I just found the coolest hotel in London, and an amazing restaurant too. My wife and I met in London, at a dinner party in Chelsea, and this was our first time back together since getting married. So we wanted it to be special – and very romantic. I spent what seemed like weeks trying to choose the perfect hotel and finally picked One Aldwych, near Covent Garden right in the heart of London. It turned out to be the perfect choice, a blend of traditional and modern England within walking distance of nearly everywhere we wanted to go – Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, the theatre district, shopping on Oxford Street and the giant London Eye.

One Alwych sits in the middle of London's theatre district and
within walking distance of most major landmarks.

The main entrance to One Aldwych boasts that blend of
classical and modern you find throughout the entire hotel.

The Lobby Bar at One Aldwych was always bustling in the late afternoon and early evening, filled tourists and locals, especially theater people and other artsy types.

Don’t break the bank on your diamond, says Isaac Gottesman, owner of the Chicago-based jeweler, Dimend SCAASI. Here are his tips:

• Go for quality over quantity. Bigger is not necessarily better; quality is determined by a lack of imperfections. "Focus on a better-quality cut and grade over size," Gottesman says.
• Stay on budget. "Stick to a range that you can afford, and ask jewelers to tell you the price upfront."
• Save on the setting. Choose white gold over platinum—platinum bands cost at least $300 more than other metals.
• Go for color. Rubies, sapphires and emeralds are vibrant and beautiful—and less expensive than diamonds. "They make a great conversation piece too!" Gottesman says.

Note: Gottesman advises obtaining an objective third-party appraisal of your ring from the Gemological Institute of America or the American Gem Society.

Just the other day a friend told me about a bride who insisted on doing the seating chart herself without any input from her parents or future in-laws. Needless to say, the groom’s mom was not thrilled, and rightly so. Who knows if the bride realizes that she shouldn’t seat the groom’s grumpy Uncle Ed next to an aunt he’s not speaking with? My advice: Don’t try to handle this huge task alone and do seek assistance from your parents and in-laws. After all, they’ll know instinctively where to place certain people and your guests will be happier if they’re seated at a table to their liking.

From my own experience, I’ve always enjoyed my table mates at weddings except for one occasion when I was separated from all the people I knew and placed with couples I’d never met before (and I came to the wedding alone!). They were all very polite but since they knew one another they naturally conversed mostly amongst themselves. It was not as fun or as comfortable for me as it could have been and right after finishing the entrée I left to tablehop and spend time with my friends.

So, if you’re about to do your seating chart or even if it’s months away on your to-do list, here are some pointers: