O: Officiant – More and more couples are choosing an officiant that they know and who has some relation to them personally. Choosing an officiant that you feel comfortable with is very important, especially since many couples will be going through marriage classes with their officiant.

P: Photography – If you splurge on nothing else wedding-related, splurge on photography. The pictures you take will be invaluable not only to you, but to your children, grandchildren, parents and friends. Each photographer is different so take the time to visit with several photographers and find the one whose style and quality you like. You may regret overspending on your cake or centerpieces, but you'll never regret overspending on your pictures.

Q: Quality – There is a theory that any time the word "wedding" is mentioned prices skyrocket without any effect on the quality of services. In truth, most of the time this theory is not true. When vendors hear "wedding" they do charge more, but it's because they realize that they're dealing with the most important day of someone's life, and therefore the product requires much more attention to detail than a product for another occasion.

R: RSVPs – Ah, the eternal struggle between the wedding couple and guest's RSVPs. Inevitably, one or two guests always forgets to send theirs, or it gets lost in the mail. Enter the age of Online RSVPs. Now, you can include your wedding website URL right on your invitation and send guests right to your website to RSVP.

S: Stationery – If you think all you need to worry about is wedding invitations, think again. You'll need engagement announcements, save the date cards, and invites; RSVPs, and thank you cards for all of your wedding-related events - including your engagement party, bridal shower, bridesmaid's luncheon, bachelor and bachelorette parties, rehearsal dinner, ceremony & reception, and day-after wedding brunch. And don't forget about menus and place cards!

T: Thank-You Notes – If you follow no other wedding etiquette, please send thank-you notes, and in a timely fashion. It's common courtesy, and it makes people feel appreciated. Most guests spend a lot of money to prepare for and go to a wedding, and it's very nice to be acknowledged.

U: Union – Ultimately, this wedding is about you and your spouse coming together to form a family. But this union also signifies the union of both of your families. Everyone's situation is different, and there's no set protocol for how to handle every situation that may arise. But you can choose to handle whatever may come with class.

V: Vendors – Dealing with vendors is stressful, and 90% of the battle is usually just finding someone that you trust and feel comfortable with. Don't be afraid to shop around, and when you do, consider more than just price. There is usually a reason that one vendor is more expensive than another. Take the time to compare packages, services, references, and most importantly your instincts about each one.

W: Wedding Party – Ironically, your wedding party (especially bridesmaids) can become a major source of stress for some brides. That's why it's so important to really put thought into who you select as your attendants. It's normal to want your best friends standing up with you, but you also need to think about who's actually going to fulfill the responsibilities (and there are a lot) of being in your wedding party.

X: Xanax – Yes, Xanax -just kidding. But seriously, weddings can be stressful, so it's important to take care of yourself. Take a day or two a week off from wedding planning. This is a marathon, not a sprint; you've got to pace yourself. Speaking of running, exercise is a major stress reliever, and it'll get you into shape for the big day!

Y: Your Registry – Wedding Registries are changing. Couples have more options than ever, and because most couples live together before marriage registry items are getting less and less traditional. However, it is still a major faux pas to put your registry information on your wedding invitation. Instead, list your registry information on your personal wedding website, and include the link to your website on your invitation.

Z: Zany – Weddings today are getting a more personal touch. Couples are putting their own unique stamp on their festivities, and we love it! Don't be afraid to break out of tradition and get a little zany! You'll know what's right for you, whether that be holding a non-traditional bash, or keeping is simple with a personalized theme.

A: Attire – The search for the perfect dress is a universal dilemma among brides, but there are other forms of attire to think about as well. You'll need to discuss the groom's and groomsmen's outfits, the bridesmaid's dresses, (and remember that the maid of honor and best man's outfits are usually slightly different from the rest of the bridal party) the Mother of the bride's dress, and the dress for the flower girl.

B: Budgeting – Budgeting is both the most important and the most overlooked facet of wedding planning. Most weddings go over budget, but this can easily be avoided with careful organization. Most brides get themselves into trouble because they don't realize all the costs associated with a wedding, and therefore don't factor them into their budget.

C: Catering – You're going to need a good caterer for at least one of your wedding-related events, so it's important to find someone you like. Try them out for a smaller event like your engagement party. Then, if you had a good experience, hire them for the wedding. Great food is important to a great party, so be sure to hire someone you like and feel comfortable with.

D: Décor – Dreaming about colors, aisle runners, balloons, centerpieces and the rest of your wedding decorations can be a ton of fun, but only if you have an efficient way to organize them. The last thing you want is a notebook full of tons great ideas that don't go together. Make sure you have an Ideas and Inspiration Board, and try to visualize all your ideas before you bring them to life.

