WaterFALL in love

You can rent a waterfall to add some ambience to your reception, or you can go wild and rent a rock climbing wall with a waterfall obstacle from a company like the funones.com, based out of Chicago.

This more subdued version of a waterfall for your wedding could include your initials or the first names of the bride and groom (available at gigis-party-rentals.com, Florida).

Waterfall with logo or initials

Tropic Thunder

When it comes to wedding planning, you always have a choice: you can go for the understated or you can go ‘big.’ In this case, you can rent ferns or you can rent a giant palm tree (or several giant palm trees!). Plantman.com provides “extravagant jungle tropics rental to the San Francisco and Los Angeles Areas” for as low as $750. Imagine a nine foot waterfall, a pebble bottom lagoon, fern-filled jungle grottos, a 16′ palm tree, and lush moss-covered rocks with ivy”.

For Beach, er, or For Worse

If the sun and surf are your definition of wild times, consider bringing the beach inside for your reception.

Or, if you anticipate that your  wedding reception will be a walk on the wild side, rent a surf machine and your guests can ride the waves without even getting wet! (Deluxe Big Wave Surf Machine from bigfunuk.info.)

Elegant Ring or Wild Bling

Both extremes may appeal to you – the subdued elegant wedding or the crazy, fun wedding- but what is the best fit for you as a couple? This is a day that you will remember for the rest of your life and it should symbolize everything about you as a couple. Are you more likely to go out for a fancy meal on a date, or are you more likely to go bungee jumping? What are you interests? One great way to establish the tone for your wedding: look at the engagement ring. The groom-to-be (hopefully) put a lot of thought into the ring when he picked it out – and (also hopefully) the bride loves it.

If the engagement ring is an impressive, but simply-designed and elegant solitaire – an elegant and tasteful wedding is best for you.

If the ring is bold and beautiful like this yellow gold engagement ring with a flower and petal design along the top and sides, then you probably have already arranged for live tropical birds and a waterfall for your reception!

For more ideas for wild weddings, check out this series:

Wet and Wild

Welcome to the Jungle

Wild Flowers

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Attention: Brides to Be – Boxing Day is just a few days away!

Many stores now hold Boxing Day sales for a week. Online stores also have sales. This is the perfect opportunity to stock up on all of the things you will need for your wedding. Get a jump start on your wedding planning and save money.

Tips for Wedding Shopping on Boxing Day

Prepared to Shop?

Taking advantage of Boxing Day to ease your wedding budget makes sense as long as you already have a clear idea of what your wedding will be like. It doesn’t matter how far off your wedding is, you can start shopping if your wedding party has been selected and you know the size of your guest list.

It is also a fantastic time to shop for wedding rings – you can buy some beautiful wedding bands and engagement rings for reasonable prices at this time of  year. While you’re out there shopping, don’t forget to watch for gifts for your wedding party as well!

Wedding Colors

The more flexible you are, the more you save. If you are willing to select your colors based on what is available at a low price, you will save more money. If your wedding colors are popular then there will be more choices available to you, at lower prices.

Wedding Theme

Select your wedding theme from the wedding supplies available and you will save money.

Ideas – What Brides to Be Should Buy on Boxing Day

Wedding Time Capsule

A wedding time capsule is a great way to collect memories of your special day and then revisit them on an anniversary. You can order this time capsule at giftsnideas.com. Couponcodes4u says they are offering 15% all orders after Christmas (sale ends December 30).

Wedding Dress

Many bridal shops have Christmas and Boxing Day sales – this is the perfect time to get your dress! For example, if you buy your dress from bridalsbay.com during their boxing day sale, you can get dresses up to 75% off their list price. Check local stores in your city for big sales, too.

bridalsbay.com

Wedding Stationery

Everything at Mujka.ca is 50% off for Boxing Day – a site that sells templates you can buy to create your own wedding stationery (the invitation, rsvp card, thanks you card, reception card). A very reasonably-priced way to jump start your DIY wedding project!

