The Preppy Girl

The preppy girl dreams of a clean and simple engagement ring to pair with her “fav” sweater-sets and ballet flats.  The round brilliant is the most classic shape.  A four-prong round diamond engagement ring with a simple band is probably her dream engagement ring.

Image via appleseeds.com

The Trendy Girl

Is your girlfriend always shopping for the latest fashion trends? Is she constantly updating your wardrobe? If so, she is trendy and needs to wear the hottest engagement ring trend. Twisted shanks are all the rage right now. Two bands become one, reflecting two lives becoming one and allowing for some skin to show in between. However listen to her and look for clues. She probably is trying to tell you what she likes because she always knows what she wants.

Image via topshop.com

The Bohemian Girl

Is your girl a fan of flowers, organic details and flowy dresses? Is her favorite celebrity Zooey Deschanel? Little pretty details are what makes life worth living.  Bo-chic girls adore  intricasies and unique details. This ring is just perfect. The halo-set round diamond features a pave diamond halo with milgrain detail.  The band sings with sweet details—scroll-set diamonds flanked by a row of diamonds on each side.

Image via anthropologie.com

The Outdoorsy Girl

Gym every day and week-ends on a trek? Active women who adore the outdoors need a practical engagement ring.  This band with a low profile bezel set diamond which protects the centerstone when working out, gardening, riding bikes or just plain living!

Image via climbing.com

All Rings By Sylvie

A: Well John…it looks like you answered your own question, but I’ll reitirate for clarity’s sake.  I don’t know what your girlfriend is like, but ignoring Valentine’s Day is not the best idea.  This is a very small battle in the vast scheme of things and it sounds like you agree.

As far as her being upset if you opt out of the festivities?  I’m not sure I would hold it against her if she did.  The majority of the world will be acknowledging the day in some form or another, and it just kinda’ sucks when you feel like you’re the only one that wasn’t on the guest list.  It doesn’t sound like you’ll have to deal with that anyway so I won’t pound that drum.

“What can I do to make it interesting?”

I know we live in a culture that worships flash and “interesting” ways of doing things…but I’m a simple guy so my advice will be quite the opposite of what many would recommend. In fact, it might even come off as boring, but I’ll bet money that it will make this Valentine’s Day something she’ll remember.

Skip the billboard, limo, mobile hot tub, and body paint. (And put away the video camera in hopes that you’ll get your 15 minutes of fame on You Tube.)  Those kinds of things are entertaining sometimes…one might even call them interesting…but you can bet your bottom dollar that we’ll hear about and see enough of if come February 15th.  THAT kind of thing is getting cliche’.

I would suggest something far easier…and from where I’m sitting…far more meaningful. (Look…no matter what you do…it should be meaningful.)  Instead of thinking too hard about WHAT you’re going to do…focus on the WHO that you’re doing it for.

In other words, keep your attention on HER.  Take an interest in her. Make the day or evening or whatever you decide to do, about her.  Nothing is more flattering and uplifting than feeling like you’re the most important person in the room…especially when you receive that kind of attention from someone you love.

To me Valentine’s Day is a small slice of time where we acknowledge how special that “special someone” really is to us. Make it interesting this year by giving her your sincere, undivided attention while the 2 of you are together.  (Yeah I know…we should do that ALL the time…but let’s be real.  I may be simple but I’m not naive.)

If the above suggestion doesn’t do it for you can always give her diamond jewelry.  (That was a joke.)  If you decide on that route…be sure you mean it! (That wasn’t a joke.)

Hope this helps!  Peace out.

Andy

Andy Koehn is the owner of Koehn & Koehn Jewelers, author of the Buy Like a Guy blog, and as he puts it, “The only woman/mom without a vagina.”

Photo via Flickr

1. Find Your Inspiration. This  shoot was inspired by one of the personalized proposal options created for a prior couple of The Yes Girls. Audrey loves to daydream about her future; she dreams of publishing a book, building an orphanage, and one day having a family of her own. With that in mind,we designed a proposal inspired by real dreams.

