Archive for the ‘Media’ Category

Share your wedding with the world

Friday, March 23rd, 2007

Wedding videos…does anyone other than the bride want to watch them after the big day is through? The people behind Viddea think so, but I’m not so sure. I do believe that folks who couldn’t make it to the wedding itself would enjoy poking through the proceedings via video once or twice. But paying to put it online?

viddea-sample.JPG

Right now, users can get a free trial of the video sharing service, which seems fairly easy to use as brides and grooms need only ask their videographers to send in their DVDs. Viddea charges the videographer, who no doubt passes the fee onto the customer. Then it seems that Viddea makes more money selling copies of your wedding DVD to friends and family.

Um…in the age of YouTube and of easy-to-use DVD burners, I’m must question the relevance of such a service. But, hey, I could be wrong. Let’s have a look at their features, as described on the web site:

  • Viddia allows you to share special features of your wedding video DVD like pre-ceremony preparations or a rehearsal dinner with your friends–even if they weren’t there in person!
  • Your friends can easily pick and choose which parts of your wedding video they’d like to watch! For instance they can skip right to that first dance or the best man’s toast!
  • Viddia allows you to share your wedding video from a customized web page that reflects your personal taste and also provides a personalized message to your family and friends!
  • Password protection can ensure that only those who you grant permission to are allowed to view your Viddia wedding video. Avoid the hassle of copying wedding DVD’s for friends and family, they can buy their own copy when they view your video!

Privacy is good. And I do like to avoid hassles, but anything that does not tell me how much it costs up front sets my teeth on edge. Personally, I prefer to weigh my hassles against the cost of avoiding them, if you see what I mean.

A bridal mini-buffet

Tuesday, March 20th, 2007

Rebecca is a beautiful bride

First off, I want to say congrats to Rebecca and her fabulous Bianchi gown. Wait, I mean congrats to Rebecca and Josh, of course! But the dress was her mother’s, passed down from her oldest sister who wore it first in 1964. Is that not the best? I love well-done vintage.

If you’re a bride with a question (and what bride doesn’t have at least one or two), head over to Top Wedding Questions. This message board site delivers not only the questions, but also the answers, as put forth by expert moderators. When you posit your query, you can be sure you’re not going to get a double-handful of regular folks weighing in. If you just want to chat, however, head over to Beautiful Brides & Beyond, a truly fabulous nuptial forum.

And finally, be careful…very careful…when planning your reception menu. From the Manolo comes a news story about a suitcase full of monkey meat that found itself on the wrong side of the law.

A large suitcase containing the remains of 26 butchered monkeys was confiscated at Logan Airport in Boston on its way from Ghana. The 300 pounds of raw meat, destined to be served as the main course at a wedding in New Hampshire, was “oozing out of its container,” said Tom Healy of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Um, ew?

Surprise, surprise, surprise!

Wednesday, February 14th, 2007

What’s the big Valentine’s Day surprise, you ask? It’s that yours truly is engaged. Yes, N.t.B. has entered the ranks of those who are not only obsessed with weddings, but also articulate their expressing by spending thousands of dollars on stuff with no practical purpose! But pretty is purpose enough sometimes, right? Are you with me here?

I know ya’ll love reading about the who, what, when, and where of two people deciding to spend their lives together, so here’s a dramatic re-enactment of the proposal:

Aw, isn\'t that sweet?

Just kidding. The Beard was totally mushy about it, all with the getting down on one knee and the wearing of the ceremonial tie. And while they have not yet arrived, I am getting not one, but two engagement rings! A classic ring set with labradorite and a more modern ring set with Swiss blue topaz.

What’s this mean for the blog? Well, it probably means that you’re occasionally going to have to listen to me while I ramble on about my own wedding planning experiences. And I may just have to bombard you with reviews of the schwag I actually bought, the schwag I wouldn’t touch with a ten foot pole, and the schwag I wish I had enough money to buy.

First up? Books, of course. I wouldn’t have sprung for wedding planning books…being that I don’t have much need for them…but, heck, this blog is a job, which means that all my books on nuptial know-how are tax deductible! Whoo! I naturally went for some of the more eccentric titles:

Anti-Bride Guide: Tying the Knot Outside of the Box

I Do but I Don?t: Walking Down the Aisle without Losing Your Mind

Offbeat Bride: Taffeta-Free Alternatives for Independent Brides

As an aside, I’m sorry to have to disappoint all the romantics out there, but it wasn’t a Valentine’s Day proposal. I just thought I’d save it up so I’d have something sweet to post for V-Day. So happy Valentine’s Day everyone! Just in case you’re jonesin’ for some cuteness, here is a picture of some pigs in love, courtesy of Go Veg:

OMG CUTE!

Were you a bad bridesmaid?

Thursday, January 25th, 2007

When Canadian columnist Siri Agrell was dubbed a bad bridesmaid, she decided to do something about it, so she compiled a book of funny and tragic stories from the nuptial front. The resultant work, Bad Bridesmaid: Bachelorette Brawls and Taffeta Tantrums–Tales from the Front Lines, is a collection of stories that highlight the dark side of being a bridesmaid. And I think we all know there is one.

