When you look at the following facts:

♥ the average cost of a wedding in the UK tops £20,000

♥ increasing numbers of couples are marrying after they have already set up home together

♥ most couples plan and fund their own weddings nowadays

it’s no wonder that:

♥ couples are now looking for alternative ways to pay for their weddings (rather than having to depend on family contributions, loans or credit cards)

♥ couples planning their weddings don’t require traditional wedding gifts to furnish their home with such as housewares and fine china

The conclusion which can be drawn for couples planning their weddings nowadays is that what they need more than anything is financial help with their spiraling wedding costs.

As I mentioned in my previous blog in the last couple of years online honeymoon gift registries such as Traveler's Joy, Honeymoon Wishes and Honeymoon.com have become hugely popular. Couples planning their nuptials turn to these websites to save themselves money as their wedding guests contribute funds towards their dream honeymoon.

One step on from the honeymoon gift registry is Youbuymywedding.com, an innovative website which allows couples to pay for their wedding by inviting guests to make financial pledges online towards their wedding costs rather than buying them a traditional wedding gift. I think that this is an ingenious concept.

As featured on Five News, Youbuymywedding.com encourages brides and grooms-to-be to opt for money rather than traditional wedding presents and thus take the financial strain off of their wedding plans. For couples who want a dream wedding but find that it is beyond their restricted wedding budget this website is perfect as rather than having to scrimp and cut corners you can share the wedding costs with your guests.

According to Youbuymywedding.com its aim is to

“help couples finance their weddings by inviting their guests to share the cost of paying for the big day, instead of buying wedding gifts in the conventional way”.

So how does Youbuymywedding.com work? It appears to be quite simple. You set up your own personalized wedding page using the website and choose the pledge items you want to be covered, using up to 20 categories covering every aspect of your wedding, including invitations, flowers, reception, cake, car hire, honeymoon, rings and even the dress. Next, decide how much you want to raise for each category. Your guests can then visit your personal wedding page and browse through your selected pledge items. A great feature is that the website also indicates to your guests which items have received the most support, and which still need contributions. Guests can make a donation towards their choice of wedding expense using the secure online payment service Paypal, and they will receive an email confirmation of their pledge, which can be made anonymously if they prefer. Once they have made their pledge Youbuymywedding.com will also notify you by means of an SMS text alert.

So that you can keep up-to-date with your wedding budget you can check your wedding fund balance on the website any time and make withdrawals at any time (in the form of a bank transfer or cheque) to pay for or book items in advance of your wedding.

I think that this website has advantages too from your wedding guests’ point of view. Rather than them having to find and buy a possibly unwanted or duplicate wedding gift, they can save time and effort by simply logging on to your website and give you the gift you really need – money!

Whilst honeymoon gift registries have proven to be a popular choice with modern couples who want to register for alternative wedding gifts, I think that unique websites such as Youbuymywedding.com will also be popular amongst couples who already have everything they need for their marital home but who could use some financial assistance to bolster their wedding fund.

So, if you don’t want to rein in your wedding plans, restrict your wedding budget or have to finance your wedding using a loan or credit card and start married life in debt then why not take a look at Youbuymywedding.com.

If Money Is An Issue :
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♥ How to discover an amazing way to save 50%-80% of your entire wedding expense to have the exact same wedding. And it doesn't matter whether your wedding budget is $5,000 or $50,000

♥ That one thing's for sure ... Brides have a sign across their forehead saying "Rip me off!" - Agreed? That's why you need to know how you also can slash off 70% on alcohol cost, 50% on Flowers and 80% on your Limousine!

♥ The 5 rules that will prevent 99% of wedding scams. These are very easy to follow and it will work on ANY wedding vendor. Even if you get ripped off, you WILL get your money back, Guaranteed!!

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THE BEST WEDDING TIPS ON THE INTERNET

Each week you can receive a great wedding tip by simply filling in this form:

After you have clicked on the "Send My 1st Tip" button follow these 6 easy steps to ensuring you receive a free unique wedding tip every week.

The most important step is that you you click on the confirmation link in the email sent immediately to your inbox - if you don't you won't get your wedding tips!

A TESTIMONIAL :

"Hi Elle, I just wanted to give my thanks for the generous, often funny and thoughtful planning tips I have received. Our wedding is in just over two weeks time. It's the first time we're getting married (as for many people), and inevitably, there are things we had not considered. I really appreciated many of the planning tips for this reason, also because they were very practical and down-to-earth. Great job, and many thanks again. It must be great to know you are making a positive difference to the marrying couples that receive these. Best Wishes" - Marcela Read more testimonials here

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Have you just about given up on the inclement weather or lack of suitable wedding venues with stunning vistas in your hometown? Perhaps you are looking for a wedding venue where the sun is more likely to shine. Maybe your vision of your dream wedding involves you standing on a golden beach or atop a cliff overlooking the ocean.

