Announcing the engagement

Rules of etiquette dictate that parents should know first about the engagement, unless either the bride or groom has a child from a previous relationship, in which case, the child should be informed first about the decision.

Which set of parents to inform first? Traditionally the parents of the bride should be told first by the bride accompanied by her fiancé, and following that the couple should pay a visit to the groom’s parents to tell the news.

If you can foretell that following this tradition might hurt the second set of parents’ feelings, instead you should reunite both set of parents, if possible, perhaps for dinner, and let them all know about the engagement.

Once the parents are told, the couple can start spreading the news between close family members and friends. This can be done informally. But if the couple prefers, another way to let them know is by throwing a surprise party and announcing the decision during it. After this step is complete, the bride can start wearing her engagement ring.

The couple can also celebrate their engagement with a party, even if they have already informed everybody about the future wedding personally or through phone calls.

The engagement can also be announced by placing an add in a local newspaper where the bride lives and/or where her parents and most relatives live.

Tip: You should take into consideration, no announcing the day of the wedding or your address in the papers. Some people follow this news to later break in to steal wedding presents. Anyway, it is always advisable to hire somebody to guard your house or the house where the present will be on the wedding day.

Buying a diamond ring? Let’s first learn about the Four C’s

So you are emotionally and financially prepared for the big step, but, Are you really prepared to buy a diamond ring?

There are certain standards used to judge the quality of a diamond, commonly known as the Four C’s: Carat, Clarity, Color and Cut.

Carat: this term refers to the weigh of the diamond. Carat is the standard measuring unit used for gemstones.

1 carat (ct) = 200 milligrams
A carat is also subdivided into points. A point is equal to 1/100 of a metric carat (0,01 ct).

1 carat = 100 points

Diamonds commonly sold at stores weigh less than 1 carat.

So the more carat, the more expensive the diamond (other conditions being equal), sounds obvious right? But what I mean, the rate you pay for that diamond is higher than the rate you pay for those diamonds under 1 carat. Why? Because of the rarity.

Clarity: is the measure referring to the number of natural flaws in the diamond. The fewer flaws the more expensive the diamond.

Color: opposite to what much people think, diamonds are not always colorless. Colorless diamonds are really rare, and therefore more expensive. The term color refers to the degree of yellowness of the diamond.

Tip: to judge the color of a diamond, it is important to see it unmounted.

Cut: this term not only refers to the shape of the diamond (round, oval, heart, etc) but also to the proportions, symmetry and the finishing of it. A well-cut diamond reflects more light/brilliance through the crown.

References
How to buy a diamond by Gemological Institute of America (GIA)
Advanced Diamond Guide by Diamond review.

Why should I hire a professional bartender for my wedding/stag/party?

Post provided by Devin Henderson
Owner/Bartender
Above & Beyond Event Services

- Professional bartenders are trained to do several things:

1) They’ll make your drinks to specification. No one wants a cosmo that burns when you drink it – so having a trained bartender will ensure that your drinks are properly mixed and served.
2) Each province has their own liquor laws & training for servers/bartenders. Professional bartenders in Ontario are required, by law, to be trained under the Smart Serve program. Hiring professional bartenders that are Smart Serve certified is a safety factor for you and your guests. Bartenders can monitor drinkers to ensure that no one is overly intoxicated. It is their job to stop serving anyone who is visibly intoxicated, and can help to arrange alternate transportation home.
3) Professional bartenders are not just there to serve drinks to your guests – many of them are entertainers as well. Sociable people tend to pursue bartending, so your guests get not only a good drink, but a good experience getting it.
4) When you hire a professional to take care of an aspect of your big day (ie: the bar), you have less to worry about – therefore, you can ENJOY your own wedding – which is what every happy couple deserves!

How much should I expect to pay for a bartender?

- Rates for professional bartenders can vary across the board, but as a general rule, you get what you pay for. Anyone working in the private service industry that has a decent amount of experience is going to charge what they feel they are worth. If you hire a bartender for minimum wage, you are likely going to be hiring someone with very little experience (or worse – none at all). Of the bartenders working in the private sector, the absolute LOWEST I’ve heard of anyone charging is $15 per hour. Even then, most staffing agencies will pay more. Many bartenders, myself & my team included, do not charge hourly. I charge a flat rate for an event lasting up to five hours, and then I charge hourly above and beyond those first five hours. However, our services do not simply include our bartending. We show up professionally dressed, with professional equipment.

Should I tip private bartenders?

- Yes! Bartenders working in traditional environments would be making a TON of money in tips. Gratuities should always be taken into account when hiring a bartender. Some bartenders charge a flat gratuity (such as $1-$2 per person), and others will put out a tip cup. At the end of the night, if you and your guests were happy with the service they received from your bartender, you should show them that!


For more recommendations, and to book bartenders for YOUR big day, please visit us at www.AboveAndBeyondEventServices.com

Devin Henderson
Owner/Bartender

Above & Beyond Event Services

The Engagement Ring, a brief history.

The engagement ring represents the groom’s intention to marry his fiancée; somehow the ring seals the agreement to marry each other. But this does not mean no ring, no agreement.

The exact origin of the engagement ring is unknown; some people say that this tradition dates back to ancient Egypt, where Egyptians used to wear a ring in the fourth finger of the left hand, believing that there was a connection between this finger and the heart.

Romans also wore a ring in the third finger of the left hand, called the betrothal ring. It is also believed that they started the idea of ring engraving.

There are records stating that the first diamond engagement ring was given to Mary of Burgundy by Archduke Maximillian of Hamburg in 1477. At that time people used diamonds as talismans to protect the love between husband and wife.

After that, the tradition of proposing with a diamond ring started to spread among royalty and wealthy Europeans, who were the only people able to afford them.

Diamonds became more accessible to general public after the discovery of diamond mines in Africa in 1870.

The truth is, our tradition of the diamond engagement ring started with the influence of a Hollywood musical film “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” starred by Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell in 1953.


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References
The story of the engagement ring by Diamond Wholesale Coorporation.
The History of Engagement Rings by Novori
A brief history of the engagement ring by Harriet Kellsal jewellery design
Engagement Histoy and Traditions by adiamondisforever.com

The purpose of creating this blog

I do believe in marriage and that there is a special person and moment in your life that makes you take the big step. Weddings are special occasions, and a great opportunity to share your believes with family and friends.

I am so fascinated about the whole process of planning a wedding, because at the end is when you see the magic result: a happy couple sharing the most important day of their lives.

A special day like this one should provide only good memories for the years to come, and that is why I am willing to help by supplying information and advice to the bride and groom, so they can make good decisions on their own when planning their wedding.

My goal in this blog is to be a source of information, and to provide ideas and answers to and for the people involved in the wedding. I plan to write about every aspect of the wedding. I wish to cover details from the engagement to the honeymoon.

By no means I aim to replace the services provided by your wedding consultant, if you already have hired one, if not, I strongly recommend you to think about the advantages of getting one to work for you.

I think it is never too late in the planning process to start looking for professional help, which can save you money and/or headaches. Planning a wedding can be overwhelming, specially these days with more and more full-time-working brides.