I can’t hold it anymore…. I saw something absolutely tragic and it spawned new rules…

New Rule: Throwing up gang signs, getting posed in “homeboy” like positions and flashing your bling and pimp cups isn’t photojournalism. It’s a hot ghetto mess.

New Rule: If the photographer gets pictures of the groom licking his fingers and smoothing out his eyebrows, shoot the photographer and kill the groom.

New Rule: STOP, STOP, STOP Letting your non-pro friends and family cater your wedding. If the food looks like something that should be in a trough or that the roasted pig should be eating at the buffet instead of on it, you’ve made a mistake somewhere along the way. All the silver service in the world ain’t gonna help that mess, honey.

Now returning back to our regularly scheduled programming…

BACK!!!!!

RESIST…TEMPTATION….

My twin sister, Liene will thoroughly enjoy this post.  Google is her baby daddy.  Google rocks, and it can totally help you plan your wedding. 

Google Search Engine– Google rocks when it comes to finding all the information you need.  Remember to use different search terms and algorithms to find the key information you need in an efficient manner. For example, use quotation marks to hone in your search engine results.  Terms like "Maggie Sottero" wedding dress will find results that include those terms together, not just separately.  Here is a great site that gives you other ways to search Google. 

Google Images– This is a great resource to find those pictures that you are looking for to provide inspiration for your decor.

Ok, so you’ve used the search engine to find information and pictures…whatever will you put it in?

Google Notebook– Google Notebook is an AWESOME online resource that can keep all of your wedding planning ideas, vendors, and contacts all in one place.  With some browsers, you can just select text or images and right click "Note This" and it will save it to the notebook of your choice.  Great way of organizing all of the little snippets you find online that a few months from now won’t  seem like a good idea.

Google Reader– Google Reader is absolutely genius. Instead of going to all of your favorite blogs (SHAMELESS PLUG :: this one included) individually, you can have one centralized place to read all of your favorite blogs. Just program your browser to go to the Google Reader page when you find an RSS feed that you love.  You can categorize the blogs that you plug into reader to keep them organized in a way you seem fit (wedding planner’s blogs, photography blogs, fashion blogs, etc.).  If you use Firefox, be sure to download the Google Reader Notifier which will allow you to see when new feeds are updated.  Additionally, Google Reader makes recommendations on other blogs which are similar to the ones in your list.  If you need some help, check out some of my favorite blogs.

Google Chat– Talk with your friends on Google’s Instant Messenger. You can exchange files, make PC to PC phone calls, get notified about your Gmail and text.  You can gab on about your wedding for hours.

 Gmail– who doesn’t know and love gmail?  I get that, but here is where I can enhance your life, luxeling.  First of all, get a wedding email address.  You know you were dying to anyway…so just go on and do it. Ok, now that’s done, when you sign up for offers, you can categorize where those emails will go.  For example– let’s say you are looking for a wedding photographer, and want to keep all those communications in one place. With every site of a photographer that you visit and must enter in your address, you can enter it in as fabulousbride+photograhers@gmail.com.  (Note, the email address was hypothetically, fabulousbride@gmail.com.  Don’t click that…it might be someone’s real address.)  Next, log in and go to Settings.  From there, we’ll set up a filter. In the To box, put in your newly-created fabulousbride+photographers@gmail.com address, and the set the filter to put in a folder titled "photographers." This is perfect as well if you want to log communications with your wedding planner or even designate a folder for emails that should be immediately deleted (like those irritating emails you get when you sign up for something free).

Google Calendar– Great for plugging in those vendor payments and appointments!   You can now sync your Google Calendar with your Outlook calendar.  You can get weather forecasts on your calendar, as well as get text notification reminders.

Blogger–  When your relatives threaten to put a hit out on you if they have to hear about your wedding one more time, you can start a wedding blog with Blogger and divulge all of your wedding feelings there.

Picasa– Picasa is Google’s answer to Flickr.  In addition you can create web albums of your engagement photos, ideas you like, basically whatever blows your skirt up.

Google Docs– You can save HTML, Word, Excel, and Powerpoint documents (as well as a few other files from other programs) to an online hub that you can access from anywhere.  What’s best you can collaborate on documents with other people.  Just to give an example, you and your honey can work on your ceremony together while you two should be working   You can even email your documents to  an encrypted email address. 

Google Pages– You can create a wedding website for your wedding with Google Pages. No need to know HTML or anything like that, a few keystrokes here, a click there and you’ve got a page.  You now have to sign up on the waitlist to get a space, so do it now or you can also check out Google Sites for a great online hub for you and your bridesmaids.

So see, Google can help you manage your wedding planning!

Mattie sent me this, and I thought it was hilarious.  Happy Wednesday!

Great stuff over at Casa Sugar, the DIY Etched Glass Vase. I spoke about something similar during one of our podcasts– making a DIY Memorial Vase for your ceremony or reception, but this takes it to a fabulous higher level.

I will try this when the mini people aren’t completely monopolizing my time (or holding it hostage)– I have been dying to do something different with all the vases I get from delivered flowers or ones I score from Walmart for dirt cheap.

For directions, follow the yellow brick road:  http://casasugar.com/1094404

Have fun, luxelings!

