Minnesota has been added

The Minnesota Wedding page has been added to WedAlert. Visit it at http://www.wedalert.com/local_wedding_services/minnesota/

TomKat Wedding Fever!

What do you think of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes’ recent wedding?

Was the media hype too much? Was Tom Cruise a "groomzilla"?

We'd love to get your opinions, so please share your comments with us!

A Guy's Guide to Buying Engagement Rings

With the holiday season upon us and New Years just around the corner, many men will be proposing to their sweethearts. How do you choose the ring?

Now that you're ready to start looking at engagement rings for that special someone, it's time to do a bit of research to make sure you pick just the right one.

If you've never been shopping for engagement rings before, it's understandable that you feel a little lost at first. Here's a bit of an introduction and a "what to watch for."

Engagement rings are a very important symbol of commitment, and perhaps she's been dreaming of receiving hers for a long time. With a bit of planning, you can surprise her with a ring that will be exactly as she's always wished. Below are some key tips to consider during the research stage:

1. First, keep an eye out for the obvious stuff. Is she dropping hints, like making sure you notice how much she loves the look of her friend's new ring? If she is, tune in and take notes, because in those few moments she may specify exactly what she likes, and what she'd prefer to be different in a ring of her own. If you miss a hint like that, then the next few steps are even more crucial; if you're lucky though, you might pick up such useful info such as whether she prefers diamond solitaire rings, or how important the size of a diamond is to her. Maybe she'd prefer a collection of smaller stones, or a more classic, even vintage look?

2. The next thing to consider when it's time to start ring shopping is her preference for the jewelry she already owns. Does she prefer yellow gold, or does she lean more toward white gold and silver? Are there any items she never takes off, like an heirloom locket or watch? A quick scan of her current collection should tell you her colour preferences, and even give you an idea of what will match with the ring you choose.

3. Having a bit of background on diamonds never hurt either. Here are a few quick definitions of the "Four C's" of diamond quality, to help prepare for the next step in your buying process:

Cut

There are a variety of cuts of diamond, each one skillfully shaped to get the most impressive reflection of light possible (where the 'sparkle' comes from). There are brilliant cuts, triangular brilliants, ovals, pear-shaped diamonds, princess cuts, emerald cuts, heart shaped diamonds and many, many others. Ask in store about the various cuts and shapes of diamond available to you, and the significance of each.

Color

The whiter the diamond, the more valuable it is. Even the slightest hint of color can have an effect on the cost of a diamond.
There are also various colored diamond choices available today, but when it comes to the white ones, their quality is rated on scale from D-Z. A "D" is pure white, whereas a "Z" would be visibly yellow.

Clarity

The clarity of a diamond refers to the number of inclusions or blemishes that are visible when you view the stone under a microscope. Some diamond professionals refer to clarity as "purity" or "quality," but neither of those start with "C," so we'll stick with clarity.

Carat

The last and most obvious characteristic that a diamond is measured by is its Carat weight (abbreviated "ct.") which is usually a shown as a decimal point, e.g. 0.72 carats.

Remember, the best thing you can due is to pay attention to the hints she leaves, even if she's not meaning to. She might be obvious about it, and she might give you nothing at all to work with, so follow the guidelines above as closely as possible.

This article was provided by Spence Diamonds

Minnesota Weddings

WedAlert is adding a page specific to Minnesota, so if you are a wedding professional who works in the state of Minnesota, from the Twin Cities Area of Minneapolis - St. Paul, or from any of the other regions of Minnesota, be sure to add your listing here.

Classical Guitar Wedding Music available on WedAlert

We are please to announce the newest wedding music CD available on WedAlert.

The CD is entitled "Classical Guitar Wedding Music", and the tracks are performed by Christopher Dunns.

Christopher specializes in solo classical guitar .

This CD includes Latin music, late Renaissance, Baroque and Romantic periods, creating an atmosphere of elegance for your ceremony or event.

You can Click On Song Titles to hear audio clips. (You will need RealPlayer or RealOne to hear these samples. Download RealOne for FREE! )

Track 01 Prelude, BWV 1007 Suite no. 1
Track 02 Jujero Y Paradetas
Track 03 Ave Maria
Track 04 Canarios
Track 05 Canon in D
Track 06 Queen Elizabeth's Galliard
Track 07 Air in G
Track 08 Cavatina (from Deerhunter)
Track 09 In My Life
Track 10 Jesu, Joy of Man's Desire
Track 11 Go From My Window
Track 12 Julia Florida
Track 13 My Romance
Track 14 Lagrima
Track 15 A Pavan
Track 16 Spanish Romance
Track 17 What a Wonderful World
Track 18 Tarleton's Resurrection
Track 19 Sons de Carilhoes

If you like these songs, Order Classical Guitar Wedding Music for your event.

How to Care For Diamond Jewelry

Now that you are engaged you need to learn how to care for your diamond engagement ring. Spence Diamonds has provided this helpful article with tips on how to do so.

When you invest in diamond jewelry, you want to be sure that the brilliance of your diamond will last for many years to come, and look every bit as good as the day you first tried it on.

You slip the ring on your finger, or hold the earring up to your ear, and you can't believe the flashes of light shimmering off that diamond. "It's stunning," you think to yourself, "and I don't ever want to take it off."

A diamond is a treasure that should last a lifetime, and with the right care and maintenance, so can that incomparable sparkle. At Spence Diamonds, we want you to enjoy your diamond's sparkling beauty for generations, so here's a few "dos and don'ts" of caring for your new diamond:

It is okay to:
•Clean your jewelry in warm, soapy water with a soft brush
•Use a mild soap, such as dish soap
•Use products designed specifically for cleaning diamonds (ask us in store for details)

It is not wise to:
•Wear your jewelry when using abrasive cleaning products, or ones that contain bleach or chlorine
•Wear your diamond during manual labour activities, while using heavy equipment, weightlifting or while playing sports (for your own safety as well as that of your jewelry)

The setting of your diamond and the metals used in bands, bracelets and necklaces should be taken into consideration, too. Especially in the case of gold, you want to be sure that the cleaning products you choose won't tarnish the finish of your precious metals. By following the guidelines above, you should be able to keep your valuables in showroom shape, plus it gives you a perfect use for your old toothbrushes! On that note, its best if you stick to mild soap and water with your toothbrush. Today's new toothpastes are great for getting your teeth whiter, but are usually much too abrasive for your jewels.

Everyday wear and tear, and even the perspiration and natural oils from your fingers can have an effect on your jewelry's natural glow over time, so a regular cleaning will ensure that they always look their best.

Spence Diamonds

Eye makeup tip

Besides neutral gray and brown eye shadows, try a color that'll really complement your peepers! Are your eyes blue? Go for warm metallic tones like copper or bronze. Brown eyed girl? Go for blue. Have hazel or green eyes? Make them pop with purple.

Receive WedAlert Blog posts in your e-mail

You can now sign up with FeedBlitz and receive WedAlert blog posts in your e-mail. To register click here, or use the following web address http://www.feedblitz.com/f/?Sub=119752

This gives you another way to read about the latest wedding planning tips, trends, ideas, and wedding experiences of brides and grooms.

Wedding Gown Shopping Tip

When shopping for your wedding gown, you may have to try on quite a few before finding the right one, so ask the store if it's OK for you to take pictures of yourself wearing each one so you can keep track of which ones work, and which ones you can do without.

Use the photographs to narrow down your choices.

Five ways to use photos to personalize your wedding

Search the internet and you'll find that wedding themes are a hot topic on wedding message boards. Brides search high and low for a unique theme, and many feel that their wedding must have one. Unfortunately, what passes for unique usually leans more toward the ridiculous than the sublime. From Under the Sea to Renaissance Faire, the effort that folks go to put a personal stamp on their wedding would make the parents of a toddler draw comparisons to Barney birthday parties. And not flattering comparisons, either.

