An Engagement Ring for Jessica Biel?
Justin Timberlake might be planning to pop the question this Valentine’s Day to girlfriend Jessica Biel, according to The National Enquirer. The gossip publication said the singer/actor dropped $500,000 on an engagement ring.
Regardless if the rumors are true or not, we think this gorgeous ring by Diana suits Jessica’s casual style without the half a million dollar price tag. What kind of ring would you like to see Jessica wear?
Soldier Proposes Via Voicemail…to the Wrong Woman
A British solider stationed in Afghanistan decided to propose to his girlfriend by leaving a message on her voicemail. The soldier left a 90 second message professing his love for “Samantha” and their soon-to-be born child. Unfortunately, the number he called wasn’t Samantha’s, it was mother-of three Diane Potts.
“It was just so lovely,” Potts told Sky News Online. “I got a bit of a shock actually. I felt like I shouldn’t really be listening, it was such a personal message so I just had to do something about it. I emailed the media to see if anybody could pick it up and do something about [it].”
The search has begun, and the story has been covered extensively in the British press. Do you know who the mystery man is? You can hear the recording of the proposal here.
4 Creative Ways to Announce Your Engagement
The second best thing about getting engaged is getting to announce your engagement to the world. As tempting as it might be to recklessly shout the news to the nearest person nearby, an alternative way is to create an announcement that can be shared with friends and family. Below are four creative suggestions to announce your engagement:
4. Create an e-announcement
The fastest and easiest way to announce your engagement to as many people as possible is to send them an email announcement. Now, sending an email might sound kind of lame for those who are traditionalists, but these days it’s possible to create an announcement that’s both elegant and sophisticated and definitely not cheap (or at least it won’t look that way). Pretty much any e-card website will let you create and send an engagement announcement easily, and some will let you send one for free.
3. Announce your engagement via video
Believe it or not, you can easily create a video without having to learn how to handle a video camera. Just use a simple video editing software (for Windows, Windows Movie Maker; for Mac, iMovie) to create a slide show of images. Set the slide show with your favorite song, export it and voila! Upload the video to YouTube and then share the link with friends and family.
2. Have your announcement published
Try submitting your engagement announcement to local newspapers or to magazines like Engagement 101. You can then send copies to friends and family or email scans of the article.
1. Throw a party
Nothing beats this classic method. Invite all your friends and family over for a fun-filled Saturday of hor’dourves and chit-chat. Then, after dinner, bring out a cake that says, “We’re Engaged!” on it.
10 Signs That Show You're Ready for Marriage
Everyone wonders when is the best time to get engaged. For a lot of people this decision is an emotional one, one that can only be decided by if they have met “the one” or not. But there are other (less romantic) factors that heavily play a role in couples who head down the aisle.
AskMen.com, in an article about how to know if you’re marriage material or not, compiled several stats on married and divorced couples to come up with a list of factors that heavily influence the success of a marriage. They concluded that if you fit these signs, the likelihood of having a successful and happy marriage is pretty high.
Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule, but the list is an important guideline for couples who are still struggling with their decision to get engaged or not.
Sign #1 You should be at least 26 or older.
Sign #2 One of you should have at least one college degree.
Sign #3 Your combined income should be at least $50,000.
Sign #4 You’re both ready for a serious commitment (no brainer).
Sign #5 You both share a deep friendship and are not rushing into the relationship. (Note: According to the article, couples who live together before getting married are more likely to get divorced.)
Sign #6 You were hugged as child. (Now obviously everyone has different life experiences, and sometimes that can bring couples together, but according to the article, couples who had healthy relationships with their parents are more likely to carry those successful relationships into adulthood.)
Sign #7 You’re not insecure and you both have a healthy attachment to one another.
Sign #8 You’re a chill, easy-going person who’s not easily stressed out, neurotic or just flat-out crazy.
Sign #9 You both have been together for at least a year or more.
Sign #10 You both understand that a relationship is about compromise, and you are both willing to share power.
What do you think? Do you think the list accurate or biased?
HOT TOPIC: Should You Immediately Start Planning Your Wedding After a Proposal?
Although most of you are not engaged…yet, whenever your beau does decide to propose, and he whips out that sparkling engagement ring you’ve been dying to have for ages, is it appropriate to start immediately planning the wedding afterward? Some couples like to take it easy, sit back and simply enjoy the engagement. Others, however, like to start planning their wedding as soon as they hear the words, “Will you marry me?” When you get engaged, or if you’re engaged already, are you going to enjoy the engagement or start planning your wedding right away?
"Talking" Engagement Ring Plays Recorded Message
Everyone wants a one-of-a-kind ring, but this engagement ring is unlike anything else. Luke Jerram, a romantic with a very creative imagination, needed to raise the bar after becoming semi-famous for proposing to his girlfriend with this awesome “projector” ring. So how could he top that? With the help of a jeweler and a vinyl record manufacturer, Luke created a phonograph ring with a recorded message on it. The ring works just like a record player and can be played with a miniature recorder that was custom built for the ring.
Watch the video below to see the ring in action.
Lily Allen's Engagement Ring
The British singer, who got engaged to boyfriend Sam Cooper over the holidays, posted this picture of her engagement ring on her blog on Monday. She posted the picture to show off her manicured nails, but it’s hard to focus on her nails when all you can see is her blinding engagement ring. The ring is a simple solitaire with a baguette setting.
| ENGAGEMENT RING INFO | |
| Stone shape: | Round |
| Carats: | 2 carats |
| Metal: | Platinum or white gold |
| Estimated Price (engagement ring and band): | $15,000 – 20,000 |
Sherri Shepherd's Engagement Ring
“The View” co-host talked candidly about her recent engagement to TV writer Lamar Sally on her show Monday. Sheri also flashed her gorgeous 2-carat princess cut engagement ring. Watch the video below:
Win a Free Romantic Getaway!
The Resort Collection of Panama City Beach, in partnership with Southwest Airlines Spirit magazine, is looking to treat one very lucky couple to an all expense paid trip to Panama City Beach, Florida. There, the couple will wine and dine at the luxurious Firefly restaurant, be given $10,000 worth of jewelry by McCaskill & Company, be pampered at the Fusion Spa Salon and more.
To enter the “LUV Is In The Air” giveaway, couples must write their love story in a haiku, a 17 syllable poem. For those who have no recollection of high school English class, a haiku structure consists of three lines. The first line has five syllables, the second line has seven syllables and the third line has five syllables. For example…
We loved at first sight.
Our eyes met, and that was it.
There was only…us.
So if you’re feeling a stroke of inspiration from your inner poet, mosey on over to the official site to read the rules and enter the giveaway.
Natalie Portman's Engagement Ring
The Black Swan actress surprised everyone when she announced her engagement and pregnancy to dancer Benjamin Millepied . Now the glowing star is showing off her new dazzling engagement ring. Oval center stones appear to be a growing trend this year among celebrities. Following the lead of recent engaged celebs, like LeAnne Rimes, Natalie’s ring has an oval cut center stone surrounded with a double halo of pave diamonds. Natalie’s sparkling stunner is entirely eco-friendly. The setting is made out of recycled platinum, and the center stone is vintage. The round pave diamonds that surround the center stone were taken from a conflict-free mine. Check out more about the ring below:
A similar ring by Babiki Jewelry.
| ENGAGEMENT RING INFO | |
| Stone shape: | Round |
| Carats: | 4-6 carats |
| Metal: | Platinum |
| Estimated Price: | $35,000 |
