Style & Fashion | OneWed

2011 Style Report: On-Trend Wedding Bands

Azure — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 10:24:20 -0500

Special to OneWed by Whiteflash.com

Spring wedding season is rapidly approaching, so that means brides and grooms across the country are tasting wedding cakes, practicing their dance moves, and weighing the relative advantages of calla lilies and orchids. One more item on the agenda: purchasing wedding bands. Without further adieu, we present, for the very first time, the hottest wedding band trends of 2011—a gorgeously motley collection of luxurious classics and surprising new details.

Trend #1- Filigree
One of the biggest trends in jewelry of all kinds is a return to the kind of Old-World craftsmanship that turns a piece of jewelry from a bauble to an heirloom. Hand-etched filigree is one example that is perfect for a wedding band. A delicate filigreed design like this one is a great way to incorporate only a few small melée stones but still have powerful visual impact. This wedding band also provides that handmade, vintage look that is so hot right now, and it coordinates well with a simple engagement ring. One caveat—filigree may not be the best option for those who work with their hands.

Trend #2- Color
Sapphires have never been bigger—they were a rising trend even before Prince William popped the question with a certain famous sapphire ring. Even if you opt for a traditional diamond engagement ring, adding a few sapphires to a diamond eternity wedding band is a great way to introduce some fun and color to your wedding band set. In this example, the bezel set sapphires alternate with diamonds, not only adding a beautiful color but also making the entire wedding band more affordable.

Trend #3- Three-Quarter Eternity Band
As popular as the eternity band is, think of the three-quarter eternity band as the little sister who is slowly but surely stealing her crown. There are many advantages to the three-quarter eternity band. For one, replacing the diamonds in the back of the ring with a smooth metal shank makes the entire ring more comfortable. Additionally, the three-quarter eternity wedding band can be had at a much more affordable price point due to those strategic missing stones. Lastly, the exposed metal shank makes it much easier to adjust the size of the wedding band if need be.

Trend #4- Understated Luxury
2011 is all about understated luxury—as the world slowly recovers from the crisis of the last few years, we are reevaluating our obsession with the “bigger is better” mentality. A narrow wedding band set with a few top-notch diamonds is a perfect way to wear luxury without looking ostentatious. This unique wedding band features channel and bead set pavé stones, whic has both the sleek silhouette of the channel setting and the great diamond security of a classic bead setting. The narrow sides of the wedding band means it will wear nicely with an engagement ring, even a wider, more intricate one.

Despite all these exciting new trends, sometimes a simple ring is all you need. If your engagement ring is a complicated, intricate style, it may be best to pair it with a simple wedding band. A solid white gold or platinum wedding band with a sleek silhouette and a comfortable shank may be all you need. In this his-and-hers set, the man’s ring is accented with nothing more than a band of frosted metal, and the woman’s is left simple and beautiful.

Helpful Links:
Top 10 Wedding Trends for 2011
Engagement Rings and Wedding Bands

Six Stunning Engagement Rings for 2011 Inspired by Celebs

Azure — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 11:55:43 -0500

Special to OneWed from Whiteflash.com

No matter how much we hate to admit it, we all have the same addiction to those glossy celebrity gossip magazines. Flipping through pictures of pop stars and movie stars with perfect hair and impeccable makeup, we all feel that same twinge of envy. And when we see those dramatic and wildly expensive engagement rings on their fingers, we can’t help but feel inspired. No matter what your engagement ring style, whether you like sparkles and glitter or subdued elegance, there is a celebrity-inspired ring out there for you.

Your Style: The Princess
Your Ring: Solitaire diamond in a pavé halo setting. This simple-but-stunning design combines the classic elegance of the solitaire engagement ring with the sparkle and fun of a pavé setting. Available at all price points, this engagement ring offers some serious style.
Your Celebrity Inspiration: Katie Holmes wears an oval solitaire, all-American princess Katherine Heigl wears a pear-shaped version, and the most girly girl of all, the one and only Katy Perry, amps up the classic engagement ring with a yellow gold band.

Your Style: The Fashionista
Your Ring: Marquise solitaire. A striking marquise-shaped diamond and a perfectly simple band make the ultimate fashionable engagement ring. Not for the fashion faint of heart, this exquisite diamond shape is a slim oval with sharply pointed ends that works best on a simple engagement ring.
Your Celebrity Inspiration: Who else but the queen of cutting-edge fashion, Mrs. Victoria Beckham herself. David Beckham’s better half is always posh, with her sharply trendy haircuts, super-high heels, perfectly tailored dresses, and of course, a marquise solitaire engagement ring.

