So you’ve decided to propose – congratulations! This is a moment that most women have been dreaming about since they were little girls, so you will want to make it as special as possible for her. And because she is the most adorable woman in the world, you will want to give to her a diamond engangement ring that is as beautiful and unique as she is, so here are some tips to help you choose the ring that is perfect for her.

At a time when you would gladly give your fiancée-to-be the very moon and stars, your choice of ring might unfortunately be limited by a budget. While wedding etiquette books recommend spending about two month’s salary on a diamond engangement ring, remember that this is only a guideline. Love and romance cannot be easily translated into monetary figures, and so an expensive ring does not necessarily convey a greater love. Real romance is about matching the gift to the personality of the recipient, and showing that you have a real understanding of her personality, so purchasing a diamond engangement ring that you know she will love isn’t as important as the price tag attached. There are a multitude of great jewellers around – perform a thorough search for the ring that matches her, and who knows, you might just find a diamond ring at a great wholesale price.

Most men, regardless of how well they know their girlfriends, have a distinct lack of understanding when it comes to jewelry! To gain an insight into the type of diamond engangement ring she might like, take a sneaky look at her favorite jewelry. Does she wear gold, or are her rings and other items made from white gold or silver? Does she like large pieces, or more subtle styles? They say that you can never buy a diamond that is too big, but many women prefer understated jewelry.

If a good look through her jewelry case leaves you as clueless as before, then enlist the help of one of her girlfriends or a sister. Women tend to have a good idea of a close friend’s sense of style, so your new shopping partner should have some good insight on what your girlfriend would like in her diamond engagement ring.

But remember – it really is the thought that counts. Your new fiancée simply wants to marry you and she will love her diamond engagement ring because it came from you. And if not – well you can always exchange it!

For a website totally devoted to diamond rings visit Peter’s Website Delectable Diamond Rings, and find out about delectable-diamond-rings.com/diamond-engagement-rings.html Diamond Engagement Rings as well as delectable-diamond-rings.com/diamond-wedding-rings.html Diamond Wedding Rings and more, including Diamond Promise Rings, Anniversary Rings and Mens Diamond Rings.

OK, so you have your heart set on the top banquet facility in the area. The only thing is once you’ve done that, your wedding budget is shot. The $75/pp meal charge quickly becomes $100/pp with the 18% gratuity & other hidden charges. Your heart races as you hear that the facility won’t even lock in the prices. You book your wedding in 2004 and by the time the wedding comes around in 2006, there could be a 10-20% increase in price.

Once your budget is blown on the banquet facility – the thing is – you’ve doomed yourself. Now, you have to compromise on your photographer and which package that you wanted. You end up with a $500 DJ instead of the $1,500 one that you really liked. You can’t afford a videographer and the roses you wanted quickly become carnations.

Let’s look at the numbers – if the 150 guests costs you $100/pp – that’s $15,000 of your wedding budget. If you were to look at a facility that was one step down in pricing – say $75/pp – now your budget is only a bit over $11,000. That extra $4,000 in savings could be the difference between all the other budget items that you wanted or wanted to upgrade.

Take a very close look at what you spend in what area of your wedding budget.

Remember, the meal is done in about an hour.

There are 5 hours in a typical wedding reception.

Spend a better part of your budget on a quality photographer and entertainment and you’ll be much happier in the end.

Rob Alberti
After Hours Disc Jockey Service – MA/CT/RI
If you remember the music, you’ll never forget the times…
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Few people have not heard the story of the tragic hero Cyrano de Bergerac. Skilful with his sword, and his pen, with the golden tongue of a nightingale, with a woman he could only succeed if he kept his face in the shadows. It seemed Mr. De Bergerac had the kind of nose that was a real turn-off. Jimmy Durante’s “Schnozzola” had nothing on Mr Bergerac’s monstrosity. And these, unfortunately, were the times where plastic surgery was as yet unheard of.

Knowing how persuasive he could be, less talented male friends would sometimes engage him as a mentor to help them get the woman of their dreams. Being a good-hearted sort of a man, he actually promoted the marriage of one of his friends to the very woman De Bergerac would have wooed for himself, if he didn’t have the nose.

