Finding the Perfect Bling.....I mean Ring!

Today's post is all about engagement rings, and what better day than Valentines day to talk about pretty diamonds!  No guy wants to go to the jewelry store without some knowledge about rings and what his future fiance likes. It's a big investment so you want to make sure its perfect and with so many options for cut, color, and styles it can be a bit overwhelming.  My friend Aimee, owner of Aimee Reynolds Photography, and I took a day trip to Stowe's Jewelers in Fairhope, Alabama to get a little insight on finding the perfect ring that will have her saying “I Do.” 

Budgeting for the Ring:  First, its important to note everyone’s budget is different, so you need to set one that you are comfortable with.  It may be helpful to ring shop well in advance of your ideal proposal date so you have time to save up. Also, keep in mind that most jewelers can work out a payment plan for you to pay off the ring over the course of several months. Beautiful rings come in all price ranges. Today while at Stowe's Jewelers we looked at rings that ranged from $1,500 up to $40,000.00. 

The Four C’s: Cut, Clarity , Color and Carat. Every guy should brush up on the four c’s prior to ring shopping. This will help to ensure you know the product you are getting is worth the price tag. Here is a brief description of the four c’s;

Cut: We often think cut refers to round, oval, pear, cushion, but the cut of a diamond is really about how well a diamonds facets interact with light, aka its sparkle. Even if a diamond has a perfect clarity and color it can still apear dull if the cut is bad. 

Clarity: The clarity of the diamond refers to its inclusions (blemishes) on the inside or outside of the diamond. The purer the diamond the more the value. 

Color: The color evaluation of most diamonds is based on the absence of color. A perfect diamond has no hue, like a drop of water. The clearer the diamond the higher the value.

Carat: Diamond carat weight is the measurement of how much a diamond weighs. The higher the carat, the higher the price. 

Popular Wedding Ring Shapes

Oval: Below the ring in the center of the display is an oval cut center stone. It is 2.71 ct accented with .61ct diamonds and .55ct of sapphires in a platinum setting. 

Cushion Cut: The ring on the top left is .74 cushion cut diamond accented with .50ct of diamonds in a platinum setting.  

Round: This is probably the most popular shape of all three. The top right corner is a 1.51ct round diamond accented with .45ct diamonds in the platinum setting.   

Three of the more popular cuts, round, cushion and oval. 

Three of the more popular cuts, round, cushion and oval. 

Popular Wedding Ring Styles

Antique Rings

Antique rings are usually easy to identify based on their ornate feel and ‘different’ settings. This one pictured below is a 14K Yellow Gold Setting and .68 ct diamonds. 

Antique Engagement Ring 

Antique Engagement Ring 

Oval Morganite

Morganite is a beautiful stone that will help those working within a tighter budget. This ring pictured below is 1.03 ct., .28 ct worth of diamonds accents and a 14k Rose Gold Setting. Rose Gold is also a very popular setting for 2018. 

Morganite and Rose Gold Engagement

Morganite and Rose Gold Engagement

Halo Rings

Halo rings became very popular about five years ago and still remain a top seller. The halo ring below features 1.0 ct worth of diamonds in a 14kt white gold setting. 

Halo ring and wedding band

Halo ring and wedding band

Colored Diamonds

Colored stones are a big trend right now. We have seen pink, blue and yellow all make for beautiful and unique engagement rings. One of the most popular colored diamonds, and one of the most expensive, is the canary diamond. This ring features a 1.02ct canary diamond, accented by .46cts in a platinum band. 

Canary Diamond Engagement Ring

Canary Diamond Engagement Ring

Traditional

You can never go wrong with a traditional ring like the one featured below. This 4 prong ring features a 1ct diamond with a white gold setting. 

Tradtional solitary diamond ring 

Tradtional solitary diamond ring 

Custom Rings

Stowe's also loves working with clients to design custom rings using all new diamonds and settings or turning family heirlooms into new one of a kind rings. The picture below is a custom ring designed and created at Stowe's Jewelers. It features at 2ct diamond with .25 carat baguettes flanking either side set in a platinum setting.

