Alyssa Fraser is getting married in June, but she’s already planning her second big day, when she wears her wedding dress again just for the hell of it. Fraser will be surrounded by friends wearing their wedding dresses, too. “We’re having a brunch in August, in the Distillery District, with cupcakes and that wine with the stiletto on the label,” said Fraser, 25, a Toronto public relations professional and proud owner of a $ 3,400 organza and silk dress by Canadian designer Lea-Ann Belter. “Four of my girlfriends are getting married this summer and we’re all obsessed with the idea of wearing our dresses again. We’re even hiring a photographer for the brunch.”

Teacher Elizabeth Anne Crisolago is organizing a Wear Your Wedding Dress Again party in October. “Why would you spend so much money on something and only wear it once?” said Crisolago, 25, an Italian-Canadian from Toronto who is appalled by the trash-your-dress movement, where brides wreck their wedding dresses during photo sessions. “I could never destroy something so special.” She chose her $ 1,400 dream dress from the Disney Fairy Tale Weddings & Honeymoons bridal collection by Alfre…………… continues on Macleans.ca

Wow, wow, and wow.  I didn’t think it would happen, but it looks like all the discord with Basketball Wives may be coming to a head.  There is a petition circulating to have the show taken off the air, and there is rarely an episode that doesn’t end in a violent smack down.  Bullying abounds.  The women act like fools while preaching to their “friends” how they take the high road.  Y’all know…you’ve seen it!  Well, in a recent interview with TheDailyBeast.com, Tanya Young Williams of Basketball Wives:LA, shares her experience on the show…which she describes as hellish.  While she says she’s never watched the original ladies of Miami, she reveals that her time working for Shed Media was horrific.  Highlights of that interview are below, but you can read the whole thing here.

CLICK THE CON…………… continues on Reality Tea

TORONTO (Reuters) – Planning a wedding? A new web app lets the bride and groom-to-be create a social website that connects guests with each other before the big day.

Called Weduary, the web app provides a simple way of creating a modern-looking wedding website, and allows the couple to invite guests using Facebook.

The site tells guests which of their Facebook friends will also be attending and points out people at the event who may have common interests and mutual friends.

If a guest is attending alone, the Flirt section of the site shows other singles who will be there.

“We’re giving people a cheat sheet on who to meet at these big wedding events,” said Brit Morin, CEO of Brit & Co., the digital lifestyle brand behind Weduary.

In addition to connecting guests, the site provides details about the date and time of the wedding, hotel information, and a link to the couple’s registry.

JACKSON, MI— Mother’s Day happens once a year, and every year, it is a special day for moms everywhere — even moms who are not able to get out and about.

The Summit Park Assisted Living Center teamed up with the Ella Sharp Museum to bring a Mother’s Day celebration to its residents Sunday.

They created the Weddings Across Times display.

“We’re bringing the museum to them,” Summit Park Director Cathy Zakrzewski said. “We wanted to do something more.”

Wedding dresses from different generations were on display Sunday afternoon. Each item has a story, each item is part of history.

The residents and their families browsed the di…………… continues on The Jackson Citizen Patriot – MLive.com

ItsHot.com, the renowned retailer, wholesaler and manufacturer of fine diamond jewelry and watch designs, has decided to offer its stunning collection of men’s diamond rings and diamond wedding rings at wholesale prices directly to the public.

New York (PRWEB) May 12, 2012

ItsHot.com, the renowned retailer, wholesaler and manufacturer of fine diamond jewelry and watch designs, has decided to offer its stunning collection of men’s diamond rings and diamond wedding rings at wholesale prices directly to the public. The stylish range of diamond wedding rings is available in sterling silver as well as in 10K, 14K and 18K yellow, rose and white gold and platinum.

ItsHot.com spokesperson stated, “Diamond wedding rings have an allure of their own. You will love the fantastic collection of diamond wedding rings and bands. Our men’s and women’s diamond wedding rings are available at wholesale prices throughout the year.” A purchase of fine diamond ring from ItsHot.com is one o…………… continues on Albany Times Union

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During my wedding, I promised to stick with my husband “until death do us part.”

The marriage is great, but after 25 years, my wedding ring is disintegrating. The trouble started a couple of years ago when I signed up for a power fitness class. Pressing the hard steel of a dumbbell against soft gold of a wedding ring is not a good idea, I have learned. The gold thinned and finally cracked.

My ring trouble planted a seed in my brain: Maybe I should get a new ring? Guilt quickly followed the thought. But the seed sprouted.

The Black Hills gold band with the lonely diamond I picked out as a 20-something isn’t what I would pick out today.

