In this age of technology, it’s easy to document the events of life.  Digital cameras and camcorders and even cell phones capture video and photos that can be e-mailed to friends and family or stored on a CD. And even though we embrace the new advances in photo technology, there’s still nothing like flipping through a photo album to bring back memories of joyful times.  Since weddings are one of the most joyful events one can celebrate, a wedding photo album brings those memories to life and becomes a great keepsake for children and grandchildren.

Wedding photo albums can be used for more than just wedding photos.  Many wedding photo albums are white, satin covered albums with various decorative trims and embellishments that are suitable for storing shower pictures or pictures from the rehearsal dinner and honeymoon too.

   
                              Wedding Photo Albums

You can also get a wedding album set in rich leather with three albums, one for the wedding photos, one for the honeymoon photos and one for photos from the first year of marriage.

    Leather Wedding Photo Album

Wedding memory photo albums are great too.  These types of books are a combination photo album with matted and special wedding day pages plus some scrap booking pages, as well as, pocket pages for storing special keepsakes.

You can also get personalized wedding photo albums that have a monogram on the front cover and combination photo and scrap booking pages inside. 

 
     Personalzied Wedding Photo Albums

4 x 6 wedding photo albums can be used for parents’ or grandparents’ albums. They are available in a number of different styles from classic bow trimmed to padded black leatherette with “My Son’s Wedding” or “My Daughter’s Wedding” printed on the front cover.

     
                          4 x 6 Wedding Photo Albums

Wedding photo albums placed on a coffee table, book shelf or given as a gift, are a great way to reminisce about the happiest days of your life.

The much anticipated wedding date of July, 7, 2007 is fast approaching.  Many couples have been planning their lucky wedding day for years now.  Popular venues, photographers and entertainers have had this date booked for over 2 years.

One celebrity, Eva Longoria, is marrying her Tony Parker, on this lucky day.  They’ll be having their over the top wedding at the Chateau Vaux-le-Vicompte in France.  Rumor has it that one celebrity magazine has paid over $2,000,000 for exclusive rights to photograph and publish their wedding photos.  Let’s hope they follow other celebrity examples and donate this cash to a worthy cause.

  Chateau Vaux-le-Vicompte

 Here’s a good luck wish to all those lucky couples getting married on 7/7/07.
 

It’s difficult to determine the exact origin of the heart shape but it has been, and is still considered, a symbol of love.  We see the heart used repeatedly on Valentine’s Day cards and candy boxes because it signifies love and caring.  So it’s no wonder that many couples choose to have a heart wedding theme.   From candles, flower girl baskets, ring bearer pillows, and cake servers, you name it, and there’s a heart wedding accessory for it. 

Accessories for a heart wedding theme can be hearts that are modern, sleek and contemporary and made from glazed ceramic like for a wedding cake topper.

    
                        Heart Wedding Cake Toppers

Hearts can be made of glass or crystal and stacked to be used as a stem of a toasting flute.  Flutes can also be heart shaped so that when two toasting flutes are placed side by side, they form a heart or the heart shape can be incorporated as an accent on a glass stem or etched on the front of a flute.

   
                              Heart Toasting Flutes

 Heart shapes can be made with parchment roses to adorn the front of wedding guest books or photo albums.

   
                         Heart Wedding Guest Books

The heart shape can also be used for the wedding rice that’s thrown after the ceremony.  That’s right, there’s even heart shaped rice for heart themed weddings!  It’s actual puffed rice that won’t harm birds or animals.  Not something you see at every wedding!

The heart shape is a symbol of love that has been used for generations and is a popular theme for weddings today.  View more heart wedding accessory.

Since I blogged about the new Target line of wedding dresses, I thought I should mention J.Crew’s line of wedding fashions.  They now offer affordable wedding gowns, bridemaid dresses, flower girl dresses and even suits and tuxedo jackets for the groom and his best men.

 Here are a few of J.Crew’s bridal gowns:
   
                         Bridal Gowns start at $228

J.Crew’s bridesmaid dresses are stylish and who knows you may even find a bridesmaid wearing the dress after the wedding!  Here are few bridesmaid dresses:

   
                        Bridesmaid dresses start at $165

Their flower girl dresses are absolutely adorable:

   
                  Flower girl dresses start at $118

View the entire J.Crew Wedding Collection.

For those of us who aren’t the greatest at mixing and matching accessories for our wardrobes, mixing and matching accessories for our wedding ceremony and reception may seem like an impossible task.  But leave it to Beverly Clark to offer complete accessory collections with rich fabrics, lavish laces, and elegant enhancements that are perfectly coordinated in a variety of design styles. 