If so, then you should take a look at Islandbrides.com. This website is a fantastic resource for couples who are planning a destination beach wedding in the Caribbean. Islandbrides.com has everything you will need to plan your dream wedding in over 30 beach wedding destinations including:

Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Bonaire, British Virgin Islands, Cancun, Cayman Islands, Cozumel, Cuba, Curacao, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Jamaica, Martinique, Montserrat, Puerto Rico, Saba, St Barthelemy, St Eustatius, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Maarten, St Martin, St Vincent & The Grenadines, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks & Caicos, and U.S. Virgin Islands.

Destination Guide

The hardest part for couples planning their destination wedding will be choosing which country or island in the Caribbean suits them best. To help you in making this difficult decision Islandbrides.com provides you with a guide to each of the Caribbean destinations. This website is a free one-stop shop which will save you having to research all the different Caribbean destinations yourself. The time saving destination wedding guides provide you with country information, location maps, entry and marriage requirements, the lowdown on the unique and interesting wedding traditions and customs for each wedding destination and also wedding vendor directories to assist you with locating and contacting destination wedding planners, wedding venues, photographers, florists, bakeries and more.

The website is very easy to navigate with drop-down menus to enable you to effortlessly search for destinations, venues and vendors. It contains everything you need to know about getting married in each of the featured destinations.

Planning Tools and Wedding Website

Islandbrides.com also offers registered users free useful planning tools including a wedding budget calculator, an email reminder service to keep track of important dates and wedding planning tasks. As well as this they also provide a free wedding website builder to all members. Personal wedding websites are a great way of keeping your family and friends up-to-date with your destination wedding plans.

Beach Wedding Guide Forum

Undoubtedly if you are planning your own destination wedding in a tropical Caribbean paradise you will have a few questions which need answering, particularly as you will be committing to spending a large sum of money on this event. I think that many couples will find the Beach Wedding Guide Forum useful. This is where other couples post comments about how their destination wedding plans are going, share wedding planning ideas and experiences and offer advice to each other. You are sure to find some unique ideas for your own destination wedding within the forum.

Photo Gallery

If you like to stay clued up on the finer details of celebrity beach weddings or if you just enjoy having a snoop at other newlywed’s wedding photos then Islandbrides.com also has a photo gallery section where other members have posted their own destination wedding photos and stories.

Wedding Articles

A further advantage of Islandbrides.com is that it also features useful articles with tips and advice on planning beach and destination weddings. There are invaluable cost-saving ideas to keep your wedding budget low and creative suggestions which are sure to give your beach wedding an individual theme. There is a vast archive of articles with categories including 2007 wedding trends for beach weddings, how to entertain children at your beach wedding and (what I think should be the essential read for most beach wedding brides-to-be) how to avoid having your coiffed hair turn frizzy in the humidity of your beach destination!

If you are in two minds as to whether a destination wedding would suit you then I thoroughly recommend that you check out Islandbrides.com. It contains copious amounts of unique ideas, useful information and most importantly it is simple and free to sign up. In my opinion if you are contemplating hosting your wedding in an exotic location then Islandbrides.com is definitely worth a look.

How would you like to win the $100,000 wedding of your dreams? Interested? Then check out GetMarried.com. They are giving away this fabulous prize - a dream wedding with a value totaling over $100,000. They will cover the cost of wedding party apparel, the venue, the cake, catering, flowers, tables, chairs and linens, photography and the honeymoon. All you have to do to enter their $100,000 Dream Wedding Giveaway is to register at their website, it’s that straightforward. It's free to enter, so what have you got to lose!

I really recommend that you also try and catch GetMarried on WE tv (if you miss the show on TV on Sunday you can catch up with the latest episode on their website). I enjoyed watching last Sunday’s fourth episode which was packed full of useful tips and advice. My favorite parts of the show were when celebrity event planner Preston Bailey (he organized Donald and Melania Trump’s glamorous wedding in 2005) shared his unique and inspirational ideas for wedding venue décor and etiquette guru Peggy Post answered the top 5 wedding etiquette questions. I think that GetMarried gives great wedding fashion advice as well as some fabulous ideas to help you plan your wedding. If you missed last Sunday’s episode check it out here.

Happy viewing and good luck with the $100,000 Wedding Giveaway - I'll keep my fingers crossed for you!

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

Sadly it is often only yourself and your closest family members that get the opportunity to watch a video or DVD of your wedding. Traditionally the videographer will send you just a couple of copies of your wedding video and as a result this makes it difficult for all your wedding guests to re-live your wedding day at their leisure. Ultimately this is a real shame considering you have spent thousands of dollars on having a professional videographer record your wedding.

Thankfully this has all now changed as a new company called Viddia ensures all your friends and family will get to see your wedding whenever and however they want. By streaming video via the internet Viddia allows you to easily share your wedding video with everyone. You no longer have the hassle of copying wedding DVDs for all your loved ones.

Using Viddia each couple can share their wedding video from a password protected customized web page (this can be deactivated so as viewers don’t need a password). This page can be designed to reflect your own tastes and display a personalized message to your family and friends! In addition friends can leave comments and order additional DVD copies from the site.

To give you an idea of how your online wedding video might look have a look at this demo of Erica and Robert's Wedding. It is easy to skip to different "chapters" of the wedding day including parts such as the bridal preparations that most guests will not have previously seen. This video has been encoded and delivered to a very high quality. In fact Viddia will detect the speed of your internet connection and play the highest quality video possible.

It really is simple to take advantage of this service, you simply have to ask your videographer to place an order with Viddia. They can drop your video in the mail using the pre-paid envelopes Viddia provide. It usually takes between 2 – 5 business days to make your video live.

Once live you have tools to send out a customized email viewing invitation to all your friends and family stating that your wedding video is ready to watch. This is similar to when someone shares pictures using a service like OPhoto or Kodak Easy Share. It is especially great that you can share your day with friends who couldn't be there to experience the big day themselves.

Please leave a comment if you have used this service for your own wedding, I look forward to hearing from you.

Viddia Contact Details:

Phone: (310) 260-9263

Email: contact@viddia.com

Mailing Address:
Viddia.com
234 San Vicente Blvd
Suite 5
Santa Monica, CA 90402

Back in October I wrote about a site called Bloglines.com that I use to keep me up to date with all the wedding industry news on a daily basis. I highlighted the ease with which it is possible for me to read various stories without having to visit the actual web sites if I don’t want to. This all happens due to the magic of RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds, certainly every blog has such a feed – though not all web sites do. This might not be news to everyone, but for those brides discovering it for the first time you will certainly enjoy the luxury of having all your news in one place.

One site I am always excited to hear the latest news from is the Wedding Podcast Network (WPN), at WeddingPodcastNetwork.com, run by husband and wife team Robert Allen and Holli Ehrlich. They provide an alternative to mainstream wedding planning advice in a portable, on-demand format you can listen to where ever you are. WPN allows brides and grooms to easily listen to advice on wedding planning and obtain valuable information in an entertaining and educational format that can be downloaded to an iPod, MP3 player, mobile phone or on the computer free of charge. I love the idea of downloadable audio giving me the opportunity to control which specific wedding programs I hear, when, and even where.

Listen To Free Wedding Advice Today:

I recommend you open a Bloglines account and subscribe to the main Wedding Podcast Network feed today.

Robert Allen, WPN co-founder and executive producer says:

“We wanted to establish an authoritative resource for brides and grooms that are planning their wedding, but realize they have busy lives, whether they are commuting to work, working out at the gym or running errands. Wedding Podcast Network is like listening to wedding talk radio on-demand on your iPod or computer.”

Robert and Holli offer not only authoritative but also entertaining and fun shows to listen to. You can keep copies of your favourite shows and play them over and over again.

The Wedding Podcast Network features seven original internet radio programs including:

♥ Meet the Masters - Listen To Show Here - Exclusive interviews with the wedding industry’s foremost style shapers and consultants. Guests have included Preston Bailey, Ron Ben-Israel, Sylvia Weinstock, Laura Geller, John Mahdessian of Madame Paulette, and celebrity wedding planners Ann David and Nicky Reinhard.

♥ Bridal Scene - Listen To Show Here - Trends and happenings including exclusive, behind-the-scenes interviews from the industry’s premier shows and events. Some of the subjects of on-site guest interviews have included bridal registry trends, destination weddings, bridal beauty, scrapbooking, invitations and honeymoons. Recents podcasts include a couple of entertaining shows from the Bridal Market in New York City (part 1 and 2).

♥ Lovecast - Listen To Show Here - Relationship advice from The Love Doctor, Dr. Terri. Dr. Terri teaches listeners how to accept differences, communicate, and resolve conflicts. Fun quizzes, valuable advice and important life lessons about one’s significant other and each other's families are part of the programming. Men and women differ greatly how they talk about the relationship with their partner - listen to these podcasts to find out why!

♥ Newlywedcast - Listen To Show Here - Real couples recount their wedding stories and share firsthand advice from a purely personal perspective. Listeners hear unique proposal stories, surprising confessions, original ideas
and secrets to planning a successful wedding. Listen to newlyweds, Kim and Quint, share the details of their April destination wedding in Lake Tahoe, California and wedding at the Sugar Bowl Ski Resort. Or how Jamie and Daniel planned their wedding in just 4 days!

♥ Wedding Workout - Listen To Show Here - This fitness-focused podcast offers advice and tips on how to lose a size and get gown ready before the walk down the aisle. So get pumped! get motivated! and become a buff bride today! Listen to Real Pilates owner Alycea Ungaro discuss how exercise is an enormous stress reliever which is critical during wedding planning.

♥ Grooms with a View - Listen To Show Here - Grooms offer their perspective on the big day. In the first show Craig Michaels, author of Thirty to Wife (see my review here), talks about what every prospective groom should expect at a wedding. Craig shares some great cost saving ideas without cheapening the affair.

♥ Planet Bride - Listen To Show Here – Michelle and Henry Roth, sister and brother design duo, share their three generations of family bridal tradition and take you on a unique wedding planning journey. Hear how to get real and how to deal from a pair that know the wedding business like no other. In their first show Henry & Michelle discuss the ever important pivotal component that sets the tone for the whole wedding - the wedding dress!

If you have any questions about RSS and podcasts just pop me an email and I will do my best to help.

The UK’s Number one wedding website Confetti.co.uk has launched a brand new micro site called Confetti East, dedicated to South Asian Weddings and festive occasions. This exciting new micro site offers ideas, inspiration, products and services relating to the exotic east and is a complete one-stop source for anyone planning an Asian or Asian style celebration.

Sections include exciting features such as Indian traditions to include in a wedding, an etiquette guide to South Asian celebrations and interesting facts about henna or mehndi. Practical guides include dos and don’ts of shopping in the Indian subcontinent and how to avoid the most common planning errors.

With guides to style, fashion and beauty and customs, the site educates, informs and entertains anyone planning a Hindu, Sikh or Islamic wedding as well as appealing to those brides who wish to add a little something different to a traditional ceremony.

To Celebrate the launch of Confetti East, you can visit the Confetti stand at Mela from 17 – 19 November at the Birmingham NEC, where there will be a beautiful array of table settings using Confetti products and experienced staff on hand to advise on any aspect of wedding or celebration planning.

Further Confetti.co.uk Reading:

Announcing The New Confetti Wish List Service - The Gifts You Really Want!
Confetti.co.uk Coupon - Free Delivery On Orders Of £75 Or More
Confetti.co.uk Launch Their New Site - New Improved Layout!
Review Of Confetti's Glasgow Store by Elle Brown.
Compare Confetti's Wedding Insurance to other UK products.
Confetti's New Must-Read Magazine - Confetti Receptions
How To Use Confetti.co.uk For A Stylish Christmas - a one stop shop for wedding and party advice.

Choosing wedding favors might be one of the smaller details of your wedding planning but it is certainly requires some thought and effort. You want to choose favors which add a stylish finishing touch to your wedding and which show your guests your appreciation for them being there to celebrate your special day.

For unique wedding favors, gifts and accessories take a look at Bellenza.com

What Bellenza has to offer?

Bellenza offer a vast selection of beautiful favors ranging from favor bags to porcelain keepsakes at prices starting from $0.50. Bellenza also have items which are more expensive, but of course, you don’t mind spending that bit extra for favors which your wedding guests are guaranteed to truly cherish. Remember too that depending on which favors you choose they can save you money as they might be able to double up as table decorations at your wedding reception!

I liked the huge selection of useful wedding favor bags which are available on Bellenza’s website. They come in a broad spectrum of colors and in many different styles, shapes and sizes. Another unique aspect of Bellenza’s website is that they provide you with great ideas of what to put inside your favor bags, including cookies, candies and other small wedding favors for your wedding guests.

There is more to Bellenza than simply wedding favors. They also offer elegant bridal accessories and a wide rage of attendant gifts. Handsewn stunning ring pillows and chic purses to exquisite silk bridal shawl.

Finding your way around

I found the Bellenza website really easy to navigate. They have created an attractive layout for the favors and use extensive product pictures alongside informative details specific to each favor. I thought that it was extremely helpful that Bellenza’s website had categories for customers to select from including Party Themes, Gift Ideas, Styles and Duo+ables.

The “Duo+ables” section is very innovative as it contains clever pairings of favors available for you to choose. This simplifies the process for you of choosing matching combinations of favors. I really like the pairings which they have put together. Bellenza obviously have an eye for design and have chosen colors and styles of favors which complement each other. I particularly like the Marikei Porcelain Hatbox which is wrapped in a matching Zaarni Organza Wrap Circle with Ribbon. I think it would make a beautiful wedding favor and it also makes an eye-catching table decoration too!

Bellenza also have an “Advice” section which contains lots of top tips and suggestions for wedding themes, ranging from “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” to “Beach Weddings”. With each theme suggested Bellenza give their ideas on which wedding favors are appropriate. I like the fact that Bellenza put emphasis on the usage and theme which applies to each of their favors and that they are giving you free advice on how to use their products to create a unique style for your wedding. Bellenza’s website gives you fantastic ideas for accessorizing your wedding and complimenting your chosen wedding theme with some stylish matching items.

Design details

“We are meticulous about selecting the right combination of materials and fabrics, while paying close attention to both texture and color in order to give our products an elegant look, as opposed to a mass-produced one.”

