Aren’t we a liberated bunch! My soulmates. :x
No engagement ring here either.
If her future husband has a family ring…and she doesn’t really like the style, can they get it reset? Maybe that’s something for the future.
I didn’t care to have an engagement ring or not but dh was a traditional type who wanted to give me one, and oval solitaire. Then he added two more diamonds on each side as a “wrap” for 25 years and then a diamond second band for 28 years. Now I really love my set and get a lot of complements.
I didn’t have an engagement ring, either. But my m-i-l had her grandmother’s ring remade for me as a gift for our 3rd anniversary. I treasure the family history of this ring, and I rarely take it off.
I had an engagement ring that once belonged to a member of my husband’s family – who didn’t need anymore because she got divorced. I’m surprised I accepted it, but my fiance was a graduate student who couldn’t afford to buy an engagement ring, and we were planning a long engagement. I wanted something to wear during that time period.
I’m not overly upset that it got lost a few years after my wedding, when I was working in a laboratory and had to take my rings off at work.
I haven’t worn my wedding ring for years because I got too fat and I couldn’t get it on anymore. I’ve lost 35 pounds, but the ring still doesn’t fit, so I finally gave in and got it resized. It will be ready this weekend. I may not care about the engagement ring, but I do feel abnormal not wearing a wedding ring.
DD is using her engagement ring as her wedding ring. I only wear my engagement ring.
My question for all of you: I tried on my above the knee dress and saw my legs! EEk! I haven’t worn hose in years but I think I might have to for the wedding. Favorite brands? A little support wouldn’t hurt. Where did those veins come from? I can also see that gardening has not been kind to my limbs.
Can’t help on the hose question, but when I wore it the Donna Karan Nudes collection was my go to brand. I know they come in control top, but I don’t know about leg support, if that’s what you meant.
Our pre-wedding celebrations have begun. We just returned from an engagement party hosted by MOB in Los Angeles, where the B grew up. It was a lovely afternoon, and made the upcoming wedding begin to feel very real. We are hosting a “meet the B” bbq in July since we’ve had to seriously limit our guest list. My H insisted I send out “explanation emails” to those who will be invited to the party and who might otherwise have expected to be invited to the wedding. I was a little nervous about this, but must say I’ve received wonderful responses from those who received the emails. Everyone understands and is excited to celebrate the couple with us over the summer. I love planning parties, but I need to seriously get moving on the details, as well as find a dress for the wedding and help my D find hers. Can’t wait to hear all about the soon-to-be weddings!
Wolford Naked 8 is my secret weapon against wrinkly knees and leg imperfections. 
They truly are invisible as far as hose goes and feel silky smooth. Not cheap though, but can be worn many times before anything happens to them. I stock up when Saks or Bare Ncessities have their FF sales.
http://m.shop.nordstrom.com/s/wolford-naked-8-pantyhose/4183947
But first, Onward can try cheap pantyhose, to see how she likes different colors or the tummy control (or if the pantyhose themselves are just enough support.) I’m not one for the dark hose look, but a little darker than your natural color can do the trick.
I would not waste my time with cheap stuff. It is not even comparable to the good stuff. 
Buy at Nordstrom - they will take it back. I returned a pricy pair that developed a run out of the blue after 1 hour of wear (not Wolford) - I usually would not, but I was mad because it ruined my outfit.
I recommend a combo of a regular hose and a shaper slip instead of control top hose. The latter cuts the body at the waist and can be quite uncomfortable.
For those who have had florists do all your ceremony and reception flowers, any tips for initial floral consultation and/or ways to keep the cost semi-reasonable? DD’s June 2018 wedding is in a more formal oceanfront venue, with ceremony outdoors (need flowers for trellis, 7 bouquets, 7 boutonnieres, flower girl fun, table centerpieces) for 150 guests for dinner . The town is popular for weddings and vendor pricing is similar. DD is not focused on flowers, though I see their role. They will need to be done locally. Somehow, I find flowers that last a day or two for $$$$ is tougher to fathom than the rest of the the expenses. DH would probably say “it’s in the noise”.
Thanks. It is great to read about how things are going for all, especially with the events happening soon. Smooth sailing to all.
@travelnut we have looked into our local grocery store…and their floral department. Prices are very reasonable.
I don’t know about all those outdoor decor flowers, however.
Thanks, thumper. Wedding venue is 2 hours from us and 4 hours from couple, so I’d have to see if there are options nearby. I wouldn’t have thought of a grocery store. You are right, the outdoor could be tricky and we do need set up. Florist told me they are onsite for set up for much longer than I would have assumed.
I think you will need an actual wedding florist. We aren’t having anything fancy outdoors because thenwedding is in an outdoor garden area. We are picking up some potted plants from our CSA, and delivering them the morning of the wedding…for the patio.
For flowers, we really don’t need anyone on site…at all…we are having some table flowers, flowers for the women to carry, boutonnieres and corsages for the moms and grandma. No trellises or anything like that.
We will just pick up the flowers after breakfast the morning of the wedding.
You DO need someone on site…
@travelnut - we didn’t have to order a lot of flowers but Hy-Vee, a grocery chain, is doing them. The woman in their floral department used to have her own floral shop. It is worth checking out.
Thanks for the hose suggestions. I already have a spanx to suck my stomach in, I just need some support on the legs. One leg, just a couple of weeks ago, decided that now was a time to have painful varicose veins. Nice timing, leg! One and a half weeks to go!!!
Ooh, @BunsenBurner I only meant buy cheap initially, to avoid testing so many expensive hose. Then go or the more expensive. I’d hate to buy at $33 each, then not like the color or fit and then return them to be trashed.
You can’t match the colors… Different brands have their own unique shades and the quality and sheen of the fabric will produce completely different appearance even if the shades are very similar. Even the construction of the hose itself matters. Can’t judge oranges by trying on apples. Here is the hose test that works best IMO (short of trying them on): take the sample hose on display and put your hand through it. If it feels silky and smooth and matches the color of your skin, it will likely look good on your legs. If it snags and feels synthetic-y, don’t bother. DK and Wolford both make superior hose… But Wolford is sturdier and lasts longer. There is also some Pretty Polly hose that looks great… And UK Tights stock every brand imaginable.
Have anyone ever used “wedding-spot” website to price and compare wedding venues? Did the estimates seem accurate? They have really good press, but I’ve never heard about this site before… Thanks!
@mycupoftea: tried to check accuracy as we just visited 3 venues, booking one. No luck as none of the three are on the website. Maybe the best sites to explore this vary by region.
Lots of variables go into pricing. Some places charged double for Saturday vs Sunday, for example; while for most, the up-charge was a much lower percentage. Then you stir in seasonal differences, etc. Quite a wide range…,
Thank you, @travelnut Supposedly, they give different prices depending on season, day of the week, event length, the number of guests, even the estimated number of drinks per guest… At least there is a tool which allows to select all those. This is supposed to be the selling points of this site.