Relentless Bride® Weddings, Wedding Planning, Life & Marriage

A lot of tears today...

2011-12-02T10:51:00.001-05:00

as we had to say "good bye" to our beloved Juneau at 4am this morning. The eldest fur-baby in our family, he was a great dog. He'd great you with rabbles, stare up at you with his blue eyes and you knew he wanted love. His fear of hard-wood floors would make him rabble louder if you didn't pet him right as you walked through the door. While he was a "big" dog, he was all fluff. He was a softie to the core - loved other dogs, children and people so much.

At 11 years and 2 months old, he didn't live as long as we had hoped. He left this world abruptly, but the last faces and voices he heard were of my and my husbands.

We are so heartbroken. Devastated by this loss. But we know we were lucky to have him as long as we did. To be blessed by his presence. His smiling face. He made life better and for that we are grateful. And while he did not get to meet his little sibling in person, the rabbles will always be familiar to our little FryBean b/c its a sound s/he heard daily for 32 weeks.

We love you Juneau. May you rest in peace and know that your daddy, mommy, little brother Kota and little sibling will always remember how you brightened our day with a simple wag of your tail!

We miss you already... rest in peace our beloved friend!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T08:59:00.000-05:00

Things I am thankful for:

My Husband. He does so much for me and our family - things many men won't do, but he always does it "to make me happy" he says. That speaks volumes to me.
Our Baby. S/He will be arriving soon and we are so thankful for this privilege to add another person into our family.
My family. I have the best family and family in law and am blessed to be so loved and cared for.
My friends. From all over - i have some pretty awesome friends.
My pups. The loves of my life
My Health.
Our lives. The Husband and I are so blessed in so many ways and while we can moan and groan about things, we know how fortunate we are. Not just on days like Thanksgiving, but on all other days - its always nice to stop and think "i'm pretty damned lucky!"

pics on Sodahead

What are you thankful for this year?

Storkie Invitations: Gift Buggie

2011-11-09T09:30:00.000-05:00

I recently had my DC Baby shower which was full of fun, good food and great friends. And I already shared with you the CA baby shower invitations, so i wanted to share the DC one with you because, well because they were just sooooo superbly cute.

My two girlfriends threw the shower, so they also picked the invites - and i totally loved it...

Gift Buggie invitations from Storkie.com

Super cute right? Green since we don't know the gender and the stroller is blinged out with rhinestones. I love the Asian eyes and the side swept hair too...

I love how you can have anything customized on the Storkie website. From background colors to rhinestone bling, hairstyles and outfits...

And of course cute invites, totally set the tone for the shower... :)

Check out my baby blog: Fry, the Baby to read more about the Baby shower!

Is it Engagement Season Already?

2011-11-02T07:17:00.000-04:00

In the last month, I've had some close friends pop the question to their lovely ladies... And i realized, Wedding season is coming to a close and that means Engagement season is upon us...

Wondering if anybody has some great ideas for proposal ideas out there they want to share? Or their own engagement story they want to share?

Engagement stories always makes me happy and will help put a smile on this mid-week chilly Day in DC !!!

Bloggers helping Friends

2011-10-19T07:16:00.003-04:00

So I love my fellow bloggers and any chance I can get, I love to help them out... one of my fave bloggers and someone who has become a close Blog-Friend needs our help, so i'm asking all my readers, if you can help her and her husband out, that'd be great.

Jessica at From Marriage to Motherhood needs our help and 2 minutes of your time. All you have to do is this... (As seen on Jessica's own blog linked above)

and today is the last day to vote.

so vote Now.

Go Here: http://challenge.gov/challenges/202/submissions/4577-job-compass and vote for this App.

*When you hit the "vote" button, a pop up will come up {see image below} and you can simply vote by logging in to your Facebook Account - or you can sign up for a challenge.gov account but you will need to confirm your email in order for the vote to count!

So help out a great blogger and friend, by taking a sec to vote!!! Much love and appreciation!

Storkie Invitations: Dress Up Mama

2011-10-11T07:42:00.000-04:00

The first weekend of October, we were fortunately to celebrate our baby at our Baby Shower in California. Since we are a bi-coastal family, it was great that we could celebrate this special occasion with our family and friends in CA.

