OmniBride™ & TWC: New Beginnings & Fond Farewells
The Wedding Chat has been a labor of love and a launching pad to something new and exciting for the entire online wedding community. You see we discovered a black hole…
As bloggers in the wedding industry we adore the vast blogosphere but, for a while, have felt such a deep void when attempting to research and find great content. Oh, we know it’s out there. In fact we take pride in the topics we’ve covered. But think about it-when you try to find something it’s often a time-consuming, hit-or-miss experience. There is so much valuable information out there and searching is like drifting aimlessly out in space.
Well, our frustration turned into opportunity. We connected with some tech virtuosos to help us create OmniBride, the first search-find-share destination solely for the wedding industry.
Our mission was to bring the entire online wedding community together so none of us has to wander aimlessly through the Internet to find great ideas, inspirations and resources.
We are just beginning to officially launch OmniBride and say a fond farewell to The Wedding Chat. We are sad for TWC to end as it has been steadily growing in popularity but feel our mission to bring together the entire online wedding community is the best use of our energies. We felt it even more when blogger Kelly Gribben, Keg Design, landed on us while she was randomly checking her site meter…”I discovered OmniBride as a referring site and one that is solely devoted to wedding-related things. What a cool concept! It’s definitely something the online wedding community can use.” We hope you think so too!
For brides: You’ll find that OmniBride is the most comprehensive destination for researching and planning your wedding.
For bloggers: Your voices will be heard by an exponentially greater audience. If the community loves your content, your stats will grow—and so will your fan base.
For industry: You have the opportunity to find out what the online wedding community is saying (or not saying) about your goods and services. You can engage in the community dialogues.
For journalists: This is your tool for researching and uncovering the latest buzz and resources.
You have the power to rate the value of a search result by either “loving” or “trashing” it so, unlike a general search engine, the community determines what rises to the top. So participate often and let your voice be heard throughout the wedding universe!
But there’s more to OmniBride—check out our feeds for the daily news and the most current wedding-related contests and giveaways. And if it’s being talked about—we’ll find it!
You may have noticed that this is a BETA version of OmniBride. This means that Version 1 is ready for take-off. But our vision doesn’t end here—count on an explosion of features and functions in the near future. For now, enjoy your exploration…and let us know about your experiences of finding it in the wedding cosmos.
$5,000 Wedding – Dancing Under the Stars
BRIDAL GUIDE asked me to come up with a elegant wedding idea for fifty guests at a budget of $5,000: It’s strictly ballroom these days thanks to the Hollywood’s current culture craze. So it’s time to celebrate in Tinseltown style and have your first wedding dance under the stars. Here’s how you can pull it off brilliantly…
VENUE: Ballroom Dance Studio
THEME: Dancing Under The Stars
GRAND ENTRANCE: Red Carpet & Stanchions (Rentals) Guests will walk the red carpet and enter through Dance Studio Entrance.
COLOR THEME: Ruby Red, Dark Teal, Silver, & White
ROSE CONSTELLATION (STARS): The star effect is created using LED Floralytes tucked into roses hung with clear fishing line. 100 to 150 rose lights can be hung by pinning in the acoustic tiles or, pinned into fabric or hung from clear netting.
Rose Constellation Photo By: Soo Photography.com
MUSIC: Typically Dance Studios have a sound system in place, so you can load up your MP3 player with hours of the perfect dance music. Go to www.abc.com to the Dancing with the Stars on the ABC website for a list of the music played each week and make your music play list from this.
ENTERTAINMENT: Hire a ballroom dance couple for an hour at the reception to teach a few steps and to entertain your guests.
ADDITIONAL DECOR: Give your dance-shy guests a place to hang out and drape a few tall cocktail tables with Teal Linen and create vase luminaries to give the glowing star effect by wrapping star punched craft paper around straight, clear, candle-filled glass vases. Tuck a few votives and rich red rose heads around the base of the luminaries so your centerpieces will have a touch of elegance. Add additional chairs around the studio when your guests feel like sitting one out.