Your Style: The Lady
Your Ring: Emerald-cut ring with a three stone setting. The three-stone setting has long been a favorite of women with classic, refined elegance. It is beautifully proportioned and shows off a gorgeous center stone with two equally beautiful side stones. The emerald cut, with its symmetrical facets, is one way to play with the lines and geometric shapes of a three-stone engagement ring.
Your Celebrity Inspiration: Two Desperate Housewives have been seen with this glamorous engagement ring style: Nicolette Sheridan and Eva Longoria Parker. Eva Longoria’s engagement ring has a pretty high carat wattage already, but she turns up the bling with a pavé band and a diamond-set setting. But even that doesn’t beat Hilary Duff’s enormous emerald-cut three-stone engagement ring, with a center stone estimated at 10-12 carats and an estimated cost of $1 million!

Your Style: The Goddess
Your Ring: Colored diamonds. However you set them, colored diamonds are the fun, sparkly and girly sister to white diamonds’ more restrained elegance. Colored diamonds (or other colored gemstones) can be the center stone of your engagement ring, can be used as side stones or as part of the diamond melee on the ring band. A custom-designed engagement ring would probably be the best way to get your favorite colored stones incorporated into the ring.
Your Celebrity Inspiration: Colored diamonds show up on celebrity engagement rings in many different ways, from Heidi Klum’s super fashionable yellow diamond solitaire, to country princess Carrie Underwood’s yellow sparkler in a pavé setting, to the most glittery celebrity of all time, Mariah Carey, whose engagement ring is a white diamond set into a pavé setting made entirely of cotton candy pink diamonds.

Your Style: The Beauty
Your Ring: Square-cut solitaire. A square-cut diamond, most commonly a princess-cut, although other shapes exist, is a unique way to pick an engagement ring that is perfectly simple and beautiful without being the same as everyone else. Princess-cut stones are rising in popularity, while Asscher, radiant, and cushion shapes remain relatively rare.
Your Celebrity Inspiration: Demi Moore, an icon of timeless youthfulness, wears a simple engagement ring with a square-cut stone. Ivanka Trump designed her own engagement ring, which is a similar style, and America’s favorite newlywed, Chelsea Clinton, appears to have followed this understated trend as well.

Your Style: The Chick
Your Ring: Solitaire in a Bezel Setting. Tough enough to handle extreme sports, and yet gorgeous in its own unique way, a bezel setting, whether total or partial, sets off a diamond by encircling it in a protective collar. An engagement ring with a bezel setting can be engraved with a decorative design, set with small diamonds, or left ultra-simple and eye-catching.
Your Celebrity Inspiration: Pop singer Fergie isn’t afraid to rock out with the guys, and yet her engagement ring is as pretty and girly as they come. She wears a brilliant-cut solitaire diamond set in a platinum bezel setting.

5 Steps to Getting Your Dream Diamond

admin — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 12:41:49 -0400

Special to OneWed by Gemological Institute of America (GIA)

When your guy gets down on one knee and pops the question, you know what you want to see inside that little box. But does he? When it comes to engagement rings, even the most well-intentioned soon-to-be fiancé can use a little help. That’s where you come in— read on for 5 easy tips to getting the diamond you’ve always dreamed of.

1. He’ll do his homework—and so should you. What you really need to know about diamonds can be boiled down to the 4Cs: carat, color, clarity, and cut. The 4Cs were developed by the Gemology Institute of America (GIA) to grade diamonds by a universal standard. Here’s a quick primer:
• Diamond Carat: the weight, with one carat weighing 0.2 grams
• Diamond Color: how close to colorless, or “white”, the diamond is
• Diamond Clarity: how few birthmarks—called inclusions and blemishes—a diamond has
• Diamond Cut: how much brightness (light reflection), fire (colors of the spectrum), and scintillation (sparkle) the diamond has; cut also refers to the shape of the diamond (round, princess, oval, etc)
Buying a diamond with a GIA grading report on the 4Cs will give him confidence that he’s getting exactly what he’s paying for. It will also give you purchasing power if years down the road you decide to get an upgrade.

2. Drop subtle hints. Dropping hints can go a long way—you’ll get what you want, and he’ll get the satisfaction of knowing what you like without having to flat out ask. Here are a few tried and true methods:
• Comment on elements of other rings that you like, ie, “Wow, I loved Melissa’s pear-shaped diamond and how it’s so sparkly and white—way better than a bigger one that’s not as pretty.”
• Let him “discover” things— leave your computer or a magazine opened to a page with the diamond of your dreams.

3. Get your girls to help. Your soon-to-be-hubby will undoubtedly talk to female family members and girlfriends about what you like—so make sure they’re in the know.

4. Visit a jewelry store together. Going to a jeweler “just to look” can often do the trick. Almost 70% of today's brides are involved in the ring selection process! Your ideal jeweler is a GIA-trained Graduate Gemologist, but any knowledgeable jeweler should be able to explain the 4Cs and guide you through your options.

5. …and when all else fails, just tell him. When hints and casual jewelry store visits don’t work, just explain exactly what you want. You’ll make that once-in-a-lifetime purchase less stressful for him, and guarantee a once-in-a-lifetime moment for both of you!

For more information about diamond buying, the 4Cs, and grading reports, visit www.gia4cs.gia.edu.

