This is Leap Year

As most of you are very well aware of, this is leap year. In a leap year an extra day is added to the month of February. Therefore this year will have a date of February 29th. Leap year comes along every four years. With leap year also comes tradition. The main tradition that most people think of when talking about leap year is the woman proposing to the man. Long age it was inappropriate and outlawed for women to propose to men. However, leap year soon changed that theory. The belief is that the tradition began long ago in … Continue reading →

Can a Ring be Given Twice?

My last several articles have focused on the etiquette of giving and receiving wedding bands and engagement rings. In the most recent article I questioned who should keep the ring if an engagement was broken off. Should the woman be allowed to keep it or does the man get it back? Some of you responded with your thoughts and opinions to the situation. In some cases, the man does get the ring back. It may be that the woman willingly handed it over or it may be that he asked for the ring back. Either way, he has it. Suppose … Continue reading →

Engagement Break Ups

In my last article I began a discussion on etiquette after divorce. In this article I want to back up a step from marriage. In this article, I am looking for opinions on etiquette after engagement break-ups. Some couples rush into engagement and then discover that perhaps they are not ready to get married. Some couples are engaged and then have irreconcilable differences and break up. Just like in marriage, some partners have affairs or cheat on their fiancé. For whatever reason that it is, some couples end their engagements. While these couples are lucky that the marriage ended before … Continue reading →

Should an Engagement Ring be a Christmas Gift?

Marriage proposals are special anytime of the year and whenever they occur. Receiving a diamond engagement ring from the love of her life is a very exciting and wonderful experience for a woman. Men choose many different times and ways to purpose to their mate. However, should the gift be given as an occasion all in itself or is it okay for the ring to coincide with another special event or holiday? For example, should men give engagement rings as birthday or Christmas gifts? Should these gifts be given when a special occasion already exists? I think the answer to … Continue reading →

What’s Your Ring Style – Traditional, Contemporary, or Unconventional?

Photo by Jenny Rollo In my philosophies on life and marriage I’m traditional yet unconventional and I think my engagement and wedding rings reflect that. Though when Wayne and I were picking them out I didn’t realize any of that at the time. Traditional I consider diamond solitaires perched atop plain gold or silver bands traditional engagement rings. But vintage or antique rings, either fashioned to look that way or because they were handed down and really are, also can be considered traditional. Mine qualifies as traditional, because it is a round cut diamond solitaire and the band is gold. … Continue reading →

Engagement Rings: Size Doesn’t Matter

The other day a neighbor invited me to a jewelry party she was having. I appreciate a stunning piece of jewelry but I don’t wear very much of it. I decided to go, however, because this neighbor is pretty nice and since we’re not moving back to Jacksonville I’m free to open myself up to making friends again. (I hadn’t been letting myself do that because it’s hard on me having to say goodbye.) So I go to the party, don’t know anyone except the neighbor, and immediately realize I’m under-dressed. My outfit was fine, but my accessories were dearly … Continue reading →

The Search for the Perfect Engagement Ring

I’ll never forget going to pick out my engagement ring with Wayne. Neither of us really knew what we were doing, but I have to give Wayne credit. He actually researched what the “Four C’s” was all about so he could talk the diamond lingo. I, on the other hand, was clueless. Carats? Clarity? Color? What the heck was that all about? Just pick a pretty ring and be done with it. The saleslady brought out all kinds of settings for us to choose from. I picked all the modest diamonds. Basically they weren’t much more than chips. Wayne kept … Continue reading →

Shopping for Engagement Rings: Go With or Be Surprised?

Admit it, if you’re a woman at some point in your life you’ve had the fantasy: the dream of how your knight in shining armor was going to propose. How did you envision it? Let me share a tale of two proposals. One that really happened and another that never came to pass… The Proposal That Never Was I never imagined all the details, like the where, how, or when. Not down to specifics. I didn’t even include a down-on-one-knee vision. I did sort of expect food to somehow factor into play, but that’s just me. I always associate any … Continue reading →

Lauren and Jason: When “The” Ex Proposes to Someone Else

Last week I used Spencer and Heidi of The Hills fame to examine the pros and cons of living together. This week I’m going to talk about Lauren Conrad and her ex Jason, who came back into her life with a shocking surprise. A Little History Lauren and Jason have been on again/off again since the Laguna Beach days. (Laguna Beach was the predecessor to The Hills. That show followed Lauren and friends during high school.) At the end of the first season of The Hills, Lauren gave up an internship in Paris to spend the summer living with Jason … Continue reading →

Want a Creative Way to Propose?

Are you ready to ask the woman of your dreams to marry you? Have you looked for a ring? Have you thought of all the ways you might propose to her? Are you wondering whether you should propose in the traditional manner or are you looking for a more creative way to propose? It’s important to remember that your potential bride to be may love huge public displays of affection or she may be the shyer, quieter type who prefers a quieter, more private intimacy. Knowing her as you do, you will be better able to make the decision about … Continue reading →