Grooms Wedding Rings
March 31, 2008
With this ring, or maybe that ring, grooms have more choices than ever before.Once upon a time the plain gold band was the only choice for a man’s wedding ring. While brides-to-be deliberated over filigree, gem stones and other detailing, grooms simply told the jeweler their finger size and went on their way. But times have changed.
Today grooms have a host of options, from intricately detailed to customized creations. Wedding rings come in a variety of styles, metals and finishes to fit the personality of every groom. The trend today is definitely about individual style.
While gold will always be a popular choice, other metals are currently gaining favor. “Many men are stepping outside the box to personalize their wedding band by using alternative metals to express their individuality,” says Marsha Bryant, senior buyer for 18K gold and platinum at ShopNBC. “This season, men’s rings are both functional and fashionable.”
Platinum, a silver-colored precious metal, is a big trend right now. According to the Platinum Guild International, the number of brides and grooms choosing platinum rings has reached 40 percent. A matte finish is hot right now, as it gives a subdued, modern look. While more expensive than gold, it is also more durable, making it a good choice for those who work with their hands.
No longer just a girl’s best friend, many grooms are adding diamonds to their rings. Nothing over the top though of course. These rings give just a bit of sparkle, often in a style that compliments the bride’s ring. Most popular are channel-set or gypsy-set stones that offer a flush mounting and secure fit.
For a personal look, many grooms are adding special details. Custom engraving is a great option for grooms who want a ring unique to them. Rings like the Personalized Message Ring from ShopNBC allow couples to imprint names, dates or a special phrase on the outside of the ring, creating a treasured family heirloom. Some grooms are creating jewelry wardrobes by matching key pieces. “Rings that compliment watchband styles were recently introduced at this season’s international jewelry shows,” says Bryant.
Many grooms unaccustomed to wearing jewelry are discovering the newest ring metal: titanium. This lightweight, durable metal comes in either satin or polished finishes, often with an accent stripe of gold. Titanium rings provide an up-to-date look at an affordable price.
When shopping for a ring, remember to check for marks that indicate you’re getting the metal you pay for. Gold is stamped according to its karat: 14K or 18K. Platinum is marked with PLAT, PT, PT950 or IRIDPLAT. Look for a ring that not only matches your taste, but also your life. Intricate carvings will catch debris, and may not be a good choice for those who engage in messy work. Matte finishes tend to show scratches more quickly. And some people are sensitive to metals and may have skin allergies that make one metal a more desirable choice than another.
Take your time when selecting a ring. Remember, long after the tuxedos have been returned and the limo ride has ended, your wedding ring will be with you each moment to remind you of your lasting commitment.
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Plan Your Wedding Favors
March 31, 2008
Wedding favors are small, inexpensive gifts or souvenirs that you present to your guests as a way of saying “thank-you for attending our wedding celebration”. It has become customary to give something in return to your guests that they can keep as a memory of your special day.Favors don’t have to be large or expensive. Some are elegant, some are practical and some are just plain fun. Choose a favor that reflects your wedding theme in some way. Many favor ideas can easily be interchanged with various themes just by substituting a decoration or color on the favor.
Budget For The Cost of Wedding Favors
When planning out your wedding budget, be sure to allot about 3% of your money toward favors. Make sure you know the approximate number of guests that will be attending your reception, then you will be better able to estimate the maximum amount of how much each favor can cost. The fewer guests that you have, the more expensive your favors can be, if you so choose.
When making or buying any favors, keep in mind the color scheme of your wedding and use ribbons, tulle, flowers, etc. decorations that reflect your wedding colors.
Once the favors are completed, attach personalized favor tags that have your names and wedding date printed on them. You can use paper tags or monogrammed ribbons that you either create yourself or purchase from a vendor. Some couples also add a small saying to their tags as well.
Delight Your Guests With Unique and Creative Favors
Wedding party favors are only limited by your imagination, so mix and match, and have fun creating your own unique bridal favors.
