Your engaged, wedding planning is on the way...a list has been written an on the top is the WEDDING REGISTRY!! The moment of anxiety and excitement settles in. Are we going register for things that are too expensive for our guest? or Oh my goodness, I have to think of a theme to design my new kitchen in! Think people will judge me if I register for a lot of Pyrex? Can I have too much Pyrex?
Well, my friends...let me introduce you to a website called www.registrystop.com, This website is designed not only to help the modern day bride and groom register, but also it is highly appreciated by your guest. The website allows you to register for things ANYWHERE!!! If you find that special vase that you have to have, but it is at a different store than where you originally register, just look it up on line and add it to your list. They even have a mobile app were you can take a picture of the item you want and have it recognize it on the website for you to put on the registry. It's a one stop shop.
Now...this gets even better... your guests take a look at your registry online (or even at the store) and they get OPTIONS of where to buy the gift...yes, options. They can find a place where they can pick it up, have it shipped, or if one store has it on sale for the week..they see that instantly and know they are getting a deal.
I haven't been this excited about something for awhile...so please check it out. Also, the creators of this must of known that today's generation doesn't always like to read direction, so their directions are in comic form. It kept my attention to the end, which is no small feat.
Check out the website...and you can thank me later!
http://www.registrystop.com
Friday, April 29, 2011
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
The Royal Wedding is on Friday!!
Hey Guys! Katie Here!
Is anyone else as excited about watching the Royal Wedding as I am? It's only 2.5 days away, and I have been doing a little research on how to watch it and what will be happening that day and I thought I would pass it along!
London is 6 hours ahead of Milwaukee. This means that when the ceremony begins at 11 am London time, it will be 5 am here in Milwaukee (and 3 am on the West Coast!!) All I can say is thank god for DVR. 30 years ago, my mom got up early to watch the broadcast live, and while I will probably get up a little early too, I doubt I will be up at 3 am when the lives broadcast starts here with all of the preparations for the procession and ceremony!
There are several stations broadcasting live from London on the day of. Local channels include WTMJ Channel 4 and WISN Channel 12, and broadcasting will start at 3 am and go until about 1 pm. On cable, E! Entertainment will be broadcasting live from 3 am to 1 pm (on my TV that is channel 34, but it might be different depending on your provider...), as will TLC beginning at 5 am and CNN beginning at 3 am.
There will also be countless websites streaming live video of the day, from E! to CNN, to official websites such as these:
http://www.officialroyalwedding2011.org/
http://www.royalweddinglive.tv/
http://watchtheroyalweddingonline.com/
And last but not least, mostly because I find this absolutely fascinating, here is an official itinerary for the morning and afternoon/evening events. The procession is timed to the minute and is based on strict protocol! I can't even imagine, what are the chances they'll be late??
Time Table on Friday 29th April
08:15 and 09:45am - The general congregation arrive at the Great North Door of Westminster Abbey.
09:50 - Prime ministers and governors-general of various Commonwealth countries, the diplomatic corps and other guests arrive at the Abbey.
10:10 - Prince William and Prince Harry leave Clarence House for Westminster Abbey.
10:15 - Prince William and Prince Harry arrive at the Abbey.
10:20 - Members of foreign royal families arrive at Westminster Abbey from Buckingham Palace.
10:20 - Kate Middleton's mother, Carole, and brother, James, leave the Goring Hotel for Westminster Abbey.
10:25 - Minor members of the Royal Family leave Buckingham Palace for Westminster Abbey.
10:35 - The Duke of York and his daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, leave for Westminster Abbey along with the Earl and Countess of Wessex, the Princess Royal and Vice-Admiral Timothy Laurence.
10:38 - The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall leave Clarence House for Westminster Abbey.
10:40 - The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh leave Buckingham Palace for Westminster Abbey.
10:48 - In keeping with protocol the Royal Family are the last to arrive just before the bride. Prince William will travel to the Abbey with Prince Harry in a Bentley. The bridesmaids and pages leave the Goring Hotel for Westminster Abbey.
10:51 - The bride, accompanied by her father Michael, leaves the Goring Hotel for Westminster Abbey.
11:00 - Kate Middleton and her father arrive at the Abbey in a Rolls Royce. The marriage service begins and is relayed by loudspeakers along the route.
12:15 - Prince William and his new wife leave the Abbey in an open 1902 state Landau carriage for the procession back down The Mall to Buckingham Palace. In the event of rain they will travel in the Royal Glass Coach. The procession will be escorted by the Household Cavalry on horseback.
12:30 - The carriage procession arrives at Buckingham Palace.
12:40 - Members of the Royal Family and members of foreign royal families arrive at Buckingham Palace.
1:25pm - The Queen and the bride and bridegroom, together with their families, appear on the balcony of Buckingham Palace
1:30pm - Fly-past by the Royal Air Force and Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.
1:45pm - Lunchtime reception begins for 650 guests at Buckingham Palace.
3:30pm - Lunchtime reception ends. The newlyweds leave Buckingham Palace and return to St James' Palace for a rest and to change for the evening reception.
7.00pm to late - Black-tie evening reception and dinner at Buckingham Palace for 300 close friends and family.
So there you have it! Is anyone else dealing with sensory overload? I feel like I'm going to miss something, but it's probably best to just pick a channel or website and stick to it, rather than flipping around trying to get all the info you possibly can. This is the longest post ever, so I will leave it at that. I hope this helps! And you can rest assured I'll be back after the fact, probably gushing over all the details! Enjoy!
Is anyone else as excited about watching the Royal Wedding as I am? It's only 2.5 days away, and I have been doing a little research on how to watch it and what will be happening that day and I thought I would pass it along!
London is 6 hours ahead of Milwaukee. This means that when the ceremony begins at 11 am London time, it will be 5 am here in Milwaukee (and 3 am on the West Coast!!) All I can say is thank god for DVR. 30 years ago, my mom got up early to watch the broadcast live, and while I will probably get up a little early too, I doubt I will be up at 3 am when the lives broadcast starts here with all of the preparations for the procession and ceremony!
There are several stations broadcasting live from London on the day of. Local channels include WTMJ Channel 4 and WISN Channel 12, and broadcasting will start at 3 am and go until about 1 pm. On cable, E! Entertainment will be broadcasting live from 3 am to 1 pm (on my TV that is channel 34, but it might be different depending on your provider...), as will TLC beginning at 5 am and CNN beginning at 3 am.
There will also be countless websites streaming live video of the day, from E! to CNN, to official websites such as these:
http://www.officialroyalwedding2011.org/
http://www.royalweddinglive.tv/
http://watchtheroyalweddingonline.com/
And last but not least, mostly because I find this absolutely fascinating, here is an official itinerary for the morning and afternoon/evening events. The procession is timed to the minute and is based on strict protocol! I can't even imagine, what are the chances they'll be late??
Time Table on Friday 29th April
08:15 and 09:45am - The general congregation arrive at the Great North Door of Westminster Abbey.
09:50 - Prime ministers and governors-general of various Commonwealth countries, the diplomatic corps and other guests arrive at the Abbey.
10:10 - Prince William and Prince Harry leave Clarence House for Westminster Abbey.
10:15 - Prince William and Prince Harry arrive at the Abbey.
10:20 - Members of foreign royal families arrive at Westminster Abbey from Buckingham Palace.
10:20 - Kate Middleton's mother, Carole, and brother, James, leave the Goring Hotel for Westminster Abbey.
10:25 - Minor members of the Royal Family leave Buckingham Palace for Westminster Abbey.
10:35 - The Duke of York and his daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, leave for Westminster Abbey along with the Earl and Countess of Wessex, the Princess Royal and Vice-Admiral Timothy Laurence.
10:38 - The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall leave Clarence House for Westminster Abbey.
10:40 - The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh leave Buckingham Palace for Westminster Abbey.
10:48 - In keeping with protocol the Royal Family are the last to arrive just before the bride. Prince William will travel to the Abbey with Prince Harry in a Bentley. The bridesmaids and pages leave the Goring Hotel for Westminster Abbey.
10:51 - The bride, accompanied by her father Michael, leaves the Goring Hotel for Westminster Abbey.
11:00 - Kate Middleton and her father arrive at the Abbey in a Rolls Royce. The marriage service begins and is relayed by loudspeakers along the route.
12:15 - Prince William and his new wife leave the Abbey in an open 1902 state Landau carriage for the procession back down The Mall to Buckingham Palace. In the event of rain they will travel in the Royal Glass Coach. The procession will be escorted by the Household Cavalry on horseback.
12:30 - The carriage procession arrives at Buckingham Palace.
12:40 - Members of the Royal Family and members of foreign royal families arrive at Buckingham Palace.
1:25pm - The Queen and the bride and bridegroom, together with their families, appear on the balcony of Buckingham Palace
1:30pm - Fly-past by the Royal Air Force and Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.
1:45pm - Lunchtime reception begins for 650 guests at Buckingham Palace.
3:30pm - Lunchtime reception ends. The newlyweds leave Buckingham Palace and return to St James' Palace for a rest and to change for the evening reception.
7.00pm to late - Black-tie evening reception and dinner at Buckingham Palace for 300 close friends and family.
So there you have it! Is anyone else dealing with sensory overload? I feel like I'm going to miss something, but it's probably best to just pick a channel or website and stick to it, rather than flipping around trying to get all the info you possibly can. This is the longest post ever, so I will leave it at that. I hope this helps! And you can rest assured I'll be back after the fact, probably gushing over all the details! Enjoy!
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
How much is this going to cost me?
The thing with weddings is that you can be as thrifty or as elaborate as you would like to, and effort can make up for a lack of cash. DIY wedding are extremely popular and there are thousands of websites out there that can help you design a wedding of your dreams.
However....if you would like a rough average of how much a wedding would cost, I found a website that will let you know the average price of a wedding by zip code! It's a lot of fun to look at! For example, when I found the 53202 zip code (which is for the War Memorial Center) it said, on average, couples that live in or travel to Milwaukee, WI spend between $15,568 and $25,946. I think that is an accurate amount of money for this area...again, you will have those who go above and beyond or below the average.
The website is: http://www.costofwedding.com
Another amazing feature on the website is that it will help personalize your wedding cost when you go to their wedding cost estimator. This is another great tool to be used for wedding budgeting! Hopefully this will help you get an idea of how much a wedding in your area cost.
Enjoy!
Monday, April 18, 2011
TheHoneymoon.com
I keep forgetting that I have been wanting to blog about this particular subject, and now that I am sitting here day dreaming about a vacation, it just popped back into my head. TheHoneymoon.com. In my humble opinion, one of the best ideas ever created for a wedding registry.
The age old question in wedding budget planning: what would you rather do - have a big, extravagant wedding or go on a fabulous honeymoon? Weddings are expensive, and let’s face it so is the honeymoon! But taking an exotic vacation or going on a getaway following your wedding is a great way to de-stress from all the wedding planning, get to go on an adventure, and spend a little quality time together as husband and wife. Traditional registries are great, don’t get me wrong. Even for those of us who live together before marriage, and already have the typical appliances (think blender), using a registry is a great way to upgrade these things or get a new set of matching towels or sheets (who actually has matching sheets anyway?.... or maybe that’s just me). But giving an experience is such a fantastic way to wish a new couple well in their new life together, and that is the reason I love TheHoneymoon.com so much.
A friend of mine introduced me to this website when she was planning her honeymoon to Ireland last fall. I immediately jumped on purchasing a day outing for them while they were there as their wedding gift. I thought it was a brilliant idea; you can buy anything from airline miles, to nights in hotels, to dinners, and activities. Whatever works for your budget. How unique to be able to contribute to a honeymoon instead of the traditional knife set or headlamp (everyone registers for headlamps right? Hmm…must just be the weddings I tend to go to…)!
Their website is very user friendly as well, and even gives you the option of selecting “ready-made” trips, which are helpful especially if you are traveling somewhere you’ve never been before. I’ve been recommending it to anyone who wants to splurge on a honeymoon trip, or isn’t sure of where to register. The only downfall is that you can’t be sure how many people will actually contribute, especially if you have other more traditional registries, so bare that in mind when you set an actual budget for your trip! And have a great time!
The age old question in wedding budget planning: what would you rather do - have a big, extravagant wedding or go on a fabulous honeymoon? Weddings are expensive, and let’s face it so is the honeymoon! But taking an exotic vacation or going on a getaway following your wedding is a great way to de-stress from all the wedding planning, get to go on an adventure, and spend a little quality time together as husband and wife. Traditional registries are great, don’t get me wrong. Even for those of us who live together before marriage, and already have the typical appliances (think blender), using a registry is a great way to upgrade these things or get a new set of matching towels or sheets (who actually has matching sheets anyway?.... or maybe that’s just me). But giving an experience is such a fantastic way to wish a new couple well in their new life together, and that is the reason I love TheHoneymoon.com so much.
A friend of mine introduced me to this website when she was planning her honeymoon to Ireland last fall. I immediately jumped on purchasing a day outing for them while they were there as their wedding gift. I thought it was a brilliant idea; you can buy anything from airline miles, to nights in hotels, to dinners, and activities. Whatever works for your budget. How unique to be able to contribute to a honeymoon instead of the traditional knife set or headlamp (everyone registers for headlamps right? Hmm…must just be the weddings I tend to go to…)!
Their website is very user friendly as well, and even gives you the option of selecting “ready-made” trips, which are helpful especially if you are traveling somewhere you’ve never been before. I’ve been recommending it to anyone who wants to splurge on a honeymoon trip, or isn’t sure of where to register. The only downfall is that you can’t be sure how many people will actually contribute, especially if you have other more traditional registries, so bare that in mind when you set an actual budget for your trip! And have a great time!
Friday, April 15, 2011
The Recipie to a Man's Heart...literally.
Alright ladies…if you are not engaged…but really wanting to be (provided that you already have a significant other) than keep reading.
While scanning my daily gossip and trashy magazine websites (hey, I got to stay up to date!) I came across this article on Yahoo!. It’s all about how this one recipe, now dubbed, Engagement Chicken is literally the way to a man’s heart and will make them drop down on their knees and propose.
Check out the link by clicking here, and here is the video:
While scanning my daily gossip and trashy magazine websites (hey, I got to stay up to date!) I came across this article on Yahoo!. It’s all about how this one recipe, now dubbed, Engagement Chicken is literally the way to a man’s heart and will make them drop down on their knees and propose.
Check out the link by clicking here, and here is the video:
I’m going to go home and practice this recipe…now I just need to find a man J
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
The Party That NEVER Ends!!!!!
I like to look at a lot of “trends” when it comes to weddings, and then compare them to the actual weddings that I witness. One of the 2011 trends (according to www.onewed.com) is a Revved-Up Wedding Reception. After just reading that first ceremony, I thought that would mean a really wild and crazy reception that would end at midnight…and then I read it and can tell that I am getting older. What the article meant was actually an after party for the reception!
There are a couple of ways I look at this, #1- who wouldn’t want this night to NEVER end, especially if you are the bride or the groom…keep the party coming! Point #2) Pass the Red Bull…that is one long day!
Going back to the first point, I think that many of the time, at the actual reception the bride and groom are on their “better” behavior, I mean…grandma and that strict Aunt Dorothy might be there watching every move you take. Have an after party would be more of a way for a couple to really let loose and be themselves around the people who can hang! Also…I mean, come on…don’t you want to wear that beautiful wedding dress as long as possible!
Now, where to have it.... For all of the venues out there, I am going to respectfully ask that you keep the reception and the after party in two separate locations! As a person who moonlights as a waitress on the side every once in awhile, I am also going to ask you to call ahead to any bar or restaurant that you feel you may go to…in fact, treat it like a reservation. This will only make the night go smoother. There is nothing funnier or more traumatic (depending on which side of the bar you are on) than watching the bartenders face when a group of 40 people come in at the end of the night and they are not prepared for it. If the after party location knows about this, than they can properly staff the venue accordingly. Just remember, you want well wishes on your wedding day, not death threats from the bar staff!
So, keep the party going! Just make sure you have a proper driver.
There are a couple of ways I look at this, #1- who wouldn’t want this night to NEVER end, especially if you are the bride or the groom…keep the party coming! Point #2) Pass the Red Bull…that is one long day!
Going back to the first point, I think that many of the time, at the actual reception the bride and groom are on their “better” behavior, I mean…grandma and that strict Aunt Dorothy might be there watching every move you take. Have an after party would be more of a way for a couple to really let loose and be themselves around the people who can hang! Also…I mean, come on…don’t you want to wear that beautiful wedding dress as long as possible!
Now, where to have it.... For all of the venues out there, I am going to respectfully ask that you keep the reception and the after party in two separate locations! As a person who moonlights as a waitress on the side every once in awhile, I am also going to ask you to call ahead to any bar or restaurant that you feel you may go to…in fact, treat it like a reservation. This will only make the night go smoother. There is nothing funnier or more traumatic (depending on which side of the bar you are on) than watching the bartenders face when a group of 40 people come in at the end of the night and they are not prepared for it. If the after party location knows about this, than they can properly staff the venue accordingly. Just remember, you want well wishes on your wedding day, not death threats from the bar staff!
So, keep the party going! Just make sure you have a proper driver.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
The Bionic Bride
Recently I was flipping through a People Magazine while I was at the gym, as I often like to do, when I noticed a tiny box in the table of contents of a beautiful, blonde young women standing in front of a mirror in an exceptional wedding gown. The title in the box read “The Bionic Bride”. With a name like that I of course I had to read it (always researching those blog post possibilities!). If you are a person who gets emotional over inspirational stories like I am grab a Kleenex box, it’s about to get emotional!
The insert in People magazine was actually a follow up from a story they first published last spring about a 22-year-old girl named Ally Smith. She was college freshman and star athlete at Texas A&M in 2006, when she was diagnosed with progressive heart disease. Her heart and her health were fading fast, and she wasn’t expected to live more than a year. Her condition was so dire, she wasn’t strong enough to wait very long for a heart transplant. Instead, doctors inserted a medical device that pumped the blood through her body, just as her heart would, allowing her heart to rest and potentially repair itself. She survived the surgery to implant the device, and the difficult recovery afterward, giving her a new lease on life.
This was a good thing because she and her fiancé were planning their wedding. Ally had met her boyfriend as a freshman, before she got sick. He loved her so much, and despite her declining health, proposed to her in 2008 saying he wanted to marry her regardless. With the device implanted, she and her fiancé walked down the aisle last spring, her in a beautiful ballroom gown with “electric blue” cowboy boots!
The insert in People magazine was actually a follow up from a story they first published last spring about a 22-year-old girl named Ally Smith. She was college freshman and star athlete at Texas A&M in 2006, when she was diagnosed with progressive heart disease. Her heart and her health were fading fast, and she wasn’t expected to live more than a year. Her condition was so dire, she wasn’t strong enough to wait very long for a heart transplant. Instead, doctors inserted a medical device that pumped the blood through her body, just as her heart would, allowing her heart to rest and potentially repair itself. She survived the surgery to implant the device, and the difficult recovery afterward, giving her a new lease on life.
This was a good thing because she and her fiancé were planning their wedding. Ally had met her boyfriend as a freshman, before she got sick. He loved her so much, and despite her declining health, proposed to her in 2008 saying he wanted to marry her regardless. With the device implanted, she and her fiancé walked down the aisle last spring, her in a beautiful ballroom gown with “electric blue” cowboy boots!
That was the original story published in People magazine. The follow up in the People magazine I read stated in early 2011, Ally once again took a turn for the worse. Her heart had been recovering, and the implant was helping buy her time, but in a very short amount of time her heart once again began to fail, as were her kidneys, liver, etc. She needed a new heart, fast. In mid-February of this year, Ally was fortunate to receive a new heart and is recovering well. Having become attached to the device that kept her alive for so many years, one of her first realizations upon waking up was that she would now live her life no longer as “the Bionic Bride”. She was simply back to being a normal girl who was fortunate to marry the man of her dreams, albeit with this assistance of some modern medical technology.
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