Purchasing the groom’s wedding ring can often seem like a non-event, as many couples have the misconception that men’s wedding bands are rather limited in materials and design. Not so – men’s wedding rings are actually quite diverse, and there is no reason why a groom should settle for a “traditional” ring that doesn’t fit his own unique and individual style.

For the groom who likes to be ahead of the curve, here are five great men’s wedding bands that may not be household names yet – but soon will be.

Palladium Rings
For those who want a precious metal wedding band but don’t want to pay platinum prices, palladium rings are a great option. A member of the platinum group metals, palladium is a cousin of sorts to platinum and shares platinum’s naturally lustrous white metal appearance. Comparable in price to 18K gold, most palladium rings are 95% precious metal (compare this to 18K’s 75% purity), making them a worthwhile investment. Palladium has been used as a high quality alloy in jewelry making for hundreds of years, but did not come into its own as a standalone material until World War I, when gold and platinum were reserved for military purposes. Lighter in weight than platinum but also more durable, palladium will no doubt continue its rise as a favored precious metal for wedding bands.

Carbon Fiber Inlay Rings
For men who crave a thoroughly contemporary design, carbon fiber inlay rings offer a distinctly “high tech” look. Carbon fiber inlays are available in a rainbow of colors – from neutral shades like black to boldly hued reds and blues – and often have a subtle geometric pattern. Men’s tungsten wedding bands, cobalt chrome rings, stainless steel wedding bands and titanium rings are most frequently seen with carbon fiber inlays.

Reverse Diamond Eternity Rings
Modern men seeking an added dose of luxury for their wedding bands are increasingly turning to diamond rings. Men’s diamond wedding bands are visibly different than women’s engagement rings and wedding bands: instead of focusing on a single large stone, men’s diamond rings usually utilize multiple smaller stones. As with women’s rings, men’s diamond eternity rings are a favorite option, although a more unusual twist on the classic eternity design is also making the rounds. Reverse diamond eternity rings offer diamonds at both edges rather than as a single line down the center, doubling up on both stones and style.

Cobalt Chrome Wedding Bands
Cobalt chrome wedding rings are currently one of the best kept secrets in the jewelry world. Cobalt chrome is not as well known as other popular contemporary materials like titanium and tungsten, though that may very well soon change. Made from a compound of cobalt and chromium, cobalt chrome is a lustrous silvery white metal that has been used heavily in the medical implant industry due to its biocompatibility and hypoallergenic properties. Available at a fraction of the price of white gold, cobalt chrome never needs to be re-plated, and unlike other contemporary materials, it is resizable. Ultra durable, affordable and similar in appearance to platinum, odds are that cobalt chrome will continue to gain more fans.

Black Wedding Bands
Even as recently as five years ago, black wedding bands would have fallen squarely into the “alternative” category. Over the last couple of years, however, men’s black rings have skyrocketed in both popularity and visibility, and are becoming more and more of a mainstream choice. For men who aren’t quite sold on silver or gold tone rings, black rings offer a sophisticated substitute that is still neutral enough for daily wear. Most black wedding bands are made from tungsten, stainless steel, titanium, ceramic or oxidized silver.

Tanya Naouri writes articles on men’s wedding bands and fashion for grooms for JustMensRings.com.

Photo courtesy of Top News.

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The city that never sleeps, Las Vegas unsurprisingly is one of the most popular wedding destinations and has the highest rate of marriage of anywhere in the world. When most people hear the words “wedding” and “Vegas” you think of those chapels that can get you married within 5 minutes, but it’s not always like that as some people travel many miles over just to tie the knot.

As much as it is an expensive plane journey for some, weddings themselves in Vegas are extremely cheap and are easy to come by. They do all sorts of weddings as pretty much anything goes! One of the more popular weddings themes is good old Elvis. Because of its reputation of being the city that never sleeps, it’s gained a reputation for  being open all hours for many attractions including weddings. You could get married at 5am if you really wanted to.

You would think that getting married in Vegas might be a bit questionable, which is true for last minute marriages and themed weddings, but if you actually have a plan and a venue then you can avoid all the razzle dazzle. It’s a great place for those who want to go big or flamboyant as the city is home to a huge selection of performers and stunning venues that are easy enough to hire out. The best way to go about it would be to have a wedding planner as having a wedding abroad does mean that there are a lot of costs and plans to consider.