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Christmas can be very romantic: perhaps it’s all of the twinkling lights, the music, the good food, the cozy fireplaces… it all adds up to a perfect setting for a wedding proposal! Here are some ideas…

The Brightest Light On The Tree

Preparation: Hang the ring with a round ornament (string it through the hanger so that it rests on top of the ornament).

Proposal: Admire the tree together and ask her which ornament is her favorite. When it’s your turn, point out the one with the ring on it and wait for her to notice… when she does: drop to one knee!

Decoration Declarations

Ornament Sneak Attack

Preparation: If you already live together, sneak a “just married” ornament into your collection.

Proposal: Decorate the tree together and let her pick the new ornament up and wonder, “how did this get in here?” Don’t let her put it on the tree until she’s put your ring on her finger!

Just DIY Do It

Preparation: Paint ‘Will You Marry Me?’ on a glass ornament.

Proposal: Decorate a tree together and make sure she hangs this one up. Even better: get a group involved and make sure everyone else knows to let her pick up the proposal ornament!

I found this ‘will you marry me’ ornament for sale online if you’re not crafty…

Love Is Like a Box of Chocolates

Preparation: Remove one chocolate from a fancy box of chocolates and replace with the engagement ring instead. Set the stage: wrap the box and add a big bow (some candy stores offer this service) – make sure you send the message that this is not just any ordinary box of chocolates!

Proposal: Watch closely, she’ll see the ring and then look up at you – be ready to drop to one knee and ask her to be your wife!

Stocking Stuffer

Of course, if you spend Christmas morning together you can put the ring at the bottom of her stocking. Or, even better – put a pair of diamond earrings at the bottom of the stocking! While she’s still freaking out over the earrings, get on your knee, whip out the ring, and say “I was hoping they would go with this!” An engagement ring shouldn’t count as her Christmas present, after all – so the diamonds are a nice touch!

For more big fat advice, please read “Proposal Tips for Men and Christmas Proposals” and Christmas Gift Ideas for Newlyweds. Or, join us next week for a selection of Christmas ornaments to celebrate your engagement!

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This article features ideas for Autumn or Fall Weddings. To see ideas for other seasons, see ‘Spring Wedding Ideas‘ (Feb 2009) or  ‘Wet and Wild’ (beach themed weddings, May 2009),and look for a Winter Wedding feature in December.

Awesome Autumn

Fall weddings can be so romantic. Autumn colors are rich and vibrant. And, for longtime students such as myself – September always marks a time for new beginnings, much like the New Year does for others – so a September or October wedding can be symbolic as well.

Warm Wishes

The warm colors associated with Autumn can inspire the entire event. Candle light and textured fabric can inspire a cozy atmosphere. Branches or ‘heavy’ bouquets add to the setting.

LED The Light In

Use LED ‘candles’ to reduce heat, fire hazards, and the need to light/maintain flames throughout the evening. The 4″ Pillar style below flickers realistically and lasts up to 200 hours (batteries included in price).

hassle-free LED from yummicandles.com

Make or buy Fall tone wreaths to go around each candle for table centerpieces. You can buy the supplies you need from Michael’s: you’ll need a grapevine wreath, floral wire, and a glue gun. Attach decorations that match your wedding colors and the season: berries, leaves, flowers, apples…

michaels.com

Be-Leaf It!

Leaf designs are complex, elegant, and visually pleasing – perfect for wedding invitations and decorations.

Save the Date

Designer Meg Moynahan has created a stunning collection called “New England Fall Wedding” which includes an invitation, save the date, and website. I enjoyed her other invitations as well (the polka dot collection was my favorite).

megmoynahan.com

Attire

Incorporate leaf motifs into the wedding clothes or jewelry. The ring pictured below has a leaf design along the top and sides.

danforthdiamond.com

This 18K white gold wedding band has a hand-engraved leaf pattern.

danforthdiamond.com

Favors

You can order the bags and leaf ribbon from sophiesfavors.com. Their website also suggests you can use this ribbon to decorate bottles, invitations, hang tags, and tins. I also imagine it could be used to decorate the reception chairs, tables, or candles.

sophiesfavors.com

Fill them with traditional Jordan wedding almonds or any candy of your choice. You can order Jordan almonds in an Ivory Tusk (light beige) color or a seasonal color mix for Autumn.

jordanalmonds.com

I also like the white Amorini hearts offered by the same company – these are traditional Italian wedding favors and translate to ‘little loves’.

jordanalmonds.com

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If women wear rings to show the world that they are engaged, why shouldn’t men?

This month we’ve looked at three different women’s perspectives on this topic and offered some inexpensive (but visually stunning) examples for keeping costs down (read:”Should Men Wear Engagement Rings? 3 Views” for more information). We also featured Jennifer Hudson, including her proposal to her fiance and a description of the engagement ring she gave him, in “Jennifer Hudson: Career Success, Wedding and Baby”.

While it may not be realistic to expect a man (at least a heterosexual one) to wear a big diamond engagement ring on his finger to keep women away (although I’m sure that would work!). Here are some alternatives:

Wedding Band on the Wrong Hand

Some European countries have a tradition where women wear their wedding band on their left hand to show they are engaged, and then move the ring over to their right hand once they are married. I propose that men could follow this tradition – but would single women see the ring and back off, even if it’s on the wrong hand? Perhaps not at first but once lots of men start a trend, everyone would know about it.

danforthdiamond.com

Compromise

You might offer to wear your wedding band on your left hand as well during your engagement (in this case don’t expect an engagement ring too).

Temporary Ring

Another option would be to buy him an inexpensive temporary ring to wear on his wedding finger. This would have to be a ring that is obviously not a wedding band, but is still symbolizing that he is taken. Here are some ideas.

Practical Ring

If he’s a beer drinker, you won’t get an argument from him when you present him with this ring. It’s a beer opener!

thinkgeek.com

Lord of the Ring

Your fantasy man will willingly put this ring on – the challenge may be to get him to take it off when it’s time to put the real wedding band on!

realmcollections.com

Forget Me Not

Here’s the least expensive option – and I think it’s kind of cute! Tie a string around his finger so that he ‘doesn’t forget’ that he’s taken.

But How Do You Get Him To Wear It?

Make it a condition of the acceptance of his wedding proposal and have the ring (if applicable) ready. Don’t put your engagement ring on until he’s ready to do the same!

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Dream Girl Update

Here is an update on Jennifer Hudson. Note that this is also a great example of a real-life scenario for last week’s article  “Should Men Wear Engagement Rings?”

Dream Life Turns to Nightmare

Last September we featured Jennifer Hudson’s engagement in the article ‘Dreamgirls Jennifer Hudson is on her way to her dream wedding’. Tragically, the next month, she lost her mother, brother, and nephew – murdered.

December 2008

William Balfour “estranged husband of Jennifer Hudson’s sister, Julia Hudson, and the stepfather of one of the victims, 7-year-old Julian King” is charged for the crimes: three counts of murder and one count of home invasion (cnn.com).

January 2009

Jennifer Hudson makes her first stage appearance after the tragedy when she sings the The Star Spangled Banner at the Super Bowl (starsjournal.com).

Jennifer Hudson looking wonderful in white

February

Monstersandcritics.com reports that a source has told them that Jennifer Hudson is going to marry her fiance David Otunga “real soon”. There are rumors that they might get married on Valentine’s Day.

Jennifer Hudson wins a grammy for best R&B album and also performs at the event. She also wins the Outstanding New Artist, Best Album, and Best Collaboration awards at the 40th annual NAACP Image Awards (cbc.ca).

March

Still apparently unmarried – Jennifer Hudson talks wedding plans with Access Hollywood. She tells them she wants her 3 dogs (names Oscar, Grammy, and Dreamgirl) to be in the wedding and that she is going to design her own wedding dress. She confirms that a secret wedding date has been set during an interview with Ryan Seacrest (tvwatch.people.com).

April

Hudson reciprocates and proposes to Otunga on his birthday (he originally proposed to her on her 27th birthday). She gives him a 5 carat platinum and diamond engagement ring (People.com).

