Weddings north 022615

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FRANKLIN SQUARE/ELMONT HERALD — February 26, 2015

February 26, 2015

Weddings In this Issue • Photos to last a lifetime • Making sense of the wedding budget • Reception style • Rings and things • Bridal glamour …and much more

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Engagement Rings

The date you get married is a big consideration.

When is the big day?

What to consider when selecting a wedding date

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ordan McMullen, a vegan food and fitness blogger, is starting to plan her wedding. Though she and her fiance only recently got engaged, they're already thinking of the ideal date to get hitched.

They'd like to do it on a day that's far away from holidays and their respective birthdays and at an outdoor venue in the Northeast, which means they need to pick a time of year that has warm weather. The couple are also looking to use seasonal flowers and use local in-season foods, including fruit.

All couples have specific wedding wish lists of what they want and what they need to avoid.

One of the most important considerations is when to marry. From overly popular dates to holidays to local events, there are a lot of factors to think about when choosing your wedding day. Here's a rundown of what to consider before selecting your wedding date.

Be flexible: Don't get fixated on a specific date, suggests wedding planner Danielle Rothweiler. If you're too rigid, you may be excluding venues that you'd otherwise book for your event.

"Instead of 'must-having' Oct. 16, be open to Saturdays in October and so forth," Rothweiler says. "The more flexible you can be the better off you are."

Look for low stress: Wedding planning isn't a low-stress process, but you can take it easy on yourself by holding your wedding during a down time in your life.

"Definitely consider what time of year is least stressful for you and easy for you to take off from work," says Mary Bradley, owner of Mary Bradley Events. "You want to be as carefree as possible and focus on enjoying your big day."

Rule out holidays: Unless you specifically want a Christmas wedding or Valentine's Day vows, "avoid major holidays, religious observance and big-event days," says Marc Nathan of MNP Photographers Inc., who explains weddings on religious and national holidays "can decrease attendance."

A holiday exception: There is one exception to the previous rule. "As long as you're planning a great party with drinks and dancing, a New Year's Eve wedding is a great idea," says Rothweiler.

Steer clear of local events: Sure, a road race, a college graduation or an art festival won't compete with your wedding, but it can be a hassle in other areas, such as travel and accommodations.

"It's absolutely imperative to check the local calendars, keeping an eye out for any event that may cause road closures or booked-up hotels," says Meghan Ely of OFD Consulting.

Avoid dates of major sporting events: Getting married during Super Sunday weekend may seem like a good idea, but will your guests be able to attend? And will those guests who show up be crowded at the bar looking at the big game? Save yourself the trouble of negotiating the details of this major football day or another event favored by sports fans by not holding your wedding that day.

Choose off-peak days and times: By holding your wedding on an off-peak day and time — for example, a Thursday evening or a Sunday brunch — "you'll have better group rates, which is always a bonus for your guests," says Nathan.

Avoid sensitive dates: Marrying on certain dates — Sept. 11, for example — can make guests uncomfortable.

Consider the weather: Light snow might be OK at a winter wedding, but a blizzard could really put a damper on the celebration.

Consider tropical weather patterns, too, if you’re planning a destination wedding.

"Some of the most popular wedding dates fall in hurricane season, yet couples ignore it," says Ely. "This is absolutely an imperative thing to consider. I've seen weddings displaced due to hurricanes and tropical storm-related mudslides."

Avoid family birthdays and anniversaries: Do you want to have the same anniversary as your aunt and uncle? Want to get married on your brother-in-law's birthday? Don't choose those dates.

Further, don't pick a wedding date too close to when your friends are getting hitched. You'll feel stressed and bogged down by comparisons.

No matter what date you choose, realize that not every guest will be able to attend.

But it's still worth carefully choosing a nuptial date to maximize the overall experience, guest attendance and your budget. ■

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Say cheese Questions to ask your photographer Providing unique props is a top way to make your photo booth more modern.

