Further to my previous post about Marks & Spencer’s Spring collection of bridal and occasion wear I just had to let you all in on a secret - the dresses are not only attractively priced but in the flesh they are genuinely beautiful. I had the opportunity to see a selection of three of the wedding dresses from Marks & Spencer’s range at the weekend when I was helping my budget-conscious friend choose a dress for her wedding later this year.

The dress she wanted my opinion on was the “Autograph Occasions Long Crepe Cowl Wedding Dress”. The floor length Grecian-style dress had a cross-over back, some diamante and hand beaded detailing (but not too much) and a flattering cowl neck. I thought it looked beautiful - simple yet elegantly stylish. It certainly did not look like a dress with a mere £150 price tag attached to it! Agreed, the dress may not be made of the highest quality fabrics, but it was very well made and looked akin to expensive designer wedding dresses I have seen in the past. There are ten different dresses in the Marks & Spencer Bridal Collection with designs ranging from an effortlessly pretty knee length embroidered dress to a contemporary lace covered dress with a scalloped hem and neckline.

Of course opinions on wedding dresses are highly subjective and very personal. I know that some bride-to-be’s might feel that a high street wedding dress is not special enough for their big day, but don’t discount them without seeing them for yourself - there is nothing ordinary about these dresses except the price tag!

Advantages of buying a high street wedding dress:

♥ High street stores often stock the wedding dresses in all sizes so you are able to try on the correct size before buying it. This is a huge benefit, as dedicated bridal boutiques usually only carry wedding dresses in one or (if you are very lucky) two sizes so the chances of you getting an accurate evaluation of whether that particular dress flatters you are slim.

♥ The biggest plus for high street wedding dresses is that you can buy the dress (or even dresses!) and try it on in the comfort of your own home. For those of us who trust our own opinions on what suits us over and above a pushy sales assistant's opinion this is wonderful.

♥ The other bonus is that you can get a full refund from the store if you change your mind. Just remember to keep your sales receipt, not to remove the labels from the dress and to return it within their required refund period.

♥ Unlike custom-made designer wedding dresses, where you must order it at least six months in advance, with high street stores there is no waiting period! If you are on a tight timescale to find your dream wedding dress you can order it online from Marks & Spencer and they deliver it the next day. This is brilliant news for brides who have to leave buying their dress to the last minute either because they don’t have time to shop around for a wedding dress or because they intend on dropping a dress size before their wedding day and want the dress to fit perfectly nearer the time.

♥ More goods news is that if you are buying online with Marks & Spencer at the moment you qualify for free delivery when your order value is £30 or more!

♥ With high street wedding dresses what you see is what you get. By this I mean that there will be no surprises in store for you days before your wedding. Traditionally brides who have ordered custom-made wedding dresses have various dress fittings in the run up to the wedding and then collect the finished dress shortly before their wedding day. You only have to look at wedding discussion forums on the internet to see some brides’ real-life horror stories about collecting their dresses with days to go until their wedding and discovering that their dress is too long, too short, too low cut or worse!

♥ Another advantage is that you are bound to feel more relaxed being in a familiar environment such as your local high street store. Feeling comfortable will help to make your wedding dress shopping experience less stressful. Whilst the staff in independently owned dedicated bridal shops inevitably mean well and try to put shoppers at ease, their rows of extravagant gowns can seem very intimidating to a bride-to-be. How can you make an informed decision on one of the most important features of your wedding if you are feeling anxious or harassed?

♥ I like the fact that high street stores usually have longer opening hours so for brides-to-be who must fit their wedding dress research trips in after a full working day they are able to simply drop by the store and peruse their wares. With dedicated bridal shops you are expected to make an appointment in advance of your visit and the store opening hours are normally not as extended as high street stores.

♥ Finally, and most importantly, the biggest bonus of high street wedding dresses is that you will save lots and lots of money! Whether you are a cash-strapped bride-to-be or a shrewd one who does not want to be paying for her wedding long after her first year wedding anniversary has passed, the most sensible area to cut down on your wedding costs is on your wedding dress.

