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Thursday,February 16, 2017

| News | MORNINGJOURNAL.COM THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 20172 T

JEWELRY

By Metro Creative Connection

Many couples’ weddingstake more than a year toplan. Couples want all ofthe special people in theirlives to witness their vows,and giving guests advancenotice can ensure as manyloved ones as possible at-tend the ceremony.

To be certain thatguests have ample noticeto clear their schedules,many couples now turn tosave-the-date cards, whichannounce weddings wellin advance of the actualwedding day.

Save-the-date cardsonce were reserved onlyfor weddings that re-quired travel or special cir-cumstances, such as des-tination weddings. Butsuch cards have now be-come commonplace forall weddings. That’s be-cause many people planvacations or business tripsanywhere from four to sixmonths in advance. Busypeople require plenty ofnotice to include this im-portant date on their cal-endars, particularly whenwedding dates fall duringpopular travel seasons oraround the holidays.

Kleinfeld Bridal, a pre-miere New York bridalboutique, says that save-the-date cards are typi-cally mailed six to eightmonths prior to the wed-ding, though some aresent as early as a year be-fore the big day. Once adate and a location is se-cured, save-the-dates canbe ordered and mailed.

Save-the-date cards re-quire couples to assembletheir guest lists well in ad-vance of the wedding. The

leading bridal resourceThe Knot notes that every-one who will get a wed-ding invitation should alsoreceive a save-the-datecard. There’s no turningback once cards are sent,so couples will need tobe certain everyone theywant to attend is gettingadvanced notice.

It’s acceptable to mailsave-the-date cards evenif some wedding day de-tails are still up in the air.Guests really only needto know the date and lo-cation of the wedding.Couples also can use thesave-the-date card to di-rect invitees to a weddingwebsite where guests canlearn the details of thewedding as they unfold.

RSVP information doesnot need to be included onthe save-the-date card.

Save-the-date cards aremuch less formal thaninvitations, so couplescan have fun with them.

They can showcase cou-ples’ clever personalitiesor funny quirks. Keep inmind it is in poor tasteto mention gifts or reg-istries on save-the-datecards. There will be plentyof time to direct guests toregistries later on.

Couples are increasinglyturning to save-the-datecards when planning theirweddings to make surebusy friends and familywill have enough time tomake plans to attend theirweddings.

PLANNING

Keys to masteringthe save-the-date

METRO CREATIVE CONNECTION

METRO CREATIVE CONNECTION

By Metro Creative Connection

White diamonds havebeen the traditional en-gagement ring stones fordecades. While shoppershave experimented withgold, silver, platinum, andother precious metals forring bands, the star of theshow has long been thattwinkling, pristine dia-mond.

Even though diamondsmay be a “girl’s bestfriend,” they may not fitevery woman’s style, par-ticularly the bride wholikes to buck tradition

and think outside the box.According to Money mag-azine, the average engage-ment ring costs morethan $5,800. In additionto being one of the mostexpensive gemstones, di-amonds have becomequite commonplace. Somewomen even eschew dia-monds for moral reasons.

Whatever the drivingforce behind shopping foralternative gems, womenwho want to set them-selves apart from oth-ers - and men who wantto “wow” their significantothers with unique and

eye-catching rings - mayopt for other stones.

MoissaniteThis crystal naturally

occurs in meteorites andis nearly as hard, denseand scuff-resistant as a di-amond. Some feel mois-sanite offers more bril-liance and fire than di-amonds. Moissanite is awhite-colored stone, so itcan mimic the look of adiamond.

And since it can bemade in the laboratoryat a fraction of the cost

JEWELRY»PAGE4

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2017 MORNINGJOURNAL.COM | | 3T

By Metro Creative Connection

A toast is a drink raisedin the health or honor ofsomeone. Such salutes aretypically accompanied bysome heartfelt words ortokens of advice. Toastsare a common componentof social gatherings, in-cluding retirement parties,milestone birthdays andweddings.

Toast of the townIt’s difficult to pinpoint

who originated the prac-tice of toasting.