You have to bare in mind that if you are going to somewhere like Las Vegas, you need to make sure you bring all the things you need to with you. Failing that, there are many wedding shops that could serve as a safe backup plan. One huge upside to having a wedding abroad is that you can effectively go straight from your wedding to your honeymoon! Saving you on costs greatly and giving you the chance to rest.

Having a themed wedding is a fantastic way to give you a day to remember for the rest of your life, and are seriously fun and easy enough to arrange. There is no limit as to what you can do, given the right amount of funds of course. Whether you are pink and girly, want the minister to be the one and only Elvis Presley or are both in love with the musical styling’s of The Beatles or Rolling Stones, there is most certainly going to be a wedding here for you.

A short check-list: Make sure you have the venue booked and ready to go, get to Vegas a day or two before the wedding itself, familiarize yourself with the surroundings, bare in mind the weight of your luggage, give yourself a budget to stick to, invest in a wedding planner if possible and make sure that family and friends are able to attend as the last thing you want is to be married in front of a bunch of empty seats.

Resource: Weddings Abroad

Photo courtesy of www.ellagagiano.com.

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Paper is passe. There, I said it. It’s also highly likely that using expressions like ‘passe’ is passe, but I’m from Generation X. We cling to our ways like moss to a stone.

Point being, inviting friends and family to events via snail mail is no longer the most effcient way of getting things done. The latest, greatest way to keep your nearest and dearest in the loop- be it regarding a hens night, a new baby, a wedding, or even simply a ‘girls night in’- is via your own personal event website. Peepsakes provide the perfect templates for you to go ahead and design the ideal website for your event.

Sure, you could post photos of your new baby on facebook- but then, of course, they’re available to a far broader community than you might like. People can share your photos without your permission, and  pass comment unsolicited. A personal web page allows you to post directly to a hand picked audience, who are there for the sole purpose of sharing in the joy of your new arrival. Likewise, wedding planning and updates are made that much simpler when, rather than keeping a complex network of guests in the loop, you are able to notify guests with one simple update on your website.

Event websites additionally permit a higher level of personal involvement and interaction with your guests. For example, in the event of a new baby, you might like to include on your website a baby naming poll (though brace yourself for some less than tactful commentary from your family and closest friends!). It’s a fun way to create a true spirit of togetherness and festivity. Try achieving the same in a newspaper birth announcement, or a facebook update that’s quickly buried amongst a thousand mundane posts!

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With Mother’s Day coming up soon, I want to do something special for mine! Which is why I am using the Blurb Designer Instant book template to make a professional quality photo book filled with memories for mom.

Instant Books are easy to create, take about an hour, and start at just $12.99. This is definitely a present she will leave on the coffee table for everyone to see each and every day! Start creating your Blurb Designer Instant Book today and save 20% with promo code LOVEYOUMOM valid through 5/10/13!

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Many people who are planning their wedding want to stand out from the crowd and make their wedding a memorable occasion. One way in which they do this is to have a theme for the wedding. There are many different options for wedding themes to make your day individual, and one such theme is a retro theme. Within this theme itself there are many possibilities that allow for your creativity to run wild. Here are some ideas for retro wedding.

Clothing

A retro theme covers a wide period of time with each decade having its own iconic fashions. These can easily be replicated in the wedding clothing. Everybody form the bride and groom to the attendants can dress according to the particular period that has been chosen. If your budget allows, you can have the clothes designed to suit your theme. If you have a smaller budget for your wedding, then a cheaper options to look around vintage and retro stores or even to look on online auctions.

Stationary

Invitations and table cards are two important items of stationary that will be a part of your wedding and these can help to set the them for your wedding. There are lots of options to personalise wedding stationary to suit your needs. Everything from the colour scheme, the font and the graphics used can all contribute to creating the specific look. If you are creative then you can even design and create such items yourself, either with arts and crafts materials or using a computer.

