Diamonds and Disappointment

So, for about a week now I have been talking about this Ritani trunk sale that Mervis Diamond Importers was having today. I told Joe it was 25% off and they looked nice, so I was going to check it out. I said if I found something I liked, I was likely going to buy it. He said ok.

So, today I get up and go about noonish. When I get there, they show me this amazing eternity band that is just about exactly what I am looking for. It's white gold, shared-prong, and about 1.5 carats tw. It's perfect. So, I ask them how much it would be and they say $2600. Now, it may seem like a lot, but that's the best price for product I've come across so far. I mean, the 1 carat NON-ENTERNITY band at Zales is $2400, so it's like way better. And it looked beautiful with the engagement ring.

So, I snap a pic and send it to Joe. I wait a few minutes, then give him a call. At first, he doesn't seem that interested. I tell him to check the pic and call me back. When he does, I ask him what he thinks and he says, "it just seems like a lot of money to spending in a recession." I was like, so you don't want me to get it? He asked why I had to pay a deposit today...I said, well, because it's a one-day sale. You know, like Macy's one day only sales...

THEN...he starts going on about how this "whole thing is getting pretty expensive." I didn't have much to say... I mean, it's true, our wedding is expensive, but we knew that from the get go. Never once has he said anything about how much everything costs... And I've covered almost all of the payments so far, so really it hasn't affected him at all! I mean, I've plunked down about $9K this far, and he's not even to $1k yet! Now, that's not totally fair because he paid for the engagement ring... But it's the point. And so, here I am...

Eh, what can I do?

Wedding Rings Test

So I went to the mall tonight to try on some rings to get a feel for what looks good with my engagement ring. It was VERY helpful. So, it looks like round stones in a prong setting look the best....oddly enough.

There's one at Bailey Banks and Biddle that I like.

But it was in platinum and cost nearly $7k! I asked if it could be made it white gold and she wasn't sure. Too bad...that's too much.

Then I checked out some at Zales and actually really like the Celebration Diamond band that goes with my ring. It's only $1900!

New Stuff

I've been doing a lot of searching lately...looking for interesting things to add to the wedding or my outfit or whatever. I am becoming an Etsy addict!

I found this amazing, romantic garter set in Mollusa's shop, so I asked her to make it for me in my colors. The result is amazing and perfect!


By Mollusa

It is so perfect and romantic and quirky and unique...I just love it. And it cost me less than $40! How perfect.

Then I began looking for jewelry. I've been looking for a (1) hair clip, (2) cuff bracelet, and (3) earrings that are all very vintage, sparkley, and romantic. I just couldn't find anything online...I even checked HSN and found a few things, but nothing perfect. And a lot of the things I did like were super expensive.

Then I stumbled upon the shop of Lulusplendor. OMG. Everything is amazing, and I'm sure she will be able to make me something amazing. I found this hair clip that was pretty close to what I want.



I asked if she could make it in silver instead of the antique...and also told her to make it unique however she thinks best.

And this cuff:


I asked her if she could make this design but wider all the way around. I really want a wide cuff, so here's hoping! I also asked her to make a pair of dramatic, dangly earrings to match. I'm excited to hear from her and I'll be sure to post pics once I get them!

I also booked a room at the Crowne Plaza for the night before the wedding and the wedding day, so the girls and I have somewhere to get ready. I offered to have Kim and Heaven stay with me that night, so we'll see what they say.

Joe and I are getting ready to book our honeymoon and buy our rings, so things are moving along. I think we will end up buying my ring off Blue Nile, since they have awesome rings, great prices, and a 30-day return policy (since it's online shopping). I can't wait!

AND I found out that no shop in Melbourne will store my dress....so it looks like it's coming home with me. The benefit is that I will have it there to try on whenever I need (or want), but I just hope it doesn't get ruined!

Update

The ring pillow is just about finished. I completed my first attempt at embroidering by adding a "D" to the back of it. I just have to borrow my sister's sewing machine and seal everything up. Will add pics when it's finished.

We've find a ceremony musician...it's a guy named Igor who has a string quartet. So we'll work out the finer details later, but at least we have one! And my uncle is going to play the cocktail hour...he's in a band that tours around the northeast so he'll play guitar and bring his singer Suzi. And we've got DJ Shane for the reception, so we're set for music!

We've got two of the three hotels blocked off and info up on the website. I think my dad and family are going to book really soon, so I did it right in time! I am coming up with ideas for guestbags...have a few ideas.

I am been scouring sites looking for an inexpensive ring. I really want a thin diamond eternity band, kind of like these (both pics from Blue Nile):

And this one:

But I don't want to spend an arm and a leg for it. ::sigh:: What's a girl to do?

Joe is going to get a cool ring too, but I think his will be much cheaper than mine.

Have some more web searching to do!