Choosing A Vintage Style Engagement Ring

Vintage style engagement rings are a popular choice for brides who love the romantic Victoria era or the ornate settings of antique design. Vintage style engagement rings can be true antiques or they can be modern creations fashioned after the old style rings of another era.

Finding a Vintage Style Engagement Ring

There are jewellery designers who will create a vintage style engagement ring for you from a new design. They may already have several on display or in their portfolio from which you can choose. However, if you want to find a genuine antique diamond ring, you can often find them at estate sales and auctions.

The Internet has made accessing estate sales and auctions from all around the world easily accessible to couples anywhere. You need to be careful of some online auctions and choose to deal only with the most well-known and reputable auction sites. You are dealing with an expensive item that could easily be represented as something it is not online. Good auction sites with authenticate it’s buyers and sellers and provide a means for users to rate and comment on the goods and services they have received.

If you find a vintage style setting at an auction or estate sale and don’t think the diamond is up the size or quality, it is easy enough to replace it with a new diamond of your choice. Since diamonds can be purchased as loose stones, separate from any setting, you don’t need to limit your purchase of a vintage style engagement ring simply because you don’t like the stone.

You don’t even need to limit yourself to rings that were previously engagement rings. You can choose any ring setting you like and turn it into your own custom engagement ring. Other jewellery works well for this idea too. Large vintage earrings can be fashioned into a ring, have a diamond set it them and then they instantly become one of the most beautiful vintage style engagement rings.

Bachelor Party Ideas

The following paragraphs summarize the work of wedding experts who are completely familiar with all the aspects of weddings. Heed their advice to avoid any wedding surprises.

The tradition of the bachelor party may date as far back as the 1800s. The stereotype of a bachelor party is a last night of debauchery for the groom and his friends before the wedding but in more recent times soon to be grooms are looking to less traditional activities to mark their final days as bachelors. While there are still would be grooms, who opt to spend the last hours before their wedding partying with alcohol and female exotic dancers, many men are choosing a less traditional route such as camping trips, sporting events, daredevil activities and even co-ed bachelor parties that include the soon to be bride and her friends. These types of activities are much less likely to get the groom in trouble with his bride not to mention that they won’t leave the groom feeling too sick to even remember his wedding day.

Camping is one alternative to the traditional bachelor party. You may choose to either rough it by backpacking to a location with only the gear on your back to help you survive the elements for a few days or you could choose to drive to a spa facility that offers well appointed cabins and five star gourmet meals. Whichever option you choose, you are bound to have a great deal of time relaxing and enjoying the company of the rest of the participants in your bachelor party. A camping trip offers the groom a quiet atmosphere to reflect with his friends on the journey he is about to take.

Sporting events are another great alternative to the usual bachelor party ideas. You may find that married life does not offer you as much free time to spend with your friends as you used to have so take this chance to enjoy a little bit of fun with your friends. Whether you choose to partake in a sport of your choice or purchase tickets to see your favorite professional athletes it is sure to be a great opportunity to bond with your male friends in the last few days before your wedding. It is wise to try choosing a sport that all of your guests will be able to participate in especially if you plan to include very young or very old guests. In this situation playing a game of football may not be the best idea but taking everyone to play a round of golf might be an activity that all of the guest can enjoy.

It's really a good idea to probe a little deeper into the subject of weddings. What you learn may give you the confidence you need to venture into new areas.

Still another activity that translates well into a bachelor party idea is getting a group of friends together to try an adrenaline pumping, activity geared for thrill seekers such as sky diving or white water rafting. The exhilaration gained from these activities coupled with the fear factor makes them a perfect activity for bonding with your friends. These daredevil activities will cause you and your friends to bond during the excitement leading up to the event as well as the thrill of accomplishing a new activity. While these types of activities are great for male bonding, it is important to remember that they are risky activities and there is the danger that you might be hurt during these activities. If this is your bachelor party idea of choice you might want to consider holding your bachelor party well in advance of your wedding to avoid last minute injuries that delay the wedding.

Co-ed bachelor parties that coincide with the bachelorette party are becoming increasingly popular as well. One common practice involving these adjunct parties is to have the bachelors and bachelorettes meet at separate restaurants for dinner and then join each other at a nightclub to cap off the night with some dancing and a few drinks. These types of parties can be a great deal of fun because they allow both the bride and the groom some time apart to spend time with their friends and then they reunite the couple at the end of the night in a chance for them to spend time with all of their friends without the pomp and circumstance that is likely to accompany their wedding reception.

The debauchery of stereotypical bachelor parties is not the only way to enjoy a fun-filled bachelor party that gives you the opportunity to bond with your friends. Camping trips, sporting activities, extreme adventures and even co-ed bachelor parties are redefining the traditional bachelor party. These bachelor party ideas not only serve to keep the groom out of trouble but also offer the opportunity to enjoy a new adventure.

Hopefully the sections above have contributed to your understanding of weddings. Share your new understanding about weddings with others. They'll thank you for it.

A Guide To Antique Engagement Rings

Antique engagement rings are a unique and beautiful alternative to a new ring. The tradition of giving separate rings for the engagement and the marriage started in Victorian England. The first DeBeers diamond minds in the late 1800s helped increase the popularity of engagement rings.

