Entries from May 2008 ↓

I heard something about sponsored weddings about a year ago and didn’t really give it much thought. Trying to find vendors that are willing to give their products and services away for some advertising (maybe an advertisement in your wedding program or a banner displayed at your reception) would be next to impossible.

Well, I just found out about a website Weddings and Sponsors that is trying to facilitate the connection between couples and vendors in their area. They are brand new so I doubt there’s much of a vendor list yet, but do you think this concept will catch on? I can see some vendors willing to give discounts but getting an entire wedding free with multiple sponsors seems pretty farfetched. Will the sponsors really get their money’s worth in advertising?

I’m interested in hearing if anyone has tried this on their own or if any wedding professionals think this is something they could profit from.

Wouldn’t it be nice if you had some help to unload some of the wedding week tasks and stress? After all you’ve been strapped down with all that wedding planning for the past year! Deciding on every detail to make sure your special day is great. Now it’s time to start enjoying yourself so you can have some pleasant memories of your wedding. If you hired a wedding planner, hopefully you have nothing to worry about but if you didn’t here’s some advice.

Use your bridesmaids! Those close friends and family that you asked to buy a special dress and stand by your side at the altar aren’t just well dressed bookends to complete the look at the front of the church. And, since they are special people in your life they shouldn’t be offended when you ask them to help you out! Now this also goes for the groomsmen too! So get your fiancé on board to enlist their help. But in order to make their help worthwhile here’s what you need to do.

1. Plan out your wedding - your wedding is the coming together of a bunch of smaller pieces to make one almost flawless event, you hope. This requires planning, you are basically a project manager organizing a bunch of “sub-contractors” (i.e. the florist, the bakery, the caterer, the officiate, the photographer, the limos, etc.) to work together in sync to make your day flow smoothly. So, sit down and organize the flow on paper. Who shows up when, what will they need to perform their job, and what will be expected of them?

2. Break your plan down into manageable pieces - If you have four bridesmaids group the duties down into four divisions based on work load (division 1: florist, bakery; division 2: caterer, officiate; etc). You can assign 1 groomsman and 1 bridesmaid per division to oversee them in the days leading up to your wedding.

3. Let your bridesmaids know what is expected of them upfront – Don’t wait until a couple days before the wedding to tell your bridesmaids you need their help. Let them know the day you ask them to be your bridesmaid. Assign them their division at that time so they can become adjusted to the idea.

4. Get them involved up front – In order for them to carry out your plan, they need to know your vision. Bring them with you when you meet with your florist or caterer, etc. This way they know what is expected, plus you also get some more bonding time with your friends! This will also give you piece of mind that they know what you want and that they will be able to handle issues without you.

5. Enjoy your day! Hopefully, with all the pre-planning, all your wedding party will have to do is make sure the wedding professionals that you hired show up and do their job and maybe only answer a few questions for you.

Okay, delegating may be very hard for some people, remember you are not giving up control just giving up some of the stress. And, if you do your homework upfront hopefully you will be able to relax a little while your friends and family manage a small piece of your wedding for you!

Thanks to Anne Ruthmann for the picture!

There was a recent poll that showed:

- 43% of people involved a pet or plan to involve a pet in their wedding.
- 11% did not include a pet in their wedding but knew someone who did
- 47% only had humans in their wedding

I was surprised at how many people plan in involve a pet in their wedding!

This can be tricky, I know if it were my dogs there would be a lot of pandemonium and running around to keep them under control! So, if you are planning on including your pets you might want to think about how your pets will react to the new surroundings and the crowd. Plus, you probably would want to designate someone who knows and likes your pet (and someone you pet also is comfortable with) to oversee him/her before, during and after the ceremony.

Also, just as incorporating small children in the ceremony, you might want to make sure they are they lynchpin to your ceremony in case they have a melt-down when it’s time to perform!

Is anyone out there including their pets? Any advice or interesting stories?

 Thanks to ClintJCL for the photo!

Okay folks, if you’re shopping for wedding invitations here’s some bargains for you! But you must act quick, these wedding invitation discounts expire on May 31, 2008!

Invitations By Dawn- $10 off $100- coupon code=22779- expires 5/31

Rexcraft- 15% off $155- coupon code-10275- expires 5/31

Now & Forever- Free shipping on $135- coupon code=16815- expires 5/31

Dawn Canada- $10 off $200- coupon code=15674- expires 5/31

Jean M- free shipping on $150- coupon code=20296- expires 5/31

Ann’s Bridal Bargains- free shipping on $120- coupon code=25464- expires 5/31

For those of you who didn’t win during the Great Wedding Memory Giveaway a couple of weeks ago, you have another chance!

