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Fashion follows Hollywood. When Lindsay Lohan started trotting around Tinseltown in leggings, suddenly everyone started copying this style, much to the dismay of everyone's favorite fashion critics, and retailers across America struggled to keep an adequate spandex stock. Thankfully, it's not just the ridiculous trends that catch on -- when Ben Affleck gave Jennifer Lopez a 6-ct pink diamond engagement ring, there was a rush on pink diamonds (until the rest of the world realized that they were not movie stars and couldn't actually afford them). So then there was a rush on pink cubic zirconia.

The Bennifer engagement ring really sparked a big trend in Hollywood, and the rest of the world followed. Starlets no longer settled for traditional ring styles like round solitaires in Tiffany settings. Those rings are classic and glamorous indeed, but not unique enough to make a splash on the red carpet. Now we're seeing celebs with every color diamond in the spectrum, like JLo's pink rock, Heidi Klum's huge canary diamond, and Carmen Electra's black diamond ring, to name a few. In addition to the colored diamond trend, solitaires have gone the way of the dinosaur as celebs opt instead for much busier rings with lots of accent stones, and maybe even a non-diamond center stone, like the pink sapphire Nicole Richie received from ex-fiance DJ AM.

As Kristen reported earlier today, Scarlett Johansson and longtime beau Ryan Reynolds have made The Big Commitment. No, they're not married, they're engaged, but let's face it, the REAL commitment is to the ring. And if this ring is any indication, they're off to a good start here.

Johannson's ring is a simple solitaire, nothing too over-the-top. This week at the Met Museum's Costume Gala, she paired the ring with a sheer shimmery body lotion and an antique bracelet, both of which were the perfect backdrop for her sparkler.

She also kept her nails short and her manicure simple, which is always a good choice.

Now if we could JUST do something about her DRESS ...

Click through the gallery for more (and bigger!) images of Johannson's ring.

Lots of couples in the throes of wedding planning daydream about scrapping all the complicated plans and running off to the courthouse instead. My courthouse wedding took place on April 1, 2008 -- over the next few weeks, I'll tell my story, and maybe it will help you decide if eloping is right for you.

I met my partner, McKenzie, at the bridge table in Tennessee a few years ago. We both play a lot of bridge and go to a lot of tournaments, but we'd never met before because we lived on opposite coasts. It was only a matter of time, though -- pretty much all bridge players under thirty eventually become friends, because there are so few of us out there. And we became fast friends -- we kept up between tournaments via email, and after spending a little more time together in person, we knew we would be together for the rest of our lives. Simple as that.

McKenzie was one of those guys who wasn't sure he ever wanted to be married, and certainly not before age 30, an arbitrary guideline he'd set for himself years ago. He says it was because he'd seen too many young people make huge mistakes, and he didn't want to be one of them. I already was one of them. I'd gotten married right out of college, and divorced two years later. I'd had a big wedding before, and didn't want to have another one. I felt like having another wedding so soon after the first one would look self-absorbed, silly, and open me up to massive judgment. No thanks. So I didn't want a wedding, and McKenzie didn't even want to be married anyway -- or so I'd thought.

It wasn't long ago at all that Scarlett Johansson made the bold statement that she wasn't interested in marriage just yet -- she was only interested in committing to her career. Well, things certainly do have a way of changing, because reports are now surfacing that she and boyfriend Ryan Reynolds are engaged!

Before you scoff, know that this is not a rumor -- reps for both actors confirmed the engagement. However, they have yet to confirm any details at all.

The couple has been linked for a little more than a year, and have alternately been the subject of engagement and break up rumors for the last few months. We're rooting for them, though -- if nothing else, they're just so pretty together!

The rumors haven't been confirmed, but Ugly Betty star America Ferrera was seen wearing a hefty diamond ring on the set in between takes, sparking talk that the actress and her longtime boyfriend, aspiring director Ryan Piers Williams, have gotten engaged.

The couple, who have managed to stay almost entirely under the radar despite America's red-hot career, met in film school when America agreed to be in one of Ryan's films. They currently live together with one roommate -- a golden retriever named Buddy. Seriously, could they get any cuter? Don't you just wish they lived next door to you?

At any rate, we're not putting too much stock in the rumors, but we're not dismissing them, either. They seem really happy, and we don't want to seem pushy, but if they feel it's time to take the next step, we are totally amenable to that, too!

Paris is no longer wearing boyfriend (or fiance) Benji Madden's "BM" diamond ring on her all-important finger (thank goodness, because we really had a hard time stifling our giggles every time we saw it). But, that doesn't mean her finger is bare.

P-Hilt has been spotted sporting something new, big, and sparkly on her second finger in. Adding a bit of fuel to this fire is the fact that Paris' older sis, Nicky, was seen picking up a book on weddings a week or so ago.



Plus, Benji has already told the media that he wouldn't "bet against" an engagement between himself and the overexposed heiress before the year is out. What do you think? Engagement ring or just another bauble for Miss Hilton?

Our friends over at Switched by Engadget have posted the "Eight Best Techie Marriage Proposals" and they are certainly worth reading. If you or your honey are technically-inclined, you may find some inspiration of your own.

Briefly, here are the proposal ideas. For the full ideas, including some great videos, take a look at the original article.

1) If you're a programmer, tweak your sweetie's favorite game to show a proposal when she reaches a particular score.

2) Raise enough money to get your ad on TV during the Super Bowl or a favorite show. This doesn't sound easy to us, but one guy actually managed it (but you'll have to read the whole article to see details).

