Here is a way to distinguish you wedding day from all of the others. Would you do it??

For the last few years, couples made their special day unique by copying coordinated dance routines down the aisle and at the reception, after that one couple did it on YouTube. Now, there’s a whole new “unique” thing everyone is doing: Marryoke.

Marryoke is lip-synch karaoke that a wedding videographer captures your guests performing at different times of the wedding. When they edit it all together, you get a music video of your wedding, set to the timeless song of your choosing: Classic wedding songs like Etta James’s “At Last” and — nope, actually, Marryoke is mostly done to songs that aren’t likely to stand the test of time, like LMFAO’s “Party Rock Anthem,” or the Black Eyed Peas’ “The Time,” a remix of that song from “Dirty Dancing.”

The trend began in the U.K., but has made its way over to our shores — so don’t be surprised if you’re asked to lip-synch to some Katy Perry at a wedding this summer. Wedding trends, like the coordinated dances to Justin Bieber and Chris Brown songs, spread like wildfire among brides looking for a way to distinguish their wedding day from all of the others. Videographers even offer special “Marryoke” services as part of their packages, now.

What will a Marryoke video look like at the 50-year anniversary? Probably really cheesy — but if the couple makes it to 50 years still happily in love, it doesn’t matter.

Posted at 10:03 AM ET, 01/23/2012 By Maura Judkis
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/arts-post/post/marryoke-the-new-cheesy-wedding-trend/2012/01/23/gIQAmIByKQ_blog.html

Would you do this at your wedding??

New Postal Stamp Adds Beauty, Romance, to Wedding Invitations.

January 20, 2012 - ALEXANDRIA, VA — Brides to be can get ready to mail their wedding invitations now that the Postal Service is issuing a 65-cent Wedding Cake stamp that goes on sale today. The stamp, issued in sheets of 20, is a perfect addition for mailing wedding invitations weighing up to 2 ounces or other First-Class Mail such as oversize cards or small gifts requiring extra postage.

“Sure to add a touch of beauty and romance to wedding correspondence, the Wedding Cake stamp, first introduced in 2009, is a timeless addition to the U.S. Postal Service’s Weddings series,” said U.S. Postal Service Stamp Services Manager Stephen Kearney. “Often the centerpiece of a wedding reception, the cake has been a wedding tradition for many generations.” The stamps are available at Post Offices nationwide, online at usps.com and by phone at 800-782-6724.

Pastry chef Peter Brett of Washington, DC, created and designed the cake photographed by Renée Comet of Washington, DC, under the art direction of Ethel Kessler of Bethesda, MD. The three-tier wedding cake topped with white flowers and green stems leaves a delightful contrast to the cake’s creamy white frosting.

Customers may view the Wedding Cake stamp as well as many of this year’s other stamps on Facebook at facebook.com/USPSStamps, through Twitter @USPSstamps or on the website Beyond the Perf at beyondtheperf.com/2012-preview.

For more details see: http://about.usps.com/news/national-releases/2012/pr12_008.htm

Deseret News - SALT LAKE CITY — Elizabeth Smart is engaged to marry.

A summer wedding is planned, said Chris Thomas of the Salt Lake public relations firm Intrepid Group. Thomas would neither identify Smart’s fiancé nor confirm how the couple met. The pair became engaged this past weekend.

Sources, however, have identified him as Matthew Gilmour of Scotland.

Smart, 24, is “happy and excited for this next chapter in her life,” Thomas said. “She has planned to be very public in her child advocacy work but wants to keep the details of her personal life private.”

Elizabeth Smart’s father, Ed Smart, said he and his wife, Lois, are “just very happy for Elizabeth. He seems like a fine young man.”

Smart would not release additional details at the request of his daughter. “She feels he’s the one so we are very happy for her,” Ed Smart said Friday.

Smart rose to international prominence after she was kidnapped at knife point from her parents’ home in June 2002 by Brian David Mitchell. Smart, then 14, was held by her captors for nine months, enduring repeated sexual abuse. Smart was rescued when she, Mitchell and Mitchell’s wife, Wanda Barzee, were spotted in Sandy in March of 2003.

Smart testified against Mitchell, who was convicted of kidnapping and rape in U.S. District Court in 2010. He is serving a life sentence. Barzee is serving a 15-year sentence in federal prison for her role in the crimes.

Many people who watched Smart testify against Mitchell at trial and during sentencing commented on her poise and confidence on the witness stand.

Smart has said on a number of occasions that she has been guided by the advice of her mother, who told her the day after her rescue that Mitchell may have taken nine months of her life from her, but she must not allow him to take one more minute.

Smart has advised other victims “not to let it hold them back.”

Since her rescue, Smart has served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in France, formed a foundation to advocate on behalf of children and has worked as commentator for ABC News.

By Marjorie Cortez, Deseret News    E-mail: marjorie@desnews.com
Published: Friday, Jan. 20, 2012 5:25 p.m. MST
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705397732/Elizabeth-Smart-is-engaged-summer-wedding-is-planned.html

Here are some things to consider if you want to liven up the old Wedding Traditions -

Old: White Wedding Dress

New: You can still wear the traditional white or ivory wedding dress but how about throwing in splashes of color with sashes and colorful jewelry. Wake it up and rock it out with your favorite colors.

Old: Confetti of Rice

New: Sparklers (the colors of your wedding theme), glitter and air-popped popcorn. Instead of tulle bags try tossing cones.

Old: Bridal March Canon D

New: Have the Wedding DJ play your favorite tune, hire a cellist or quartet to play an instrumental version of your favorite rock song that has a special meaning for both of you. (clear the music selection with your church pastor if ceremony will be held in a church)

Old: Getting Married In the Church

New: Pick a wedding ceremony location that has meaning for the both of you, it doesn’t have to be in the church to be “legal”. It can be a park, gallery, backyard, even an old theater where you had your first date. Think outside the box and find your very own special ceremony site.

