Valley & Co. are sponsoring a gift giveaway that is sure to grab the attention of any Wishpot follower. They are offering a $50 Macy’s gift card as well as a copy of the book How I Planned Your Wedding. This book is a true story about a mother and daughter surviving the happiest day of their lives. #1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Wiggs and her daughter collaborate on a funny, charming, and poignant book about the trials and tribulations of planning the daughter’s wedding together. Combining the narrative talents of two gifted writers with invaluable practical advice, this book is both an entertaining read and a must-have resource for any mother or daughter in the throes of wedding planning.
Image Courtesy of Valley & Co.
To enter this contest, visit http://www.valleyandcoblog.com/2011/05/wedding-book-giveaway.html and follow the three steps listed below for your chance to win the prize. Good luck!
1. Leave Valley and Co. a comment and tell them what you’ve enjoyed most {or will} about planning your wedding.
2. Follow them on Twitter {www.twitter.com/valleyandco} for a 2nd entry and Tweet “I entered to win a $50 Macy’s card and a fabulous book on @valleyandco”
3. Follow them on Facebook {www.facebook.com/valleyandco} and leave a comment about what you’d use the Macy’s gift card for a 3rd entry.
Wedding planning can be difficult and stressful with help, imagine how it can be without it! A good planner, however, knows that even the tiniest details count. From way the ribbons are tied on the favors to the making sure the table clothes drape perfectly. One of our wedding experts knows how to make these little things count:
Laura grew up surrounded by lace and sequins, her mother a seamstress would always have a bridal dress project in the house. It was only natural for Laura to inherit her mothers creative flair, and love of all things bridal.
Laura worked in the wedding industry for five years before setting up her own company Little White Book. Based in the UK Laura specialises in modern chic wedding design and management.
Her real passion is weddings but that doesn’t stop her from planning some amazing events. If that isn’t enough Laura loves keeping up to date with all the latest goings on in the wedding world through her own blog LittleWhiteBlog and her facebook page.
To celebrate the upcoming Valentine’s Day, Inspired Goodness is looking to give their Event Design services FREE to one lucky NYC area reader!
All you have to do is tell them what as a couple makes you so unique.
Enter by leaving a comment on their post during the first TWO WEEKS of February. Tell them about the two of you and what makes you tick.
The Lucky in Love winner will be announced on their blog on Monday, February 15th, 2010.
Deadline: Friday, February 12th, 2010, Midnight EST
For official rules visit http://www.inspiredgoodness.com/love.
To celebrate the biggest online wedding planning day of the year—January 4 2010, known as Matrimony Monday at OneWed—they have launched all new features, tools and giveaways to help newly engaged brides-to-be!
Here are just a few of the new features you’ll find on OneWed:
· Off-the-Chart Wedding Giveaway–$15,000 in prizes!
· Wedding Websites–Free and totally customizable!
· Wedding Dresses—Find the dress of your dreams!
· Wedding Venues—Virtual tours & photos of 1000s of venues!
· Wedding Flowers—Shipped to your venue!
· Weekly Giveaways—Only the best for our readers!
Want more? Visit http://www.prweb.com/releases/onewed/matrimonymonday/prweb3401864.htm
Happy New Year & Matrimony Monday from all of us at Wishpot!
Is the answer to the question above obvious? How long did you spend planning your wedding? 6 months? A year? More? Odds are that you invested a lot of time, money, energy and stress into this one big day. My question for you – Why wouldn’t you want it handled and run with precision and grace?
Sadly enough, nothing is perfect. Would you rather enjoy your hair and make-up session with your Bridesmaids, Mother and Sisters, or spending the time on the phone with questions from vendors, speaking with your fiancé - who is still at the hotel because the limos are late, dealing with the florist - who delivered red, yellow and orange bouquets that are supposed to be white. Or perhaps you want to spend the morning of your wedding decorating your reception site? These are just a few of the vast number of issues that come to light on a wedding day?
I hear couples say - “but we have a coordinator that comes with the ceremony/reception site. Why would we need someone else?” Let me take a moment to list the many reasons…
1. Who is in charge of the entire day in total? Who knows your wedding, and will know what you want?
2. How many couples is your reception site coordinator dealing with on a daily basis? When calling not only caterers, but florists, reception site coordinators and photographers, they tell me that they work on weddings taking place in the next week or two. Well…if your wedding is not immediate, who is answering your questions and responding to your needs? What is the result of this on you? More stress and anxiety?
3. Who is going to be the “point” person? Who is in charge of knowing the limo drivers cell phone number, so they can be contacted when they are late or lost? How about for the hotel concierge when guests have questions on when the buses will arrive, or the address of your ceremony/reception site? Or negotiates with the florist when they deliver the wrong order to the wrong place? Who is going to coordinate how to get those flowers to the right place? Who is going to advocate for you when the reception site places something in the wrong place, or does not adhere to your detailed set up instructions?