FAVORS: If the dance studio has a ballet bar, hang custom CD’s with your favorite dance tunes. They’ll reflect the light for a Disco Ball effect and let them double as the wedding favors. An alternative idea is to send your parched guests home with a bottle of spring water with a custom star-themed label from Beaucoup Fine Favors or Silver Star Bath Beads from Loop Creations, so they can kick of their dancing shoes and relax their tired feet.
MENU: For this party budget, the caterer can provide the 5 additional passed hors d’oeuvres, various cigar cookies, and the service to include the Caviar Station Attendant.
- DIY American Caviar Tasting Station -
You don’t have to spend a fortune to enjoy this ocean treasure. The American Caviars such as Hackleback Sturgeon, Paddlefish, and Flavored Whitefish Roe are very affordable, decadent and can be creatively displayed and served with traditional accoutrements to include lemon slices, crème fraiche, and toast points. With gourmet infused flavors such as Truffle, Ginger, and Beet-Saffron from San Francisco’s Tsar Nicoulai Caviar Company, this station is sure to impress your guests!
To make it even more special, ask the caterer to provide a station attendant (This person can also manage portion control.)
The tasting station should be set up using a 6ft. table with a shimmery Teal Tablecloth such as Wildflower Linen’s Iridescent Teal Taffeta.
Use Tall Clear Glass Vases partially filled with rock salt or recycled glass chips. Rock salt can be found very inexpensively at any local hardware store. Recycled glass chips can be purchased online from American Specialty Glass.
Photo By: Soo Photography.com
Nestle in tall, extended branches and hang silver star ornaments among the branches to add sparkle. The caviar can be displayed and served using two–part martini glasses that often double as caviar servers.
- Passed Hors d’oeuvres Menu Ideas -
Mini ‘Cobb’ with Watercress, Shaved Point Reyes Blue Cheese,
Crisped Pancetta, & Early Girl Tomato Vinaigrette Drizzle
Served in Tiny Butter Lettuce Cups and Garnished with Quail Egg
Dungeness Crab & Asparagus Tartlets “Au Gratin”
with Red Torpedo Onion Marmalade
Sambuca Marinated Breast of Chicken
Wrapped in Hobbs Rustica Prosciutto on Crostinis with Scallion Pesto
Medallions of Porcini & Garlic Marinated Beef Tenderloin
with “ Merlot-Morel Jus” on Rosemary Ciabatta Rounds
Marinated Portobello Mushrooms, Toasted Pine Nuts and Banyuls Glace,
on Herbed-Asiago Brioche Bread Pudding
- A Sweet Stogie Ending -
Ending with Cigars is a luxury experience. A perfect end to an elegant evening, without the smoke, would be passing “stogie” sweets: a myriad of handmade Butter Tuille, Florentine, and Meringue cigar-shaped cookies, elegantly displayed in cigar boxes.
Additional ideas include, replacing the inside box label with a custom design, or you can even individually wrap the cookies with custom cigar labels. Empty cigar boxes can be found for a bargain price or free at your local smoke shop. The cookies can be purchased at your local bakery or the caterer might have a pastry chef available. You might even find something acceptable at a gourmet grocery store. – LM
Can you afford to be a bridesmaid?
Bridesmaid Beware! There are some costs you should be aware of before you say “YES!” to helping your friend walk down the aisle. Just in case you haven’t thought it through, below is a list of potential expenses that go along with the commitment of being a bridesmaid:
Don’t be afraid to ask your friend what will be expected of you financially. If she has champagne tastes, then you need to be prepared to either spend the cash or say no. If she can afford it, perhaps your friend will be willing to absorb some of your expenses. Keep in mind that the bride has her budget, too; so, if she cannot afford to assist with your bridesmaid expenses, it is not a question of whether or not you are a good enough friend!