Ask the Experts: A Mother of the Groom Dress Dilemma

Marta — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 17:36:55 -0400

Ask the Experts is your chance to get your wedding questions answered by a panel of wedding professionals. If you have a question, write the panel at asktheexperts@onewed.com

This week a bride writes:
I'm having a Destination wedding in Florida in the height of the summer. We had decided on an outdoor semi-formal (but more casual) wedding. My soon-to-be mother in law asked me what she should be wearing, and I explained to her that it was going to be very hot, that it was on grass and that my maid of honor and mother were both wearing to the knee light dresses. She seemed to get it, but when she showed me her dress a few days later, she had spent a few hundred dollars on a floor-length, dark navy blue dress, embellished with rhinestones. So, not only is she going to die of heat-stroke, she is now outshining my maid of honor, and is going to look entirely out of place at my early afternoon summer wedding.

I really don't know what to do. If I should say something... What could I possibly say?

Our experts were clearly divided on their answers:

IN FAVOR OF Saying Something:

Arianna of Iris Fields says:
Say something. I can tell you from professional and personal experience that it is better to have things out in the open or else you will not only be upset the day of but every time you look at your pictures. Make sure you have the support of your soon to be spouse (a must) and say it to her like this in person and be sweet as sugar:) "I am sure your dress is beautiful but the wedding in its entirety is a vision that I want to flow throughout and I feel that your dress being so formal will be really out of place. So, with that said can I show you pics of my dress, my maid of honor and bridesmaids' to give you a better idea of what I am looking for? I am also happy to pay you back for the dress you already purchased if we cannot return it. This is really hard for me to say and I gave a lot of thought before saying something so please understand how important this is to me."

Arti of Zoya Couture says:
Yes, you should say something - both for aesthetics of the wedding, and for her own comfort. Aside from the potential heat stroke, I'm sure that she wouldn't want to look like the odd one out! Try organizing an accessories or shoe shopping day out with your mother in law, mother, and bridesmaid where they each bring their dresses along. By seeing the other dresses in person, she may get a stronger hint. Or, consider having a heart to heart with her, explaining how much it would mean to you if she wore a knee-length, light summer dress.

AGAINST Saying Something:

Jeff of Blackbird Images says:
My first impulse is to say let it go; you’re in a no-win situation and it’s hard to tell guests what to wear. If you feel you must, try, “I’ve been thinking… I love your dress, but it’s going to be really hot and I’m worried about you… and everyone else has agreed to stick to light dresses…” and see how she responds. If she immediately says, “Oh, I’ll be okay…” then let it go. If she is open to discussing, great – just tread lightly. In the end while she might outshine others, at the same time those others will be dressed similarly and will know why… and bottom line it’s not a competition.

But if you’re at all in doubt, don’t say anything. Saying nothing is least likely to cause a problem; saying something could.

Rebecca of Studio B Photography says:
This is one of those instances where it is probably best to hold your tongue. Although she will be dressed in a decidedly different style than your mother and your MOH, she will definitely NOT outshine them. Lots of times older women feel uncomfortable showing too much skin, whether it be their legs in a shorter dress, or their arms in a sleeveless dress. Unfortunately their solution is often to find the most monstrous creation you've ever seen and choose to wear it proudly on your wedding day.

Let her wear what she feels comfortable in. The dress she's selected will undoubtedly make her very warm, so have someone make sure that she has plenty of fluids throughout the day so she doesn't get overheated.

Rest assured, this is normal, so let it slide off your back and worry about other aspects of the wedding that are a bit more under your control.

Larissa of Weddings of Costa Rica says:
Let it go. A wedding is like a mine-field fraught with emotional bombs. Remember that this is a major rite of passage for a mother of the groom, he is officially leaving 'her' to have another woman as the center of his universe.

You let her know ahead of time what the location was, the type of event it was going to be and what the rest of the party would be wearing, and she chose her dress. Going back to her now and asking her to change it is only going to stir things up. She's a grown up and made her choice. If she wants to sweat it out in a full-length dark dress, let her. She is not going to out-shine anyone so don't worry.

Remember that MOGs tend to take a 'back seat' to the bride's mother and there isn't much of a role for her so let her have her moment to wear her special dress.

Weddings, like marriage, are all about finding a balance and knowing when to push for something and when to give. In the grand scheme of things, who really cares what the MOG is wearing? If it makes her happy, let it be. Better to have a happy MIL than one who feels you're trying to control everything.

OneWed's Wedding Maven is solidly in the middle:
I think the answer depends on your real motivations. If you are really concerned that your future MIL will be physically uncomfortable, then you should say something like this "Becky, I've been thinking about your dress. I really love it, but I am a little worried that you're going to be way too hot in it during the wedding. Are you sure you'll be ok wearing it in the sun?"

If, however, this is more about aesthetics and control then you really need to let it go. You chose your dress and your bridesmaids' dresses, what everyone else wears is up to them. I'm not suggesting you just avoid saying anything, I'm suggesting that you actually realize and accept that you can't control what your mother in law wears, and that it's nothing for you to be upset about.

Something to think about, you said that you gave her all the information about the location and what others were wearing before she bought her dress. Is it possible that you and your future mother in law have a communication issue? It may be that what you think you said and what she thinks you said are totally different things. Try and pay some attention to how the two of you are communicating, and give some thought to whether or not there's a better way for you to get your message across in the future.

Fixing a communication problem now will save you hours of pain once you have children!

About our experts:
Arti Anand works with ZOYA Couture, a boutique design and print studio in Washington, D.C. that creates wedding invitations and marketing collateral. The company incorporates work of numerous in-house and freelance designers, offering clients fresh new designs, layouts, and materials.

Larissa Banting of Weddings Costa Rica has planned over 300 weddings in this beautiful tropical Paradise. She is also the force behind Lazy Bride, the blog for the energetically-challenged bride.

Jeff Haden is President of BlackBird Images, wedding photographers based in Harrisonburg, VA. Not only is he a well-respected and talented photographer, but has also gained recognition as a ghostwriter.

Rebecca is the owner of The Studio B Photography in the Atlanta, Georgia area. As a recent bride herself, Rebecca is able to better understand what her clients need and enjoys providing them with images that capture the joy of their wedding day.

Ariana Gordon Stecker is the co-founder and Lead Planner for Iris Fields, Inc. She is a seasoned New York City event professional who has been featured on MTV, Fox News, and the New York Times.

Ask the Experts: Help with Wedding Dress Codes

Marta — Thu, 27 May 2010 10:22:18 -0400

Ask the Experts is your chance to get all of your wedding questions answered by a panel of wedding professionals. If you have a question for the panel write asktheexperts@onewed.com

Dear Experts
I’m having an early evening wedding. I’d like people to dress up a little, but not feel like they need to wear suits and ties or long dresses. Basically, I don’t want jeans and sundresses. What should I put on the website, or what should I tell people the dress code is? I think the phrase “dressy casual” is confusing, but is this what I want to say?

Signed
Not to Dressy

Ariana of Iris Fields says:
The issue of attire is always confusing for any event unless you are going with standard "black tie" or "formal." For what you are trying to accomplish I like "cocktail chic." This implies that your guests should dress up but the men don't need to wear a suit. However, one thing I do know from years of planning is that, no matter what you write you will get questions!

Heidi and Leslie of Three Graces Design say:
As custom invitation designers, we often get asked how to word dress code information for wedding guests. The phrase we would suggest for your event is “smart casual.” Smart casual indicates a together look without being overly dressy, while definitely ruling out jeans. Women can wear a pretty dress, or a blouse with dress pants or a skirt. Men can wear a dress shirt and trousers, sport coat and tie are optional.

About our Experts:
The co-owners of Three Graces Design, a custom-design invitation business in Oak Park, Illinois, Heidi and Leslie have years of experience in design and event planning.

Ariana Gordon Stecker is the co-founder and Lead Planner for Iris Fields, Inc. She is a seasoned New York City event professional who has been featured on MTV, Fox News, and the New York Times.

Ask the Experts: Help with Bridesmaids' Dresses

Marta — Thu, 06 May 2010 11:02:43 -0400

Ask the Experts is your chance to get all your wedding questions answered by a panel of wedding professionals.

If you have a question for our experts write asktheexperts@onewed.com

This week a bride writes all the way from New Zealand to ask:

Hi Guys,
I have 4 bridesmaids but all different sizes 8 to 22, I am trying to keep the cost down as much as possible as the girls have kindly agreed to pay for their own. I have looked at places that have a broad range but they’re so expensive, I did want all the girls to look the same rather than just buying a dress each and looking mismatched. I have also looked at making dresses but the cost is high also. This is the only part of our wedding that I can’t seem to relax about yet, any really good ideas??

Thanks, Sam

Here’s what our experts say:
Melissa of Stylish Blooms Says:
Depending on your color scheme a great option is to have each girl wear a black dress in the style they choose (with some limitations) this way they will all be uniform in color and still have a dress that compliments their body shape. If black isn't an option you could try department stores. J. Crew also has a great line of dresses that could also be a much less costly route. If you pick a costlier dress pick a color and style that your attendants can wear again. It might make the investment for the dress easier to handle.

Ariana of Iris Fields Says:
Wedding party attire is always a very big decision (so not to worry about being concerned)! So here are the solutions: Ask the bridesmaids to all wear black because everyone already has their "go to" black dress and this way they look enough alike that you are happy. If you truly want to have a color then there are so many companies where you can mix and match the style but have the same color (to fit all shapes and sizes). These dresses run under $200 a piece. If this is too expensive for your girls I would suggest offering to offset their cost a bit (a small sacrifice for the "look" you want). You can also ask that they don't give you a wedding present because they have so graciously offered to pay for their own dress. Typically you could also go off the rack with a small party of 4 but since you have a size 22 that does cause an obstacle. Hope this helps!

