Blogs

Anna and Brandon's beautiful wedding was held at the Land of Oz, a mostly-defunct Wizard of Oz theme park in North Carolina. The theme park, which operated from 1970 to 1980, featured a cyclone experience ride within Dorothy's house, a yellow brick road leading to a show at Emerald City, an artificial balloon ride (a modified ski lift), and a museum with props and costumes from the 1939 film. Anna's father worked in the park in the '70s, and her parents have such happy memories from their time spent there. With a little digging, her mom discovered that the park still operates for special events. It was the perfect fit for Anna and Brandon's big day!

Photography by Brett & Jessica.

Are you feeling pressured to plan a "unique" wedding? Initially, my fiancée Claudia and I struggled to find a balance between creating a wedding that is unpredictable and fun, yet still captures the beauty of the rite of matrimony. When we won our consultation with David Tutera, he told us one piece of advice that would change our entire wedding-planning process. He said, "Years from now when your guests talk about your wedding, it's the little things that they'll remember the most." 

Each week, we feature music recommendations from Scratch Weddings, the nation's leader with the best wedding DJs at affordable prices. This week's post comes from DJ Chris Mix, Chicago's hometown DJ sensation spinning a wide variety of events and clubs in Chicago, New York, and Las Vegas. Mix's musical skills don't end on the turntables: He's also a pianist, a jazz drummer, plays clarinet and saxophone, and has an encyclopedic musical knowledge. Chris loves to play weddings because it allows him to create the perfect set-list based on the couple's musical taste. "I love being able to play the music that will make your wedding memorable!”

Photo Credit: Amanda Marie Photography

One of the sweetest things about weddings today is having man’s (and woman’s) best friend take part in the ceremony. Who doesn’t ooh and aah when they spot a furry friend walking down the aisle with tail wagging and looking their wedding best?

But, as fun and photo-op cute as it is, including your pet in the wedding does require some thought, so we asked renowned dog trainer Victoria Stilwell for a few tips. Victoria, best known for her role as the star of Animal Planet’s hit TV series It’s Me or the Dog, is not only CEO of Victoria Stilwell Positively Dog Training but also a best-selling book author. Her most recent, Train Your Dog Positively, will be available on March 19th at stores nationwide and online at amazon.com.

Here, Victoria’s advice on what to consider when having your pet in the wedding:

Editor-in-chief Diane Forden answers one reader's biggest etiquette question.

Photo Credit: Erin Johnson Photography

Q: My fiancé and his family think we should invite everyone to the wedding with a guest. What's the rule?

A: You needn't invite every single person to your wedding with a guest. In fact, most couples today don't —  unless they have an unlimited budget. You should, however, include partners of the following people:

► Everyone who is married (even if you don't know their spouse)
► Couples who are engaged
► Couples who are living together
► Guests who have had a steady significant other for so long that it would seem awkward not to include their partners.

The last instance is a judgment call, but in most cases, your gut will tell you what to do.

—Diane Forden

Guest Blogger: Natasha Scaramuzzo, Head Planner and Owner of Events by Natasha, has experience planning, consulting, directing, and coordinating events for weddings, social events, and corporate functions. Her passion truly lies in planning weddings. Weddings allow Natasha to provide her brides with the “worry-free planning” that they deserve, and it also allows her the opportunity to use her creative ideas in re-creating a bride’s dream into a reality. No event is big or small; brides on a budget seeking a lavish affair can count on Natasha’s passion and creativity to create a spectacular experience. She has hand-selected each vendor that she works with who have proven to be thorough and knowledgeable in the industry.

Wedding advice is always given to the bride, but what about the groom? He is the reason you're walking down the aisle, after all. In my experience, most grooms tend to just agree with everything the bride wants to keep her happy, but what the groom should be doing is getting more involved with the planning — your wedding is for both of you, not just the bride! Here, some tips for the handsome grooms:

We've heard at least five versions of the story of how Brad proposed to Angelina, so it comes as no surprise that there are new rumors about their wedding plans practically every week. But the latest crazy ideas are just too good not to share.

Several reports have stated that the couple will get married at their Chateau Miraval estate in the South of France at the end of May. Though previously reported that it'll be an "intimate and informal" affair, the couple's (now former?!) florist apparently spilled to U.K.'s Grazia magazine that the wedding has some seriously elaborate plans.

“Guests will travel past water fountains and Shetland ponies leaping as they go up the two-mile long drive to the house," said Michel.

And ponies won't be the only animal guests — the couple's kids requested eight elephants, one to represent each member of the family. “When the guests park, they'll see the family of elephants. Brad hopes it will make them smile."

Have you ever had a nightmare so terrifying, it took a good five minutes to realize it didn’t actually happen? I’ve always had a colorful imagination (even in waking life), but with only six months left until my wedding, so many movie-like plots have interrupted my slumber that I’d love to arrange a meeting with Mr. Spielberg. Among the most bizarre: I’m “outside” myself, watching my body walk into a house I’ve never seen before. Up the stairs, there’s a door with glowing red script. In a trance, as if possessed, I turn the knob against my will, even though every part of my body is screaming, “Don’t do it!” Then, I wake up.

Professional dream analyst Patricia Garfield, the author of The Universal Dream Key and Women’s Bodies, Women’s Dreams, explained to me that dreaming is like grand opera: it exaggerates and dramatizes in order to get our attention. Every dream has a purpose, whether it’s to warn us, inspire us, encourage us to slow down or get moving, and so forth. Dreaming is a biological rhythm that is triggered by REM (rapid eye movement) and it uses a deeper layer of the brain than the cortex (what we use most of the time when we’re awake), which is why dreams are highly emotional. “By coming to understand the images and messages within them, we become more aware of what matters to us,” said Garfield.

I’m not the only bride who tosses and turns 50 times a night—below, some of the most common nightmares our Facebook readers have had.

Each week, we feature wedding music recommendations from Scratch Weddings, the nation's leader with the best wedding DJs at affordable prices. This week's post comes from DJ FingerSmith. While most DJs have a sweet spot in a particular genre, FingerSmith's expertise stretches across a huge variety of tastes. When FingerSmith spins a wedding, he approaches each one with individuality and dedication. "Everyone comes to a wedding to celebrate. It's a joyous occasion where there's always a ton of fun to be had. Whatever a couple envisions for their celebration, it comes with a soundtrack, and I build a set to make that soundtrack come alive.” 

Photo Credit: Leigh Skaggs Photography

To create a great party atmosphere, nothing beats the music of America’s Party Decade: the 1970s. While they may have been released during the disco era, these songs are accessible to guests of all generations — retro gems for young guests, and favorite throwbacks for parents and grandparents. Nothing gets a dance floor united like everyone dancing and singing to a classic '70s jam. These selections will do the trick every time: