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Posted by: opera guy Sep 8 2004, 11:35 AM

hi, im not lookin for "how to" propose, rather, what is it i need... like a ring?

is that the socalled engagement ring? then i have to buy another ring for the wedding? there goes my 911 suspension upgrade

Posted by: Rhodes71/914 Sep 8 2004, 11:41 AM

I guess it all depends on your bride. Does she like jewlery?(ok dumb question all women like jewlery) I guess what I meant was how much does she like jewlery. I got away with one ring, same ring for engagement and wedding. Had sentimental value, bought in Costa Rica where I proposed on the beach. Wasn't even that expensive.

But my wife would rather be driving around in her teener than wearing a spendy ring.

Guess I just got lucky!

Good luck to you on the proposal

Posted by: Headrage Sep 8 2004, 11:44 AM

Yep, 2 rings. The engagement is the most expensive. It's usually the fancy one with a diamond or ten in it. The actual wedding band is just solid gold (1-2 c-notes).

What is she says no? Get a receipt!

Posted by: nebreitling Sep 8 2004, 11:45 AM

3 months salary yikes! that's more than just a 911 suspension!

traditional is to have both an engagement (i.e. diamond $$$) ring and a wedding band (less $). worry about the engagement ring.

Posted by: Root_Werks Sep 8 2004, 11:47 AM

My wife is the same way, she doesn't get into spendy jewerly. She likes riding around in the 914, and helping out on it.... a little. I was very lucky to find her for sure!

Yes, typically you will have a promise ring before the engagement, an engagement ring and the wedding band that goes with the engagement ring. If you planning on purposing, me thinks you skipped the promise ring part. And are moving along to the engagement ring part? If so, you should only have to buy the engagement ring and the wedding band to match it. She wears the ring now and puts the band on at the wedding.

Good luck! Let us know if she says yes!

Posted by: Mueller Sep 8 2004, 12:35 PM

I bought a $10 engagment ring....we used the money for the "real" deal instead...........it all depends on her, mine was okay with the "cheap" engagment ring....

Posted by: opera guy Sep 8 2004, 12:41 PM

would any of you think its a bad idea if i buy myself a welder and weld my own wedding band? lol this is pretty much the only excuse i can think of so she will let me buy and actually use a welder..

Posted by: Alison Baker Sep 8 2004, 12:42 PM

Not all women go for big engagement rings...if she loves you she will accept anything ..Money doesn't show when it comes to LOVE !

Posted by: maf914 Sep 8 2004, 12:53 PM

Rings may be optional, but the prenuptial agreement is required!

Posted by: balljoint Sep 8 2004, 12:55 PM

Good Luck.

For my wife, (3 years together today) there was an engagement ring, and then wedding rings after. I did make sure that she got me an engagment present too though.

My rule was 2 months salary (she wouldn't go for 2 weeks) and the ring had one diamond, not big (0.58 carots), but it was of the highest quality (cut/colour/clarity)I could afford.

Posted by: Jenny Sep 8 2004, 01:04 PM

Do what Chung did, and go with a titanium ring. Looks cool, feels light weight. Plus they're not TOO spendy. They have them on ebay. Just don't tell her you got her rings off the bay.

Good luck!!

Jen

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Posted by: Scott Schroeder Sep 8 2004, 01:07 PM

Amazing......

I am having a jeweler in Dallas create a ring for Amy as we speak - it will hopefully be here next week.

We leave for Newport on the 22nd to visit my family (she has never been to the west coast). If the weather is good I am thinking about the Huntington beach peir as the place.

Try and find a link to a wholesaler. Aims ring has a fully documnted/accredited stone and I am saving over 65% off of retail - thank goodness!

Good luck with your proposal!

Does anyone know if girls still go for the one knee approach?

Posted by: Alison Baker Sep 8 2004, 01:17 PM

Yes we still go for the one knee thing...and a bouquet of flowers !



Good luck

Posted by: mikester Sep 8 2004, 01:18 PM

The 2 month's salary idea is just a clever marketing ploy.

