Hey everyone the 23 Annual Bridal Spectacular has been announced so mark those calendars for the best bridal show in Michiana!

Labels: Bridal Spectacular, South Bend

When I found this image of Jennifer Jason Leigh from T Magazine I just sighed and said to myself, bliss. I don't know why but I've had cake on my mind lately so here are a few of my favorites from Rascia's Creative Cakes. The pictures were taken by Brian at River City Productions. Rascia is such a creative individual and her cakes taste fantastic!


Not sure who made the following cake, I just found it cool looking. The picture was taken by Paul Chamberlin at The Music Machine.

Labels: wedding cake

Sis and I were surfing the internet tonight in search of some entertainment ideas when we ran across this DJ service, who's name I have made sure is removed, so don't ask. Talk about conflicting messages! They don't have obnoxious DJs, but their image says the DJs are strung out, unshaven and not even close to being properly attired for a wedding, with a look of we don't care on their face! Didn't oversized, goofy looking head phones go out in the 80's.

Wow! We went on to the next. You just have to wonder sometimes, what are people thinking!

Labels: DJs

Nothing is more romantic than a marriage proposal.

Yesterday Inside Edition did a piece called Proposal Cam where the groom hires a photographer and videographer and has them document the big question from hidden locations. I loved the look on the bride's face when she realized what was happening! I'm trying to track down the video and will post a link as soon as I do.

Then today I'm visiting my favorite blogs and find a lovely proposal set up at Weddings By Socialites. Sooooo romantic. I hope there was video or photos of the actual event!

Check it out!

Labels: proposal ideas

Yesterday my sister and were out checking out photographers. Of course the ones I like are the ones she doesn't want to visit, go figure! Don't listen to your maid of honor, sis! We saw some nice work, but two photographers really left a bad taste in my mouth.

The first one, I'll call Acme Photo (no real names on this post), was just so obnoxious! His work was good, but his opening sentence was about how great he was, how he was an award winner, how my sisters wedding was his wedding. Which wouldn't be bad, all vendors in the sales pitch tell you how good they are, his just came across as conceited though. It only got worse from there. We were informed that neither family or guests would be allowed to have cameras at my own sister's wedding and that if we wanted video we needed to hire only his referral. Wrong answers buddy! I couldn't pull my sis out of there fast enough. First of all no one is telling me I can't bring my camera to my own sisters wedding! How rude! Some of my favorite pictures from past weddings are the ones I or a friend took. Second no one is dictating who my sister can hire for anything but my sister or our parents who are paying for this extravaganza or me. ;-) I believe who Acme Photo really is is who my predecessor wrote the Consumer Alert about. Never thought I'd actually encounter one of these vendors though. So many professionals believe in working as a team, this guy wanted to be the dictator.

The next photographer we visited was my sister's favorite prospect and the one I call Desperate. His work was nice, but too many fish eye lense shots in his albums in my opinion. Anyways we sat down and started to talk and he was amicable enough. His problem was he just came off as desperate. My sis had no intention of signing a contract with anyone yesterday and I am still trying to get her to agree to check out my favorites. Well we got to the end of the meeting and when mys sis said she needed time to consider he got desperate.

Our original quote for everything my sis wanted was $3000, when she balked at signing he suddenly started throwing add ons into the price. By the time we left by my calculations, his origianl package at $3000 had ballooned in value from $3000 to nearly $8000, he even threw in video production for the price of $3000. We got extra albums, a love story shoot, video and large size wall prints thrown in. Of course on the drive home my sister was ecstatic, she was going to get from Desperate Photographer $8000 worth of merchandise for $3000, what a deal!

I have a different opinion though: What is she going to give up? He started out telling us that 8 hours of wedding day coverage, him as a photographer with an assistant, an Art Leather album, engagement shoot and large frame portrait had a value of $3000. When we walked out the package had grown to include a coffee table album (something that most photographers charge thousands for and he had listed at $2000) two parent albums, a video, thank you post cards, a love story shoot and album and additional large frame pictures. Which left me wondering, his price hadn't changed, but his costs had just skyrocketed! The coffee table album demo he showed us comes from an Italian company, probably the best manufacturer out there and costs $1500 just to print. Video is time to shoot and edit, and burn to disc plus the people he has to pay to do the work. The additional albums for our parents those cost something.

So I'm left wondering what is my sister going to give up to get her $8000 worth or products for $3000? Is the coffee table book going to be of cheaper quality than the one we were showed? Is he going to try and pull double duty and do the video while he also shoots the stills? Will we get his best assistants or the ones with less experience who costs less? Will the pictures be printed on quality archival paper or some cheaper alternative? Or was he just not worth the original price he quoted and the new package for $3000 is a better representation of what he is worth? In other words if my sister had singed for the initial offering would she have been getting ripped off with overpriced product!

