It's YOUR Wedding Too, Guys!!!

So, my friends Caitlin and Vince just recently got engaged and they've kind of jumped right into the planning. I was very impressed when I heard Vince's very simple and direct approach to the process. It was something along the lines of, "You can pick the place and all the details, but the food and bar are MINE."

I was impressed because lets face it, weddings have very much become the bride's baby and we're just there for the heavy lifting. Our future wives tend to get upset with us when we don't participate, thinking that we don't care. We'd love to help more but the problem, I think, is that all we care about is making them happy. But its still important to give input on what we really care about.

My stipulation for the reception for Tara and me was the toast. We had a beach wedding and I didn't think champagne really fit the bill. My contribution was a tequila toast!

Because I chose my battles carefully I was met with no resistance from Tara. In fact, after seeing all the beautiful bottles that could compliment her hand made table settings, she never even thought twice about subbing out the bubbly for mexican fire-water. And Tara LOVES champagne!

So don't be afraid to throw in your two cents boys. And remember:

Tequila + Family & Friends + GOOD TIMES!

So here's the idea guys. You're trying to shop for the right ring. You go to your Dad's "guy" and all he does is tell you what you need to get. You go to the big name jeweler and he wants to sell you some over-marketed, over-priced "special" diamond that you don't like and don't understand. Then you say to yourself, "I'll do it myself!" and you go online to navigate a world of diamonds you don't understand and choose something you never get to see and you don't know where its coming from. And there's the problem right there. It's you AGAINST them.

I too was there my brothers. I proposed to my wife, Tara, two and a half years ago and I didn't have one clue about where to get a ring. What's worse is my wife is a jeweler so I HAD to get it right. I could surprise her and risk picking something she hated, or I could punk out and have her pick her own, but that's not very romantic now is it. So what did I do?

I got very, VERY lucky. Tara's Dad, Mike, is also a jeweler. I didn't get the usual schtick that most salesmen dish out. Mike talked to me, at length, about what to consider when I picked a ring. He helped me with Tara's taste and at no point did I feel like I was getting sold. I felt like I had a guide who genuinely wanted me to be happy with my choice. And all that made sense, he was going to be my father-in-law after all. I nailed it, she loved it, thanks in large part to Mike.

Now where does that leave the rest of the world? It's not fair that some get the royal treatment and some get stuck with whatever they get stuck with. Tara and I want to change that. We want to talk to you about having the right ring when you get down on one knee. The ring that you want and most importantly, the ring that your girl wants. That's what we're about because thats what it should be about.

I'll be sharing little nuggets of wisdom, (what few I have) but if any of you guys have a question that needs answering, give me a shout. If its a very technical one I'll bounce it off Tara. The website is up and there's lots of good information there- www.ringfingerstudio.com. But either way, when it comes time to take the plunge, I'm happy to help a brother out!