Spent what you can afford and not a dime more.

Get something nice - talk to an independant retailer or try www.bluenile.com

That site had decent deals and a decent return policy.

I spent my entire car restoration fund on my wife's ring. It didn't even hurt - she was worth it and in the end she bought me a 911.

So...beat that.

Posted by: ArtechnikA Sep 8 2004, 01:21 PM

if you put a big enough, nice enough diamond in that tension setting, it can get spendy...

but those first two settings are v-e-r-y similar to what Joy and i have -- titanium with platinum inlay. -not- from Ebay, but from http://www.TitaniumEra.com i'd recommend them. Statman Designs is another source - Statman hangs out on the 911 RennList a lot.

we went with just the one ring originally, the tension-set diamond solitaire for her, a Pt inlay Ti band for me. our 3rd anniversary is coming up and i've alreeady ordered the anniversary ring from Titanium Era - it's a little more like a conventional wedding band, but with inset Moisanite.

neither of you NEEDS a ring - there's no legal requirement. it's simply tradition and convention.

but you should make sure your expectations are compatible -- 'cause if you can't agree on something this basic at the beginning of the relationship, it does not bode well for bigger issues down the line ...

Posted by: jasons Sep 8 2004, 01:34 PM

Since I just went through this..... I bought my stone from a web-broker, a place called and don't laugh... dirtcheapdiamonds.com. The diamond was GIA certified. Upon reciept I had it checked out by a local GIA gemologist who verified the certification. They offer a 10 day no quetions asked return policy. They are a broker and the diamond came to me direct from a large wholesaler in NY. I saved sales tax plus some extra $ over purchasing locally. Also, no-one local had the GIA cert. they were certified by other labs that allegedly aren't as good. After I got the stone, I had it set locally. I did pay a few $100 extra for the setting since I brought the diamond in, but I still saved alot. Also, check out www.pricescope.com. Alot of good info and a diamond search engine that searches a bunch of brokers.

Regarding 2 bands or one, that is just personal preference. When you choose settings, some will come with 2 bands some won't. Some settings are designed so they cannot work with 2 bands.

Finally, the best thing I did was go into a jewelery store and window-shop with my girlfriend. What I would have bought for her, and what she wanted were completely different. I still surprised her with the ring. But it was really important to find out what she liked.

Now she is wearing my next Porsche on her finger. I wanted to get an SC for a daily driver....

Posted by: Root_Werks Sep 8 2004, 01:38 PM

Rings can get way out of hand. We took more the farmers approach to it. My band is simple white gold, I think it was $75 or so? My wifes band has a very,very nice diamond, but smaller, I think a little over 1/2 carrot? Also white gold. Still, our whole set was under $1k. We have better things to spend our money on. Plus it was what we could pay cash for.

Thinking about it, I didn't do the one knee thing. We use to walk down to the beach everyday at a house we still own, but can't live in anymore. While sitting on a beached log, I popped the question.

Posted by: Sparky Sep 8 2004, 01:49 PM

Gee one question no one has asked, Are you two good friends? If so, why screw up a good friendship? Seriously though, spend what your comfortable spending. I spent more then 3 months salary but only because I cold afford to. Keep in mind the following, the ring is a symbol of your love, devotion, and commitment to each other. Find something that will covers those three without looking outrageous and hope she's satisfied. I married my best friend, and we still like each other after 9 years.

Good Luck!
Mike D.

Posted by: SLITS Sep 8 2004, 02:03 PM

After 24 years, I would suggest psychological testing prior to any ring Ok, so I'm bitter

Posted by: davep Sep 8 2004, 02:05 PM

The 4 "C"'s of diamonds: cut, clarity, color, carats
(and that is the correct spelling for carats BTW)

I'd invest in a good pair of sneakers though, cause if'n you don't run away, she'll keep you on the run.
Good luck.
Married since '82. Damn, almost a life sentence.

