Getting Engaged

The Holiday Compromise (With Diamonds, of Course!)

Holidays are always a joyous time, but they can be so stressful as well! It seems like there is so much to worry about—What to get dad for Christmas, which Nicole Miller dress to wear to the holiday party, how to survive the season without gaining 15 pounds. But, after you’ve got your Leo diamond engagement ring from Mr. Right, a whole other layer of stress is added to the equation…Whose family do you spend the holidays with?

Last year, Right and I tried to be a little too fair and split our time on Christmas between our two families. But, traveling back and forth was so exhausting that we barely got to enjoy our day! (Well, I may be exaggerating a bit here, I absolutely adore the Leo diamond studs  Right surprised me with!) But, I realized this year we were just going to have to pick a family and stay put! We decided whose family would win the mature way—rock, paper scissors. And so after losing three times in a row, it was decided Thanksgiving would be spent with my folks and we would spend Christmas at Right’s. So at Thanksgiving dinner, in between trying to keep our crazy Aunt Louise away from the wine bottle, and living vicariously through my single sister’s stories,  I managed to slip in the fact that I would be missing from this year’s Christmas celebrations. When my mother heard the news she put down the stuffing and was in complete shock that for the first time I would miss our Christmas party. I felt horrible because truth be told, I don’t know if I’m ready to make that sacrifice either! I mean, don’t get me wrong, I adore my in-laws—they are absolutely wonderful people and last year they even gave me the cutest pink digital camera  for Christmas—but being engaged (or married for that matter) is all about sacrifice and compromise.

We made it through the rest of the day just fine.  After our feast, my sister and I flipped through the pages of the my Modern Bridal magazine  since I’d like to get my bridal party gifts during the good Christmas bargains, and the boys gorged themselves on turkey and football. But, I still couldn’t shake the horrible feeling that I was abandoning my family on Christmas! So the next day, along with the millions of other Black Friday shoppers around Manhattan,  I dragged Right out at the crack of dawn to experience the busiest shopping day of the year. (He’s a lucky, lucky man isn’t he?) After a few hours of poking around Macy’s  for gifts for his family, I figured out the solution to my Christmas dilemma. Although it wouldn’t completely exonerate me from ditching the family on Christmas, we could surprise my mom with a beautiful piece of diamond jewelry to make up for it! So, a few hours and a lot of diamond browsing later, we found an exquisite three-stone Leo diamond pendant  that I know she will love. (Maybe in a few years, we’ll be able to afford the Ashoka diamond earrings  that have been on my wish list for what seems like eternity!) I know, giving my mom beautiful diamonds won’t make up for the absence of my smiling face on Christmas morning, but it can’t hurt, right? And next year when we spend the holidays with my family, we can go diamond shopping for Right’s mom. Sounds like the perfect arrangement to me! I think if Right and I can continue compromising (with diamond presents, of course,)  we will surely have a long and happy marriage!

Tom and Katie's Fairy Tale Wedding (Complete with Diamonds, Gowns and A Castle!)

Remember way back in 1998 when a young Katie Holmes confessed to Seventeen magazine, “I thought I would marry Tom Cruise when I was a kid”? Talk about a dream come true! Katie’s wish came true on Saturday when the overjoyed couple exchanged white gold Cartier diamond wedding bands in a majestic ceremony at an Italian castle.  (I’m sure her wedding band will beautifully compliment her five-carat oval-cut diamond engagement ring). With its many A-list celebrity guests and lavish setting—this is set to be the wedding of the year and I’ve got all of the details, down to the diamonds, of course! (My personal choice would have been a Leo, but nobody asked me.)

Let’s start with the famous guests who began trickling into Rome this week. The powered celebrity couples who flew in for the event included Will and Jada Pinkett Smith, David and Victoria Beckham, Marc Anthony and Jennifer Lopez, Jim Carrey and Jennifer Lopez and Brooke Shields and Chris Henchy. (I can only assume that my invitation was lost in the mail!) The couple’s families were also in Italy to celebrate.  Katie’s sister, Nancy was the maid-of-honor and Tom’s children Isabella and Connor were in the wedding party. Candles lit the perimeter of the 15th century Odescalchi castle and as these guests arrived in limousines to the sunset ceremony. Everything about this evening seemed to be absolutely picture perfect.  If you’ve logged on to any of the celebrity gossip sites, you have surely seen the stunning wedding picture the couple gave to the press. The bride wore a simply breathtaking off-the-shoulder Armani gown  with an ivory silk train adorned with Swarovski  beaded embroidery. (He couldn’t afford real diamond, like Elexese?  She also wore an ivory tulle floor-length veil and ivory silk shoes adorned her feet. The groom wore an Armani navy blue tuxedo. Even baby Suri was dressed in Armani—I wonder if she had baby Leo diamond ear studs  for the occasion!

After the ceremony, the party began. The night was kicked off with cocktails (my favorite part of most weddings,) then Italian hors d’oeuvres were served followed by a multi-course meal. For dessert, their wedding cake, a five-tiered white chocolate cake decorated with marzipan roses and studded with white chocolate chips, was served, and my mouth is watering just picturing the delicacy. Then the couple danced the night away with their nearest and dearest to the tunes of Italian singer Andrea Bocelli. To top off this amazing night, fireworks blasted off from the top of the towering castle, but were apparently lost in the fog.

After a whirlwind wedding week, Tom and Katie left the castle at dawn and headed off to their honeymoon in the Maldives. I know the couple has been the subject of intense media scrutiny from the time they came out as a couple in (where else but) Rome in April 2005. From Tom’s couch-jumping escapades on Oprah  to the birth of their daughter, Suri, it seems the press (myself included) has been poking fun of the pair any chance they get. But, maybe I’m becoming a softie because the details of the wedding has made me want to ditch my Free Katie t-shirt and jump on the TomKat bandwagon, because let me tell you, it seems like they aren’t going anywhere! By all accounts they are blissfully happy and if Nicole Kidman can wish them a “lifetime of happiness together,” so can I!

With all of this wedding talk,  I’m left to contemplate my own big day. While a lavish ceremony in a foreign castle would be an incredible place to tie the knot, to tell the truth I wouldn’t mind if I got married at the Little White Chapel (www.alittlewhitechapel.com)  in Vegas, as long as I had two things: a supportive and loving husband and a sparkling, brilliant Leo diamond engagement ring! While I may have to wait awhile before that magical day, I’m off to Bloomingdale’s for some retail therapy with my girlfriends.

Diamonds and Your (CHEAP!) Victor & Rolf Designer Wedding Gown

As I was walking down 5th Avenue today, casually window browsing for the beautiful diamond jewelry pieces on display in all their glory, I heard a dull roar coming from one of the blocks on 5th Avenue. As I drew nearer, I began to wonder where all the noise was coming from. Was Harry Winston showing off its holiday jewelry? Did Fortunoff bring their new model Petra Nemcova in to stir up excitement for their new diamond collection? But as I passed each of the stores, and continued to follow the noise, I realized the noise was coming from H&M on the corner of 5th Avenue and 51st street. As I neared the store, I asked one of the bystanders what was going on. She turned to me slightly aghast at my ignorance and with huge eyes said, “Viktor & Rolf are premiering their H&M line today, people have been on line for hours to be able to get in and buy their collection. They even have a wedding dress for under $400!”

