TONS of fabulous tools that makes keeping everyone in the loop quick and easy. Share everything up to and even during the event.

Your guests can see all the travel details needed to get to your event with a device you KNOW they won’t forget.

Just like a personalized wedding site you can interact with your guests, share updates, get inspiration and even get virtual champagnes toasts!!

Not only is the app cool, but it delivers on style as well. This password-protected personalized app even will coordinate with your wedding theme, style and color!

As with many apps these days, there is a small fee to get everything set up but it’s WELL WORTH IT! Your guests can download it FREE from the App Store or Android Marketplace.

And best of all of those guests of yours that haven’t taken the smartphone plunge yet can still view all the details and dish on your own wedding website!

We’re loving this new and innovative tool for keeping all the details and chaos of wedding planning under control!

Check out Appy Couple! Happy Planning!

Have you ever watched looks on runways, or browsed through a new fashion magazine? The recent and upcoming trends never fail to disappoint. What’s on the horizon?

Chignons

These have always been a classic look but there are so many ways to make the chignon classic, glamorous, and even modern.

The 2012 styles are all classic and compliment every bride. A lot of these styles can also translate into your own customized look by adding accessories or using different aspects from each style to create one that is perfect just for you!
Ladies, we know good hair makes us feel pretty, and great hair makes a woman feel pretty AND confident! Although there are certain trends that are in style, it’s important to create a look that suites you best. You should be comfortable and love your pictures for a lifetime. Timeless beauty is always a goal and each person has a different vision! Let trends inspire you, just as you inspire artists.

Girls Night Out-Bachelorette style!

It’s the brides last real girls night and you want to make it extremely special and original. Do you feel clueless about what to do for the bachelorette party? Relax, because you have plenty of options!

Most women aren’t looking for the same type of “entertainment” as their other halves. The style and activities will depend on the guest list and the budget of the hosts and those involved. Most parties usually have guests share equally in the festivities and spend an average of $100 on food, drinks, transportation and cover charges.

Consider these options:

Go to a wine tasting

Attend the bride’s favorite professional sporting event

Have a spa party

Host a “risque”-type party

Rent a limo and have a night on the town! 

The best timing for a bachelorette party and be anywhere from 4 to 6 weeks before the wedding which allows ample time for “crunch” time and also financial recovery for attendants.

The most important tip in getting started is learning more about the bride-to-be and guests. Then you can put together an event that compliments the group and one that the bride-to-be will remember forever.

Check out more ideas at Bachelorette Party Ideas and Bachelorette Party Planning!

Women’s fitness with a touch of sass! Gain a new perspective on life and yourself as a woman - beginning with your very first class you will embark on the wonderful experience of a make over that starts from the inside out!

Learn more about Lady Katherine!

The first dance as a couple can be exciting or as stressful as the rest of the wedding planning combined, depending on who is in your lives as a couple. Between divorces, remarriages, death of a parent, and other family dislocations, the first dance can be riddled with drama, tension and stress .

Traditional etiquette, according to Diane Warner’s Contemporary Guide to Wedding Etiquette, says dancing isn’t required but if you have dancing, here is the traditional dance order for a wedding reception:

• The bride and groom dance the first dance, usually to their favorite song
• The bride dances with her father
• The groom dances with his mother
• The bride dances with her new father-in-law and the groom dances with his new mother-in-law
• The bride dances with the best man, and the groom dances with the bride’s honor attendant
• The bridesmaids and groomsmen join in, dancing with each other

Who decides and how to decide about the first dance involves your values around etiquette, family of origin, and marriage, as well as your sensitivity to the feelings and values of others involved in these sticky situations. Even if you agree easily as a bride and groom, once family members start disagreeing, things can get ugly in a hurry.

There are many potential creative solutions to these problems, but here are few principles we offer on managing the complex family dynamics of wedding planning.

 Operate from your values. Knowing what values underlie your decisions allows you to resist falling back on etiquette that may not apply here or giving in to the demands of loudest person. Communicate why you have made the decision to those who may be upset, but stick to your decision because it’s based on your values.

