Engineered Art

rugged good looks mixed with top-notch engineering gives the new look of men's wedding bands. These contemporary metals really give today's man the edge.

Tungsten Carbide

Almost a quarter of today's grooms choose Tungsten Carbide, according to Modern Bride Magazine. Maybe it's because of its heavy-weight, scratch-resistant, forever-polished qualities. Or maybe it's because it is pretty affordable. Either way, tungsten carbide is becoming the norm for men's bands. However, be aware of the imposters. Every true tungsten has "TC.850" marked on it to assure it's legit.

Disadvantages: Although Tungsten is scratch-resistant, it isn't shatter-resistant. When this metal is extremely cold and under pressure, it is known to crack or shatter.

Black Titanium

This "new black" metal continues to win fashion points for its dark good looks and innovative styling. its lightweight yet sturdy, and always tarnish free. It also pairs well with other metals, which can create a great contrast in designs.

Disadvantages: Unlike Tungsten, titanium is almost impossible to break. This means that if there is an accident made to your hand, your finger will probably coming off before your ring will.

Stainless Steel

Stainless steel is also remarkably versatile, especially if you want to introduce a bit of color. it's a great frame for wood, rubber, or ceramic.

After the Wedding: escape to paradise

Planning your honeymoon can be one of the most stressful things you can do as a man. You have to impress your wife, while not blowing your savings, and also avoid rampant viruses like e-coli or a devastating hurricane. Here are some Travel Websites that will save you time and money so you can focus on other things (like getting that sweet 80s hairband to play at your reception...)

But before you plan, consider the following:

Where is a desirable place that both my soon-to-be and I want to go?
How much time can you get off work? How much time do you want to stay?
Does Daddy have any frequent flyer miles that you could use to bump you to first class?
What kind of distractions are there going to be? (a hurrican is a big distraction...

BingTravel.com
This new, must-visit travel site compares pricing from hundreds of hotels, airlines, and agency sites. It also provides information on various locales from MSN Travl, deals from Orbitz, and Farecast Ttechnology, which tracks airfares abd gitek rates to let you know the ideal time to book your honeymoon at the losest prices.

TripIt.com
If you are swamped with restaurant ideas, hotel reservations, and activity confirmations, then TripIt.com will be good for you. Simply forward all that information that you've collected and the site will organize it into one master itinerary, which you can share with your bride (and not share with your in-laws). There's nothing like showing your trustworthiness like being able to show her that you've planned a wonderful trip.

Picking the "Best"

Picking your Best Man can be pretty tricky. You may have a few options or no options at all. You may think, "Your best friend may not be your best friend forever; your brother... well... he can't run away from that title." But is picking your Best Man as simple as that?

Before you choose
Consider all of the Best Man responsibilities. These may include:

• Setting up your Bachelor Party
• Picking up your tux the day of (or day before) the wedding
• Assist people to and from the airport


• Keeping your rings safe
• Being a front-man at the reception
• Being a good "bouncer" if somebody gets a little too tipsy

If you have a brother that seems to be responsible for all of that, then you've probably made your decision. But what if you have only a younger/lazy brother? So it is best to consider all of the people that may be your "Best". These may include:

• Family members (i.e. brothers (real, half, or in-laws), cousins, or anyone else that you are slightly related to)
• Friends (i.e. childhood friends, fraternity brothers, roomates)
• Co-workers
• Study-Buddies

When You Choose
After you've weighed all of the pros and cons for those on your list, you should be at a decision. But before you ask that guy to be your Best Man, make sure that you can explain it well to others. For example, let's say that you picked Friend A to be your best man, but Friend B thought that you were better friends. What would you tell him?

Once you've worked out all of the jealous-filled conversations, aproach your chosen Best Man in private and let him know what good qualities he has. (This is part of the buttering up process so he's more willing to do everything you ask him of, but don't go on too much or he may see through your ploy.) Then let him know that you would like him to be your Best Man, because of his great qualities and that you know he's responsibile to get things done.

After you Choose
Make sure that your Best Man knows everything that is going on and everything goes to plan. If you have a list, he should too. Give him phone numbers in case of emergencies. These numbers would include relatives, vendors, and hitmen for those crazy ex-girlfriends who try to sabatoge the wedding