:( I am sorry this is happening to you. I will say there is some hope. After 40 years of living in the tri state area and doing business in predominately black communities, my own racist parents finally budged to be less racist. They think black people who have found Jesus are good people. Maybe mounting a crucifix on…

Just because your quotes came in with it as a line item doesn’t mean you can’t ASK your caterers if they can remove it from the quote and let you tip at your discretion...nothing in your quote is set in stone so that’s why it’s a quote. Things in your contracts, basically, are. Have you signed CONTRACTS? I am even…

Sometimes you can get a break on your state’s sales tax by paying in cash, if the storeowners are old school. It’s not ethical but on big ticket items it can mean almost a 9% discount (in NYC) or a 2-3% cash discount that the merchant doesn’t have to pay out to Visa, MasterCard, or American Express.

I am from an East Asian family so we tend to think most things are negotiable but I was SURPRISED when I discovered my girlfriend (who is also of East Asian descent) was able to negotiate her severence package when a big bank laid her off. They were making cutbacks to increase their profitability and they told her she…

If I could give you a hundred stars, I would. This is exactly what I am going through and basically have just put into my schedule that today is the day I email DJs. I’ve emailed 15 candidates (of which none of them have posted prices). 3 have responded with rates double or more than my budget (my budget number being…

Actually your gratuity to the caterer and waitstaff can instead be a straight dollar amount directed to each person. This made me breathe a little easier knowing I could slip each person working my wedding $100-200 and not that I have to give my caterer 20% in tips I know that those guys aren’t going to get. It made…

I can confirm that calling it a wedding will routinely cost you anywhere between 30-50% more. In one of my previous jobs, I was the event planner for our TV show’s Xmas parties in Manhattan. I would routinely call venues that were big enough for our 250+ person crowd so their usual clients would be weddings and…

Ha! I worked with her very briefly on a play she did in the early aughts. Her fans were hardcore, the most hardcore of all the fans we had camp out over the years. They just got progressivly dirtier as the run progressed because I think they didn’t leave their spots the entire time she was there. I didn’t get a chance…

:( I’m sorry you must despise me. I occasionally do that to my exfiance’s FB posts when they are particularly noteworthy or adorable. I am happy where I am at, now, and I like that he’s moved on and has a lovely new family and seems happy, as well. I especially like it when he posts pics of the dog we adopted…

All that matters is that you know what it is and love it and love looking at it! :)

This is killing me for the things i need once a year. My lotion bar making supplies come to mind... Do I toss them all and open up an entire shelf of space or keep them because I make christmas gifts out of them for my extended family and they love them? I don’t want to go rebuy all the supplies but I literally use…

I used to be on the Why?!? bandwagon but am now an ardent fan. The secret is not to drink it by its disgustingly cloyingly sweet self (or it does taste like a cinnamon hard candy left on your dashboard on a hot summer’s day). If you pour a shot into a pint of dry cider (no ice) it tastes exactly like a cold apple pie…

lol yes, this exactly!!!! I accidentally refered to my BF as my fiance at a building meeting before he officially popped the question (mind you after we had already booked a wedding venue) and he was not happy that we were getting “premature” congratulations. lol

Why would you hide your hands if you ring is insured (as they should be if they cost as much as a luxury car or a house)? Replacement value for a stolen insured ring is higher than the price the ring itself cost so they could just go shopping again for a blingier one if something did happen to it. Also if they aren’t…

I think each of those posts have been filled with women eager to share their joy. Taking offense because someone spent too much AND too little just adds a whole nother level of brides can’t win, ever. :/ Why can’t we all just oooh and ahh and be supportive of ALL the sparkly, creative, spendy, and thrifty…

I am so glad that you have such great memories entwined in your family ring. That is wonderful and I hope you share those stroies with any younger generations in your family.

You can go the natural route, too. The Natural Sapphire Company has a great selection, turnaround time, and excellent customer service and I love that their employees are actually diverse! They even hire people from countries where they have their mines. (I have never seen that in a jewelry shop before, ever!) Also…

Do you know that most “rubies” coming out nowadays are unnaturally enhanced? Usually berrilium treated and/or heat treated. They are gorgeous when they are treated but you should know what you are buying. Real rubies that are unheated and untreated are so rare (they have to come out of the earth beautiful) they are…

My engagement ring is an emerald cut natural blue sapphire with a yellow gold double band and a sparkley as heck paved plate of armour around it. It’s not the usual ring and I love it. I am also diamond averse (simply that I think their popularity and price is due to great marketing and artificially restricted supply…

it’s Korean tradition for the groom to present his soon to be MIL with a pair of live geese to symbolize his intent to mate for life like they do. it’s also tradition to have the groom’s family present to the new couple a pair of wooden ducks for good matrimonial luck. Nowadays everyone uses carvings for both... but…