4. Who is going to make sure that all the last minute details leading up to your wedding is taken care of? Who is going to make sure that you have applied for your marriage license, have prepared the place cards correctly, and makes sure that all of the people involved in the wedding knows what’s going on - prior to the day they show up at the rehearsal.
5. Who is going to speak with the vendors personally to make sure that everyone knows what’s happening on your day, hammer out any last minute details, and make last minute confirmations, while you are enjoying lunch with your Bridesmaids, or making trips to the airport, or more importantly, enjoying your guests that have flown around the world to be with you?
6. Who is going to make sure that shuttle buses arrive for pick-ups and drop off’s at the right place and time?
7. Besides you, who is going to know your wedding so well, that she/he can make decisions while you enjoy your guests and reception? Who is going to make sure things run just as your envisioned they would run?
8. Who is going to know what you want for set-up and clean up while you are preparing for your day or are saying goodbye to your family and special friends?
After answering some of these questions, you will see that a day of coordinator is not a luxury, but a necessity. I present the question again - you spend a lot of time, and money, planning this important day – why wouldn’t you want it handled with professionalism? Why would you put your wedding, the largest and most important event you have ever planned, in inexperienced hands?
In terms of price, coordinators are all across the board - just like everything else. In the DC Metropolitan area, they arrange in price from $0.00, for the most inexperienced hobbyists, to $2,500.00 for the most experienced planners. A lot of the price depends upon their training, experience, areas of expertise, overhead, demographics, and the services that are provided. Often, coordinators looking to start a business and build a portfolio will offer to do your wedding for free, or for very little cost. Coordinators that have been in the business for a long time and have many clients will charge more. It’s important to find someone whose character and style matches your own, since he/she will be decorating and running the event per your wishes. I would recommend contacting 4 coordinators via email and meeting with 2 based on their style and the responsiveness to your questions via email or phone call. I firmly believe that time is money. Meeting with 10 coordinators in person takes too much time and effort. You should be able to find what you are looking for after doing your research and meeting and deciding between 2 different firms.
Thank you Lisa! Check out Lisa’s wish list or visit http://eleganteventdesign.com/!
We are soo excited to be posting our first blog as a Wishpot blogger! WeddingCollectibles.com is an online retailer of wedding cake toppers and accessories. Our website is fairly new (4 years); however we have been involved in the wedding industry designing bridal products for almost 15 years now.
Most of what we do revolves around traditions: cake toppers, flower girl baskets, garters, guest books, favors; therefore, a lot of what we like to write about in our blogs is very product driven, rather than service driven. We are here to answer your questions regarding what’s available for you to buy, how you should approach shopping for your wedding online, things to think about.
Here is a featured product from Wedding Collectibles: Unity Sand Base
If you are not having a religious ceremony but would like to incorporate the symbolism of the Unity Candle you can use a Unity Sand base as a fun new option!
The awesome thing about shopping for your wedding nowadays is that there is an incredible amount of knowledge, creative ideas, and valuable information available at your fingertips. The Internet allows you to google just about anything whether it’s colors, styles, traditions, or themes. It gives you a chance to develop your own unique wedding style, while finding new ways to implement them into your wedding.
Traditions used to really be the only driving force behind what was available, regardless of your own personal taste and style. As a bride now, you have the full opportunity to host an event and ceremony that reflects your individual style, your relationship, and how you want to spend it with the people you love most. Incorporating those wedding traditions that you find most meaningful into your special day is what it is all about.
A Great Inspiration Board for a Beach Inspired Wedding!
As we write our first blog for you, our first piece of advice would be to google away, search through magazines, and wedding boutiques and try to get as clear a picture as you can of what you like. Make note of different color schemes, themes, traditions, etc. that you come across. Rip out ideas you find in magazines and print out things you find online (etsy.com is one of our favorite websites for handmade wedding ideas). Maybe try and compile all of your ideas in some sort of book, notebook, or album. You can use Wishpot to bookmark any graphic from any site and save it all in one place. That way you will have a great look book to go back and sort through some of your favorite ideas. Another great idea is to create an inspiration board composed of all your favorite colors, flowers, dresses, themes, or basically anything that catches your eye. This will make it much easier for you to not only shop for your wedding, but also help your vendors create the wedding of your dreams!
To get more great wedding ideas, don’t forget to check out our website at http://www.weddingcollectibles.com/!