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Photo fabulous The photo booth gets a makeover

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edding guests love the photo booth, with all of its fun props such as hats, fake mustaches, Mardi Gras beads and silly sunglasses. This interactive element adds a sense of play to your wedding reception, and the photos that result from it show just how festive your wedding day was, as well as the personalities of all of your loved ones enjoying each other's company.

Photo booths will continue to be a big trend in weddings this year, and they're getting some unique new features to offer guests all the fun they've come to know from photo booths, but with a little something different.

Here are some new features.

Video booth. Rather than getting still photos taken of them, guests can record a video message, sing a song and just interact for a video that's taken of them. In the new high-tech video booth, video is high-definition for the best quality imaging. Having a video booth for your wedding adds a new dimension of fun, aside from guests striking silly poses. Your guests can also record video messages, captured right in the moment of their celebration, which lets you see and hear just how much of a great time they're having. And since you will likely step into the booth, you can also capture your own real-time excitement.

Artistic backdrops. Old-style photo booths often had a solid-colored curtain as the backdrop, but now, you can get backdrops showing scenery or a pattern like a brocade Publishers CLIFFORD RICHNER STUART RICHNER Executive Editor JOHN C. O’CONNELL

wallpaper looking like a Victorian-era sitting room. You can also arrange for a 3-D effect, such as a trellis with greenery and flowers, designed by your floral expert.

Open-air photo booths. In this evolution of the traditional box photo booth that some couples find to be too "boardwalk attraction" for their wedding style, now you can get an open-air photo area that may be set up like a celebrity-style red carpet against a personalized branded backdrop. Guests feel like VIPs when their photos are taken at this type of photo area, and more people can fit into the shot than in a crowded, smaller traditional booth.

Live viewing. Photo booth photos are displayed on a screen, visible to guests standing outside the photo booth, for instant enjoyment. (A liveviewing option often prevents any drunk or disorderly guests from taking off-color photos, as well.)

Photo access online. Guests will certainly get that expected photo strip of printed photos, but now they can also sign up on a laptop outside the photo booth to get an email notification that their photos are available online to view and share.

New types of props. If you will have a traditional photo booth, but still want some novelty to thrill your guests, look to evolving past the usual photo booth props that guests have seen at many other weddings.

Consider unique wearables such as hats, floral pins, vests, apron-style tieons with images on them and more.

Section Editor KAREN BLOOM Editorial Designer JEFFREY A. NEGRIN Vice President of Sales RHONDA GLICKMAN

Chalkboards are still a popular item for the photo booth, with chalkboard pens with a wide tip so that the guests' wording and drawings can be seen in photos and video. It's a common mistake to offer regular chalk, which may not show up as well as a broader stroke.

A personalized DVD. While not new, as this has been a feature of some photo booths in the past few years, more wedding couples are opting to purchase this option.

4-by-6-inch photos. Not the glorified bookmark, as the experts at Beyond The Booth call the traditional strip of tiny images. When those strip images are so small, you can't see much detail. A larger photo lets all of the prop work and the guests' messages or sign wording stand out, clear to see.

With new and better access to your photo booth photos, you might choose one of your fun couple photos as an image for your "thank you" notes, as well as for posting on your personal wedding website after your big day. With so many ways to share and enjoy your photos now, you'll get even more value out of your photo booth investment.■

Vice President of Operations MICHAEL BOLOGNA Production Manager K.L. MENGEL Art Director CRAIG CARDONE

WEDDINGS is an advertising supplement to the HERALD Community Newspapers. Copyright © 2015 Richner Communications, Inc. Published by Richner Communications, Inc. 2 Endo Blvd., Garden City, NY 11530 (516) 569-4000 • www.liherald.com

Cover Design JEFFREY A. NEGRIN

ou've found the perfect wedding photographer. You love his style, and the images you've seen on his website fit perfectly with your vision — all the beauty of your venue, artistic shots of the two of you that look like something out of a magazine, close-up photos of the food, shots of all of the action and interactions with your loved ones.