Several ancient societ-ies would raise a glass inhonor of deities or spe-cial guests. Ancient Greeksoffered libations to thegods as a part of ritualis-tic practices and also as apoint to drink to each oth-

er’s good health. AncientRomans at one point in-stituted a practice that allpeople must drink to Em-peror Augustus at eachmeal.

The term “toast” has aninteresting history.

Dating back to the 16thcentury, “toast” refers toa piece of toasted bread.A piece of toast was com-monly added to wine dur-ing this time because winewas quite inferior in qual-ity then compared to mod-ern vintages. Stale breadwas placed into the jug tosoak up acidity and im-prove the flavor. The winealso improved the palat-ability of the old or spicedbread.

According to NationalGeographic magazine, bythe 18th century, the term“toast” had been trans-ferred from the floatingpiece of bread to the per-son honored by the toast.Eventually, “toast” repre-sented the drink raised orthe words offered with thegesture.

Prepare for a toastToasts can be off-the-

cuff remarks shared in themoment, but for many spe-cial events, they should beprepared well in advance.Nowadays, some toast-giv-ers devote extra time topreparing toasts, partic-ularly because they knowthese sentiments can liveon indefinitely on socialmedia.

Giving a toast can in-duce anxiety, but somenerves can be relieved sim-ply by doing one’s home-work and not procrasti-nating.

Writing tipsA person giving a toast

is trying to gain the atten-tion of a group of peoplewho may not be very at-tentive. These tips can im-

prove the content of thetoasts and their delivery.

•Keep “you” out of it.This toast is not about

you. It’s about the personyou are honoring. There-fore, do not put any self-congratulatory messagesin the toast.

Make it all about theperson - even beginningthe toast with that per-son’s name.

•Hook people in.Open the toast with a

good joke or anecdote thatwill help introduce theperson of honor.

For example:Jake is a great guy be-

cause he’s the type of per-son who will offer to meetyou at your dorm room at2 a.m. with pizza and beerto get you through a studysession.

Too bad he has a horri-ble sense of direction andrepeatedly shows up at thewrong door.

•Tell a story.Reference the person in

the toast, other audiencemembers, and even your-self if you can be paintedin a self-deprecating light.

•Keep it short.This is a toast, not a

monologue.Be brief so that the au-

dience doesn’t lose inter-est.

Set a five-minute limit.•Wrap it up.Conclude the toast by

tying the story back to theintroduction and makingsure to include the audi-ence once more.

This will help you getthe biggest laughs and ap-plause.

RECEPTIONS

Successful toasts help shape social events

METRO CREATIVE CONNECTION

of even lab-made dia-monds, it’s a frugal option.A nearly flawless one-caratmoissanite gem can costless than $1,000.

Lemon quartzThis is the trade name

for a lemon-yellow stonethat is a variety of color-enhanced transpar-ent quartz. Quartz isturned into this sunnyhue through an artificialgamma ray irradiationprocess. Like other quartzgemstones, lemon quartzis considered to be verydurable and is suitable forall types of jewelry.

SapphireSapphires tend to be

blue stones, but they alsocome in peach, pink, yel-low, green, and white.Sapphire may not spar-kle as much as a diamond

or even moissanite. How-ever, with the right cut, itcan be hard to distinguishany lack of luster. Sap-phires are the third hard-est mineral and are aboutone-third the price of dia-monds.

MorganiteAccording to the blog

Bridal Musings, morgan-ite is currently one of themost popular choices forengagement rings. Itspretty pink hue is roman-tic and feminine. It alsosits at around the samehardness as sapphires, en-suring rings will endure.

Vividly cut rubies, em-eralds and tanzanite - allgems that are rarer yetless expensive than dia-monds - can make beau-tiful rings. Some cou-ples also may opt for ringswithout gemstones, suchas Claddagh or “true lov-er’s knot” rings.

JewelryFROMPAGE3

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| | MORNINGJOURNAL.COM THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 20174 T

By Metro Creative Connection

Many brides-to-be visitbridal shops with specificgoals in mind regardingthe style of their weddinggowns. Some women comeequipped with magazinetear-outs or pull up ideason their mobile phones.Others may have an en-tire scrapbook filled withvarious ideas they’ve beencompiling for years.

