'Tis the season for hot chocolate! It is also the season for proposals. I read somewhere that one third of all marriage proposals happen over the holidays. There never seem to be any sources cited for this, so I cannot completely confirm it. I definitely think it is plausible though.
Getting back to the hot chocolate...
Here are some chocolate diamond rings from Etsy in varying price ranges. If you are curious about learning more about chocolate diamonds, please refer to this GIA article on "Fancy" diamonds.
If you need a midweek pick-me-up, a story to give you a little faith, here is a heart warming tale of a woman whose diamond fell out of her setting in a motorcycle accident. The path to finding her diamond is touching. I am not even going to try to summarize it, read the whole thing here.
A great gift for the recently engaged is a ring stand. Everyone feels a little differently about when its appropriate to take your ring off, but many women take their rings off to shower, go to the gym or do housework. Why not give them a safe place to keep their ring, where it is not likely to get dirty, damaged or worse, fall into the sink!?
Check out these ring stands from two different sellers on Etsy:
I don't know anyone who doesn't love Fall. The weather is lovely, the associated foods and traditions are anticipated all year long. Hay rides, pumpkin carving, hot cider, corn mazes, apple picking, fairs and festivals. The unique opportunities to propose are endless.
This proposal is adorable. I imagine he carved out the pumpkin from the bottom to put the ring in the top. I wonder if they every got around to finishing carving their pumpkins!
Planning a wedding comes with a never ending to-do list. While you may take your time picking out a new vacuum cleaner on a pre-engaged day, when it comes time to register, you may not have time to thoroughly research every small appliance. At the same time, who wants a blender that will break when you are making frozen margaritas once back from your honeymoon (who can blame you for wanting to keep the feeling alive?!) For this reason, and many more, a copy of the latest consumer reports is a handy wedding gift. The bride- and groom-to-be can bring it with them to the store of their choice and have no post wedding regrets about what they scan. You can easily pick up a copy at your local bookstore or order a copy from Amazon.
It has been a while... my apologies. Back at it again.
These magnets are a fun way to propose. Think of all the magnetic surfaces where they could be applied: kitchen appliances, mirror, car, mailbox... (If you can think of more put them in the comments!).
While this project could definitely be done at home (I have made similar magnets myself), I must say a person about to propose probably has better things to do than try to find time for a secret craft project. Additionally, it might be tough to explain why you need a glue gun. Splurge on these magnets for $20.
Jean Dousset Diamonds is giving away a $10,000 ring! Sign up by giving them your first and last name and email address. Enter here! Contest runs through November 30th.
My Fiance has a hard time remembering to shut the shower curtain. I hear this is a problem a lot of men have. If my Fiance had found this shower curtain on Etsy, and left it shut, I would have jumped for joy. Shutting the shower curtain comes in close second to wanting to spend the rest of his life with me. (Okay, maybe that is an exaggeration)
The big news this month is that Tiffany & Co. has launched a leather goods line! This begs the question: Would you rather have a $16,000 ring or a $16,000 handbag? (Post your answer in the comments!)
Do you plan to upgrade your ring on your 10th anniversary or some other milestone? Are you already picking out side stones for your solitaire engagement ring?
According to Glamour Magazine (October 2010), 81% of readers say DON'T upgrade your engagement ring. The main reason: to avoid hurting your guys feelings.
Check out these nesting dolls that I found on Etsy. What a cute way to propose!? Every set of nesting dolls I have ever had have been a little sticky. There are usually one or two dolls that take some extra effort to open. Imagine the anticipation building as you open these customized dolls. It would certainly be a funny story if the proposee needed a little help opening them up.
Would you sport one of these at the office? Home? Halloween Party? Speaking of Halloween Parties, I think this would be a great addition to a Bridezilla costume!
One of my facebook followers (and an Etsy seller) posted this youtube video of a proposal last week. Watch to see the cute puppy that was an added bonus to the proposal!
I love how the dog is playing with the ring before he proposes! Good thing the diamond was bezel set so he couldn't do too much damage!
Couples in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, you could be in luck! Marisa Taylor Photography is giving away a one hour shoot! Whether you are dating, engaged or married, you are still eligible and the timing is perfect for Holiday cards. Check out her website for information on how to enter. Contest ends September 30, 2010, so hurry up!