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Picking A Perfect Wedding Ring
March 31, 2008
Traditionally, a wedding band was worn on the ring finger of the left hand because it was believed that the vein in that finger went straight to the heart. A wedding ring is a piece of jewelry which will be worn everyday of your life to signify your love and fidelity to your significant other. That being said, you want to ensure you choose the perfect ring, which can be difficult for someone who is inexperienced in this area. Luckily we can help you through the steps of finding the perfect wedding ring for the special person in your life.The first thing to consider is the kind of metal you want for your wedding rings. Most wedding rings are found in yellow gold, white gold or platinum. These forms of metal vary in price and most likely this decision will be quite easy since most women already know what kind of ring they want.
The next step is choosing the stone for the ring. You will need to decide which kind of stone you want as well as the shape of the stone. Diamonds are still the most popular choice when it comes to stones for wedding rings however colored stones such as emeralds, rubies and sapphires are becoming more and more popular.
The last step is to find a reputable jeweler who you will be comfortable purchasing such an expensive piece of jewelry from. Perhaps it is best to use a jeweler who one of your friends or family members have already used and would recommend for you because of such great results.
If you are like most couples who are marrying, you will likely choose a diamond wedding ring. If you are doing so, you may want to keep the four C’s in mind while doing so. The four C’s are the diamond’s color, cut, clarity and carat weight.
1. Color - Diamonds are available in number of colors and shades including white, yellow, green, blue and pink. The color range starts at D and moves through the alphabet towards Z. The scale moves from white to yellow as it makes its way through the alphabet.
2. Cut - The cut of the diamond is what gives the diamond personality. Diamonds which are cut well will be bright and sparkly, however diamonds that are cut poorly may end up looking dull and boring. Choosing and making sure the cut is perfect is a crucial step in the overall outcome of your wedding ring.
3. Clarity - An inclusion in a diamond is an imperfection inside the stone which will greatly affect the overall worth of the ring. The size, color and position of the inclusions in your ring affect the clarity of the diamond. You want to ensure the diamond has good clarity.
4. Carat Weight - A carat is divided into 100 equal parts (also known as points). Therefore a one carat diamond equals 100 points; half carat equals 50 and so on. When the diamonds are loose (before they are mounted on the ring), the weight is easy to determine, however, after the diamond has been mounted only a gemologist can determine the weight of the diamond(s).
Take your time when choosing a wedding ring for yourself or for your significant other. A wedding ring is a sign of your everlasting love to one another and is something that will be cherished for the rest of your lives.
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Party Gift Ideas On The Cheap
March 31, 2008
Thanking your wedding party with special gifts is a favored tradition. Depending on the size of your wedding party it can be an expensive one as well. With so much money spent on the wedding ceremony and the reception, this can often be an aspect of the ceremony that you can have a hard time in deciding upon because it can be difficult to find inexpensive, original and thoughtful items that will be good enough to express your appreciation to your wedding party.Here are some great and unique gift ideas that are not expensive:
· Personalized shot glasses
· Personalized candles
· Personally engraved items such as ornaments, plaques etc.
· Personalized musical CD recordings commemorating the ceremony and reception music such as bride and groom’s songs etc.
· Specially labeled wine bottles commemorating your special day
· A personalized picture frame of the wedding of the wedding party
· Make your own wine and give a bottle to each guest
· Make beaded bracelets with you and your couples initials on them and the date of your wedding
These are just some ideas, but you get the general thoughts on this matter. Of course, there are literally millions of gift ideas that you could choose from or create with your own hands.
All you have to do is think about how you would like to say thanks, and what you can afford to do. Here are some other suggestions to help your with your creative ideas.
Personalized bottle stopper
Personalized magnets
Personalized mini chocolates
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Wedding Jewelery That’s Affordable
March 31, 2008
Finding the right wedding jewelry is an extremely important aspect of the ceremony because the wedding bands in particular will be worn by the bride and groom forever. Wedding bands have gotten to be a great deal more ornate than they used to be. Diamond wedding bands have reached a peak in recent thanks to the celebrities who proudly display theirs.Wedding bands have even surpassed the usual gold and are now moving into platinum and titanium bands. It used to be that 10k gold rings were the “in” thing to buy and these days they are looked down upon by most couples who would prefer to buy their gold in 14k or higher.