Don't expect everything to go perfectly on your wedding day, however. There are some important questions to ask your photographer to ensure you get the kinds of shots you want: What are some of your favorite settings of my wedding venue? You may have hired your photographer in part because he has worked at your wedding venue before, but now it's time to talk details: the gardens, the fountains, side rooms with great architectural aspects. This is where you start mapping out the perfect setting for your all-important first look photos, and you can use your photographer's experience at the site (including knowing about the lighting during sunset and more).

Do you have any meal requests or dietary restrictions? Not many wedding couples ask this question, and it's an important one. If your photographer is given just the usual vendor meal (often a chicken and vegetables dish, not the same entree that your guests get,) and can't eat it, his energy level may drop and he may not perform up to par in the later hours of the wedding. Always ask this question, and consider giving your vendors a guest-type meal if you've had any last-minute wedding guest cancellations.

What do you need from me? If you'd like to display a slideshow of your childhood photos or engagement photos at the wedding, find out which format the photographer needs -- images on a disk, images emailed in a particular size and resolution, the format for the soundtrack, etc.

Are you OK with other people taking photos? This is a rather new consideration, as a great many wedding photographers dislike losing an important shot (like your first kiss) when guests stand up with their iPads and other devices. It's smart to ask your photographer what he prefers and when to make an announcement to guests at the ceremony, asking them not to use their phones and iPads to take photos at the ceremony.

What time will you arrive at our pre-wedding locations to capture photos of the ladies and the men? You might assume it would take an hour, but it may actually take several hours, so you need to adjust your gettingready time to match up with your photographer's arrival.

When will our photos be ready? You likely asked this before hiring your photographer, but it's a good idea to get a reminder of how many weeks or months it will take before all of your photos are edited and posted onto an online gallery. This will reduce the number of stressful phone calls to your photographer later.

Do you have any questions for me? Your photographer wants to make you happy, so he may ask if you like more candid photos, or more posed ones, and which types of photos you definitely don't want. This is a relationship you're forming, and two-way communication always works to your advantage. ■

FRANKLIN SQUARE/ELMONT HERALD — February 26, 2015

Fine detail capturing is something to ask your photographer about.

Spontaneous ceremonies Saying "I do" to pop-up weddings

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he mood is light and fun, and guests are arriving whenever it's convenient.

They may think they're attending a barbecue or maybe even your engagement party, but what they don't know is the celebration is actually a wedding!

Pop-up weddings, also known as flash weddings, have been trendy lately with couples who want the party without all the typical fuss. Still, the seemingly impromptu weddings require quite a bit of planning and a lot of secrecy. After all, no one except the bride and groom (and a few select others) know the event is a wedding. In some cases, the bride or groom may even be surprised, too, since sometimes one would-be spouse surprises the other with an unexpected ceremony.

"It tends to be easier for couples to plan a surprise wedding on their guests than one half of the couple surprising the other half," says wedding planner Kia Martinson.

"There is a lot that goes into planning a wedding, and having to keep that secret can be difficult."

says Dorian Smith-Garcia, editor-in-chief of The Anti Bridezilla, a luxury bridal site, who explains that at the least you'll need an officiant and a witness, while a flash-mob wedding may require additional pre-planning and rehearsals.

Still, it's an option for brides and grooms who don't want to plan and host a more formal wedding.

Traditional wedding planning "can be exhausting for a couple," says Dezhda "Dee" Gaubert, owner of No Worries Event Planning, noting the pressure of handling big-day details such as invitations and tracking down RSVPs. "By treating the event as something more casual, the guests are more laid back about the event, barely even connect with the couple in the months or days leading up to it, and thus, the couple can relax and instead get excited about the surprise, instead of stressed about the lead-up to the actual wedding," she says.

Smith-Garcia agrees, explaining pop-up weddings are for couples looking for "a truly unconventional wedding."