Custom Ring 

Custom Ring 

Horice and Joyce Stowe opened Stowe’s Jewelers in 1959.  Fifty-nine years later it continues to thrive under the ownership of their daughters Beth Fugard and Peggy Wiggins. Stowes specializes in fine jewelry with a wide range of prices, custom jewelry design,  fine china, crystal, silver and many other serving pieces. 

We hope everyone has a happy Valentines Day and best of luck to all the guys out there proposing to their favorite girls! We hope to hear from you in the coming day so we can help you plan your dream wedding. 

 

 

Best,

Jenna Laine Weddings, LLC

251-517-9530

info@jennalaineweddings.com

www.jennalaineweddings.com

 

 

Vendor Spotlight- RHR Media

RHR Media

Part of our 2018 blog resolutions is to connect more with our local vendors. Each month we are going to post a vendor spotlight to educate you on their journeys as small business owners and give you a more in depth look at their services. 

For our first vendor spotlight we connected with one of our favorite videographers Robbie Reynolds. Robbie is the owner of RHR Media, one of the fastest growing wedding film companies in the southeast. In 2014, after two decades of working with video as a hobby, and photographing hundreds of weddings, Robbie decided to begin this new adventure. We hope as you read through this post you learn a little more about RHR Media and be sure to watch the beautiful wedding video below featuring one of our 2017 couples. 

RHR Media Logo.PNG

Tell me a little about the services you offer? RHR Media offers three basic products: the highlight film, short film, and ceremony edit. Our highlight film is more like a music video, while the short film is significantly longer and more cinematic. The ceremony edit is simply the wedding ceremony in its entirety. Our pricing ranges from $2,500 to $4,800. Occasionally, clients want something outside of these packages, and we are more than happy to customize a product to fit their needs.

What do you love most about wedding films? There are so many things I love about filming weddings. The phenomenal vendors we get to work with, the uniqueness of each wedding, the creative outlet, and the constant opportunity for growth and improvement all make this more like a fun hobby than an job. But, what I love most about filming weddings are the clients. I constantly hear nightmare stories about working with Bridezillas. Maybe I’ve just been lucky, but I haven’t even come close to having an experience like that. Fortunately, I’ve been blessed to not only work with so many amazing couples and families, but to form friendships that continue to this day. When a bride or family member contacts me days after seeing their film for the first time, and says they can’t quit watching it…..when they tell me they cry every time they see it, that’s what I enjoy most about filming weddings.

Do you travel for weddings or stay local? Not only are we willing to travel, but we enjoy seeing new places. We’ve been fortunate enough to work weddings in New York City, San Francisco, New Orleans, and Key West, Florida. With that said, when our travel is less than 120 miles in one direction, there are typically no travel charges added.

How would you describe your style of filming? My style of filming would probably be best described as Romantic Storytelling. I love to push the boundaries of traditional composition, adding subtle special effects, and color grades. But at the end of the day, it’s all about highlighting the couples story.

What are some tips for Brides as they search for a videographer? When selecting a videographer, there are several things brides should consider. 

  1. Hire an experienced, competent professional. All sorts of unexpected obstacles occur in almost every wedding. Nothing beats experience in dealing with these issues.
  2. Meet your videographer in person prior to the wedding if possible. Forming a comfortable working relationship in advance helps to quell the nervousness some people feel in front of the camera.
  3. As much as possible, avoid choosing a filmmaker based on price. There’s a reason for the drastic differences in what videographers charge. The best equipment in the world is useless in the wrong hands, but the most experienced filmmakers out there would struggle to produce acceptable wedding films with consumer grade equipment. We use very expensive cameras and lenses, audio equipment, lighting, hired assistants, licensed music, etc. These things are essential to producing high quality wedding films. You get one chance at a wedding film. Good enough, just isn’t good enough. 

From a planner stand point we can not stress enough how important wedding films are.  Photos are great, but there's nothing like hearing your vows over and over again as you grow old together or seeing loved ones on film who are no longer with you or reliving that funny first dance.  We are proud to say that all of our brides who chose to work with RHR Media are so happy with their finished products. Robbie and his crew do a great job capturing the essence of the day and the love shared between every couple. Below is a short clip Robbie did this past October of our bride and groom Hannah and Andrew. To see more videos you can check out his profile page on Vimeo 

Contact information for RHR Media:

Email: robbie@rhrmedia.com

Facebook: RHR Media

Website: RHR Media