Three Way to Propose Online

So it appears the “in” thing now is proposing via Twitter. Fred Durst did it, and it’s probably the only reason why we’re talking about Fred Durst. But it this phenomena more than just a fad? Is society’s growing attachment to social networks altering something as old school and traditional as a marriage proposal? Technology doesn’t have to be cold and lame, there are actually a few ways to propose to someone online without looking like a lazy loser with an internet connection. Below I listed three:

Make a flash video
If you’re proficient with Flash (and hey, if you’re not you can always hire someone who is) you can create a mini Flash video of your proposal. Fill it with pictures, your favorite music and then post it on a website. Email a link to the Flash video to the person you love with a very nonchalant subject like, “Hey, I think I misplaced my keys this morning?” They’ll be surprised once they click the link and see what you really emailed them for.

Create a pop-up
We know most people hate pop-ups, but what about creating a pop-up that literally “pops” the question? Someone on our Twitter suggested this and said it came from a movie (don’t ask us which one). The downside is that I have no idea how you could do this. Obviously this is for someone more tech savvy. But it sounds pretty sweet, yes?

Via YouTube
This one has potential for lameness, but not if done right. Set up your webcam, grab a guitar (or piano, violin, bagpipe) and sing a beautiful self-written song to your sweetheart. Or, depending on how skilled you are in stuff like this, you can create a mini animated video. Basically, my point is to be creative. Have him or her watch it in a public setting around lots of people. It could be quite the event.

Wait Until Marriage…?

While browsing online I came across this new book The Purity Myth by Jessica Valenti. The book intelligently critiques the growing fascination in North America with virginity and “purity” and why our obsession with it is ruining young girls.

But, to bring this topic back to engagements, although the author argues that sex is not a big deal and does not determine the morality of a woman, I’m sure there are still several couples out there who are thinking of getting engaged but are certain they want to wait until they’re married before doing the deed.

I haven’t read the book yet, but the topic is current and echoes the growing popularity of abstinence-only education and saving oneself for one person. But does keeping that commitment later affect the relationship or does it aid in the relationship’s favor? Whether it’s for religious reasons or just personal preference, who here is planning to wait until marriage? Do you think media and society played a role in your decision?

Eco-friendly Engagement Rings

Happy Earth Day, everyone! I’ve been reading dozens of useful articles about going green today and started thinking of a way for E101 to make its contribution. Although the idea of “green” engagement rings somewhat goes against what we usually like to promote (Diamonds! Platinum! Pimp my ring!), for those looking for an environmentally and ethically friendly way to rock an engagement ring might be happy to hear that there are options out there for you as well. Buy a ring made of recycled metals Some jewelry manufactures use recycled metals. This is when the metal, which has been previously mined, is remelted and turned back into pure metals. If you do this, remember to buy from a responsible refiner who uses safe methods. Buy a conflict free diamond If concerned about the ethics of diamonds, seek jewelry manufacturers that sell conflict free diamonds, such as Kirkawa. Get a recycled ring We already covered this in an article about buying engagement rings on a budget. Reusing and recycling, even if it’s a ring, is a great way to help the environment. Buy outside the box Not everyone wants a platinum diamond ring. For those who don’t mind sporting something more unconventional might look into wooden rings. They’re unique and Earth friendly.

Wedding Day Dilemma: How to tell a friend they’re not invited

When actress and longtime troublemaker Michelle Rodriguez attended her friend’s wedding as a bridesmaid, she somehow managed to get all the attention on her. According to The New York Post, the actress wrecked havoc during her friend’s four-day wedding, pushing fully clothed guests into a swimming pool, insulting a male stripper at the bachelorette party, and then partied into the wee hours of the night at the wedding reception.

Although no one likes to admit it, everyone has at least one crazy friend (or relative) that seem to trail drama behind them wherever they go. Sure they might be nice and fun to be around, but what happens when their antics lead to potentially ruining your big day?