Heidi of Three Graces Design Says:
As custom invitation designers, we understand that "one size does not fit all!" So when it comes to selecting your bridesmaids' dresses, consider a retail chain bridal store. They offer two-piece coordinating dress lines and very reasonable prices. You may want to keep the skirt consistent, to give that uniform appearance, but allow your bridesmaids to select the top that they feel is most flattering for their build. You are not alone in this dilemma. You will find dresses that fit your bridesmaids’ budgets as well as their sizes.

Jeff of BlackBird Images Says:
I’m not sure I’ve ever seen any one bridesmaid dress “work” across a range of sizes; often a few bridesmaids are delighted and one or two are less than thrilled. Also keep in mind you may ask your girls to buy a dress they will never wear again. The key is to decide what is most important to you: Having your bridesmaids match or keeping their costs down. There is no wrong answer, because either approach works: Some of the happiest bridesmaids we’ve seen were allowed to choose their own dresses (within reason and within specific parameters), while on the other hand most bridesmaids won’t mind buying the dress you choose simply because since they are honored to be in your wedding.

So take a step back and decide whether having your girls look the same is important to you; if not, give them some latitude. As long as color and dress length are similar they will look good as a group, and if you want to extend the premise let the guys choose different ties or shirt colors (again, within reason.) And keep in mind whether everyone matches or not in no way reflects on your taste or sophistication; we just photographed a $200,000 wedding and the bridesmaid dresses were similar but not matching. It’s your wedding and should reflect your dreams – do it your way based on what is most important to you.

About our Experts:
Melissa Bonoffksi is the creative force behind Stylish Blooms in Bristol CT. She holds and A.A.S In floriculture and have over 13 years design experience.

The co-owner of Three Graces Design, a custom-design invitation business in Oak Park, Illinois, Heidi has years of experience in design and event planning.

Ariana Gordon Stecker is the co-founder and Lead Planner for Iris Fields, Inc. She is a seasoned New York City event professional who has been featured on MTV, Fox News, and the New York Times.

The Plunge: Ring Shopping How to Find Her Style and Size

Marta — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 10:09:39 -0500

Special to OneWed from The Plunge

We’ve listened to OneWed. We know that women care more about style and personality than size. (Um… or at least that’s what Marta said. We’re trusting her.)

So. For all guys out there who need to buy your girlfriend a ring: you need a plan. You need to figure out her preferred style, setting, and stone shape.

This isn't an exact science. And there's no perfect solution. These ideas, however, will at least get you in the right ballpark. Good luck.

Sizing

Your three best options to find her size:

1. Steal a ring.

Snoop around in her jewelry drawer. Find another ring of hers, steal it, and then take it to a jeweler. As long as it's the right finger, the jeweler can use this to get her size.

2. Use your own finger.

This one is so obvious it gets overlooked. You can just put one of her rings on your finger, slide it up as far as it will go--ideally, your fingers are fatter than hers--and then mark the spot (remember whether you're marking the side closest or farthest to your fingertip). The jeweler can use this to measure her size.

3. Use soap.

Full disclaimer: we've heard this mentioned by friends—and it's a popular recommendation with other experts—but we have not actually tried it ourselves. So use at your own risk. Basically, you grab a bar of soap, fetch her ring, and press the ring against the soap to make an impression.

Styling

The styling is more complicated. There are a number of key decisions to make: the shape of the diamond, the type of setting, and the style of setting.

Something like 75% of the diamonds sold are round, but there are other shapes that are popular and, depending on your budget, might be a good fit. The safest choice, however, is to go with round. The basic setting choices are solitaire, three stone settings, and sidestone settings. You will also have to decide what metal to buy—yellow gold, white gold, platinum, etc.... Finally, the setting style: classic, modern, or antique-looks. Frankly, Blue Nile does a great job explaining the shape and setting choices.

Some tips on finding her style:

• Don't risk a white lie.

It won't work. We've seen other articles that advise things like, "Pretend that you want to buy a ring for your sister, and then ask what kind of rings she likes to wear." This is about as plausible as Hillary Clinton's tales of "sniper fire" in Bosnia—it simply won't hold up. She'll see through it.

• Look at her current jewelry.

At the very least, you should get an idea about the kind of metal she wants. Does she always wear silver or white gold? Then it's probably best to avoid yellow gold (platinum is the safest option, anyway.) Get a sense for her style. Our tip: actually take some digital photographs of her jewelry and show it to the merchant—this way you won't awkwardly fumble at the store and say, "Um...she likes shiny stuff, I guess."

• Recruit one of her friends.

