Win a FREE WEDDING DRESS at the Filene’s Basement Running of the Brides Sale

AtlantaOccasions.com and Filene’s Basement have partnered to give away a FREE wedding dress at the upcoming “Running of the Brides” sale on March 20, 2009.

Lucky ladies who write in why they deserve a free wedding gown, will be entered a chance to win. We’ll pick the top 4 most deserving ladies and AtlantaOccasions.com readers will vote who wins!

That’s not it, the winning brides team will be sponsored by AtlantaOccasions.com and decked out in team spirit gear to make the day-of hunting, easy as pie.

So, bust out your pen and pencils ladies and tell us your sob story. Email info@atlantaoccasions.com, SUBJECT: FREE WEDDING DRESS. We want to change the life of one lucky Atlanta Bride, one discounted wedding dress at a time.

Entries must be received by January 31, 2009. Voting will begin February 5 and go through March 5th. The Winner will be announced March 10, 2009

Secrets to Writing and Delivering Wedding Vows

I recently went a wedding where the bride and groom wrote their wedding vows together and read them aloud. It was so touching and beautiful that my own husband even teared up! That never happens. This got me to thinking about they keys to good wedding vows. Here's what I've come up with:

1. Read all or part your vows instead of repeating them. This will keep you from imitating the intonation of the officiant. This will truly make a big impact on your audience.

2. Speak up so the back row can hear you.

3. Don't write anything disparaging, too personal or that is an "inside joke" because you do have an audience.

4. Print your vows on thick construction paper that fits with your color scheme. Give your coordinator or a trusty friend the extra copies in case anything happens to the originals. Give another copy to your officiant, so they can follow along and know when you're going to finish.

5. Keep it short, most people's minds wander after one minute.

6. And try your best not to cry! This can turn into blubbering and honestly, no one wants to hear that. If you feel your voice crack or know the tears are coming, pause and regain your composure, no one will mind waiting a bit!

Do you have anything else to add? Have a different opinion? Let us know. And email me for a copy of vows that my friends used!!

Wedding Wow: Photo Booth

It seems that there are no new wedding ideas. That may be seeing as people get married under water and even while skydiving these days. BUT I saw an idea at a wedding recently that I love so much...renting a photo booth.

My husband and I had sooo much fun taking the pictures and afterward we had a cute keepsake and so did the bride and groom. Meanwhile the photo booth attendant was compiling the pictures into an album as they were taken and we got to add the caption - so smart!

Booth Nation is one company that hires out photo booths for weddings and parties. What a great way to get people together making memories, whether it be six people crammed into the booth making faces and laughing or a special moment with the newlyweds.

I think this is an excellent way to get unusual shots of your guests and add a bit of extra entertainment to the wedding reception. However, beware of the late night shots - they can get pretty scandalous. Then again, that might be the stuff you'll want to remember later anyway;)

Love It!

These are a few of my favorite things:

Martha Stewart Wedding whatnots at Wal-Mart

Sephora - the thing I love about it the most is that their friendly staff does NOT work on commission. They are all about great customer service. You can go to Sephora and ask one of the women to help you find a look that is right for your wedding day (or any day or occasion). They will make you up and let you try anything and everything….for FREE and NO pressure to buy!!!

Lucky Paperie - this paper boutique and custom design studio offers letterpress invitations, greeting cards, stationery and gifts. Oh my!

Bellini's – These make elegant cocktails to pass arounds at your wedding reception. Umm umm umm.

GreenKarat.com – ecologically responsible jewelry that is as conscientious as you are. And you can recycle your old jewelry and put that money towards your purchase. Hey, in this economy, every little bit helps!

What are your wedding loves?

Check out these new businesses on our site!

Just a bit of shameless self promotion for AtlantaOccasions.com. We've recently added a whole slew of Atlanta Wedding Vendors to our big happy family and I'm thrilled to announce their arrival. So, if you're looking for a creative Atlanta photographer and florist, event decorations, event planners, and event venues, please do take a gander at our AtlantaOccasions.com newbies!