There’s no easy way to tell a close friend you’re wary of his or her behavior. The simplest way is to sit them down over a cup of coffee and tell it to them directly. Tell them you’re concerned about their behavior and are worried about how they conduct themselves at public functions. Chances are this probably won’t be the first time they heard this. Don’t force it to be some kind of ambush, just approach your friend in an honest, nurturing but concerned manner.

If they’re a true friend, they’ll understand, but if they get offended it’s only natural. Give it some time and they’ll come through. A wedding day isn’t worth the price of a friendship, but if you have a friend who’s an alcoholic or is always starting fights, chances there should have been some kind of intervention years ago…

Engagement 101 TV Premieres New Webisode: "I Love You Platinum"

It seems like it took forever with all the editing, reediting and fighting over the choice of music, but it’s finally done! The newest episode of Engagement 101 TV is all about platinum. Last year Engagement 101 took a fabulous trip to Las Vegas for the JCK show. There we got to speak exclusively with some of today’s top designers as they discussed their designs, love, and why everyone is just crazy about platinum. The episode is split into two parts; the first part, which premieres today, and the second part, which premieres May 4.

The first part of our episode is all about the unique qualities of platinum, which celebrity jewelry expert Michael O’Connor calls “the most eternal of the metals.” The video also features interviews with jewelry designer Simon Ghanimian, Michael B, Myriam Gumuchian and Harout Ritani who dazzles us with a ring with 40 diamonds!

3 Outrageous Declarations of Love

Every couple has those stories they’ll probably share with their kids someday about how they met and fell in love (“Your mother and I were both drunk at a college party when…”). But probably the most romantic story of all is the one where one finally declared love for the other, most likely in some kind of grandiose way. But regardless if he gave you flowers or if she wrote you a passionate letter, none of those declarations come close to the story about the woman who declared her  love by fasting for a week (Actually, I made that one up, but I’m sure it happened somewhere). Check out these five four three (this was harder to research than I thought) outrageous declarations of love throughout the world:

I love you, let me post the ways

A woman in the U.K. decided to declare her love to her boyfriend by covering his truck in 500 Post-Its. “I spent over an hour-and-a-half writing the notes with felt-tip,” the woman told Metro. What did her boyfriend think? “He said it was the most romantic thing anyone had ever done for him,” the woman said.

Sand art

A man in North Yorkshire, England wrote a 120 ft birthday message to his fiancee in the sand at a beach. He told BBC,”I’ve been asking her what she’d like for a long time but she doesn’t really want anything. So, I thought ‘right, do something completely different.’” Yeah, good luck trying to top that gift next year.

Shout your love

In a small village in Japan, husbands take a tour bus to a cabbage patch in Gunman where they stand on a platform and shout their love to their wives. Since it began in 2006, the whole event has become a tourist attraction. How romantic?

5 Amazing Wedding Themes To Make Your Wedding Stand Out

If you visit a lot of wedding blogs like I do (and admit it, you do) all the various looks of the “perfect” wedding tend to blend together. All right, so there’s the “fairy tale” wedding, the gorgeous “spring” wedding, the “beach” wedding, etc. These are probably the most well-known wedding themes for obvious reasons. But hey, maybe you’re more of the unconventional type who strives to be uniquely different from your engaged peers. If you’re already thinking about your wedding day, below are few wedding themes that will definitely make you stand out amongst the rat race:

Retro Theme Wedding
A vintage 40s, 50s or 60s style wedding is an easy and classy way to put a unique spin on a wedding while still looking elegant and chic. Plus, you can save money by making use of old heirlooms, items and flea market gems without paying full price for something brand new.

Silly/Humorous Theme Wedding
For those with an impeccable sense of humor and aren’t afraid to look silly might think of this theme idea as an option. Over at Wedding Theme Idea they mention the craziest wedding theme they ever heard of was a “duck” themed wedding. Another one they mention was a Disney inspired wedding where the groomsmen were dressed like the seven dwarfs. Sure it’s not everyone’s taste to pull off a wacky wedding, but it’ll definitely be rememberable.

Rock/Punk/Offbeat Theme Wedding
If you’re a more alternative minded person a loud/offbeat/punk-ish type wedding might be the one for you. This type of wedding can be beautiful, tasteful and unique without compromising who you are.