The earliest diamonds were not nearly as brilliant as today’s rings. The first mine cut diamonds were not very clear. This improved in the early 20th century with the European cut diamonds. These are often found in rings from the Art Deco period. Diamond cutting continued to improve and evolve into the brilliant cut that is still used today.

Larger stones are found in Victorian rings. While these diamonds don’t have the clarity of newer rings, the stone is generally larger. Rings became smaller throughout the early 1900s and into the Great Depression. Overall, the quality of the diamond affects the price. Clarity isn’t as important in antique rings as it is in new ones. The value depends more on the demand for specific rings.

The most popular vintage rings are from the Victorian Era through the 1940s. Distinct styles, settings and stones can be seen in rings from each period. Victorian rings are generally yellow or rose colored gold. The stone can be a diamond, but pearls were just as common in this time period. Edwardian rings have a filigree design in the rings. Some may have Jewish or Christian designs in the filigree.

Art Deco rings of the 1920s are generally platinum, white gold or silver. Bezel settings are common in these rings. The setting makes the smaller diamond appear larger. Rings became smaller and less ornate in the 1930s and 1940s. Platinum became less common during the war years and yellow or white gold was commonly used in rings. Carvings on the shank and settings helped make the center stone appear larger.

Where to Find Antique Engagement Rings

There are several good places to find antique rings. Antique stores often carry jewelry. Some dealers are more knowledgeable than others about the details and value of rings from each period. In some cases, you ca get a really good deal. Some stores under sell jewelry because they don’t know its true value. The ring may not come with a certificate. If not, have it independently appraised for insurance.

Jewelers sometimes carry vintage pieces. A good jeweler will be knowledgeable about the value of the ring. You may not get as good a deal, but will have the peace of mind of knowing that you have a quality ring. You will be given a certificate for the diamond when you buy from a jeweler.

Estate sales are a good place to find antique wedding jewelry. You can usually arrange to view the items the day before the estate sale. Read about the value and characteristics of antique rings to help determine the value of the ring. Inspect the ring carefully before the sale to decide how high you will bid. You can find information in books at the library or on the internet.

Caring for Antique Engagement Rings

Antique diamond jewelry will retain its beauty for years, if you care for it properly. Before you purchase the ring, have the jeweler inspect the prongs carefully to be sure the stone won’t come loose. You don’t want to lose your diamond. Take the ring to the jeweler for professional cleaning and inspection once or twice a year.

5 Tips To Select The Best Wedding Reception Location

Being disc jockeys, we get the opportunity to evaluate many reception facilities while having little or no bias to "sell" one location over another. Most Brides and Grooms know where they will be holding the ceremony before they decide where to have the reception, so we have compiled five observations that can help you when selecting your venue.

Distance - If people have to drive a long way to get from the ceremony to the reception, some will get distracted or decide to do something else. Try to keep the reception within a 15 to 30 minute drive of your ceremony. If it is not possible to get a reception hall close to your ceremony, make a caravan. Have the Bride and Groom lead the parade, and people will follow you to your reception.

Time - Time is just like the distance issue. If your reception is several hours after the ceremony, people will get busy doing other things and not show up for the reception. Try to start the reception within an hour or two of the ceremony. If you don't want to start your wedding dance at 4 o'clock in the afternoon, have a Meet and Greet mixer before your reception. Serve some punch and get people to mingle. This will be one of the few times that both families will be together. Encourage family members to share stories about your childhoods.

Size - People like their personal space, and they have most likely spent an hour packed into a church for your ceremony. If you let them spread out, they will enjoy themselves more. Make sure your reception hall has plenty of room for your guests. The people renting the location might tell you it holds 200 people, but that doesn't necessarily mean it will hold 200 people comfortably! Make sure to visit the venue before booking.

Climate Control - Having a summer wedding? Is your reception hall air conditioned? If people sweat while just sitting, they won't dance. On the flip side, if they are cold they won't dance either (who wants to dance in a parka?). Also make sure you know who has control of the thermostat so the temperature can be adjusted if needed. Chances are your reception will be warm and stuffy while all the guest are there, but as they trickle out during the night the room will begin to cool down.

Smoking - This is a hot button issue, but if your reception hall is non-smoking, you can fully expect smoker's to leave your reception for 15-30 minutes every hour. If enough of them leave the reception area, you may find a large percentage of your guest just hanging out in the smoking area. This can be a big problem if you have many smokers in your wedding party. You don't have to allow smoking, but it is something you should consider, especially if anyone has any health problems like asthma or allergies that could be triggered by smoke. If you decide not to allow smoking in the reception area, how close is the nearest place for a smoker to go? Is it close enough that you will be able to get needed wedding party members during events like the bouquet toss or garter auction?

Facility coordinators will no doubt bring up several other factors for you to consider when you interview them for your booking, but these are often missed items, especially if they don't favor the potential venue. If you keep the overall picture in mind and work with your wedding planner or event coordinator on the decorating ideas, you will no doubt have an enjoyable and memorable wedding reception.