Wedding Dress: Project Runway

I thought it was pretty neat that the finalist of Bravo TV's Project Runway had to create a wedding dress in their final collection. My favorite was Kenley's dress. Although, I can't say I'd actually wear it, but it was super cute and definitely true to her style.

So which was your favorite?

Exclusive Book Signing and Wedding Etiquette Event

Williams-Sonoma at Lenox Square Mall will host an exclusive book signing and wedding etiquette event with special guest Anna Post, author and spokesperson for the Emily Post Institute and great-great-granddaughter of renowned etiquette expert Emily Post. Enjoy cocktails and light hors d'oeuvres as Anna answers your questions, shares wedding etiquette advice and signs copies of her book, Emily Post's Wedding Parties.

Special Offer:
Create your Williams-Sonoma gift registry on the evening of the event, and you'll receive a complimentary copy of the Williams-Sonoma Bride & Groom Cookbook. See the website for more details.

Space is limited! So call today.

To R.S.V.P. and/or preorder a copy of Emily Post's Wedding Parties, call 404-812-1703. Book signing, Wednesday, October 1, 6 p.m., at Williams-Sonoma, Lenox Square Mall, 3393 Peachtree Road Northeast.

Wedding Wow: Fabulous Feathers

I recently bought a fancy new headband from Bill Hallman in the Virginia Highlands. It's the cutest thing: just a plain black headband with one peacock feather on the side. I put it on in the store just for fun, but as soon as I did, it dressed up my whole appearance. It also made me feel like I was going to a British wedding or wearing a Philip Treacy hat like Sarah Jessica Parker.

This made me think about friends of mine who've said that they didn't like wearing veils because their heads were pulled backwards when they hugged people at their wedding. Of course, flowers are another option for those who aren't interested in veils, but after wearing this feather headband, I think there's something so unique and elegant about them that could really be an exciting wedding wow in the right setting like at a New Year's Eve wedding. Also, feathers will last and flowers, unless they are synthetic, are going to wither.

We'd love to see pictures of brides that have worn feathers.

This Weekend in Atlanta Wedding Events

September 20: The Wedding Planner Workshop

Join Wedding Soiree for a one-day interactive workshop for aspiring wedding planners. SPACE IS LIMITED! THE WORKSHOP - Wedding Soirée's module is comprehensively constructed; offering a unique twist on the traditional cookie cutter workshop. You will learn to unleash your inner creativity; receive one-on-one coaching, expert advice, inspiration, and luxurious swag bag full of goodies topped off with tasty culinary delights prepared by our favorite chef. THE WEDDING PLANNERS - Gail Johnson and Hester Parks have been recognized for their creative flair, professional execution and wedding expertise. Our modern, stylish, chic weddings have been featured on WE "Platinum Weddings", Inside Weddings, AJC Spring Wedding Guide, The Atlantan Brides.

Wedding Soiree Studio
Dekalb Industrial
Decatur, Georgia
770.595.1212-770.827.4050

September 21: Perfect Wedding Guide Bridal Show
Don't Miss out on the Biggest bridal show on the Fall September 21 from 12pm-4pm! Plan your wedding in one day with Atlanta's Top Wedding Professionals and win some amazing prizes!

Villa Christina and The Retreat of Dunwoody
Atlanta, Georgia
678-921-2914

Great Wedding Gift Idea: Original Artwork

As the bride-to-be you'll end up putting plenty of time into a gift registry. Luckily mega stores like Crate and Barrel and Bed, Bath & Beyond have registering down to an art complete with a scanner, checklist and best sellers and department stores are equally as helpful.

While a registry is a much-needed way of getting the household goodies that you'll need to start a fresh new life with your partner, may I suggest thinking about other gifts you can't get from Macy's that will last a lifetime…original artwork.

When you get married, it's often true that you combine furniture and other items, but you may find that your walls are bare. Have your family and/or close friends pool their money and buy you an original piece of artwork that you and your honey will cherish forever.