Of course the first thing done for the shower was the invitations and luckily a VERY good friend of mine picked out some great invitations from Storkie.com.

As you know, I'm a HUGE fan of Storkie.com for all sorts of invitations, but the customization feature just makes it sooooo much fun.

Here is the invite my friend picked out for the shower.

Because we aren't finding out the baby's gender ahead of time, she picked green. Of course because my favorite color is yellow, the yellow balloons! I loved every detail she picked out and absolutely loved my invitations!

Since I've used the storkie.com site many times before, It was also nice to see what my friend had to say about navigating one of my favorite invitation sites.

Aside from telling me how easy the site was to use, the customization was very simple and fun. From customizing background colors, fonts and style- the site also lets you customize clothes, skin colors, hair color and so much more. And of course for us yellow peeps, we love the Asian Eye customization feature. And of the ones she really loved - yoga mommy, dress-up mama and rock on baby - she picked Dress us Mama for me after much deliberation.

Aren't my invitations the cutest? Definitely check out Storkie.com for any invitation or paper need, you won't be disappointed.

If you want to read more about the baby shower, posts to come on my baby blog - Fry, The Baby Blog.

2011 Engagement & Jewelry Study

2011-09-19T10:58:00.000-04:00

from TheKnot.com & WeddingChannel.com

Some big trends for the year?
-          Majority of Grooms’ Ring Selection Not Affected by the Economy.
Only 14% of grooms claimed to have downsized the engagement ring due to the economic climate. In fact, one in four grooms spent more than he originally budgeted.
-          Customization Is Key.
Whether they completely designed the ring on their own with a jeweler or made custom changes to an existing design, approximately two out of five grooms (41%) are choosing to add personal elements to the engagement ring.
-          Alternative Metals Increasingly Popular for Grooms.
Although white gold is still the most popular wedding band metal, with approximately one in three grooms (34%) choosing it, alternative metals are becoming increasingly popular. In 2011, 27% of grooms chose tungsten (up from 19% for grooms married in 2008) and 16% chose titanium (up from 13% for grooms married in 2008).
-          Tradition Is Making a Comeback.
The majority of grooms are taking tradition to heart when they propose. In fact, 77% of grooms proposed on bended knee (compared with 70% in 2009) and 71% asked the bride’s parents for permission (compared with 62% of grooms engaged in 2008) before popping the question.
-          Proposals are Becoming More Public.
While a proposal’s always a private moment, they’re increasingly becoming more public affairs. In 2009, 68% of grooms proposed privately, while that number dropped to just over half (57%) in 2011. Perhaps that’s why 43% of grooms meticulously planned the proposal down to the last detail and only 10% of grooms “winged” it.
-          Man-gagement Rings Are the New Trend.
Brides aren’t the only ones with engagement rings these days. Grooms are now opting to wear “man-gagement” rings; 5% of grooms wear an engagement ring along with the bride.

Law school for Wedding Professionals

2011-08-30T14:22:00.003-04:00

A friend of mine posted this on my FB wall and I thought it was something worth sharing... especially since I have a lot of friends in the blogosphere who are Wedding professionals... check this out.

For more info go to Bridal Bubbly !

If I had a million dollars....

2011-08-29T11:35:00.003-04:00

This past weekend, my People magazine came in the mail. I read People and US Weekly while working out ... its my incentive to work out to get my gossip. And if you read it, you know that Kim Kardashian and her wedding were highlighted in People.

I don't want to give it more press than it deserves (which i feel that has been exceeded already) but it left me with a nagging question.

If i had all the money in the world, Would i have done my own wedding differently? Would i have had 3 dresses? Would i have been more elaborate?

If money wasn't an issue, is there anything about your wedding or wedding planning that you would change? Would you have a crazy over the top elaborate wedding, or still go for something simple and modest, with fine elegant touches?

How would you have splurged differently?

A big summer Sale!

2011-08-22T09:40:00.004-04:00

Summer Blow Out Sale!
20% off ALL Wedding Stationery from MagnetStreet Weddings
Save the Dates, Invitations, Reception Items, Embellishments, Thank Yous…
Enter promo code WBLOG822
Starts 08/22/11 and Expires 09/5/11
A ready to-go-tweet: 20% OFF @MagnetStreetWed! Save the Dates, Invites & more. Use promo code: WBLOG822 {exp.09/05/11} http://ow.ly/69gyx

Rancho Santa Margarita Bell Tower

2011-08-19T08:49:00.000-04:00

Guess who is on the website of the Rancho Santa Margarita Bell Tower ... LOL! That's right, US!

