Use your brains, guys.  It’s probably not a good idea to slap a fake diamond on her engagement band. Even if you can fool her on the day you propose, chances are that your luck will run out someday when she’s getting it cleaned or appraised.

That being said, some of the best advice I can offer you is that if you’re going on a honeymoon to a foreign country or on a cruise – invest in some C.Z. It may sound like a crazy notion, but we’ve heard horror stories of engagement rings being misplaced or lost on the honeymoon. What makes those stories even worse is that the groom hadn’t bought ring insurance yet.

We know guys; the last thing you want to hear about is another piece of jewelry you have to buy. But, by getting a “dummy” ring for the trip – you greatly reduce the potential loss if something horrible were to happen.  Consider it a long-term investment as you’re sure to go on many more trips over the years and get plenty more mileage out of your C.Z.

(photo source: www.cubic-zirconia-cz-platinum-jewelry.com)

It’s Hollywood’s biggest night, and most definitely one of fashion’s biggest nights.

This past Sunday at the 82^nd Academy Awards viewers saw an array of gorgeous dresses on the red carpet. We saw red carpet mainstays like Marchesa, Oscar de la Renta, Versace, Dior and Chanel, and we saw some perhaps unexpected designers represented, like Dries Van Noten and former Project Runway contestant Chris March.

The accessories were fabulous, too. Bracelets were especially popular, with Julianne Moore sparkling in a luscious emerald ring and diamond bracelets by Bulgari. Sarah Jessica Parker got in on the bracelet action with stacks of diamond bracelets by Fred Leighton, and Demi Moore wore Van Cleef & Arpels jewelry. We saw Chopard diamonds, Salvatore Ferragamo clutches, and Sergio Rossi and Jimmy Choo heels.

(source: life.com, celebrity-paradise, justjared)

And there was some color! Maggie Gyllenhaal wore a floral satin column gown by Dries Von Noten, a last-minute, custom-made choice. Zoe Saldana modeled a bold, either you love-it-or-hate-it Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci ombre couture gown. And Rachel McAdams sported a pastel-print couture gown by Elie Saab Couture.

(From left to right, Zoe Saldana in Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci, Maggie Gyllenhaal in Dries Van Noten, and Rachel McAdams in Elie Saab Couture, source: instyle.com)

But colorful gowns aside, there was a surprising array of wedding-worthy dresses. We saw pink, white, gray and gold in the form of iridescent organza, silk draping, tulle and beading. We saw a lot of romance, a dose of sexiness, and plenty of elegance. Who knew that practical inspiration could be drawn from the red carpet, too? Here were some of our favorites:

(Jennifer Lopez in Armani Prive, Sandra Bullock in Marchesa, Cameron Diaz in Oscar de la Renta)

(Julianne Moore in Calvin Klein Collection, Amanda Seyfried in Giorgio Armani Prive, Miley Cyrus in Jenny Packham)

(Meryl Streep in Chris March)

And if you’re looking to buck the traditional bridal gown trend, there were some non-traditional wedding dresses seen as well – and they were lovely.

(Elizabeth Banks in Versace, Demi Moore in Atelier Versace)

(Helen Mirren in Badgley Mischka, Kate Winslet in Yves Saint Laurent, Anna Kendrick in Elie Saab Couture)

(source: all photos from instyle.com)

A year after Matthew popped the question we still had not begun planning our wedding.  I was walking around with an engagement ring on my finger, feeling no pressure at all of a ticking clock.

Then one day last August I knew it was time to begin the process.

The first order of business was to buy bridal magazines, and plenty of them.  Can you believe I had never browsed a bridal magazine?  Once I began, I was hooked.  I devoured Brides and Martha Stewart Weddings, tabbing and earmarking pages with unprecedented vigor.  I couldn’t get enough!

I knew that first thing was first – and no, this was not to find the dress – we had to nail down a location before we could plan further.

In fact, if you’re at this stage in the planning process, allow me to assist so that you may swiftly make a location decision and move along to subsequent details.  Consider the following when picking a geographic location for your wedding and reception – I call it my guide to picking the perfect wedding spot!

1. Know as a couple what you do and do not want. Matthew and I knew that we wanted a ceremony that was outdoors in a beautiful location.  On the other hand, we knew we didn’t want a ceremony that was church-based.

2. Know your budget. We had an idea what we would be willing to spend, unknowing of whether the money was being contributed by our parents or would be coming out of our own wallets.

3. Consider logistics. Matthew’s family is in northern Illinois, and most of mine resides in western Iowa.  Due to the geography, we knew we wanted to find a neutral location for both families.

4. Decide on the formality and extent of the affair. We knew from the get-go that we’d want an intimate gathering, with very close friends and family.  Matthew and I figured a small affair would be especially in order if we were going to request that our guests make a special trip to witness the event.

5. Tap into your passions. You must either explore your passions and go from there, or pick your location and then choose an exact spot.  For example, if you love art consider marrying at an art museum.  If you love the outdoors, consider spots like the ocean or the mountains.  If you’re going geography-based, consider cities or towns that mean something to you as a couple or as individuals.  Explore the places and things that inspire you. Matthew and I knew we wanted a semi-destination wedding, somewhere in the United States but in neither of our hometowns.  We whittled down our options to three locations, each very meaningful to us: New Orleans, Santa Fe, and Estes Park, Colorado.

New Orleans is such a romantic city, intimate and full of life.  We feel the same way about Santa Fe and the magical Southwest after having visited there months after New Orleans.  Then there is Estes Park, a childhood vacation spot of mine.  We ultimately went with Estes Park for a number of reasons.  First of all, we are familiar with the area.  Also, transportation will be fairly manageable for our guests; driving from Omaha will be convenient, and a plane ride from Chicago or LA will be relatively stress-free.  And lastly, with the town being cooped up in the Rockies, the scenery is breathtaking and the town, quant.

The destination was down.  The next step was pinning the exact location of our ceremony and reception.

Next time around I will explore some unique cities and towns in the United States where you can consider tying the knot.  There are so many destinations out there that have the ability to make your big day very, very special!

With over $1100 worth of prizes on the line, the competition is sure to be fierce. Here’s the lowdown:

Engaged brides and groom can enter the contest through a number of ways:

• Becoming a fan of The Man Registry on Facebook and writing your nomination for Ultimate Groom on the wall.
• Follow The Man Registry on Twitter and post a tweet with your nomination. Remember to tag your tweet with #ultimategroom
• Post a comment with your nomination here

Nominations can be as short/long as you like and they should include at least one reason why said nominee should be named THE ULTIMATE GROOM.

Cheers!

It was a success!

Two weeks ago this Sunday, brides and company made their way through the rain to Calabasas Creek Park to partake in the fabulous “Everything Wedding” Bridal Show.

The Leonis Adobe Museum/Calabasas Creek Park and Sarah Z Events organized a fabulous first show, complete with 25 exhibitors. Also, R-Mine Bridal put on a dazzling couture show, with the models braving the cool air in their exquisite wedding gowns.

The park made for the perfect backdrop, with its charming feel and abundance of trees and creeks. The beauty of the park made us forget the cool and rainy weather!

We were delighted with the amazing turnout, and everybody appeared to be in happy spirits. We sold most our samples, and took order upon order of our custom “Soon to be Mrs…” shirt.

(top photo, dailynews.com, remaining courtesy of Duke Photography)

If you’re thinking of popping the question soon, you’ve probably already started to consider what kind of ring you’ll be giving her.  After all that’s been drilled into your head about diamonds being a girl’s best friend, is there any way you can possibly give her an engagement ring that doesn’t include a diamond. Surprisingly, that answer is yes.

We’ve partnered with our friends at Whiteflash.com to identify four of the most popular non-diamond engagement ring styles that grooms and brides are targeting in 2010. Here are some quick descriptions of tanzanite, sapphire, emerald and ruby straight from the experts at Whiteflash:

Tanzanite – a rare gem only found in the Merelani Hills which was discovered in 1967 in Tanzania. This stone is a newcomer to the gemstone market and is referred to as the “Jewel of East Africa.” Tanzanite is typically brown with reddish, orange, yellow, or bronze hues and is a unique variety of the mineral zoisite.

Sapphire – is the ultimate blue gemstone that represents the soul and fidelity. Sapphire is an extremely durable gemstone that comes in a variety of colors, the most common being blue – a color associated with friendship and loyalty as well as harmony. It is known as “The Jewel of the Sky” and is the birthstone for September.

Emerald – an intense green gemstone, its magnificent green color speaks volumes as well as being May’s birthstone. It is known as the “symbol of spring.” In the ancient world this gem was believed to symbolize hope, arrival of spring and rebirth. Emeralds come in various varieties of light and dark shades of green and sometimes having background hues of different colors like yellow, blue, brown of gray. In its finest quality, an emerald is more valuable than a diamond.

