Category: Wedding Jewelry

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The Bridal Boutique of Horrors – How to Avoid It

You’ve heard of predator lenders, how about a little shop of horrors of a bridal boutique? Not that it has vampires for sales clerks and black capes and sinister gowns, but it has caused unfortunate brides headaches and regrets, not to mention the money they plunked on lousy bridal gowns. Here’s how to avoid this shop of horrors.Don’t Rush When You ShopExcited brides fall into the trap of going to a bridal boutique because they have not done their homework. They also fail to scour the area for more choices or compare prices and bam! They get the dirty end of the stick. Once stuck, there is no way out because they fear the terrible repercussions this may have on the wedding schedule.

The common cause for the error is their blind focus on the budget, not knowing that there are choices out there and they forget that not all bridal shops are equal. So they are stuck with a bridal boutique peopled with snooty or clueless sales clerks.

The ideal bridal boutique would be one that cares about how you want to look on your wedding day and gives personalized and friendly service all the time and a wedding dress specialist will guide you through the process to help you avoid costly mistakes.

How to Choose Your Bridal Shop

A wedding dress has to be bought six months before the wedding. This is to give time for time for fittings and alterations. Six months before your wedding, you never know how much weight you can gain or lose. During this time, you have to keep in touch with the bridal boutique so go for one that gives personalized service and one that is within the locality.

What to watch out for:

* Salesclerks who hurry you to make a choice
* Limited samples
* No discounts for a number of purchases
* Outdated styles

If you are shopping online, do not trust what you see on the website. Visit the store. Some bridal shops are not so honest about their merchandise so you have to see the dress to believe it is for real and available or you’re prime target for rip-off.

Hey, it’s your money so you have all the right to go to another shop. You have to deposit 50% of the total cost of the bridal dress before you can get a hold of the real thing. So do your bridal boutique hunting on weekends to avoid crowds and to have more time to do the rounds.

Shop Smart

Brides have choices of shops where to get their wedding gowns. If they have the money for a high-end designer wedding dress or one within a budget, there are appropriate shops uptown in malls, bridal boutiques, department stores, and charity shops.

It is recommended to visit the familiar or big shops as these have been in the business for years; narrow down the field until you find one that carries all brands of designer dresses and accessories and other wedding needs for convenient wedding shopping.

A one-stop shop bridal boutique saves you the trouble of dealing with numerous merchants for your bridesmaid dresses, wedding cake and invitations, and honeymoon arrangements. When everything goes smoothly, you won’t have a bag of horror stories to tell about your wedding dress to your family and friends.

A bridal boutique should also have wedding invitations and wedding favours to make your wedding shopping convenient. At BestForBrides.com you can have wonderful choices anytime.

 

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Fine Jewellery for a Truly Special Occasion

Traditionally, an engagement ring, like a wedding ring is an item of fine jewellery that is going to be worn on a daily basis by the majority of their owners. For this reason it is vital that the ring is liked by the wearer, it is not an occasional piece of jewellery that can be hidden away when not in use, it is something she will have to look at everyday so needs to be the perfect choice.

Selecting the perfect engagement ring is not an easy task, there are so many different styles and settings available, and also you have to take personal taste into consideration, it needs to be something the woman will enjoy looking at forever, I think for a man this is extremely difficult, while they may share their lives together, they may not share the same taste. For a woman an engagement ring is something she wants to show off to everyone, it is a symbol of their love and ongoing commitment to each other, and no woman wants to show off something she absolutely hates the sight of!

For me the actual “event” of ring shopping together, was a very special and romantic experience and I think many women feel the same way, you have your partners undivided attention, and you can try on as many rings as you like in various shops until you find “THE” one, the one you will be happy to look at on your hand every day. I feel if I had been told to go and choose it myself, then it would not have had the same impact, I would have felt he was disinterested and couldn’t be bothered, it would have lost all the romance of the occasion. On the other hand if he had chosen it as a surprise, for a romantic proposal, I can almost guarantee it would not have been something I liked, and I would have again felt a little deflated as I would have been expected to wear it regardless, in order to not hurt his feelings at his heartfelt gesture.

One way round a surprise proposal, may be for the man to select an inexpensive ring for the event, but to tell his then fiancée that they can go ring shopping together for the real one. That way they both get what they want, he the magic of the surprise proposal and she get the ring of her choice. Or maybe to ask the advice of his girlfriend’s best friend or mother, somebody who knows her true likes and dislikes, so he does not show up with a white elephant. If the proposal is something that has already been discussed together, but not actually happened, then perhaps they could go window shopping together, the woman could point out a variety of styles and price ranges and the gentleman could return at a later date to make the actual selection, safe in the knowledge that it is an engagement ring she truly likes and that is is a fabulous prelude to the wedding day.