Much consideration isgiven to wedding gowns.The cost and silhouette ofthe dress may garner thebulk of that consideration,but brides might want tospend more time consider-ing comfort.

Depending on the timeof day their weddings takeplace, brides can spend12 hours or more in theirwedding gowns on theirwedding day. However,when shopping for theirgowns, brides may priori-tize beauty over comfort,even though it’s entirelypossible to find a gownthat’s both stunning andcomfortable. When staffand friends or family whohave come along to offer

advice start to blush overwedding gowns, brides-to-be may feel pressured todownplay any discomfortthey feel.

To make sure brideslook flawless and elegantbut are still comfortablein their wedding gowns,consider the following tips.

•Know what to high-light and what to cover up.No two body types are thesame, and many womenfeel certain parts of theirbodies are their best assetswhile they want to down-play others. Try on gownsthat play up your best fea-tures. If you have shapelylegs, consider a dramaticgown with a slit to showthem off. Certain gownscan enhance the decol-lete or show off an hour-glass shape. Remember,many gowns can be modi-fied so that you feel secureand confident. Sleeves canbe added or fabric placedto cover up any perceivedflaws. Confidence andpride are important partsof the comfort factor.

•Get sized correctly.Bridal gown sizes do notcoincide with street sizes.

Depending on the manu-facturer, brides may haveto select gowns that areseveral sizes larger thanthey would normallywear. This should not bea cause for alarm. Bridesshould go by their mea-surements. Attempting tosqueeze into a dress thatis too small will only leadto discomfort on the wed-ding day.

•Purchase the right un-dergarments. Improperlyfitting bras, shapewearand other undergarmentscan lead to discomfort aswell.

Some seamstresses cansew in supportive cups toremove the need for sep-arate bras. Brides can ex-plore various options to re-duce the visibility of cer-tain accoutrements.

•Move around in thegown. Brides should notjust stand in front of themirror and smile whentrying on gowns. Put themthrough their paces. Trysitting, bending and evena little dancing. Make surethe dress is comfortable tomove around in.

FASHION

This is itSelecting a comfortable wedding gown

METRO CREATIVE CONNECTION

By Metro Creative Connection

Weddings celebrate theunions of happy couplesready to pledge their livesto each other. In theory,the wedding day spotlightshould be shared equallyby brides and grooms. Butbrides often eclipse their

grooms, as guests aredrawn to stunning bridalgowns.

Though grooms mightplay second fiddle formuch of their weddingdays, there is one momentwhen all eyes are on thegroom and a special ladyin his life. The mother/son

dance is a wedding tradi-tion that many grooms em-brace as their opportunityto show their mothers howmuch they love and appre-ciate them. The mother/son dance is an ideal timeto create a special mo-ment, and the following aresome tips to personalize the

dance.•Precede the bride and

her father. Make your owntradition and switch upthe timing of the dances.Be the first to take a spinon the dance floor and setthe tone for the other tradi-tional songs to come.

•Create a photo mon-

tage. Work with an enter-tainment company or pho-tographer to create a slide-show of images showingyou and your mother to-gether and separately. Ifpossible, include some pho-tos that were shot duringthe wedding ceremony, ask-ing the photographer to

capture the look on yourmother’s face during piv-otal moments of the cere-mony.

•Show off your danceskills. One increasinglypopular wedding trend isfor fathers and brides tochoreograph the father/

RECEPTIONS

Tips for a special mother/son dance

GOWN >> PAGE6

DANCE>>PAGE6

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2017 MORNINGJOURNAL.COM | | 5T

Metro Creative Connection

Couples who choose towrite their own weddingvows recognize how spe-cial such personal gesturesare. Writing one’s ownvows can impart a person-alized and special touch tothe ceremony. But as any-one who has stared downa blank piece of paper orblinking cursor can attest,a case of writer’s blockmay encourage couples toabandon the idea of writ-ing their own vows.