Here are some examples of platinum and diamond wedding rings that would also work as engagement rings if you’re going to propose to your man!

May

Family and friends throw Hudson a baby shower in Chicago, confirming rumors that the engaged couple are expecting a baby (chicagotribune.com). The baby’s due date has not been confirmed. It makes sense that the wedding might be postponed until after the baby is born…

July

Jennifer Hudson performs at the Michael Jackson memorial service, she can’t hide her pregnancy anymore at this point but has never publicly confirmed it either.

August

Jennifer Hudson gives birth to a 7 lb 14 oz baby boy, named David Otunga Junior after her fiance (binsidetv.net). His birth day indicates that she was approximately 8 weeks pregnant in February (the discovery of this good news may be what delayed the couple’s wedding?!).

September

It’s now September and I predict a Fall or Winter wedding, once the new mama is settled in with baby and ready to wear her wedding dress again! Let me know if you hear anything!

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An interesting topic was raised on the View today:

Should Men Wear Engagement Rings?

Why do women have to wear a ring to show that they are ‘taken’ when men do not?

It would definitely make it easier for single women out there if men also wore a symbol that they are bound for a walk down the aisle, right?

3 Points of View

My friend Sally* had this to say, “Times have changed. Many couples live together and share mortgages and families before they get married – I didn’t want my boyfriend to spend more than $500 on my engagement ring and I definitely wouldn’t want the extra expense of buying him a ring, too. We’re already married but now that I think about it, I wish he had worn a ring too during our engagement – we could have found two rings for $500 online, I’m sure…”

$500 Ring

Actually this 14K White Gold Engagement Ring with sapphire side stones was listed for well under $500 and it’s beautiful!

danforthdiamond.com

$500 for Two Rings

You can buy both of these rings for under $500.

danforthdiamond.com

danforthdiamond.com

Tina* said this: “Wearing an engagement ring would make me feel like a piece of meat. I wanted to get married but wanted to skip the whole big flashy engagement ring part. We decided to get married during a discussion and there was no ‘popping of the question’ which I find kind of offensive (like I’m supposed to wait around for him to finally pick me?) and no ring. We picked out our wedding bands online – it was an easy process and we are both very happy, we will both wear our wedding bands all the time.”

Shannon* feels this way about her engagement ring. “I wanted the big ‘rock’ and romantic proposal that I had dreamed about growing up, but found that it did not fit into my lifestyle. It isn’t practical on the job (I work as a landscaper) or at the gym, and I don’t feel comfortable wearing it on the subway. I wear it on special occasions only, so most of the time no one can tell I am engaged to be married – so it doesn’t bother me that no one can tell this about my boyfriend either. After we’re married we will both have very simple wedding bands on all the time.”

The Big Rock

Here is an example of a simple (yet sizable!) 2 karat diamond solitaire engagement ring.

danforthdiamond.com

Simple Wedding Bands

Men's

Women's

*names changed

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Chocolate is all-purpose – it’s supposed to be an aphrodisiac and it’s tied up with ideas of romance (first dates, Valentine’s Day, gifts from your sweetheart); but it’s also there to console you after a break-up or on pretty much any day when you feel like you just need to treat yourself (at least, that’s chocolate in my life…).

Here are some ideas to sweeten up your wedding proposal…

Edible Engagement Ring Box

conversationpieces.org

This box from conversationpieces.org comes with a candy ring but you could just replace it with a real engagement ring.

Or it would also be a cute favor at an engagement party!

Who’s the Lucky Girl?

Another option, from the same company, you could order chocolate fortune cookies – they let you personalize the fortunes inside! Why not have them all say, “Will You Marry Me?”

conversationpieces.org

A Very Personal Message

You could also write a message on yourself if you think your true love would find that tasteful!

victoriassecret.com

Ask “You Wanna?” With a Pinata!