When there is conflict, blood talks to blood. When a decision has been made and people are still upset, you do not cross family lines. If the bride is furious about a decision made by the groom’s mother, it’s the groom who should approach his mother. Similarly, if the groom’s mother is upset about something and approaches the bride, who often gets the brunt of all wedding related problems, the bride needs to send her future mother in law back to her son to resolve the tension. Why? In-law relationships are fragile, particularly before a couple is actually married. You are setting the stage for the rest of your married life on how you deal with disagreements as a couple and with your families. Tread these rough waters carefully.

When people threaten to boycott the wedding if they don’t get what they want, reaffirm the values behind your decision and how you want them to be present even if they are unhappy with your decision. If they chose to boycott your wedding it is THEIR decision and you have not let them pull you into past grievances and emotions that have little or nothing to do with you and your wedding.

For some couples, the first dance is just that—a dance that comes first at the reception. But for others the first dance is very symbolic and important. Much care should be given to decisions when the etiquette checklist doesn’t fit your family structure. For more advice on managing the people stress around wedding planning or to share your stories, check out our book or DVD on our website.
All our best for your first dance and beyond.

Looking for some inspiration? Check out these Unusual Wedding First Dance Ideas from Real Simple Magazine

Submited by: Elizabeth Doherty Thomas

- Elizabeth Doherty Thomas, is a co-founder of The First Dance, along with Marriage and Family therapist father Dr. William J. Doherty. The First Dance was a Modern Bride Trendsetter award winner in 2007 for taking on the complex family dynamics of wedding planning. Visit The First Dance for more advice on working through the people stresses of wedding planning as a couple, with your families, and how to strengthen your upcoming marriage through this enormous first task of married life.

The Go2Wed.com Engagement Story Contest was home to many great stories! We had a great time reading about all the love in the air!

We had a lot of voters which means a lot of support behind our fabulous couples. We truly appreciate your participation and wish all the couples a wonderful engagement and fabulous wedding!

READ THEIR STORY!

Thank you to all our WONDERFUL Prize Contributors who are all quality wedding professionals and together created an amazing prize package for this contest.

Be sure to visit these businesses and learn more about how they can make your wedding amazing!

Fred Astaire Dance Studio

America’s Best Value Inn Rochester

Le Jardin Floral

Salt and Pepper Photography

Jenni’s Bridal

TriM Graphics

Grand Avenue Wedding Officiants

Go2Wed.com Engagement Story Contest

 Share your story. Get your friends and family to vote.
Win the ultimate engagement package!
It’s simple:
1. Log-on to go2wed.com between January 9th and January 29th to submit the story of your engagement!
2. Share with your friends & family - have them vote for your story. (Voting begins January 30th and ends February 5th)

The story with the most votes by midnight, Feburary 5th
wins an engagement package valued at $1,000!

A special thanks to our awesome sponsors!

Men of Style Runway Show       AQUA Nightclub 400 1st Ave N l MSP www.aquampls.com VIP. 612.232.3232     Thank you Sponsors   Go2wed.com  l Brides visit the site today & join for FREE!   Anytime Fitness MPLS  111 Washington Ave N 612-339-6655 www.anytimefitness.com AQUA Nightclub & JD STYLE Group Present… A Night for the Ladies Featuring looks from Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Lacosta, Greg Norman, Tommy Hilfiger & More …    Go2wed.com is excited to offer an EXCLUSIVE offer to our web users!  We will be giving away 50 complimentary passes to JD STYLE GROUP’S “MEN OF STYLE RUNWAY SHOW” on Saturday, November 5th at AQUA Nightclub.  Each ticket is good for your name + a guest!  So how do you get a free ticket?  EMAIL INFO@JDSTYLEGROUP.COM with “go2wedpromo” in the subject line & your FULL NAME in the body of email - THE FIRST 50 will recieve an email back with confirmation of the free tickets!  (Restrictions: not transferable, must be redeemed by 11:30pm on November 5th.)       This time the men are taking a turn down the runway! Join us for JD STYLE Group’s first ALL MALE runway show featuring Fall/Winter looks from some of the industry’s most prominent men’s lines. Fashion never looked so good… For the fashionable brides to be… Looking for a classy way to celebrate your Bachelorette party? Host it in STYLE at Aqua with a table & first class view of the show. Brides will receive a 1week pass to Anytime Fitness Reservations 612.232.3232   Holiday Shopping Xtravaganza! ~ Thursday, November 17th Ladies mark your calendars for our last “female friendly” event of the year!  Join us at the newly renovated Solera for a night of holiday shopping & deals!  Support local businesses this year as you shop for your friends & loved one’s holiday gifts.  And it just wouldn’t be a JD STYLE GROUP ladies event without a little booze & pampering!  Enjoy wine tastings with BAREFOOT WINES & complimentary massages.    $5 Tickets on Sale Next Week!   Solera l 900 Hennepin Ave l Minneapolis Thursday l November 17 l 5pm-8pm JD STYLE GROUP Phone: 612.770.4575  l   Email: info@jdstylegroup.com Find us on Facebook & Twitter!

]]> http://www.go2wed.com/blog/2011-10-19/men-of-style-a-night-for-the-ladies-free-ticket-giveaway/feed/ http://www.go2wed.com/blog/2011-10-17/equipment-or-talent/ http://www.go2wed.com/blog/2011-10-17/equipment-or-talent/#comments Mon, 17 Oct 2011 20:23:47 +0000 admin http://www.go2wed.com/blog/2011-10-17/equipment-or-talent/ Contributing Writer: Adagio Djay Entertainment, Jay Kochendorf

A common trait of the typical wedding DJ is the misunderstanding that what they bring (their equipment) is more important than what they can do (their talent). This is most obvious when visiting their web site. Flashy pictures of their CD Players, laptop computers, speakers, light shows, microphones, mixers, amplifiers, or our favorite…cheesy pictures of themselves talking into their mics while their light show sparkles in the background.  

Did your caterer show you photos of their pots & pans? Did your photographer show their collection of lenses? When you see photos like these being emphasized, you can be sure you are dealing with a typical wedding DJ.

This type of advertising tells you that the typical wedding DJ believes you should be most concerned with what kind of equipment they will bring to your reception. But if you want the best wedding reception possible, you need Extraordinary Talent.

That means you want a DJ who not only uses the best sound and lighting equipment available, but also has the unique skills and uncommon talent to make your wedding reception as much fun as possible. Talent and skills are services, which cannot be accurately portrayed in flashy pictures and websites, but can be confirmed through reputation and feedback surveys.

Adagio Djay Entertainment  |  www.adagiodj.com
1.800.861.3691 |  The Buzz

It’s the moment you’ve been planning for since you got engaged, possibly since you were a little girl. All the plans are now about to come to fruition.  In the last 24 hours before a wedding, when all of the final details are put into place, emotions run high and stress can be a determining factor.

The biggest thing to remember in the last 24 hours before a wedding is that things may come up, but few will have a huge effect on the wedding. If you’ve dotted your i’s and crossed your t’s along the way most of these will be small details.  Focus on the rehearsal and going through your checklist, and enjoy what will be a wonderful celebration of love.

Here are your tips for the last 24 hours:

• Attend rehearsal.
• Attend rehearsal dinner. Give attendants their gifts.
• Have a manicure and/or a pedicure.
• Put together the tip envelopes (for the vendors) and give them to the designated “tip person” (usually the best man or attendant).
• Confirm wedding day transportation (and pick up points)
• Reconfirm hair and makeup appointments.
• If you have access to the ceremony and/or reception venues, bring everything over there that you may need (décor, guest book, etc).
• Layout everything you need for the next day in a safe place (marriage license, dress, shoes, etc.).
• Speak with everyone in the wedding party and make sure everyone knows where to be at what time.

Try to go to bed early and get some sleep!

Cake Dive at The Wedding Show October 30th, 2011