Ring Tones

I had no idea choosing a wedding ring could be so stressful!

I gave him the freedom to choose any ring for me because I can't go to Paris to pick one out with him, but last Sunday he went to look for rings and came back with a long list of questions I don't have an answer to because: a) I don't wear rings, b) I wouldn't know how to pick one, c) if this were LOTR I'd be Sam Gamgee. My only request was to find a two-toned number so it can match his yellow gold band and match my white gold engagement ring.

So 2 days later he's beginning to get all stressed out and we both start raising our tones on the phone and then I laugh at how he gets so tense over the width, color, stone settings and how they would match the engagement ring while I'm out here just hanging loose. And then he got hung up on why I was laughing and then I got angry and then he started laughing and the arguments got turned around.

Well, that lasted about 5 minutes after me telling him off and him apologizing, and me admitting I don't know what a millimeter is and him gloating. All I could promise him was I was going to do my ring research tonight, pick a ring from the maison de l'alliance website and give him some peace of mind... even though picking out a ring was supposed to be his job in the first place (see paragraph 1) and mine was looking pretty. Meheh.

So here's the best advice I could find, from Gillett's Jewellers. Very easy to understand for ring idiots like me who want to wear the wedding ring with the engagement ring but can't decide what to get.

A summary:

Look at the engagement ring and decide if you need a curved ring (it curves around the stone setting on the e-ring) or a straight ring (doesn't curve).

 This is a curved wedding ring, it wraps around the diamond setting so you can wear the two rings on one finger. Picture comes from here.

When choosing the band style, check if the e-ring is high-domed, soft-rounded or flat (I actually sent H a picture of my ring to show the seller so she can recommend something that matches) and find a wedding ring that is similarly shaped so they complement each other... just like you and your impatient, hypersensitive, highly-squishy fiance complement each other.

 This is a straight, high-domed band. It complements the e-ring because it doesn't have unusually high demands, and knows the answer to the question "do I look fat in this." Picture comes from here

A platinum ring is forever... but given my penchant for losing things, better not get that. Since my e-ring is white gold, it would go best with a wedding ring of white gold. That narrows down the selection process even more.

Here's my ring for reference:

only a few months old and already grimy :(

So, if I followed the ring guide and considered my e-ring, I should get one that is

1) flat and straight
2) of white gold
3) thin, because my fat fingers need all the help they could get

Let's see what happens

Dress for Distress

Last Saturday was the first of (hopefully just) 2 days of designer go-sees. I was not ready to get my heart broken, but broken it sure got.

The whole exercise is exciting but painful for me because although I cannot wait to be with H, I CANNOT AFFORD to get married right now. Being Mrs. H means quitting my job and right now I have negative savings. The reality check feels like a vintage Bella Flores bitchslap, the kind she reserves for a tiny Gina Alajar or a demersal Ate Vi. Most of all, it reminds me of my biggest loss, bigger than all the money we forked over to the hospitals and the drug stores and the doctors. Just the other day I started missing how he would call me up at work to tell me what's for dinner, and I'd be embarrassed because sometimes I'm not at my desk and he asks a co-worker to write it down and leave the note on my keyboard.

M, tumawag ang tatay mo.
Umuwi ka na daw. 

Nilaga daw ang ang ulam.

I'm the only 30-year old whose father does that. Or used to... And my eyes are tearing up just thinking about it again. Bwaahhh. Enough!

Being a tomboy I don't get too attached to dresses, especially those I can't afford - a wedding dress is different of course, but I was so sure my being practical would rule off anyone who could not design within my budget. A few weeks ago I scoffed at the idea of a P2o,ooo wedding dress but  last Sunday I found myself crying over a much, much more expensive one.

Perfect dress's High Profile Designer understod what I wanted, made adjustments to lower the price tag, and is an over-all super nice person to boot. Alas, the HPD's design is still out of my reach. He is still on top of the list, but unless a miracle happens (as in we find a way to shave off a little more from the price) then he will remain a dream...

Lady Designer has a very interesting take on the dress, but since she didn't show me a complete sketch, I am not very sure about the design. Her idea for detachable skirt and sleeves is genius, but after seeing a gown with detachable sleeves on the net, I'm afraid it would look like it's a totally separate sleeve that's worn on the arms.

I actually found something like that in Kultura, they call it the Imelda. When I tried it on you could really see where the strap ends and the sleeve begins. But I trust she will do a better job than that. She's a classy lady.

Last Tuesday I went to two more designers, didn't like the vibe of Celeb Designer but really liked Ate Shawee's Movie Wedding Designer just because he seems like the person who would bend over backwards to give you the dress you want and can afford... he had the novel idea of an all piña dress including the poufy skirt, and it's going to be a curious dress for sure (for the French, at least) but I don't know when he will get back to me on the cost. I envision it to be a pretty cool dress though, if it were to be borned.

But more than being a mini wannabe diva rant, this post is also about my wedding heroes, the Dwarves.

In college, me and six other outcasts formed The Seven Dwarfs, and we hid out at the science building to study. More them than me, actually. The nerds. I spent my free time daydreaming. After meeting up 2 weeks ago they have each tried to help me get a dress, find a venue and just generally helped me prepare. I would be lost without them. In fact, one of them is to blame for my dress distress - Girly, super thanks for getting me appointments and coming with me to see the designers! I hate you a little for that but I love you a big giant lot!

(here we are, trying on bridesmaids' gowns! oh glee!)