Wedding Wednesday
Get Hitched Give Hope ’11

Announcing this year’s wedding event to end all wedding events, and an auction lot featuring yours truly.

Posted by: Laura Cassidy on Aug 31, 2011 at 07:30AMSpeech Bubble0 Comments
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Auctioning
Photo: La Vie Photography

A few scenes from last year’s party.

Readers of this blog as well as soon-to-be-married folk know that boutique wedding shows—smallish, self-selected groups of vendors gathered in warm, welcoming environments, maybe with a theme or concept—are the way to go. And you could almost go every weekend if you wanted to. There are lots of opportunities to scout, meet, and hire wedding-day vendors.

But none more special than Get Hitched Give Hope. This boutique wedding show is a fundraising auction, a chance to meet and “hire” (more on that in a minute) top tier vendors, and a party. A really great one. This year’s event will be held on October 27 at the Four Seasons Hotel.

Vendors across categories such as photography, dessert, planning, and beauty have donated their services by rolling them into silent and live auction lots. Drink and appetizers in hand, you’ll stroll through the party chatting with these folks and figuring out who’s right for your big day. And you’ll bid appropriately.

But here’s where the great part comes in.

The vendors don’t take the money the receive from your bid. They essentially lend their talents to your celebration for free, and the money you pledged at the auction goes to help make someone else’s dream come true. Literally. This year’s GHGH charity is the Dream Foundation, the first organization aimed at granting wishes for adults facing life-threatening illnesses.

I’ve seen it three years in a row now: the pomp and party of the night combined with the knowledge that your party will be staffed by really amazing, truly generous people and it’ll completely change the final month’s of someone else’s life, well, it’s pretty darn magical.

And for the third year in a row, I’m part of the auction, too.

Brides in need of a seasoned, professional shopper—or perhaps, an unbiased outside opinion—can bid on an all-day boutique crawl with yours truly. The score includes:

-a sweet ride from Rare Form Limo for you, me, and a couple of your best gals
-a fully stocked champagne bin inside
-a pre-planned shopping trip focused on your needs, whether you’re looking for something special for the honeymoon, party dresses for the pre-wedding ramp up, accessories for the big day, lingerie for the big night, or anything else. In other words: Let me figure out where we need to go and what we need to check out—all you have to do is enjoy the ride.
-a stop off at Report Shoes headquarters where you’ll pick out a perfect pair

It’s just a little thing, all things considered, but I’m happy to be included.

Tickets are on-sale now. I hope to see you there.

Kim Kardashian’s Wedding Shut Down,
Guest and Ceremony Details

If you’ve been keeping up with the Kardashian’s, you already know that Kim and her beau Kris Humphries tied the knot on Saturday in Montecito in a lavish affair in front of 450 guests.

But now there’s even more — Kim’s wedding apparently got shut down early due to noise complaints from cranky neighbors, reports Us magazine. After the two said “I dos,” guests were led to another tent to party the night away to tunes spun by DJ Cassidy — that is, until someone called the cops.

“They had to shut down the music early,” says an insider. Several local residents reportedly called with noise complaints and even Khloe couldn’t fix the situation. “She was talking to security guards — her friend’s family knows the mayor of Montecito and they tried even to get in touch with him. Everyone in the neighborhood knew this wedding was happening. Just let them have their fun!”

Before the music was shut down, an A-lister lineup including Robin Thicke (who sang their first dance, “Angel”) and Earth, Wind and Fire performed. And even though the music shut down around midnight, that didn’t stop some guests, like Ciara, Ryan Seacrest and Lindsay Lohan, from sticking around until around 2a.m., reports the NY Daily News. Insiders say that gal pal Brittany Gastineau was the one who caught Kim’s bouquet, but she left at the reception and Scott Disick, Kourtney Kardashian’s baby daddy, handed the bouquet over to Kim’s 15-year-old sister, Kendall, for safekeeping.

And speaking of Lindsay Lohan, the drama-prone actress managed to draw some attention to herself by trying to pull off a look similar to Pippa Middleton’s at the royal wedding. The two wore the exact same Temperley gown that Pippa wore for the evening reception for Kate and Prince William’s wedding earlier this year. The only difference? Pippa’s was in green, while Lohan wore the dress in white, reports Us magazine.