Wednesday Wedding Wrap-up is a weekly roundup of highlights from the past week, covering wedding blogs and websites, reality TV, even particularly hot scoop right here at AisleDash. Think we missed something? Leave your favorite highlight in the comments!

Bridalwave gives us the scoop on the $10,000 proposal.

Polka Dot Bride has us drooling over the idea of customizing our own bubbly. Cheers to that!

We love the Capiz Party Garlands at Hostess with the Mostess. But who needs a party? We want to decorate our house with them!

Wedding Bee's Miss Toucan discusses her hesitation toward registering for big ticket items. If you don't register for them, you have no chance of getting them, but you don't want your guests to think you're greedy ... what do you think?

We had no doubt that any engagement ring Mariah Carey accepted these days would be nothing short of ridiculously huge, and if the rumors are true, we were right on.

MTV.com reports that Mimi and current squeeze, Nick Cannon, are engaged, and she's sporting a giant rock. The couple has been spotted holding hands twice (Wait, are we in fifth grade? Holding hands?), and then Carey was seen with the enormous rock on Saturday at a New York afterparty for her new film, Tennessee.

While we're not biting just yet, we are encouraged by Cannon's response to questions about the purported engagement. He positively danced around the answer, saying little more than how great he thinks she is and that, "Rumors happen. They just do." Especially when you give answers like that ..

If you're getting married in Miami, why not take advantage of the glamorous Art Deco pools that are the signature elements of many of the best hotels in town? Throw a swanky pre-wedding cocktail party for out-of-town guests - it's an easy way to ease your guests into the sexy Miami vibe.

Imagine the pool glittering under the starts, the warm evening breezes twinged with saltwater, the not-too-distant sound of the ocean in the background as guests mingle and drink stiff drinks. (Think 1930s elegance - mojitos and martinis - and FORGET anything that requires a blender.)

We did this for our wedding, and it was so gorgeous and elegant I almost fainted with happiness. I recommend it!

Men, prepare to go into mourning, because once again, you're too late. Carmen Electra is engaged to rocker boyfriend Rob Patterson.

Reportedly, the touring guitarist for Korn popped the question over the weekend as the couple celebrated Carmen's birthday in Vegas, and the ring is an unconventional but gorgeous black diamond set in white diamonds. The couple has been together less than a year. In fact, Carmen and her most recent ex-husband, Dave Navarro, only finalized their divorce a little over a year ago.

This will be the third marriage for the erstwhile Baywatch babe and Playboy model, formerly pledging Til Death Do Us Part to the aforementioned Navarro as well as having a short-lived union with monkey-brain-crazy basketball star Dennis Rodman.

Dear AisleDash,

I love my boyfriend. We hit it off immediately and have had a great relationship for the year that we've been dating. We're both 26, college-educated professionals, and we're starting to talk about marriage.

I could totally see myself marrying this guy, if it weren't for one major concern. He still lives with his parents. He lived in the dorms at college, but spent summers at home, and has never really supported himself -- but he makes enough money that he could afford a very comfortable life even without their help, which he continues to accept for some reason I don't understand. His mom is happy to clean his room and do his laundry, and his parents still pay for almost all of his expenses.

I don't want to end our relationship over this, but I just don't feel right thinking about marriage with a guy who's never bought his own groceries. Any advice?

-Want to be a wife, not a mother

Dear wife not mother,

This one's easy. Don't marry him. Next question. Just kidding -- but I am serious about not marrying him. He's not ready and you don't want to. So don't marry him -- yet. This relationship doesn't have to end just because you're not ready to wed right now. But you've got some work to do.

It's said that "A diamond is forever," and while that slogan has been huge for jewelry retailers, most of them hope you'll adopt the unspoken follow-up into your jewelry philosophy. The full saying is, of course, "A diamond is forever -- until you can afford a bigger one."

Most major jewelry retailers offer trade-in programs where you can exchange your original purchase toward something bigger and better down the road -- provided that you're trading up to something at least twice the value. (This is the Zales policy, which is pretty standard throughout the industry.)

This sounds like a nice idea for the couple who doesn't have the money to buy what they want when they're first engaged, but we have to wonder -- doesn't an engagement ring (no matter the size of the rock) have huge sentimental value? Is this something one could really trade in? Grooms, how would you feel about your bride trading up for something "better" than what you first gave her? Tell us what you think!

Ashlee Simpson told Ryan Seacrest on his radio show yesterday morning that she intends to keep fiance Pete Wentz's marriage proposal "sacred."

The flat-iron-addicted, newly engaged singer says that, "... it was very thoughtful and he did a great job." We're wondering whether he did a great job with the proposal or with the new and improved engagement ring. And perhaps it was both, seeing as how the Fall Out Boy is quite popular with the whole family.

Pete reportedly asked Papa Joe for permission to marry his youngest meal ticket daughter, and Joe is "thrilled" to have Pete as a part of the family. We'd love to know how he feels about the bun in the oven rumors -- if, as a former youth minister, he's troubled, or whether he's thrilled with the timing (or planned the timing), seeing as how Ashlee has an album coming out soon. Hmmm ...

Anna Kournikova is a lot of things -- tennis star, gorgeous model and spokesperson, and triathlete (sort of) to name a few. But, as she announced earlier this week, there is one thing she never plans to be -- a wife.

Rumors were abundant that Kournikova and her boyfriend of six years or so, Enrique Iglesias, were engaged late last year when she was spotted sporting a diamond dazzler on her all-important finger. In fact, many suspected the couple had secretly tied the knot, but that doesn't appear to be true, especially after what Kournikova had to say earlier this week.