Flowers

Throughout history, flowers used at weddings have followed their own trends. This has been influenced by location, seasons and the gradual introduction of importation of flowers from abroad. It is not only the choice of flower that can help to contribute to a retro image, it is also the way that different flowers are presented. Each retro period will have followed different fashions for bouquets and floral table decorations.

Table decorations

Although many people choose to have flowers as table decorations, there are lots of other ideas that can represent different retro periods that are more creative and memorable. Some unusual ideas include milkshake glasses filled with bubble gum balls, LP’s as table mats, jars filled with colourful lollipops and mini-mannequins dressed in appropriate retro dress. Options for fun, retro table decorations are limitless and are a fantastic opportunity to let your imagination run wild.

About This Post: This article has been provided by Absolute Wedding Cars. Based in Dublin we are here to advise you on your choice of wedding car hire for that perfect day. Visit www.absoluteweddingcars.ie for more information.

Photo courtesy of Amy Otto Photography.

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A wedding is, above all other things, a celebration of love. Now, no matter what you think about the concept of love, whether you are skeptical or over-emotional about it, you cannot but agree that it is nothing but a beautiful thing. When two people “find each other” and they actually decide that they want to spend the rest of their lives together, this is something that should bring happiness and joy, not just to the bride and groom, but also to their close ones, and the entire wedding ceremony is the place where it all goes down.

Now, as we all have come to know after watching all those wedding related movies, when you are planning a wedding, you are bound to encounter a lot of problems, distractions, and, more often than not, the whole thing turns out to be a drag, rather than your regular old joyous occasion. It is hard to find the perfect location; it is hard to organize everything from food to music in an environment that you are not that familiar with; everything is hard. And, let’s not forget that it costs a whole lot. You get married and the first thing you have to do after the wedding is to get a calculator and start planning your finances, so that you can “survive” the wedding bill, financially speaking.

Photo:onelove photography Source: www.stylemepretty.com

For the reasons stated above, and for many other reasons for that matter, more and more people are organizing weddings in their own back yard.

Get Organized
The fact of the matter is that you don’t have to own a garden, in order to have a garden wedding. Chances are that someone from your family has an already beautiful garden that will be perfect, and if that is not the case, the legendary “friend of a friend” will surely come to the rescue. Nowadays, you have companies that deal with planning wedding, specifically in garden areas, and they are bound to have a garden that you like, as they say, “in stock” – meaning that they often have garden area presets that are prepared for the entire ceremony at all times. Of course, the best case scenario is if you have your own garden, in front of your own house. This way you are on your turf, and you will be able to handle and organize everything so that it all turns out to be perfect.

Explore your creative side
The best benefit of all, when talking about garden weddings, is the fact that you are free to explore your creativity, when it comes to organizing the space for the ceremony. You have the time to literally prepare every inch of the facility, and to design everything so that it is just the way you like it. Another very important benefit is the fact that the entire family will be there to help with loads of creative ideas and they will definitely serve as a helping hand. If you do everything right, you can organize to have the whole thing at one place, invite all the guests at one place, and have more time to have fun, because that is what it is all about in the end.

Photo: Danielle Capito Photography Source: www.stylemepretty.com

Financial Benefits
Last but not least, let’s not forget to mention that a garden wedding is much, much, cheaper than the, let’s call it, “traditional” wedding ceremony. Due to the bad economic climate that is omnipresent nowadays, one cannot but plan his or her expenses. Yes, a wedding is a thing that you should not consider as something not worth the money, and you should go out of your limb and make it as glamorous as you want. But, you should be reasonable, above all things. You don’t want to have financial problems, a week after you have had your wedding, when you realize that the catering was twice as expensive as you thought, and that the band wants a new set of drums, because your drunk best man was a litter over-excited about the whole ordeal, and he tripped and took the drums down with him.

Take everything that has been said in this piece of text under consideration, and feel free to explore other sources of information about the subject. Planning is a good thing, and, when it comes to weddings, you are advised to plan your planning. Only that way will you have the memory of it that you always wanted. It is that simple… or is it?

Author Bio:
Annie Dodson is a professional wedding planner and blogger from Australia. She has been in the wedding business for nearly a decade and loves to share her ideas and experience. Currently, she is contributing to the marketing department at Miramare Gardens.

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