Disadvantages of buying a high street wedding dress:

♥ If you prefer the personal treatment you are sure to receive from dedicated bridal shops then be aware that you are not likely to find this at a high street wedding dress store. Whilst staff I met with at the weekend when my friend tried on her dresses were courteous and helpful, they did not interfere with the decision-making process and did not offer help with getting into the dress and accessorizing it (these were advantages in my friend’s opinion!).

♥ If you have decided on a high street wedding dress, do remember to check the dress for any damage it might have suffered while being tried on in the shop by other customers. Check in particular for rips to the seams, lipstick marks or dirty scuff marks around the bottom of the dress.

♥ You will have to come to terms with the fact that you will not be wearing an exclusive designer dress and face the reality that you might well attend someone else’s wedding only to find the bride wearing your wedding dress! If you don’t like the thought that other brides will be wearing the same dress as you then perhaps a high street wedding dress is not for you!

Whilst £1000 used to be the typical price tag for a wedding dress, with the high street wedding dress phenomenon we are now seeing the average wedding dress cost falling. Stores such as Marks & Spencer, Asda, Debenhams, H&M and (in the USA) Target are producing good quality off-the-peg bridal outfits at affordable prices for every bride at prices from £30 upwards.

Whilst I personally do not think it is snobbish to want a couture wedding dress (after all that is the route I chose to go down when I chose my own wedding dress) I do think that high street wedding dresses should not automatically be dismissed. The advent of these more affordable off-the-peg wedding dresses is fantastic news for brides who don’t want to blow their wedding budget on a dress with such a short life expectancy. Take a look and see for yourself!

As you plan your wedding you will receive advice from just about everyone. Friends and family have a million and one tips to pass on, in fact here at Wedaholic I have been offering tips galore. For example tips on wedding djs, getting guests to mingle, giving a great speech and tipping wedding suppliers to name just a few!

I would like to encourage you to sign up for even more tips, by filling in the short form below:

Once you have clicked on the "Send My 1st Tip" button you will receive your first tip in your inbox.

To give you a flavour of what to expect I have copied the types of wedding tips you will receive below:

Sample Tip 1 :

At the reception hall, fill baskets in the bathroom with miniature hand lotions, breath mints, hair sprays, and hair gels for emergency touch-ups. You may also want to put out a basket with a few inexpensive pairs of pantyhose and
some clear nail polish.

"Thanks for all the tips..and for making them genuinely "free".... the tips I found most helpful of your's were about etiquette ... it helps to remind brides of other people's feelings when they are getting caught up in their own! And that idea about giving framed pictures to the parents is one I will definately do! Blessings!" - Suzanne, US

Sample Tip 2 :

Don’t forget grandparents and other relatives who may feel “left out” during the preparations before the wedding. Take a camera along when you are shopping for your dress or looking at flowers.

Send pictures with a quick note that says, “Here’s me rubbing my feet after trying on shoes that were murder!” Or “Aunt Joan, the flowers were beautiful, but I wish you could have been there.”

"Just wanted to thank you for all of the wonderful tips! I enjoy reading them every week!! I will use you're advice throughout the planning of my wedding and on the big day! Thanks again" - Dan

Sample Tip 3 :

For bridesmaids' dresses, consider separates, especially if you have attendants whose sizes and shapes vary widely. Skip the bridal stores and check out department stores for evening skirts and separate tops that are made of luxurious fabrics and trimmed with beading or embroidered details.

"Dear Emily your tips have been very helpful to me in planning for my wedding thank you for all of your help, looking forward to receiving other tips from you. Best Regards" - Cornelia, US

Hi Everyone,

I received this question regarding the appropriate wording for a destination wedding announcement:

“My son and his wife had a private destination wedding. I am getting ready to announce it in our hometown newspaper. They do not have a definite date for a reception - do I leave that off - or state that a reception date will be announced later? Please help.”