It is the quality of their workmanship combined with the distinctive materials and fabrics which they use is their designs which makes Bellenza’s favors stand apart from some of its contemporaries. Through their ongoing commitment to originality and artistry Bellenza are creating unique and timeless handmade wedding favors and couture-inspired bridal accessories. Sometimes when you look at wedding favor websites you see the same style and quality of products but Bellenza’s use of unique textures and materials such as seashell, rhinestone, and silver help to catch your eye!

Amongst Bellenza's line of elegant favor bags, pouches, and wraps is the Sofearélla Rose Pomander Favor Bag. This is a perfect example of Bellenza’s ability to use delicate fabrics in imaginative ways. They have carefully sewn pieces of satin and organza individually into flowers, rendering them to follow the form of a pretty Victorian pomander. To make the bags even more functional a decorative pearl handle was added allowing the bag to be used both as a favor container and a place card holder – Bellenza really do think of everything!

Their design team must have a great eye for aesthetics as they manage to combine a perfect combination of materials in a vast range of colors and embellishments to create masterpieces!

“At Bellenza, our philosophy embraces this ideal with a passion for designing products that are both creatively useful and unique.”

I think that Bellenza definitely simplify the task of choosing elegant yet affordable wedding favors, accessories and gifts. So go on, have a browse – you won’t regret it!

For more ideas about favors take a look at my blog "26 Wedding Favors Your Guests are Guaranteed to Love".

i-vox, the leading brand of video diary rooms, were at Earls Court a few weeks ago collecting feedback from visitors to the National Wedding Show. It got a great response and visitors and exhibitors thought it was an innovative and fun way of capturing opinion.

The format of having a room to film yourself in rather than a feedback form is one that appealed to the show organisors so they can analyze what visitors really thought of the show, and not be confined to the boundaries of written questions.

Watch my own comments from one minute 16 seconds into this video, plus a few more samples here. If you like what you see you can pop around to the next two shows in the Spring, they are Birmingham 16-18 Feb 2007 and London 23 - 25 Feb 2007.

How does this relate to weddings?

Well i-vox also offer a service where by they will set up your very own video diary room at your wedding. So instead of the usual guest book, guests can visit the room anytime they want (as it is constantly recording) to say a few words about how much they are enjoying the wedding!

A great alternative to the traditional wedding guest book. Let me know what you think of this unique idea by leaving a comment below.

How would you like to win a free e-engagement announcement simply by sending an email to Jamie at info@ourweddingcast.com? Quite simply the first newly engaged bride to quote "Wedaholic" in their email receives a free e-engagement announcement. No catch - just totally free! So please send an email now to stand a chance of winning.

This is a great opportunity to share your engagement story with friends and family instantly. No longer is there a need to repeat the story a million times! Using this service you can create your own moving photo slide show with pictures and music you have chosen.

Additionally Ourweddingcast.com are kindly offering all wedaholic readers a discount of 10% off ANY of their services. You just have to enter the code "Wedaholic" to take advantage of this great offer.

Other OurWeddingCast products include Photo Montages and Webcast & Podcast Services:

The OurWeddingCast Photo Montage allows you to create a slide show of your lives both separately and together on the big night (or during the rehearsal dinner). There is now no longer the need to set up a projector and click your way through each picture - all you have to do is press play, sit back and let your wedding guests enjoy your very own "love story". This is definitely the stress free approach to making a vibrant photomontage that you can share with friends and family for up to 1 year!

The OurWeddingCast Webcast & Podcast Services mean you no longer have to pack your living room with friends and relatives in order to share your wedding video. Have aunt in New York or a cousin Florida? Now, by simply clicking a link they can see you and relive your wedding from their very own lounge!

Take a look at a recent wedding cast from OurWeddingCast.com . Good luck and please leave comments after you have used the service.

Are you looking for a true alternative to the traditional wedding list? I know you already have your fair share of towels and kitchen appliances between you and your partner and you want something different.

If this is the case, I recommend you take a look at the honeymoon wedding registry service MyHoneyMoon.co.uk and see how your wedding list could pay for a wonderful holiday to Hawaii, Mauritius, Barbados, or even Paris!

This is definitely a fun way for your guests to make a donation towards your honeymoon costs. They can use a secure online payment facility to make a payment using their credit card or debit card – or even pay by cheque.

MyHoneyMoon director, Daniel Ox says:

“It's the perfect alternative to a cutlery set or kettle as the guests are really buying wonderful memories for the newlyweds."

A HoneyMoon account costs just £49.99. For this your account is setup and you will receive expert travel advice including suggested itineraries, stylish notification cards for you to distribute to your guests, and your own personal wedding homepage to display photos and memorable stories.

Small Print:

As always you should definitely read the FAQ and in particular the “How much does the service cost?” section:

“ If you decide not to book your honeymoon with us then that is fine but to help cover the ongoing expense of administering your registry and providing full services to you and your guests, a 7% service fee is payable against the final balance of the account.”

Thus with this service you can save yourself the 7% service fee if you actually book your honeymoon through MyHoneyMoon.co.uk.