My SIL texted me last night with an image from their Fall issue Community Living Guide, where there is a small snap shot of the same photo above included (Page 7).

So flattering that they used our picture as one of the few to showcase how one can use the ballroom... and while sometimes working with city regulations can make working with a venue harder, the staff the Rancho Santa Margarita Bell Tower were always very nice, patient and quick to answer all our questions. After our wedding, one staff member said "I've never seen the ballroom look as beautiful as it did for your wedding!" And of course, our awesome photographer Jordana (Hazelnut Photography) captured the evening and every detail PERFECTLY!

Yumalicio.us

2011-08-11T11:35:00.002-04:00

So a lot of my readers are total foodies, so i thought I'd share this awesome new site my friend has created called Yumalicio.us... Show and tell for people who love to cook

It's uber easy to sign up and upload dishes (from your phone or online) and share your creations/recipes and to see other's ... its for all types of food.

Sign on up and make sure to follow me on the site :)

Two Blogs!

2011-08-08T08:37:00.001-04:00

On the heels of some great advice, I have decided to go with two blogs.

I have spent some time already transferring over the recent baby posts I've done and moved it over to my new Blog: Fry, The Baby which can be found at www.frythebaby.com.

If you want to auto subscribe, you can do it here - http://www.frythebaby.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss

I will still be updating the Relentless Bride blog with more Bride and wedding focused posts and Fry, The Baby will be our blog about everything after the marriage, focusing on life, babies, marriage and the ever after :)

Thank you all for some great advice. I do appreciate it. And please be patient while both sites may be undergoing some changes :)

Note to the left side of the blog, you will see the feed for Fry, The Baby come through.... so should you want to see what's going on with the other blog easily, this will update :)

Two Blogs or One?

2011-08-05T09:03:00.001-04:00

I need your advice. You see, I love my Relentless Bride Blog and readers. I've put about 3 years into and really love how its grown. However, i'm now in a new chapter in my life that is focused on Marriage, Pregnancy and babies... while still loving weddings on the side.

The question here is... Do I keep blogging all my posts on one blog (here)? or separate them into two separate blogs - maintaining both?

I want brides who don't want to filter through the baby posts to be able to easily find helpful posts and inspirations, but at the same time don't want to lose any of my readers by doing a blog jump...

Your thoughts? I know i can do two - but not sure how easily. And i don't know if there is a way to maintain one but still maintaining the integrity of two separate subjects.... if so, please suggest?

I'd love to know your thoughts as readers... you can leave a comment or email me at amyjean@relentlessbride.com

Your input is invaluable

Chicken Pot Pie w/Puff Pastry Shell

2011-08-03T11:18:00.001-04:00

I was craving Chicken pot pie with a puff pastry shell the other day, and Husband made it for me from scratch. I mean he didn't make his own pie crust and used the Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Shell on top, but otherwise from scratch and it was dannnnnngg goood! so good I had to share!

Recipe from Pillsbury.com (Source)

INGREDIENTS:

Crust

1 box Pillsbury® refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on box

Filling

1/3cup butter or margarine

1/3cup chopped onion

1/3cup all-purpose flour

1/2teaspoon salt

1/4teaspoon pepper

1 3/4cups Progresso® chicken broth (from 32-oz carton)

1/2cup milk

2 1/2cups shredded cooked chicken or turkey

2cups Green Giant® Valley Fresh Steamers™ frozen mixed vegetables, thawed

DIRECTIONS:

Heat oven to 425°F. Make pie crusts as directed on box for Two-Crust Pie using 9-inch glass pie pan.
In 2-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until tender. Stir in flour, salt and pepper until well blended. Gradually stir in broth and milk, cooking and stirring until bubbly and thickened.
Stir in chicken and mixed vegetables. Remove from heat. Spoon chicken mixture into crust-lined pan. Top with second crust; seal edge and flute. Cut slits in several places in top crust.
Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until crust is golden brown. During last 15 to 20 minutes of baking, cover crust edge with strips of foil to prevent excessive browning. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

The only thing different was that instead of topping with a second crust, he topped with a puff pastry shell from pepperidge farm.

