Getting Engaged

Mirror Mirror on the wall...How to dazzle like Diamonds on your wedding day

For my big day (I almost feel like it’s my coming out party), it’s all about how I look.  Choosing the right hair and makeup puts the finishing touches on my Vera Wang gown and sparkling Leo Diamond.  I have to stand out – I don’t want any of my bridesmaids to show me up!  What really got me thinking about this was watching Britney Spears being interviewed by Matt Lauer  on Dateline a few weeks ago.  To be frank, saying she went the “au natural” route for the interview is a huge compliment.  What was she thinking?  Going on national TV, without a stitch of makeup – you’d have to be crazy.  Although one must question someone married to Kevin Federline and having his second child.  So forget being in front of cutie Matt Lauer, even more so on my wedding day in front of everyone important to me (Right has already seen me at my best of times and worst of times), it’s crucial I look my best.

The million dollar question - how do I know what look is best for me on my wedding day?  I think it’s important to try out different hair stylists and makeup artists beforehand.  You don’t want to end up looking like Frankenstein’s wife on your wedding day.  Asking friends for recommendations (of course those friends whose style you trust) is helpful too.  Start taking notes at the next party you’re at – whose hair and makeup you liked and where they got it done.  Just like all the diamond research  you did before getting engaged, dust off your notepad because it’s time to get cracking.  Hard evidence, that’s what it’s all about.

Just as I did, I’m sure every bride-to-be is guilty of buying any and every wedding magazine on the newsstand (along with the latest issue of In Touch ), flipping through them incessantly and taking notes of the do’s and don’ts of wedding beauty. But beware, just because a look suits Heidi Klum on Project Runway  or in any one of her zillions of magazine shoots, doesn’t mean it will work for you.  Instead, tear out these pages and when you talk to your chosen stylist, show them your ideas and they will find a way to make these styles work for you – customizing your own look, it can’t get any better than that.

Celebrity magazines will do the trick as well.  Check out how the stars look and copycat that.  However, let’s be realistic girls, don’t expect to come out looking like Angelina Jolie  (unless you plump up your lips among other body parts for the big day – wedding day plastic surgery, a whooooole other topic), because your Right already knows what you look like and thinks you’re the most beautiful woman in the world, or at least that’s what he’s supposed to tell you.

I wonder if Katie Holmes is pulling out magazine pictures as she’s home caring for Suri before her wedding day??  And if someone says that you don’t need to go crazy over your hair and makeup for the big day, they’re lying!  We can all use the help!

Dresses and Diamonds

I’ve always had a hard time picking out clothing. With so many options available, it’s so hard to decide on the perfect outfits without blowing the bank! But there is always the option of buying multiple things. A woman can buy more than one pair of shoes/jeans/skirts/dresses etc. However, a woman can only buy one wedding dress. One. The pressure is definitely there to pick the “perfect” one. Something so hard because there are so many beautiful choices available , and there’s no turning back on your decision! The same holds true for a spouse, but sometimes you find that some women make a bigger deal about picking out their gowns than picking out their spouse! Little by little, they make all of their friends and families crazy with their pursuit of the “perfect dress.” Don’t become the infamous bridezilla everyone dreads!

First there is analyzing your body type. Are you tall, thin, petite, hourglass, pear-shape, apple shape, reverse pear shape etc. The list seems to go on forever! Depending on what shape you are, chances are you would look best in a certain style gown. Once you decide on what style gown would be the most flattering on your body, you should determine what style you like. Are you interested in a traditional gown, modern gown, avant-garde gown, or a bathing suit like the one Pamela Anderson wore for her wedding to Kid Rock. (I’m just kidding on that one!)

If you’re not really sure what type of gown fits your style, make a point to flip through as many bridal magazines as possible. My personal favorite is Elegant Bride  magazine, but I also love Modern Bride. Tear out any page that features a dress you like, and bring these pictures with you when you go shopping for the dress. This will help the saleswoman get a better idea of what type of style you like.

After you’ve thought about a general idea of what you would like, start shopping! Visit as many boutiques and stores as you can. Try on as many designs and dresses as possible. Designer cuts their dresses differently, so it’s important to try and find the dress that is cut right for you. I personally loved the way Monique Lhullier dresses look on me, while my friend swears by Melissa Sweet.

Once you’ve chosen the perfect gown: accessorize! If you’re lucky, you probably already have the staple- a Leo Diamond ring. It goes with everything! However, for your special day and your perfect dress, it’s important to make sure the look is complete! Leo Diamond stud earrings from Kay Jewelers , or a Leo diamond solitaire pendant from Jared’s will go with any dress. Visit your local jeweler with a picture of your dress and ask them for advice. They’ll be more than happy to advise you on the perfect diamond accessorize.

Men, Wedding Registries and Diamonds (of course!)

I know I’ve written about men and diamonds in the past, but I just have to get something off my chest – in the past week, I’ve seen THREE men wearing diamond rings (I wonder if there’s a men’s Leo Diamond.  How weird is that.  One of the guys was even wearing two diamond rings, one on each finger.  Needless to say, he might have been playing for the other team, but that’s beside the point.  And the other two men I saw were just plain old regular guys – one probably in his 20s and the other in his 50s.  I thought that we’re the only ones who should be wearing rocks - the spotlight is supposed to be on our fingers and no one else’s!!  Apparently I was wrong and there’s a new trend emerging.

This leads me to my next point – we obviously get a diamond for getting engaged, but what about the men?  Are the wedding presents really also meant to be gifts for the men? And, when it comes to registering for gifts, do you think people really keep the men in mind when they buy a present?

In my humble opinion, before I thought about taking the plunge, I always assumed that registering is all about the kitchenware-type items and the groom is never part of this process (although that’s before I knew all these stores, like Bloomingdales , have this really cool “gun” to zap gift choices with).  But guess what, I was wrong (imagine that, me wrong)!  Right wanted to be involved every step of the way, and I’m sure he’s not the only guy out there like that.  When I asked my sister about how registering went for her, she said that her man was insane and had more opinions than she did on their dishes  ! 

So what’s appropriate?  If we aren’t going to buy our future hubbies a diamond when getting engaged, I guess it’s only right to let them come with us to register.  This way, they can also pick out things that they’d want as gifts (although hopefully most of our guests will sway towards buying the sensible items, the ones us women picked).  This way, we kill two birds with one stone (and I don’t mean a diamond) – we don’t have to buy our men gifts, yet they think they’re picking the wedding gifts they want. Therefore, if we allow our men to register at Home Depot, just think that when we get all those power tools as gifts, our husbands will have no choice but to use them to do all the home improvement work around the house.

An alternative to all of this, if you’re interested in what celebrities like Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban are doing nowadays, it’s not really registering at all.  Instead, they’re opting for a charity registry .  Imagine that – giving up all your gifts for the sake of charity.  I guess if I were a celebrity and had everything in the world I could dream of (and probably been married more than once so I would have done the wedding registry thing already), I can see doing this.  But being that it’s me, and I’m marrying Right, you can bet your Leo Diamond that I want my registry!

Or then again, here’s another celebrity trend, which sounds mighty fine.  Tiffani Thiessen (to me, she’ll always be Kelly Kapowski from Saved By The Bell)  ) set up a honeymoon registry.  This registry allows guests to pay for anything from breakfast in bed all the way to the airfare for your honeymoon.  Why Nicole didn’t follow Tiffani’s lead is beyond me! 

Whoever thought of this registering thing is just as brilliant as a Leo Diamond!