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I've been searching this thread for a bit and I couldn't find an answer for this question in the 71 pages (so I may have missed it). Does anyone have any experience with buying lab emeralds for the center stone? My girlfriend wants an emerald and likes the idea of lab gems so that's basically my mission, however I don't know if places that weren't recommended for diamonds (such as diamond nexus labs) are ok for emeralds. Anyone have a recommended producer?
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Feb 17, 2010 16:06
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Xenopax, you want a Chatham Emerald. Lab grown, and absolute excellent quality. They are very affordable, and any jeweler can source them. http://www.chatham.com/
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Feb 19, 2010 00:13
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JohnnyRnR: do you know of any other reputable places that make created Alexandrite jewelery, similar Chathams? My search still continues.
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Feb 19, 2010 02:39
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Lingling posted:JohnnyRnR: do you know of any other reputable places that make created Alexandrite jewelery, similar Chathams? My search still continues. I'd also like to hear an answer to this question. It's looking like emeralds are too soft, so I'm changing my search (with g/f approval) to Rubies and Alexandrite. I think if I found the right Alexandrite we'd be happier with that due to the uniqueness of it.
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Feb 19, 2010 03:14
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I also have another question for the people in this thread: What's a good place to get an antique style setting? I'll be going to see a collection at Kay's when they have a jeweler on-site however beyond that I don't have any local places that seem to deal heavily in that style jewelery. Are there any on-line sites that are trustworthy for this sort of thing?
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Feb 19, 2010 05:12
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Xenopax posted:I also have another question for the people in this thread: What's a good place to get an antique style setting? I'll be going to see a collection at Kay's when they have a jeweler on-site however beyond that I don't have any local places that seem to deal heavily in that style jewelery. Are there any on-line sites that are trustworthy for this sort of thing? http://www.faycullen.com/
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Feb 19, 2010 05:22
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Xenopax--We bought this ring http://www.antiquejewelrymall.com/ssr228b.html in amethyst from Antique Jewelry Mall and were very pleased with their communication, customer service, and the product itself, which was so delicate and beautiful. I bet they'd sell just a setting too!
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Feb 19, 2010 05:29
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Lingling posted:JohnnyRnR: do you know of any other reputable places that make created Alexandrite jewelery, similar Chathams? My search still continues. I don't know of anyone who stocks synthetic Alexandrite jewelry as a matter of course, but any jeweler should be able to order them. Shoot me a PM and I'll see if I can find what you're looking for.
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Feb 19, 2010 17:14
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I am sooo excited that I finally read through the whole thread, oh yea and that I am newly engaged! I came home from a weekend trip to find a present on the coffee table. I opened it and it was a piggy bank....I shook it and there was something inside! I turned it over and the loving plug was super-glued shut. I looked over at my boyfriend and he was holding a hammer! I said NO WAY, but eventually gave in and smashed the poor pig. (My boyfriend laughed at me while I apologized to it.) There was a key inside...I bet you though there was going to be a ring inside...so did I, and that's why I smashed it very gently. Well, as gently as you can smash a piggy bank with a hammer. The key inside was to our lock box, which I opened and found this:  A 1ct moissanite ring with baguettes on the side! Even though I had been dropping hints for the past year or so that I would like a ring before our 5th anniversary, it was a total surprise and I would not have wanted it any other way. My boyfriend said that if he had had more time it would have been a cement block and a sledge hammer; thank god he did not have more time! Plus now I get to tell people that my proposal involved a pig and a hammer.  Like Fire In The Disco, I loooove my conflict free, extra fiery moissanite ring, and no one knows it's not a diamond until I tell them. So my dilemma is that our wedding is not until October of 2011, but I think I already found my dress. It was third dress I tried on but was out of my price range. I tried on at least 20 dresses after that, but kept going back to that third dress. Then an awesome goon posted the OnceWed.com website, and I found it in my price range and in my size! So my questions are: 1) Has anyone used OnceWed.com, and have good or bad experiences to share. I have have e-mailed with the person selling the dress, who seems amiable, real, and open to possibly using something like papal for payment. Any other tips for not getting ripped off? 2) I plan to ..er...get into better shape before my wedding. The dress is my current size, but what if I drop a dress size or two? I don't want someone to have to remake the dress. 3) I was very upset with the prospect that I would not be able to afford the dress and did not think that I would find another like it because I think it is pretty unique. My plan was to try to figure out exactly when it would go on clearance and then try to still find it in my size. Now I'm thinking what if I buy the dress and find a better one between now and October of 2011! Sometimes I'm not so fond of that nagging girlie inner monologue.
