Brilliant Blog

Featured on Fox for Jennifer Aniston’s Wedding

August 16, 2012

I was thrilled to have my advice featured by Fox on Jennifer Aniston’s recent engagement and potential wedding plans!  Read the article here or view the video here.

Halo Engagement Rings

August 8, 2012

This year, halo rings have emerged as a popular choice in engagements rings, especially among celebrities. At the start of the year, Justin Timberlake popped the question to long-time girlfriend Jessica Biel with a custom-made halo ring. More recently, Emily Maynard received a cushion-shaped halo ring from Jef Holm on the season finale of “The Bachelorette”. Although halo rings are a classic style, it is their revamped shapes and colors that have lead to a surge in their popularity.

For example, after Kate Middleton’s diamond and sapphire halo engagement ring was made public last year, we saw halo rings in various colors pop up everywhere in 2012. Bold halo engagement rings, such as the double halo shown below, are definitely a a hot trend!

Photos (clockwise from top left): 1. Ross-Simons 2. Getty Images via StyleBistro
3. Greenberg’s Jewelers 4. Getty Images via Brides

Angelina Jolie’s Engagement Ring

May 2, 2012

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie (aka Brangelina) are engaged! What do you think of her custom-designed engagement ring: love it or leave it?

Best TV Marriage Proposals

February 1, 2012

Tis the season for marriage proposals with Valentine’s Day around the corner!  In honor of all of the lucky couples out there, I’ve compiled a list of the top TV marriage proposals. As you can see, many of them stray from my typical proposal do’s and don’ts, but through the magic of TV, all of them are still wonderful and still perfect, because she says yes!

1. Jim & Pam from The Office.  My personal favorite – nothing was perfect and yet it was still perfect.

2. Charlotte & Harry from Sex and the City.  No ring, no plan but all kinds of love!

3. Monica & Chandler from Friends. Proof that the proposal doesn’t have to start with the man! Click here for the clip.

Engagement Ideas with Hearts On Fire

August 19, 2011

I’m excited to announce that I’ll be joining forces with Hearts On Fire, the folks who produce the world’s most perfectly cut diamond, to provide engagement advice next week via a Facebook Live Chat! Log onto the Hearts on Fire facebook page at 3pm EST on Wednesday, August 24th and I’ll give you no-holds-barred answers to all of your engagement and marriage proposal questions. Can’t wait to see you there!

and

Price of Kim Kardashian’s Engagement Ring

August 3, 2011

While diamonds are a girl’s best friend, take a look the the chart below to see how long it would take to afford Kim Kardashian’s 20- carat wedding ring. Kris Humphries better not quit his day job! (Click on the graphic to zoom in)

Courtesy of Mint.

What He Did Right: American Idol’s Lee DeWyze

July 29, 2011

I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating: personal proposals are the key to greatness! A engagement story can be elaborate and over the top, or small and intimate, but making it personal is key! Lee DeWyze, the sweet crooner from the 2010 season of American Idol, recently popped the question to Jonna Walsh. Here’s what he did right:

Image via Just Jared.

Featured on E! News and WNBC

June 27, 2011

I’m so excited to be on E! Entertainment News tonight at 7pm and 11:30pm EST talking about marriage proposal planning. And, I’ll also be on WNBC at 6pm with comments on same sex marriage in New York. Tune in!

Kim Kardashian’s Proposal: What He Did Right

May 25, 2011

We’ve got breaking news in the proposal world today: Kim Kardashian is engaged!  Her new fiance, Kris Humphries, popped the question on one knee surrounded by red rose petals spelling out “Will You Marry Me?”  The ring was a custom-designed 20.5 carat Lorraine Schwartz stunner. Here’s my expert take on their proposal story, and what he did right:

• Have a ring. 20.5 carats?  Kris knocked this one out of the park. I hope Kim feels the same way.
• Make it a Surprise. Kris waited in Kim’s room to ensure she would be completely taken by surprise. No lame proposal dinners here!
• Consider the Aftermath. Since the future bride is so close with her family, Kris planned an intimate party to celebrate immediately after the engagement. Not only were they able to share the details of the proposal, but could also show off her new bling!

Photo courtesy of People.

The Office & Michael Scott’s Proposal: What He Did Right

April 8, 2011

I confess to being a big fan of The Office.  One time, I even tried to convince one of my wedding clients who met at work that they should have the office theme song as part of their wedding video (not really, but it was a fun idea!). During last Thursday’s episode, Michael proposed to Holly in one of the sweetest possible ways. The truth is that the best part wasn’t the giant diamond ring (3 years salary?) or the room filled with candles, it was the fact that Michael (and Pam) put real thought and effort into the proposal. Here are the things he did right:

1. Make it personal.

This is a huge part of a truly remarkable proposal story. By leading Holly through the path of their love story and by proposing in a location that holds meaning for them, he hit a home run.

2. Have a ring. No question here, any girl would be happy to get that bling on her finger! But, even if it were a ring pop or a toy ring, having something is key.
3. Surprise her. Even a girl who doesn’t like surprises wants to be surprised by her proposal. Confusing, but true. It’s sometimes tough to pull off, but if you can you’ll both be so happy.

Photo via OKMagazine.