At the ceremony, sources confirm, Kim didn’t cry at the altar. “She was smiling the whole time,” an insider tells Us. Kris said during the ceremony that he admired how “passionate” his bride was, while during the reception, lesser-famous Humphries made a heartfelt speech. “they acknowledge it took some time to get used to Kim’s public life, but they have grown to accept and appreciate her amazing work ethic. They have never met someone who is so dedicated and hard working as Kim,” says the insider.

As for favors, guests left with a notepad featuring the happy couple’s picture, a candle wrapped in a KK-embroidered box, plus heart-shaped Krispy Kreme donuts. As for their welcome gifts, upon their arrival to the hotel, guests also received gift-wrapped Georgetown cupcakes (with the Kardashian-Humphries wedding monogram) along with a welcome note.

As for the cost of the gorgeous affair? Well, sources say that Kim didn’t have to pay a dime for the wedding, but will end up making $18 million. Now that’s how to throw a wedding.

Duchess Kate’s wedding gown attracts ‘record’ visitors

Monday Sep 5 2011

Britain’s Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding dress has attracted a record number of visitors to Buckingham palace.

More than 350,000 people have attended the London royal residence in the past six weeks to catch a glimpse of the stunning gown worn by Catherine when she married Britain’s Prince William. The pair wed in Westminster Abbey in April of this year.

“We’re thrilled that so many people have visited Buckingham Palace this summer in what looks to be a record year,” a Royal Collection spokesman revealed.

“The Royal Wedding attracted worldwide interest, so it’s only natural that many people want to come to see the State Rooms, some of which were used for the wedding reception, and take a closer look at The Duchess of Cambridge’s dress – which celebrates great British design.”

Designed by Sarah Burton of Alexander McQueen, the beautiful satin and lace gown with a nine foot train is not the only thing on display. The earrings, tiara and shoes worn by the brunette beauty are also available for fans to see. An artificial version of the bride’s bouquet and the original wedding cake are also included in the exhibition.

An estimated 500,000 visitors are expected to have seen the gown by the time the exhibition closes on October 3.

It is open seven days a week and tickets cost £17.50.

© Cover Media

Some say that planning a wedding can be as stressful as moving into a new home or dealing with a death in the family. But it doesn’t have to be. From finding a dream wedding gown to creating a wedding registry, there’s an app for that.

A recent Pew Internet & American Life Project study found that one-third of American adults own a smartphone, and about 87 percent of smartphone owners access the Internet or email on their handhelds. The new wedding-focused apps are designed for “anyone on the go,” says Anja Winnika, site editor for TheKnot.com.

“This is the modern day bride,” she says. “If we’re not appealing to them on mobile, then we don’t have them anymore.”

Alexandria, Va. bride-to-be Katie Norton says while she hasn’t used a wedding planning app yet, “it might replace my dependence — or maybe supplement my use of — wedding blogs.” She adds that the apps would not take the place of her wedding planner because, “I think there is something about having a human connection that I am willing to pay for.”

Winikka says that while some people who can’t afford a wedding planner may use the apps in place of a person, she sees them as a complement. “Even people with wedding planners love to have an on-the-go checklist. They want to make sure they’re doing the right thing at the right time,” Winikka says.

“This is your techy best friend that is sort of holding your hand through the wedding planning,” she says.

TheKnot released its first smartphone app, Wedding 911, a couple of years ago and is now up to six, including an app for the iPad. Wedding 911 is described as an “on-the-go source for expert wedding advice.” The most popular feature is the integrated community of brides which are an instant resource for last-minute questions, like, “Which side does the bride’s family sit on?” ”911 is extremely popular,” Winikka says. “It’s the community, it’s the heartbeat of that particular app … It’s free, so that doesn’t hurt.”

Most of the apps available on iTunes and the Android Market are free to download, but have premium versions for a few more dollars.

High-end jewelry giant Tiffany & Co. offers the free Engagement Ring Finder for the iPhone, where prospective grooms (and future brides) can browse styles, view actual carat weights and determine ring size by placing a ring directly on the iPhone screen. The app is also available in other languages, just in case the bride- or groom-to-be is English, French, German, Italian or Spanish.

