Should You Pick Your Own Engagement Ring?

Should you pick your own engagement ring or is it better to be surprised? This is a look at the pros and cons.

Pro: When the woman helps to pick her own engagement ring, she is absolutely sure to love it. And that is really important, because along with her wedding ring, this is the one piece of jewelry which she will wear every day for the rest of her life. It would be a shame if she secretly disliked the style of the ring for all those years (because of course she would never say so!).

Con: Obviously if the couple has been engagement ring shopping, the woman will have advance knowledge that her boyfriend intends to propose. Or he can go the route of a surprise proposal without a ring, and then the newly engaged couple can go wedding jewelry shopping together. In that case, though, you lose that iconic moment when he drops to one knee and pulls out a tiny box while popping the question.

Pro: It can be less stressful for the man if his fiance is involved with the ring selection. Many man just plain hate shopping, and the idea of shopping for something so expensive without any input from the woman who will be wearing it can be positively nerve-wracking. Will he wonder forever if she truly loves the ring or is just pretending so as not to hurt his feelings?

Con: Sticking to a tight budget might be more challenging with the bride-to-be in tow. Some women can’t help but gravitate to the biggest, most fabulous engagement ring in the store! Saying no to her favorite is a really awkward position for a man to find himself in, and not the least bit romantic. On the other hand, splurging on a ring which is way out of his comfortable price range will not leave the man feeling so great, either.

In the end, each couple is unique, and it is up to them to decide if these practical concerns are worth losing the element of surprise at the moment of engagement.

Romantic Marriage Proposal Ideas

With Valentine’s Day here, this is a very popular time of the year to become engaged. In fact, did you know that Valentine’s Day is the second most popular day of the year to pop the question, coming in just after Christmas? If you are thinking of making this Valentine’s Day (or any day, for that matter) one which she will never forget, take a look at these romantic marriage proposal ideas.

This time of year, many people are snowbound, which offers some wonderful possibilities for engagements. Hopefully you had a chance to go out and get that special piece of wedding jewelry before the snow hit, so you will be able to present the engagement ring when you pop the question! A really sweet winter proposal idea is to build a snowman in her front yard, complete with top hat, carrot nose, and branches for arms. Off the end of one of the snowman’s arms, hang the engagement ring box with a ribbon, then ask her to come out and see what you have made. You can bet that she will have a soft spot in her heart for snowmen for the rest of her life!

A very traditional marriage proposal idea is to make a romantic dinner for her to share in front of a crackling fire. Include all of the classic foods of love and luxury, like Champagne, lobster, caviar, the works. It may not be original, but that does not diminish how romantic it will be. Finish off the meal with a special dessert, such as chocolate souffle or chocolate dipped strawberries. By that point, your girlfriend is probably going to sense that this is no ordinary evening, so don’t leave her hanging in suspense. The traditional drop to one knee and pull out an engagement ring gesture may seem trite, but when it is happening in real life, believe me, she will be seeing fireworks.

Proposing in a location that is meaningful to the pair of you is always a way to make the moment even more romantic. Perhaps you have shared many wonderful hours wandering through an art museum; why not pop the question in front of her favorite painting one afternoon? Have dinner plans awaiting you at your favorite restaurant for celebrating afterward. If your girlfriend is a sports fanatic, the grand gesture of proposing on the Jumbotron at a game is guaranteed to be a huge hit. By taking into account the places that she really loves, you can make your proposal tailored just to her.

Fresh Wedding Tent Decor

Outdoor weddings are more popular than ever, and most receptions will involve some sort of a tent. In and of itself, the typcial wedding tent is nothing special to look at, but with the right decorations, you can create an absolutely breathtaking environment within a tent. These are some fresh new approaches to the most beautiful wedding tent décor.

If you are having an outdoor wedding, the chances are that you have chosen a spot with gorgeous natural scenery. Why not show it off to its full advantage by choosing a tent with a clear ceiling instead of an opaque white ceiling? Clear ceiling tents to see the green trees, blue skies, and even the birds in the area. This special type of tent is especially wonderful for evening weddings, as your wedding will take place under the stars and moon. Your guests will love spending the evening at a chic party in their best dresses and wedding jewelry under a starry sky.