Simple diamonds are still a popular buy, but colored diamonds are gaining momentum thanks to J-Lo’s pink princess cut diamond ring with Ben Affleck. Other popular diamond colors are yellow, blue and aquamarine.
With the ever growing popularity of platinum rings, many couples are looking to shining silver and white gold as a cheaper substitute. White gold has a similar look of platinum, but is a fraction of the price. It is a great alternative.
In the past, the men’s ring was often of little concern to either as long as the woman’s ring was attractive, but these days, men want a nice ring or diamond studded ring almost as much as the women do.
Beautiful ring sets can be found from nearly any source. If you can afford it, you can locate good deals on sets at jewelry stores.
For the most part, the entire wedding ceremony is completely symbolic and that symbolism reaches its peak the moment the rings are exchanged.
Knowing this, can it really be a wonder that the chosen rings are just as important as the chosen couple?
You can virtually choose to go with any type of ring from any source. These days even department stores are offering great knock offs to the popular celebrity rings at extreme discounts.
The popular ring worn by J-Lo; which was a platinum pink diamond ring with a princess cut and accented with two white diamonds on either side can now be purchased at Wal-Mart in a white gold setting with zirconia’s and pink topaz stones.
Wedding bands still look better in a plain band style, but some people might prefer to accent the bands with diamonds. Whatever your taste is, you can pretty much find the right bands for you and your spouse to be anywhere.
All you really need to do is decide what look you want; what style that you want; and how much money you can afford to pay and then go on your search.
In order to get the best overall deals, you should comparison shop online. If you do it soon enough, you can have the bands ready way before the ceremony.
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Gift Ideas For Your 50th Anniversary
March 31, 2008
A 50th anniversary gift commemorates a milestone most married couples wish to reach. What can you possibly give a couple after 50 years of marriage? The most meaningful wedding anniversary gift is one that comes from the heart: to express your love and appreciation towards all that they mean to you, how their staying married through the thick and thin of life has influenced you, to tell about the warm and loving memories you shared with them throughout the years.The 50th anniversary is commemorated by gold and the flower is violet. A gift certainly doesn’t have to be gold, wrap a gift in gold paper or paper decorated with violets.
50th anniversary gift ideas for the couple
• Keepsake personalized anniversary gifts, such as a photo quilt or pillow
• Monthly or quarterly lo-carb, dietetic or fruit gift baskets
• Restore their wedding photo and place in a gold frame
• Have a painting or caricature made out of their wedding photo
• As they probably don’t cook for themselves as much, gift certificates to restaurants would be appreciated
• A gift of theater or concert subscription tickets. Make them a patron with VIP privileges
• The children can create a 50th anniversary keepsake journal gift. Ask family and friends to write a paragraph or two to share a memory with their parents. Or ask for a photo with the couple that the children don’t have and write a caption about it
• Instead of a guest book, buy a music box and fill it with messages of love written on gold or handmade paper from family and friends
• Are they up for a cruise? Take them on a weekend or week long cruise. They probably will enjoy sharing this vacation with others
• What could help them personally? Can you lease a car for them? Pay for a kitchen or other home renovation?
• Do they golf? Pay for private lessons or a VIP membership at their favorite club. Buy 2 clubs, have them engraved and then gold plated
• What hobbies do they enjoy? Give them gift certificates for a spending spree at their favorite craft or hobby store
• Buy tickets to a favorite event and pay for their lodging and food expenses
• Do they volunteer or have a favorite charity? Contribute to their favorite organization. Find out if a plaque or some other special mention can be made in their name
The best 50th anniversary gift for the couple is one that helps them to enjoy life more. Many couples don’t even want to receive gifts. Give a gift of your time and help. Make up “Gift of Time” or “Labor of Love” coupons to take them out to their favorite restaurant, make them a home-cooked meal, chauffeur them on a shopping trip, run errands for them, take them to a show or movie, have a local landscaping company take care of their property, have their home repainted. Find out what will make a difference in the quality of their life.
Your love and attention will be the most appreciated 50th anniversary gift you can give your parents or a couple. Make the time for those you love!
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