Last year, Brides Magazine launched the Wedding Genius app, which can be used for both the iPhone and iPad. The application helps busy brides plan their weddings with their smartphones, from picking a dress to finding a honeymoon locale. For a few more dollars, brides can have a virtual wedding planning binder to gather and organize images, track tasks and manage to-do lists.

As technology becomes even smarter, brides-to-be can turn to their phones for even more, Winikka says. In April, TheKnot.com launched Wedding Dress Look Book, which helps future brides find their dream gown. The app includes photos of thousands of gowns and includes sizing, price and geo-targeting, telling the bride which shops in her area carry the dress she wants. This Look Book app has had 500,000 downloads since its debut.

Beyond wedding dresses, there are also apps for choosing a color scheme from Color Toy or an app to find unique bridal party gifts through Etsy Addict.

One of Wininkka’s favorite apps is Gift Registry 360 which turns the iPhone into a bar code scanner and allows couples to add any item they want to their registry on the go.

“Your phone becomes the scanner gun. It’s amazing,” she says. “It also makes it fun.”

This article I am sharing contains anecdotes from several women in South Florida reminiscing about their weddings, and more specifically, their gowns. You hear all the time that your wedding dress is the most important piece of clothing you will ever wear. Its importance lies not only in its beauty, but in the commitment it represents and the memories that that it reminds us of. The short stories in the article below details the various stories of these women, and how much their gown still means to them decades later.

http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2011/jun/25/dress-i-wore-southwest-florida-brides-remember-the/?partner=RSS

Of course, the best way to ensure the beauty of your gown for decades to come is through a wedding gown preservation from certified specialists at National Drycleaners. A thorough cleaning, coupled with museum quality storage is the only way to guarantee the beauty of your gown will last for generations.

Terri Zimmerman wore her mother’s, Donna’s, dress, who found it in 1950 in an upscale department store window for $20, marked down from $100. Two of Donna’s friends also wore the wedding gown and after 30 years of rest, the dress was worn by her daughter Terri in 1980. After Terri was married, she and her husband and children went to Ghana, Africa, as missionaries. Terri took the gown with her and two years later, when they returned, she left the dress there with some of the women she had befriended.

Cheap Chic Weddings is a cool site started by a mother and her daughters for great tips and ideas on creating your very own inexpensive, yet still luxurious wedding.

Check out this video detailing the culmination of their 7th annual Toilet Paper Wedding Dress Contest. Remember these gowns the next time your are in the bathroom!

Any girls who ever grew up idolizing their favorite Disney princess can smile a little brighter. Alfre Angelo, world famous wedding gown designer, is reaching out to those women with a soft spot for fairytale princesses.

I think it is safe to say that most women will lose their minds when they discover Alfred Angelo’s new Disney Fairy Tale Wedding collection. Alfred Angelo’s Disney collection features seven different wedding gowns, each designed after a gown worn by a Disney princess. Classics such as Sleeping Beauty and Snow White are featured here, as are newcomers like The Princess and the Frog.

Each dress comes in white and are made to fit princesses of any size. It is a smart move by Disney in creating apparel aimed at an older demographic. The Disney Fairy Tale Wedding collection provides women who grew up idolizing princesses like Ariel or Belle the chance to get married looking just like them. Hopefully, this collection doesn’t influence a men’s spin-off.

A new business trend has seemingly unrelated businesses joining forces. A still lagging economy has forced businesses to become more imaginative in ways to cut costs and still offer a product and/or service of value to their customers. That’s just what has occurred at Wilton Quality Cleaners in Wilton Connecticut. You can read the whole story here.

These unusual partnerships have the ability to offer their owners a chance to provide for their customers at a lower cost in a time where money is still tight. The businesses can feed of each other and support one another on a daily basis. Their offerings complement each other nicely and provide the convenience of fewer stops for the consumer. In a time where everybody seems too busy to do anything, providing that extra convenience is important to consumers.

We will most likely continue to see partnerships like these continue. The convenience of one-stop shopping plus the added benefit to the business owner it too good to miss.