Compare this to another UK honeymoon registry service called HoneyMoon.co.uk. based in Edinburgh. Here you are charged 9% service fee on gifts purchased from your list. The fee is deducted from your total gift fund when the donated funds are transferred to you.

The services covered by this fee include but are not limited to credit card transaction fees, gift registry updates, gift acknowledgments and thank you card manager updates. You can liken the costs incurred in the service fee to the cost of your guests buying wrapping paper, card, postage and packing, etc.

So it is up to you which registry service you prefer. I must say though I do like the wedding list samples found on HoneyMoney.co.uk.

Special Promotion:

There is currently no set-up fee for a HoneyMoney list. All you need to do is enter the code PRMT21 in the appropriate box on the registration form and the usual £50 fee is waived.

Good luck and please leave comments if you have used either of these services.

Here is a new wedding list site with a difference - OurGreenWeddingList.com - one that doesn't cost the earth!

This site encourages couples to have a greener wedding list and an environmentally friendly wedding day. So certainly not the list for those adamant they want a mahogany coffee table or patio heater!

To quote the site:

"Our Green Wedding List offers you environmentally considerate goods at comparable prices as an alternative to mass produced and environmentally damaging products. Some items (subscriptions to organic veggie box schemes) even enable you to start the first months of your married lives with an environmental outlook."

The products are sourced from UK based suppliers so as airmiles are reduced. Although Fair Trade goods are imported from beyond the UK. Products fall into a number of categories, namely Recycled, Craft/Artisan, Organic
Environmental benefit, Energy efficient, Made in the UK in an environmentally responsible way and Fair trade. In essence you will find the same type of products you would find on a traditional wedding list, but greener!

The site was set up this year after the founder Holly Long at Wedding List Giving Ltd had conversations with friends about green products 'not being as nice as conventional factory goods' and wanted to ask only for a few ethical gifts for her own wedding. Holly's dream of making 'green/ethical' goods more accessible is certainly NOW a reality. OurGreenWeddingList.com really does encourage people to think about having a green wedding list.

Holly Long can be contacted on 01273 476015 or here

Here is our latest wedding shop review from a bride called Amy. She reviews a shop called Alena's Bridals in Fairfield, Connecticut.

Alena's Bridals - 1525 Black Rock Tpke, Fairfield, Connecticut 06825 Tel (203) 384-8085

"This was a walk in... shop is very small, I would say intimate but dresses were nicely organized and seperated by designer. I showed her the picture of a dress by Alfred Angelo (which is a line she carries) and they didn't have it in stock. They had similar dresses or could order that one for me if I wanted to purchase it.

She let me look around... giving me the bride-to-be opportunity to talk about my wedding and ideas. She picked out a beautiful tea-length dress and said remember you have to try something on to truely see it's potential. I loved the dress and the whole experience. I would say this shop is for people who need a little help seeing her potential.

Amy"

As always I welcome any wedding shop reviews you would like to make public on Wedaholic.com

All wedding reviewer details are available upon request.

Craig Michael’s new book “Thirty to Wife”, available from Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk, was born from his very own experiences of getting married. He found he didn’t have many people to turn to for real, honest advice and your average wedding book was simply focused on lists and responsibilities. He was fed up with to do lists and magazines strategically left around the house and wanted to write a book that really went out of its way to educate and advise grooms.

The title “Thirty to Wife” is apt because Craig's book tells the story of the 30 days leading up to his wedding day. It is in effect a countdown where we take the ride along side him, every step of the way - experiencing the highs and the lows. It’s a clever title, though Craig can’t take credit for it as his wife Deb thought of it! Luckily he does deserve much applause for its content! In fact Deb's forward says:

If only CRAIG put a fraction of the effort into our wedding planning that he did writing this book.

If only.

And so the book begins:

From Day 30: Welcome to my world. Seatbelts not required, but strongly encouraged.

Never was I so sure of anything in this world. Buoyed by excessive alcohol, a ticking biological clock (guys get them too), and a natural urge to ensure survival of the fittest (vision impairments aside), I got down on one knee and asked Deb to marry me.

It wasn't the most romantic moment. Or the most graceful. But it was ours to cherish forever. Or at least a few days.

"No planning for two months. Guaranteed," Deb promised as she basked in the glow of her engagement ring.
We didn’t make it two hours.
"Who are your groomsmen?"
"What food should we serve?"
"Where should we honeymoon?"
"When will we register?"
Why, oh why did I start us down this path?

I found “Thirty to Wife” to be all together more superior than anything else I have read in the groom/wedding book category. At the heart of this book is a humorous, real life and in depth pre-wedding narrative that makes it such a joy to read. Through all 263 pages you hear Craig’s voice, providing comfort, guidance and real world experiences that both sexes can relate to. In addition this book packs a massive punch with many comprehensive lists of what every groom needs to know, from proposing to the wedding day.

