THE STRINGS OF A GUITAR

No one can say it better than Christopher Dunn- so here is his bio direct from his website:

"A native of Maryland, United States, Christopher Dunn received his Bachelors of Music, Masters of Music and Graduate Performance Diploma from Peabody Conservatory. Mr. Dunn was a recipient of the Peabody Merit Award and Howard County Arts Scholarship during his studies with Julian Gray, Ray Chester and Manuel Barrueco at the conservatory.
Mr. Dunn is owner/president of Classical Guitar Ceremonies Inc. performing for up to 175 clients annually providing music for Maryland, Washington DC, Virginia, Pennsylvania and Delaware. Clients have included private clientele, state politicians, senators, diplomats, and Fortune 200 companies. Mr.Dunn's company was featured in "The Knot" 2008 Real Weddings.
As a founding member of the Aurora Guitar Quartet, recent concerts seasons have included concerts in United States, Costa Rica and Japan. The quartet will be performing in Canada, Europe and the United States in 2008-09 and is releasing a new Latin American CD spring of 2008. Mr.Dunn also performs as a soloist and in the The Dunn- Stornant Duo with flautist Rachel Stornant. In 2003 Dunn performed Vivaldi's A Major concerto in Costa Rica with the Sinfonica Independencia Orchestra. In addition to classical performances, Mr Dunn performs as a studio musician for popular music groups/song writers and is part of a new mix media electronic group in Baltimore with poet Stephen Reichert."

I love his sound and he is cute too! His selections are not the usual wedding music, but a lovely collection of unique and lilting melodies. Please check out his website, listen to beautiful music and find out more about Christopher and his guitar.

Photos and Bio courtesy of Christopher Dunn

GET MARRIED WITH COLIN COWIE

Let Colin Cowie help you design a perfect wedding on a budget! Tune in to Get Married every day for tips on everything from dresses to honeymoons. Learn from the experts how to have a dream wedding without breaking the bank! Here's a clip from one of the episodes on budgets and perfect weddings:

Get Married is on every weekday at 7:30 AM on Lifetime. It's worth getting up for!!

Another great resource for you budget savvy brides is the Get Married website and Blogger Brides. Here you will find tips, advice from experts, other brides, blogs and more. Go shopping from the wonderful list of sponsors or check out the star bloggers and their blog posts. You can build a wedding website, keep track of that budget, your registry and what you still need to do. So, visit my friends at Get Married and watch the show. You will definitely have a picture perfect day!!

MY LITTLE ANGEL

A little while back I wrote about my little granddaughter and the horrible wrenching of my heart because of my daughter's actions. I wanted to take a break from the bridal world to update you and introduce you to my little angel- my heart! She is the best thing ever to happen to me and she is a wonderful and bright child- funny, creative and a joy to know! Her little world is in upheaval right now, but I am working with the court system and her school to try make things a little easier for her. Ailish is 5 and in kindergarten. She is reading, she loves to count and she has an imagination that won't quit! Enjoy the photos!!

WINTER FUN- Snow angels and my first time ice skating

SLEEPOVERS AT NANNY'S- I love to cuddle with Nanny

BAKING VALENTINES- I love to help Nanny cook and I have my own apron















MY FIRST HAIRCUT- after I tried to do it myself!














MR PHILLIP AND I BACKSTAGE AT THE NUTCRACKER-I LOVE the ballet

A HONEYMOON ADVENTURE

There's a new trend in wedding registries- well, maybe not so new, that seems to me a great idea for many couples. Many of you are already established with a home and don't want to go to your favorite department store and walk through trying to figure out what to put on a registry. So, start a honeymoon registry. This gives your guests the oppportunity to give you a gift that will will be more beneficial and make your honeymoon exciting- maybe with a few surprises.

This honeymoon adventure is one that is sure to please all of you who enjoy the water and the beach. Pura Vida Adventures has a honeymoon package that is the perfect blend of excitement, adventure and relaxation. Spend the day learning to ride the waves, taking yoga class and enjoying the beautiful beach. Then relax in your luxurious accommodations and enjoy exotic cuisine in the evening, topped off with a moonlight stroll on the beach. This resort is in Malpais, Costa Rico at the Hotel Tropico Latino. Here's what you get with the honeymoon package:

The revitalizing seven-day, six-night adventure combines surfing, yoga andrich cultural experiences, along with the expansive rainforest and stunningbeachfront locale, for a rich and fulfilling retreat.- Daily Surf Instruction (Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced)- Daily Relaxing Yoga Classes- Private Beachfront Villa and Bungalows at the Deluxe Hotel Tropico Latino
- One-Hour Beachfront Massage (with a full menu of spa amenities available)- All Meals (delectably fresh and inventive cuisine served at both the hotel's open air "Playa Boa" and the select local restaurants)- And more...

You can also plan your entire wedding with Pura Vida Adventures. If you are looking for the perfect Destination Wedding- here is one that will be sure to please everyone on your guest list. This honeymoon adventure is worth looking into!

CALLING ALL 2010 BRIDES

My friends at My Jean M have lots of news!!! First, there are some beautiful new designs like these- Lindsey and Bridget. And they are all so pretty it will be hard to decide! You can also see the Monique Lhuillier collection

















The other BIG news is that they are having an awesome contest for brides getting married in 2010. Not only will you get an amazing package from Jean M, but, you will be featured on Get Married!! Makes me wish I was getting married! Here are the details:

Jean M (www.MyJeanM.com), a leader in unique and stylish wedding invitations, accessories, favors and gifts, today announced the launch of its Jean M 2010 Bride Search. Brides with wedding dates during 2010 have the opportunity to submit home videos that describe how she will make her wedding unique while showcasing her personality and her style. The 2010 Jean M Bride Search was announced on the Jean M website midnight central time on February 14, 2009 and will run through April 13, 2009, 4 pm central time. Brides can upload their entries on Facebook, MySpace, del.ic.ious, stumbleupon and Digg.

