Your Invitation Awaits

Now is the time for all good brides to get busy. Oh Yeah, it's on, like hot buttered popcorn. Um, I got a little carried away there, but you do want to get out there and see all you can. The Bridal/Wedding Expo season is upon us and there are great prizes the sponsors are itching to give away. Fill your schedule with these upcoming events:

Above pictures from Harlem Weddings 2007 , held at the wonderful River Room in Harlem. This event was fun, unique, and had a FANTASTIC view of the city. Harlem Weddings is busy planning their next events coming in 2008. For more info click here.

Wedding/Bridal Expos can be a wonderful way to enjoy planning. Many events include give-aways, prizes, and tasty treats from vendors and sponsors. They want your business so they are putting on their Sunday best for you.

February 29, 2008

Free Food Tasting: China Bridal Presents a free food tasting ($35 to family members) with full course wedding banquet, free wedding consultant, and live band entertainment. Event begins at 5pm and the dinner is at 6pm

Garden Grove, California.

March 2 2008
Crate and Barrel Wedding Party Events : They are throwing a wedding party just for you. Bring your partner or your friends, and enjoy great food, music, and advice on registering. Crate and Barrel will open the store just for you. March 2 so hurry and register.

Event begins at 9am to 11am.

Bridal Open House, Varamar Vineyard: Meet their wedding sales teams and preferred vendors. Pre-registered brides will receive wine tastings complimentary hors d'oeuvres and refreshments.
905 Quarry Rd
Berry Ville, Virginia
For Reservations: 540-955-5510

April 20,2008

Essence of Mahogany Show and Gown Sale : This event is stress free with experts ready to assist you in your planning.
10am to 7pm
Pearson Convention Centre
2638 Steeles Ave E., Brampton

April 27,2008

The Bronzeville Bridal Show: Brides Noir Presents a Wedding Expo with a heavy dose on style.

1pm to 5pm

Parkway Ballroom

4455 South King Drive, Chicago

Courtship Stories

How did you meet?

How did he propose?

Many of us want to know, brides and grooms often want to share the magic and memories of those special times. A videographer can produce your love story to show guests at your wedding reception. You could write a few words for your program. Or, why not let someone else tell your story? In style.
Courtship Stories Wedding Favors and Keepsakes (www.courtship-stories.com) will write, design and print your love story in beautiful booklets for all your wedding guests.

Inspired by "Vows" in the New York Times, Ellen Braunstein, an award-winning California writer, partnered with Vanessa Ploski, a New York designer in the wedding invitation industry. They crossed the wedding invitation with a magazine to create 10 elegant designs in colors that coordinate with your reception or ceremony. The 12 - 16 page card stock booklets showcase engagement portraits and favorite snapshots.

This is not your grandmother's telling of a courtship story, the favor booklets tell your story with twists and turns, colored with warmth and tenderness. These stories are real and compelling- not sappy or cliche`. Here is a sample:

"Floyd takes pride in his peripheral vision- the ability to notice a good looking woman without getting caught, so thank goodness he didn't turn his head when he saw Gwen for the first time. His Hummer might have crashed into a school wall and bent the license plate."

Ellen says that two families will get to know each other by reading the story of how you came together - the beginning of your family history. One family knows the groom, the other knows the bride. By learning your story, they will know "us".

First you and your fiance are interviewed. Your story is turned into a manuscript, which you approve. Then choose, your style, colors, and see the design on screen, approve a proof and the order is shipped. Everything can be done by phone or email, easy and stress free.

Visit the website where you can read and see the booklets in three dimension.

www.courtship-stories.com

Phone: (877) 427-8584 or (909)499-3429

Ellen Braunstein
Writer and Creative Director
Courtship Stories and Tribute Stories
909.499.3429
888.427.8584

ellen@courtship-stories.com
www.courtship-stories.com

Straight From The Heart

“The most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love, and to let it come in."

Quote: Morrie Schwartz

Below an example of how to give love.



November 5th 2005, Salaam ( Takin' It To The Streets) founder of Girl Spirit Women Song Inc., made an extraordinary promise. 19 girls, representing Harriet Tubmans' 19 courageous journeys on the Underground Railroad, would be guided from girlhood to womanhood. Salaam's promise is to raise 1 million dollars for their college tuitions. This financial promise also includes making the girls scholastic and social ready for the big step into womanhood. This is quite an undertaking that you can share in:
Ask your guest to make a donation in leu of gifts ( you have the love of your life it's all you need)
In leu of favors make a donation, have the stationer make place cards about the donation. Your guest then will have information to give on their own.
This idea of giving can work with any of your favorite charities.

More on Ms Salaam

Up Coming Events for Girl Spirit

Do You Know Ann Lowe?

Ann Lowe
Designer

I recently received an email reminding me of this great woman.

"Being that this is black history month I thought you would enjoy this and know the legacy that you are carrying on when I think about it there are not that many African American wedding dress designers that I know about but after seeing this it just made me proud"

Did you know this woman designed one of the most famous wedding dresses in American?

Jacqueline Bouvier just married to John F. Kennedy

Ann Lowe designed and made Miss Bouvier's dress for the wedding of the century. In addition to the wedding gown she made all of the bridesmaids dresses too. What's even more amazing is that 10 days before the wedding a flood ruined all the dresses and Miss Lowe recreated every single dress in time for the big day.

Read more about Miss Lowe

Newport Weddings

Some more interesting facts:

According to Wikipedia, Ann Lowe also made the dress Olivia de Haviland wore for Academy Award win of Best Actress for To Each His Own. The name on the dress was Sonia Rosenberg.

It was tough finding a picture

Click here:

Olivia de Haviland Oscar Win

Miss Lowe was considered societies best kept secret and even though this sounds like a compliment, it is not one good for any business to be a secret. Do not keep Ann Lowe a secret anymore. Her creativity, skills, and legacy must be kept alive.

Pass this on.