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Feb 24, 2010 02:19
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Buy it now. It's a lot easier to alter a dress to a smaller size than it is the other way around. If you like it and you've tried on a variety of other dresses - go for it!
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Feb 24, 2010 02:48
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Speaking of dresses. What is the best way to get a dress spot cleaned? We bought her dress from David's Bridal and were told it would be spot cleaned before we picked it up off layaway. It wasn't done, which we didn't notice until we got it home. The David's Bridal near us has been a madhouse every time we've gone in there. I am glad we got the dress out of the way. Another question, she found a wedding band that she likes and it looks like it will go really well with her ring. The website, here, says that it only comes in size 6 and can not be sized. I am assuming since it is engraved around completely they don't want to destroy the pattern. I'm sure it would be ok to take it someplace to have it sized correct?
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Feb 24, 2010 14:20
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calandryll posted:Another question, she found a wedding band that she likes and it looks like it will go really well with her ring. The website, here, says that it only comes in size 6 and can not be sized. I am assuming since it is engraved around completely they don't want to destroy the pattern. I'm sure it would be ok to take it someplace to have it sized correct? That's a beautiful ring, but no, I'm pretty sure you can't just get it sized elsewhere. Sizing would require either cutting a chunk out of the ring & re-soldering it (and polishing it and re-carving it) or putting a new bit of ring in and doing the same. Before buying, I would definitely take a picture of the ring to jewelers in the area and see what they think. I haven't done metal work in a really long time, but it strikes me that sizing it would absolutely ruin the pattern on one side.
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Feb 24, 2010 14:59
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Nicol Bolas posted:That's a beautiful ring, but no, I'm pretty sure you can't just get it sized elsewhere. Sizing would require either cutting a chunk out of the ring & re-soldering it (and polishing it and re-carving it) or putting a new bit of ring in and doing the same. Before buying, I would definitely take a picture of the ring to jewelers in the area and see what they think. I haven't done metal work in a really long time, but it strikes me that sizing it would absolutely ruin the pattern on one side. That's what I figured was the problem. I'll have to talk to a local jeweler then.
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Feb 24, 2010 16:05
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calandryll posted:Speaking of dresses. What is the best way to get a dress spot cleaned? We bought her dress from David's Bridal and were told it would be spot cleaned before we picked it up off layaway. It wasn't done, which we didn't notice until we got it home. The David's Bridal near us has been a madhouse every time we've gone in there. I am glad we got the dress out of the way. I successfully used Shout wipes to get out a couple of spots on the bottom of my dress where it got dirty during bridal portraits. If it needs more extensive cleaning, take it to a dry cleaner.
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Feb 24, 2010 19:08
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Nexus-6 posted:http://www.faycullen.com/ Speaking of faycullen.com, does anyone have any personal anecdotes about using their services? My significant other and I will be getting me a ring relatively soon, and I liked their prices and selection very much. I see they're trustworthy, are they also good with customer service? Are the website pictures true to the real-life products? Etc. I have nothing to compare their service with, as I've never made any sort of several thousand dollar purchase over the internet.  It makes me very nervous, but there's no place in town that is so cheap and with so many choices of antique-vintage design.Thank you!
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Feb 24, 2010 21:16
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its done...I'm finally married Wife has gone from bridzilla mode to normal newlywed wife Post wedding: photographer just sent us a pdf with 2400 pictures...we get to pick just 100
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Feb 27, 2010 16:52
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l_th posted:its done...I'm finally married Congrats!
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Feb 27, 2010 18:12
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Argenterie posted:Speaking of faycullen.com, does anyone have any personal anecdotes about using their services? My significant other and I will be getting me a ring relatively soon, and I liked their prices and selection very much. I see they're trustworthy, are they also good with customer service? Are the website pictures true to the real-life products? Etc. I have nothing to compare their service with, as I've never made any sort of several thousand dollar purchase over the internet. I was looking at Fay Cullen for a while, too, but then started hearing awful things about their customer service (shoddy re-sizing, can't return things, etc.). Decided it wasn't worth the risk, so now my guy and I are back at square one when it comes to picking a place to buy a ring from. 
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Feb 27, 2010 19:12
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Alright, I've always been told that you buy an engagement ring at a mom and pop store because of the warranty. Basically, a ring needs maintenance and the money you would save by buying online basically breaks even because you would have to pay out of pocket for a lot of basic work that needs to be done to the ring over time. Am I being lied to? I have no objections to either buying online or in a B&M store. That being said, I want to propose this month to my girlfriend of four and a half years. Undergrad sweethearts. Last month she told me that wants to "spawn more overlords" with me. Edit: I did go with her on a lark one day to "look at rings" at the King of Prussia Mall. Everything she liked was under $400 anyway... Insane Totoro fucked around with this message at 18:52 on Mar 1, 2010 |
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Mar 1, 2010 18:49
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At the less than $500 price point I think it is very important to see a ring in person. Almost anything you see online is going to be photoshopped like crazy. This is where the local retail jeweler is their absolute strongest - You can walk in and compare different pieces at different price points.
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Mar 3, 2010 02:00
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I hate thinking about planning a wedding. Me and my finance got engaged in December '09, and right now we're thinking about Summer '11 to get married. We haven't put much thought into it really, but I'm already hearing drama from my moms side of my family about everything. We're both from Michigan, but now live in Chicago. My moms side of the family is also very religious. Soooo... -They want us to get married in a church. The fiance is not religious, and I am indifferent to the church thing.... -They want us to get married back in Michigan. I would imagine it would be incredibly hard to plan a wedding out of state while having a full time job. -I'm already hearing complaining about how my fiance's family won't pay for the wedding. Her parents offered a gift of money, like their parents did for them and like they did for her brother. Sounds fair to me, but my parents are really traditional about the thing. And then other little nitpicky details I don't want to get into... I've already told them to pay for it and we'll do whatever they want, if not they will be a guest and we'll do things our way. They don't seem to like either of those options unfortunately. I think they feel like we're going to be too cheap and it won't be nice. Anyway.... my #1 idea right now it to have the whole thing on that Odyssey Dinner Cruise Boat at Navy Pier. We had our anniversary dinner there last year and the food was amazing, great atmosphere, and definitely fun being out on the water. It would be $3,000 for the ceremony, and either $135 or $175 per person depending on if we wanted the "Unlimited premium bar package" with each person... I could see it being 75 people TOPS, so it seems like this might be a good fit. Seems a bit pricey, but I think we might have a small wedding since not many people will be willing to travel far for a wedding from the sounds of it. The fiance's brother's wedding was out of state as well, maybe had 50 people at it. And with that price they include flowers, food, entertainment (live band), day of wedding coordinator. I'm just guessing we could probably have a nicer, bigger wedding for cheaper doing more things ourselves rather than just writing a check and getting it over with. So has anybody done a dinner cruise ceremony/reception before?
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Mar 4, 2010 18:26
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Astro7x posted:-They want us to get married back in Michigan. I would imagine it would be incredibly hard to plan a wedding out of state while having a full time job. We're planning our Wisconsin wedding from California. It was a little bit stressful trying to find a place to have the reception, but that's because we started out wanting a specific date. Once we opened ourselves up to the idea of a different date, things fell into place. Other than that, it's been absolutely fine. In fact, I'm so glad to be doing it this way because I don't have people swooping in and insisting on giving me advice I don't need. (But my family also knows how headstrong I am and that I'm going to do it my way regardless.) There's only one part that makes me a little bit sad - I had my sister do my cake tastings for me, so I have no idea what my wedding cake is going to taste like. Astro7x posted:-I'm already hearing complaining about how my fiance's family won't pay for the wedding. Her parents offered a gift of money, like their parents did for them and like they did for her brother. Sounds fair to me, but my parents are really traditional about the thing. Who is complaining? Your family? Pfft. As long as you and your fiance are fine with whatever arrangement is made, then who cares? My fiance and I decided that we didn't want our families to help pay for anything because his family is so much more well off than my family that I didn't want anyone to feel like they had to keep up with the Joneses. That didn't stop his parents from cutting us a hefty check, but everyone understands that we're going to do with the money what we want because it was given as a gift, no strings attached. Astro7x posted:So has anybody done a dinner cruise ceremony/reception before? We thought about doing this for the reception, but ultimately nixed it because one of two things typically happen: 1. The boat is on the water (not docked) and people want to leave but can't. 2. The boat stays docked the entire night because you want people to be able to leave whenever they want, and then what's the point of having the boat? If your guests are the type that would enjoy the cruise, then go for it. If not, well, you can invite me. I love Chicago and cruises. 