Photo:  Casa Sugar

I love wedding glossies– I really do!  They are filled with great ideas, plenty of wedding porn (aka pictures), bridal fashion and trends.  However, they say a lot of things that sometimes, a luxeling like myself, just can’t get with.

So, here I am– ready to debunk a lot of the "stuff" and help you sort through the fluff and poppycock and get to the truth.

And we’ll laugh along the way.

1. "You’ll Save More Money By Having Your Wedding During a Holiday Weekend" — Nope!  Ain’t gonna happen.  You need to prepare yourself for the possibility that you could actually pay more than you had planned.  Vendors have higher premiums during event weekends, and while venues can say the same, they can also tack on higher food and beverage minimums.  Another big thing– your guests!  They will have to pay higher prices for airline tickets, and you will find stricter room block requirements, too.  But hey, at least you can use the festive decorations that are already up in your reception venue (isn’t that what the glossies say?)
2. You can intimidate your way to a better deal  Yup, another loser here.  Well, I think that title is a bit  misleading. The magazines tell brides "Make sure you tell potential vendors that you intend to shop around or are interviewing other vendors" or "Put vendors on point and let them know that you are ready to play ball"… Let’s review a few of these, shall we?

• "I am interviewing several other XXXX.  Why should I choose you over them?"  This is not Miss America. You don’t want to hear my stance on war peace or starving children.  You don’t want me to give some self-absorbed why I’m great and what I can do for you speech. Instead, let it come naturally. If during the course of any meeting with any wedding vendor you don’t SEE for yourself the benefits of hiring that vendor, then that’s not the vendor for you.  And please don’t think that the fact that you told me that you are interviewing another planner will make me a.) lower my prices, b.) throw in freebies, c.) talk bad about the other planner to make me look better.  I’m not easily intimidated.  And you shouldn’t be either when you hear I’m interviewing other clients for your wedding weekend   It’s all bout finding the good match with personalities, if we click, we click. No need to play games.
• "What did you do before you were a XXX.." (and other none-of-your-business questions).  Hi, I’m Terrica– I’m a Scorpio and I love to take long walks on the beach and candlelight dinners…come on now!  This is utter nonsense and rubbish!  Quite  honestly, anything personal or non-specific to your wedding that your vendor wants you to know s/he will tell you.
• "Is this the best price you can offer?  Are your prices negotiable?" There is an old saying that "if you don’t ask, you don’t get". I would like to formally throw in my bid to remix that saying for 2008… "If you ask like a jerk or this is your first question to a vendor, you DEFINITELY won’t get".  Brides hate it when vendors look at them and see dollar signs. Guess what, we hate it too.  If you want something for nothing, or come into the meeting with a set agenda of talking us down, you won’t enjoy the experience.  It’s not shopping for a used car, it’s piecing together the perfect event team to work on the most important day of your life

3.  Destination Weddings are easier and cheaper. This is true, and then not so much.  Destination Weddings can be a lot of fun, and with proper planning.  But you also need someone to corral your guests.  Why? Because your guests will think it is a FANTASTIC idea to go to Negril, Jamaica for your wedding.  But wait for the deposit time comes around, people become amnesiacs.   In order to reap the benefit of a lot of international resort’s wedding perks, you need to guarantee a minimum of 10-20 guest rooms.  So my suggestion is not to plan a get away wedding if you aren’t completely comfortable with either going alone (just the two of you) or with 5 other people.

4.  DIY EVERYTHING.  Honey, put the glue gun DOWN.  You will burn out faster than a dollar store candle if you attempt too many DIY projects for your wedding.  Find ONE good project that you can make fabuluxe and do it.  Otherwise, your wedding will look tacky and shabby.  Why? Because you don’t have the facilities or capabilities to make it perfect for 5 projects 120 times. 

this

for a wedding?

Source:  Pier 1’s Ornament Tree

Anyone remember that show?  It rocked.

Last week, I had the opportunity to do the Jekyll Oceanfront Inn’s first bridal showcase. It was an intimate gathering of vendors from Georgia and Florida. We (the vendors) had a great time sipping on mimosas and the wonderful food provided by the resort.

Captain America came with me and we had an awesome time shooting the breeze with Spencer of Anna and Spencer Photography.  Spencer is so very talented and is making his way to the Coastal Georgia area.  Be sure to check him out and also read his blog.

Spencer was sweet enough to send me some pictures he took of my setup:

It is Papier Tuesday again, and this week’s company is delicious! 

This gorgeous production is letterpressed on Italian paper,  and even has a matching fan program.  The colors are exquisite and perfect for a luxury, upscale beach wedding.

This is what my music producer friend would call "fire".  I love love love love (did I mention love) this invitation!  How can you not!? It is sleek, contemporary, glam…just so WeddingSexy!

In a previous podcast, I had mentioned a few ideas for a fun Save the Date or invitation for a movie buff or Old Hollywood style couple.  These ticket save the dates are absolutely adorable.  Perfect for the performing duo g.k.a. the bride and groom!

This pocketfold is so gorgeous.  I want to literally reach out and touch the paper.  It’s perfect. 

There are so many wonderful designs and concepts for your wedding at Grapevine Paperie.  They have something that will appeal to the bride who has upscale tastes and want to reflect that taste in her wedding invitations.