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Asian-themed weddings are on the rise, and at first this might come as a surprise. After all, nothing could seem further from the Laura Ashley vision we get when thinking of a wedding.

And in fact, that’s one of the forces behind the rising popularity of the Asian-themed wedding: how it turns things upside-down. In fact, in a Chinese-style wedding, white is bad (it’s the color of death) and red and black are good (they’re the colors of luck and prosperity).

You might wonder whether brides that plan Asian-themed weddings are Asian (or marrying someone who is). The answer is, sometimes. Surprisingly often, they aren’t, and the choice is purely aesthetic.

Today’s trends break down into two main types of Asian-themed weddings: the Japanese or “Zen” style, which values simplicity and nature, and the more riotous Chinese style, which bristles with bright colors and shiny fabrics.

Although either choice may surprise some older guests, the bride may find her personal values deeply expressed in the Asian-themed wedding. After all, the usual wedding is a certain kind of pageant: the couple pretends to be royalty for a day, and lavishly entertain a large party - seemingly without a care, though they rack up huge debt to do so.

Brides drawn to the Zen-style ceremony often want to avoid the “royalty pageant” and simplify the ceremony (ironically, this can result in greater elegance for the price tag). This type of bride might read “voluntary simplicity” books, care about the environment, enjoy an uncluttered house or apartment with a handful of Japanese accents (Shoji lanterns and screens, for example) and find herself attracted to natural materials. She may feel freed by a simpler wedding gown, and carry an unfussy bouquet of calla lilies. Her centerpieces might be lanterns surrounded by black and white stones. For favors, she might give out fortune cookies placed in take-out boxes and topped off with chopsticks.

Other brides find aspects of tradition stifling, so they mix up their ceremony with Chinese-style zest. This bride might dress her bridesmaids in glowing red (or slinky black!) Cheongsams, dresses with high collars and slit sides. She’ll hand them parasols instead of nosegays, and pass out chopsticks for their hair. Her own gown might be of gorgeous brocade in red, orange or gold. Perhaps she’ll wrap up the ceremony with a butterfly release and hand out lucky bamboo stalks as wedding favors. This bride doesn’t mind charting her own course in social affairs, and she loves the Chinese devotion to parents and children.

In either case, the Asian-themed wedding is a great way to tie your ceremony to your personal values. Perhaps the thought of such a wedding crossed your mind, but you thought you had to be Asian? The fact is, Asian traditions and trends have been shaping Americans deeply since the 1960s. Maybe it’s time to ask yourself this: which type of Asian-themed bride are you?

Blake Kritzberg is the proprietor of http://www.just-wedding-favors.com. Visit the site for easy, elegant, unusual, and affordable wedding favor ideas, wedding favor FAQ, and free wedding screensaver. This article may be freely reprinted so long as this resource box and URL are preserved.

[via ArticleHub]

(BNN) Most of us have jumped on the internet to buy books, CDs, computer accessories, and clothing. But have you ever used it to purchase anything big? I mean really BIG. No, not a new house or new car (although I am sure some great deals must exist on those auction sites) but something even larger, and by far more meaningful, such as a custom-made diamond engagement ring.

As incredible as it may seem, it is possible to purchase the perfect diamond ring on the web. And it’s not just any diamond ring. You could get the ring of your dreams–one that is perfectly matched to your ideal. It will be specially selected from a personable and trustworthy online retailer, who is available on a twenty-four hour basis, and it will be delivered anywhere around the world. How, you ask, is this possible? Well, log on to www.RingDesigner.com and meet diamond connoisseur Greg Gates.

You may still have questions. How do I know I can trust him? What if he sends me a box of chipped glass or, worse yet, something that looks like it came from a Cracker Jack box? Or what if I get nothing at all?

Let’s just say you don’t build a successful internet business in five years by not delivering. Anyone who has ordered from RingDesigner.com will be happy to tell you that the special ring they received from Gates either matched or far exceeded their expectations.

“The testimonials on the website thoroughly convinced me,” says Keith, who had heavily researched rings for his bride-to-be before he was lucky enough to come across RingDesigner.com. After building up three week’s worth of correspondence with Gates– who responds to queries, questions and concerns almost immediately through e-mail or on the telephone–Keith, who lives in Dallas, ordered his fiancée a perfectly round stone on a simple and elegant white gold setting. Keith adds that, in addition to the personalized treatment, “the prices were almost too good to be true.” RingDesigner.com is also part of the Better Business Bureau (BBB)–something you should always look for when buying online.

Prices convinced Mike and Tiana, a young Texas couple also purchasing an engagement ring for the first time. They had comparison shopped at other ring websites as well as in brick and mortar stores. The results from RingDesigner.com? “We paid maybe one third of what we would have paid anywhere else,” Mike says about the large, symmetrically square diamond on a bold gold band. “And we got such great service. I even changed the setting about half-way through and Greg quickly accommodated me on the fly.”

Fiona Lutz’ ring arrived by FedEx at her home, five hours outside of London, hours before her wedding. “My fiancé and I had been looking at the RingDesigner.com website for weeks. The site was so informative…but we felt a little nervous about ordering from the web.” Finally, just one week before their marriage, they contacted Greg. “My ring arrived by courier at two o’clock in the morning on New Year’s Day, my wedding day,” marveled Fiona, “and when we later had it appraised for insurance purposes, it was valued at three times what we had paid.”

Since Gates, whose RingDesigner.com headquarters are in Oregon, has the advantage of not maintaining costly inventory, he has eliminated some major overhead expenses and is able to undercut (pun intended) most other diamond sellers by as much as sixty percent. And it is not by compromising quality. Gates has complete access to a Tel Aviv diamond market’s database–over 9,000 independently certified diamonds with a strong emphasis on the Four C’s: cut, clarity, color and carat. His rings arrive ready to wear or present, complete with all their diamond certification and a money-back guarantee.

As a finishing touch, each ring is placed in a beautiful black leatherette box equipped with a light. “When my wife opened the box and the light turned on, shining directly on the diamonds inside, she was completely overjoyed,” explains Dr. Lewis, a Florida resident. “Tears filled her eyes and she nearly fell over.” Although it was a gift for their 50th wedding anniversary, this was the first diamond ring Dr. Lewis bought for his wife. Six kids and household expenses had always gotten in the way. But he promised her a diamond, and now she received a dazzling ring with eight inlaid diamonds across a slick gold band.

Since, like the Lewises, not everyone can afford the ring they want at the time of engagement, Gates is quick to accommodate with a simple stone and setting that can be expanded upon as their marriage — and savings–grow. Tracy and her husband, Chris, began their marriage with a small diamond ring and were looking to elaborate ten years later when Chris was stationed in Heidelberg, Germany. Tracy, after many international conversations with Greg, chose a marquise-shaped stone with a wider band–and that’s exactly what she received. “I really liked that I could design my own ring,” says Tracy, who also built up a dialogue with Gates before ordering. “Greg is a real professional. He never pressures you.”

That’s probably because he doesn’t need to. The quality gems from RingDesigner.com seem to speak for themselves–or let the satisfied customers do the talking. In fact, perhaps another category can be added to elaborate on the quality of the diamond rings and the service provided by owner Greg Gates. In addition to the “Four C’s”, he excels in providing the “Four P’s”: price, precision, personality– and most of all perfect engagement, anniversary or wedding ring!”

[via ArticleHub]