Posted by: opera guy Sep 8 2004, 02:10 PM

she's the one, there's no doubt about it. i didnt think of the Ti idea, thanks jenny. looks like thats what im gona go with now, bc i was thinking of white gold before. Ti is much much better (imho)

Posted by: andys Sep 8 2004, 02:15 PM

Opera guy,

Since you're in SoCal, I highly recommend you do your shopping at the International Jewelry Center in downtown LA (3rd & Figuroa). Absolutely the lowest prices on the same stuff sold at the majors (I have confirmed this myself). I assure you you'll pay 1/3 to 1/4 the price you'd pay anywhere else. There are probably 50+ vendors there all competing for your business...they're open on Saturdays. If future wife goes along to pick something out, you can make a day out of it and see literally thousands of choices in all price ranges. Most are diamond brokers as well. I didn't buy an engagement ring even though my wife is the bling-bling type......said nothing, and saved a bunch of money!

Andy

Posted by: Jenny Sep 8 2004, 02:30 PM

A'yup. I never fancied yellow gold either, too gaudy. I always wanted white gold, then platinum, and now, titanium. Much more practical.

Also depends on if she's a show-y type of girl. Some like the flashy stuff (bling-bling), some prefer the more subtle approach. I think Ti is a nice subtle bling.

Jen

Posted by: Jenny Sep 8 2004, 02:35 PM

Oh yeah,

http://members.rennlist.com/statmandesigns/index.html

I've emailed Dan before, and he's really great about working with you if you have a particular design or whatever in mind.

Jen

Posted by: Mark Henry Sep 8 2004, 02:38 PM

I got my wife’s ring at a pawnshop, they even let me take it to a jewellery shop (with a deposit of course) and have it appraised. It is an older style setting, white 18k gold, single stone. It was appraised for $2800 and I got it for $700.

My wife loved it and she had a band custom made to match for around $300.


A friend got his wife a fake mosinite (sp?) stone (she does know) in a nice setting, even jewellers have a hard time telling them from a real diamond. It's huge and about 1/3 of the price.

Posted by: Mueller Sep 8 2004, 02:41 PM

ummmm, you might like the Ti, but does she???

I knew my wife was not a fan of silver, plantinum or white gold so we went with yellow gold (14k for me, 18k for her)...in fact we had our rings custom made by a jewler in SF, we went to go inspect the rings that he had cast (it was neat to see the wax originals) 2 weeks before the wedding....the jewler opens up the velvet lined box and my wife damn near fainted...he screwed up and made the rings in white gold...I thought they looked great, but needless to say, he had to remove all the diamonds from her ring and mine and had to recast the rings in yellow gold....he kept the "accidental" white gold rings to put new diamonds in and sell, so someone out there should have a matching ring to ours

I guess we all about the bling-bling, LOL....now to get the matching gold on my teeth, hahahahaha

Posted by: 2-OH! Sep 8 2004, 03:39 PM

Don't DO it...

Alternatively...rob a 7/11 at gun point...That way you'll be out and free in 3 to 5 years with little or no debt...Good behavior might be just 18 months...

2-OH!

Posted by: bondo Sep 8 2004, 04:48 PM

My wife's engagement ring is an antique, which she inherited from her great aunt if I remember right. It's got a nice intricate art deco white gold design, and a not too big diamond. It's a very different sort of bling, that isn't for everybody, but it's perfect for us. To me, the design of the ring is more important than the stone that goes in it. As for the wedding rings, I took a jewelry casting class here at Cal Poly, and designed them myself to match the engagement ring. That made me appreciate the intricacy of the engagement ring even more. (it's damn hard to carve details in wax)

Posted by: opera guy Sep 8 2004, 05:13 PM

dont worry, if i buy it, she'll like it. thats how i know she's the one

Posted by: ArtechnikA Sep 8 2004, 05:23 PM

Ti is very tough; not as hard as tungsten (another new choice at Titanium Era) but much more scratch-resistant than any jewelry-grade precious metal and holds its shape -very- well (else it'd make a really crappy spring...)

it is virtually inert although it will develop a slight darkening from surface oxidation that lets it contrast nicely with a Pt inlay, and since it's used in medical implants, there are no contact dermatitis issues. Joy has seen some sensitivity to some SS alloys but is unaffected by the Ti.

it's light, so i can type really, really fast [ :-) ...] and of course it is very heat-resistant ...

since i do more stuff with my hands i got the slightly harder alloy, but J's is 16-4 aircraft-grade Ti, both have .900 Pt inlay.