E: Etiquette – There's nothing like a wedding to cause confrontation. And even with more and more couples moving away from tradition, most wedding etiquette is still applicable. Therefore we definitely recommend brushing up on your wedding etiquette. There are plenty of great etiquette books out there, but be careful about the advice you get off of the Internet; not everyone is an expert.

F: Flowers – Flowers are a huge part of most weddings – and an expensive one. You can cut down on expenses (and up your wedding's eco-friendly factor) by setting your wedding date during a time when the flowers you want will be in season. There are plenty of florists who offer in-season local options for floral décor.

G: Guest List – The guest list will be one of the first things you'll tackle in your wedding planning. It's important to have a solid guest list for many reasons, but the first and most important is its effect on your budget. More guests equal more money. More guests will require a bigger venue, more table rentals, more centerpieces, more expensive catering, and so on and so fourth.

H: Honeymoon – Think relaxing. After months of wedding planning, you and your new spouse are going to need some serious relaxation. Don't plan every second of every day. Give yourselves a little time to just enjoy each other's company.

I: Internet – There are so many wedding resources on the web these days that even the most non-crafty bride can find ways to DIY. But the abundance of wedding sites can get a little overwhelming. We say set up some Google alerts for the wedding terms that your interested in, and let the information come to you!

J: Jewelry – Once you've found your dress, the next step is to style it up with jewelry, shoes, and accessories. Remember that the jewelry you wore on your wedding day is more likely to be handed down and worn by your daughter than your dress is, so chose something that's reflective of your personality and will be a true keepsake for your children.

K: Knight in Shining Armor – Remember him? Yes, it's easy to loose sight of what's really important when the wedding planning starts to consume your every thought. Every once and a while, take a moment to pause and reflect on the wonderful man you're about to marry. It will bring you back to center and help you maintain perspective throughout the planning process.

L: Location – Picking the right location for your wedding can be quite a process. You may already have a location in mind, but there are numerous questions to consider when deciding. Does the venue have enough parking? Restrooms? Handicap accessibility? Is it too far away from the guest's hotel to expect them to drive back and fourth?

M: Music – From choosing a DJ to picking out the song for your father-daughter dance, music will be an integral part of your wedding. You'll need music for both the ceremony and reception. Luckily, today we have tons of options: CD's, a live band, iPod play lists and so on.

N: Name Change – Not every bride takes her spouse's last name, but 88.9% of brides still plan to make the shift. Check this out for the skinny on changing your name.

We know that finding the perfect dress is important, as it should be. Luckily, there is no need to sacrifice your ethics in order to wear a Vera Wang! There are tons of ways to make your dress an eco-friendly part of your wedding.

The recycled dress:
Getting a recycled dress is a great way to (1) save money and (2) go green. If you think about it, a recycled dress has really only been worn for about 8 hours, and they're usually still like new! There are some awesome sites to find gently used gowns. My personal favorite is Preownedweddingdresses.com. They have a huge selection of beautiful dresses usually around half of their original price! They also have awesome tips for gown shopping, and you can see where the dress is located geographically to avoid excessive shipping. There are other great resources out there as well. Recycled Bride is another great resource for the eco-savvy bride. They've got resources for everything: grooms, bridesmaids, mother of the bride, shoes, rings, even the reception! An awesome resource for the vintage inspired bride is The Frock. They have 18 pages of amazing unique vintage dresses.

The eco-friendly material dress:
Mr. Larkin clothes. These eco-conscious designs are phenomenal! One dress in particular, titled Elsa, struck my fancy. It's made of 100% milk and has gorgeous sequins – perfect for 2010. The milk fiber is antibacterial and enriches your skin when you wear it – talk about a great wedding present to yourself! Elsa is also the dress that Livia Firth wore to the 16th annual SAG Awards. Check out Elsa for yourself at shopflick.com, and find out more about milk yarn here. Also check out Conscious Clothing. They have more than just dresses; Conscious Clothing has men's wedding attire, bridesmaid's dresses, lingerie and flower girl dresses. Their beautiful collections are all hemp blends, and they have options for the vegan bride as well! Poetic Justice has a smaller (but just as gorgeous) collection of organic gowns to peek at.

What to do with the dress after the wedding:
Although you may have the urge to save your dress for your hypothetical daughter, resist! More than likely, (a) the styles of today will not be the styles of your children's generation, and (b) your daughter will probably give you grief about whatever style you wear. So, what do you do with your dress? Donate it. The I Do Foundation and Brides Against Breast Cancer are both great organizations for donating your dress. When you donate your dress you're supporting a good cause and recycling!

My favorite option for recycling your dress is to style it into something new. I love the idea of creating a new classic dress that you can wear out on your anniversaries. How special! And instead of saving the dress for your kids, use excess fabric to create a baby blanket or christening gown. Using your dress to make a keepsake for your children is much more sensible than expecting them to wear it. Another option is to take a piece of the dress, embroider your wedding date and names and have it framed. You can also sell your dress recycling sites like the ones mentioned above, and let another bride get as much happiness out of it as you did! Also look at sites like The Bride To Bride Botique and Wedding Dress Market.

