To mark Veteran's Day last week, One Enchanted Evening in nearby Wexford, PA gave away gowns to military brides.  Gowns normally retailing for hundreds or thousands of dollars were sold for zilch.  If you missed it, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette had a front-page article in the Nov. 11 issue (available online at http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06315/737545-85.stm).  We thought they deserved a shout-out.

Something we've seen at a few weddings this year are photobooks used a guestbooks.  These photobooks are compiled by the couple, featuring some of their favorite photos and plenty of space for guests to write on the pages.  One great place to create a custom photo album is Shutterfly.  You can upload your digital photos, or send them your film.  Then, you can design your album yourself, picking page layouts and which photos go on each page.  It's very simple, and makes a great keepsake (especially with all the good wishes from your wedding guests).  They variety of book types and colors, including wedding-specific styles, so be sure to look around a bit.

If you visit our shop, you can actually see one of these books.  We've been a Shutterfly customer for years, almost every photo you see in our albums was printed by Shutterfly.  Our albums are so heavily used that we recently made a special photobook featuring our favorite bouquets.  Not only do our bouquets look great, but we receive a number of compliments of how nice the book itself is.  The photo below is one of their samples, very similar to the one we created for our shop.

Imagine having your wedding in a beautifully restored building from 1906.  The Grand Ballroom at Cornerstone Commons features 16-foot high ceilings, carved oak trim and gold leafed details.  Located at the corner of Main and Cunningham, the building was most recently the home of the Butler County Chamber of Commerce.  It was purchased two years ago and has undergone extensive renovations.  The Grand Ballroom is on the third floor, and the large windows provide views of Main street and the surrounding areas.  If you've ever seen Butler decorated for the winter holidays, you'll know these views will be treasures.

For more information (as well as some photos), visit http://www.cornerstoneballroom.com/.

For many years, we recommended Linda Clifford of Clifford Keepsakes for wedding bouquet preservation.  We came to know her through a number of bridal shows, and the good service and quality work she provided.  This year, we've had complaints from three of our brides that they have been unable to reach Linda for quite some time, and are concerned about their bouquets.  We've attempted to call Linda, but her business phone is not being answered.  We are shocked and disappointed that her service has taken such a dramatic turn, and we'll continue to try and contact Linda to resolve any outstanding issues.  We hope this is a simple oversight on her part, but right now we have no idea what's up.  We deeply apologize to anyone who's been inconvenienced through our recommendation.

Our featured bouquet for October, 2006 is a beautiful hand tied bouquet made with Mango mini calla lilies, Leonidas roses, Freedom red roses, Circus bi-color roses, hypericum and seeded eucalyptis.  You don't need to look too hard to see how the colors in this bouquet match the colors of the season!  Click the photo for a larger view.

Here's one way to really set your wedding apart--you can make your own paper.  Your paper could be used for programs, or invitations, or even place cards.  This isn't something you would want to do on a very large scale, but the results would be very dramatic and unique.  It doesn't look that hard, but it will take some time to make enough for your purposes.  You can see the process at http://flickr.com/photos/bzedan/sets/967347/.

(Hat tip: Lifehacker)

One sure thing with weddings is that brides want to make theirs unique and special.  We've found a new rose variety that is both.  Eufloria Flowers' Marrakesh is a newer variety which features a high petal count and a large head which opens into a large, full bloom.  It's the color that's so different--it was described on the entry card as "brilliant copper with accents of pink and lavendar", and by their sales manager as "caramel mocha with a pink cast".  We've tried to keep the color as true as possible in the photos below, but it's still slightly off from what the flower looks like naturally.

What makes this a great rose for a princess wedding?  The Queen of Holland carried a bouquet of these roses in the Queen's Day parade earlier this year.  That's about as royal as you can get.

(click on the photos for a larger view)

Technically, this is probably a groom/groomsman trend, but we're filing it under Bridal Trends all the same.

Bling for the groom or groomsman!  One of the latest trends for boutonnieres is the Flower Filigreee cone, an ornate holder which can hold a single rose head or small boutonniere.  Rather than needing a pin, a very strong pair of magnets easily attaches the boutonniere to the lapel, and holds them secure.  Right now, there are two styles (shown below).  This is a great detail to add to an elegant wedding, or one where you want the groom's flowers to stand out a little more.

Word of caution--very strong magnets are involved.  Don't put these on someone with a pacemaker or similar medical device.

<update 2007-07-30>

We don't have these online yet because we usually sell them as part of the flower package.  If you'd like to order these, please call us at 800-729-1711.  Thanks!