Writing vows can benerve-wracking. Manycouples are unaccustomedto speaking in front ofcrowds, and then there isthe challenge of turninglife-altering feelings intolanguage that will appealto the masses.

But couples strugglingwith their vows need notthrow in the vow-writingtowel. With some practiceand guidance, anyone canwrite cherished vows thatwill be remembered foryears to come.

• Skip the schtick. Jokesmay pop up in speechesthroughout the evening,

but wedding vows can beyour chance to truly speakfrom the heart. Humormay come across as in-sincerity. Rather, list thewords that describe your

feelings for your futurespouse, and build on that.

• Tell a story. If youneed inspiration, look to amoment in your relation-ship when you really knew

this was the person withwhom you wanted to shareyour life. Relay the story,but keep it brief. Try tobe as specific as possible,and recognize that it’s ac-

ceptable to be playful withyour words. When it’s re-ally coming from the heartand not the head, you’llknow it.

• Borrow from tradi-tional words. Take tra-ditional vows and tweakthem to make them yourown. This works especiallywell for those who havetrouble getting started orare unsure of which for-mat to follow. Incorporatekey words, such as “part-ners,” “love,” “friends,”“joy,” and “forever.”

• Be sure the officiant ison board. Depending onthe type of ceremony, theofficiant may have final sayover what can or cannotbe included in your vows.Religious ceremonies, forexample, may be limited tocertain scripture readingsand traditional vows. Be-fore you devote any timeto writing vows, ensurethat it’s all right to includethem. Otherwise, save per-sonalized sentiments fora special toast at the wed-ding reception.

• Decide on a mutualstructure for the vows. Ifyou and your spouse will

not be writing the vowstogether, agree on a for-mat that you both will fol-low. Otherwise, you mightbe writing about your un-ending love, and he or shemay be promising to keepupdated on favorite sportsteams or television pro-grams. You want the toneand style of the vows to becohesive.

• Dig deeper. Look intothe future and project howyou hope your life to be in10 or 20 years. Explain allof the reasons you wantto be together for the du-ration.

• Read the vows sev-eral times. Read over yourwork and make sure thelanguage is clear and thereare no glaring errors. Itmay take a few versions toget the final version rightwhere you want it.

• Get a second opinion.Ask someone you trust tolisten to the vows and of-fer feedback. This needsto be a person who willbe honest and not just tellyou what you want to hear.

Personalized vows canadd an extra special touchto wedding ceremonies.

CEREMONY

Saying more than just ‘I do’Treat guests to personalized vows

METRO CREATIVE CONNECTION

•Try different options. Thegown brides have in mind maynot be the one they ultimatelygo home with. Explore differ-ent styles and materials. Choosecooler, breezier fabrics andlightweight gowns, like crepe,georgette or organza, for sum-mer weddings. Heavier fabrics,such as brocade, may be morecomfortable in the winter.

Wedding gowns can be bothbeautiful and comfortable forthose who know how to shop.

GownFROMPAGE5

daughter dances.Grooms and their moth-

ers can follow suit, particu-larly if you both have somestellar dance moves.

•Let Mom choose thesong. Give your mother theopportunity to express hersentiments to you, as moth-ers of the groom do not typ-ically toast their sons duringweddings or even rehearsaldinners.

•Invite other son/motherduos up.

If the idea of dancingalone with your mother is abit intimidating, give othermothers in attendance anopportunity to share thespotlight.

Celebrate all mothers inattendance, encouraging anymothers and sons who arepresent to dance together.

Grooms may not garnerthe bulk of guests’ attentionon their wedding days.

But they can take steps tomake their special danceswith their mothers morememorable and unique.

DanceFROMPAGE5

METRO CREATIVE CONNECTION

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Use The Morning Journal’s Community pagesto share your good news.

Anniversary, engagement and weddingannouncements will appear in The Morning Journaland on www.MorningJournal.com.

Simply print out the form found online atwww.MorningJournal.com/submit.

Fill it out and mail it in along with up to two color photosand payment to:

Announcementsc/o The Morning Journal1657 BroadwayLorain, OH 44052

Congratulations!

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