2. Design your proposal set around your theme. The whimsical hammock, a twist on the “daydream bubble”, stacked novels and a blank journal were picked to encourage her future. Book, buckets overflowing with clouds, and a family tree made for a magical sight. The objective was to elicit a soft and whimsical scene. The white, ivory, gray and metallic popped against the dark wood of the forest. Metallic spray paint does wonders. We used this for the “DREAM” block letters and branches embellishing them with additional silver glitter, of course. This is just a small taste of what nature looks like when females get involved!

3-Add lots of unique details. The clouds were made with white Japanese lanterns and pillow stuffing to add large, staple pieces to the scene. Rather than just displaying a few handyman tools, we used the stunning vintage door and window to represent pieces she could use for building the orphanage.

The hammock was adorned with wildflowers from the hills (no charge) and an ivory ruffled curtain! The “I’ll daydream with you forever” sign was created from a piece of fallen bark. It’s eye-catching and budget-friendly when you think outside the box when designing a special event.

4-Personalize with elements of your couple’s story: One of our favorite elements was the tree trunk of photos creating the couple’s family tree and place for their future children. Other details we swooned over- the pearl dandelion for her to “make a wish” since it was her daydream after all and the ascending silver tray presenting the engagement ring (illustrating this was in fact, no longer just a dream).

Heather Vaughn

About Heather:

Heather Vaughn is the Creator and President of  The Yes Girls Events andLove, The Yes Girls.

Credits: Photography by Chard Photo, Design and Planning by The Yes Girls, Models: Jaya Loo and Garret Rodriguez.

]]> http://www.yourengagement101.com/proposals/2012/01/4-tips-for-an-awesome-diy-proposal/feed/ 0 http://www.yourengagement101.com/proposals/2011/09/a-dance-recital-proposal/ http://www.yourengagement101.com/proposals/2011/09/a-dance-recital-proposal/#comments Thu, 22 Sep 2011 13:46:51 +0000 juliette http://www.yourengagement101.com/?p=8830

How they met:

Although Carlos and Barbara both attended Santa Clara University during two consecutive years, their paths did not cross until several years later when they met through mutual friends.  They initially had a relationship as friends, until one fateful night in October 2006 when a concert by the band The Killers brought them much closer together. They began to explore their feelings for each other and eventually crossed the threshold from friendship to courtship.

The proposal:

Barbara has been taking dance lessons at Tude’s School of Dance since she was a little girl.  Every year, Tude’s puts on a dance recital to showcase all the hard work that the dancers have done over the preceding 11 months.  As part of this recital, they have a “Partners’ Dance” where the boyfriends, husbands, sons, fathers, etc. of the ladies share the stage with them for a number.  After some convincing (Barbara was already in seven numbers excluding the partners’ dance), Barbara agreed to do the Partners’ Dance with Carlos.

At this point (late December ‘09), Carlos’ plan was in motion. As rehearsals got started in late February, Carlos approached the studio owner and the Partners’ Dance instructor and asked their permission to let him propose to Barbara at the dance show.  They were thrilled that their beloved student of so many years would be getting engaged, and quickly agreed. They insisted that Carlos propose at the Saturday, June 5, 2010, 6 p.m. show, which, as it just so happens, is the most well-attended show (and the show that gets videotaped).

Now for the hard part: waiting over three months for the show. After several weeks of rehearsing and bonding with the other partners, the show mercifully arrived. Everyone danced so wonderfully and it was a joy to perform with all the many talented dancers at the studio — especially Carlos’ daughter Carmen (then 9 years old) who also takes lessons at Tude’s.  Finally, the Saturday night show drew to a close and, after the bows, Tude went through her thank-yous. She carefully “neglected” to mention the guys and, just when things were about to wrap up, the guys all shouted “What about us?!?!” Tude called the men to the front where they gave her a group hug and Carlos magically emerged holding the microphone.

After thanking the dance instructors and the special ladies who brought the men to the studio, Carlos called his own special ladies, Barbara and Carmen, to the front of the stage. Carlos then choked back tears as he explained to Barbara how important she is to Carmen and to him. After nearly losing it (and regaining composure thanks to the encouragement of groomsman Art Pineda), Carlos got down on one knee, pulled out the ring, and said the words he’d been dying to say for over half a year: “Barbara Marie Dieckman, will you marry me?”

To Carlos’ great relief and joy, she said, “Yes!”

The ring

Barbara’s engagement ring is a custom-made half-platinum, half-18 kt white gold ring.  The center stone, a 1.08-ct round-cut diamond is from Barbara’s mother’s engagement ring, which Barbara’s father graciously offered to Carlos before the proposal.  Barbara’s mother passed away 2 years prior to their engagement.  Her father was pleased to pass on this precious family treasure to a man he felt worthy of marrying his only daughter.

The center stone is set in 4 prong basket setting with the prongs offset at a 45 degree angle.  The basket is surrounded by a crown of pave-set diamonds. The top of the ring is 18-kt white gold and on each side of the center stone is a vertical channel-set baguette diamond followed by 5 prong set round diamonds. The side of the ring incorporates carved antique scroll work. The bottom half of the ring is .990 platinum.  Carlos worked with Giovanna’s Fine Jewelry in Mountain View, California to incorporate two existing designs plus Barbara’s own personal tastes into one unique ring that incorporates modern design with a hint of vintage flare.

Photos by Choco Studio

What’s the hottest theme in engagement parties these days? The dessert-and-champagne party. Below are some tips on how you can pull one off.

Pick Out Your Desserts

Start the planning with a tasting at your favorite bakery (Yum!), and select a combination of seven to 10 dense and light desserts for your menu. A few of our favorites are petit fours and chocolate covered berries.

If you don’t want to spend money at a bakery, DIY desserts are another alternative. If you love home-baked chocolate chip cookies, for example, you could serve them individually. Put each cookie on a plate with a swirl of chocolate like a chef would do.

Tempt dieters’ taste buds with a special assortment of unusual fruits, like star fruit, pineapple and mango, and be sure to include some sugar-free options for diabetic guests.

Whip Up Some Drinks

As for drinks, it’s easy to find nicely rated champagnes that aren’t too expensive at sites like Wine Spectator. The company also makes great favors.

Though this theme implies only champagne will be served, other beverages are recommended. To accommodate all of your guests, serve wine, beer, top shelf after-dinner drinks, non-alcoholic soft drinks, juice and specialty coffees. If you want to add dramatic flair to your event, try serving flaming Mexican Coffee. (Of course, you’ll probably want a professional to pour!)

Sweet Options

In addition to specialty dessert and drinks, some couples also set up a cigar bar — the cigars are there for guests’ use and also as favors. You could even hire a cigar-rolling company to come in and roll cigars to order using different types of tobacco.

Important Reminders

A party like this should take place in the evening, so make sure from the start that guests don’t expect dinner. State on the invitation that it’s a dessert-and-champagne only event, and begin the festivities after 7 p.m.

The best location for this type of affair? A trendy restaurant will work, of course, but so will a beautiful private home. If relatives offer use of their home as their gift to you, show your appreciation by picking up the tab for professional cleaning afterward. Giving back…now that’s a trend that will never go out of style!

But I quickly realized that even though I had a few excuses for not getting engaged, I had 100 reasons to get engaged. The reasons for my apprehension seemed easily surmountable. It was like getting to the final summit of Everest and stopping because my ingrown toenail was kind of bothering me.

Below are some common excuses to why us guys are afraid to walk down the aisle and how to overcome them:

1. FINANCES

Financially, getting engaged is scary. Before you can even think of fun ways to propose, the fact that you may not be able to afford an engagement ring looms over you like the storm cloud that follows Charlie Brown. The old industry standard suggests you spend two months’ salary on a ring. My bank account suggests I reconsider. Unfortunately after getting engaged, things don’t get any easier financially. Planning a wedding isn’t cheap, and neither is starting a family. Financially you have to have your “stuff” together. Right now, more people are experiencing financial hardship than ever. Some of us guys would just like to get through the tough economic times, and then we’ll think about engagement.