As for the tent decorations, the biggest trend is to decorate a tent as if it were an elegant indoor location. Think swanky ballroom, not picnic. Elegant crystal chandeliers in several shapes and sizes can be suspended from the tent ceiling to add romance and style to your reception. Fine table linens made from sumptuous fabrics like silk dupioni are just at home in a tent as a ballroom. Choose luxurious china and crystal rentals to increase the style and grandeur of your wedding.

To really make your tented wedding something special, think about setting up a lounge area. This is a trend which shows absolutely no signs of fading.  Low slung sofas, graceful armchairs, and ottomans all make good choices for reception lounge furniture. Also be sure to have enough small tables so that guests have a place to set their drinks. Punch up the style of the lounge area even more by ordering custom throw pillows which coordinate with your table linens. With details so luxurious and unique, no one will even feel like they are in a tent – all they will notice is how stunning your wedding is.

Private Moments for the Bride and Groom

In the hustle and bustle of a wedding, it is all too common for the newlyweds to spend very little time together alone. The whole wedding day passes in such a whirlwind that you may well get to the end of the reception and realize that you have not shared a quiet moment with your new spouse once all day. Don’t let that happen to you! Use these suggestions to plan some private moments that the bride and groom can share on the day of the wedding.

Are you superstitious? If not, the time before the wedding ceremony might be a good opportunity for the bride and groom to grab a few minutes alone before everything gets underway. For couples who have no qualms about seeing one another before the ceremony, this is an ideal time to share a quiet moment together. Plan to get together about twenty or thirty minutes before you have to be in place for the ceremony to just take a deep breath together and reflect on the journey which you are about to undertake together. Religious couples could use this moment to say a prayer together requesting blessings for their marriage. This would also be a very nice time for the groom to present his bride with a special piece of wedding jewelry, and for her to give him a nice piece of wedding jewelry, such as a watch with an inscription.

In the Jewish tradition, it is customary for the newlyweds to spend several moments alone together in a yichud (seclusion) room. This is an absolutely marvelous custom, as it allows the new spouses some time together to celebrate their union and to absorb what has just taken place. Having a pause between the public ceremony and public reception gives the newlyweds a rare quiet moment alone, away from the spotlight. This Jewish tradition is one that brides and grooms of any faith would be wise to borrow for their own wedding.

Make a pledge to one another to grab a few moments alone during the rest of your wedding reception. Take a brief stroll together outside or hide up in a balcony for a few minutes to watch your guests. The idea is not to avoid your guests, but just to have a few moments of quiet together to soak it all up. The intimate moments that the bride and groom share can end up being among the most meaningful parts of the entire wedding day.

Electronic Wedding Etiquette

It seems like every day one hears of new ways in which electronic communications are being used in appalling ways related to weddings. As technology evolves, etiquette comes along for the ride to ensure that brides and grooms know how to graciously comport themselves in any situation. This is the latest electronic wedding etiquette, including Facebook, texting, wedding websites, and email.

Did you hear the one about the groom who stopped in the middle of his wedding ceremony to update his status on Facebook to “married”? Either he has the world’s least trusting bride or he went way too far. A marriage ceremony is a solemn and momentous occasion, certainly not one which should be interrupted by something so trivial. The worst part is that once word of something like that gets out on the Internet, other people will also decide to give it a go, even if it is only done in jest.

It should really go without saying that guests should turn off their cell phones for the duration of a wedding ceremony (as well as for funerals). Times being what they are, it must also be stated that the groom should turn off his cell phone, and that the bride should not be carrying one at all, even if she has one of those wedding gowns with pockets. No matter how many crystals you put on it, a cell phone cannot count as wedding jewelry! Save the ringing for the church bells, please.

Wedding websites can be a fantastic way to share information about your upcoming nuptials with your guests. They can, however, get a bride and groom into some trouble. For one thing, bridal registry information, while an acceptable item to include on a wedding website, should not be the main feature. Wedding invitations and thank you notes should never be sent by e-mail. This is one time when the old way of doing things is still the best way, even for the most modern of couples.

International Wedding Hors D’oeuvres

Weddings are all about blending families and cultures, everything from your great-aunt’s wedding jewelry to your fiance’s family church. Beyond wedding jewelry and the like, another fantastic opportunity for mixing cultures is with the wedding food. Here are some great suggestions for an international array of wedding hors d’oeuvres.