There were times in history where men were honest enough to admit that wooing a girl was simply not their cup of tea. Sure, they wanted a wife. But it was not in their nature to sit at a woman’s feet, compose poems, and strum a balalaika while making a twit of themselves singing some airy fairy nonsense.

Being real men, they were hardy drinkers, indomitable fighters, and generally hard-fisted loud-mouths. As to women, they didn’t know how to begin to cultivate their interest.

Vikings in particular, being more prone to pillaging than womanizing, were badly hit when it came to trying to win a woman on her own terms.

Knowing his own limitation, this kind of a man had to use guile and muscle, instead of the gentle forms of seduction. Keeping an eye on the girl, and an ear to the ground, he waited as some better wooer than himself did most of the hard work. Then as soon as he found out when the marriage was to take place, he was ready to do the rest.

Getting together with all the best men of his acquaintance, he gave them the spill. Would they help him in his mission to get himself a wife? Would they ever! Arming themselves with knives, clubs, sticks and swords, these stout-hearted men would sally forth to the church. No sooner did the minister ask whether anyone knew of a reason why this couple shouldn’t be joined, than he got his answer.

Of course, the wooer, having done all the hard work, was not likely to just let the intruder take his prize away. Knowing that this kind of attack was on the cards, he too had not only brought with him all the best fighting man of his acquaintance, but hid a stack of swords and lances behind the altar in anticipation.

It is from these early days of pitched battles between the wooers and the non-wooers that our male attendants have their origin. Today, we differentiate between the best man and the rest of the groomsmen. In the old days they were all equally the best men the groom could find for the job.

Vlady Peters is an Australian Civil Marriage Celebrant authorized to perform marriages in Australia. She also performs general ceremonies such as Baby Naming, Renewal of Vows and Commitment Ceremonies. To learn more about Vlady, visit her at weddings-celebrant.com weddings-celebrant.com

Planning a wedding can be stressful and very time consuming project. Hiring wedding coordinators can also allow the soon-to-be bride and groom with a lot of free time to plan the rest of their lives together.

The bride and groom should both meet with the wedding coordinator so that he/she can get to know you as a couple and speak with you about your wishes for the big day. Coordinators will often convey their ideas during the first meeting and they may also go over a few pricing plans. The most important thing to keep in mind is to spend within your means. It’s tempting to go overboard and order the biggest cake, the prettiest flowers and forget all about the price. But, after the wedding is over and the cake is gone, the bills will still be there. So, set a budget and speak with the coordinator about your guidelines. Let them know that you already have an amount that you wish to spend and ask if he/she can put together a nice, memorable wedding ceremony according to your budget.

Wedding coordinators take care of every detail, including booking the location, catering, ordering the wedding cake, designing and ordering the invitations, ordering and arranging flowers, seating guests, etc. After hiring a wedding coordinator, the only thing that is really required of the bride and groom are to get their tuxedo and gown and arrive on time, ready to say “I do.” It’s important to enjoy being engaged rather than spending that time combing through thousands of details and trying to make sure everything is handled properly.

A wedding should be about the bride and groom, their own personal taste and wishes. Coordinators need to know what you want for the big day so that they can make it happen in a way that will be memorable for both of you. A wedding should be a personal event that reflects upon both individuals. If she likes romance, perhaps a Valentine’s Day wedding is in order. If he likes sports, perhaps the marriage proposal was made at a sports arena and the reception somehow incorporates his love of athletics. Discuss individual interests with each other before relaying them to the coordinator. Put your heads together and come up with something that you both will enjoy.

Of course, hiring a coordinator does not mean that the bride and groom will be closed off from the decision making process. In fact, it’s just the opposite. Both individuals will be very much involved in the selection of flowers, the design and wording of invitations, the design of the wedding cake, the location and time of the wedding, etc. The main difference being that, with the help of wedding coordinators, the bride and groom only make the decisions and do not have to worry themselves with finalizing all of the details. There will be plenty of decisions that need making in the years ahead, so it’s ok to just enjoy each other for now.

Cynthia has 11 years of experience as a published writer. At age 28, her work has already appeared in many national magazines. Her subjects range from wedding content to celebrity interviews. In 1997, Cynthia earned her paralegal degree while maintaining a writing career.