This was my reply:

Many thanks for your question.

If your son and daughter-in-law have not yet decided on a date, or the finer details of their wedding reception, then it is definitely advisable to leave this information out of the newspaper announcement. Wording for the newspaper announcement of your son’s wedding should be along the lines of:

However, I must point out that I personally have experienced the curiosity of wondering whether friends who have jetted off to get hitched on their own intend on having a reception when they return. Most friends and family of newlyweds want an opportunity to celebrate their newlywed status together! Not only that, but have you or the newlyweds considered the subject of wedding gifts? Most close friends and family will want to celebrate the marriage by giving a gift, regardless of whether there was a wedding ceremony and reception involved.

If you give some indication to friends and family that a late wedding reception will be held in the not-too-distant future then this will ease their concerns over gift-giving and wanting to celebrate with the newlyweds. Whilst there is nothing wrong with adding additional wording to the newspaper announcement I think that a more personal way to let important people know that your son has been married and that they intend on hosting a wedding reception in the future is for you (or your son and daughter-in-law) to send personal announcements to their friends and family. You could include in it wording along the lines of:

“A wedding reception to honor the newlyweds will be held at a date and venue to be confirmed.”

If you at least know the venue of where the wedding reception is going to take place (e.g. your home or the newlyweds’ home) then you could add:

“A wedding reception to honor the newlyweds will be held at 52 Lawson Court, Newtown. Details of the date and time will follow soon.”

Announcements such as these are best mailed out to close friends and family within a few days of the wedding ceremony or as soon as possible after the event.

I hope that this helps. If you need any assistance with ideas for organizing a formal or informal wedding reception check out wedding forums such as forums.weddingsolutions.com and hitched.co.uk which have unique tips and advice from other destination bride and grooms. Also, the knot.com have fantastic ideas for organizing your own wedding reception after a destination wedding.

Good luck and congratulations to the newlyweds!

Hi Everyone,

I received this question regarding the protocol for double weddings:

“How do you word invitations for a double wedding? Do you have more than one invitation? One for the guests that are only coming for one party and one for both? Also, will guests feel that the have to bring a gift for both couples? How do we go about this so our guests do not feel that they have to bring a gift for the other couple?

This was my reply:

Many thanks for your question. In response to the first part of your question about whether you should share a wedding invitation with the other couple, the answer is definitely yes. If you are choosing to share your wedding day with another couple then sharing wording on a wedding invitation is inconsequential in comparison. By sharing a joint wedding invitation you will be ensuring that your wedding guests understand that they are being invited to a double wedding. As your wedding ceremony is taking place hand in hand with the other couple’s wedding ceremony your guests will understand why both couples’ names are on the wedding invitation.

Due to the fact that double weddings are not as popular as single ceremony weddings you are unlikely to find pre-printed standard wedding stationery conveying the double wedding invitation. However, you can choose a custom-made invitation to match your color theme and wedding style. These are easy to source on the internet or alternatively you might want to visit a wedding studio or local stationery store. The only limitation you will have when choosing your invitation is that it must have enough space to accommodate your additional wording for the double wedding.

With regard to wording for double wedding invitations please take a look at the sample wordings I have given in my previous post where I have listed a variety of contemporary wording options to cover most double wedding situations. However, as double weddings are not as traditional as single weddings, you should definitely feel free to create your own wording for the invitations, so long as the other bride and groom sharing your double wedding are in agreement with you and your fiancé! When choosing wording do remember to emphasize the ‘double’ nature of the wedding so that your guests are fully aware of the type of wedding they are being invited to. You don’t want to surprise them and have them thinking they are seeing double when they catch sight of two brides and grooms on your wedding day! This applies even more so if you do decide that you want to send separate wedding invitations to your own family and friends.

With regard to wedding gifts, it goes without saying that, unless your wedding guest is a friend or family member of both couples participating in the double wedding, that they need only buy a wedding gift for the couple that has invited them to the wedding. I know that the wedding invitation might well bear the names of both couples but your wedding guests will know that the invitation is coming from you (or your parents) to them.