Asian food is very popular and it makes a great place to begin planning your international wedding hors d’oeuvres menu. Fried wontons with little dipping sauces are a sure-fire hit. Another delicious appetizer idea is tiny mu shu pancakes tied with a piece of scallion or other edible tidbits. Little cups of egg drop soup will be much enjoyed by guests on a cool evening.

Greek cuisine offers many tasty appetizer options for wedding cocktail hours. You can bet that guests will gobble up mini pitas stuffed with gyro meat, feta, and a cool cucumber sauce.  Phyllo triangles filled with spinach and goat cheese are elegant and delicious, perfect for a passed tray of appetizers. Stuffed grape leaves are another excellent addition to the cocktail hour menu.

Mexican and Spanish cuisine offer many more delicious ideas for the wedding cocktail hour. Empanadas are loved for their savory/sweet combination, and the closed shape of them makes them an easy food to eat while standing up. Mini tacos or chimichangas may remind the bride too much of sports bar food, but guess what: the guys at the reception will wolf them down. Or arrange for a Spanish tapas bar, serving all the little bites which are so popular: everything from olives, battered squid, chorizo, cured meats, cheeses, and small pieces of bread. A tapas station is an upscale addition to any wedding reception.

Your around the world appetizers stations can also include Japanese sushi, Italian antipasto, and maybe even something American like comfort food (mashed potato shooters, anyone?) or soul food. Whichever cultures and cuisines you choose to represent, one thing is for sure: your guests will not leave your wedding hungry!

When the Groom Gets Cold Feet

It happens: you get engaged, are buzzing along happily planning the wedding, when all of a sudden your husband-to-be drops a bombshell: he has cold feet and wants to postpone the wedding. Once you get over the initial shock and horror, you will have to decide on your next move. Here is some help to assist you in navigating through the various scenarios until you find one that you can live with.

For some grooms, the closer they get to the wedding day, the more panicked they become. Maybe it was just a dull nagging anxiety nine months ago when he first popped the question and presented you with the wedding jewelry. Then perhaps as the plans picked up steam and you went shopping together to pick out wedding bands and the rest of your bridal jewelry, his palms got a bit sweatier. With the actual wedding day in sight, his level of stress may rise so high that he feels the need to bolt.

Cold feet may certainly signal that he is unsure about the course the two of you are taking, or that he has an insurmountable fear of commitment, but it also might not mean that at all. Maybe he wants to spend the rest of his life with you but fears that marriage will somehow change a relationship that he feels is perfect just the way it is. Or maybe his parents have been divorced and remarried, so he is nervous about taking the plunge. The key question is whether he is experiencing temporary pre-wedding jitters, which can be overcome, or a true doubt about the future of the relationship, which is far more serious.

If you are the bride in this situation, you have several options. The first is to suggest that you put the wedding aside and spend a few weeks completely apart to allow time to for deep reflection. Another option for some couples is to put the wedding on hold and live together first to be sure that getting married is right for both of you. The final option when the groom gets cold feet is for the bride to cut her losses and move on. Whatever you decide in the end, just be certain that it is a decision that you can live with for the long term.

Tips on Customizing Wedding Vows

A great place to start the process of customizing your wedding vows is by reflecting on why you want to say something different. Are you simply a person who prefers things that are unique, rather than standard things that everyone uses for their weddings? Or maybe you feel like the old fashioned vows do not speak to your contemporary views. It could be that you want to say the words that will truly express the depth of your love for your intended. Whatever your personal reason, identifying it will help you set an intention before you sit down to right; with a goal in mind, you will be much better focused.

With an intention in mind, you will be ready to start customizing your vows. The point of adding your own words to your wedding ceremony is to express something personal, so avoid cliched phrases that are no more unique than the standard vows. On the other hand, a wedding is a ceremonial event, and a bit of reserve is called for; in other words, make your vows personal, but not too personal. Never say anything that would embarrass your fiance or any of the guests, especially the grandparents. Risque jokes or naughty innuendos are always a bad idea in wedding vows.

Feel free to include quotes from your favorite authors, poets, and songwriters. Authors that honor your cultural heritage can also be a meaningful inclusion. For instance, if you have chosen Claddagh rings as your wedding jewelry, choose a lovely quote from an Irish poet. This can be a great base upon which to build, especially if you are not accustomed to writing. Use the quote as a starting point, and frame it with your own words to make it more personal.

