Transcript:
One of the hottest bridal trends this season is the alternative engagement ring along with quick engagement periods. So here to tell us more. Alison Mcgill from wedding Gonzaga. Ditching the diamonds? Yes, yes, we don’t have some diamonds happening. Of course. That’s the classic, but we are seeing a lot of alternative ring, stones and styles. And I brought some great ones here today. Alright, shall we dive in, let’s dive! Yeah, so these rings are from XN and I brought a great variety that I think will appeal to everybody. Here, they’re beautiful, so we will start with a classic diamond, but look at this vintage setting and this yellow gold, very different, very unique. Yes, every bride is unique. You know, everybody doesn’t. You know, cookie cutter, this emerald ring here. I love is a pear shape, and actually, we can’t probably see it, but it has a built-in monogram in the metal name, which is amazing because you could have his initial and your initial build into this really beautiful. This stone here is a sugar plum morganite. Look, oh, my goodness really does a different. I love the shape. Ovals are huge and again. It’s, you know, got this rose gold. That it’s very unique and very beautiful. Let me ask you something before you go to the rest. Is it if you’re getting a different gemstone? Is it a little bit cheaper than a diamond? And can you maybe get a bigger stone? This is a loaded question. Yes, some gemstones can be a different price points, a little more affordable than a diamond. You could bump up again. It’s all about the quality of stone that you you choose to go for so. I always say it’s quality over quantity, got it? You want a beautiful looking stone? Whatever it is, emerald is a great example. Emerald can have a lot of inclusions in it. You want a really nice, crisp, clean emerald? And you might have to pay more for that. It might have to you and you might have to sacrifice in sizing, okay. Yeah, fair enough. Um, this one here. Let’s talk about this black diamond. This is amazing in this hectic on shape, so it’s very different, very unique. We brought a matching band for it. It’s edgy, super in. Yeah, edgy. Another vintage diamonds here again. I had to pay homage to the classics, right. Yes, this one here is almost a periwinkle blue sapphire, which is incredible and these little stalkers here. This is a huge, huge trend. It’s like all about real estate on your finger, so the more the merrier more than merrier, so we’ve got like an emerald Ruby and a sapphire here, right, you know, you can build your love story as yes, and people love that, and you can mix it up. You can put it with other jewelry, so it’s really fun and brides are having a lot of fun kind of personalizing and doing something different. It’s all about showing your personality. This day is ready. No, you’re gonna ask me the next loaded question about. Do you shop alone? Yes, we’ll, do you. I mean, okay, here’s the thing the engagement has sort of evolved over the years. People are doing a little bit differently now. I’m wondering, is it okay. If you go with your significant other and and choose the ring audience. What do you think, is it? Okay, there’s like yeah. I agree with you. What do you think? Avery, also we talked about this. It’s sort of pre-gaming as I like to say. Yes, because it’s the most important piece of jewelry You’re going to be wearing. You’re gonna wear it every day. You want to love it? You want to make sure that the person is gonna love it? And also another thing that comes into. It is like ring sizing, that’s something. A lot of people don’t go to, but it’s like, you know, the question is popped and then oh, we have to go to the jewelers and get this size bummer. I know bummer. So so pregame. You put some research into it, but yeah. Eco shopping is the way to go. It’s the way to go, and I know all the romantics are watching us thinking those women how don’t have an ounce of romance in them realists. I don’t need to be romantic. I want the ring to fit, and I also want it to be the one that I like because I’m gonna be wearing it every day like who wants to go back to the story. [MUSIC] Since we’re talking a bit about etiquette before we get into more etiquette, people are actually doing much shorter engagements. Lightning fast. Are we just taking our cues from Hollywood? Do you think well no, but we are seeing that. I mean, Justin Bieber and Hayley were what two months. Yeah, my uncle chauffeured and Nick Jonas, six months. Yeah, hardly class was three months, so people kind of want to get on with the show and I think I agree with that there’s. Absolutely, you can do this wedding planning. Is, you know a bit of an investment of your time? Yeah, it’s easily done because there’s lots of options out there. You don’t have to get married on a weekend. You don’t have to give me any summer like tons of options. The most important thing you need to decide, though, if you’re on a quick timeline, yes, months or less, get that location nailed down 100% I’m not everything else will fall into place. That’s right, trust. Yes, when it comes to the engagement. What kind of woman are you do? You want the public engagement? You’re in the Jumbotron or your whole family’s there or you’re on a TV show. How do you feel about that well? I think it wise. I think it’s know your audience. I mean, yeah. I think the dam the Jumbotron proposal has kind of gone by the wayside. I bet everyone’s taking it to the social, so it’s like whatever that looks like on your Instagram, but you know, I am a bit of a traditionalist and realist. I think it’s really private moment, and I think it needs to be special. I do think it needs to stand out on. Its own! The holiday season, of course, is big for engagements, but personally like. I think you want to remember that. The moment you’re engaged is not the time on Christmas Day. Your birthday or Valentine’s Day. It needs to be a standalone special moment. Yes, and I think it’s great you can have family around you to celebrate afterwards, but it’s private. I agree with that. I agree about 100 percent. I am a romantic me too. Yes, certainly. Oh, my husband was actually being very much pressured to engage. Get engaged to me on a show. We were on a reality makeover show. Oh, boy, and he had the ring. Yeah, and so the producer found out and the producer was right on him. You know how? Us TV folks are. And so he was thinking he knew that I would not like it, but because they kept pressuring. He was thinking, do I do it? Would she like it? Would she like it? Thank goodness he didn’t do it. I would have had to tell the poor man. No, like no TV show like I want it to be private and special between you and me, and I think private moments in our lives are fleeting these days that I think this is one of them. I think it’s a special time, so he knew his audience he knew him. He figured it out. He made the right move and 12 years later. Were still married. Thank you so much talk about weddings and engagements and themes. All day long. Man, it’s so good.