I loved the way you can follow a really engaging wedding story, yet pick up many useful tips and advice along the way. If you’re a bride you may wonder whether this account of a thirty-something man’s last 30 bachelor days is for you? I have to admit I had the same question. Yes “Thirty to Wife” is groom oriented but nevertheless it is definitely bride friendly. I can see women using this book to assist men in being the grooms they dreamt of marrying and get their favourite “so what are you really thinking” question answered without having to ask their mates!

Equally men will use the book to learn that they’re not alone in their struggle with the pressures and joys of being engaged. Ultimately when you have a book full of love, excitement and humour, told through personal experiences you have a winner for both men and women.

Craig clearly tells grooms:

“Don’t just ‘get through’ your wedding. Help out. Share in the good and bad of planning your big day. It’s something that you’re going to remember for the rest of your life. And something your bride will remind you of for the rest of your life. I looked back and realised I missed out on much of the action. And while my wedding turned out to be an amazing affair, I’ll always know that I put too much of the burden on my better half”

I really wish this book was around when I got married – not that my husband didn’t help with the planning, but more to increase his knowledge of what is involved. I know a story like this is so much better than asking a groom to read through lists of dos and don’ts. Everyone loves a good fun story!

Times have certainly changed. Years ago, the groom’s role was much more about showing up and worrying about life after marriage. It was unusual for grooms to be purposely excluded from planning altogether, as weddings were strictly the domain of the bride and her mother!

Lets face it more couples are planning their weddings as a team and if this is the case for you, you will definitely need a guidebook. You may think all the bridal magazines you have laying around your house constitute the necessary foundation to plan the perfect wedding, but for a groom this couldn’t be further from the truth. They need a manual / novel / lads magazine that informs them, yet makes them laugh. This is where Craig has excelled by creating the right mix to relay everything a groom needs to know without boring him. He saw the opportunity to write something truly unique and educate grooms on what to expect from engagement to his wedding day. I can’t recommend “Thirty to Wife” highly enough, though I’m not the only one!

Some Amazing Testimonials:

"Understands the plight of the groom." - Newsday

"Very funny...holds nothing back..." - Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Helpful advice...tell-all style." - Oakand Tribune

Every page is rich in wedding lists, tips and insights but so as you get a real free for its contents I have set out a list of some of my favourites:

Top Pages Every Groom Needs To Read - Sooner Rather Than Later!

* The Guy's Guide To Wedding Responsibilities - pages 16 - 17
* Who Pays What? - Page 32
* Is That A Ruler In Your Pocket, Or Are You Just Happy To Get Sized? (Key body measurements for your tuxedo) - Page 40
* A Handy Guide to Tying A Bowtie - Page 41
* Gifts For Your Groomsmen - Show Your Posse That You Care - page 41
* The Bachelor Party - Basic Bachelor Party Rules - pages 75 - 76
* Want To Know The Cut Of A Woman? Look At The Cut Of Her Diamond - pages 116 - 117
* How To Calm Her Nerves - page 157
* Nee To Drop A Few Pounds? A Few Inches? A Few Feet? - pages 174 - 176
* A Handy Emergency Kit For You To Pack To Ensure Smooth Sailing On Your Wedding Day - page 210
* Playing The Wedding Horror Bingo Game - page 223
* Last Night Reminders For Nervous Grooms To Be - page 231

And Finally These Two Absolute Must Reads:

* The Complete Guide To The Groom's Wedding To Do's - pages 246 - 257
* The Complete Guide To The Grooms' Party Responsibilities - pages 258 - 263

See Craig Talk About His Book:

Craig is interviewd on NBC11 San Francisco talking about how a groom should get involved and how he wishes he had been a little bit more supportive.

Book Details:
Thirty to Wife
The Tell-All Groom's Guide to Weddings
How to Get Hitched Without Losing Your Mind or Your Fiancée

Paperback: 263 pages
Publisher: Marlowe & Company (7 Jul 2006)
Language: English
ISBN: 1569242968

More information about "Thirty to Wife" can be found out on Craig's website, Groom411.com

Final Words:

"Thirty to Wife" is simply a Must Read for all grooms. This book will motivate them, guide them and entertain them - for the price of a round of beers turn your husband-to-be into Super Groom! Be sure to check out this podcast where Craig talks to Robert Allen on the Wedding Podcast Network about what every groom can expect at his own wedding.

Hopefully many of you were able to visit the National Wedding Show at Earls Court last week. I thoroughly enjoyed my time on the Friday and if you did happen to miss it I thoroughly recommend the next one on 13th to 15th October at the Birmingham NEC. You can book your tickets here.

The bridal collections displayed on the catwalk were certainly mesmerising with a breathtaking choice of bridalwear, groomswear and outfits for the wedding party. The catwalk included a dazzling selection of wedding dresses, from top designers who create gowns for celebrity clientele to high street fashion brands, covering all budgets and tastes.