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Mar 4, 2010 19:23
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vanessa posted:Who is complaining? Your family? Pfft. As long as you and your fiance are fine with whatever arrangement is made, then who cares? My fiance and I decided that we didn't want our families to help pay for anything because his family is so much more well off than my family that I didn't want anyone to feel like they had to keep up with the Joneses. That didn't stop his parents from cutting us a hefty check, but everyone understands that we're going to do with the money what we want because it was given as a gift, no strings attached. Thanks for the out of state advice! It's not the complaining to me that bothers me, it's that I know someone will open their stupid mouth about it eventually and word gets around an feelings get hurt. For example, my finance picked out her ring and the first thing that my Grandma says to me right in front of her is "you should have gotten it bigger!", followed by a good week or so of her not being happy with the ring THAT SHE PICKED OUT!
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Mar 5, 2010 04:27
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JohnnyRnR posted:At the less than $500 price point I think it is very important to see a ring in person. Almost anything you see online is going to be photoshopped like crazy. This is where the local retail jeweler is their absolute strongest - You can walk in and compare different pieces at different price points. http://www.helzberg.com/nav/i/categ...sortby=ourPicks Well, she found this one at the Helzberg store. We saw it in person and she liked it a lot. Do you think a local mom and pop place would do better? If so, can I talk them down a bit from this kind of price? If it helps, I am in the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton area of Pennsylvania. I've heard of the Freeman name in jewelry stores locally, but nobody I know has any recent experience with them.
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Mar 8, 2010 15:29
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Speaking of Helzberg, this ad just spawned an angry thread on Offbeat Bride (where everyone is very, very PC): Nothin' says love like a roofie and a ring.
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Mar 8, 2010 16:14
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Zaftig posted:Speaking of Helzberg, this ad just spawned an angry thread on Offbeat Bride (where everyone is very, very PC): That ring looks just like a face. Like your avatar!
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Mar 8, 2010 17:33
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Any bright ideas for groomsmen gifts? I've got three: a grad student, a law student, and a guy who's into agriculture. I was thinking of getting them a leatherman tool (all 3 were boy scouts) with their initials engraved, but that's the tip top of my budget at ~$65 a pop. I could do something like paying for their tux rentals, or just getting them all silly drunk (but that's what we're doing for a bachelor party, so eh). Any non-traditional ideas?
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Mar 9, 2010 01:26
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Does anyone have any tips in the DC/Bethesda area for dresses or jewelers?
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Mar 9, 2010 19:30
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If you are willing to go out to Annapolis for a dress I highly recommend LEX Bridal. It's not a huge shop, but they have been fabulous to work with so far and two of my coworkers also got their dresses there. The girl that works there, Andrea, let me look around a little, asked my budget (and stuck to it)asked what kind of style I was looking for and found me the most fantastic dress. (It makes me look skinny!)I have only seen the owner (LEX) once and she seemed a little nutty, but Andrea has been wonderful to work with. My fiance got my ring from Charleston Alexanders (which is in Bethesda) but that is as much as I know.