As double weddings are not everyday occurrences the majority of your wedding guests will not necessarily know whether or not they are expected to bring a gift for the other couple. One way of getting the word out is to let your parents, wedding party, close relatives and friends spread the news for you. Even though this is certainly the easiest way to inform your guests that they need only buy a wedding gift for one couple, I don’t know if it is the safest way to ensure that all guests receive the same message. If you would prefer to make the matter of gift giving entirely unambiguous then the best way to do this is to deliver the message to your guests yourself and have the other couple sharing your wedding celebration do the same with their own wedding guests. Whilst it is wholly against wedding etiquette to mention gift-giving in the wedding invitation, you could add the information to your wedding website or communicate it by letter, email or over the phone. You could word it along the lines of:

“We are delighted that you will be joining Mike and I on our special day. If you were thinking of giving us a gift we wanted to let you know that we are registered at Macy’s and Crate and Barrel. Whilst Mike and I are excited to be sharing our double wedding day with Carol and Bob we wanted to let you know that you are not expected to bring them a wedding gift.”

Your guests will appreciate being given the heads up on this gift-giving dilemma and appreciate your honesty.

I hope that this helps with your double wedding planning. Check out my other post too for even more double wedding planning tips.

Good luck!

I wanted to let you all know about “Beaded Weddings” by Jean Campbell. This book is a fantastic craft guide which is sure to encourage even the most reluctant DIYer to have a go. Not only does the book give you unique and inspirational ideas but it also teaches DIY novices basic craft skills. There are over 75 fabulous ideas for DIY projects which would,

“give your wedding a unique, unforgettable style of its own”.

Please take a look at my 6 minute video review of the book by clicking on the play button below. Alternatively you can visit Google Video or YouTube.com.

This book is very easy to read with friendly narrative and beautiful photos. It is broken down into 6 sections including invitations, thank you notes, reception décor, wedding finery, accessories and gifts.

One thing I like about this book is that there is a real variety of choices for skilled beaders or novice beaders (like myself!). For the braver DIYers amongst you there is a section on wedding dress embellishments, showing you how to jazz up your wedding dress. For the less skilled amongst you (this would include me!) or for those of you that do not have a lot of time on your hands to take on DIY projects in the run up to your wedding, there are things like bridal bobby pins which are so simple to make and yet they look as pretty and sparkly as shop-bought accessories.

One of my favorite DIY projects in the book is the beaded gift bag. You simply slip a pretty bead of your choice onto the end of a drawstring on an organza bag and there you have it – an effortless, yet eye-catching, result! A personalized gift bag which you could use for wedding favors, gifts for your bridal party or for future gift-giving occasions. How about wowing your wedding guests with how creative you are - try the cake stand necklace. It combines India glass and Czech fired polished beads with ivory and crystal seed beads. You could really dress up a plain glass cake stand with this very inexpensively.

Techniques used throughout the book include crimping, wire wrapping, bead embroidery, simple fringe and knotting. This might all sound highly technical to you but you really have nothing to worry about – this book takes you through each technique step by step with clear color pictures and diagrams to guide you along the way. It is all very well laid out. A perfect example is the elegant pearl necklace. There is a list of materials and tools needed so that you can get yourself equipped and organized before you start. The narrative then describes how to put the necklace together with diagrams showing how to tie the specific knots needed and it also gives you a lovely big photo of the end result – a stunning pearl necklace custom made to your own specifications.

Also, in the introductory section of the book it gives you a description of each material you might be using including beads, clasps, pins, wires, fabric, ribbon, glue and tools. Don’t worry though, it’s not like a home maintenance manual (if you’ve other tried to follow one of those!) - this book has easy to understand lingo and the terms used are not too technical.

If you are unsure about where the materials recommended come from then all you have to do is flick to the back of the book where there is a list of suppliers. Most of them have websites through which you can order what you need. When I’ve attempted DIY craft projects myself I’ve discovered that most of the raw materials are far cheaper and much more widely available than I previously thought.

Do bear in mind that there is a vast range of items in this book ranging from straightforward to the more complicated. As you can imagine some projects take more time than others. This book provides you with a list of time estimates. For example a tiara can take up to 3 hours whilst cute table favors can take only 2 minutes each.

I have to admit I was not a huge fan of beads before I read this book but now I am a convert! The designs using semiprecious stones, glass pearls and crystals, amongst other materials, are simple, elegant and most importantly unique.

“Beads can make a gorgeous contribution to wedding-day pieces”.

So what are the advantages to you of reading this book?

♥ You get the chance to learn a new skill which could well prove to be invaluable to you both with your wedding planning and in the future.

♥ You are custom making these items to your own specifications. You can add your own unique twists to the designs in the book and adapt any of the projects to suit your own wedding palette and style. There are no rules to say that you must stick to the same colors and styles of beads used in the book. Let your creativity and your imagination run wild!

♥ One of the most important advantages to you is that you will be saving oodles of money! Rather than buying jewelry, wedding stationary and other wedding items from commercial vendors you are only paying out for the materials which you use.

♥ One of the biggest rewards you should get from reading this book is having fun! The book suggests that you recruit helpers to assist you with making your chosen items, so how about hosting a beading party with your friends.

Without hesitation I totally recommend this book for those of you who are not afraid of getting stuck in to some DIY craft projects either on a small or large scale. Go ahead and get creative! Whether you end up with stunning results or something less than perfect, the most important thing for you to bear in mind in the run up to your wedding is to have lots and lots of fun!

Available from Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk

When a couple get married traditionally the bride changes her maiden name to her husband’s surname. This is certainly the most preferred option of brides I have met, bar a few who have kept their maiden names which they have built their careers under.

Changing your maiden name to your husband's surname is certainly the simplest option. It makes life easier once you are married to share the same surname (for social, financial and domestic matters) and much less confusing once you have children together. If you (or even your husband) are not keen on sticking with the tradition of you taking his name then how about one of the following options:

♥ You could use a double barreled combination of both of your surnames - this has become an increasingly popular choice amongst couples. The two elements of the new surname could either be linked by a hyphen or kept separate.

♥ How about using your surname as a middle name for both of you.

♥ You could “mesh” your maiden name with your husband’s surname to make a brand new surname for you both – it could be great fun choosing a new name together!

♥ Alternatively, if none of these options appeal to you both then there is no reason (if he is agreeable) why your husband cannot change his surname to your maiden name when you get married.

Although many couples in recent years have chosen to combine their last names it is still unusual for a man to take his wife’s surname upon marriage. Whilst I might have pondered this with newlywed friends and even discussed the topic of name changing with my own husband prior to our wedding, I have never really considered it to be a serious option (unless the man’s surname is so humiliating that it just is not an option for the bride to consider taking it!). I wondered after reading this story if it might well become a new wedding trend in years to come. According to wzzm13.com Seattle newlyweds Donna and Mike Salinger were met with chuckles and confusion from their wedding guests last November as they were announced on their wedding day with the wife’s surname. Mike bravely chose to take his wife's last name instead of her taking his.

"Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought it would have caused as much of a stir as it did," says Mike Salinger, 27, who was married in November. "We knew people might be surprised, but we figured they'd say 'Huh' and get on with it.”

This is a very unique and modern idea and one which I don’t think should be ridiculed. Personally I think that with all of the new trends in weddings this break with the norm is refreshing.

According to abcnews.go.com in January of this year groom-to-be Michael Buday decided that he wanted to honor his fiancé’s family by taking her name upon their marriage. The only obstacle in his way was the law! Under California state law he needed to pay more than $300 and comply with their laborious and strict legal requirements before his name change could happen. He decided that this was unfair and alongside the ACLU decided to go to court to battle it out. Abcnews.go.com states that,

“California is one of 44 states with unequal name change laws for people getting married. Right now, only six states — Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Massachusetts, New York and North Dakota — explicitly allow a man to change his name through marriage with the same ease as a woman can.”

