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Alfred Angelo is looking for brides-to-be with chutzpah, and a penchant for finding themselves in front of a camera. Think you can out “DIVA” thousands of other brides to be crowned the second Alfred Angelo Wedding Dress Diva? Here’s your chance!

Alfred Angelo proudly announces their second Wedding Dress Diva video contest. Starting June 1, 2010, newly engaged brides can submit a video strutting their stuff and showing their inner diva, telling Alfred Angelo why they deserve the ultimate star treatment. Each bride will post her video on YouTube for the world to vote for the best Diva video. Diva brides will vie to win a Diva For A Day prize package worth over $5,000.

Click on the article title to see video from last year and for more details.

Listen up ladies! Former American Idol contestant and fan fave, Anoop Desai, is sponsoring a contest whereby you can win an in-person serenade by Anoop at your wedding! How fun! I would love that! Anoop was one of my favorite contestants!

I just got off the phone with Anoop, who recently released his new pop album "All is Fair", and he is very excited about the chance to make one bride's special day even more memorable.

What will Anoop sing for you if you win? I asked the same question! He said he does have a number of songs that he could sing that would be appropriate for the occasion or he could sing something off of his new album. He would work with the winner to decide! That is awesome!

One restriction: Your wedding has to take place in the United States on or after July 16, 2010 to be eligible.

So here's the scoop, there's not much time, the contest ends this month - yikes! If you want a shot at this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, follow these instructions:

1. Head on over to Anoop's Web site and order his new album, All is Fair.
2. After you order, email your receipt to anoopdesaibride@gmail.com by June 30th.

Anoop's team will notify the lucky winner! And maybe they will let us know as well and we will report back!

Listen for Anoop's radio single in July - it is the title track off the album "All is Fair".

Amanda and Matt had their Chicago wedding ceremony and reception at the Kenilworth Club, a lovely Chicago wedding venue located in Kenilworth, Illinois.

Their gorgeous cake was created by Chicago wedding cake baker, Deerfield Bakery. The colorful and vibrant wedding bouquet was designed by Chicago wedding florist, Ashland Addison Florists.

Click on the article title to view more photos and information about this Chicago wedding.

See also: Chicago Weddings, Chicago wedding reception sites, Chicago Wedding Photographers

This gorgeous couple, Evelia and Ariel, had their Chicago wedding ceremony at St. Peter and Paul followed by a fabulous reception at one of our preferred Chicago wedding venues, Chateau Bu-sche'.

The mariachi band you see in the picture is Mariachi Perla De Mexico and the gorgeous white bridal bouquet was designed by Chicago wedding florist Zenia Ruiz at Flor Del Monte.

You can see more of Evelia and Ariel's Chicago wedding photos on Steve Koo Photography's blog. Click here to see all of the photos.

All Photos Courtesy Chicago Wedding Photographer, Steve Koo Photography

See also: Chicago Weddings, Chicago wedding reception sites, Chicago Wedding Photographers

Vibrant brights and practical neutrals! The color trends for Spring 2010 were announced by Pantone -- the world renowned authority on color – at New York Fashion Week, September 10-17. Why do invitation designers care about fashion color trends? Well, fashion color trends translate into popular wedding colors (bridesmaid dresses, floral designs, and linens) and those colors are often the inspiration for our wedding invitation designs.

So for all of you Spring brides and our other fashion conscious friends, check out the top ten colors for women's fashions below, shown with jewelry that reflects the Spring color palette. To view the entire Fashion Color Report for Spring 2010 visit Pantone’s website .

The use of monograms in weddings is still a trend today because it is a visual symbol of a couple’s new life together. Some couples choose to use a monogram sparingly, while others carry the monogram through as their main wedding theme.

The definition of a traditional monogram is a design with one or more letters (typically initials of a name) that is used as an identifying mark. Today, many couples today use both first names and their last initial or just their first names and wedding date in their monogram design.

Interestingly enough, etiquette states that you should not use your married monogram initial before the ceremony. The bride's family initial would be used for all pre-ceremony stationery while the married name initial gets introduced at the ceremony and thereafter.

However, as invitation designers, we often have couples request the use of a married monogram on their save the date, invitation and other coordinating pieces. Whether our clients choose to follow traditional etiquette or chart their own course, we are happy to design their wedding stationery to suit their needs!

I fell in love with South Carolina's "Low Country" long before I could experience it. Noted author, Pat Conroy delivered an awe-inspiring description of the destination pressed between the pages of his novel, "The Prince of Tides." The Low Country was almost mystical in my mind, where the ebb and flow of the tides soothe the soul, and the swaying salt marshes provide nurseries for infant marine life...

Click here for pictures and full article...

Original Article Posted: 2/11/2008 10:30:04 AM

While this type of theme may only appeal to a handful of you out there - it is perfect for librarians and avid readers or library lovers!  I think it would be a challenge to find a library to host a wedding but I thought these two couples had the right idea...

Scott & Diana have posted images of their library-themed invitation, rules for the reception - which are quite clever considering they seem like library rules - as well as their RSVP card.  Although they were unable to have their wedding in an actual library, the library theme was fitting because the both work in libraries.  Great job Scott & Diana - way to get creative!

Raina & Mike actually held their wedding in a library in Clayville, New York.  They were able to spend less than $600 on their entire event - which is completely unheard of for weddings in New York.  You can read about their wedding here.

July 19, 2009 Update:

Vintage Glam Weddings did a piece on Scott and Diana's Library Themed Wedding. Click here for more pictures.

See also: Wedding Reception Themes and Color Schemes, New York Weddings

Creative cake toppers are one way to make your wedding cake unique.

Article dicusses everything you need to know about the Groom's Cake and proposes creative ideas for this special cake.

The Maid of Honor is usually the bride's closest sister. Otherwise, she could be…

Save the Date Cards are announcements that inform your guests of your future wedding in order to keep your special day free. They are essential in the following situations: if many of your guests are traveling to your wedding, your wedding takes place on or around a holiday, you are planning a faraway destination wedding, or your wedding will take place in a seasonally busy or tourist locale, where the flights and hotels perhaps book up early.

Your guide to placing engagement announcements in the newspaper…