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Mar 9, 2010 22:04
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I got proposed to today! My boyfriend planned a super secret date day for today (he's cute like that) and took me hiking to the top of a mountain. I've been wanting to go hiking with him since we started dating so it's extra sweet. When we got up to the top we had some snacks and he told me not to eat too much beef jerky because he packed a secret dessert. After that, he told me to keep my eyes closed while he got dessert together. When I opened them he was standing in front of me, right near the edge of the mountain. He gave me the ring and put it on my hand, I was too afraid that he would fall backwards (he's afraid of heights) to go crazy but I was very excited. After that he produced a small bottle of champagne and two plastic glasses. We drank at the top and then headed back down. I was afraid to use my hands as a brace on the way down because I didn't want to hurt the ring. When I mentioned that, some women behind us congratulated us- at that point I got a little teary-eyed, as I started to realize how real it was. Having talked to my boyfriend about it so many times, it almost didn't seem like much had changed when he proposed until I realized that it's now concrete- this is really happening. Oh my god! I guess JohnnyRnR really worked with my boyfriend to get my ring just right. I am so, so impressed with his work. I used to metalsmith so I really appreciate the level of detail on my ring, it's just gorgeous! So far I am really, really digging the moissanite. My boyfriend knew how much I wanted it so he got JohnnyRnR to swap out the diamond for me. The moissanite is the palest yellow in some light, sort of a slate color in other light, and absolutely brilliant white in most light. I keep catching myself staring at it, it's so shiny! And I actually really like the color changing aspect of it. Okay, pictures!  Click here for the full 1583x1307 image.  Click here for the full 1290x466 image.  Click here for the full 1607x933 image.  Click here for the full 1502x1704 image.
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Mar 13, 2010 05:29
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Woooooo, congrats Sonoran desert buddy! Your ring is gorgeous, too. I also adore my moissanite to no end.
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Mar 13, 2010 05:31
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Fire In The Disco posted:Woooooo, congrats Sonoran desert buddy! Your ring is gorgeous, too. I also adore my moissanite to no end. Squaw Peak! I always used to hike South Mountain but I've done this one once before. I guess he was first considering Camelback but it would've been hard. We both had to go to work after this afternoon. It was so much fun though!!!
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Mar 13, 2010 05:34
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I'm down here in the cooler part of the desert.  Seriously, though, I love reading about cool proposal stories. Makes me so happy!!
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Mar 13, 2010 05:41
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dopaMEAN posted:I guess JohnnyRnR really worked with my boyfriend to get my ring just right. I am so, so impressed with his work. I used to metalsmith so I really appreciate the level of detail on my ring, it's just gorgeous! So far I am really, really digging the moissanite. My boyfriend knew how much I wanted it so he got JohnnyRnR to swap out the diamond for me. If you would like to buy a ring, I highly recommend giving JohnnyRnR your money! He was extremely patient with me the entire time, and I'm *very* happy with the final product. edit: goon love is the best love
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Mar 13, 2010 05:47
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dopaMEAN posted:
That is freaking awesome. Great ring!
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Mar 13, 2010 06:05
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I got married yesterday! Just wanted to share the amazing slideshow our photographer put together for us; he showed it on a flat screen monitor at our reception, and our guests loved it. He was amazing to work with, so if there are any SF Bay Area brides looking for a photographer, consider Joel Flory. Check us out: http://www.floryphoto.com/clients/kristen-alex-wed Bonus: my HUSBAND(!) and I met on OkCupid
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Mar 13, 2010 22:35
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Nexus-6 posted:I got married yesterday! Just wanted to share the amazing slideshow our photographer put together for us; he showed it on a flat screen monitor at our reception, and our guests loved it. Congratulations!
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Mar 13, 2010 22:52
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Nexus-6 posted:Bonus: my HUSBAND(!) and I met on OkCupid DocFaustus and I met on OkCupid too! He made some comment about me being a goon and I didn't even notice it. A week later I was browsing and really liked his profile and we were a really high match so I struck up a conversation by mentioning the dangers of microwave popcorn. I'm so glad I did! I am sure our children will think we're gigantic nerds, I think his sisters do already, but that's alright- I am so happy I met him! Also, congratulations! dopaMEAN fucked around with this message at 23:00 on Mar 13, 2010 |
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Mar 13, 2010 22:58
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iloverice posted:I hate to take attention away from your marriage but where did your husband get his totally sweet glasses? I've been looking for a pair almost exactly like that for ages. He says they're by Pro Design Denmark
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Mar 13, 2010 23:16
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Nexus-6 posted:I got married yesterday! Just wanted to share the amazing slideshow our photographer put together for us; he showed it on a flat screen monitor at our reception, and our guests loved it. Oh my god, I love your hair and the veil, that's such an elegant look!
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Mar 13, 2010 23:19
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