Whether you choose to implement one or all of these ideas, the slightest effort makes a big difference. Good luck shopping!

Even if you're a technology fiend you're going to use a lot of stationery over the course of your engagement. You'll need announcements, save the date cards, engagement party and bridal shower invitations and thank you notes, wedding invitations and RSVP cards, ceremony programs, place cards, menu cards, and wedding thank you notes. As easy as it would be to just send everything via email, having actual wedding invitations is always nice. Going green with your wedding stationery isn't as difficult or expensive as you may think. So, here are some awesome tidbits on how to "green up" your wedding stationery.

Paper Options:
Paper has only been made from trees for about 150 years now, so in addition to using recycled paper, you can look for tree-free paper. Invite Site is a great source for tree free wedding stationery. They also have great DIY kits for the crafty bride. Also, look for paper that is processed chlorine free (PCF). PCF paper is partially or totally recycled and is either unbleached or bleached with non-chlorine compounds. Though PCF paper is the most eco-friendly, also keep an eye out for these other common acronyms. ECF or elemental chlorine-free indicates that the paper fibers (virgin or recycled) are bleached with chlorine dioxide or other chlorine compounds. TCF or totally chlorine-free indicates that the fiber is 100% virgin and is either unbleached or bleached with non-chlorine compounds. Recycled paper cannot be TFC because the original processing of the paper is unknown.

Plant it!:
One of the greatest trends right now is plantable stationery. Foreverfiancies.com has an entire plantable collection! Their 100 percent recycled papers are embedded with wildflower seeds so your guests can plant your invitation! They also have save the date and announcement cards to match your theme.

Green ink:
Though many companies advertise themselves as using sustainable printing methods, there are a couple of options when it comes to ink. Soy based ink is popular and definitely more eco-friendly than petroleum based inks, but the best choice is actually vegetable based ink. Most soy ink is only about 20 percent soy, and it produces more volatile organic compounds (VOC's) than vegetable based inks. Vegetable ink is also considered more sustainable because it utilizes more than one crop, and it doesn't compete with the market for biodiesel fuel. Soybean oil, on the other hand, is used to make biodiesel.

Email RSVP's:
I highly recommend setting up an email address strictly for your wedding. Everything is online these days, and you'll want all of your online wedding information coming to you in one spot. Once you've set up your wedding email, save some paper (and some money on postage!) and have your guests email their RSVP's. Or, if you have a wedding website with an online RSVP feature, you can simply have guests reply there. Include your email address, or your website URL on your stationery invitation and give short directions for, including entrée choices, reply by date, and whether or not they will attend. If you have wedding planning software with bulk email capabilities, this step will be a snap.

With all of the stationery you're sure to be using over the course of your engagement, this is a great, easy area to go green. Happy planning, and more sustainable wedding tips coming soon!

Carat = weight

Carat – 200 milligrams or 0.2 Grams

A carat is a unit of weight measurement for diamonds and is completely different than "karat" or the method of determining the purity of gold. One Carat is equal to 200 milligrams or 0.2 grams. Carat weight is measured the same all over the world.

One carat is divided into 100 points. For example, a diamond of 50 points is .50 carats. As the carat of a diamond increases, so does its price. The majority of diamonds used in fine jewelry weigh one carat or less. Larger diamonds are rare, and therefore more valuable. However, diamonds of the same carat can vary widely in price depending on their cut, color, and clarity.

When diamond shopping, the general rule of thumb is to spend 2-3 month's salary. Remember that this is just a guideline, and every buyer has a different budget. When you decide on a carat size, you'll also have to consider the quality. You can opt for a larger diamond with lower grading in color and clarity. Or you can go for a smaller stone with higher grading in color and clarity.

When you're thinking about carat, remember to consider the setting you'll be putting the diamond in. You'll have to make sure that the setting will fit the carat weight of the diamond you choose.

Though not technically in the 4 C's of diamonds, there is a fifth C that's very important: Certificates.

A diamond certificate is not the same thing as an appraisal. A certificate describes the quality of a diamond, but does not assert a monetary value for the stone. An appraisal states the monetary value of the gem, but does not certify the quality of the diamond.

A certificate gives you a type of blueprint of the diamond and will tell you the stone's exact weight, measurement, and quality and clarity information. It will provide detailed descriptions of all of the unique characteristics of your diamonds.

You can get a certificate through the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) or the American Gem Society (AGS). There are also other laboratories that issue certificates, but these two organizations are the most highly recognized in the world.

Shopping for certified diamonds ensures that you're making an informed decision about the gem you purchase and gives you a frame of reference for comparison while shopping around. If you buy a diamond without a certificate, you're buying it based solely on the salesman's word about its quality, and there is no guarantee that another jeweler or gemologist will agree with their assessment.