Visitors to www.JeanM.com can then vote daily on their favorite bride videos, and the top 20 videos with the most votes will be reviewed by the Jean M judging panel which will select one

Jean M Bride Search winner. The 2010 Jean M Bride Search winner will be awarded a prize package including:
$4,000 worth of Jean M product
An all-day consultation with Jean Anderson, founder and president of Jean M
Her wedding details featured in the Jean M catalog and on www.MyJeanM.com
A feature on a Get Married segment OMG My Wedding is on TV!, which is aired weekdays on Lifetime Television and at www.GetMarried.com

So, get those videos ready and click here for your chance to be the lucky bride at Jean M.

LOOKING GOOD

Allison Blass contacted me about this great photography campaign that Nikon is doing called Look Good In Pictures. Carson Kressley has a series of videos giving great tips and talking with experts on how to acheive a perfect look for your wedding day. I am passing it along for all of you beauties, so that you will be a vision on your special day! Since I just did a series on photographers, I thought this would be a great follow up! Have fun watching!!
This video features Susan Stripling.


This one features two editors from Bride's Magazine.



This one also features Susan.

Thanks to Allison and Nikon for sharing these videos.

THERE'S A SMALL HOTEL...

...in Philadelphia that I just have to tell you about! It's called the Independent and it is right in the heart of ceter city. There are special packages for all of you brides who want to block your out of town guest rooms in a more quaint and relaxing environment. Here's a little insight into these packages:

"The Independent Hotel offers group discounts for a wedding block of (10) confirmed guestrooms or more and for wedding blocks of (15) confirmed guest rooms or more the Bride & Groom receive Complimentary Wedding Night accommodations, Fresh Flowers, Champagne on ice and Chocolates to devour….Each overnight guest within your wedding block will receive an in-room bottle of wine - chilled to perfection and exceptional service during their stay. "

You can see more about this lovely little gem on the Style Network- if you are an early morning riser, at 5:30AM on March 20 or on Fox 29 in Philadelphia on March 22 at 3PM. Here is a clip of the TV spot.

Thanks to Rachel Rowan for introducing me to this new little haven in the bustle of the city- perfect for your out of town guests! Contact Rachel for more information or to block rooms for your wedding.

Photos and video courtesy of The Independent Hotel

SPOTLIGHT ON PHOTOGRAPHY- PART 3

My final entry in this series is Karen Wise Photogrpahy. I have worked with Karen and she is great! These photo collages come from Karen's blog. You have seen her work on my blog at other times. Karen was named in the top 10 wedding photogrphers last year by American Photo Magazine. You can see why in these pictures. She takes lots of pictures and is very flexible. Based out of New York, Karen will travel anywhere to make your wedding pictures a lasting memory that you will thoroughly enjoy! So, go take a look at Karen's website and her blog- and ENJOY what you see!

Photos courtesy of Karen Wise

SPOTLIGHT ON PHOTOGRAPHERS- PART 2

Photographer #2 in my spotlight series is Laura Pedrick. These are photos of a wedding she and I did in October. It was a marathon day for both of us! But we had a great time working together and she took so many photos! She never stopped shooting. Laura is professional, fun and goes the extra mile to see that every moment of your wedding is caught on film She even made an extra trip the Tuesday after the wedding to get some formal shots, as there was no time to do it on the wedding day. I love Laura and I know you will too. You can see more of this wedding on her web site, as well as other wedding photos.

SPOTLIGHT ON PHOTOGRAPHERS

There are so many photographers and so many styles to choose from that it gets overwhelming! So, I thought I would showcase three wonderful people that deserve your consideration when deciding on

who will capture the moments of your wedding day.

The first photographer is John O'Boyle. John is an award winning staff photographer for the New Jersey Star Ledger and an amazing photo journalistic wedding photographer. He has documented historical moments in history- Hurricane Katrina, 9-11, sports- World Series, US Open, and many other events such as presidential inaugurations and papal visits. He has also documented many weddings with a beautiful touch a perfect mix of color and black and white film.

Here are some of the questions John has been asked and his answers. When choosing a photographer for your wedding, these are the things you will want to know:

How would you describe your style?As a photojournalist
I want to capture special moments that will allow you to relive your wedding day for years to come. My photos never look the same since I keep my eyes open for the photos that make your day unique.

Do you shoot posed group photos?
Of course, these photos are an important part of your family history. I shoot the wedding party and immediate family photos in a quick and efficient manner. I spend more time photographing the bride and groom, since you are the stars of the day, but I want you to spend the most time possible with your guests.

What is the most important skill for a wedding photographer?
Getting along well with people and having fun.

What sets you apart from other wedding photographers?
For 20 years and counting I have been working in the high-pressure world of photojournalism. Working in the New York City metro area allows me to work side by side with some of the world's finest photographers. All the competition keeps you on your toes since you can't miss a shot.A personal portrait session with a Yankees player or a Governor is a challenge since I'm usually allowed only 5 minutes to produce a series of creative portraits. This type of experience sure helps ease the pressure of a wedding day.

Do you shoot color and black and white?
I shoot all my photos in color. I convert some to black and white.

What kind of equipment do you use?
I use the highest quality professional digital cameras and lenses. I keep your digital files safe by storing them on multiple hard drives as well as on off-site servers.
How can people see more of your work?
My website is http://www.johnoboyle.com/ and you can email me at john@johnoboyle.com