What's overlooked by these overzealous brides (and the wedding coordinators who aid and abet their behavior) is that all it takes to make a wedding truly unique is to make it about the one thing that is actually unique to each wedding: the people involved. Below are five ways to incorporate photos and family memories to make the wedding a real family affair:

1. Video photo montages
A popular addition to rehearsal dinners and wedding receptions alike is the video photo montage. Using photos of the bride and groom (childhood to the present) set to music, couples share their history -- and their love story -- with wedding guests by creating a multimedia montage. While it can be as simple as a slideshow, professionally produced montages can also include home movies and a variety of special effects that when employed properly will take the audience on an emotional journey through the couple's lives.

"Through the years" montages can be shown as part of the program -- sometimes during the toasts at a reception or rehearsal dinner -- or play on a loop throughout the cocktail hour. They can be shown on a big screen (using an LCD projector) or on a plasma TV, flat screen monitor, or any other display -- depending on budget and space limitations.

However it is displayed, the most important thing to remember when developing a montage, whether producing it yourself or with the help of a professional montage production company, is the audience. First, if it will be shown it as part of the event -- before the couple enters the reception or along with the toasts, for instance -- keep it short. Audience attention to even the most dynamic montages will fade after 7-8 minutes. Remember that each of the photos, no matter how important they are to the bride or groom, will mean something to only some of the guests. To make sure more guests enjoy the montage, be sure to include a wide range of pictures. People like to bask in the reflected glow of the couple during their big moment, so if they a part of the show they'll enjoy it even more!

2. Photo posters
In many cultures, enlarging a formal engagement photo of the couple and matting and displaying for guests to sign at the reception is an important tradition. The signed poster is then framed and displayed prominently in the couple's home. Consider modifying the tradition a bit and using a funny photo of the couple, or even making posters of baby photos to collect the guests' well-wishes.

Beforehand though, determine how it will be displayed or stored. It's hard enough to find room for all the regular wedding keepsakes, but posters are even trickier to store in good condition.

3. Custom cake toppers
Not that many years ago, formal miniature bride and groom figurines adorned most wedding cakes. Cake decorating trends have moved away from the 1950s-era figures and into more contemporary cake designs. Whether your cake is decorated with flowers or stands zen-like, boxy and unadorned save the fondit, you can still have a little fun by putting the bride and groom -- in the form of figurines custom-designed to look just like the happy couple -- on top of the cake. Specialty companies can sculpt small clay figures from photos of the bride and groom, and the miniature statues will last years after the last bite of cake has been eaten.

4. A sense of history
Bring some family pride and pay homage to the couple's family history by including wedding photos of parents and grandparents in the reception. Track down wedding photos from both sides of the family and display them in frames on the seating card table. Or put them inside the reception on or around the cake table.

To save money and to preserve what might be fragile and one-of-a-kind prints, instead of using original photos, make color copies and fit them in standard frames that match the room's decor. You'll spend just a few dollars and will generate priceless smiles.

You might even take the idea one step further and create a whole display of family photos and set it up in the reception. Just as with the video montages, guests will enjoy seeking themselves and their friends and family in the collage.

5. Photo-themed wedding favors/seating cards
Take the traditional wedding favor up a notch and personalize them even more with photos. Put copies of photos of the guests --- culled from personal collections and parents' albums -- in small frames and use the framed pictures either as wedding favors or in place of seating cards.

Inevitably, even the savviest couples won't be able to find photos of every guest. A short, personalized note from the bride, attached to the frame, with the simple message that she looks forward to sending them a picture from the wedding to fill this frame will make even the most distant family member feel included.

By creatively using images from the couple's past and present to present a more meaningful "theme," the wedding will be about the couple -- instead of, for example, a Disney creation -- and it will stand the test of time. On the couple's tenth or twentieth anniversary it's unlikely they will look through their wedding album, see the old family photos and say "What were we thinking?!"

© Big Moment Films, 2006