Beverly Clark Collection
Always adding to their product line to give brides the trendiest design styles, the new Beverly Clark collection for 2007 include the Bella Donna collection, the Florenzia collection and Custom Color collection.  Each collection is uniquely different and offers an array of items in a matching pattern. 

Bella Donna Wedding Collection
This collection is adorned in lavishly hand-beaded champagne-colored lace and includes a guest book, pen holder, ring bearer pillow, flower girl basket and memory book.  The intricate design is perfect for those who have an appreciation for delicate details.

  Bella Donna Collection

Florenzia Collection
This Italian inspired collection features a dramatic ensemble of black embroidery reminiscent of the intricate wrought iron designs created in Old World style. This collection is available on white or ivory peau de soie, or gray silk with your choice of white, ivory or black embroidery.  Florenzia accessories make a powerful statement of style in any color choice.

            Florenzia Collection

Custom Color Wedding Collection
This collection is all about adding a personal touch.  The collection offers a choice of 26 colors of organza or satin ribbon and allows for personalization of the guestbook, ring pillow, and memory book since imprinting is available on the satin ribbon in silver or gold.  The basic fabric colors of the accessories are white or ivory but with ribbon colors like fuchsia, sherbet or citrus, this collection can match perfectly with bridal party dresses or color scheme of the event. This collection includes a larger assortment of accessories like a guestbook, pen, ring pillow, flower basket, pillar candle and tapers, cake server and toasting flutes, memory book and photo album and purse, money bag and garter.

 
     Cutom Color Collection 

For more information about other Beverly Clark collections and products, you can try their web site:  http://beverlyclark.com/.

My husband and I just got back from celebrating our anniversary in Napa Country and had a wonderful trip.  The idolic location makes it an ideal spot for celebrating a honeymoon or significate anniversary or birthday. 

We stayed at the beautiful, Wine Country Inn and met several couples on their honeymoon. The inn is located on a hill overlooking the vineyards.  There are beautiful flower beds throughout the grounds, plus a secluded swimming pool.

                Wine Country Inn

While we were there we visited a few wineries, including the new Castello di Amorosa winery.  This winery was built in the style of a Tuscany castle and was well worth the tour.  The owner, Daryl Sattui, spend years researching the design and hired expert stone craftsman to ensure an authentic look.  Throughout the castle, are orginial doors, stonework, and artwork from Tuscany.  The castle even has a church and it has been rumored in the future it may be possible to get married in the castle’s chapel.

       Castello di Amorosa

When planning our trip, we used NapaValley.com to find lodging, restaurants, etc.  Two restuarants that I would recomend are the Rutherford Grill and Tra Vigne. 

Brides spend an enormous amount of time and money for their wedding dresses so it’s a good idea to use an aisle runner at the ceremony.  Wedding aisle runners can be used indoors or outdoors and are a great way to protect the bridal gown and train from dragging on the floor and getting dirty.  Aisle runners are available in durable plastic or fabric and different textures like matte, pearl or patterned.

A fabric aisle runner is traditionally used for the wedding ceremony.  The color of the aisle runner should match the color of the wedding dress.  (A bride wearing an ivory gown should have an ivory aisle runner.)  Aisle runners are also available in a variety of colors to coordinate with bridal party dresses or color scheme of the wedding.

                    
    ivory aisle runner             white aisle runner            colored aisle runner

Some wedding aisle runners have intricate foliated white lace.  Some runners are white and semi-clear, accented with large floral designs or small intricate blossoms that bring the beauty of nature to your feet.

 
       Floral Aisle Runners

For a unique and modern wedding aisle runner, a white runner with an imprinted message or quote like “And The Two Shall Become One” is a fun alternative to the traditional lacey or floral versions.

wedding aisle runner

The aisle runner is the place for the bride to stand out while keeping her gown as gleaming as her smile.

I just heard on one of the morning shows that Target now offers a line of wedding dresses and I had to see these for myself! 

The wedding gowns are designed by Isaac Mizrahi specifically for Target.  Prices range from $69 to $159 which makes them very affordable.

Here are a few of their designs:

   
           Isaac Mizrahi Wedding Gowns for Target

View all Target’s Wedding Dresses for yourself.

Mizrahi also designed coordinating bridal accessories, including bridal veils, headbands and purses.

  
                     Isaac Mizrahi Bridal Veils

View all the Isaac Mizrahi Bridal Accessories.