It was sooo delicious, see below for a pic!

Why Men Don't give Birth

2011-07-19T09:37:00.001-04:00

I got a small glimpse into why GOD has created it so that women give birth as opposed to men. What was this "glimpse" you ask?

Saturday evening started very uneventful... mostly just hanging out at home, the Husband watching his baseball game and me chillin' in the bedroom with the adorable pup ... see how adorable he is when he sleeps?

As we got ready to take the pups on their evening walk, the Husband complained of a pressure - an urge to pee but nothing coming out. I told him to drink some cranberry juice when we got back from the walk. So we went outside and walked the pups. On the way back towards the condo, the Husband started complaining of a pressure near his groin/bottom of tummy area... luckily we made it back in and he laid down. About 20 minutes later, i see him pacing to and from the bathroom several times and complaining of the pain now shifting to his right lower back...

I called my cousin who is a Dr and she said to check if he had a pinched nerve, by having him lay on his back and lift his leg. At this point i knew I wasn't getting him to do anything because he was in pain. The pressure was there but it was like waves of stabbing pain. I went over to him at one point and he was DRENCHED in sweat. Once I saw that I knew things were not ok. I asked her "Could it be kidney stones?" to which she responded "definitely, tap on his lower back area"... to which i wasn't getting near b/c the Husband wasn't allowing that.

At one point he was writhing in pain on the bed... near tears and screaming/yelling. He claimed it made him feel better. Then it would subside and then the stabbing pain would return. I told him i thought it was a kidney stone and he said he had one about 7 years ago but it wasn't nearly this painful. So at that point, i just crossed my fingers and hoped that's All it was.

Finally, I said i think we should go to the ER.... He acquiesced b/c he was in so much pain but said we should take an ambulance since they would admit him faster if we did it that way. Plus with DC traffic who knew how long it could take us...

So that's what we did. Called 911 (my first call ever). The ambulance came (my first ride in an ambulance ever). and we went to the ER (my first time in the ER ever).

Luckily our EMTs were pretty awesome and cool. They made the not so awesome experience pleasant with small chit chat which helped to keep the Husbands mind off the pain as much as possible. We even scored a "stop on by any time you see us cookin' out, we always make plenty of BBQ" b/c apparently the DCFD/EMT have their own BBQ team that cooks out in competitions nation wide! They were pretty awesome which really made a scary experience less scary.

Husband was checked into a room, given an IV and pain meds and then after that, while he felt the pressure he did not feel the pain. He eventually passed the stone that night at the ER (i have a picture of it but am forbidden to post it!). I will admit, I was shocked to see something so tiny cripple my Husband the way it did. We were at the ER for about 4 hours and everyone there (with the exception of one grouchy lady) was very nice and reassuring.

See how happy Hubby looks below with meds...

All I can say, some people pass kidney stones with pain but not needing medical attention, but if you feel pain in your lower back, you get chills, feel nauseous and/or vomiting - get to the ER. Even if its not appendicitis and a kidney stone, they can at least rehydrate you and get you meds to make the pain bearable.

And this my friends is why God did not intend for man to give birth. A kidney stone about the size of ( ) made my Husband crumble in pain to his knees. Could you imagine a baby? and sure its not a perfect comparison b/c where it comes out of is not the same size etc, but I still think its the same conclusion... in my opinion, us strong beautiful women are just better equipped ...

And in case you were wondering, the Husband is recovering VERY well... 100x better than he was in those few hours of intense pain.

A Big Announcement

2011-07-06T08:55:00.001-04:00

Please watch the following video ... I apologize ahead of time for some of the choppiness in part of the video, it was a handheld-and sadly my hand ain't that steady. :)

Our Wedding Video

2011-07-05T09:00:00.001-04:00

Here is a teaser of our wedding video which we are finally getting around to finalizing. Yes, over a year later but totally brought a smile to me and The Hubs faces as we watched these funny and tender moments! :)

Best Wishes Videography

Pittsbugh Wedding Reception

2011-06-08T09:38:00.000-04:00

So immediately after the ceremony, we snuck a couple pics with the newly married couple... figured we had to get while the gettin' was good.

Of course I have to share a pic of me and the Husband.

