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

When summer ends, deals begin... and that can be music to a groom's ears. Here are some great accessory deals. Take a look.

Ties: The Tie Shop

Fashion Place Mall

Grand Opening Special

*Buy one tie and get one tie free of equal or lesser value

*expires October 17, 2009

Cuff Links: Cufflinks.com

Fall Special

*Enter coupon code "fall10" at checkout and receive 10% off

*expires October 10, 2009

Socks: JCPenny

Department Sale

*3 pairs of socks starting at $8.95

*as quantities last

The Great Escape

Your wedding day. One of the most memorable and happiest days of your life. One of the most joyful and loving days of your life. One of the most hectic and busiest days of your life. Instead of talking about all the great events this time, let's talk about how your going to leave that all behind you at the end of the day.

There are so many options when it comes to how you will leave your wedding or reception. You can choose anywhere from formal and elegant with a limousine or a horse draw carriage to the most comfortable and cheapest ride, your car. Each option has things you need to consider: the price, the planning, the return of the vehicle. Let's go over your choices!

YOUR CAR
Price: pretty much the cost of the gas you need to drive away.
Planning: no reservation needed, unless of course, your car is also the family car.
Return of the vehicle: Make sure to talk over how you are going your car picked up the your ultimate destination. If you need your car to get to the airport the next morning, then plan for someone to meet you there to pick up your car or find out the cost of parking it there during your honeymoon.

RENTAL CAR
Price: Typically between $35.00 and $90.00 for one day.
Planning: reservations definitely need to be made as far in advance as possible.
Return of the vehicle: This is the best aspect to this option. Most car rental companies have locations at the airport where you can drop the car off before your flight out. A wonderful convenience!

LIMOUSINE
Price: From $30 a person to $180 a person.
Planning: Limousine services tend to book fast because the limited number of vehicles they have. Reservations are ideally booked anywhere from 4 months to 24 months in advance.
Return of the vehicle: Since you are not physically driving it, you don't have to physically return it! You do, however, need to consider if you will then need transportation the next morning from the hotel to the airport. If you aren't flying out on a honeymoon that night or the next day, this might be a considerably accommodating and tasteful option.

SKIS
Price: If you own them, its free but renting skis is typically around $20 a person.
Planning: This is for the winter sport loving couple who likes to add an unusual twist to their festivities. Having your reception in the ski lodge of a mountain resort is an attractive option in the winter. Maybe plan for the beautiful bride and yourself to ski out at the end of the night.
Return of the.... skis: If they're yours, keep them. If they're rentals, just leave them at the bottom of the hill for one of your kind groomsmen to return for you.

Whatever your style may be, there is an option to fit your budget and plan. Even though this is a small detail, count of the bride not thinking about it for a second. This one falls on your shoulders guys... so good luck choosing!

Guide to the "Groomal"

If you don't know what a 'groomal' is, then don't worry. You are with the rest of america on this. Groomal is completely a Utah word (but maybe it has spread to some parts of arizona, idaho, and california), and unless you've met with a couple of photographers, you probably won't understand it.

Understanding the Groomal:

The origins of the groomal have been lost somewhere in the years. However, many photographers that I have met with have been doing them since the beginning of their careers. A groomal is a special photoshoot with just you (the future groom) in an artsy place wearing your best wedding attire. Since you will be busy running around on the day of your ceremony, a groomal is an opportunity for you to go out in the brush or to your favorite graffiti wall and strike a pose while looking like a stud. And because your fiance is most likely going to get her bridals, a groomal evens out the photos at the reception.

Getting around the Groomal:

Most photographers will probably have packages set up for groomals. If you can't afford it, or simply don't have the time, there are ways around it. For example, if your future wife would like to have a picture of just you in that sweet outfit for her keepsakes, simply just take 10 extra minutes with your photographer on your wedding day alone. Or, if you think that your wedding day is going to be too busy, see if you can just show up at the end of your fiance's bridals and take a couple of shots.

'Tie'ing the Knot

Your tie and your groomsman ties are the pinnacle of your wedding day outfit. No matter where or how you have your ceremony, a tie will be a staple for the men's dress code. Most importantly, you will be looking at your wedding day pictures for the rest of your life, so it is important to pick out a timeless, sharp tie that won't say: "uhhh... which way the bar?"

Picking Out The Right One

Matching a tie to your future bride's "burnt sienna" wedding color scheme may be difficult. When picking out a tie, keep in mind a few different things:

1. Is this tie the right color?
2. Is this tie going to look well with my suit/tux?
3. Is this tie design going to go out of style like acid washed jeans?
4. How much am I willing to spend on my tie or for my groomsman?

COLOR: Before you go shopping for a tie, go to HOME DEPOT or LOWES with your fiancé. Although you may be able to show her that sweet power tool that your planning on buying for your first home, the purpose of this trip is to get a paint chip sample card to match the wedding colors. You can pick up a couple to pass out to family members and friends that are helping you decorate for your wedding, but make sure you keep one on you always. This will help you compare ties you find to your true wedding colors. (Most retail clothing employees have no idea what color '

burnt sienna' is. And unless your in the Apple store, giving them the hex triplet number 'E97451' won't help either...)

*After you've settled on a color, good luck finding a tie that matches perfectly. This is a little, dirty game that girls play with you to see how much you love them. They give you a color as rare as an oasis in the desert and say, "now return to me when you've completed your task." Just get used to this game now because it will come a lot more in the future...

LOOK: Suit or Tuxedo? Almost every tie in the world looks good with a suit, but tuxedos are a bit trickier. Luckily, most tuxedo rental stores have a variety of design-free silk ties that go well with their tuxedos and most likely have one that is comparable to your wedding colors. (They have clip-ons and zip-ties too, if tying isn't your forté.)

DESIGN: You wan't your tie to look classy - not a walking piece of artwork that Jerry Garcia just painted. The design of your tie can say everything about you, so avoid cartoon prints, repeated lettering, and grandma's knitted ties like the plague! These ties just scream tackiness. Solid, striped, checkered, dotted, or paisley are best options - but remember to keep them simple. A good question to ask yourself is: "Could people have pulled this off 50 years ago and still pull it off in another 30?"

On top of the quality of your tie is the quantity of your tie. Solid colored ties are easy to get in bulk, so thus they are the easiest tie to go with. However, if you're looking to spice it up a little, keep in mind that finding more than 8 of the same tie are hard to come by for patterned ties.

PRICE: A lot of factors come into play when it comes to your budget for a tie. Traditionally, it is your responsibility as the groom to get your groomsman ties (or rent the ties for them). Depending on you having all of your fraternity brothers as your groomsman or just 2 good friends, you will have to find ties that fit your budget. Once again, solid colored ties are the easiest to find in bulk and thus they are usually the cheapest. You can find good prices for ties online, but comparing the colors are usually hard. If you know anyone in asia, they usally have high quality ties there for cheap, but shipping will cost you some extra bucks. When it all comes down to it, just pray that you are marrying into a lot of money so you don't have to worry that much about it.

The Best Selection of Ties in Utah

• The Tie Shop: found inside the Quilted Bear in Provo, Midvale, and Ogden
• Tie One On: Layton, South Towne, and University Malls
• Missionary Mall
• Mr. Mac
• Costco