Bride Friday

Fridays on the blog are going to be F-U-N.

What's not to love about real brides and giveaways, right?

Right.

(Jennifer Morais Photography)

We'll be following a number of women due to head up the aisle between August and December of 2011.

We'll check in with each one of them every few weeks; hear their proposal stories, share their e-sessions, see their ring, ask where they are in their planning. You get the picture. And speaking of pictures ... after the wedding we'll share the photos of the big day and get the lowdown on what they would have done differently, and what they were glad they didn't.

Today I'll give you a sneak peek at our Canadian bride.

Meet Lori.

Hailing from Ontario, she's currently on a teaching assignment in Korea. Due home next month - when planning for her August 12th-13th 2011 wedding (yep .. a two day affair) will begin in earnest.

Next week we'll be meeting our Australian bride - so be sure to check back!

As regards the giveaways, it will either be something from the vendor of the week or it will be a piece of my jewelry. But there's going to be a little bit of a rule associated with them.

Only brides will be eligible to enter.

This is a wedding blog, after all, and I'd like to keep it that way. There are plenty of other blogs giving stuff away for people who aren't getting married. I'd like to keep this strictly bridal.

Thursdays with lili

... and we're talking.

No, that wasn't a typo. I didn't mean to write and we're walking - even if I am sure Julie will be reminding us that we need to at some juncture in the narrative.

My blog reading list has grown exponentially in the last six months. Not to mention that I spend countless hours leafing through magazines and books. Everywhere I turn there's colour, humour, beautiful people, and more inspiration than I can handle sometimes.

(A World of Cakes)

And I love all of it. I truly do. But somewhere along the line I started to wonder about things.

Is anyone talking about what goes on with the bride and groom en route to the wedding day? It isn't all about inspiration boards, colour palettes, and angst with the future in-laws, and certainly not everyone is given a cheque book by their parents. People are on a budget, and important decisions need to be made. Decisions about what kind of bank accounts to have, what kind of house to invest in, where and how to spend one's dollars effectively even insofar as the wedding is concerned. And what about after the wedding? Man and woman become a family long before baby makes three. Once the fairytale wedding is over, are the bride and groom prepared for the reality of married life?

I'll be the first one to say that I learnt a few things the hard way; that I had to grow into life with my husband. Not only was I a European transplant to the United States (and lets face it, even moving from one state to the other here can be huge life change), but things do change somewhat when you marry. And for some people they change a lot more than they do for others.

So lets talk. With a variety of professionals. They may not necessarily be anyone the world at large has heard of, but they make a difference in their respective communities; and they're willing to share their expertise in the spirit of creating healthy marriages. And who knows ... even those of us married a few years might learn something!

And just out of curiosity (am labouring under the assumption that most of my readers are female here), can you unblock a drain without help? Can you change a flat tyre?

I can't ... and that's a basic life skill to my mind. I am determined to learn how to change a flat tyre, though. I've been stranded once too often, and my husband hasn't always been immediately available. Ahem ... he doesn't yet know it, but he will be providing a photo tutorial for this ... among other things. He did say he wanted to do his part for the blog. He just didn't have any ideas about what he could do - so I made an executive decision, lol.

But back to the line up, I'm looking at an approximate 10 week rotation. Each Thursday will start off with something jewelry-related, because that's my line of business and there's plenty to share, and then we'll move onto the week's tip.

A different professional every week.

Julie from La Physique Slimming Spa in Missouri is going to talk about how to look your best on your wedding day; chiropractor Dr. Brian Applebee (pictured) will have a few choice words about staying healthy; Cathy Parisi (above) and the wonderful women over at the Connecticut Childbirth & Women's Center will be talking about female health; the fabulous Angela from Something Green will keep us in the loop about all things eco-friendly; Harvard-trained clinical psychologist Dr. Richard Briggs will be chiming in about responsibility, control, and communication patterns in relationships; we'll be having photo tutorials about really practical things (we might have to call those Handy-Dandy Thursdays) ... and the list goes on.

We'll live and learn together.

It'll be fun - and it all starts on Thursday, August 5th 2010.

Tuesdays & Wednesdays @ the corner

The world is full of amazing and creative people ... and we're going to catch up with them!

I'm devoting Tuesdays to Connecticut (a bit of loyalty to the home state, don't you know), but every third weekday will be designated Wanderlust Wednesday.

We'll be cyber-travelling around the remainder of the United States - and indeed the rest of the world. Visiting with people in Australia, the United Kingdom, Nigeria, Tanzania, and Russia .. just to name a few places.

Not quite butchers, bakers, and candlestick makers .. but certainly their equivalents in the world of weddings.

Enjoy the teasers!

From top to bottom, left to right -

Couture invitations by Praez Occasions, gourmet Bridgewater Chocolate made right here in Connecticut, event planning by CR Socials, UK-based photographer Dinendra Haria, adorable tutus for the big day by Pixie Petal Creations, Justice of the Peace (and Dream Goddess) Donna Katsuranis, and *waves in the general direction of Australia* Flowers by Lorey.

And this is just a taste of what's to come.

Stay tuned!

Mondays @ the corner

Mondays are going to be all about getting things done.

For ourselves and for others.

It's going to be about inspiring others - and being inspired in return.

I'll be showcasing organizations, offering tutorials, and talking to people who have touching stories to tell or who are touching the lives of others through their contributions to the wedding industry.

Here's some of the August line up.

I am really looking forward to sharing all of these wonderful people with you!

Stackables Winner

Nicki is the Bridal Tweet bride who won The Stackables contest earlier this month.

The prize was a set of three, but since each of her attendants will be wearing a different dress we've decided to go that route with their jewelry as well.

Congratulations Nicki - looking forward to working with you on these!

Corner Makeover

I've been doing a lot of thinking about my life lately - and one of the things I've realised is that I just don't get around as much as I used to.

The more I connect with other wedding professionals, the more I wish I could be ubiquitous.

Photographers, calligraphers, veil designers, florists, musicians, designers, cake makers, bloggers ...

So much talent and creativity!

It struck me that it would be great fun to travel around the globe and meet all of these people in person. That, in turn, got me thinking about the people I've come across who live in the US. And from there my thoughts spiralled to the people I really do know personally. Local businesses, the brides I make jewelry for (near and far), and people I know who make a difference in the industry.

All of this percolated in my brain for a while - and two days ago I woke up knowing exactly what I wanted to do.

In the spirit of all of the above, lili's corner is getting a makeover.

Starting August 2nd 2010, I'll be using the following format.

Inspiration Mondays

Mondays will be devoted to wedding-related features, with the occasional inspiration board (most likely based on the work of people being showcased that week), and the occasional real wedding (if anyone wants to share).

Connecticut Tuesdays

I live in Connecticut and want to showcase local (and for that read all of Connecticut) businesses and professionals.

Wanderlust Wednesdays

This will be the day I showcase people from around the globe (including the rest of the US) who work in the wedding industry.

Thursdays With lili

A day devoted to a variety of topics (including jewelry). Think of it as ... Editor's Pick.

Bride Fridays / Giveaways

I intend to follow a few brides getting married between August and December of 2011). The plan is to keep up with them over the course of the year; hear their proposal stories, share their engagement shoot photos, and then eventually publish the photos of their wedding. I want to check in with them once every two months or so - and see where they are in their planning and what's going on with them.

On Fridays I will also host a giveaway from someone who has been showcased during that particular week. If there is no giveaway for any reason then I'll put out a piece of my jewelry.

I have some marvelous people lined up - and look forward to sharing their talents and wisdom with you!