We then headed to the reception room... some of these photos are from my friend Jackie who is an amazing photographer and just like me, loves to snap photos. My laziness set in when I realized Ms. Jackie was all over it with the pics...

Here is a photo of the escort cards.

Shells dominated the theme...why? Because the groom proposed to the bride using a mussel shell... He placed the ring in there... so that's what sits on the yummy German Chocolate Cake ... a replica.

Here is our cute table setting

A few photos from Jackie... of the Wishing Well tree

Another photo from Jackie of our friend Julie... with the DONUT MAKER !

And here are some photos of my friends :)

The couple were lifted on to chairs... here are some blurry pics...

They went from holding a white towel/napkin... to the terrible towel.

And of course, a picture of me with the beautiful bride.

We had such a great time... dancing, sweating and getting our groove on. What is not pictured is the beautiful cookie table - all her family and friends made different cookies and guests took them home as favors! :)

Congrats to the beautiful bride and handsome groom... our newly married friends whom we love dearly!

Pittsburgh, A beautiful Wedding

2011-06-06T09:06:00.000-04:00

The wedding was so very beautiful. It was my first Jewish wedding I have ever attended, and had I know how romantic these ceremonies were - I may have opted for one myself !!! No joke!

The ceremony began with the Chuppah being brought in to stage the area where they would say their vows...
"A chuppah (Hebrew: חוּפָּה‎, pl. חוּפּוֹת, chuppot, literally, "canopy" or "covering"), also huppah, chupah, or chuppa, is a canopy under which a Jewish couple stand during their wedding ceremony. It consists of a cloth or sheet, sometimes a tallit, stretched or supported over four poles, or sometimes manually held up by attendants to the ceremony. A chuppah symbolizes the home that the couple will build together. While a Jewish marriage is still considered valid in the absence of a chuppah, a chuppah is still considered a basic requirement for a Jewish wedding." (Source Wikipedia)

One thing the couple noted in their program was that the Chuppah symbolizes their home with the support of four poles but there are no walls, to show that their home is always open to family and friends.

The bride came in with both parents and then they stood under the Chuppah... the groom joined his bride as they walked towards the Chuppah.

The bride then walked around the man. "The bride traditionally walks around the groom three or seven times when she arrives at the Chuppah. This may derive from Jeremiah 31:22, “A woman shall surround a man”. The three circuits may represent the three virtues of marriage: righteousness, justice and loving kindness (see Hosea 2:21). Seven circuits derives from the Biblical concept that seven denotes perfection or completeness." (Source Wikipedia) To show equality in this day and age, the bride walked 3 times, the groom then did the same to the bride 3 times, and then they walked the last circle together.

Here is an image of the signed Ketubah... signed earlier that day.

A ketubah (Hebrew: כתובה ; "document"; pl. ketubot) is a special type of Jewish prenuptial agreement. It is considered an integral part of a traditional Jewish marriage, and outlines the rights and responsibilities of the groom, in relation to the bride. (Source Wikipedia)

And then there was the exchanging of rings... the seven blessings (which i participated in). "Sheva Brachot (Hebrew: שבע ברכות‎) literally "the seven blessings" also known as birkot Nesuim (Hebrew: ברכות נישואים‎), "the wedding blessings" in Jewish religious law are blessings that are recited for a bride and her groom as part of nissuim. In Jewish marriages there are two stages - betrothal (erusin) and establishing the full marriage (nissuim); historically there was often at least a month between the two events, but in most[citation needed] modern marriages, the two are combined as a single wedding ceremony." (Source Wikipedia)

And then the exciting stepping on the glass (which i did not get a picture of)

announcement of man and wife...

and then it was party time for the reception to celebrate this awesome marriage.

A jewish ceremony is filled with so much tradition and culture. Every thing has a symbol or meaning. I found it super sweet and could not stop myself from getting weepy throughout! It was so exciting to be part of this wedding!

Next up... the fun reception! :)

Pittsburgh, Exploring {cont'd}

2011-06-02T08:32:00.001-04:00

so we continued to explore downtown along the water front and came to what is sometimes referred to as "the best ballpark in baseball"... and we could see why. The ballpark sits on the water and is just beautiful

I made the Husband pose for a few photos...

This was behind the wall to the left of where my Husband stood...

