Buying The Engagement Ring
The most widespread of engagement traditions is the groom presenting his bride to be with a ring. Most frequently, the engagement ring is a diamond ring. Even though diamonds are the most desired by brides to be, diamonds are not the only precious stones used in engagement rings.
If your choice of engagement ring is a diamond ring, be prepared to spend. The diamond jewelry retail market is a $30 billion market. Over $5 billion is spent on engagement ring in the U.S. market.
To the untrained eye, most diamonds look very similar. Most people differentiate between diamonds based on size, shape, and price. A lower price usually means lower diamond quality, not necessarily a bargain.
Judging diamond quality requires skill and experience, and it involves grading a ring based on a combination of characteristics such as cut, clarity, color and carat weight. The above characteristics are called the "4 Cs". A diamond's weight is measured in carats, equivalent to one fifth of a gram. Usually diamonds range from 0.25 up to several carats. Weight is only one way of valuing a diamond, color is another. Colorless diamonds are the most rare and they are the most valuable. Colored diamonds with a hint of yellow are more common and less expensive.
Diamond colors are coded from D to Z. A D grade is the most valuable and Z is least valuable. Diamonds graded D-F are considered colorless and they are the most valuable. Many reputable jewelry stores do not sell K thru Z grade diamonds.
The most valuable color grades:
D: Absolutely colorless. The highest color grade, which is extremely rare.
E: Colorless. Only minute traces of color can be detected by an expert gemologist. A rare diamond.
F: Colorless. Slight color detected by an expert gemologist, but still considered a "colorless" grade. A high-quality diamond.
Another essential factor determining the price of a diamond is its cut. Just like color, cut, is equally difficult to judge for the untrained eye. The grading certificate that typically comes with the diamond will give you a good idea. Independent testing laboratories, such the GIA, provide certificates with a diamond's grading from excellent to poor. A certified diamond also means a bigger price tag.
The clarity of a diamond simply refers to its purity. Most diamonds have minuscule markings called "inclusions". A flawless (no inclusions) diamond is very rare and valuable, while a diamond riddled with inclusions is less expensive. Clarity is ranked from "flawless" (FL) to "imperfect" (I1 to I2). Most diamonds fall between those with very, very small inclusions (VVS1) to rocks with slightly larger inclusions (S1). If you are willing to compromise on clarity, you can expect to save. To verify a diamond's clarity, examine the laboratory certificate.
If you're on a tight budget, try to stay away from the big name jewelry stores. Brand name usually comes with a larger price tag. Buying wholesale may be an option. Normally the wholesaler's core business is selling diamonds to retailers, but they also sell to the public. Because they do not advertise in the traditional methods, nor are they located in shopping malls, you have to seek them out. You will find some wholesalers listed as diamond merchants in the Yellow Pages.
Wedding Parties And Wedding Receptions
Planning a wedding takes time and is a big task, but wedding receptions or wedding parties are what get most of our attention because it is a celebration of the new union that brings family and friends together in an intimate way. Brides spend endless hours thinking about table decorations for a wedding, wedding party favors, and a slew of other details. It’s true that planning wedding receptions is no small task, but given the proper time and resources they can be pulled off beautifully.
Table decorating for a wedding reception
Table decorating for a wedding reception is definitely a big concern for most brides. Thankfully, you don’t have to spend a lot of time or money on the decorations to have them look great. Many brides try to combine table decorations with wedding party favors so that the tables not only look great during the wedding reception, but can also go home with their guests. Potted plants, fish in bowls, individual baskets of goodies, picture frames, and other little items can make your wedding reception table look great, but will help cut down on cost because each item will actually be two! There are many table decorations to make for your wedding that will help cut down on cost, too. You can go to the craft store and make decorations with artificial flowers, ribbon, and hot glue that will look expensive but will cost next to nothing.
Of course, everyone has to think about money when they are planning their wedding, and when you plan ahead you can have beautiful decorations that don’t look cheap at all! Wedding party supplies can be purchased at discount party supply stores if you are going to make your own decorations or simply want to buy decorations that don’t cost quite as much as the ones that you buy at a bridal boutique. These supplies can be used to decorate the location of your rehearsal dinner, your ceremony, as well as your wedding reception tables and reception hall or ballroom. Wedding party favors such as sparklers, bubbles, and confetti can usually be bought in bulk at such stores as well, which will save you even more money.
If you are working with a bigger budget, you can always go for the more expensive decorations, but if you really want to customize your decorations there are plenty of ceremony and reception decorations to make. A mixture of purchased and homemade decorations is often the nicest as you have the beautiful things that you like as well as some things that are special because you have made them yourself to make your special day even more beautiful. Each bride and groom must determine what ceremony decorations, wedding reception table dיcor, and more is suitable for them. In the long run it only matters if the couple is happy with the decorations, and with so many options to buy and make, every bride and groom can plan a truly unique wedding that they love!
3 Things to Pay Attention to for Your Budget Wedding
Getting married is one of your most important day of our lives. Some people tend to have a budget wedding as to save their money for some practical reasons. What important to know is that a budget wedding does not mean a cheap wedding. It all depends on how smart you plan your budget wedding.
There are many aspects that you can cut cost of your wedding expenditures. However, you should pay attentions on some aspects so that you will not sacrifice the quality of it.
First, Wedding Photography and/or Videography. A professional wedding photography can charge you anywhere between $1000-$3000. You might think that you can just ask your friend or relative to take your wedding pictures. It is a No No. Wedding pictures and videos are the only things that you can see or view to re-live your wedding moments in future. If you really need to cut your budget, try asking around from some photography clubs. There are some members out there who really have a hobby of photography and would not mind to give you lower prices. One good practice is to pay them first to do your pre-wedding picture or video. If you satisfy with the results, you can contract him/her again for you wedding day.
Wedding venue. If you think that you could save money by having your wedding money in your house for free of charge, make sure that your house if conformable enough for guest to gather around. We would like the guest to be comfortable so that they would stay longer. In the end, how could the wedding party be nice when guests are leaving early? Try to find good venue that match your theme. You would find that in some days or time, the price could be lower.
Flowers. Have you asked around how much it will cost you for arranging wedding ceremony flowers? You get shocked when it could cost you above $700 right? Some of the flower vendor could charge you very cheap. But the be careful of vendor that will show you a good sample of flowers, and when it is time for your wedding day, he/she will arrange the flowers with some "not fresh" ones. Well, you can always cut your cost here buy ordering the flowers that are in season. Or, you can have a garden wedding without adding more budgets to flower decorations.
There are other aspects to consider for your budget wedding. Overall, the important thing is to have proper planning for your budget wedding. You can cut cost up to 50% of what you have budgeted.