Is it right that women can change their names so easily upon marriage yet men are forced into an expensive and laborious labyrinth of red tape in the USA? Without doubt it is a lot easier for men in the UK as they need only execute a change of name by Deed Poll, pay up the £29.99 fee and this guarantees that their new surname is legal and accepted by everyone without question.

Whether newlyweds choose to merge names, create a completely new one or both be known by the bride’s surname, isn’t the most important thing that it should be personal choice for them how they wish themselves to be known upon their marriage?

If you have wedding guests traveling in from of out-of-town then a Bridal Brunch is a great way for you as a bride to welcome them to your wedding and gives both you and them an opportunity to catch up before the wedding. Those guests who have traveled great distances to see you get married will welcome a chance to visit with you as they will inevitably have returned home by the time you return from your honeymoon.

As well as being able to greet your wedding guests and become reacquainted, the Bridal Brunch also provides brides with an opportunity to treat her guests and make them feel special. Your guests will definitely appreciate the fact that you have taken time out of your wedding day to spend time with them.

Invitations

Invitations for a Bridal Brunch should be made by the bride or her parents. Even though the Bridal Brunch is a relaxed pre-wedding gathering, to eliminate the chances of guests getting the timing wrong do not depend on word of mouth to get the invitations to your guests. Instead send invitees informal invitations, handwritten cards or include the information on the wedding itinerary if you have provided your guests with this.

Catering

The point of a Bridal Brunch is not only to catch up with your wedding guests who have traveled far and wide to attend your wedding, but also to feed and water them! The food served at a typical Bridal Brunch should be simple and easy to make ahead of time. The menu can include egg dishes such as frittata, quiches, omelettes or waffles, French toast and bacon, breakfast pastries and breads and platters of fresh fruit. By keeping the brunch food simple you will allow yourself more time to spend visiting with your guests rather than slaving over a stove. Drinks served at a Bridal Brunch can range from herbal tea and coffee to assorted fruit juices and smoothies to alcoholic beverages such as champagne, Bloody Mary’s, punch or Mimosas.

Budget

You can easily plan and prepare an elegant yet simple brunch on a budget. Try to get a rough idea of how many guests are likely to attend the brunch so that you can calculate how much food and drink will be needed. By bulk buying food and drink items from your local warehouse store in advance you will save money. If you prefer not to cook you could even buy ready-made food, heat it before guests arrive and serve it up on pretty platters and serving dishes buffet style. The time you will have spent on preparing the food is minimal but the effect will be perfect.

Ask for help

If you lack both time and money then consider asking for culinary contributions from family and friends who are attending the Bridal Brunch. They could bring along a prepared dish of food each which will not only save you time, effort and cash but will also ensure that there are a tasty variety of foods available for your guests.

Timings

Bridal Brunches are usually a 2 hour event served between breakfast and lunch, from 10 am to 12 pm on the morning of the wedding. Typically the Bride’s family will host the Bridal Brunch at their home. However if they are either short on space or are from out-of-town themselves then alternative venues for the brunch are either another family member’s home or a local café or restaurant which specializes in brunch meals.

Lastly, a word of warning for you. I held a Bridal Brunch on the morning of my wedding and I was having such a good time catching up with my family that I lost track of time and it set me back slightly with my timings for getting ready for the actual wedding! Take my advice, have a great time at your Bridal Brunch but do make sure you give yourself enough time to relax and get ready for your wedding.

If you know of a couple who deserve a helping hand with their wedding planning, what better way to surprise them than by nominating them for the Sunday Post’s Dream Wedding Prize! One lucky couple will be the recipients of a wedding package worth up to £14,000 including highland attire, bridesmaids dresses, invitations, favors, cake, flowers, photo and video, a DJ and luxury venue. The venue the Scottish Post have chosen for the wedding is the elegant Victorian hotel, the Dunblane Hydro. This palatial hotel will provide the lucky winners with a traditional Scottish wedding experience.