And for fun, we compared feet sizes

Unbeknownst to me, we stumbled upon this memorial for Korean War Veterans, which always gives me pause to say thanks!

This was the view from the ballpark on one of the bridges ...

And a marker which shows the floodline from 2004

Of course no walk is complete without a photo of Heinz field, where the Steelers play. Also a beautiful stadium... right on the water!

This is the point... where you can walk or bike to and just sit and enjoy the beauty before you!

And as we continued to walk back towards Station Square where we were staying, I looked back to capture this image!

And of course, a pic of me and the Hubs... :) It was a bright sunny day, so the hat was useful but i prob should have put my sunglasses on!

We continued to walk back and right as we crossed the bridge, I snapped a photo of where the wedding recpetion would take place... The Grand Concourse!

After a hot sweaty morning of a lot of walking, we finally made it back to the hotel to get ready for the wedding. It was such a great morning of quality time spent, a beautiful city explored and anticipation of witnessing a beautiful ceremony later in the day... stay tuned for those photos! :)

Pittsburgh, A Mini-Downtown Exploration

2011-06-01T09:03:00.001-04:00

The Husband and I explored Downtown Pittsburgh in the short amount of time we had by first, stopping to eat at Delucas

After breakfast we decided to walk the river front. If you don't know, downtown Pittsburgh is located where the two rivers meet to form the Ohio River: the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers. They have created beautiful walk/bike paths along the river front (which in downtown is almost everywhere) so that the beauty of the river can be explored. You can imagine b/c of how the city is built around the rivers, there are plenty of bridges... Here are a few shots that we took along our walk...

Heinz is huge in Pittsbugh (little did I know...), so the football stadium is named Heinz field, many other buildings bear the name "Heinz" and you pretty much see it everywhere. It's pretty cool b/c its such a familiar thing to me but i had no clue how huge it was in Pittsburgh or that it even came from there... check out some of these photos...

Along the walk/bike path there were some benches and in front of these benches was this stone...

I made hubby strike a pose ;)

I bought a hat at this little vendor near breakfast... best idea ever since the weather was hot!

And along side the river front was these murals by some students in the area

We had such a great time walking, but the best pictures are yet to come... well at least for you sports enthusiast...

If you haven't been to Pittsburgh, I highly suggest a visit. Husband and I are already planning another trip :)

Hello, Pittsburgh!!!

2011-05-31T09:19:00.001-04:00

This weekend, The Husband and I went to Pittsburgh for a dear friend's wedding. It was my first trip to this lovely city and it truly is one of the most under-rated cities in the States. It is absolutely beautiful with great architecture and a city full of history and rich in culture.

Here are a few photos from our first day in Pittsburgh... just of the various things I saw on the drive through and from our hotel room at Station Square...

a visitor on our hotel window...

the view from our hotel room.

Luckily we had a chance to explore downtown the next day before the wedding since the city is such a fabulous place... but for now I will leave you with these photos (mostly taken from the car) until tomorrow...

Hope y'all had a great Memorial Day Weekend!

Weekly Scoop

2011-05-27T08:16:00.002-04:00

Walk the Aisle in Style: 4 Weeks of Giveaways!

Sweeps Info: ENTER TO WIN the "Walk the Aisle in Style" Sweeps sponsored @BarneysNY & @Shopstyle. Each week for the next four weeks, enter to win something old, new, borrowed or blue from Barneys NY!

This week we are giving away these STUNNING Olivia Collings earrings!

To enter, please visit:
http://www.shopstyle.com/giveaway

Win a pair of Olivia Collings earrings in our "Walk the Aisle in Style" Sweeps! BarneysNY & ShopStyle

TWEET: BarneysNY Barneys New York
WIN! Walk the Aisle in Style w/@BarneysNY & @shopstyle. Each wk for 4 wks enter to win something old+new+borrowed+blue!http://bit.ly/ecamAf

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The Best Bridal Shower Gift Ever Giveaway

Who may participate: Engaged couples who are 18 years or older and will be married on or between June 1, 2011 and May 31, 2012
Registration duration: May 23 – June 27

Prize: Brand new bedroom furniture from Thomasville
How to enter: To register, participants must “like” the Thomasville page on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/#!/Thomasville); the registration form is available on the page’s Home Sweet Home tab