Easy Events?

The concept of a pop-up wedding may seem fuss-free, but wedding experts disagree.

"In my opinion, a flash/pop-up wedding takes quite a bit of planning, so it's an ironically complicated spur-of-themoment wedding concept to pull off!"

The Guest List While weddings are all about the bride and groom, their respective families want to be a part of the celebration, too. Some guests, including family members, are OK with flash weddings, while others are not

A pop-up wedding requires secretive planning and in some cases subdued attire so you blend into the crowd in a very public space. so enthused.

"Much like a destination wedding to a far-flung spot that requires expensive travel plans, not everyone is up for the concept of a pop-up wedding that requires secretive planning and in some cases subdued attire so you blend into the crowd in a very public space," says Smith-Garcia.

Be careful not to hurt family members'

feelings if possible, and share your plans in advance with a family insider for both the bride and groom.

"My one big piece of advice is to let someone on both sides of the family know to make sure they are able to help get the right people to the wedding," says Martinson. "You would hate someone Continued on next page

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Saying "I do" to pop-up weddings Continued from previous page

FRANKLIN SQUARE/ELMONT HERALD — February 26, 2015

important to miss it cause they aren't sure what is going on."

Planning a Pop-Up Party Don't be fooled into believing flash weddings really happen spontaneously.

Hosting a pop-up wedding does take work, especially if the ceremony is going to be at an offbeat location.

For example, Gaubert plans weddings in Paris where, "the legend is you can literally organize your friends and get married on the street."

Sometimes these on-the-fly weddings work, but not always. "In various metropolitan areas, you really need to check first with the city to ensure there aren't any permits necessary — or to secure the necessary permit," she says.

If guests are invited, it's essential everyone arrives in time for the ceremony.

"I recommend that couples say there is a 'big announcement' at a certain time," says Gauber. "It'll leave guests guessing and ensures they arrive on time."

Budget Think a pop-up wedding is budget friendly? Maybe, maybe not.

Permits can be costly, as can some of the other big-day logistics, such as your clothing, food for the party, flowers, photography, videography and hiring a coordinator.

"Much like a destination wedding, there are hidden

costs and hurdles that need to be considered," says SmithGarcia, noting that time spent planning the wedding adds up, too.

"You may find that you set yourself up for more work than you expected!" ■

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Smell the roses What's new in wedding flowers?

BY SHARON NAYLOR

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ook at a wedding photo taken back in the 1980s; you'll probably notice that the flowers (and the hair!) look out-ofdate. They're huge and bulky and heavy, a more-is-more design that seems so wrong these days. Luckily, today's wedding flowers are light and airy, even when lush and full with blooms and greenery. And floral designers say the floral trends of 2015 are full of timeless appeal that will still look fresh many years from now.

For that delicate floral look, wedding couples are getting more for their money, and spending less. According to Shane McMurray, owner of the wedding survey website The Wedding Report, wedding couples spent an average of $148 on the bride's bouquet in 2014, and they will spend a bit less in 2015: $140. It's not much of a drop, but the expense will continue to go down in 2016 at $137.

So are brides' bouquets getting smaller, to account for less money spent? Not entirely. The drop in spending comes from the choices of flowers. For that, we can thank the trend of English garden flowers.

Vintage blooms Following the trend for vintage weddings, the top flowers used in these elegant and romantic pieces are garden roses,

sweet peas and hydrangea, all inexpensive blooms. Pricy orchids don't fit with the look, so they're not pushing up the budget. A few gardenias and calla lilies do make their way into those hand-tied, just-picked-fromthe-garden style bouquets, as a burst of bridal white adding style to the bouquet mostly made up of tiny blooms.

Other top flowers are peonies, ranunculus, hydrangea, sweet peas and tulips, with peonies being a leading choice for all-oneflower bouquets.