Ultimately, I do not feel either party should select an engagement ring without consulting their partner, it is definitely too risky for a man to choose a ring alone for the woman in his life. While he may be a romantic at heart, he does not want to saddle his bride to be, with a piece of fine jewellery that she dislikes but has to wear every day for the rest of her life. If on the other hand the woman is sent to select a ring alone, while it will be a ring she loves, there is no special occasion, and he is sending a message that she is not worth the effort of a romantic gesture.

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Put That Special Touch on Your Clothing with Stylish Jewellery

Jewellery is one of those things that we barely think about; we plan our clothes for a day at the office, at home or for special occasions, but jewellery is the very last thing we think of.

There is so much available these days, from the very expensive gem-studded gold and silver items for sale in the jeweller’s shop, to the cheapest pair of earrings from the local supermarket, and there is something to suit every occasion and, more importantly, every purse.

The little black dress can be worn with simple diamond studded earrings and a matching necklace, but will look equally stunning worn with something very elaborate in gold and precious stones, or something a little more understated in silver.

For more casual outfits and office wear, those same simple diamond studs can add an air of sophistication without being too flashy, but there is a huge range of really colourful eye-catching jewellery available which can be worn with most outfits. Everywhere you see jewellery on sale you will find very different styles, from heavy ethnic items which look great with bohemian clothes but can also be worn with a simple white t-shirt and jeans, to delicate necklaces and bracelets with coloured stones, which look every bit as good as their precious counterparts. I think jewellery should always be worn, even if you are planning a lazy day at home – it always adds that little extra fizz to an outfit and shows that you take care of the smallest detail.

Jewellery can transform almost any outfit and these days there is a huge variety to choose from. One of the best things about the jewellery available in the shops today is that you don’t need to spend a lot of money to purchase something that will not only enhance an outfit, but will also make you feel good wearing it.

For special occasions such as weddings, dinner parties or evenings at the theatre, you can choose to wear expensive items if you can afford them, but you can also buy cheaper pieces which look just as good.  Many people own expensive or antique jewellery but are afraid to wear it in case they lose it, and it is possible to have copies made which look as good as the real thing. The materials used for cheaper jewellery nowadays are of excellent quality.

A lot of women own some jewellery of high value and love an occasion to show it off. It’s sad when something precious spends most of its time hidden away in a jewellery box or a safety deposit box. I think it should be worn whenever the opportunity presents itself and not just for that very special occasion.

These days jewellery is sold in a lot of different retail stores. I have seen earrings retailing in a supermarket at £1.50 for five pairs of differently-coloured mock diamond studs and I would challenge anyone to be absolutely sure they could tell the difference between them or those available from a bespoke jeweller. Of course, for something special, or as a gift to a loved one, there’s no better place to buy than a jeweller’s shop, but, when funds are limited, try your local boutique or even the supermarket. You are sure to find something within your price range.  The good thing about buying cheaper low-value jewellery is that, even if you are on a very limited income, you can still own some pieces which will make even your simplest outfit look great. The real bonus is that you won’t have to insure them or panic when you lose any of them

Jewellery is an essential part of a women’s wardrobe; a favourite piece it can become her ‘signature’ in the same way that perfume can and there is nothing more rewarding, when getting dressed up in your best outfit, than adding that final touch knowing that you have done justice to the clothes and to yourself.  Jewellery, however much or little it costs, really does add sparkle to an outfit.

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Expensive Jewellery Is Not For Me!

Ah, the joys of planning a wedding! So many things to think about: the venue, the guests, the date, the cake and, of course, the bride. In fact, she gets a whole list of worries all to herself. Who is going to be her bridesmaid? What dress will she wear? How will she style her hair? But, I’ll be honest; I’ve never considered the choice of jewellery as another bridal worry.

I’ll admit I’m not the most traditional person out there. In fact, the idea of a white wedding makes me come over all sweaty and a little bit nauseous. So the question of how much I would spend on bridal jewellery is a simple one – not a lot. Don’t get me wrong, I love jewellery but I would much prefer to wear something that perhaps belongs to my mother or grandmother than go out and spend an extortionate amount on a new piece for the day. Sentimental value far outweighs actual value, as far as I’m concerned.

It just seems like yet another excuse to spend money and, bearing in mind today’s climate of easy debt and high interest payments, spending a lot of money on something that is not entirely necessary just seems a bit stupid. I would rather spend a little on the dress, shoes, hair etc for the big day and have a lot more to put towards a wonderful honeymoon. For me, it’s all about priorities and, unfortunately, bridal jewellery is not one of them!