Have stacks of bridal magazines, visits to bridal shows, and long hours spent researching vendors been replaced with blogs, lap tops, and tweets? 

To a degree yes. Brides looking for a way to glam up their wedding, simplify their planning, or maximize their budget are finding it through social media.

The quick and effective exchange of information is what brides are hungry for, as they fit wedding planning into their already busy lives, and what makes planning with social media so enticing. On any given day, you may find an L.A. bride planning who is her perfect day in the South, tweeting looking for a wedding photographer in Atlanta, any suggestions? or updating her Facebook status, and, within minutes, she can have dozens or hundreds of referrals from other brides and other vendors.

When a bride engages others with social media, she cannot only plan her wedding but get instantaneous feedback, share information, find inspiration, and get the scoop on what is hot around the country, not just in her particular locale. And, it is not only the brides who are in on this top wedding vendors from around the country promote their businesses by sharing what would otherwise be pricey, valued information on their blogs, Facebook pages, and with their tweets.

With many couples no longer living and marrying in their Hometown social media keeps families and friends in the know as well. Bride-to-be, and author of the blog Hey Gorgeous, Rhiannon Banda-Scott has taken advantage of the information exchange and instant connections social media offers, "Without social media, planning my wedding would be impossible. With my fiance in Chicago, me in Toronto and bridesmaids in Colorado, New York, and Michigan, keeping in touch with everyone and bouncing around ideas would be very hard to do."

So, while a bride can take a poll about which bridesmaids dresses her blog readers prefer, or tweet about finding a good band, to finalize the plans, she will have to step away from the computer or lay down her cell at times. Social media can lay the ground work and streamline her decision making, but there are wedding planning tasks, such as viewing venues, gown shopping, and interviewing vendors, that can only be accomplished the old fashioned way in person.

Finally, with all the advantages social media can provide, the etiquette is still evolving. For example, a bride may want to set up a private blog or invite-only Facebook page to update guests, rather than offending someone on her friend list when their expected invitation never arrives. Additionally she should also be sure to pay that visit to, or make that phone call to Mom and Dad about the engagement before tweeting it to her 1500 followers. All in all, brides should use social media as the valuable tool it is, but remain aware of complexities of the real world too.

Article by By Holly Lefevre

Holly Lefevre is the author of The Everything Wedding Etiquette Book (Adams Media, December 2009). More wedding advice and expertise can be found at Hip Weddings

Valentine's Day is one of the most popular engagement days of the year, especially for celebrity proposals. 

In recent years, Harrison Ford, Vince Vaughn, and even Howard Stern popped the question on Valentine's Day. With the upcoming romantic comedies Leap Year and the aptly named Valentine's Day, Hollywood is buzzing about the perfect engagement ring and hottest proposals.

Celebrities including Amy Adams, Rachel Bilson, and Jessica Alba wear platinum rings because they know it's the best metal- it's naturally-white, so it makes diamonds sparkle brighter, and it also holds the center gemstone securely. Platinum's durability means it will stand up to everyday wear, making it last for generations.

This Valentine's Day, you can get the same celebrity style for less, in platinum! To see more engagement ring styles, visit www.preciousplatinum.com.

Facebook. Twitter. Blog. Online Gallery. What do these words mean to today’s engaged couple? Choice… endless choice!

Today’s bride and groom are incredibly tech-savvy; he or she is looking for each piece of the Wedding Day to be a statement, to be unique, and to be “on-demand”. Potential clients want information, quotes and contracts from their vendors now or they move on to the next vendor on their list.

Facebook and Twitter are amongst the most avidly used Social Media tools by today’s bride and groom outside of visiting a vendors website. Through these two simple on-line services, a couple can not only interact with their wedding vendors in a real-time environment, but they can catch a glimpse of the personal lives of their vendors. All of these details add up to give a client a very intimate relationship with his or her vendor that may not have been available just five years ago.

Wedding vendors without a web presence, especially during this economic slowing, suffer, due to lack of exposure. With the internet available at just about every desk in America, brides and grooms with little personal time outside of their jobs can search for their wedding vendors and compare prices, services and personal philosophies from vendors who live across the city, across the country or even across the world!

In addition to the growing market for Wedding Vendors available to bride- and groom-to-be’s, and the transparency of many vendors’ pricing, suddenly today’s bride and groom has the ability to negotiate. And negotiate they do! With the virtually endless availability of the internet (personal and office computers, laptops, cell phones, Smart Phones, and now even the i-generation – iPhone, iTouch, etc.) and its wealth of information, this decade is shaping up to be an incredibly demanding one for all Wedding Vendors.

So, what does all this choice, competition and transparency of services and pricing mean to today's engaged couples? A truly self-made wedding, on-time, on-budget and On-Demand.

By Meaghan Schmaltz of Weddings Made Splendid
Until next time…
You cut the cake; I’ll cut the chaos!

This Thanksgiving make sure you present your feast with style! Most of us get overwhelmed with all the logistics involved in creating the perfect Thanksgiving night, however, it can truly be simple when you have the correct guidance. Minoo Hersini, Creative Director at Au Ciel Design Studio shows you the right elements in order to create a masterpiece.

* Make sure your table is asymmetrical to make it more interesting.
* Work with your market. Use various clay containers and fill them up individually with seasonal berries and weave tree barks throughout your clay containers.
* Don't forget your candles in between.Use a variety of fall colors in different sizes and shapes to keep it original.
* Include as many different flowers and plants as possible. Youl coul use vanda orchids, cymbidium orchids, coral gloriosas, peonias, date branches, grand prix roses, fatsia leaves and feathers were used.
* Use this concept all along the table. It is best to create this concept with a long rectangular table.
* For a simpler table setting, intertwine berry and huckleberry branches throughout the table. Also, you can add single blooms or petals of flowers in various fall tones and add your candle in between.
* Lastly and most importantly, have fun, be creative and enjoy your festivities!