Great wedding ideas. I agree collect as much wedding inspiration as you can! It makes it easier for your vendors to help you get exactly what you are looking for. Thank you Wedding Collectibles.
gift girl
One of the most green things you can do for your wedding is use flowers and food that are in season and local. To help you out, I decided to create this guide for what flowers are available when. Unlike other guides, I decided to organize this based on the time of the year and the COLOR of the flower — just because that’s how I think! 
photo from The Wedding Lens
Year Round Flowers
- White: Baby’s breath, Bachelor’s button, Calla lily, Carnations, Delphinium, Gardenia, Gladiolus, Lily of the Valley, Orchid, Rose, Scaboisa
- Red: Bachelor’s button, Carnations, Roses
- Orange: Carnations, Roses
- Yellow: Carnations, Roses
- Blue: Bachelor’s button, Carnations, Delphinium, Eucalyptus, Roses
- Purple: Delphinium, Orchid, Roses, Scaboisa
- Pink: Bachelor’s button, Heather, Lily of the Valley, Orchid, Roses
- Silver: Eucalyptus
Summer Flowers
- White: Chrysanthemum, Freesia, Gerber Daisy, Hydrangea, Iris, Larkspur, Lily-asiatic, Lily-oriental, Lisianthus, Monte Casino Asters, Queen Anne’s Lace, Snapdragons, Stephanotis, Stock, Tuberose, Yarrow
- Red: Gerber Daisy, Zinnia
- Orange: Alstromeria, Chrysanthemum, Gerber Daisy, Lily-asiatic, Snapdragons, Zinnia
- Yellow: Alstromeria, Chrysanthemum, Freesia, Gerber Daisy, Lily-asiatic, Snapdragons, Solidaster, Sunflower, Yarrow
- Blue: Forget-me-not, Freesia, Hydrangea, Iris, Larkspur
- Green: Bells of Ireland
- Purple: English lavender, Freesia, Hydrangea, Iris, Larkspur, Liatris, Lisianthus, Matsumoto Asters, Monte Casino Asters, Statice
- Pink: Alstromeria, Crysanthemum, Freesia, Gerber Daisy, Hydrangea, Larkspur, Lily-asiatic, Lily-oriental, Lisianthus, Matsumoto Asters, Snapdragons, Yarrow, Zinnia
- Cream: Alstromeria
Fall Flowers
- White: Aster, Crysanthemum, Dahlia
- Red: Marigold, Zinnia
- Orange: Crysanthemum, Dahlia, Marigold, Zinnia
- Yellow: Crysanthemum, Dahlia, Marigold
- Green: Dried leaves
- Purple: Statice
- Pink: Aster, Crysanthemum, Zinnia
Winter Flowers
- White: Amaryllis, Anenome, Camellias, Casa Blanca Lily, Cosmos, Jasmine, Narcissus, Poinsettia, Ranunculus, Star Gazer Lily, Star of Bethlehem, Sweetpea, Tulip, Waxflower
- Red: Amaryllis, Anenome, Holly (w red berries), Poinsettia, Ranunculus, Sweetpea, Tulip
- Orange: Ranunculus
- Yellow: Daffodil, Narcissus, Ranunculus, Tulip
- Green: Bells of Ireland, Holly
- Blue: Anenome, Forget-me-nots
- Purple: Sweetpea, Tulip
- Pink: Anenome, Camellias, Cosmos, Ranunculus, Star Gazer Lily, Sweetpea, Tulip, Waxflower
- Brown: Cosmos
Spring Flowers
- White: Anenome, Casa Blanca lily, Delphinium, Hyacinth, Lilacs, Narcissus, Peony, Ranunculus, Star Gazer Lily, Sweetpea, Tulip, Waxflower
- Red: Anenome, Ranunculus, Sweetpea, Tulip
- Orange: Ranunculus
- Yellow: Daffodil, Ranunculus, Tulip
- Green: Bells of Ireland
- Blue: Anenome, Delphinium
- Purple: Hyacinth, Lilacs, Sweetpea, Tulip, Waxflower
- Pink: Anenome, Boronia, Hyacinth, Peony, Ranunculus, Star Gazer Lily, Tulip
I thought this was really helpful- using flowers that are in season is cost-effective and better for the environment. A comprehensive list for your wish list from the wedding lens
gift girl
What happens when JDate actually works? That was the predicament I found myself in when I first became engaged. Like most excited brides, I devoured all the wedding magazines and spent many an hour researching in front of my computer screen. I strived to plan a wedding that was both highly creative and incorporated the Jewish traditions that were so important to me, my fiance, and my family.
I found myself faced with questions like "Where can I find a ketubah and creative chuppah ideas? and "What do all of these Jewish wedding customs really mean?" What I discovered was that there were very few resources for a non-traditional “traditional” Jewish bride like me.