Posted by: Curvie Roadlover Sep 8 2004, 05:40 PM

For the true race fan:
http://www.carbonfiberbracelets.com/10101.html


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Posted by: Carl Sep 8 2004, 05:44 PM

While what she likes is very important, the ring is a symbol of how you value her. Presuming everything goes well, the two of you could be looking at that ring for a long time. Be sure you get a nice one because 20 or 30 years from now you don't want to wish you'd bought something better.

Good luck and best wishes.

Carl

Posted by: Duffster Sep 8 2004, 05:45 PM

Buy a comfortable couch.

Posted by: Qarl Sep 8 2004, 06:13 PM

Often times the way you propose can also make it that more special.

Buy a nice ring... the first thing everyone wants to look at when a woman says she got engaged is the ring.

Give them something to oggle at!

Buy what you can afford. I bought my wife's stone for about 65% off appraised value from a local jewelry shop. The stone was from an estate collection. Designed the mount myself.

Learn about diamonds... the 4 Cs.... have some fun at it. Don't buy off e-bay. Have it appraised first. In this case... size doesn't matter. A small ring that is perfect or near perfect can look much prettier then a 2 carat honker with poor color and flaws visible from 5 feet!

The welder and 911 suspension may have to wait....

What's more important... your woman or your car?.... (wait! don't answer that... if you had to think about it, she might not be the ONE!)

Good luck!

Posted by: Brad Roberts Sep 8 2004, 06:20 PM

Any other BBS' or Forums out there where a guy can get an "engagement" question answered ?? I'm so happy we let people be "people" here on this site.


Good luck. My best wishes are with you and yours.



B

Posted by: soloracer Sep 8 2004, 06:26 PM

All that is needed for a good wedding proposal are two people in love who promise to stay with each other forever......that and a pre-nup of course. Nobody gets 1/2 of my cars without me around....

Posted by: Qarl Sep 8 2004, 07:02 PM

And some women chimed in too! That always helps.

Posted by: DuckRyder Sep 8 2004, 07:11 PM

I will just reiterate, that it is very important to find out what she likes, she has to wear it.

I also got my girl a smaller but very high quality diamond, she actually wishes it were smaller because it gets in her way when she tries to work. She actually picked her own ring out, but she picked a white gold setting and later confided that she really wanted platnium, but it was simply too expensive. I went back and had it changed so she really loved that.

Anyway, many of the jewlers will set the diamond in a simple solitare for you to propose with, then you can go back and she can pick the setting that she wants, I'm sure you pay for the extra setting one way or another but it is worth it.

You may find that even if she isn't into bling and huge diamonds, she may have some definate ideas about the cut she wants and so forth, so find out one way or another what, if any, they are.

Posted by: Brett W Sep 8 2004, 10:03 PM

A buddy of mine actually made his ring. He ordered a foot of Ti bar stock, machined the ID, OD, etc on a lathe. Then split the band, bought a stone, then used jewler's end mills mahined the setting. Looks really neat and it really came from the heart more than the wallet.

Posted by: redshift Sep 8 2004, 10:26 PM

I paid three months salary for my first wife's ring, I laid around watching the Price is Right! for three months, drinking Jack Daniels, while she held down two jobs to support my video poker addiction.

My new wife and I were married thru email. She's a Russian girl that I ordered online. I send her money every week, and told her not to think about coming to meet me, because to the language barrier, and the fact that I don't want to hear it out of her.

Then again, I've never been married..