Cascade bouquets We're also seeing a trend in cascade bouquets. Georgianne Vinicombe, of Monday Flowers and Design, says that the cascade is subtle, compared to those larger, draping cascading bouquets of the 1980s, and are again inspired by the English garden look, a style seen on "Downton Abbey."

Cascade bouquets are designed to look like a waterfall of flowers hanging down in front of the bride. When the bride wears a simpler dress, they create all the drama.

White bouquets are still in, but they're spending equal time on popularity lists with pastel-shaded flowers in pinks and light greens, again the garden look.

And then there are the bouquets and centerpiece flowers in bright colors. For spring and summer, think ocean blues and turquoise, coral, bright yellow, bright

orange. For fall and winter, think cranberry, as well as jewel tones like sapphire and deep purples. Flower colors will be influenced by the Pantone color of the year, Marsala, a berry-hued reddish color that's expected to be very popular in 2015.

As far as bouquet design, we'll see less exposed stems at the bottom of the bouquet and more lace-wrapped stems, with jeweled accent in subtle style.

Centerpieces Centerpieces are larger than in years past, with more voluminous floral collections and greenery. Bringing the outside inside is a huge trend, with the look of a sea of flowers greeting guests as they walk into the reception ballroom.

The days of low-set bunches in small bowls are over, as more wedding couples want eye-catching centerpieces.

Floral garlands And floral garlands will be very popular either as bloom-filled draping lengths, or in pure greenery. Consider covering staircase railings with garlands bursting with many flowers. Alternatively, a floral wall, a vertical display of all flowers or greenery that may be set behind the wedding cake or the sweetheart table, embraces this trend, as well.

Peonies are a top choice for wedding flowers this year.

Symbolic flowers There is also a big shift in using symbolic flowers, such as the wedding couple's birth month flowers, or the same types of flowers the couple's parents or grandparents used in their own wedding designs if the couple may wishes to bring some of their relatives' good marriage luck into their own celebrations.

Talk with your wedding florist about the design you desire, and bring in plenty of photos that you find on Pinterest, bridal magazines or other sources to give your floral designer a better idea of your personal style. ■

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The top trends in wedding gowns for 2015

BY SHARON NAYLOR

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oday's top wedding gown style has been described as "light and airy," "modern minimalist" and "ethereal," but what exactly makes a wedding gown all of these things? It's a delicate design at the bodice — as opposed to the stiff, constructed bodice style of years past — and a fuller flowing skirt, as opposed to the sleeker sheath dresses of years past. Brides want their wedding gowns to be fairy tale pretty, to look stunning from all angles.

Diane Forden, editor in chief of Bridal Guide magazine, says that wedding gowns for 2015 "run the gamut from classic ballgowns to short, flirty dresses, romantic and vintage to city-chic. It's up to the bride to decide what dress looks and feels best on her."

She encourages brides to try on many different styles of dresses (including ones they don't think will look good on them) to find The One. Here are some of the top trends in wedding gown designs: Fuller skirts. In today's gown style, tulle skirts designed in layers add volume, movement and softness to the full-length gown look.

Glam vintage style. Think "The Great Gatsby": long, elegant dresses wit intricate

beading reminiscent of the 1920s and '30s.

Hand-sewn beading in masterful artistry is a top look this year, making the wedding gown even more special to wear. Also included in this look are sequins, tiny pearls and lace.

Drop-waist dresses. A dropped waist elongates the figure, leading into a full skirt.

This, especially, is one of those gown styles that Forden referred to -- the dress that might not look good on the hanger, but is in fact extremely flattering.

Long lace sleeves. The Duchess of Cambridge set the standard with her lacesleeved wedding gown, and it's a trend that hasn't faded. In fact, lace is even more popular now. We'll see lace collars, especially, for a regal wedding day look ala Kate Middleton.

Illusion sleeves. "Illusion" material is a sheer fabric that allows for a sense of being covered up, but it is sheer, light, airy and delicate. Illusion material is used for pretty cap sleeves over the shoulder and as the material for the popular cape or jacket trend seen on bridal fashion runways. (The bride, then, gets two looks for her wedding gown: one with the illusion jacket and one without.)

Off-the-shoulder sleeves. The exposed shoulder is all the rage in wedding gown

styles, with the look encompassing many styles from strapless to a dropped loop of fabric extending from each strap, revealing the shoulder. Off-the-shoulder sleeves are seen in all manner of gown styles, from vintage to modern to rustic.

Back details. An open back is one of the most popular looks for wedding gowns in 2015, with the bride's back "framed" by the keyhole or portrait opening of the back of the dress. Intricate, artistic lace often surrounds the open back, adding softness and romance to what might be considered an ultra-sexy show of skin. Lace makes exposed backs look prettier and more princess-like.

Dresses in color. While white and ivory will always be popular wedding gown colors (especially given how many different shades of white and ivory there are), today's bride is open to a wedding dress in color.

She pays no mind to the symbolism of the white dress and instead chooses her gown shade to complement her skin tone and meet her dream dress vision. Top colors of wedding dresses seen on the bridal fashion runways: blush colors of pink, pale blue, lavender, gray, silver, tan, mauve and mint . green, for something different and more personalized.

Metallics. Gowns with sparkle are in,

A trend in wedding gowns is to feature lots of lace. with perhaps a shimmering wrap effect around the hips, in material that glitters in the light, making this more of a look for nighttime weddings. Top colors in metallics are gold and copper, which are warmer shades that work year-round.

Crop dresses. These two-piece dresses for the unconventional bride feature the bride's exposed stomach, most often in a very subtle way, just for a glimpse of skin at the mid-section, above a short or full skirt.

This is a top choice for destination weddings, as well.

Because vintage dress styles are in, more brides are commissioning replicas of their grandmother's or great-grandmother's wedding dresses, bringing in vintage lace styles and that breathtaking beadwork that the '20s and '30s are known for.

Sharon Naylor is the author of "The Bride's Guide to Freebies" and three dozen additional wedding books. ■

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Full, glittering, cropped — It’s all in the details

Dollars and sense Hidden expenses that can sink your wedding budget

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n the days of yore, the responsibility of paying for a wedding fell to the bride’s parents. But that tradition has largely fallen by the wayside in recent years, when more and more couples have used their own savings to finance their weddings.

Few couples enter the process of planning their weddings unaware of just how expensive weddings can get, but costs can easily begin to escalate if couples are not careful.

It's expected that certain wedding expenses, such as the cost of booking a reception hall, will eat up a large portion of their budgets. But there are some hidden expenses that couples must build into their budgets to avoid finding themselves in debt as they walk down the aisle as husband and wife.

Taxes: Sales tax might not seem so significant when you’re buying everyday items, but the taxes add up quickly when paying for a wedding. Before signing contracts with any vendors, get the price including sales tax written into the contracts, as failing to do so may result in a several thousand dollar surprise when the time to pay up arrives.

Gratuities: Gratuities are another potentially hefty expense that often takes engaged couples by surprise as they start to plan their weddings. Some reception halls build gratuities for staff into their estimates, and these tips for the staff can be as high as 25 percent at some venues. But even if gratuities for reception hall staff are already accounted for, don’t forget to include tips for additional vendors the day of the wedding.

You may be expected to tip the florist, photographer, band or deejay and even the reception hall maitre d’ if his or her gratuity is not included in the aforementioned staff tip. Brides-to-be typically tip their hairstylist and makeup artist on the day of the wedding as well.

Postage: Couples who plan to invite guests via email or online invitations can skirt the cost of postage. But many brides still prefer traditional paper invitations, which include return envelopes that tradition suggests should also be stamped.

Save-the-date cards have grown in popularity as well, and these cards must also be stamped and mailed. Depending on the size of your guest list, postage can cost

Remember to build hidden expenses into budgets when planning your wedding. several hundred dollars before you mail your last invitation. And don’t forget to save some money for postage to mail thank-you cards once the big day has come and gone.