I am thrilled to introduce you to my new site JewishWeddingNetwork.com, a website that takes the “Oy Vey” out of planning your big day! JewishWeddingNetwork.com is the resource that I wish I had when I was planning my own Jewish wedding.
JewishWeddingNetwork.com is where Jewish brides from all walks of life blog about their wedding planning experiences, where you can learn about Jewish wedding traditions, find Jewish wedding vendors, and connect with other couples who are sharing the same experience. You can also learn about topics like choosing a Jewish wedding date and planning an Eco-Friendly Jewish wedding.
Here’s a fun little cartoon that my friend William Levin of Jewish Robot created to demonstrate what the site is all about.
Here’s a fun little cartoon that my friend William Levin of Jewish Robot created to demonstrate what the site is all about.
If you are planning a Jewish wedding, I hope you’ll come visit us at JewishWeddingNetwork.com. I look forward to connecting with you here on Wishpot too where you can find my picks for Jewish wedding must haves!
Oh My! Oy Vey!
gift girl
Just recently gift girl was asked to appear on The Wedding Planning Audiocast’s Meet the Wedding Bloggers show segment. I was lucky enough to be interviewed by Ralph Mucci. Ralph is an incredible person and after just a few words with him you can tell that he is a wealth of knowledge not only about weddings but about life. Ralph, in one regard or another has almost always been in the business of weddings. And today he is the executive producer and show host of the Internet’s popular Wedding Planning Audiocast an informative and entertaining wedding planning talk show. He interviews today’s top celebrity names in the wedding and beauty industry as well as many of the Internet’s popular wedding bloggers. And so I asked the interviewer if he wouldn’t mind becoming the interviewee. Here is my interview with Ralph Mucci of The Wedding Planning Audiocast.
Ralph where are you from?
I was born and raised in Newark, NJ. And I’ve been in the wedding industry since 1973. I started shooting weddings on film long before video came on the scene and then later moved to video when it became available. So in total I have 35 years in the wedding industry.
Describe a childhood memory.
I remember the first time I performed on stage. At the age of 8 I had to perform and sing a Latin Christmas carol. It was at that moment that I knew I was in love with the stage, acting and performing. Today I’m still very active in the theater and perform if I’m right for the part. I often draw upon my acting and comedic experience and incorporate them to produce a entertaining, humorous, and educational show for our world wide listeners.
Where did your interest in weddings stem from?
Initially I was interested in anything that had to do with the creative side of filming and in capturing a moment; in making a moment last forever. The wedding industry at the time was profitable and it allowed me to creatively capture life changing moments on film and then as I mentioned earlier on video. I’ve always been involved with photography in some form or another. I ordered my first still camera at the age of 11 from the back of a comic book.
How did the Wedding Audiocast come to be?
We wanted to be able to offer brides a great new wedding planning resource in preparing for their special day -and because of my many years experience working in the wedding industry and the contacts I’ve established I knew that today’s Internet brides are always searching for wedding planning information to help them.This was going to be the focus -but we would take it one step further and start by interviewing expert resources in the wedding field. We looked at podcasting as a fantastic new broadcasting medium as a wonderful way to get a message out to brides all around the world. Podcasting makes these wedding experts accessible to brides in a way that they can listen to on demand radio how they want where they want and most importantly at their own leisure.
Describe a memorable moment on the Wedding Planning Audiocast show.
I’ve had many memorable and fun moments with all our guests, especially before we actually begin tapping, but the one that impressed me the most was when we did our Shattered Memories show in which thousands of couples lost either their wedding pictures or videos to a company who just one day decided to close their doors with no notification. The toughest part was looking into the eyes of these couples who lost everything while interviewing them. We had to stop tapping several times because almost all of them were breaking down. It was a tough pill to swallow and one of the saddest things I’ve ever witnessed.
Ralph over the past years has interviewed many top names/bloggers in the wedding industry such as, Mindy Weiss, Marcy Blum, Colin Cowie, David Tutera, Sasha Souza, Abby Larson from Style Me Pretty, Vane from Brooklyn Bride, Harmony from The Bridal Bar, Lara from Southern Weddings, Kathryn from Snippet and Ink, Maria from Ritzy Bee, and the list goes on and on… and it is no wonder. It doesn’t take long to realize that Ralph has a natural ability to ask questions that go to the heart of an issue and it is impossible to speak to him and hear his passion for his industry and not be affected by it. The wedding industry is one that is a labor of love and as anyone in the wedding industry will tell you it is about making a special moment memorable. And this is what Ralph does- he presents brides everywhere with the top expert resources available to them in today’s wedding and beauty industry. He makes it possible for brides everywhere to create a day that is uniquely theirs.
Thank you Ralph, for your interview
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The Wedding Planning Audiocast joins our list of wedding experts! Be sure to check out their top picks. |
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Gift girl
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