M

Posted by: PatW Sep 8 2004, 10:28 PM

I bought my wife a engagement ring with a moderate size diamond. All the while I was going to have her pick out an wedding band and have the engagement stone set in the new band. It all worked out for the best (just like I planned ) She loves her ring and I was able to save the hassle and expense of having to buy two rings. As long as the wife is happy thats all that matters right?

Tip: Diamond prices are negociatable. So don't be afraid to haggle a bit. Stay away from the Mall stores and shop around.

Pat

Posted by: redshift Sep 8 2004, 10:29 PM

Hell yeah!



Oh, I thought you said 'hooker'.



M

Posted by: Aaron Cox Sep 8 2004, 10:34 PM

OMG

Posted by: BatAc Sep 9 2004, 12:02 AM

Prenuptial, 2 years, 5, 10, 20, 40 it’s all a matter of time.

Posted by: Jake Raby Sep 9 2004, 12:11 AM

Damn, when I proposed to my now "X" girlfriend I was in the shop and twisted a ring out of safety wire (did a damn fine job, I might add-7 twists per inch and would have passed a QAR inspection easily!)....

She said it was definately different!

That one ended up pissing me off and now I have a new one that is just awesome! Too bad I wasted the cool ring idea on the old one and a few grand to boot! Hell this new one wants to get married right away after just a few months- BUT I have too much R&D going on for that crap!

I think I might take my dads advice.. He lost 360K bucks due to a shitty wife...

"Son, just spend 100 bucks a week on a piece of ass, you'll have more fun and save lots more money. When you get tired of her just go to the next block and find a new one"

Posted by: Meredith Sep 9 2004, 12:17 AM

I think I would rather have a special proposal than a fancy engagement ring (although a flashy rock is always welcome). For the proposal, integrate an event/place/etc. that has special meaning in your relationship.

I've been watching too many episodes of "A Wedding Story."

Mer

Posted by: dan10101 Sep 9 2004, 12:21 AM

Definatly use one Knee... The shock factor and she can tell her girlfriends about it... (they'll ask)

Buy a nice ring you can afford and can take back. Then take her with you to pick one out. She's the one that has to wear it. Worked for me. 25 years next August. (2 ring upgrades later)

Good Luck!
Dan
(lost 2 rings, now wear none. No single girls have asked me. I wonder why..)

Posted by: chunger Sep 9 2004, 12:56 AM

Ti rocks. . . but it's the rock that's expensive.

I looked for a loose stone at a highly reputable online dealer. . . didn't want to dink around w/ Bay Area price craze especially because i didn't know jack about looking at diamonds www.bluenile.com and www.mondera.com served me well. I went w/ .43 carat almost perfect stone 'cause she didn't want something that would get in the way if she wore it all the time, and proportionally, the tension setting I was after didn't take well to large stones.

Then, I looked around at settings and found www.boonerings.com . He gave me the element of surprise 'cause the guy made my ring in 1 day 'cause he machines them in his garage with his computer-controlled machines (he used to make bike cranks) ,and he made it to the profile I specified. I next-dayed my loose stone to him in Georgia. He recieved it at noon, made my ring, set the stone, and sent it next day back to me same day he got it. I have nothing but good things to say about this guy.

Paid premium for wedding band at a mall store because she really liked a particular platinum band w/ 7 really tiny stones. I couldn't find that profile elsewhere, and they looked good together. . . and well, she likes diamonds.

Best of luck.

Posted by: Joe Ricard Sep 9 2004, 06:23 AM

Titanium now that is cool. We were engaged damn ner 20 years ago
nice, inexpensive ring for engagement and wedding. 10years later when I was making more money I got her a BIG ASS diamond .80 Marque cut. and a Porsche 928.

Comming up on 20 in November Already got the New Mini. Now I plan on getting her into Autocross. Been showing her the in car videos from AutoXforum.com Delta region. Think she is talked into at least a few runs.

Posted by: Joe Ricard Sep 9 2004, 06:29 AM

Jake If'n I was your brother I woulda listen to dear old dad. Sounds like the best way to go. if the piece is terrible it is not like you had much invested (time, money. emotion)

Shoulda coulda woulda.

Posted by: tat2dphreak Sep 9 2004, 08:57 AM

I just got married last year... I spent probably 4 months looking at rings, studying diamonds and was ready to drop $4000 (not close the 2 month's salary, but a lot none the less)... then I bounced some ideas off my (now) wife... she didn't care about diamond certification, didn't even care if there WAS a diamond... she just wanted the marriage... I still got her a diamond, we even shopped together so she would get something she could still be proud of, and I didn't spend over $1000 on both the wedding band(with diamonds too) AND the engagement ring...

Posted by: Bigbohr Sep 9 2004, 09:57 AM

Making a special proposal is sweet but quickly one of many memories from the past ... The ring stays. I didn't go cheap on it so she can always wear it proudly ...

Posted by: Aaron Cox Sep 9 2004, 10:27 AM

totally agree

the ring is just a tradition. its the WAY you propose thats special...and more from the heart.

Posted by: Meredith Sep 9 2004, 10:51 AM

By all means, go all out and get her something fabulous.

I never meant that a special proposal should take the place of a ring...they should complement each other. But what do I know?

Mer

Posted by: ArtechnikA Sep 9 2004, 11:06 AM

one more quick story...

J's solitaire was a 5mm vvsi diamond. (don't know the exact CW but i'm estimating about 1/2 ct) with very good color and clarity. About a year ago, she noticed the stone missing and was devastated, of course. we looked EVERYWHERE. backtrack everywhere she'd been that day and unsurprisingly turned up nothing. so - Lesson One: as soon as you get the ring, get it appraised, get it photographed, and MAKE SURE it will be covered on your insurance policy - a lot of policies have surprisingly low single-item limits.

she'd been stalking Moissonite for a while and decided that's what she wanted to replace the diamond. i did some research. Moissonite is silicon carbide that has only recently been grown in jewelry-grade quality and size. IIRC it has a refractive index that's actually higher than diamond and it does have amazing fire. we even went up 1/2mm because it was less costly than diamond and we felt a slight size increase might increase the tension in the setting and improve its security. she's thrilled with the way the ring looks with the replacement stone. and silicone carbide is, of course, very, very hard.

about 3 weeks later i was working on the 911 in the driveway late one night and saw something sparkle in the light. found the diamond. it's in a safe place. she prefers the look of the Moissonite.

Posted by: anthony Sep 9 2004, 12:23 PM

It seems like the ring thing has gotten out of hand. My parent's generation bought small modest diamond engagement rings and then the standard wedding band which the woman usually wore.

Now, it seems like there is this size competition with among women/couples in certain socio-economic groups in the Bay Area. It's like you have to buy a big enough ring to compare to her sister or friend's ring.

Posted by: phantom914 Sep 9 2004, 12:41 PM

I think that the more the woman is concerned about the diamond size, the less you should marry her. I picked out my wife's ring. The large diamond is only a little over 1/2 carat. She didn't see the ring until I proposed. She was thrilled and it meant alot to her that I picked it out. She didn't feel the need to pick one out to make sure I "got the right one" Then, when her female co-workers were huddled around her to look at her ring, someone says "don't worry, in a few years you can get a bigger one". What the hell kind of person says that to someone who is so excited about geting engaged? I'm sure her husband is miserable.

OK enough ranting. My wife is super cool. The opposite of the "my diamond is bigger" type.

Andrew

Posted by: neo914-6 Sep 9 2004, 12:59 PM

You asked for things you'll need for your "proposal". It's simple enough to ask and get an answer but you will need:

1. Plan your finances - women want at least assurance and who will manage them? This is one of the top two issues in marriage. Nice if it's no problem...
2. Sex - state your expectations. The other top issue
3. How, when, where you propose - this is one of the many highlights she will remember. Your planning is important
4. My wife does not wear her ring for fear of losing it because she uses her hands alot for her business. At first she wanted a simple band and wedding but that idea had a short life...