Everyone is in business to make money and everything a vendor offers has a specific fixed cost to produce or sell. So I'm just left wondering how do you give someone $8000 worth of product and services for $3000 if there isn't something given up in the process. As I told my sister, you can't go into Tiffany's and purchase the 1 carat diamond, 24 carat gold band priced at $10,000 for $2000. For $2000 you will end up with the 10 carat band and quarter carat diamond!

Ladies if you encounter Acme or Desperate, stay away!

Labels: Photographers

Our resident "official" videographer Brian from River City Productions has posted an interesting idea to his blog, that I'm going to steal.

These are cool! Reusable gift wrap from Lucky Crow Gift Bags. This is a pretty neat idea. Cloth bags, being used as a gift wrapping, that can and should be re-gifted again and again. To me these are far better than the fancy paper gift bags that are so popular these days. It's a neat idea and they are relatively inexpensive.

I especially love the snowflake patern, classy!







-Amy

Labels: cool ideas, gift wrap, tips

Photo booths now there are some memories. As a kid I was always begging my dad to let me have my picture taken in a photo booth, when we ran across one. As a teenager my friends and I squeezed 8 of us into one and then proceeded to fight over who got the three photos that had everyone's face in it. Then they seemed to disappear... In college my girlfriends and I stumbled across one while on spring break and had way too much late night fun of margaritas and pictures.

Tonight I was blog surfing and stumbled over a too cool idea!











Mrs. Strawberry over on the Wedding Bee had a photo booth at her reception for all the guests to have fun with!

Evidently this is very popular in the big cities on the coasts but I have never heard of it here. What a fun thing to do! Photographers for a lot of people can be intimidating, but I can see where a photo booth, which brings back memories can be just the thing to get fun and personality driven images of your friends and family! Don't get me wrong, professional photography can't be replaced but this is a fantastic addition to your reception celebration and memories.

I don't know as of yet of anyone renting out photo booths in Michiana, I'm going to look into it. If you have had a wedding locally with a photo booth at it, please email me at michianaweddings at ameritech dot net. I'd loved to hear and possibly feature you in an article!

-Amy

Labels: cool ideas, photo booth, Photography, Reception, Wedding

One of the things that drives me nuts about this industry is that after spending $20,000, $50,000, $100,000 or more on your wedding very seldom is there anything left to show for all the money you spent. Yes you will have your video and your photos and maybe a cake cutting set or your champagne glasses, but really there isn't anything useful left. Cake sets and champagne glasses tend to end up on a shelf displayed, not touched again till the next generation. You gown is boxed up and unless you do a Trash the Dress it won't see the light of day again. My mom is yelling at my sister to wear hers but honestly it's old, ugly (in my opinion, sorry mom) and not a modern design. My sister has found her own gown and I am sure any future daughter of her's will do the same.


So I am always happy to discover something that actually has an every day use outside of the wedding day. This is too cool, in this months Bride's Magazine the Tigerlilly line of headbands has been named Best of 2007. The cool factor is that Tigerlilly's headbands once used at the wedding can be used again and again as a choker or a necklace. And they are so pretty! I love the Fiona which is what is in their Best Of picture.

And of course ladies, Tigerlilly is available at my favorite store Girly Girl! Tell Cyndi I say hi. :-)

Labels: headbands

Thanks to a post in the comments I have found this wonderful blog with some excellent ideas on creating wedding related scrapbooks... Avoid those stickers when it's wedding releated! Check it out ladies!

Labels: scrap book, scrapping, Wedding

I have never gotten into scrapping. When my sister destroyed one of my favorite family photos so that it "fit just right" into a page she was making without checking to see if we still had the negative to make more copies, was the end for me.

Then today I stumbled across this site: My Life In Print! This is too cool! Lance Gray, the site's owner calls it a digital scrapbook. What you can do is scan your favorite family photos and either use prefab templates offered by Heritage Makers or create you own. From there the company will make for you at a very reasonable price a square bound hard cover book of your pictures!

Photographers charge thousands for these types of books and from looking through the site the pricing is very reasonable. And it goes beyond just weddings into all aspects of your life, the pictures can be anything you want from your memories. Check out some online samples here!

These are really cool.

If you are interested in the traditional form of scrapbooking then I suggest you check out Real Women Scrap, by Tarsa Dawson. A very eclectic blog that is fun to read.