As it turns out, I am far from alone in my longing for a new ring with a bit more sparkle. Many women trade in and/or trade up, said Susan Spencer Adrien, a third-generation owner of Spencer’s Jewelry in Shorewood.

Adrien said she urges custome…………… continues on Joliet Herald News

Hi, Carolyn:
What is your opinion of married men who refuse to wear a wedding ring? My husband of many years took his off a few years ago, after we started having problems, and has steadfastly refused to put it back on even though I’ve stated plainly and repeatedly that it would mean a lot to me if he would wear it again.

My gut says he’s either cheating on me (physically or emotionally), or looking for the opportunity to cheat.
– Mine’s On

Or, he’s holding on to some spite from a few years ago and knows it chaps you that he won’t wear his ring. Or it doesn’t fit comfortably anymore and he’s embarrassed. Or, fill in the blank.

My opinion of married men who refuse to wear rings is as varied as the men themselves are, but here’s my opinion of fidelity between couples who don’t communicate: hollow victory.
It’s so tempting to look at problems in romantic relationships as binary, “cheating or not cheating,” and try either to gotcha or reassure away any uncomfortable doubts.

It’s also a distraction, and so self-defeating. Let’s say your husband isn’t cheating and has no plans to cheat. Doesn’t that still leave you with the fundamental problem, that you neither trust nor understand your own husband?

Please consider that the real source of your distress isn’t that your husband goe…………… continues on Seattle Post Intelligencer

Wedding photography packages are available now in every U.S. city from WeddingPhotographyQuotes.com. Top wedding photographers from around the country can be contacted quickly online through this wedding website and deliver accurate quotes for wedding photos and related services.

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) May 13, 2012

Wedding photography can be hit or miss for many brides-to-be when planning their big day. The traditional way to obtain a wedding photographer was to use phonebook directories or get referrals from friends and family. The use of digital cameras in wedding photography is now commonplace and many photographers are able to distribute portfolios of their work and the approximate cost of photography services completely online. The wedding resource website, http://www.weddingphotographyquotes.com, has removed the hassles and issues that can happen when fiancés want to hire a professional photographer to take wedding photos. Top photographers from around the U.S. are available through this wedding photo quotes website to help provide affordable wedding photo packages to brides-to-be.

While many photographers continue to use 35mm film for photographs, some wedding photographers have upgraded their equipment with the latest DSLR digital cameras and a…………… continues on Seattle Post Intelligencer

LOS ANGELES (CNN) -

Born and raised in the Philippines to a businessman and a socialite model, Monique Lhuillier is today one of LA’s most celebrated fashion designers, with a clientele that includes Gwyneth Paltrow, Kristen Stewart, Reese Witherspoon, and Scarlett Johansson.

A graduate of LA’s Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, Lhuillier began designing wedding gowns while shopping for one for herself. She launched her first bridal collection in 1996 and today, her atelier also produces ready-to-wear evenin…………… continues on KESQ

Lisa DeJong/Plain Dealer What to do with a dress you can’t wash or dry clean? How about using it for prom dress rugby?

Q. I took my daughter, Rachel, to Henri’s Cloud Nine in Columbus to buy a prom dress. She found a dress she loved, but the skirt fabric kept bunching because of static. The sales clerk said she could ship us another dress, and she promised it would be in perfect condition.

When the dress arrived at our house, it had the same static cling problem. The store manager said I could bring it back to be treated, but all sales are final.

This is a $ 400 dress, my daughter saved up her own money to buy it, and it is not wearable. I think the store should let us return it.

– Denise Gill, Fairview Park

A. With prom time upon us and wedding season right on its heels, it’s a great time to talk about special occasion clothing and some of the challenges they pose for consumers.

But first, let’s look at your issue.

The Sherri Hill dress you ordered is made of silk with a silk net overlay, and the two fabric layers are fighting with ea…………… continues on Plain Dealer

Hi, Carolyn: What is your opinion of married men who refuse to wear a wedding ring? My husband of many years took his off a few years ago, after we started having problems, and has steadfastly refused to put it back on even though I’ve stated plainly and repeatedly that it would mean a lot to me if he would wear it again.

My gut says he’s either cheating on me (physically or emotionally), or looking for the opportunity to cheat. — Mine’s On

In Los Angeles, red carpet treatment is not just for celebrities. Here, mere mortals can find specialists — medical concierges, cat whisperers, image consultants — for almost everything.

And that includes experts who are hired to help families prepare for their newest members.

Enter the baby planner.

Before the advent of the current expert culture, it was a role that used to be filled by mothers, grandmothers and best friends, doling out advice, shopping lists and favors. But in the last few years, professionals have stepped in to grab the attention — and money — of busy, freaked-out mothers-to-be. They are referred to as baby planners or baby concierges or maternity consultants. And if you doubt that baby planning is truly an industry, just remember that Bravo’s “Pregnant in Heels,” a “docu-drama,” follows “maternity concierge, fashion designer and pregnancy guru Rosie Pope as she guides expecting mothers through the joys and perils of preparing to have a baby.” (The show returns for its second season Tuesday.)

S…………… continues on Los Angeles Times

Last year, as my husband and I were about to celebrate our first anniversary, I asked for another ring to complement my engagement ring and wedding band.

So he bought me one, but what he bought was far from the ring I wanted, and let’s just say my rejection of the ring didn’t go over too well. That made for a memorable first anniversary.As our second anniversary approached, my husband asked me what I wanted. Friends think I should get the ring that I had originally asked for, but after thinking about the last two years together, I simply said, “nothing.” Not because there was a chance I wouldn’t get what I asked for, but because I’ve come to realize that jewelry, flowers, vacations or dinners may be great ways to commemorate a special time in our lives, but those types of gifts just aren’t that important to me anymore.Before my husband and I got married, we met with my pastor, who spoke candidly with us about the realities of marriage. He basically told us it wasn’t always going to be fun, easy or romantic. There were going to be some tough and trying times, frustration, arguments and times when you just downright don’t like each other. He has been married for more than 50 years, so I guess he knows a thing or two about the subject.Recently, I thought about his talk with us. One of the last things I remember him saying was that despite the ups and downs of marriag…………… continues on Kansas City Star

(ARA) – They’re the same bonds you remember getting as a child, but with a digital twist. U.S. Savings Bonds are making a comeback, just in time for the graduation and wedding gift-giving season.

“Since the January 2012 transition from paper to digital savings bonds, account openings on Treasury’s retail website, TreasuryDirect.gov, have increased 9 percent,” says Jerry Kelly, national director of the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Ready.Save.Grow. campaign. “In many cases, people are opening an account for themselves as well as their children to give relatives and friends a convenient way to give gifts.”

Ready.Save.Grow., a Treasury educational effort to encourage more people to save for their future, provides information on how to open a TreasuryDirect account for you and your children. The campaign also offers these timely tips as you prepare for the upcoming season of graduations, weddings and other gift-giving occasions:

Tip 1: Invest in savings bonds for your child’s future by opening a free TreasuryDirect account.

For as little as $ 25, you can buy a safe and affordable savings bond – a guaranteed investment – for your child. To enable your child to receive savings bond gifts, open a child’s account within your own TreasuryDirec…………… continues on News Banner

Nowadays, most chiffon wedding dress designs are inspired from ancient Greco-Roman chic…………… continues on 1WeddingSource

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., May 10, 2012 – /PRNewswire-iReach/ — Short engagements are on the rise and BrideRush.com is the only place for tools and solutions that make fast wedding planning an affordable breeze. In the last month, brides have saved an average of 60% on wedding vendor and venue bookings by using the site’s novel deal search.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120510/CG04384)

BrideRush specializes in exclusive, date-specific deals on wedding vendors and venues around the country. Since the site’s national launch in early March, brides have snapped up savings on wedding photobooths, venues, DJs and photographers. It is the only tool that focuses on date-specific wedding deals, making the process work for both brides and vendors.

If a bride likes a deal but her wedding date isn’t listed, she can request it.

BrideRush brides say “I Do” to savings with just a $ 25 commitment. To secure any date/deal listed on the site, the bride pays $ 25. She then receives a voucher entitling her to the deal on her wedding date.

For upcoming summer weddings, there are currently

A new exhibit called “Somewhere in Time” at the Iowa Genealogical Society highlights some historical wedding wear. You may’ve seen some of the shows on TV that follow harried brides as they agonize over the selection and cost of their wedding dresses.

The Genealogical Society takes a more toned down approach that looks the history of heirloom wedding dresses from across the state. While today’s dresses are predominately white with all the lace and frills, society spokesperson, Alice Veen, says you’ll see dresses in this exhibit that are more practical.

Veen says white was not the popular color for wedding dresses until Queen Victoria wore that color in her wedding in the mid-1800′s.

She says even after that, brides couldn’t afford to buy a white gown and wear it only once. Veen says her grandmother for example, was married in 1919 and wore a blue wedding dress that she could later wear on the job as a teacher.

The exhibit includes vintage photos and wedding stories along with the dresses. The oldest dress dates back to 1863 from a woman who was married in Massachusetts.