Thank you to everyone who came to the MADE OF HONOR 411 party.  I hope you all had a great time!  In case you were curious we had a little over 200 folks show up for some food, wine, and free prizes.  I think everyone had a blast! 

For today’s funny, I direct you to the Nearly Wed blog.  Apparently a staffer at Real Simple who actually submitted a video to get a date with them to a wedding.  The whole story is on the blog, but here’s the video.  If you’ve seen the movie Wedding Crashers, you’re going to love the end.

Adam Sills is…THE PERFECT WEDDING DATE from Nate Houghteling on Vimeo.

Yes, I’m talking about the new movie, Made of Honor,  with Patrick Dempsey.  (So CUTE!!!)  If you are interested in seeing the movie, then you need to come to the best party for the maids of honor and best men out there.  Friday, April 25th, Circle Park Bridal, myself and D’Vine Wine of Plano have put together a fabulous event to help your “right hand man (or girl)” learn what they need to help with all of their wedding duties, such as putting together a shower, favors, gift bags, bustling a gown, picking out a tuxedo, etc, etc, etc.  Everyone who stops by will receive a free movie pass to the pre-screening show held on May 1st at the Cinemark Tinseltown in Plano.  For more details, go here!

I just finished The Bride’s Guide to Diplomacy by Sharon Naylor.  (Yes, it took me that long.)  What a fabulous book!  Sharon covered many questions that I’ve received and even more that I have not.  Loved everything she had to say.  Some of the more interesting situations she addressed to me were, what to do when postponing a wedding, how to handle announcing a cancelled wedding, how to address respect for the death of a loved one but continuing the wedding plans.  Yes, I know, not happy stuff, but very good to know!  I definitely recommend this book to help with ANY sticky situation!

My next read is Eco-Chic Weddings: Simple Tips to Plan an Earth-Friendly, Socially Responsible, Affordable Green Weddingby Emily Elizabeth Anderson.  I picked this up a month or so ago at my fave store, Posy Lane, as I’d love to know more about how to green with weddings.  I happened to notice the editor of DWeddings mentioned this in her last meeting as her lastest read, so I’m guessing it’s pretty popular.  Stay tuned for hints scavaged from this gem!  All part of the service provided by Each & Every Detail.

Check out the rest of the story for the couple below… http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2007/11/06/oprahs-patrick-swayze-su_n_71474.html

I am absolutely positive that I am not the only woman who watched that last dance scene in Dirty Dancing with a secret thought of ….Wow, that would be awesome if I could do that… with Patrick Swayze there to catch me of course.  And of course, once I met my sweet hubby, I thought how cool would it be if we could dance like that?  Well, it looks like this bride managed to talk her fiance into it for their first dance.  How awesome is this?!?

I stumbled across a blog titled Manolo for the Brides a few months ago and now check in quite often.  I haven’t quite figured out who’s perpective it truly represents, but I’ve found it entertaining nonetheless.  A few days ago, I noticed their blog “To Hire or Not To Hire: Do You Need a Wedding Planner” and found it quite interesting.  You can read it here.

I really like how they break down the questions to ask yourself when considering hiring a wedding planner and how to think about each one on a personal level.  While of course I’m always for hiring a wedding planner (it’s my job already), I’m also for being monetarily conservative.  I realize that some brides just cannot afford a wedding planner, nor need one if they are super-efficient and have the time.  My main reason for recommending wedding planners is to save on stress!  That’s a tangent though.

The one thing I felt was missing from the article was the idea that you can hire a wedding planner for other “packages” than full service.  It focuses mainly on if you should hire a wedding planner for the full planning process, not even mentioning alternatives.  In my opinion, they should have pointed out many wedding planners now offer packages for “day of” or any combination between day of or “full” service.  I myself have 3 packages, ranging from wrapping up the last month or two including “day of” coordination, to partial and full planning services.  It’s completely customizable to what the bride needs.  Some brides just don’t need full service.  They have the time and the talent to do all the planning themselves.  The only thing they need is someone to come in at the end that they can hand over the reins too, allowing them to fully enjoy their day with no worries. 

Anywho, good job Manolo, whoever you are.