My Future Mother-in-Law is Insisting We Hire a Reception Band That Plays Music from Her Native Country. We Want a Regular Band. What Do We Do?

Is she paying for the wedding?  When a parent or other relative is covering the costs there are usually strings attached.

I would look for a compromise where the band she wants plays during cocktails or during dinner or for part of the dancing portion of the reception. 

If your fiance can’t seem to talk his mother into some kind of compromise, it’s up to both of you to decide if you:

A.  Need her money to cover the wedding costs and have to do what she asks

B.  Can ignore her requests and hire who you want

C.  Go ahead and hire her band as well as the band you want and have the two coordinate who will play when at the wedding

A wedding shouldn’t cause World War III but it’s common for individuals to disagree on the details.  If your future mother-in-law won’t compromise then I vote for C and if money’s the issue, hire a less expensive DJ of your choice to alternate with the band of hers.

What Should the Engraving On Our Wedding Bands Say?

If you have to ask then don’t engrave them. Engraving your wedding rings is like getting a tattoo -- it should be something important, meaningful to you and not some trendy thing you read in a celeb tabloid magazine.

Simple options are your names, wedding date, a quote or lyric that has meaning to you and your fiance.

When choosing wedding bands ask what your engraving options are regarding character count and find out how long it will take to have the engraving done. As long as you aren’t in a rush you should take some time to think about what you want and if you can’t think of anything don’t engrave them. You can always go back to the jeweler and have them engraved after the wedding.

I Hired a DJ But Now I’m Having Second Thoughts and Think We Should Hire a Band. How Do We Decide What to Do?

First ask yourselves why you hired a DJ in the first place. Was it because it would save you money? Did you go to an event where he played and you liked the way he got the crowd on the floor? Was it because you thought a wedding band may not play the songs you want? Is it this particular DJ that you’re having second thought about or just the idea of a DJ in general.

Before you cancel the contract, lose your deposit and start the music search over again you need to figure out what your alternative options are -- is there a band you like that’s free on your wedding day? Will you have enough time to find someone new? And secondly, what entertainment do you really want for your wedding?

It’s fine to change your mind but just make sure you’re making the decision for the right reasons and before canceling the contract you need to know that the alternative you’re looking for is available.

My Groom Doesn’t Want to Wear a Wedding Band. Does It Mean He’s Going to Cheat On Me?

Not at all. Not every man wears a wedding band -- my grandfathers didn’t, nor does Prince Phillip, Prince Charles or Prince William.

Don’t be afraid to ask your fiance what his hesitation is to wearing a band, for all you know he’s allergic to gold or the feeling irritates his skin. I wouldn’t assume he is planning on having an affair.

If he won’t wear a wedding band maybe he’ll agree to a tattoo wedding band. Several celebrities have gone the route of having a decorative band inked around their left ring finger. The design can include your wedding date and/or names just like the inside of a metal band.

Wedding Rings: How to Choose the Right One

There are so many options when it comes to wedding bands: gold, platinum, eternity ... You should take your time picking the right one.

You can choose a simple, solid metallic band or something with a little more bling. Try on rings that you can wear with your engagement ring on the same finger as well as rings you can wear alone.

While diamond wedding bands are very popular, if it's not in your budget right now, choose a simpler style and wait till a big anniversary to receive the diamond one.

If you're having a Jewish ceremony, remember that you will have to exchange rings that have no breaks in them (meaning, no stones), so shop for, or borrow from relatives or friends, a pair of simple gold or platinum wedding rings for your ceremony.

Jessica Simpson's Ruby Engagement Ring

I'm sure you've heard that Jessica Simpson is engaged to Eric Johnson and that the groom proposed with a ring that has a ruby as the center stone and diamond side stones.

It used to be that sapphires were the colored stone of choice for brides and grooms looking for something different (Princess Diana, Monica on Friends), but you can get an engagement ring with any colored stone - sapphire, ruby, emerald, etc...

Try on colored stones at the jewelers as you begin your search for the ring. And if you're already wearing an engagement ring maybe you want to try on some wedding bands with colored stones instead of diamonds.

Don't be afraid to be different from your friends.  Get the ring or band that suits your personal style.

Making a Party Playlist

If you're like me then you have no idea how to put together a party playlist.  I am always eyeing the iPods of friends to see what songs they have on when we're over for a cocktail or dinner party.  My playlists are built by decade or artist so guests will either get an all Elvis playlist or an all '80s playlist.

When having guests over for a pre-wedding celebration like an engagement cocktail party or a more formal event like your rehearsal dinner you may want to put on some background music.  While a wedding-themed playlist can be fun for the first 10 minutes, you may want something a little more sophisticated for the rest of the night.

Pandora.com is the perfect, free, service to help you put together the right playlist for your party.  You enter the name of a song or artist and they will create and play a playlist for you with music by that artist and similar sounding songs.  You won't end up with a playlist of one artist.

The songs will play continuously at no charge and you can play the music directly from your computer or attach a pair of speakers to your computer for more/better quality sound.  And speaking of sound, remember to keep the sound loud enough to hear the music but not loud enough so that your guests have to yell over it.

And while you can use pandora.com to help find the right songs for your wedding ceremony, cocktail hour and reception playlist, I recommend hiring a professional wedding band or DJ for your wedding day.

Get Up On the Dance Floor

As the bride and groom you are the hosts of the event - if you're parents are paying they are considered hosts too.  So when it comes to getting the party started it's up to the two of you to get things going.

Your guests will follow your lead.  If you're on the dance floor they'll want to be on it with you.  If you're visiting with each table, many people will remain in their seats because they are waiting to speak with you.

Basically, the more the bride and groom avoid the dance floor the more your guests will.

So if you're hoping that everyone has an amazing time at your wedding and hired a great band or DJ it's important that the two of you enjoy time on the dance floor with your guests.  If you guys aren't big dancers there's nothing wrong with planning a formal dinner and hiring musicians specifically to play background music during the meal.

Will You Wear your Wedding Ring?

There's all this speculation in the media about Elin Woods - whether or not she'll stay or get a divorce - and a lot of the questions are based on whether or not she's wearing her wedding ring.

Someone told me today about a woman who doesn't wear her ring when she has a fight with her husband.  I guess it just seems strange to me not to wear my wedding ring.

Not that I'm giving an opinion re: Tiger Woods' philandering but I guess it's the idea of not wearing your wedding ring as a sign that you're not happy in your marriage.

What do you think?  If you fight with your fiance do you take off your ring?  Do you call off the wedding?  Just asking.

Bands of Gold, Platinum, etc...

Now that your engagement ring is making your left hand sparkle, what are you going to get to match it? There are so many options when it comes to wedding bands - gold, platinum, eternity - you should take your time in picking one.

You can choose a simple solid metallic band - Jewish ceremonies require that the rings you exchange have no breaks in them, therefore you need a gold or platinum ring without stones - or something with a little more bling. Try on rings that you can wear with your engagement ring on the same finger, as well as rings you can wear alone.

Diamond bands are very popular, but if it's not in your budget right now choose a simpler style, and wait till a big anniversary to receive the diamond one.

The rings featured above are from Tiffany & Co.