Everybody likes diamonds and no one looks bad in diamonds, do they? It is not really within the remit of this article to propose whether diamonds are a first-class investment or not, but their supposed worth is enormous. Instead, I would like to discuss where the best place to buy a diamond is, because it is more importantant that you buy your diamond from a reputable merchant with a guarantee than that you believe you got a good deal on eBay by means of buying somebody’s granny’s engagement ring, which might not be authentic.

Consequently, before you commence browsing for diamonds, consider dealing with a bonded jeweller. Bonded jewellers sell bonded diamonds and there are not many bonded jewellers in the world. In fact, of the jewellers in the world, only about 5% of them are bonded.

Purchasing a bonded diamond will cost more than purchasing a non-bonded diamond, however when you consider what you get with the bonded option, you will perceive that it is well worth the additional outlay.

Firstly, bonded diamonds have a buy-back policy for the life of the diamond. No matter how long you have had the diamond, you can take it back to the bonded jeweller and sell it back to him or her, for a 100% refund.

Today even planning a wedding requires a strict budget, but that does not mean that you have to compromise on the wedding reception of your dreams. The following tips will help you plan a budget-friendly wedding reception regardless of the reception.

One of the first things to do is book your wedding reception venue as early as possible. Shop around for the best prices. Check refund policies, down payments, and ask about any other fees.

If you have your wedding in an off season, such as winter, you will find the best price on everything including caterers, venues, and even honeymoon costs. If you get married on a weekday, instead of the weekend, you can also save on all wedding costs.

The costs of most wedding receptions are escalated because of the cost of alcohol. There are a few ways to handle this. You can eliminate alcohol altogether, have a beer and wine only bar, provide your own liquor instead of depending on the caterer, or consider having a cash bar. All of these options will save money on your reception.

With the way things are economically today you may be especially sensitive to the amount of money you plan to spend on your wedding. With some careful planning however you can still have the wedding you always dreamed about. “Thinking out the box” can result in a fabulous wedding at much lower cost than you may think. I will try and present some basic advice that you can use to get what you want at the price you want.

* Seriously reconsider if you want flower centerpieces. These are gorgeous but also high cost. Something such as a floating candle centerpiece can be done much cheaper and by using a nice container and putting some colored pebbles in the bottom you can have an exquisite centerpiece at a very reasonable cost. Head to the dollar store for great deals on containers.

* Design your own invitations. If you can operate your computer then you can design your own invitations. There are several low cost software packages that allow you to do this easily and the end product is very professional.

* Make your own minister. Your friend can get on the net and easily become a certified minister. Usually it just involves a small fee.

During your childhood I am certain the topic of your wedding day came up. Not only who you would marry but also all the things you would have at your wedding. I am sure you told everyone the huge ballroom where your reception would be as well as the large cathedral your wedding would be held in. Then you told everyone all the diamond jewelry you would be wearing, along with your designer wedding gown. Something so extravagant you needed attendants to walk behind you. You went on in great detail about the live entertainment you would have. The latest teen sex symbol would serenade you at your wedding and look teary eyed that he had lost you to another man. As you got older and matured the value of money began to burst your bubbles of the large extravagant wedding you deserved to have. I imagine all the parties involved in paying for the wedding ask that you set down and come up with some realistic numbers for the things you wanted included in your wedding. They may have given you a dollar amount and told you to work out a budget on that figure.