Good luck!
Felix

Posted by: Mark Henry Sep 9 2004, 02:18 PM

I mentioned moissonite (but spelled it wrong) check them out!

There was a show on Canadian TV (Marketplace, sort of like 20/20) about moissonnite and how it is fooling a lot of jewellers. They took one undercover to a guy who buys diamonds (ads on local TV all the time, Russell Oliver) and he offered the woman 6k for it. She said she would think about it and started to leave and he goes “OK 7k!”
It was worth something like $1000.

The whole show was about how some unscrupulous jewellers have replaced people's diamonds with moissonite stones, when they have brought them in for cleaning/repair.

As long as she knows (and no one else) that it’s a fake, a very good one at that, it shouldn’t be an issue.


To me, when I hear "the ring is just a tradition" it makes me laugh! The whole diamond thing is BS cooked up by Debeers, diamonds had nothing to do with weddings till a massive marketing scheme they started in the early 1900’s.


Also if her parents want blow a wad on the wedding, ask for a down payment on a house, go to a JP and have a small house party with friends.

Posted by: andys Sep 9 2004, 02:27 PM

[quote=Mark Henry,Sep 9 2004, 12:18 PM] [/QUOTE]

To me the whole diamond thing is BS cooked up by Debeers, diamonds had nothing to do with weddings till a massive marketing scheme they started in the early 1900’s.
[/quote]

Couldn't agree more!!
The ultimate sham..."Show her you love her; buy her a diamond." This, from a TV commercial several years ago.

Try re-selling that (what they claim is an investment) diamond. You'll get next to nothing for it. Of course, diamonds are forever, right? Right!

Andy

Posted by: ArtechnikA Sep 9 2004, 02:28 PM

i agree with your points, and only want to mention that the replacement stone was her idea, and she's very well clued into the gemology. as far as she's concerned, it's not a fake diamond, it's a real Moissonite. i think a gem-quality silicon carbide stone fits in perfectly with the hi-tech Ti and Pt setting ...

Posted by: ArtechnikA Sep 9 2004, 02:30 PM

...and the new slogan, "Diamonds - take her breath away."

which as comedian Ron White points out, is just another way of saying, "Diamonds - that'll shut her up!"

Posted by: opera guy Sep 9 2004, 02:44 PM

financial standing is pretty good. not as good as i like it to be, but its good enough. and she thinks so too.

how when and where... im very creative, i wont let her down.

im only asking bc im not a native here in the US, for that matter, neither is she. so Im consulting american tradition and will fabricate my/our own traditions. imho, making tradition is way better than following tradtions.

Posted by: Mark Henry Sep 9 2004, 03:05 PM

Posted by: ArtechnikA Sep 9 2004, 04:52 PM

i agree to a point, but traditions connect us to our cultural heritage. some traditions exist for better reasons than mere historical baggage.

by all means, go your own way and do what you want to do! but IMO that's a decision better made as an informed decision. so a bit of research and background investigation (as you're doing here) is a good thing.

by all means, buy at least one bride's magazine. NOBODY subscribes to those (okay - maybe if you're in the trade and make dresses or are a caterer or something...). but the point is, every one has the full checklist of stuff to consider. if you don't want to do that stuff, that's cool, but you'll at least have more confidence that you haven't overlooked something important.

and you can get quite a chuckle at the $15,000 dresses and the $65/plate catered sit-down reception dinners that very few people in the world actually do ...

Joy and i were married in October, so we did a big Oktoberfest reception at the house for our friends and the local PCA region - we had brats on the grill all day long !

Posted by: opera guy Sep 9 2004, 05:15 PM

yeah, thats why im reading everyone's reply with care. making sure i didnt miss anything that sounds like a good idea to me. im not creating totally new traditions, if i were, i wouldnt be asking for everyone's opinion here.

i know we're more then our cars, a lot of peole here have great/valuable opinions