August 2006 – The Setting of New Traditions II – Wedding Alternatives

Our new modern ring has been used as an engagement piece and for repurposing of stones. This style can accommodate a square stone, round, oval or a rectangle. Imagine it with a colored stone or diamond. Shown above is white gold with a diamond. (The 18k white gold mounting without stone is approximately $1,200.) Shown below is 14k yellow gold with a green tourmaline. (Approx. $1,300)

Various pave’ diamond set bands are shown below. They are a great compliment to any ring or on their own. (18k white gold rings range from $1,250 – $1,450.)

1. The Great Escape – Elopements have come a long way from sneaking down the ladder on the side of mom and dad’s house. Sometimes the thought of planning is just too overwhelming. The County Courthouse, Mexico or the Las Vegas chapel have been the norm for many who seek the no fuss solution. Another alternative iswww.marriagetogo.com for eloping in town!
2. Destination Weddings are not new, but are an increasingly hot topic. How about a wedding on the beach of Bali? Friends are invited for the beach party afterwards. Hawaii has been a favorite spot, near a waterfall just the two of you. Italy – renting a villa for the wedding, as well as for accommodations for family and friends. It helps, if you can speak the language. We suggest going to the foreign consulate in the United States, to make sure the paperwork is taken care of. They can also give you assistance with wedding coordinators and finding a venue in your country of choice.
3. Themed Weddings – Hark, the Herald? Yes, we have heard of weddings where a herald trumpeted the crowd to announce the wedding couple. Not up your alley? Okay. How about a wedding where everyone dresses in 1920’s-30’s era? Wouldn’t it be fun to also have a venue that echoed that theme? In one wedding we witnessed, all the guests wore white, yes, including the men, and the bride wore lavender. Striking! We’ve attended several weddings with an aloha theme; Men wearing Hawaiian shirts and women, Hawaiian dresses. Everyone wore leis. Someone suggested a pirate themed wedding… though I do not think the bride went along with it. Elvis weddings. Arabian nights weddings, including belly-dancers at the reception. Black and white theme wedding for the bridal party and guests. The options are as endless as your imagination.
4. Intimate weddings – It is great when you can get a wedding down to immediate family and friends and have it somewhere memorable. One thing we did notice about these types of weddings is that typically several receptions are thrown at different dates afterwards to include different groups. The parents may individually throw receptions and the couple themselves may host a separate one. In some ways, this is a good new tradition, as it alleviates the burden of trying to please everyone with one event.
5. Other Ideas – Museums, parks, hot air balloons, sailboat anchored off shore, the top of mount Whitney, ranches, your friend’s backyard.

If you know of any other new wedding traditions, we would love to hear about them. claudia@claudiaendlerdesigns.com

WORDS OF EXPERIENCE:

What ever you may choose, it is important that the bride and groom are on the same page. Our advice: With all the planning, don’t forget why you are getting married in the first place. Definitely ask for help from family and friends. If not from friends, then hire a professional wedding planner to plan the whole event or just oversee the special day!

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