Ruby – the birthstone for July is also known as the “King of Gems”. The ruby is considered the ultimate gemstone associated with love and passion and its sometimes referred to as the “blood” gemstone representing courage and bravery. It is rare to find in its top quality which displays all the characteristics of a precious stone: pure brilliance, lasting hardness and stunning color, which is noted as ruby’s most appealing feature.

Non-diamond engagement rings aren’t for every woman. We strongly recommend sitting down and spending some time talking with your fiancé-to-be about what ring styles she likes. She is, after all, going to be the one wearing the ring for the rest of her life.

When Weddingish approached me about being a guest blogger, I couldn’t resist the idea of sharing my thoughts and insights with potential brides.  But I couldn’t help but think: What do I have to share?

Plenty, I’ve discovered.

Since I began the wedding planning nearly six months ago, I’ve learned more than I ever thought I would know about weddings.  And I have discovered I have a sincere love of weddings, as well.  All that I’ve been through so far as a bride-to-be, like the research, flipping through countless bridal magazines, and setting up appointments with the endless list of vendors, have all added to my experience.  It’s an exhausting process.  A note for fellow brides to keep in mind: you are planning the most fabulous party of your life!

My fiancé and I have a very intimate affair set for this coming June in Colorado, over 1,000 miles away from our place in Los Angeles.  The first hurdle to planning this semi-destination wedding was planning our event based on only one trip through Colorado to meet with all our vendors, and that was in October – nine months before our wedding.  Having a small budget with which to work has presented its challenges, too.  Come to think of it, there have been several hurdles to overcome!

I am so excited to share my story, insights, inspiration and knowledge with the readers of the Weddingish blog.  I will revisit the planning and work I have done thus far, the work that has yet to be finished, and all the decisions and choices along the way.  Feel free to ask any questions, as well – I would love to hear from you!

Until next time…

So you’re ready to take your relationship to the next step by getting engaged. Congrats. The easy part is over: finding the girl you want to spend the rest of your life with. Now comes the hard part: deciding how you’re going to pop the question.

As the man, it’s up to you to set the tone for the engagement and marriage with a memorable proposal. Remember, people are going to be asking about the proposal for the rest of your life. You don’t want to have a boring or disastrous story to tell.

Here are a few ideas to help get your creative juices flowing:

Go for Nostalgia

Do you remember where you had your first date or what the first movie that you watched together was? You better. Try to incorporate some of your top memories as a couple into the proposal.

Go for Adventure

If you’re a thrill-seeking couple, plan an outing that takes you and your bride-to-be on an adventure. Possible ideas are hot air ballooning, hiking or even skydiving. The key to this type of proposal is having fun (and keeping track of the ring).

Go for Romance

If you’ve gotten this far, you probably have at least half a clue about being romantic. The ladies dig romance (especially on the night they’re getting engaged).  Picnics, romantic restaurants, long walks on the beach at sunset are all cliché, but yet somehow suitable for popping the question.

Go Big

Two words: scoreboard proposal.

We are pleased to announce Chris Easter as one of our guest bloggers! Chris is co-founder of TheManRegistry.com, an online resource for engaged men. He is also Editor of GroomsAdvice.com, The Man Registry’s blog. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Webster University in St. Louis, Missouri, and currently resides in Los Angeles.

Chris is active in the wedding blogging community, and is well-respected in the wedding industry. We’re so happy to have him onboard to offer advice from the groom’s perspective! Look for his Weddingish-exclusive posts!

Because it’s all in the details, it’s important to find the small elements that needn’t go unnoticed.  Placing a wedding-themed stamp on your invitation adds just a little something special to an otherwise mundane detail.

In case you haven’t seen, there is a plethora of wedding-themed stamps from which to choose.  You have your pick of postage that relays something special about your wedding. Whether it’s a photo of your bouquet flowers, or an image resembling your ring, you can literally put a unique stamp on your day.

Zazzle.com offers an array of wedding-themed stamps, and USPS.com unveiled wedding stamps last year.  At zazzle.com, customers have their pick of Small, Medium, or Large.  Though the stamps cost more than their face value (a sheet of 20 small stamps, for example, costs $20.60), it’s a small price to pay for a unique wedding detail.

And for an easy way to tie everything together, aside from sending matching stationery, purchase the same stamp in bulk.  Use the same style stamp for your save-the-dates, thank you cards, and any other item included in your stationery repertoire.  It’s a simple way to ensure your theme remains constant.  But if you prefer variety, stamps with “RSVP” or “You’re Invited” are also available.

Which stamp will look perfect on your wedding invitation?