Vision Boards to plan your wedding.

Pinterest is the new website that allows you to create virtual inspiration boards by “pinning,” or grabbing, e-images from your favorite wedding websites, style guides, or the site’s own user-generated content. To get started you’ll first need to request an invitation. Once you are granted access, they will guide you to install the bookmarklet, a device that enables you to grab images from other websites and then pin (a virtual tack) them with credit to the source on your board.
If you are more of a hands-on local gal but have never created a vision board before there is help. Lola Creative Arts is opening in Allegan. You can sign up for a vision board class. Not only will this get your creative juices flowing but the instructor’s help will keep you focused and organized.
“Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart. Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks inside awakens.” – Carl Jung

Amazing Prom Stories

In a move sure to inspire hundreds of copycats, 17-year-old Dakota Ridge High
School senior Conner Cordova used a series of YouTube videos to get UFC Octagon
Girl and Maxim model Arianny Celeste to go to the prom with him. The Colorado
teen took shamelessness to new heights to win his dream girl, including getting
UFC fighters to assist him, dancing like a fool in Las Vegas and wearing a fake
mustache. Arianny’s reply (which she posted a few weeks later): She’ll go to
prom, as long as Cordova has a date for her friend. Unsurprisingly, Cordova
didn’t seem to have any problems finding someone to fit the bill.

Mozilla Firefox users are continually coming up with inventive ways to promote
their favorite Web browser. A group of high school kids campaigned to have
Firefox (yes, the web browser) run for prom queen at their school. The
advertising is incredible, and they were almost successful. Unfortunately, the
school ruled that Web browsers were not eligible to become prom royalty.

He arrived in style: a black limo, a sharp tuxedo, a beautiful date and an
adoring crowd waiting for him. Eighty-four-year-old Kenneth Smith attended the
Chester High School prom night fashionably late. Decades late. Smith was drafted
into military service in 1943, before he could finish high school. He returned
home after World War II but never got his high school diploma. A friend arranged
for him to receive an honorary diploma from Chester High School, just outside
Philadelphia, and finally go to the prom. He did — at the Springfield Country
Club. Smith said this prom wasn’t just for him. He said it was also for all the
other soldiers who couldn’t make it to their own.

The title of homecoming queen is typically reserved for the head cheerleader or
student class president, but not so at one Texas high school where the queen saw
hundreds of onlookers moved to tears as she was crowned. The newly crowned queen
Kristin Pass was born with Down syndrome 18 years ago. The crowd at the Aledo
High School football stadium erupted into cheers and gave her a standing ovation
during halftime at an evening’s game. Down syndrome affects one in every 733
babies born each year, according to the National Down Syndrome Society, and
occurs when a person has three, not two, copies of the 21st chromosome.

Send us your prom stories. Inspirational, funny, or embarrassing.

Wedding Superstitions

Cake: The tradition of a wedding cake comes from ancient Rome, where revelers broke a loaf of bread over a bride’s head for fertility’s sake. The custom of tiered cakes emerged from a game where the bride and groom attempted to kiss over an ever-higher cake without knocking it over.

Music: Princess Victoria established the tradition of playing Wagner’s “Bridal Chorus” during her wedding processional in 1858.

Position of groom: The bride stands to the groom’s left during a Christian ceremony, because in bygone days the groom needed his right hand free to fight off other suitors.

Bachelor Party: Stag parties were first held by ancient Spartan soldiers, who kissed their bachelor days goodbye with a raucous party.

Flowers: Flowers have always been a big feature at Weddings. The Groom is supposed to wear a flower that appears in the Bridal Bouquet in his button-hole. This stems from the Medieval tradition of a Knight wearing his Lady’s colours, as a declaration of his love.

Carrying the bride: Coming home from Church can be equally hazardous. Tradition dictates the new wife must enter her home by the main door and, to avoid bad luck, must never trip or fall – hence the custom that a bride should be carried over the threshold.

White wedding gown: In ancient times, it was thought that the white wedding gown served to ward off evil spirits, symbolized a joyful celebration and purity.

Crying at weddings: It’s considered good luck for the bride to cry on her wedding day, as this symbolizes that she has shed all her tears and will not have any to shed during her marriage.

Time: Marrying when the hands on the clock are on their way down is bad luck. It`s considered far better to marry between the half hour and the hour, when the hands are moving back up, otherwise, your marriage will lways be going downhill.

Kiss: It was believed that the kiss was a means by which to exchange a part of each other, to transfer a part of themselves into the other’s soul and a way for the couples spirit to dwell in their spouse for all time. (How romantic!)

Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue and a Silver Sixpence in her Shoe

This rhyme originated in Victorian times.

‘Something Old’ was an old garter which was given to the bride by a happily
married woman so that the new bride would also enjoy a happy marriage.

‘Something New’ looks to the future for health, happiness and success.

‘Something Borrowed’ is an opportunity for the Bride’s family to give her
something as a token of their love (it must be returned to ensure Good Luck).

And ‘Something Blue’ is thought lucky because Blue represents fidelity and
constancy. The custom began in ancient Israel where brides wore a blue ribbon in
their hair to symbolise their fidelity. A sixpence was placed in the shoe to
bring the couple wealth in their married life. Some brides still place a penny
in their shoe during the marriage ceremony.

Winter Wedding Helpful Hints

When planning a winter wedding, begin the ceremony earlier in the day.  In the winter months, sunlight fades and temperatures drop quickly.  Having a winter wedding does not mean that you have to have an all white wedding with snowflakes and hints of silver.  Opt for warmer hues or metallics, plan a luscious menu of comfort foods and hot signature drinks. If the venue is already decorated for the holidays, compliment what is already there rather than competing with their decor.  This is a great way to help with your budget as well. Use the beautiful decorations that the city, hotels, and public squares have put in place for the holidays in your pictures!