The Sunday Post want readers to write in to them and explain why they think their friends or family deserve to be the lucky bride and groom who receive this amazing prize. If you are planning your own wedding, you can even vote for yourself! The newspaper will print some of the best submitted stories during the upcoming weeks and will then choose the most deserving winning couple.

Why not give it a try – you might win and this would definitely save you time, effort and (most importantly!) money with your wedding planning! Good luck.

If you are looking for some fresh and unique ideas for your wedding planning, have a question you need answering by a wedding expert or simply need wedding inspiration then look no further than WE tv’s new show “Get Married”. Get Married is a new half hour magazine-style tv show that offers practical guidance, information, competitions and entertainment through each of the planning stages and beyond. Quite simply it will be the best in wedding “info-tainmnet” !

The show is being hosted by tv and radio personality Jenn Hobby with reports by noted wedding expert Crys Stewart and correspondent Jessica Campbell. Get Married will explore wedding planning and provide viewers with in-depth information and resources. All aspects of wedding planning will be covered from choosing your wedding gown, to help with selecting and booking your honeymoon. This show claims to stand apart from the other wedding-focused reality shows as it provides couples planning their wedding not only with essential wedding planning tools, but it will also feature "Ask The Expert" segments where guest experts will share their top tips and also Celebrity Wedding interviews where stars will share their own wedding experiences.

Get Married will be complemented online by a website Getmarried.com which will go live in mid-March.

I think that Get Married sounds like it will be truly unique in the field of wedding planning tv shows and I look forward to its launch on 15th April. If you can’t wait click on the this link to take a sneak peak and visit their MySpace site here!

I continue to recommend all brides sign up to my weekly wedding tips here. They can really make a difference to your day, just take a read of this email I received yesterday.

-----Original Message-----
From: Stevie J******* [mailto:stevie.j*******@hotmail.com]
Sent: 8 March 2007 18:26
To: Brown
Subject: RE: Stevie's 78th Weekly Wedaholic.com Tip

Hi Emily,

All your tips made my wedding such a success!!

I absoutely loved all the ones that would make my family feel special, like the widowed people tip and the groomsman asking them to dance. I'll tell you, I have NEVER seen my great aunt so happy. Thanks for making my wedding that much more memorable...and I will recommend your tips to anyone I know who is getting married.

Thanks for making my special day a sucess!!!

It is the norm nowadays for couples to think up different ways of ensuring their guests are entertained at their wedding. Whether they choose to arrange live music, DJ's or other forms of entertainment, one thing is for sure - newlyweds do not want their wedding guests to go home bored or disappointed.

An amazingly unique idea which Oklahoma newlyweds Brian and Sandy Lundmark came up with was to stage an awe-inspiring rendition of Michael Jackson's Thriller dance. After confessing her love of the Thriller dance sequence featured in her favorite movie "13 Going on 30" Sandy asked fiance Brian to put together a dance routine for their wedding to surprise their guests. They asked members of the wedding party to participate in the dance and the whole group practiced several times a week for over a month to learn the dance moves together. The end result was a fantastically entertaining dance sequence at their wedding reception.

What a novel idea and a surefire way to make your wedding reception not only stand out in every one of your wedding guest's minds in the years to come but also capture the interest of a million YouTube viewers! This YouTube video not only featured on Good Morning America but it was also voted YouTube Video Of The Week. Take a look and see it for yourself!

Watch other "Thriller" Wedding dances: Joe and Sheena Roberts (after 48 secs), Jocelyn and Jim, Adam Smith (after 1 min 24 secs) and Jim O'Deanny.

Finally you would go a long way to beat Norm and Renee's first wedding dance. During the first 1 min 8 secs they dance to Jack Johnson's "Better Together" - nothing to write home about there but just wait for the change in tempo as they dance to Michael Jackson's "The Way You Make Me Feel" - Not to be missed - watch the video below!