Go checkout the contest over at White Box!  Good luck!  They make a great gift for your wedding party!

Unless you were recommended a good wedding photographer by a trusted friend, finding a good wedding photographer is probably one of the scariest decisions you can make planning your wedding.  After all, when the wedding is over all you will have are your memories and hopefully some beautiful pictures to help you remember your ceremony and reception!  Pretty important stuff! 

So, what can you do to better your chances of getting a good photographer?  Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a certification process from a respected group?  Maybe one that was recognized as the Knot’s Best of Weddings 2008, Best of City Search 2008, Photo District News Top Knots, and is a certified member of Here Comes the Guide? 

Bella Pictures has certified photographers across the United States that pass a rigorous certification process and their work is 100% guaranteed!

You can check out their website to find out more about how they operate, but it looks pretty good!

This picture above is from the Bella Pictures website.

Many of you want your wedding rings engraved with something like your wedding date or a short meaningful phrase.  Well, now theres a company that has patented the ability to engrave your entire wedding vows on the inside of your wedding ring!

A company called WeddingVowRings.com has developed the ability to engrave multiple lines of text on the inside of your wedding rings.  You have the choice of either buying one of their rings or you can send them rings to get engraved.  You can also have bible verses or any other text engraved on your ring.

I think it will be nice to be able to look at your ring after the years go by to be reminded of your vows. 

Check them out!

You may have heard about the contest in which one lucky couple was going to win a wedding at the premere of the movie “Maid of Honor” on April 28th.  The ads to enter were all over the place a couple of months ago.  Well you may not have heard the specifics of what the winners were going to get!  It wasn’t your everyday wedding by any means.  The folks in Hollywood really put together a spectacular package of everything they needed and more.  Here’s a rundown…

Mary Hart, host of “Entertainment Tonight,” officiated the wedding.  Michelle and Shaun will have their first dance choreographed by ballroom dance champion Maksim Chmerkovskiy, a professional dancer who gained fame on “Dancing with the Stars.”

The bride’s make-up was done by David Evangelista and the bride’s nails will be manicured by one of the talented artists at Cornelia Day Resort. One of the nation’s leading makeup, hair, and fashion experts, Evangelista has been a contributor to The Early Show on CBS since 2002, bringing style, beauty, and makeover advice to millions of viewers each week. As host of the weekly series The Fashion Team on the TV Guide Network from 2006 to 2007, Evangelista gave viewers an inside look at the fashion world. He works with high-profile personalities including Julia Stiles, Eva Longoria Parker, Hillary Swank, Peyton Manning, Mandy Moore, Rita Wilson, Martha Stewart, Paula Deen, Steve Martin, and Kevin Kline. He recently opened his salon, David Evangelista at Cornelia Day Resort.

The bride’s hairstyle was set by celebrity stylist Oscar Blandi. Blandi’s many famous and glamorous clients include Jessica Alba, Kelly Ripa, Faith Hill, and Jennifer Garner among others. He is also seen regularly on “Live with Regis and Kelly”, and is often featured in the top fashion magazines, such as Allure, Cosmopolitan, and Glamour, as one of the leading hair stylists to the stars. Oscar Blandi is the owner of the Oscar
Blandi Salon in New York. The couple received their rings from the leading Italian fine jewelry house, Damiani. The his-and-hers rings are from the company’s D.Side collection, co-designed by Damiani and actor Brad Pitt. These are the same style of rings that are featured in the film.

The bride’s dress was by Selia Yang. Called “the best-kept secret in New York City … not for long” by ailycandy.com, Yang has brides from all over the globe eager to wear her designs. She brings a chic, fresh, and
luxurious approach to bridal and evening wear.

The groom’s and best man’s tuxedoes were Arnold Brant. The luxury brand to the stars — having dressed Forest Whitaker, Kevin Dillon, and many more — features flawless style that is sure to keep the groom looking
polished. Sold throughout the U.S. and Canada at Nordstrom and better specialty stores, Arnold Brant is manufactured in Italy. More information is available at http://www.arnoldbrant.com.

The wedding was photographed by Denis Reggie, hailed as the “hottest wedding photographer of the moment” by the New York Times. He has served as photographer at the weddings of John F. Kennedy, Jr. and Carolyn
Bessette, Vera Wang, Mariah Carey, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver, and Tom Clancy, among many others.

Sylvia Weinstock, who has baked for such luminaries as Oprah Winfrey, the Kennedy family, the Vice President and Mrs. Dick Cheney, the Vice President and Mrs. Al Gore, Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones, Ben
Stiller and Christine Taylor, and many others, provided the cake.