Cultural Theme Wedding
A wedding of a different culture is not only beautiful and exotic, it can also highlight all the vastly different ways we celebrate weddings. But a warning: Unless you’re actually apart of that particular culture, you should probably avoid creating a cheap bastardization of it.

Geek Theme Weddings
Say what you will about “geeky” weddings, but getting married via World of Warcraft is definitely something your wedding guests will never forget. Although good luck trying to teach grandma how to log on…

3 Tips to Help You Discuss Prenuptial Agreements

Here at Engagement 101 we try not to talk about the negative side of relationships. Sometimes we do, but since we’re writing for soon-to-be-engaged couples, the last thing we want to do is be harsh and pessimistic about your future marriage plans. But since we live in an age of rising divorce rates, some couples might think a prenuptial agreement before tying the knot is the smart option. But it’s…kind of unromantic, yes? Why would anyone want to think about the possibility of splitting?

Well I’m sure Mel Gibson wishes he had. The Aussie leading man is splitting from his wife of 28 years. Since the couple didn’t sign a prenup, Gibson’s estranged wife is entitled to half his earnings, which is roughly $1 billion, according to People. Reports also say the split could become the most expensive divorce in Hollywood history. Now that’s a title I’m sure no one wants to be deserving of.

But the problem still remains the same. How can you discuss signing a prenup with your fiance/ee? Now I’m no attorney, but with some help from eHow.com are five tips you can use to discuss the unflattering subject of prenups:

1. Every couple has the talk about their future together, whether it’s about marriage, children, living together, etc. During these talks is a good time to suggest the idea of a prenup. A prenup is not something to throw all on the table at once, it should be discussed throughout the duration of your relationship.

2. When discussing the prenup, try to explain that a prenup is not about giving one person a financial advantage over the other. Explain that a prenup can help aid pre-marriage debt, can safeguard trust funds and inheritances for children, and is a binding legal contract that accurately explains both the equal roles you’ll play in the marital union.

3. Discuss a prenup in a neutral environment, like a restaurant, where both of you feel casual and relaxed.

We Want YOU! : Tell us your engagement story

As much as I love sitting here writing nonsensical ramblings of the relationship sort, at the end of the day Engagement 101 is not about the opinions of a bored editorial assistant. (Readers: It’s not?) No, it’s about you. We want to continue to grow, and by doing that we need to engage our following and create an active engagement community.

We want to hear from couples, either married, engaged or thinking of getting engaged, who have romantic or humorous stories to share. Perhaps you have a silly story about her, or you have a silly story about him; regardless of what it is, we want to hear it and share it with the rest of the community.

Getting involved is easy. You can start by joining one of our many social networks or subscribing to our feed so you can stay up to date on all things Engagement 101. Next, you can send your “real couples” submissions. All participants will be featured either on our website or our magazine, which is pretty sweet, yes?

So go out, spread the word, get involved, vote no on proposition 405 and remember to participate!

Why Being "Just Friends" First is Good for Your Relationship

Comedian Chris Rock once said there was no such thing as platonic relationships. “They’re just friends you haven’t f–ked…yet,” he jeered in his trademark “Rock” way. But how true were his words? I’m sure everyone has those friends of the opposite sex they consider their “buddy” (they love each other like siblings, they hug with their butts sticking out, whatever).

But the majority of the time, these relationships always morph into something else, something more intimate. And there’s nothing wrong with that. In fact, relationship expert Kristen Houghton blogged that dating friends is the best way to a strong, long-lasting relationship: “It pays to remember that great guy friends make great romantic partners. If you’re worried that there’s no immediate ‘spark of love’ with him, take heart and be patient. The best lovers need to be friends first.”

I agree to an extent, but forcing someone from “friend” to “boyfriend/girlfriend” territory isn’t always easy. There are just some people you would never be sexually attracted to, and “settling” is too 1950s for modern couples. But on the other hand, building a relationship out of friendship won’t only be easier on the both of you, but also might encourage a more laid-back approach to the way you two communicate.

Who here was friends with their fiance first before officially dating?