?%n. Sudaet CATEMM5 CATERING FOR ANY OCCASION SPECIAL DISCOUNTS FOR UNL STUDENTS 7 DAYS A WEEK ANY SIZE GROUP OF 10 TO 4,000 475-5445 1228 N 27th NelSra^kan Wedding Supplement % Supplements Editor Editor Lisa Donovan Eric Planner Photo Chief William Laurer Art Director Brian Shelllto Cover by John Bruce ------1 "Where The Unusual Is Usual” -Eurpoean & Traditional Designs -European Trained Designers -Holland Flowers -Freeze Dried Arrangements Majority of couples combine forces to search stores for band of gold By Emily Rosenbaum Senior Editor Buying that little band of gold is not the solitaire-y affair it used to be. Today, the vast majority of couples are going together to select their engagement and wedding rings, ac cording to John Tavlin, president of Nebraska Diamond, 13th and O streets. At least 90 percent of the engage ment and wedding rings Nebraska Diamond sells are selected by couples, Tavlin said. Most men don t want to risk buying a ring their fiancees might not like, he said. “A lot of the men who come in alone sort of lose their nerve,” he said. “So we give them a way out.” Tavlin said that if the groom-to-be is uncertain about his choice of ring style, the store arranges for an exchange if nec essary. Mike Trepanier, manager of Brodkey’s Jewell ers, 1111 OSt., said his store also sees couples shopping together for their rings the majority of the time. Sometimes the man or woman will come in sepa rately to do a little pre-shopping and then return later with the partner, he said. Couples buying rings usually pur chase wedding sets, composed of a matching engagement and wedding ring soldered together, for the woman, Tavlin said. Most women prefer their sets to be yellow gold rather than silver and to have side diamonds, he said. Men choose plain gold bands and diamond rings almost equally, he said, and don’t normally match their rings to the woman’s. Trepanier said a one-half carat or larger center stone for the woman’s ring is the most common choice. Colored side stones have become _ Denise Smith, a junior math major, models an engagement ring. increasingly popular. He pointed to an understated “tailored” or “sleek” look as the most common style selec tion. Trepan ier and Tavlin said diamond wedding rings for men have become more popular recently, with a wider array of styles available. And many men are opting for more intricate styles, Tavlin said. “When men get a ring with dia monds, we find they want a multiple diamond ring,” Tavlin said. He said the most consistently popu uu uij;agciucm img over the years has been the Tiffany solitaire. Often, couples who come ring shopping and can’t agree on one style end up with a Tif fany solitaire, he said. The ring ispopu lar because of its simplicity and rea sonable price, he said. “It’s extremely safe,” he said. “It will not offend any one.” Trepanier said he has found that most Lincoln couples reflect a more con servative trend when buying rings. “Most of our couples like a simple, understated look,” he said. Tavlin said the typical college couple spends an average of $800 to $ 1,000 on the See JEWEL on 4 -1 I - If wedding bells are beckoning, make your entrance into marriage in bold style — make it in a Holway tuxedo. Christian D ior ’ Chaps” by RALPH LAUREN pierre cardin PERRY ELLIS LORD WEST CROWN COLLECTION • HENRY GRETHEL JGtfllUBV ‘RetttrrfZfwx Lincoln’s Largest Formal Wear Specialist 1228 “P” Street • Lincoln, NE 68508 • (402) 476-2262 No. 3 Gateway • Lincoln, NE 68505 • (402) 464-6661 | ◄ Henry Grethel The Avanti, double-breasted shawl lapel tuxedo. European inspiration with an American interpretation. Christian Dior ► The double-breasted black peak lapel. The bold, distinguished alternative for the self-assured man.