Stranded

Something about pearls is just so...bridal. Chic and timeless, classic and romantic.

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After purchasing my gown, I knew pearls would be the perfect accent. Like Miss Frenchie, I tend to favor a few simple jewelry pieces. Rarely do I wear more than my engagement ring, wristwatch and one of several simple pendant necklaces. So although I swooned briefly over some of the gorgeous styles available on Etsy, I ultimately followed through with my original plan and ordered a freshwater pearl set from PearlsOnly, an online farm-to-consumer retailer that boasts affordable, high-quality pearls and speedy shipping.

I had first discovered PearlsOnly when Sister Bruschetta was planning her wedding. She was also interested in wearing pearls, and after much research, I gifted her a freshwater necklace the Christmas before her wedding. I was really pleased with the product and service, and tucked the company's web site away in the back of my mind for future reference.

When the time came to make my purchase, I was unsure whether a 16- or 18-inch necklace would work better. So, I ordered both -- and, since they arrived the day before my second fitting about a week ago, was able to try both lengths with my gown. PearlsOnly offers a stress-free return policy -- 90 days, with a complete money back guarantee -- which was perfect for my indecisiveness. Yesterday, I packaged up the set including the 18-inch necklace, and happily tucked away the other box -- containing a 16-inch necklace, bracelet and studs -- to be worn on our wedding day.

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I love that after the wedding, I'll have some beautiful pearl pieces -- with great sentimental value -- to add into my simple jewelry "repertoire." And I'm so pleased to be able to check something off the to-do list with no difficult decisions or drama.

PearlsOnly recently added a "Bridal Bundles Collection" to the site as well -- sets of freshwater necklaces or earrings packaged together specifically for your wedding party. Simple bridesmaid jewerly coordination -- and a discount for bulk purchases!

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Any other pearl brides out there? Tell me about your strands!

Sizing Snafu

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Since we received word that Mr. Bruschetta's wedding ring came in this past weekend, I'd been hoping to share a picture of the mister's hardware with the hive; instead, I only have a handful of numbers -- and a frustrating conclusion:

• Approximate weeks spent looking at potential rings with Mr. Bruschetta? Eight.
• Number of "finalist" ring styles? Three.
• Cost (in dollars, natch) of the chosen ring -- pretax -- after Mr. Bruschetta's skilled bargaining? 500.
• Days until the mister's wedding ring (eeeee!) arrived? 12.
  
• Size of the imprecisely-measured band? Somewhere between 8-1/2 and 8-3/4.
• And my mister's left hand ring finger size? Yeah, that'd be a 9.
  

So he's a ringless groom for another two weeks or so. After our salesman acknowledged the jewelry store was at fault, he promised us a brand new ring -- rather than simply resizing the original one. Mr. Bruschetta was looking forward to masquerading as a married man for an hour or so over the weekend -- just, he said, to get used to what the ring will feel like (so cute!) -- so I'm sure when the correctly-sized band comes in, he'll have a hankering to play faux husband again. Unfortunately, for now, we're both just frustrated we can't cross this one off the to-do list yet.

Did you face any challenges in finalizing your wedding ring purchases?

Miss Matched or Mismatched?

I'll admit it: At times, I'm Little Miss Bossy. Occasionally, I'm Little Miss Stubborn. And I'm almost always Little Miss Chatterbox.

After we purchased the engagement diamond, but before the CAD disaster, I envisioned one day wearing a set -- an engagement mounting and matching wedding band. Clearly, because I'm Little Miss Matched.

But after selecting the new setting, I'm not sure if a perfectly-paired duo is "me" anymore. I love (love, love) the micropave diamonds that adorn the band and gallery on my engagement ring. One pave design, though, seems like enough to me. And even though Ritani makes a variety of wedding bands that would perfectly complement my engagement ring, I'm finding myself drawn to shared-prong designs like this one:

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What do you think? Should I be little Miss Matched, or is Miss Mismatched a perfectly acceptable option as well? Does (or will) your engagement ring and wedding band match?

Art Gallery

A few months into our engagement, I started getting a sinking feeling in my stomach: I realized I didn't like the setting we had hastily selected. Admitting this to myself was tough; gathering the nerve to talk about it with Mr. Bruschetta was ridiculously challenging.

I'm already an overemotional little Bruschetta, so of course, halfway through the conversation, I was rendered incoherent by heaving sobs. I deeply regretted choosing a platinum style rather than a simpler (and much cheaper!) white gold design to act as a temporary setting. But, I also knew I wouldn't be able to relax until we found a design that would accentuate (and not overwhelm) the Dream diamond.

Mr. Bruschetta was truly wonderful, agreeing on the aspects of the setting that bothered me, and silencing my self-deprecating comments (don't forget -- I'm actually the one who picked out the setting!). Together, we discussed what the ideal setting would look like -- a prong, rather than cathedral, setting with a thinner band. But, after a visit to the jewelry store, we learned that my beloved Dream diamond posed a unique challenge: Its octagonal shape meant it could be twisted easily out of a prong setting, and so an "under gallery" was necessary to hold it firmly in place.

I combed websites searching for a gallery that wouldn't obscure the diamond, but showcase it like I envisioned. Finally, I found a promising design from Ritani.

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See the delicate pave design on the band? These little sparklers also adorn the gallery, offering protection for the diamond, but not sacrificing style.

We took the time to really think about this setting -- no more jumping into hurried jewelry purchases! -- and ultimately decided to buy it. It didn't come in prior to our engagement session, so several shots feature the setting I'm no longer wearing.

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Now for the bad news: We won't recoup nearly enough of the cost of the first setting by selling it as scrap metal. If Mr. Bruschetta finds a Jeff Cooper wedding band he likes, we could exchange the setting to defray the cost of this purchase. But we also plan on pounding the pavement along Jewelers' Row to see if we can find a retailer willing to discount a wedding band in exchange for the (very!) gently-used setting.

And, although I'm shopping around for a new camera, I did manage to capture a few shots of my engagement ring -- a more classic setting paired with a (less traditional) square-shaped diamond. Hmmm...I'm sensing this diametrical theme taking hold on other elements of the Bruschetta wedding as well...

I can't be the only indecisive bride out there. Did you opt for a second engagement setting? What's your favorite aspect of your ring?