Dresses in the first catwalk scene, entitled Cinderella's Footprints, opened the show with plenty of glamour from designers Chandrika Thomas, Raishma Couture and Marion Thomas whose dresses showed off strong lines and structure to flatter the bride's curves.

It was true to say a plethora of colour dominated the catwalk with eye-catching lilac groomswear from Marc Wallace. There were plenty of dresses in different shades of blues as well as pastel pink and peach seen in the collections displayed by It Fits Bridal, Wizard of Gos, Fiorisimo Bridal & Couture and a stunning purple dress from Mamfi Brides.

Catwalk exhibitor, Sarah Arnett, designer for Simultane, who created dresses for leading British model Erin O'Connor, wowed visitors during scene three with her chic gowns, which evoked a feeling of couture style and Grecian swathing with empire lines.

Berketex Bride presented the OK! Exclusives collection designed by David Emanuel showcasing simple, traditional yet spectacular wedding dresses including a flirtatious shorter length dress. In complete contrast, brides wore black in scene four, with designers such as Marion Thomas, Rivilino Bride and Malcolm Hall showing off their most unique and unusual creations.

For bridesmaids dress ideas, everyone was inspired by the adorable and colourful frocks worn by the catwalk show's littlest models as Nicki Macfarlane Bridesmaids and Nene.D displayed their exquisite designs in a range of vibrant, sumptuous silks and fabrics.

It wasn't just all about brides, as there were plenty of ideas for grooms - Moss Bros Hire, Anthony Formalwear and Couture Pour Homme provided inspiration for groomswear and pageboy outfits.

Asian inspiration prevailed in the finale with a large variety of richly embroidered dresses from designers Merchants of India (Izzy Izaiah) and Seasons Asian Designer Wear. The Asian theme was completed with the ethnic groomswear available from Debenhams.

All in all it was a fantastic show and I look forward to the next one!

Future show dates for 2007: 16-18 Feb NEC Birmingham, 23-25 Feb Olympia London.

See you there!

A seating plan is an essential piece of stationery for your wedding reception. By having a seating plan on display for wedding guests to refer to you avoid any unnecessary confusion about where they are expected to sit. Seating plans also prevent the usual chaos which can prevail if you have an open seating arrangement at your wedding reception, which traditionally begins with a mass free for all as guests seat themselves and ends with a few lonely people ambling around the reception room looking for a spare seat or a friendly face!

You can tell I am a real advocate of seating plans at weddings, so I was fascinated to come across the TheTablePlanner.com stand at the National Wedding Show last weekend. They are a table planner design company who produce stylish and distinctive table plans. I was impressed with the quality of their beautifully framed and mounted table plans and by the diverse and quirky design assortment they offer. I hardly had a chance to speak to Creative Director Mike Daniels at the show as he was surrounded by a throng of prospective bride and grooms asking questions about his funky table planners, which has to be a sign of their popularity!

“Ideal for events, functions and weddings. Thetableplanner.com offers you a fresh and exciting new idea to compliment your special occasion. We have a team of designers who will work with you to create a unique table plan for you and your guests. The table plan will then become a picture that records your cherished day as a memento of you with your family and friends.”

Take a look for yourself at the website to see the unique and distinctive array of table plans you could choose from, the themes range from “Reservoir Dogs” to “Greek Gods". The table plan designs are all created by the design team who are more than happy to custom design your table plan depending on your wedding theme, hobbies or interests. How about personalising your table plan by basing it on your favourite sport (Formula 1), your chosen honeymoon destination (Hawaii) or one of your interests (Cocktails)! I particularly liked the James Bond themed table plan which is not shown on the website but was on display at the Wedding Show - this is surely a design which prove to be popular with every groom for their own 007 wedding reception! I think that these table plans would be particularly great if you are hosting a themed wedding - you could use the design of the table plan to convey your wedding theme. I wish I had known about them when I planned my wedding as it was loosely based on a golf theme but unfortunately we did not think of carrying this through to the seating plan and table names.

Once you have chosen a table plan design all you have to do is provide the design team with the table layouts and wedding guests’ names typed in word or excel format and they create the table planner for you.

Prices for the table plans start at £395. Whilst this might seem like quite a princely sum for a table plan, do bear in mind that these table plans look like pieces of artwork and would definitely look fantastic adorning a wall in your house after your wedding as a lasting keepsake of your special day. Thetableplanner.com are also able to provide table number or name cards for each table utilising the same design theme, as well as holders for these and place cards. If your reception venue is unable to provide you with an easel or suitable wall fixture to display the table planner on then Thetableplanner.com are able to provide this too.

These table plans could bring the fun and colourful element to your wedding reception which will have your guests talking about it for years to come! This is a very original concept and I imagine it will be popular with couples who want their weddings to be unique. You will not find these anywhere else and I imagine even the most adept wedding DIY expert would not want to attempt one of these masterpieces themselves.

Take a look and see for yourself. Happy planning!