This could be better in theory than reality. The idea is that you talk to her BFF, swear her to secrecy, and get the BFF to find out her ring size, preferred settings, etc. Only three problems with this: 1) Who knows how trustworthy this friend is? Are you sure she can keep a secret? The downside is astronomical. 2) Who knows if her friend actually has any frickin' clue what kind of ring your girlfriend wants. She can probably help on the size, yes, but the rest is just guesswork. 3) More philosophically, do you really want someone else to know that you're getting engaged before your girlfriend? In an ideal world, she should be the first to know.

• Remember Indiana Jones.

Remember that bag of sand Indy uses? At the beginning of Raiders, he swaps the golden idol for a bag of sand—keeping the weight balanced—and avoids a lethal trap. You can do this with the engagement ring. When you propose, you can give her a "stand-in" ring--ideally a family heirloom--that you later trade for the real thing. This lets you propose without some lame "IOU" but you let her give input into what ring she gets.

• Go simple.

As far as settings and ornamentation, it's better to err on the side of simple and conservative. Just focus on getting the best diamond in your budget. Once you propose, tell her that you're fine with changing any aspect of the band or setting. A friend of mine tried to channel his inner-jeweler and was "inspired by California poppies"—whatever the hell this means—and wanted to get her an orange stone. Debacle. Just play it safe, get a good diamond, and give her carte blanche to reset the sucker.

• Make sure you can get a refund.

No matter what you choose, there's a good chance that your girlfriend/fiancé might want some type of modification. Make sure that your exchange policy will let you swap out your ring for a change or (gulp) upgrade. This way, when you give her the ring, you can let her know that it's not final-final-final... she can make any changes she'd like and you won't be offended.

OneWed Tip: Don't forget to check out OneWed's ring gallery for great ideas and prices.

Ask the Experts: DIY Winter Decorations

Marta — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 09:58:41 -0500

Ask the Experts is you chance to get professional wedding advice from OneWed’s panel of wedding experts. If you have a question write asktheexperts@onewed.com.

Dear Experts
I’m getting married in January in Chicago (I know, but we don’t have a lot of out of town guests, so I’m not worried about the weather). I’m on a tight budget but most of the DIY advice I see for flowers and decorations assume you’re getting married in the spring or summer. What are some ideas for festive, whimsical decorations my friends and I can do ourselves? We’re having an evening reception with wedding cake and drinks, but no dinner and I’d like a fun feel.
Thanks
Winter Budget Bride

From Thea of Rose of Sharon
Assuming you want a winter feel and not a holiday feel, I'd keep to white and crystal. A Winter Wonderland can be created with a mix of fresh florals, “crystal” Christmas ornaments, and lots of candles. Cut the stems off of several bunches of Baby's Breath and cluster it around white candles of various sizes. (If fire is a hazard, use the battery operated pillar candles.) Wrap sheets of velum in winter patterns around glass cylinder vases holding more candles. Accent the Baby's Breath with various crystal Christmas ornaments--snowflakes, icicles, etc. Draw eyes upwards by hanging more crystal ornaments from the ceiling over focal areas like the cake table. For a lighter, more festive feel, add 'snowmen' created from white Styrofoam balls from your local craft store. By keeping a clean white pallet and adding touches of sparkle, you should be able to easily create and afford the look you're going for.

From Larissa of Weddings Costa Rica
Winter always makes me think of silvery snow reflecting off of blue skies and ice. Simple but elegant ideas for an evening reception could include glass vases filled with blue and silver glass ornaments (which are plentiful at this time of year) and lots of white candles. You could have glass cylinders with blue and white marbles in the bottom, with a white pillar perched on top (all these items are available at dollar stores). Head over to HomeDepot and pick up some mirror tiles and use these as bases for your cluster of pillar candles in different heights with a few glass balls loosely placed. The mirrors will not only continue the silver theme but will reflect the soft glow of the candles and shimmer of the ornaments, adding more bang for the buck and creating an elegant atmosphere by candlelight.

From Tyne of Wild Expressions Florist
A great centerpiece for a winter in Chicago wedding would be one with some candle light and warmth. I would suggest getting tall clear glass containers (tall enough so that your guests can see each other across the table) and fill them with clear gems. Willow branches can be sprayed in white or black depending on the colors for the wedding and then add lots and lots of crystals dripping off of the branches. Votive candles in clear glass holders can be placed on the table and the candle light will reflect off of the gems and crystals and add warmth and romance to the entire room.

From Arti of ZoyaCouture
Since you're not serving dinner, consider setting up a "dessert lounge". Gather a set of fun and unique serving dishes from your closest friends and family and fill them with home made treats such as cookies, muffins, brownies, fruit tarts, etc. Your guests will appreciate the thought and personal touch - and your friends will love having their serving dishes and homemade specialties become a part of your big day!

About our Experts
Arti Anand works with ZOYA Couture, a boutique design and print studio in Washington, D.C. that creates wedding invitations and marketing collateral. The company incorporates work of numerous in-house and freelance designers, offering clients fresh new designs, layouts, and materials.

Larissa Banting of Weddings Costa Rica has planned over 300 weddings in this beautiful tropical Paradise. She is also the force behind Lazy Bride, the blog for the energetically-challenged bride.

Tyyne' Catapan, owner of Wild Expressions Florist in Milford, Ct specializes in "wildly romantic bridal flowers."

Thea Daniel, owner of Rose of Sharon Event Florist in Fayeteville, Arkansas, has been designing floral arrangements for events for 15 years.

Ask the Wedding Maven: How Much Should an Engagement Ring Cost?

Marta — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:18:36 -0500

Every few weeks we like to have an exchange program of sorts with our friends at The Plunge. We send them one of our Ask the Wedding Maven questions, they send us one of their advice column questions and you get to hear both a guy’s and a gal’s take on an issue.

This week we decided to simultaneously answer a question that the guys received. What’s more, we didn’t tell each other what we were writing. The Wedding Maven’s take is below. Here is where you can read what the guys told the letter writer about his ring shopping problem.

It all started when she asked me “what if I don’t like the ring you proposed with? Would you be offended if I don’t like it?” The answer was tricky but I said “Yes, I would be offended on the grounds of you missing the point that it is not about the ring, it is about me offering my life to you.” Call me old fashion but that is how I feel.
However, I took her window shopping for the ring. The idea behind it was that at least she would get what she wants (size, cut, color, setting, etc) even if I had to sacrifice the surprise. It was explained to her prior to the excursion that we were doing our homework and that we were not going to buy a ring that night. The problem is that she fell in love with a $12,000 dollar setting, capable of holding a 2.5 carat rock. The ring (diamond included) carried a price tag of $40,000; far more than 3 months of salary by a long margin.

The next day she went to work and tracked down the designer of the monster setting online. She then e-mailed me the results of “the hunt” because she “thought it might be useful to have these pictures in my archives.” I was furious. She knows the price of the setting and she does not care if the thing is by itself more than two months salary, half the price of a car, 5 years of food, 7 years of gas, 9 mortgage payments and an infinite amount of dog food.

I know I sound like a cheapskate, but I am ready to invest up to $18,000 on the ring (hardly a drop in the bucket), but now I am thinking that maybe, just maybe, I am being taken advantage of. She is certainly not in it for the money, but sometimes she makes me feel like she likes the flash more than the idea of being with me for life.

My question is: Am I in the wrong to think that $12,000 for a setting is crazy and that 40 grand for a ring is just insane? Furthermore, since she knows the price of the setting and obviously has check estimates for the diamond, why does she think that such an inconsiderate number is OK?
Lastly, if it is all about love, what is so wrong with a ring pop?

Dear Ring Shopper,
Unless you’re the heroine of a 19th century romance novel marriage is not about “offering your life” to someone. It’s about two people building a life together.

In your rush to start talking about engagement rings, you and your girlfriend (fiancée?) seem to have skipped a few more important conversations. The first being, what kind of life is it that you’re trying to build?

Does she even want to buy an unlimited amount of dog food or a car? Will you buy a house in the suburbs and have kids? Will one of you want to stay home with the kids? Do you want to skip the kids and spend your life traveling instead? Do you want to join the Peace Corp together? Is one of you going back to school while the other works? In short, what are your goals and are they compatible?

How do you feel about money? Do you both feel like saving is important or do you like to save and she thinks money is there to be spent? How do you feel about debt? What’s a reasonable amount of debt to have? Once you’re married will you share accounts or each keep track of your own money and spending?

The answers to these questions is what will help the two of you decide TOGETHER what a reasonable amount to spend on a ring is. It is something you need to decide together because unless you buy a ring that you can afford to pay off before the wedding (not a bad idea at all), she will in one way or another be paying for her own ring. If you share accounts, the ring loan is one more bill she will be paying. Even if you don't share accounts then she'll have to realize that you may not be able to do things like go on vacation because you're still paying for the ring.

A ring is a symbol. For some people symbols are more important than others. It actually sounds like symbols are pretty important to you. Why else would you get upset at the idea that she didn't like your choice of ring?

Marriage is wonderful, but it’s also hard work and sometimes a little symbolism can go a long way toward preventing matrimonial homicide. When your wife is picking up your socks for the hundreth time, or listening to you snore, or in her 36th hour of labor, do you want her to look down and see that you think your love is best symbolized by a ring pop?

Are you curious about what the guys at The Plunge said? Here's a little taste:
You ask us two questions. One is very easy and one is very hard. We'll start with the easy one, because we're cowards.

Your easy question: "What's so wrong with a ring pop?"

It's a reasonable position. Isn't a ring just a token, a symbol? Doesn't love transcend trinkets? Hell, in Braveheart, William Walllace merely gives that chick a few strands of twine, and that was that. (Let's just forget the whole "prima-nocte" thing.)