If you are comfortable with it, include a brief (brief being the operative word) anecdote in your vows. It could be something sweet about how you first met or how much you admired your intended from afar before getting up the nerve to approach him or her. Consider the context of your memory. For instance, if you met the bride at church, that could be a nice thing to include, but if you first saw her at a wet t-shirt contest on spring break, well, you might just want to leave that bit out!

Honeymooning in the U.S. Virgin Islands

There are plenty of great islands in the Caribbean, each with wonderful unique features. The sister islands of St. Thomas, St. John, and St. Croix make up the U.S. Virgin Islands, which are perennial favorites for honeymooning. The language is English, the currency is the U.S. dollar, and (as of this writing) no passports are required for U.S. citizens, just a photo i.d. and birth certificate. Although they are close together, each island has its own special charm; read on to discover which one of the U.S. Virgin Islands is perfect for your romantic honeymoon adventure.

St. Thomas is the best known and busiest of the three U.S. Virgin Islands. It is a very popular cruise ship destination, so you may choose to make the island either your home base or a stop on a multi-island cruise. Either way, bring your credit card! St. Thomas has lovely beaches, of course, but it is best known as a duty-free shopping mecca. St. Thomas is the perfect place for a new husband to pick out a little honeymoon souvenir for his bride. The island specializes in fine timepieces and jewelry; a special piece to round out her wedding jewelry set would be a wonderful gift for a groom to give his wife.

If you envision a more quiet honeymoon, you will love the serenity and slow pace of nearby St. John. Hop a ferry for a short ride from the St. Thomas airport, and before you know it, you will be on an island paradise. The pace of life on St. John is slow, and the quality of life is high. There are breathtaking beaches, incredible blue waters, and gorgeous natural vistas. St. John is ideal for honeymooners who want little more than to relax on the beach by day, enjoy a leisurely dinner by night, and revel in one another’s company the entire trip.

The third U.S. Virgin Island is St. Croix, and its vibe is in between St. Thomas and St. John. You will not find the bustling shops of St. Thomas here, but there are more activities available than on St. John. Some of the favorite things to try while visiting St. Croix are hiking, biking, snorkeling, and kayaking. This would be a terrific honeymoon destination for a couple who wants a beach vacation with plenty of outdoor pursuits.

Great Wedding Favor Ideas

Most wedding favors will fall into a few basic categories. There are theme favors, keepsakes, home décor, and of course edible or culinary favors. Of all these categories, the edible favors are far and away the most popular, both to give and usually to receive. The trick is to find that one favor that will in some way tie in with the rest of your wedding and will feel like a personal thank you to your guests.  When choosing your favors, always keep in mind that following trends is not nearly as important as following your heart. These are some ideas for great wedding favors that your guests are sure to love.

Boxed candies have always been a traditional wedding favor. Even when they are not particularly original, it is a treat that guests are happy to receive. However, you can make your candy gifts more special by personalizing them in some way. For instance, if you are being married at the beach, fresh salt water taffy is nice. Vermont couples could give maple candies, or if you were a Mississippi bride, custom chocolates in the shape of magnolia flowers would be lovely. Anytime you can impart a local flavor to your wedding, it is going to be special.

Keepsakes are another way to go for your wedding thank you gifts. These can range tremendously, and will often tie in with the theme, location, or season of the wedding. If you have artistic talent, you can even consider making these types of favors yourself. At Christmas wedding, beautiful silver plated ornaments would be wonderful. A bride from the Southwest might think about choosing handcrafted Native American ceramic ornaments for her guests.

Décor items are another favor idea. Candles are always a good possibility because they can suit so many different wedding styles. If your wedding is very elegant, with lots of sparkling crystal details and jewelry, cut crystal votive holders would be an appropriate accent. Or let’s say that your style is more relaxed, and you are wearing a casual bridal gown with handcrafted wedding jewelry; a unique handmade bark candle holder would be a fun favor idea. Theme favors are also popular, and they can come from across any of the other categories.  It is fine to have some sort of personalization on your favors, but be sure that the wedding date or your names is not so prominent that it distracts from the beauty of the gift.