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2010 HONEYMOON STATISTICS RELEASED BY THE KNOT

-- 3rd Annual Survey of More Than 12,000 Honeymooners Reveals Luxury Honeymoon Choices,

Top Honeymoon Destinations and In-Depth Insight Into Honeymoon Budget and Trends --

1. Estimated Number of Honeymooners: 1.4 million U.S. couples per year
2. Cost of a Honeymoon: $4,466, on average
3. Honeymoon Length: 8 days, on average (excluding travel time)
4. Who’s Paying: 62% of couples pay for most (at least 90%) of their honeymoon on their own
5. When They Book the Honeymoon: 4 months before the wedding date, on average
6. Most Popular “International” Destinations (% of overall honeymooners): Mexico (15%), Hawaii (12%), Jamaica (7%), The Bahamas (5%), Italy (5%), St. Lucia (5%), France (3%), U.S.V.I. (3%)
7. Most Popular Continental U.S. Destinations (% of overall honeymooners): Florida (8%), California (5%), Nevada (3%)
8. Luxury Honeymooners: represent 15% of the market and spend more than $7,000
9. Most Popular Luxury Honeymoon Destination Region (% of luxury honeymooners): Europe (28%), Caribbean (21%), Hawaii (18%), South Pacific (11%)

What Honeymooners Look For

* Sun, sand and surf not a necessity (18% consider it a top 3 honeymoon feature)
* 20% visit theme parks
* Sun, sand and surf MUCH more important (48% consider it a top 3 honeymoon feature)
* 41% visited more than one locale (almost 2 times more likely compared with domestic honeymooners)

KEY 2010 HONEYMOON TRENDS

Majority of Honeymooners Are Not Affected by the Economy. A majority of couples (60%) did not scale back their honeymoon budget because of the economy. In fact, 1 in 4 couples spent more than they originally budgeted, and 21% spent more than $6,000 on their total honeymoon. In addition, 12% of couples are registering for their honeymoon, and 20% use travel rewards toward their honeymoon.

“Couples today remain committed to planning a luxurious, unforgettable honeymoon and are willing to spend despite the state of the economy,” added Carley Roney, editor in chief of The Knot Inc. “In fact, 3 in 5 couples are booking extras on their honeymoon, and 25% spent more than they had originally budgeted.”

Luxury Honeymooners Spend Approximately $10,000. Nationwide, luxury honeymooners spend an average of $9,954 on their honeymoon, and approximately 1 in 4 reside in New York or California. They honeymoon for an average of 11 days, and a majority (64%) visit more than one locale.

The Continental U.S. Surpasses the Caribbean for the First Time. The number of couples honeymooning in the continental U.S. has increased – 30% in 2010 vs. 26% in 2009 – surpassing the Caribbean as a honeymoon destination region (28% in 2010 vs. 31% in 2009) for the first time. Top domestic honeymoon locales include Walt Disney World/Orlando, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Miami and the Florida Keys.

Couples Increasingly Planning on Their Own. Self-directed booking dominates, with 47% of couples booking their lodging directly with a vendor and 21% using a third-party online travel site. While couples are decreasingly using travel agents to book lodging (28% in 2010 compared with 34% in 2009), more than half of honeymooners are booking a portion of their honeymoon online. In fact, 9% of honeymooners use a mobile app with their planning, and 2% book lodging on online deal-of-the-day websites like WeddingChannel.com Deals, Groupon and Jetsetter.

On Facebook While Honeymooning. Honeymooners don’t take a vacation from social media or mobile devices. Nearly half of couples (48%) visit Facebook while on their honeymoon, and approximately 1 in 5 couples (19%) use a mobile app during that time.

Only 1 in 4 Couples Go on Their Dream Honeymoon. Despite the increase in domestic honeymoons, only 9% of domestic honeymooners consider the continental U.S. their “dream” honeymoon destination. The top “dream” honeymoon destination overall is Europe, followed by the South Pacific and then Hawaii.

Save the World

2011-05-26T07:02:00.005-04:00

So my friend introduced me to this video and i absolutely love it. It brought smiles and a little bit of tears b/c its so cute and sweet... i know i'm cheesy. but check it out. If you love dogs, you will love this!

Swedish House Mafia - Save the World (teaser)