Yes and no. This might shock the hell out of you, but we'll defend the diamond ring tradition. We're not kidding. As preposterous as this sounds, there's actually a point to buying an expensive wedding ring. By making the guy sacrifice a little bit, it symbolizes that he doesn't take the decision lightly. If you love this woman more than anything and want to spend the rest of your life with her, the theory goes, then it's reasonable for you to sacrifice just a bit--cutting back on PS3 games, passing up a Vegas vacation, squirreling away some extra cash--that kinda thing.

That's the answer to your easy question: yes, there is something wrong with a "ring pop." You should sacrifice a little bit.

Read more...

If you need wedding advice, or have a question about wedding traditions, etiquette or relationships write the Wedding Maven at weddingmaven@onewed.com

About the Wedding Maven

Expert Answers: Why Customize Your Engagement Ring?

admin — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 09:32:42 -0400

Special to OneWed from Whiteflash.com

If you are in the market for a unique ring or diamond setting, have an idea for something different and spectacular but don’t know where to start – read on to find out why going the custom design way may be right for you.

1: Use “old” to make “new”.
Did you inherit an engagement ring from your grandmother or a diamond wedding band from another woman in your family? The “antique” pieces carry a lot of sentimental value. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to “re-purpose” all of these diamonds in your own ring?

Work with your jewelry designer to incorporate the stones into the new engagement ring. Your ring will not only be unique, but will carry a part of special memory of your family.

2: You love your friend’s engagement ring, but don’t want to be a copycat.
You don’t have to. Talk to a jewelry designer about the ring you admire; describe everything you like about it. You probably love the style rather than the details. Or is it the stark simplicity or the intricate filigree details? Think style and you will end up with an engagement ring that fits your dreams.

3: You don’t want a traditional engagement ring; you are a trend-setter.
The plain Tiffany-style engagement ring is just not for you. How about a three-stone ring, with a larger diamond in the center and two smaller diamonds on the sides? Just not your style?

How many jewelry stores have you visited looking for that “different” ring? Ten? Twenty? If you think you will never find it, you are probably right. When you have something very specific in mind, chances are it is not in a jewelry showcase.

It is time to talk to Whiteflash.com, an online diamond boutique specializing in custom designed engagement rings and wedding bands. Describe your vision and we will create a CAD (computer aided design) image that is specific to your specifications and wants! After you approve we create the custom designed ring by hand!

4: You want to be able to remember not only where the ring was bought, but also how it was made.
You want to be part of every step in your engagement process and don’t want any surprises. You want the process of designing your engagement ring to be memorable and need to be involved in the creation process.

Custom-designing an engagement ring is not simply a process, it is a journey. Stay involved from the sketch, to a wax model, to casting, to selecting all the stones.

5: You love what the Hollywood actresses are wearing.
Did you fall in love with one of the engagement rings worn by a celebrity? Yet realistically, you and your fiancé-to-be cannot afford either one of those.

It’s time to compromise. Would you be happy with an engagement ring in which a pink diamond is replaced with a pink sapphire? Still prefer a diamond as a center stone? How about scaling the ring down and forgoing some of the finer details? A good jewelry designer will be able to offer many options and help you remain within your budget.

6: Details only known to you.
Are there things you want in your engagement ring that you don’t want other people to see? Like a little ruby stone you received in your pre-engagement ring years ago? A detail like this is important and meaningful to you but you may prefer to keep it private.

Certainly, this is a challenge, but not for a good designer. If you are custom-making your engagement ring, ask the designer to place the stones, initials, or dates into the ring’s gallery, the part located just under the stone of your ring. The gallery makes the ring smooth on the inside, the construction stronger, and it is a great place to keep the things that are meaningful to you away from other people’s eyes.

7: You like Period Jewelry but don’t want an engagement ring from an estate collection.
Think about what is it that attracts you to a style you so admire. If you decide to custom-make your engagement ring, tell your jewelry designer which time period or style you want your engagement ring to adhere to and he/she will guide you through the rest of the process.

8: You know a jeweler whose work you have always admired.
You are lucky. Just as a trusted doctor or an attorney, a good jewelry designer is not easy to find. Has the designer made any pieces for you in the past? Do your family members always speak highly of that jeweler? Have you seen their work and fell in love with the style and quality of craftsmanship?

If you were lucky to find a good jeweler — stick with him/her!

9: Use your artistic abilities.
Can you sketch the engagement ring of your dreams? Terrific! An experienced designer will take you and your idea in the right direction, and together, you can make your dream a reality.

Keep in mind that sometimes, what looks great on paper should not be made in metal. Your designer should tell you if some parts of the ring would be too thin and structurally unsound, or the design would jeopardize the security of the stones.

10: You have no idea of what you want in your engagement ring.
You are not alone and now there is homework to be done. Start by viewing engagement ring designs online and determining the styles that make you feel comfortable. Also, look at engagement rings in bridal magazines and imagine them on your finger.

So what do you do if you like the band (called a shank) in one ring, the box holding the center stone in another, and the way the side stones are set in a third ring?

A good designer will help you sort out the details and create a ring for you to enjoy and to be proud of.