I saw this deal yesterday and I was pretty amazed at this price. I would hurry if you want them, though because you never know when prices will go up!!

You can get 50 customized wedding invitations with white envelopes for $15.16 shipped to you door (also great prices if you need more or less). There actually is a fairly decent selection with modern and traditional choices. The only down side I saw is there is no RSVP return option- so if you wanted to do this deal you may have to be creative or just "go green " by having an email RSVP.

There also is a larger selection of Save the date options (than I mentioned in this earlier post) and these have envelopes.

But this definitely is a great deal for the budget bride and saves any hassle of printing you our on your computer.

The same advice I give couples buying an engagement ring holds true when shopping for the wedding bands: Select rings you’ll be happy wearing everyday of your life.

Remember, your wedding rings are not “of-the-moment” purchases, like many that constitute the bulk of your wedding budget. They remain long past the flowers and wedding cake. So why wouldn’t you invest in the finest and most enduring symbols to express your greatest commitment?

Think of it this way, if you had to wear one outfit all the time you’d choose wisely, buying the most durable, comfortable, beautiful fabric crafted in an enduring style that speaks to your personality. The same applies to the one symbolic, signature accessory you will wear day in and day out.

Unarguably, a great deal of attention is paid to the bride’s engagement ring, which merely signifies the “promise” of impeding nuptials. But the wedding bands, the actual symbols of your marriage and commitment, are often relegated to last minute decisions when they should be your highest priority.

On average, couples spend $29,000 for their wedding, excluding the honeymoon, with more than 50% allocated to the reception, and less than 10% earmarked for both wedding bands. Some bridal budgets suggest allocating higher percentages for one-offs like invitations, music and favors than the more important rings.

I advise couples look to at wedding bands while shopping for the engagement ring. If not then, at least begin shopping six months prior to your wedding date. Most jewelers offer layaway plans so you can pay off the rings over time. I’ve found that couples who wait to buy their wedding bands until the eleventh hour of the planning process end up relinquishing smart considerations like platinum and extras like diamonds because they’ve gone over budget by then.

Keep the wedding bands in the forefront of your planning. Typically the bride selects a band that complements her engagement ring (another reason to shop sooner than later). About 60% of brides include diamonds in their band. For grooms, comfort fit is a critical attribute, although some 15% also want diamonds.
The trend is for rings imbued with meaning and character—customized in some way from textured finishes to carved symbols and engraved inscriptions. Platinum’s durability mean that these will last longer and not wear down as easily. Men are becoming much more adventurous in the band styles they choose, as jewelry designers expand selections for gents.

When deciding on your bands, remember it’s not so much about matching design as it is harmonizing. I advocate metal harmony in all the wedding rings. And of all the metals, platinum provides the durability expressing the greatest commitment.

Hypoallergenic, platinum jewelry is generally 95% pure, unlike 18k-gold that is only 75% pure. The pure white luster of platinum enhances the true brilliance of diamonds and is the ideal background for colored gems. Its density and weight make it more durable than other jewelry metals, able to hold stones securely in their settings. Platinum is resistant to heat and acids and does not wear down as quickly as other jewelry metals. (Tip For Brides: don’t wear a platinum engagement ring against a white gold wedding band, or vice versa.) Hence, metal harmony!

Also, the groom need not match the design of his band to that of his bride’s, allowing him to select a style that best suits his personality. Yet choosing the same metal as the bride is the defining element that bonds the two rings. See the beauty of metal harmony?

And, while platinum may be slightly more expensive than gold, it offers the best return on investment and the best long-term value for couples. If you’re on a tighter budget you should know that many fine jewelry designers are creating platinum styles at very affordable price points these days. So, do you really need a sit down dinner? Why not try the buffet and place your money on the items that will last a lifetime!

By Michael O’Connor, Jewelry and Style Expert

Did you know that Vista Print offers free postcards (there is a small shipping charge of around $6). These cards are a great way to take care of your Save the Date card in a really affordable way.

There are not a lot of choices but once you get to the site and click on the postcards you can search for "wedding". All the wedding choices will come up and there are maybe 10 that would work for Save the Date cards.

Another option is to upload your own file- but this will cost a bit more. I think is is around $5 to do your own upload (still not a bad deal).

Then you can order matching custom labels for only $1.49.

Ivanka Trump said I Do recently wearing PLATINUM jewelry from her own collection, Ivanka Trump Fine Jewelry (photo on left).

Ivanka custom designed a platinum and diamond hairpiece to accent her veil. She also chose a pair of platinum and diamond cluster earrings, and a platinum and diamond Art Deco link bracelet. Her jewelry contained over 42-carats of diamonds.

Ivanka's cushion-cut diamond engagement ring was also set in platinum.

Celebrities including Christina Hendricks, Jenna Dewan, Jennifer Lopez, Salma Hayek, Fergie, Jessica Alba, Khloe Kardashian, Kendra Wilkinson also wore platinum jewelry on their wedding day. Why platinum? Platinum is durable and loses little metal in every day wear, which means that wedding jewelry can be passed along as heirloom items.

Thanks goes to That's Caring for their giveaway to our lucky Bridal Scoop Readers.

We have chosen the winner and already notified them.

The winner of the That's Caring Tub Therapy Giveaway is Pamela

Thanks so much for all who entered