Now I’m as excited about a good deal as the next person, so I rushed to my office to find out what all the details about buying a designer wedding gown for under $400! New York Magazine clued me in. Apparently people have been waiting in line since 2 am to buy one of four wedding dresses. Desperate to see the dress, I checked out H&M’s website. Now, I am generally a huge fan of H&M. I’ve purchased so many great outfits from the store over the years that I’ve worn for every occasion: work, weekend, dinner cocktails etc. But a wedding dress?!?! This I gotta see. So I signed onto H&M. All I can say is wow. Their website is great! They feature tons of great outfits, reviews of the hottest season’s trends and a whole section dedicated to Viktor & Rolf for H&M. I eagerly clicked on the picture, and there, as a small icon, was a wedding dress. I quickly clicked on the wedding dress, excited to view it as a larger image. And then I saw it. A hazy, gauzy, blousy cloud-like dress with a huge bow in the front. Not my style, but very designer, and VERY Viktor & Rolf. And all for the low price of $349. Those four women are very lucky. Lucky, but also determined. After all, standing in line at 2am to purchase such a dress takes A LOT of determination and motivation. Motivation such as buying your designer wedding dress for $349. Because after all, if you spend so little on your dress, you’re left with tons left over for your wedding day Leo Diamond Jewelry! Leo Diamond ear studs with a Leo Diamond three-stone pendant would complement my Leo Diamond engagement ring beautifully. Are you listening, Right?

From Diamonds to Digital

As you know, it all begins with the diamond, in my case the brilliant, sparkling Leo Diamond.  After that, the wedding preparations begin, and Right and I are well into that process now with our own wedding only six months away. I thought I’d thought of everything down to the party favors on the table, and then I read this from the Wall Street Journal:

To Thee iWed: Sizing Impact of Blogs,
Webcasts, Music Players on Nuptials
November 7, 2006

It is getting easier for brides to come up with the obligatory "something new" to round out their wardrobe on their wedding day. With iPods, Webcasts and wedding-themed blogs, nuptials are going high tech. How is the huge U.S. wedding industry greeting these changes? Usually with enthusiasm, though some ambivalence gets mixed in, too, judging by a chat with Diane Forden, editor in chief of Bridal Guide magazine.
* * *

So how is technology changing weddings?

I think technology has shaken up the traditional wedding. For example, a lot of couples today create their own wedding Web sites, so their guests can keep informed about the wedding plans. And many couples use the Internet for bridal registries. The beauty of doing so is that guests don't even have to leave their home to get gifts for the couple. We're also finding that the wedding Webcast is becoming quite popular. Couples will broadcast the ceremony on the Web to people who aren't able to be there. It is making weddings a global affair.

Is there a problem with that?

A wedding Webcast can be tricky. I don't think it should replace having your guests with you. I wouldn't recommend that couples say, "Let's just go off and get married and broadcast the wedding, because we don't want to have this huge, expensive wedding."

What about digital music?

A trend now is for couples to create their own playlists on their iPod, and use it for the music and dancing at the reception. I think this would work if it's a smaller, intimate wedding. But I think if you have a large crowd and you really want to have some fun, there is nothing better than having a live band or a DJ. It's much more interactive than you could get from an iPod.
But don't wedding bands and DJs play the same things at every wedding anyway?
There's probably a standard list of songs that are crowd pleasers. But you can work with your band leader or DJ and say, "Look, I really don't want you to play "The Macarena.' "
The wedding industry is often accused of trying to keep people spending lots of money on weddings. Some of the examples you have cited, such as using an iPod, are ways that people can keep costs down.

I think they are OK if you have a very limited budget and you want to have music at your wedding but it's not that important to you to have a DJ or a band. If it's going to be cost effective, then by all means do it. But think of what's important to you, and the kind of atmosphere you want. I certainly don't think couples should go into debt, or take out loans, to pay for a wedding.

With cameras and the like, people routinely go online to price shop. Is that happening with things for weddings too, such as gowns?

Sure. People are using the Web for just about every detail of a wedding. Brides are definitely doing comparison shopping.

Has that changed the economics of the business?

It's changing things. For band leaders and DJs, I am sure they aren't happy with couples starting to use iPods. And I think there is more competition among vendors. The savvy bride knows she can shop for better deals. She will still spend her dollars, but she will spend them more wisely. At the same time, don't forget there are about 2.4 million marriages a year. There are still going to be a lot of couples that will use a DJ or buy that Vera Wang dress.

Personally, I’m saving my iPod for the rehearsal dinner music.  As for webcasting the wedding… I think I’ll just send out a few more invitations!