Old: Exchanging Traditional Wedding Vows

New: Customize your own wedding vows by blending your personalities and your feelings into an amazing set of wedding vows that will have way more meaning for the two of you than a vows template will ever have. Then for added memory frame it as a beautiful keepsake.

Do you have suggestions to shake things up?

From: Kesha King - Opulent Custom Event Planning
www.opulentcustomeventplanning.com

An album of wedding photographs has been returned after going missing for 17 years.
 
The images commemorating Nigel and Gillian Stewart’s marriage had been in their caravan which was stolen.

Following failed media appeals for its return, the wedding photo album was left outside their home in Gilford, County Down, inside a plastic bag on Tuesday afternoon, BBC News reports.

Gillian said: “I thought I was seeing things. I was absolutely stunned. Speechless… It’s lovely for the children - they only know their dad with grey hair.”

She called on the person who left the album to make themselves known even if they had stolen the caravan, adding: “You needn’t be a bit afraid to come forward to me, because I bear no grudges.

“The past is the past, the future’s the future. I would just love whoever it was to come forward, so I could thank them in person.”

Earlier this year, a wallet belonging to a 9-year-old boy was returned with its contents still present after he wrote a letter and put it up in the store it was taken from.

A woman also had her belongings returned with an apology letter after they were taken from her.

Published Thursday, Nov 10 2011, 1:53pm EST - By Mayer Nissim
Source: http://www.digitalspy.com/odd/news/a350263/stolen-wedding-photo-album-returned-after-17-years.html 

Here is another tragic story.  Make sure you take care of your wedding photos!
By Andrew Adams, Deseret News            
Published: Friday, Nov. 18, 2011 7:34 p.m. MST

BIG COTTONWOOD CANYON — Pennsylvania newlyweds are out their wedding pictures and a Utah-based wedding photographer is missing his gear, after his truck was burglarized in the canyon.

Now, the couple is offering a $1,000 reward in hopes that their photos can still be recovered.

Photographer Sean Sullivan went fly-fishing in the canyon last week and was gone for just minutes. He said Friday the burglar or burglars broke through a window on the right side of his pickup and took his laptop, external drives, photography equipment and even his debit card.

“I guess we’ve got the memories, but we don’t have the visuals — we don’t have photos of my wife with her mother and her father in her dress,” Josh Smith said from Philadelphia. “We could not have asked for a better day. No complications. You put in all this work. Everything goes perfect. The last possible thing that you would think is that your wedding photography would be stolen.”

“My hope is that we can get these pictures out there and this person can return the stolen goods,” Sullivan said.

For complete story and additional photos see -
“Newlyweds hope reward helps them recover stolen wedding photos”
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705394637/Newlyweds-hope-reward-helps-them-recover-stolen-wedding-photos.html.

Are you a hardcore Android fan?  Probably not as much as Vanessa Kenworthy and Rhys Kenworthy. They took Android love to a new level with their Android themed wedding and reception!

Starting with the 30” Android wedding cake to vows exchanged via their Android phones, this was a wedding like no other.

Be sure to check out the news coverage and pictures from the wedding -

http://youtu.be/4-3_hyq-0RE

Would you do this?????

The biggest mistake you can make budget wise is spending money on things that will never be noticed by your guest. If you’re going to spend the extra money try these WOW-packed ideas:

Lighting: Order a custom-made gobo light of your monogram, or project a design from your wedding invitation over the dance floor.

Ceremony Decor: Ask your florist to cover a canopy with lush flowers and hanging votive candles or blossom-bedecked lanterns to create vocal points. Your guest will love it!

The Entryway: Ask the servers to greet guest with glasses of champagne or a signature cocktail so that they feel taken care of from the moment they enter the wedding reception. This is a good idea considering you will not be making your grand entrance upon their arrival for at least 15-30 minutes later.

The Photo Booth: With some of the rental packages, you can get projections of pictures from the photo booth. So while the guest snap photos inside the booth, the images will appear over the dance floor for all to see- and it provides a awesome way to brighten the dance floor.

Lounge Area: Really want to amaze your guest; try closing off an area with curtains and rent some lounge furniture, curtains, draping, and special lighting to create the VIP chic vibe.

Reception PowerPoint: Create a PowerPoint or video that showcase your lives as a couple (vacation videos, pictures, etc) have it play on a screen behind the head table and play it during your fist dance.

From - Kesha King - Opulent Custom Event Planning 
www.opulentcustomeventplanning.com  

Here is a blog with some things to consider if you are thinking about planning your wedding on a Holiday Weekend.
October 4th, 2011  From: http://alwaysablogsmaid.com/

 The Q: I’m debating having my wedding over Labor Day weekend. The thing is, my family loves the idea because it gives us a long weekend to celebrate, but I personally actually HATE traveling over holiday weekends and having them committed to a wedding. Do you have any thoughts about this, pro or con? In your experience, is it better or worse for guests?

Do you want your wedding gown to stand out? An Enlighted Wedding Dress is the answer!

This gorgeous wedding dress was made even more special by the installation of about 300 warm white LEDs throughout the skirt. The lights simulated the effect of candlelight with the gold-tinted color of the LEDs, and with a soft random flickering pattern. The lights were arranged in a random pattern, with the density increasing towards the bottom of the skirt. The batteries were hidden inside the wider part of the skirt, and the lights were turned on by remote control. 
See video at http://www.saltlakebride.com/blog/how-to-make-your-wedding-gown-unique.htm 

 

So as not to be outdone, these are also available for the groom in tuxedos.