Labels: digital storybook, Heritage Makers, my life in print, scrap book, scrapping

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One of my favorite photography studios, McDonald Studio really outdid themselves with a few of the pictures from a July Weddings. These pictures from the Areaux & Kellner wedding are just gorgeous! You can also see more images from this wedding at Celebrated Events.

I just posted a new article on Michiana Weddings On August 11, 2007 at Culver Military Academy, Laura Schrage married Christopher Campbell, but on the Wednesday before, an early morning tornado wiped out their reception tent and all the work that had gone into the wedding day so far. Cynthia Basker of Celebrated Events and her team leaped into action to salvage the day.

Read the article here!

Labels: New Article, Reception, Torndao, Wedding

Okay ladies, if you are going to be a bridesmaid, like me next spring, then this may just be the item for you, The Bridesmaid's Survival Kit. The smaller version of The Wedding Survival Kit! My sister and I were at Girly Girl, I have got to stop going there or I'm going to bankrupt myself, when Cyndi pointed out her new products to us. It's got a Folding Hair Brush with Mirror, Hair Spray, Clear Elastics, Bobby Pins, Earring Backs, Emery Board, Clear Nail Polish, Mending Kit, Double-Sided Tape, Stain Remover, Static Remover, Breath Freshener, Deodorant Wipe, Tampon, Adhesive Bandages, Pain Reliever, Handkerchief, Dancing Socks.

Actually I'm trying to talk my sister into giving the new Shemergency Survival Kit away as a bridesmaid gift. This one has a few more "everyday" needed supplies.

Either way these items are too cool and useful. Check them out at Girly Girl or online at Ms. and Mrs.


- Amy

Labels: girly girl gifts, Ms. and Mrs., survival kits

Not having a wedding video? Think again, it may save the day and catch the crook! Of course here's hoping you never face what this could did.

October 2, 2007 (RIGBY, Idaho) - An Idaho wedding crasher is charged with helping herself to more than just a piece of cake. A home video of Sciara and Charles Dougherty was taken at their wedding in Rigby, Idaho.

While the unsuspecting bride and groom enjoyed their first dance, an uninvited guest was captured in the background trying to blend in. Kim Cooper reportedly introduced herself to friends and family and even helped decorate the bridal car.

It wasn't until the newlyweds discovered dozens of gift cards and envelopes with cash missing that they considered the uninvited guest a suspect.

"We said, 'What if she took them?' Then we thought, "No, nobody would do something like that, that was our day, that's all about us," said Sciara Dougherty.

Cooper was caught cashing in the gift cards at various stores. She's charged with burglary

Labels: wedding crashers, wedding video

Whirly Hanging Candleholder

With Christmas coming soon I've been on the outlook for some creative Christmas ideas and this is too cool. An candle holding ornament from CB2!

These would be great hung from a tree (be careful though, use artificial flame retardent trees) or flown from the ceiling over the tables. CB2 carries several different designs. Check them out!

-Amy

Labels: candles, cool ideas, Ornaments

I've been recommending this over on BridalFilms.net an it's gotten good feedback, so I thought I'd post it here. My copy is on order so I can't say how good it really is.

Book description:
-------------------------------
Contending that some women are "too nice," comedian and radio show host Sherry Argov has written Why Men Love Bitches: From Doormat to Dreamgirl-A Woman's Guide to Holding Her Own in a Relationship. "I'm not recommending that a woman have an abrasive disposition," Argov writes, "The woman I'm describing is kind yet strong. She doesn't give up her life, and she won't chase a man." Her sassy book is filled with scenarios and advice aimed at making women subtly stronger and self-empowered. Argov's principles, which range from the farfetched to the downright absurd, include "If you give him a feeling of power, he'll want to protect you and he'll want to give you the world" and "A little distance combined with the appearance of self-control makes him nervous that he may be losing you." The book, which has already been featured on The View and The O'Reilly Factor, should make waves with its controversial view of relationships.

-Amy

Labels: Book, relationships, Why Men Love Bitches

Hey everyone the 23 Annual Bridal Spectacular has been announced so mark those calendars for the best bridal show in Michiana!

Labels: Bridal Spectacular, South Bend

An update to my previous post. Cynthia Basker today updated her Girly Girl blog announcing that Meg Lammer or MEG Wedding Jewelry will be at the Girly Girl open house! Yes!

Meg produces some of my favorite bracelets. Like the one in the picture, I love it! She also has a beautiful line of bridal necklaces. This is going to be a great Holiday Open House. I can't wait.

Girly Girl already has the full line of jewelry in stock so if you want to check it out before the rush of the open house stop by their store down at 1314 Mishawaka Avenue, South Bend.

-Amy

Labels: girly girl gifts, holiday open house, MEG Wedding Jewelry