I hate to admit it, but I am so obsessed with the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon. I usually hate romance novels but this novel cleverly disguises itself as historical fiction. Or, rather, the second book, Dragonfly in Amber does. Outlander is a bit more romancey. Anyway, reading the first two books started me on a quest for a wedding ring like the one the protagonist receives or at least a wedding band of a Scottish nature.

I know I’ve always maintained that I wanted a plain gold band, but I am so in love with the rings from Scottish Heirloom Jewelry. Particularly the cluster knot band below.

This is me swooning like a romance novel heroine!

Diamonds are not this girl’s best friend but I wouldn’t kick them out of bed, either. I’m not saying that I want a diamond engagement ring – because I actually want something in moissanite - but diamonds do remain something of a tradition. I’m going to go out on a limb here and assume that most young men looking to get hitched probably run on down to their local chain jewel and buy whatever the salesperson tells them to buy. This would be wonderful, as jewelers tend to know a lot about jewels, save for one thing: jewelry stores exist to sell jewelry. End of story.

As do diamond companies, which is why DeBeers likes to imply that diamonds are forever when in fact all diamonds are slowly transforming into graphite (which has a more stable chemical bond, blah blah blah) over time. Anyway. If your man is the more traditional sort and is going to propose with a diamond, like the quarter carat diamond trio above, he should have the tools to do it right.

So, for your perusal, here are some links to some of the more lengthy guides on buying diamonds. After you’ve e-mailed them to your fellow, don’t forget to let him know there will be a quiz in the morning.

The Diamond Buying Guide: This site has more pages than I probably have the patience to look through, but let’s just say it’s…comprehensive.

Diamond.com: This somewhat shorter guide includes some helpdul (and scientific) illustrations to help readers understand the importance of cut, etc.

The Guide at Bridaltips.com: The layout of this guide stinks and there are a lot of ads, but it does address concerns that the size of the ring has something to do with the size of the love. Which, of course, it doesn’t.

So. Flower girls. I always thought I’d have one in my wedding, but now my sisters are all too old to fill that role without sticking little attitudinal fingers down their throats and saying, “OHMIGAWD, BARF!” or whatever it is the kids say these days. The Beard’s neice could always fulfill that role, provided we get hitched in the next few years, and I could dress her up in a cute Us Angels sleaveless organza dress. Anyway.

Flower girls are a nice way to include your dreamy-eyed little sister, neice, daughter, or whatever in your wedding. They are usually between four and eight years old, which is fine, because their only job is to walk down the aisle scattering flowers or flower petals in their wake. They are by no means mandatory and the choice to have one is entirely up to the future bride and groom.

But as much as we grownup types love ooh’ing and ah’ing over teeny tots in frilly dresses, the future flower girl may need a little instruction and a lot of encouragement to help her become confident in her role. If she is adament about not being a flower girl, don’t force her. But if she’s reluctant yet curious, there are some books and videos that can help her understand her duties.

10 Neat Things About Being a Flower Girl shows little girls their role and the significance of weddings in general with lots of beautiful photos of people of various cultures tying the knot.

Wedding Kids, on the other hand, is suitable for both flower girls and ring bearers. It tells little ladies and gentlemen what to expect and how to conduct themselves using fun-to-watch cartoons.