Overtime: Overtime fees for reception hall staff and additional outside vendors are typically written into contracts, but few brides imagine needing more than the predetermined allotment of time noted in their contracts. But it’s better to be safe than sorry, as unanticipated events such as a misplaced wedding license or heavy traffic on the way to the venue can force the party to start late and thus extend past its deadline.

Set aside some money for overtime so you don’t find yourselves scrounging for dollars or charging the extra few hundred dollars on your credit cards.

Weddings are expensive, and even more so when hidden fees start to make their presence felt. Couples who build such fees into their budgets will find it easier to avoid breaking the bank than those who don’t. ■

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FRANKLIN SQUARE/ELMONT HERALD — February 26, 2015

Finding that perfect ring Expert advice on selecting on jewelry for that special day

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sther Fortunoff-Greene has spent her life in the jewelry business. She has been recognized with the Retailer Hall of Fame award by National Jeweler Magazine and recently opened Fortunoff Fine Jewelry boutique in Westbury. She offers her insight into making that allimportant purchase for the Big Day: Q. Is there an inside tip you give to your own family and friends who might be shopping for that special diamond?

A. It’s really about the beauty of the stone.

There’s no substitute for finding a diamond that calls to you and seeing it sparkle.

Many people study on the internet, visit a lot of stores and load up on information they might not understand. They come in with preconceived notions of what they need in terms of color, clarity and size. I tell my friends it’s not only about the letters and the numbers. The most important factor is the beauty of the stone and the trust you have in the company you’re dealing with.

Q. What’s the role of the salesperson when choosing the right engagement ring?

A. It’s our job to help the buyers clarify what’s most important to them. Unless they have an unlimited budget, everyone has to find their own balance

between weight, clarity, cutting style and budget.

Each couple will have a personal perspective and a good salesperson will serve as their guide.

A smaller store with a more knowledgeable staff will be more nimble than the larger chains and may be better able to deliver what a buyer has in mind.

Q. What are the latest trends in engagement rings?

A. A trend over the last few years is a halo mounting style; small diamonds surrounding a larger center.

Typically the halo is used with a round diamond, but the newest trend is to use it with other shapes. The halo mounting allows a smaller stone to look bigger, which is less expensive than buying a single stone with the same weight.

Square shape cushion cuts and asscher cuts are gaining in popularity. We see celebrities with precious gemstone rings and there is also a trend toward yellow gold; but platinum is still a best seller.

Q. Are there still guidelines regarding how much a prospective groom or couple should spend on an engagement ring?

A. There’s always been the two-month-salary guideline and that still holds true for the most part.

However, I’ve definitely noticed in our area that parents often help out and add to that budget. A lot of parents want to make the perfect ring happen.

It’s also useful to know that not all grading reports are equal. The most widely used grading system is from the GIA. However, opinions differ broadly about how to grade each stone. There are people who stretch the truth quite a bit. Consult a reputable jeweler and ask to see the report.

Q. What else should the couple think about?

A. This purchase needs to give you joy into the future.

The ring is one of the few aspects of your wedding that lasts. The dress is in your closet, the cake is eaten and the flowers are gone, but you will look at your ring every day of your life!

They also need to think about the wedding bands. They should be chosen about 90 days before the big day and ordered ASAP. Custom rings can take four to six weeks and nobody wants to scramble at the eleventh hour. So it’s really about having it on your calendar. ■

Q. Some couples like to use a family heirloom for their engagement ring. Do you have any advice for them?

A. Using a family heirloom is an emotional decision.

The ring may not fit or the recipient may like the diamond more than the ring. Bring it to a reputable jeweler to make sure it’s strong enough to withstand an active lifestyle and that the setting is secure. Make sure it is not too fragile to be repaired or resized. It should also be appraised with a current value.

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