Color = color

Diamonds actually occur naturally in all colors. But since most buyers are interested in colorless, there is a scale to rate the colorlessness of "white" diamonds. So, when a jeweler talks about the color of the diamond, they're referring to the presence or absence of color in a white diamond. The color of a diamond never changes, and occurs based on the stone's composition.

Colorless diamonds are more popular because they allow more light to travel throughout the diamond, giving it more sparkle or brilliance. Truly colorless diamonds are very rare, and thus more expensive and higher in value. When light exits a completely colorless diamond, the light will show the colors of the rainbow

*Note: This rule does not apply to diamonds of other colors. Some colored diamonds are also very rare and are considered of higher values due to their color.

Color is graded from totally colorless (rated "D") to light yellow or "Z." Variations between grades are very subtle and hard to pinpoint.

• D, E, F - These diamonds are considered colorless
  
• G, H, I, J - Near Colorless
  
• K, L, M - Faint Yellow
  
• N, O, P, Q, R - Very Light Yellow
  
• S, T, U, V, W, X - Light Yellow

Diamonds graded "G" - "I" generally cannot be distinguished from colorless diamonds by the untrained eye. And, if your setting is yellow gold rather than white gold or platinum, you can often get away with a lower color grade.

When you hear about fluorescence:
A diamond's fluorescence is its reaction when exposed to long-wave ultraviolet light. Under most normal lighting conditions, the stone's fluorescence isn't visible. However, a diamond that shows blue under a UV light may appear cloudy in sunlight. Generally people avoid diamonds with more than faint fluorescence, but some people like this effect. Fluorescence is really a matter of aesthetics, and the GIA states that fluorescence makes very little difference as to the stone's appearance.

Oddly, diamonds graded D, E, F, G, H, I, and J are less expensive when they show fluorescence. But diamonds K, L, and M are more expensive when they show fluorescence. According to one theory, fluorescence makes colorless diamonds appear cloudy, reducing their value; but increases the value of yellower diamonds because the blue offsets their yellow color, making them appear whiter. Currently, there is no verification of this theory. Overall, fluorescence should not influence your purchasing decisions.

If the stress of picking out the perfect ring weren't enough, you also have to learn a whole new vocabulary – the four C's of diamond shopping. Since it's the one piece of jewelry she'll be wearing every day for the rest of her life, it's important to make an informed decision. Buying a diamond can be confusing, and you want to know exactly what you're talking about when you meet with a jeweler. So, we've broken it down into plain English so you'll be fully prepared.

For this post, let's take a look at the cut of the diamond.

Cut = Angles

Here's a little glossary of terms about cut. We'll work from the top down:

Table – The flat surface on the top of a diamond
Crown – The sloped part of the top of the diamond coming off of the table
Diameter – the width of the diamond measured through its widest part
Girdle – the narrow rim going around the widest part of the diamond that separates the top from the bottom. This is where the diameter of the stone is measured.
Pavilion – The bottom part of the diamond, below the girdle. Also referred to as the base.
Cutlet – the point on the bottom of the diamond.
Depth – the total height of the stone, from the top of the diamond (the table) to the bottom (the cutlet).
Brilliance – basically the diamond's fire or radiance. A stone's cut dramatically affects its brilliance.

The diamond's cut is possibly the most important of the four C's. The cut is all about the angels and proportions of the diamond rather than the shape (ie princess, emerald, etc). The diamond's cut does affect how the diamond looks. So, when a jeweler refers to the diamond's cut, they're talking about its reflective qualities, not the shape of the stone.

If it's cut correctly, the light that enters through the stone's surface or "table" will be reflected back out through its surface. However, if a diamond is cut too shallow or too deep, the light will escape through the bottom or sides of the stone, reducing its brilliance. A stone with a good cut has that fiery glittering effect that makes diamonds so mesmerizing. For buying purposes, cuts have been broken down into grades:

Ideal Cut - Applies only to round diamonds. Ideal cut diamonds generally have smaller table sizes and create maximum brilliance.

Premium -Premium cut round diamonds are generally comparable to ideal cut round diamonds, but can be a bit less expensive. Premium cut diamonds are also cut to create maximum brilliance.

Very Good - Very Good diamonds reflect most of the light that enters them. In these diamonds, the cut has been compromised slightly in order to have a larger diamond.

Good - These diamonds reflect much of the light that enters them. Here, the cut has been compromised in order to create the biggest stone possible.

Fair and Poor - These stones only reflect a small amount of light that enters them. They have typically been cut for more carat weight.

If the jeweler you're speaking with doesn't seem to know the difference between "cut" and "shape," that's your first indication that you should be looking somewhere else.

*Note: All grading systems from the Gemological Institute of America (GIA)