It was a Wednesday night and I was supposed to meet my boyfriend at his house, about an hour and a half away, to depart on a long weekend away with my family. I left work early and didn't tell him, thinking the surprise would be on him. He called me while I was on my way, and I admitted how far I was. He asked me what I wanted for dinner because he was going to pack sandwiches for the road. I requested a PB&J. A little further along, he called me again asking where I was. I got to his house, just about right on time. I walked in saying "Honey, I'm home!" He hollered "in here" from the living room. The first thing I saw as I rounded the corner was a slide show of black and white pictures of us. In the background, I could hear the song "Marry Me" by Train and I could smell the lilies that were on the coffee table. He finally came into my view, in a suit on one knee.
My initial reaction was "No, this isn't happening here." He asked me to sit down on the couch, where to one side of me he had thoughtfully put a box of tissues. He read me his profession of love from a Congratulations on Your Engagement card, that he later gave to me as a keepsake. When it came time to ask the important question, he pulled a custom made mahogany box out of a porcelain elephant dish (I collect elephants). The box had the last 5 lines of his proposal and two elephants kissing on the top. Inside, it had the date and said "Marry me beautiful, I will love you forever." Once I stopped crying, I was able to see the ring: a beautiful round solitaire with pave stones in the band.
The night was not over! We popped some champagne and he took me upstairs to show me the color he had painted what would now be our bedroom. Hanging from the closet door was a selection of three new black dresses with a pair of my black heels sitting on the floor. I picked out one of the dresses to wear and a limo came to take us to dinner. We had a private room reserved for us and we took some time to call our families. After dinner, we went to the bar where we first met, and then to a hotel where he had scattered rose petals and had an edible arrangement waiting. I couldn't have asked for a better day or a better fiance.
We departed on our vacation the next day and celebrated all weekend long with my family.
Here are some wonderful engagement pictures from Jeannemarie Viggiano shot in Hawaii. I love how ominous and raw the sky looks. You can tell the wind was blowing around this couple. Would you chance the weather to get this awesome effect?
Ilove pave diamond rings. They are usually intricate and dazzling without being too ostentatious. They are, after all, just a series of small diamonds, arranged in a pattern or shape designed to sparkle. We saw pave diamond rings regain popularity from Bella Swan's engagement ring in Eclipse. I recently found a similar ring, predating Bella's, that has me quite excited. I love the clean lines and the signet ring shape. Not to mention it is from Pandora's line called "Love Pod." This ring could be perfect for many different occasions: promise ring, engagement ring, or a right-hand ring. Simple, beautiful and stunning. (And available in yellow gold as well!)
Worried you might slip up? Not one for words? Well here are five ideas for planning the perfect proposal that speaks for itself!
1.) The right music! The day you propose is one of the most memorable days of your life. Apparently, musicians feel the same as us mere-mortals since a few of them have written songs about marriage proposals. One of my favorites is Train's Marry Me. Lyrics like this melt my heart: "Forever can never be long enough for me to feel like I've had long enough with you." This song will forever be on every playlist you make for one another. Are you a woman proposing to your significant other? Try Amanda Marshall's Marry Me.
2.) A good luck charm! A charm is a perfect gift for those with and without charm bracelets. If she has a charm bracelet, this is a thoughtful way of proposing. If she doesn't, she should! Charm bracelets are staged gifts. Never worry about another Birthday, Valentine's Day, Anniversary or [insert gift giving holiday of choice] gift again, get a charm! This proposal is also great as a stand-in for a ring. If you are looking for something non-traditional, but still sentimental, build an entire charm bracelet for places you have gone or charms that symbolize traits that you love about her. Even if you do propose with a traditional ring, there are bound to be a few occasions where her ring is getting sized, cleaned, or fixed or where its just inappropriate to sport the rock. She can easily substitute in the bracelet. Here are a couple of charms to help you propose. Let's hope they bring you good luck!
3.) Wrapped up! A velvet box with the jeweler's name embossed inside is expected. Spice it up and add a little surprise with a special keepsake box. Something silver and engraved (her name, marry me, some inside joke... you decide!) or a limoges are good choices. A nice box can turn into storage for the ring should she need to take it off, and will certainly be displayed on her dresser.
4.) Fortune says....! Play it cool by ordering chinese. Surprise her after dinner with an inedible desert. These silver fortune cookies are customized to say what you wish. Try "Good fortune came my way the day I met you" or there is always the classic "Will you marry me?"
5.) Kaleidoscope love! This is the ultimate way for nerds (don't worry, I am one too) to propose! Remember Kaleidoscopes? Well this one has a proposal written inside! Hide it as part of a scavenger hunt.
A recent every-day proposal made the news the other day. A man had decided to propose on Cape Cod. He tied the ring to a sand dollar and placed it on a jetty. When his soon-to-be fiance picked up the sand dollar, the ring was too heavy for the knot and it fell through the rocks of the jetty. The couple and passers-by searched for four hours with no luck. Sadly, the center stone was an heirloom. Thankfully, the man's mother had it fully insured! Read the full story here.
Was there a fluke in your proposal? What would you do if this happened to you?
This is beyond a love triangle. Way beyond. But who has heard of a septangle? Above is the craziness that has been brewing for a while from a selection of Bachelor and Bachelorette contestants (Deanna Pappas, Holy Durst, and Jason Mesnick to name a few). For the full story, please refer to the gossip mags. There is just too much for me to reword. Hopefully the diagram above will help you comprehend the madness. Should you find grammatical or factual errors in the above diagram, please let me know!
So you are in your late twenties and early thirties. All of your friends are getting married and engaged, including you! Here is a great engagement gift idea from the already married to your successors.
Remember those bridal magazines and planning books that are collecting dust in a corner somewhere? Why not regift them?! Previously loved magazines and books are a great environmentally sustainable gift. Spice them up by writing a nice dedication to your friend in the beginning of a book, or by pairing the gift with some bride specific flags like the ones below. Continue the eco-friendly theme by avoiding wrapping paper and just tying then together with some nice grosgrain ribbon around them (bonus points if you use the brides intended wedding colors).
What is ring drunk? It is the period of time after a girl gets engaged when she is so absolutely ecstatic that her behavior becomes, well... a little bit obnoxious. You know the signs... screaming, hugging, showing off your ring (if applicable), texting pictures of your ring (if applicable), and talking endlessly of the future wedding and life that is just around the corner. Regardless of how composed you are or how unsuperficial you are, there is/was likely a weak moment or two (or three), after you get/got engaged where you might have gone overboard.
Well, that is what this blog is for and about. It's about indulging your fantasies, sharing your wonderful engagement story, reading up about diamonds and more. You may find this blog as a useful way to spread your story to family or friends, or as a way to anonymously brag about your perfect proposal. You may find a proposal that you think is perfect and slyly send the link to your significant other, or your significant other may be here looking for creative ways to propose to you or tips on picking out a ring. What do I get out of this blog? I love the kind fo stories that end with happily ever after. I love reading about unique proposals tailored to the couple. I love grand gestures. I love romance. I firmly believe, every girl and woman deserves the perfect-for-them proposal, because we all know your future spouse certainly won't be perfect. ;)
You don't have to have a ring to be ring drunk, but you certainly have to be committed and happy.
According to E! Online, Ali's ring is a 3.03 carat asscher-cut diamond ring, with 184 round brilliant diamonds in the platinum setting. The ring is valued at $50,000!!
In honor of Texasebeth on BlogHer, I'd like to remind you to check the setting on your engagement ring or heirloom ring.
Prong settings often loosen over time on their own, but will loosen faster if you aren't careful. Has your ring started to snag clothing when it didn't before? That is one of the first signs of a problem. The best approach to ring maintenance is to be proactive.
1.) Insure your ring and be knowledgeable about what your insurance covers. Some insurers don't cover flawed settings or accidental loss.
2.) Take your ring to the jeweler every 6 months to get it checked (usually they will clean it for you too - bonus!).
3.) Periodically tap the top of your stone with your finger nail. Tap in the center and then all around the edge to see if the stone moves at all.
4.) Pinch the back side of the band and wiggle/roll the band between your fingers. Then, with only that ring on your hand, shake your hand in a waving-hello motion. If you hear the stone moving during either of these exercises, your prongs are loose.
Did you watch the Bachelorette tonight?! In beautiful Bora Bora, Roberto and Chris met Ali's family and had final dates with her. Towards the end of the show, she pre-eliminated Chris. Roberto, who got the first and last rose on the show, got down on one knee and proposed to Ali. I am glad that Ali and Roberto are still together. Let's hope they are one to last.
I am so excited to share this engagement story, even though it is already posted online, for a few reasons:
1.) It is absolutely unique. 2.) I am a nerd at heart, well even a little bit on the surface too, and so I appreciate the nerdiness of this story and the technology that made it happen. 3.) As a reader, you can really get to know this couple and this story from a her other blog posts, namely: Ok, Maybe You CAN Love a Fat Girl (You can also read Kepa's account of their romance here)
I have pulled this story directly form Mary's blog (with her permission of course!). Kepa's account is on his blog. Aside from her enviable romance story, Mary blogs about "happy and healthy living." Check it out. (Oh, and by the way, a picture of the ring is here, in her initial announcement about her engagement!)
I knew it was coming eventually because it’s hard to be completely smitten with someone and not discuss the future together. I am moving to New Zealand in August and that has been the plan for quite a while. My only uncertainty was when exactly Kepa would ask the question and how. He had taken my mom to coffee without me, so I figured he had asked her permission then, because we are all traditional like that here, but I didn’t know for sure. He likes to keep things secret and surprise me so I really had no idea. I guessed one of his plans, but since our road trip plans changed it completely threw me off the scent. I had no clue.
Yesterday before we went to lunch while I was getting ready, Kepa asked me to stay in the bathroom. He had tried to get someone else to get me out of the house but everyone was at work or busy. So he just asked me to stay in there… or go outside. Since it’s hot I chose the bathroom/bedroom option. I saw him putting post it notes all over the house but didn’t think much of it because he has done that before for me. (We like using post its.) I figured it was just something fun to do to make up for the house being so boring.
When he finally said he was ready for lunch we walked outside. I asked if it was okay to leave the notes around and if I should just ignore them being there. And then after a few steps toward my car, he said I could go back inside. HA! Okay!
So I went inside and started at the beginning, walking around the house collected the post it notes that all said sweet things (they are in the video below if you want to see what they say). My youngest brother actually interrupted in the middle, which was funny. At the end of the notes they told me that Kepa made something for me and I needed to go watch it.
He made me a flipbook video! It was the cutest thing ever and he worked for so long on it. I absolutely freaking loved it. It’s got my favorite song, our story condensed, and lots of pictures from when we were together in New Zealand. He made it a while ago and it’s been on YouTube secretly, because he showed it to some of my best friends to ask if it was okay.
If you want to watch the flipbook video:
Obviously the end of the flipbook video is the proposal. I saw that then looked at Kepa and he was on one knee. AHHHH! Then he said the most awesome, perfect for me, amazing speech ever.
From the day I first saw you, I was smitten.
Every day since then, my feelings have only grown deeper.
I love you, Mary.
I love you for everything you are.
You are everything flowers and hearts and sunshine and butterflies and rainbows.
All the magic and wonder in my world.
You know why I hold on to you so tight?
Because life is a maze full of twists and turns and I want to get lost inside with you.
Because when I’m with you the world stops turning and gravity disappears and it’s all I can do to stop floating away.
I want to be the one you take great leaps with and face lightning storms with,
the one who holds you up above the waves and laughs with you all the while being drowned,
the one you split your desserts with,
the one who’ll sit in the seat facing the wall so you can have your back to it,
the one who will push you around in shopping carts,
and the one who knows just how important it is to never put pickles in anything.
You would make me the luckiest man in the world if you would say yes to this next questions….
Will you marry me?
Yes he really talks like that. And it’s amazing. And I cried.
It really was amazingly sweet, romantic, perfect-for-me proposal. Kepa knows me so well and it’s obvious from how much thought and work he put into this to make it special. I am in fact the luckiest girl ever.
We had the best day afterwards as well, telling everyone we loved and also going to all my favorite eats in Memphis. It was the best day ever.
I’m so happy with my new fiance! Fiance!
If you would like to watch the entire engagement video, it’s below. Kepa recorded everything (I had no idea) so you can see the whole event from the post it notes to me saying yes and all.
Last November, I was skating at Frog Pond in Boston on the season opening weekend. It was a Friday night, right before Thanksgiving, and I was on a blind date. There wasn't any snow yet, and the air was just cold enough to keep the ice solid. Skating seemed like a great first date: an activity so lulls in conversation wouldn't be awkward, slightly romantic yet not overly so, and plenty of people watching. After a while on the ice, they cleared the crowd so they could bring out the zamboni. The typical popular soft-rock music changed to "Boston and St. John's" by Great Big Sea. The pace of the song blended in with the others that had been playing, but the abrupt change mid song and the reduced popularity of this song made my ears perk up. (It was a high school favorite of mine, but I knew it did not have much radio presence.) It was then, that I glanced from my date to center ice, where all alone, in front of a small crowd of people, was a man on his knee with a ring in his hand and the woman of his dreams in front of him. When their moment was over, and they came off the ice, everyone clapped and cheered. In my mind, they too must have come to Frog Pond for their first date. I could tell that he had long awaited the opening of this season for his chance to seal the deal.
Nothing ever did come from that first date, but it was warming to observe such a wonderful proposal.
Jewelry is more than just a sum of its parts: it dazzles the eye, expresses emotion and declares your status.
Take "status" as you wish, but in my mind it means: taken, given myself to someone for eternity, or loved dearly. Obviously, you don't need jewels or other expensive things to show that you are loved dearly or to express your emotion. Sometimes the look in someone's eye is enough.
If you have been keeping up with the Bachelorette, you know there is one episode left. If things go according to plan, Ali will be engaged on Monday! (Well, of course this stuff is never live so in real life she is either already engaged, was never engaged or has already broken off an engagement...).
On the last season of the Bachelor, the spoiler blogs were all over Jake's decision. We all knew he was going to pick Vienna (now no longer engaged). Yet, the spoiler blogs have been pretty silent about Ali so far. There is speculation that she might have filmed alternate endings as a smokescreen or that she may have waited to decide until after the After the Final Rose special. Either way, I guess you will have to stay tuned for a Monday night update...
One of my friends once told me that you should paint your nails right after you get engaged because everyone is going to ask to look at your ring. Instead of giving them a glimpse of plain nails or chipped nails, a fresh coat of polish will do just that, polish up your look. We love OPI nail polish! Especially this color from the Fairytale Bride line: Otherwise Engaged. The names alone just make us happy. A few others from the Fairytale Bride line include At First Sight, I Pink I Love You, and Isn't it Romantic. What is your favorite OPI color? Did you paint your nails shortly after you were engaged?
When really bored, after I have caught up on Post Secret, Best-of-Craigslist, and a few of my other favorites, I sometimes find my way to Blue Nile or Amazon.com checking out diamonds. Why? Well, you always want what you can't have.
I decided to do a little quantitative analysis between the two sites. It would be extremely difficult to find two diamonds with all of the same characteristics, so I focused on round diamonds and the main four characteristics: carat, cut, clarity and color (varying, very good, VS1, H). I looked at diamonds from both websites that met these characteristics. If the site had multiple of each increment, I selected the diamond with the lowest cost. Below are my results. As you can see, Amazon was a little bit cheaper 'til it got to the heavy hitter, the 2.0 ct, when it was substantially cheaper. Worthy of note, Amazon's selection was smaller than Blue Nile's, at least for these increments.
Want to share your engagement story? Please send it to us at ringdrunk@gmail.com. We would love it if you included a picture of the two of you, the location of your proposal, and/or a picture of the ring!
Posting your engagement story on a blog has many benefits! Here are a few (yes, I love lists):
1.) Easy link to send to family and friends who ask for the story.
2.) Details permanently saved for you and yours to reflect on.
3.) Inspire others searching for the perfect way to propose.
From time to time I find myself browsing diamonds at Blue Nile or Amazon. I am currently working on a post comparing the two, but I had to show you one of my new favorite finds on Blue Nile first!
Blue Nile has started to post pictures of completed rings, showing in detail the diamond characteristics and how much the ring cost! In addition they also show what diamonds have been recently purchased and create a graphis displaying the most popular characteristics. Check out the rings and diamonds!
My boyfriend and I had been dating for about 5 years; we met in college and happily stayed together through him traveling 3 hours away to attend a live-in firefighting academy, me going to grad school 2 hours away, and are currently living about 2 hours apart. In that time we had begun to seriously plan our future. He had plans for us to move in together, to merge finances, a Fall 2011 wedding, and even plans to adopt the Greyhound I'd been wanting for as long as I could remember. The only problem was that all of these plans hinged on us getting engaged! I knew that as of a few months ago he had the family diamonds we planned to use for the ring, and around the same time he had me call a particular jewelry store in my hometown to speak with someone directly about the setting. Still, the time for me to turn in my own lease for another year was rapidly approaching, and there was no ring! I went home to Maine for a week or so at the end of June for a family event, and I had really been hoping I would be able to celebrate my engagement with my family. Unbeknown to me, during my vacation he had traveled from upstate New York to Maine and back, all in a day, to collect the ring! A week later he asked me to visit him (very unlike him - he usually says I am always welcome and he would always love to see me!) so we could spend the 4th of July (my favorite holiday!) together. We went for a walk over the water early in the day, and halfway over a beautiful bridge he came up behind me put his arms around me and had in his hand the ring of my dreams! --Browsing Greyhounds, New York
Have you seen the new old spice commercials? I feel like I could watch them on YouTube all day along and apparently, I am not alone. Old Spice launched a unique question and answer campaign a few days ago, although the approach seemed more like Simon says or truth or dare. The Old Spice Man started a twitter account, accepted questions/requests, and replied via YouTube. where he responded to questions and requests. Some examples: sing happy birthday, are eyebrows considered facial hair, and what would you do on a day with the Stanley Cup?
One request really caught my attention: a marriage proposal! Johannes S. Beals asked the Old Spice Man to propose to his girlfriend. Luckily, she said yes.
Anyone else wonder what a love plant looks like? Would you accept this unconventional proposal?
Wedding season is in full swing! If you couldn't already tell by how busy your calendar is, I bet your checking account is starting to notice. Between engagement parties, showers, bachelorette parties and weddings, your trips to Bed, Bath and Beyond are probably as frequent as to the grocery store. Below are some budget ideas that would work well for an engagement gift or a wedding shower gift. Have more good ideas? Be sure to leave them in the comments.
Step 1: Be web savvy and don't be ashamed to check the online registry frequently
Keep your eye on the registries. I find that Macy's has the best and most frequent sales. Look every few days. Bedding and small appliances frequently go on sale, especially around holiday weekends (including the holidays no one you know actually get off). My last two wedding related purchases were on sale. The first, I saved 15% on a Macy's purchase, the second, I saved 75% on a Crate and Barrel purchase. Patience and planning ahead are key!
Step 2: Pay attention to sales and coupons
Hoard your 20% off Bed Bath and Beyond coupons (and the $5 off $15 purchase ones too!). Don't be ashamed to go back more than once, buying a single item at a time with your coupons! Picking up some basic cooking tools (think: spatula, whisk, measuring spoons) with a coupon is a great steal. Add a cook book that you got at Borders with one of their continually emailed 40% off coupons or add one you make yourself for a complete gift! Sign up for the following email spam: BB&B, Pottery Barn, Crate & Barrel, Target, Amazon, Williams Sonoma, Borders, Shutterfly and wherever else your friends are registered!
If you live near a Crate and Barrel, you can order out of stock items through the store. The items will be shipped to the store for free! Other retailers have the same policy. This even extends to many clothing companies!
Step 4: Get creative
Make a cookbook. We all have some standard recipes that we make all the time and love. Add those to a few of your mom or grandma's classics or maybe one or two you adapted from a cooking idol, and make your own cookbook. There are a few ways to go about this: crafty or techy. If you are crafty, type them up, print them on nice paper and find a scrapbook to include them in. If you are techy, or looking to be efficient, look to a website like shutterfly where you can make your own photobook. This may take a while, so plan early. Take pictures of some of your finished products for your cookbook and work your magic on shutterfly. They have an easy template for recipes. Shutterfly is another website that fills your email box with coupons. Typically before Mother's Day and Father's Day, shutterfly will offer a percentage off photobooks, or even a free one (just pay shipping)! The best part about this is you can reorder them for other showers, mother's day (grandma's too!), Christmas/Hanukkah and house warming gifts. As I write this, photobooks at shutterfly are 30% off.
Step 5: Mix and Match
Wine Coasters, Corkscrews, Stoppers and Pourers: These come in varying price ranges. Check the happy couple's registry to see if they already registered for any of the above. Crate and Barrel has some popular wine coasters that are very nice looking and only $11.95 (see above). Stoppers and pourers start a little lower. Pick up one of these and gift it with a bottle of wine. If you buy a semi decent bottle of wine or a bottle that will be substantially better a later date, include a note about hoping the couple saves it for their 10th anniversary.
Pitchers and Decanters: These come in a variety of prices, starting around $15. Gift a pitcher with a bottle of wine (can be cheaper), and the remaining ingrediants for sangria (seltzer, orange, lime, lemon, etc.). Include the sangria recipe for a nice bundled gift that will look like you put lots of time, money and thought into it. Skip the extras for the decanter and gift it with just the wine.
" by Train and I could smell the lilies that were on the coffee table. He finally came into my view, in a suit on one knee.
that are collecting dust in a corner somewhere? Why not regift them?! Previously loved magazines and books are a great environmentally sustainable gift. Spice them up by writing a nice dedication to your friend in the beginning of a book, or by pairing the gift with some bride specific flags like the ones below. Continue the eco-friendly theme by avoiding wrapping paper and just tying then together with some nice grosgrain ribbon around them (bonus points if you use the brides intended wedding colors).
