availability of the flowers at the time the arrangements were made.

The next florist had very unique bridal bouquets. She used flowers and dried materials that created very unusual bouquets. My daughter wanted more traditional flowers. The third florist we went to was the one that had done the flowers for my wedding. She showed us the extensive photo albums of her work. She then made a few suggestions that would slightly alter what my daughter wanted, but greatly reduced the costs. The details would still be there but the cost was almost half of the first estimate. My daughter was so impressed that she ordered the bridal bouquets and other floral arrangements.

Finding a good florist that is reasonable is a challenge, no matter where you live. Flowers are expensive, and the florist you choose will determine what your costs are. Some florists have less of a markup than others. In your search, you will learn who is reasonable and who is expensive. We were pleased with the selections that we made and the cost that we had saved. We had also saved time by not visiting the other florists so we were able to complete some additional tasks that needed to be done for the big day. More importantly, the time we spent together was one of the best times of my life. I will always remeber the sharing of feelings and ideas that transpired on this day, will ever be instilled in my mind.

Now That You Are Engaged...Announce It!

How much time do you have between the engagement and the date you want to get married? A scheduling guide may need to be adapted to fit your timetable. As soon as you are engaged, or at least 6 months before your wedding there are things that you will need to do. The more time you have to plan, the more likely will be your chances of getting everything accomplished that you think you need to have accomplished!.

Now that you are engaged, you want the world to know. Before you send out engagement announcements or place an announcement in the paper, there are a few people close to you that should know first! In all your excitement, you may speak out of turn, maybe a little too soon, and before you know it, everyone already knows before the announcement!

I’m sure this type of scenario has happened more than just a few times. If you have children you should tell them first, then the parents on both sides, siblings, etc., then you can tell start sending out the engagement announcements!

There are lots of creative ways of doing engagement announcements. Many online sites have a good selection of engagements announcements to choose from, and you can always design your own. These online retailers will also answer any questions you may have, and give you suggestions on package selections, such as engagement announcements, wedding shower invitations, wedding invitations, stationery, and thank you cards. You can personalize your engagement announcements in any way you would like. There are a variety of colors and textures of paper to choose from, as well as type styles, designs, fonts and decorations. You can also include a picture in the engagement announcement, for not everyone has met your fiancé yet, and they all want to see the happy couple!

If you are entering into a marriage with children from previous relationships, you can include a picture of the child(ren) with your engagement photo on the engagement announcements. The children need to be a part of the pre-wedding preparations so that they adjust to the new family situation with ease. Everyone will love to see the children included as well; it’s just a nice touch. There are various ways to arrange the pictures on the engagement announcements, and many online sites have great examples you can look at to get inspiring ideas. You might want to check out www.picturemeperfect.com for a start, and if you want to place engagement announcements online or in the local newspaper also, you can go to www.todays-weddings.com or to the website of the newspaper or publication you would like to use that has a section for engagement announcements. In my opinion, engagement announcements need to be kept simple. Save the elaborate for the wedding invitations.

There are many ideas for engagement announcements. If you are having a difficult time making decisions on what you want to use, there are wedding planners that you can hie to assist you. If you don't have a lot of money, you can probably get some good ideas at your local craft store, or one of the may wedding magazines on the newsstands. Talk to others that have already been there, done that and see if you can derive a different idea from what others have done. Most of all have a good time with whatever it is you decide on. This is a great occasion and usually, you only do it up big once.