Check out the cool pinata cake below and just imagine that there’s a diamond engagement ring inside when she cracks it open! How cool would that be? There’s a recipe for this type of cake at the Australian Women’s Weekly website.

simplesong.typepad.com

Hand Over Your Heart

A simple, yet romantic gesture – order one of these sweet little boxes of chocolates and replace one of the candies with the ring (bonus – you get to eat one of them!). Then wrap it all back up and bring along to present to your sweetheart during the perfect romantic date…

godiva.com

Sweeten your love story by giving these boxes out later as wedding favors. The really sweet news is that you can order them online for only $7.75 at godiva.com,  leaving more money to buy the engagement ring, like this tasty 2K treat!

danforthdiamond.com

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Who Says It Isn’t Easy Being Green?

Here are some wedding options that are both beautiful and eco-friendly (and often, economical, too!)

A Dress That Won’t Cost the Earth

Your dress doesn’t have to be made out of recycled tin cans to earn it’s green status. Look for dresses made from natural fibers, like the gowns from Tennessee company ‘Threadhead Creations’. Their dresses are made by hand from hemp, organic cotton, peace silk, and bamboo.

Go green with your gown: wear a hand-me-down!

Reconsider wearing that ugly dress of great grandma’s if your family will allow you to alter it’s design. Re-using fabric to create a new gown is a wonderful way to be eco-conscious. There are experts who specialize in restyling heirloom gowns, like the Illinois-based Treasures by Tina. The gown featured below was originally a high-necked, long-sleeved wedding dress from the 1960′s.

treasures-by-tina.com

What Kind of Metal is Your Love Made Of?

Did you know that “mining is a very “dirty” business and the production of one beautiful gold ring will generate five tons of environmental waste, contaminating water and lands which endangers the health and lives of humans and animals” (danforthdiamond.com).

Think Refined, Not Mined

Eco-conscious jewelers offer engagement and wedding rings that are made from 100% recycled precious metals, like the 14K white gold set below.

Warning: make sure the company can provide a certificate of authenticity!

Do the Earth a Favor

Don’t send your guests home with another useless knickknack… provide guest favors that are good for everyone! Here are some heart-shaped bird seed favors: a favorite for any feathered wedding crashers at  your garden/outdoor wedding! Or, guests can take them home and hang them outside their windows. These favors, from blissweddingsmarket.com, can be personalized with your name and a ribbon that compliments your wedding colors… If you buy at least 35 favors they are only $2.99 each – so they are nice to your wallet as well as the earth!

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The last installment in our Wild Wedding feature: this time we’re discovering that weddings can be a real beach!

How Deep Is Your Love?

Let’s start with some wave inspired jewelry for the occasion, like this unique yet under-stated wedding band. It is a stackable white gold wedding band with an S-shaped engraving around it, reminiscent of love that’s deeper than the ocean and that will outlast the tides.

Sing the Blues

Or, how about an engagement ring with side stones that are a deep blue, like the sea? Surround your beauty with round blue sapphires, like the diamond in this engagement ring.

Beach Themes Take the Cake

Your cake can play along, too, if you have a willing bakery and the idea of mixing sea creatures with cake doesn’t turn you seafoam green… I think starfish are a bit much, so here is a classier sample – I live the use of color too. This cake is from Patty – Cakes of Illinois.

pat-t-cakes.com

Here’s a slideshow of cakes that have waterfalls… not sure I like all the cakes but I’d sure like to hire the person on the synthesizer for my next big event!

And, To Top It All Off

This wedding cake topper is cute, and what makes it even better is that it can be customized to resemble the bride and groom. Your initials even get carved into the ‘sand’.

magicalday.com

Favor These Favors

Here are some ideas for wedding favors. At 3 for $11.50, these palm tree candles aren’t too hot to handle – and they double as great table decorations for an outdoor casual or indoor tropical event.

sophiesfavors.com

Your Guests Can Have a Ball

If your wedding is more fun than fancy, this is a perfect fit.

weddingfavors.org

There are so many possibilities for weddings and water. But, please please please don’t let your wedding song be Easy Lover by Billy OCEAN. Dressing up as a mermaid and Neptune won’t wash, either, since Neptune was her dad! And on this theme I’m leaving you with a wedding that’s truly wet and wild- the happy couple got married on water skis!

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