The bride’s lingerie was by Victoria’s Secret, the leading specialty retailer of lingerie and beauty products, with an emphasis on making its customers feel sexy, sophisticated and forever young. Under the Victoria’s Secret and PINK brand names in the United States, the company dominates with fashion-inspired collections, prestige fragrances and cosmetics, celebrated supermodels and world-famous runway shows. Through its more than 1,000 Victoria’s Secret stores, the catalogue and VictoriasSecret.com, customers can shop the brand anywhere, any time, from any place.

The bride’s and groom’s shoes were provided by Kenneth Cole New York, the renowned shoe company that is known not only for their fashion-forward men’s and women’s shoes but also for their thought provoking socially conscious advertising.

The bride’s bouquet was by Fleurop. Fleurop-Interflora — http://www.fleurop.com — delivers beautiful flower bouquets around the world, with floral gifts are available in more than 160 countries worldwide: North America, Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia, Oceania, South America. Founded in 1927, Fleurop-Interflora is the largest floral company in the world, connecting approximately 58,000 North American and International retail florists, offering an international floral delivery network in over 160 countries. For over 77 years, Fleurop and Interflora have been recognized for the finest quality in floral products and excellence in customer service.

The wedding favors were provided by Ghirardelli(R) — Moments of Timeless Pleasure(R).

As a wedding gift, Patrick Dempsey, the star of Made of Honor, has chosen his-and-hers JEANRICHARD watches for the couple. Dempsey wears a JEANRICHARD watch in the film.

Michelle and Shaun have also received a special invitation to “A Catered Affair,” Broadway’s newest musical, at the Walter Kerr Theatre.

The wedding was webcast live on Crackle.com, and was covered the following day on “Entertainment Tonight.”

Following the wedding, Michelle and Shaun will celebrate their honeymoon, with a romantic six nights in Europe, visiting Paris and Venice, with hotel and transportation included provided by Fleurop. When they get home, the bride and groom will receive a $3,000 Bed Bath & Beyond shopping spree in the form of a gift card.

Shaun and Michelle are both teachers: he teaches photography at Cumberland Valley High School, while she teaches second grade at Grace Baptist School in Carlisle. They met after a Carlisle High track meet; Shaun had previously been the track coach, and Michelle had succeeded him. They have been dating for a year and a half and just got engaged on March 8th. Shaun’s best man is his college buddy Brit, and Michelle’s maid of honor is her friend Sarah, who, she says, she has known since they were babies.

There’s a lot of wedding resources on the web. The great thing about blogs is you typically get some unbiased information along with some interaction from real brides like yourselves. You can get some information from other brides who are going through the same process you are! So, it is with great pleasure that I can introduce you to another new wedding blog! This one is from the folks over at Brides.com called Wedded Bits. I browsed around there today and they have some great info to help you plan your wedding along with some celebrity wedding news. Check it out!

The moment you’ve all been waiting for has arrived!  Thanks to everyone who participated in the Great Wedding Memory Giveaway!

I’d like to start off by thanking all of the entrants for the well thought out and very useful comments. I think this post will go down in history as one of the most useful wedding blog posts ever! Not that I’m biased or anything. Future brides will be able to look at this post’s comments and add quality, reduce costs, and reduce the stress of their wedding with the wealth of experience they will find!

I’d also like to thank the 12 great wedding bloggers for their participation in helping me judge this contest. They each took time out of their busy schedules to read through all the comments and selected their favorite. Bear in mind, these bloggers aren’t just bloggers, in many cases they are very experienced and very busy wedding planners, invitation designers, event designers, etc! I’m flattered that they helped me with this contest by judging and also by helping me spread the word!

Here are the judges!

Melissa from Masterpiece Weddings
Thryn from wedlog
Darci from With this Ring
Lynn from The Handcrafted Wedding
Saundra from planning…forever
Miss Purple from Miss Purple’s Diary of Destination Wedding Drama
Miss Polka from Polkadotbride
Monica from WhiteboxWedding
Liene from Blue Orchid Designs
Anne from perfectbound
Rebekah from Elizabeth Anne Designs
Nicole from NicEvents

Now, the thing I find most amazing and indicative of the high quality of the submissions…of all twelve votes cast by the judges, only two were for the same comment!

So the winner of the contest only had two votes, meaning we had 10 runners up. Since all the runners up were tied for second place, I’m going to give each of them a free Our Wedding Plus wedding website! So without further ado here are the results…

The overall winner with two votes (winner of 10 Cruzers & a Wedding Website):   Comment #35 - Shauna

Runners Up (winners of a Wedding Website):

#7 - Sarah
#10 - Mary
#12 - Lauren
#20 - Rachel
#22 - Kat
#23 - Tara
#33 - Le
#34 - Ley
#36 - Chantal
#45 - Erica

Congratulations and thanks for all the great advice!

Rhonda