Real artwork usually isn't cheap, but that doesn't mean it has to be as outrageously expensive as you might imagine. Check out Atlanta artist Bob Ichter's whimsical pastels and his large-scale oil and acrylic works, which can be seen in fine galleries all around the states.

Similarly, you may find a nice sculpture or photograph that is meaningful to you or speaks to you and your future spouse if you take the time to stroll through local galleries. Of course, this does is more work for the bride and groom, but it's important for you to pick out the artwork that you'd like to have in your house since you'll be the one looking at it daily.

Just remember that family and friends want to spend money on you to commemorate your marriage – so give them the opportunity to buy something special for you that will last even longer than a stainless steel fork and will be much more of a conversation piece.

What artists' work can you recommend to newly engaged couples?

Spare the Wad

Weddings can be a magnificent display of colors, flowers, food and elegance, but they can also be an enormous expense for ladies and gentlemen who don't have a wad of cash to spend.

When planning your nuptials, consider allowing your bridesmaids to choose their own dresses. You can give them specifics on what to wear like: a dress that is a solid color of pink and short with gold jewelry and gold shoes with it. You can give your grooms a break by allowing them to wear their own suits or tuxedos. Of course, some of your wedding party might still have to purchase an outfit, but they would also have the option to borrow one or buy from a less expensive store.

Bouquets and boutonnieres can help to add uniformity to your pictures. Allowing your wedding party the option of choosing their own clothes also ensures that they are likely to wear their garments again. If you'd like more uniformity for the men and women, give the women jewelry to wear or ask that they wear their hair up or down. Give the guys a tie, or have them buy one from a place with an online store.

A wedding should be exactly as you want it to be and this kind of flexibility of choices isn't for every bride, but I've seen it done well in the pages of Martha Stewart's brilliant magazine and in a quaint summer wedding, too.

What other ways can you spare your wedding party?

Wedding Wow: Seating in the Round

I recently attended an outdoor wedding at the amphitheater of a park in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Because the amphitheater was round, with a lake on one side and lush green park on the other, the bride decided to set the chairs "in the round" so that some of the guests would have a view of the scenic lake and others would have a view of the bride and groom's faces and the park.

The bride told me that several guests took pictures before, during and after the ceremony, resulting in all different angles and many fabulous shots of the idyllic scenery. For instance, while the bride was reading her vows, guests and the photographer took pictures of the back of the bride, the front, the grooms face and the two family's reactions. The bride is now going to frame a panorama of her wedding and frame pictures of the same moment together, so she can always remember how her guests viewed her special day.


As an attendee, I can say that I loved being able to see my friend's face and her new husband's as they took their vows. Of course, it did draw a few tears out of me, but I have to admit, I usually cry a little from happiness at every wedding I attend.

What other unique ways can you seat your guests during an indoor or outdoor wedding? I'd love to hear new ideas and see pictures!!

Book Review: Wedding Chic

Wedding Chic: The Savvy Bride's Guide to Getting More While Spending Less by Nina Wildorf, author of City Chic: An Urban Girl's Guide to Livin' Large on Less is a must buy for newly engaged brides.

This book will give you straightforward advice and a list of costs to keep in mind when wedding planning. Wildorf speaks from her own experience planning a cheap chic wedding and from numerous friend's experiences. She gives straightforward tips about how to keep costs low like buying high-end makeup, getting a lesson from the makeup counter, practicing and doing it yourself instead of paying a makeup artist the exorbitant fee for a day-of makeup application.

Through the pages of the book, brides will learn how to avoid getting bullied by professionals, find the best planner for their pennies, get the most bloom for their buck, make saving on their photographer a snap and create a booze budget and wedding menu at palatable prices.

And we personally think that Wildorf would have been wild about AtlantaOccasions.com especially since she's cost conscious and looks for ways to get the most out of her money. We give this book two bouquets way up!

Welcome Brides!

This blog is for you! I'll be posting ideas, opinions, news and interviews all about Atlanta weddings here. If you have a question or want to contribute to this blog, feel free to email me.

New Info Coming Soon!

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