The Solution

The suggested amount of money to spend on an engagement ring is just a suggestion. Sure you should put money aside to pay for the ring, but what you can afford, you get. Your girlfriend will love whatever you get because ultimately you picked it out for her. Even if you can’t afford the $4 million pink diamond Kobe Bryant gave his wife, she’ll know that you gave her what you could afford. You can’t go wrong when you’re buying a girl a diamond because, at the end of the day, it’s a diamond.

While I realize that getting married and starting a fmaily is financially draining, it shouldn’t be an excuse to hesitate on engagement. You’re always going to be faced with finances; that’s part of growing up. There are countless ways to cut costs of weddings. Don’t be afraid of the wedding. It’s something you and your fiancee will tackle when the time comes. Additionally, nobody said you have to start a family right away. There will be time to save up for that together.

2. RELIGION

Though it may not be a common issue for most, religion does affect relationships and engagements. When an issue involves your family and her family, it can get messy. The choice to convert to a religion can be met with great opposition from various outside sources. So sometimes we just choose to shelve the entire idea of proposing because we just don’t want to deal with this topic.

The Solution

My fiancee recently converted to Judaism. I lucked out because she was interested in the religion before she met me. This made the “whether or not to convert” discussion fairly easy. At some point, you either have to put your religious beliefs behind you or find a food compromise that works for you. It does get sticky, but take it from me, someone who has been through this, don’t let it deter you from a proposal. It’s delicate, but you will come out a stronger couple if you come to an agreement.

3. WHAT IF SHE CHANGES?

Whenever I thought about marriage, Patricia Heaton’s character (Ray Romano’s wife from the sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond) charged through my head like a bull through a china shop, then an antique vase shop and finally back through the china shop just in case there was one plate that survived the first trampling. Her incessant nagging, barrage of blaming and the never-ending yelling she would bestow upon Ray made me think that’s what marriage would potentially come to for me. The lovable girl I was head over heels for would soon turn against me once I say “I do.” In the world of sitcoms, there’s always that flashback episode where the couple is happier before marriage. Would that be me?

The Solution

Dropping out of the race due to the possibility of losing doesn’t make any sense. So why use the same logic in a relationship? Yes, she’ll change, but most likely you both will change together. At some point we all mature. Actually, it may not be maturation, but rather an understanding that the only thing that matters is being with someone you love.

–David Soldinger
Templeofgroom.com

And for the record, I am super appalled at myself for not knowing this piece of trivia already.

During the 2008 season finale, there’s an episode where the character, Robin, receives a glass of champagne at a restaurant with her date Ted. She finds a diamond ring at the bottom and freaks out thinking her boyfriend was proposing– when she really did NOT want him to propose.

It turns out, it was actually just all a mix up and the ring belonged to the guy behind them. He of course, takes the ring and pops the question to his date at the restaurant.

Fun fact: It was a REAL proposal.

Apparently this couple are HUGE fans, so groom-to-be somehow got the hook up to get the writers to write them in the show. He and his girlfriend flew to LA after he convinced her they were going to be extras on the show. She had no idea what was coming.

What a crazy proposal! And definitely a great way to tell your children about how you met their mother– or at least how you proposed to her.

This selection is filled with quirky pieces and features different easy-to-match patterns, suggesting an innovative approach to dressing up.

For a more complete look, pick some accessories: sequined shirt collars used as necklaces, jewels made of zyl, resin and rhinestone or deco-inspired resin bracelets that you can pile on your arm. ($20-$50). Run because those pieces will be out of stock very quickly.

Sienna was spotted in London wearing an impressive platinum engagement ring.

Looking for a similar design? Check out this Natalie K engagement ring :