Bad Bridesmaid: Bachelorette Brawls and Taffeta Tantrums--Tales from the Front Lines

I’ll tell you more about the book tomorrow, but I just wanted to get the ball rolling here, because I happened to receive an advance copy of the book to give away! I want you to tell me your absolute worst bridal party experiences. Maybe you were a long-suffering bridesmaid stuck under the thumb of a dictator bride. Or maybe *you* were the bridesmaid from hell, asked to participate in a wedding because the bride needed to round out the wedding party. Even if you were a guest and simply a witness to bad bridesmaid behavior, I want to hear about it.

It’s simple: The writer of the most horrifyingly humorous tale gets the book. E-mail me your stories at Never.teh.Bride@gmail.com by Sunday evening, and I’ll announce the winner on Monday. Then, throughout next week, I’ll share the wackiest and worst bad bridesmaid tales I receive!

Strung out

Friday, January 19th, 2007

Ah, DIY. What a pain in the behind, right? I’m not going to lie to you and say that your decision to make your own favors, bouquets, and so forth isn’t going to seem like a huge mistake now and then. But if you gather the right materials and tutorials beforehand, DIY doesn’t have to be entirely painful.

Beaded Weddings: 75+ Fabulous Ideas for Jewelry, Invitations, Reception Decor, Gifts and More

I just picked up a copy of Beaded Weddings: 75+ Fabulous Ideas for Jewelry, Invitations, Reception Decor, Gifts and More and I tell you truthfully that even a klutzy dunce like me can complete the projects in this book. Author Jean Campbell no doubt had people like me in mind while compiling the directions for things like adding beadwork to a plain veil, creating beautiful beaded embellishments for candles and cake cutters, making comb headpieces from scratch, constructing wedding-ready jewelry out of simple components, and prettying-up your nuptial decor with…you guessed it…beads.

A lot of books of this ilk (I’m talking about the hundreds of craft books out there) are obviously meant for the experienced DIY’er. Beaded Weddings is one of the few exceptions, as it contains step-by-step instructions for making matrimonial schwag that beginners can easily follow. From cake toppers, to centerpieces, to invitations, to tiaras, every project outlined in the book is accompanied by directions so specific even I can follow them. The first sixteen or so pages are dedicated to the why’s and how’s of threading beads, stringing beads, materials, wire cutters, and more.

The illustrations and color photographs are a big help. You wouldn’t know it, but making a pair of earrings or a pearl headband is pretty darn simple when you can consult figure drawings that tell you exactly how to place the beads, which direction to twist the jewelry wire, what knots to use, and how to secure any loose ends. No more paying the big bucks for simple drop earrings!

Now, a while back someone suggested I create a tutorial explaining how to embellish the edging on a veil. And I’ve gotten plenty of e-mails from readers wanting advice regarding DIY projects. Well, let me tell you, you’d be way better off buying this book (or one like it) because I definitely have my limits where handicrafts are concerned.

Questions first. Then jewels.

Friday, December 22nd, 2006

Apparently the text outputs for the New York Times and Cosmo were mixed up on the 17th. Next month, confused Cosmo readers everywhere are going to be raising their eyebrows at a cover story entitled “Self-Proclaimed Freedom Fighter Charged in Killings of 18 Iraqi Soldiers.” I have come to this conclusion after reading the recent hard-hitting Times article, “Questions Couples Should Ask (Or Wish They Had) Before Marrying.” It features gems like:

1) Have we discussed whether or not to have children, and if the answer is yes, who is going to be the primary care giver?

3) Have we discussed our expectations for how the household will be maintained, and are we in agreement on who will manage the chores?

7) Will there be a television in the bedroom?

11) Do we value and respect each other’s parents, and is either of us concerned about whether the parents will interfere with the relationship?

12) What does my family do that annoys you?

Sure, these are good questions to ask, but if you need a piece in the Times New York Times Weddings & Celebrations section to tell you this, you may want to consider counseling before tying the knot.

But, hell, it’s the holidays. Who cares what the stodgy old dodgers at the Times think. I want to look at fabulous handmade jewelry, like that crafted by Erica Weiner. She uses scavenged and vintage materials, as well as baubles she collects on her travels, to create whimsical and imaginative necklaces, earrings, and bracelets. The descriptions on her site are fabulous as they give a clue into the origins of the materials she used to create each piece.

Check these out:

From the glass factory

This kitten\'s got claws

Wear a piece of history

The sustainable bridesmaid

Thursday, December 14th, 2006

Friend and reader Sterlingspider, with whom I’ve been discussing corsets, recently sent me a link to Faernyn’s Grove Sustainables. Yes, they have bridal corsets…really nice ones, in fact. But they also have a small selection of dresses and today I want to talk about those.

Check this out:

I think I\'m in love. With the dress, not the model, mind.

Wouldn’t this A-line jade green formaldehyde-free silk piece make a gorgeous bridesmaid dress? It’s practically making me salivate. What’s sustainable about it? According to the web site, every design listed is produced with at least 70% sustainable textiles and, additionally, every design has a 100% certified organic fabric option.

Now, to shift topics to your least favorite topic and mine, holiday shopping. If you happen to know someone who, like me, is fascinated by corsets, I can’t recommend The Corset: A Cultural History by Valerie Steele and Fetish Fashion: Undressing the Corset by Larry Utley highly enough. Both are absolutely stunning!