Brides getting married in Oakland, PA this year, remember the Boulevard of the Allies bridge is now closed, resulting in serious roundabout detours.  As your wedding day draws closer, be sure to check detour maps--you may need to hand out a modified one at your ceremony!

Popular affected venues include Heinz Chapel, St. Paul's Cathedral, Phipps Conservatory, The Carnegie Museum and the popular photo sites around Pitt and CMU campuses.

Full story at http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07347/841299-53.stm.

Thanks to Cyndy Meyer for pointing this out!

We love Crate and Barrel, and C&B is returning the love if you're getting married:

Crate and Barrel introduces The Wedding Parties.  If you're about to be married, we're throwing a party in your honor.

Bring your partner or your friends. Our store is yours. Enjoy great food, drinks, music and our expert advice on registering. Our knowledgeable staff will be there to offer insight, support, plus home entertaining ideas for newlyweds and our newest registry guide. You'll also receive this brilliant handblown glass bowl as our gift. To RSVP today, call a store near you.

More info at http://www.crateandbarrel.com/aboutus/grEvents.aspx.

Are you trying to plan a bachelorette party, or shower, and need an online site to plan, organize and invite?  Microsoft recently launched Windows Live Events, a free service with the features you need:

Invite guests, add events directly to your preferred calendar software, or share post-party photos and blogs at Windows Live Events, Microsoft's foray into the online event planning field. In addition to standard online invitation features seen at Evite and other spots, Live Events allows the anticipated weather for an event to be displayed, along with pictures and maps chosen by the host. Live Events requires a Windows Live sign-up to use and can pull contacts from Hotmail accounts, but allows syncing through iCal, Google, and Yahoo calendars, along with Outlook.

This is certainly not an acceptable way to invite your guests to your wedding, but may fit the bill for organizing the less formal aspects of your wedding.

(hat tip: Lifehacker)

According to The Knot, creativity is the new word for 2008 weddings.

"Brides want to be anything but boring this year," explains Carley Roney, editor-in-chief of The Knot. "From resourceful ways to get the perfect look to decadent reception decor inspired by Sofia Coppola's fashion epic Marie Antoinette, surprising elements like '80s cover bands, and daring destinations, couples are going to new lengths to infuse their personalities into their big day."

Here are The Knot's picks for 2008 wedding trends:

BEAUTY & FASHION

STEAL THE LOOK (...WE MEAN, RENT IT!): Brides in lust with the luxury labels have found salvation at sites like bagborrowandsteal.com; for less than $100, you can rent a $2,600 pair of Vera Wang diamond and pearl-studded earrings or a Judith Leiber jeweled-encrusted clutch worth over $3,500.

SPLIT-PERSONALITY BRIDES: Brides are doing a double take during the wedding: doing presto-changos with their gowns (sometimes up to three wardrobe changes) and sneaking away during cocktail hour for a whole new hairdo (classic updos for the ceremony, then sexy tousled tresses on the dance floor!).

HEIRLOOM ENGAGEMENT & WEDDING RINGS: Jennifer Love Hewitt just got a bauble that's been in fiance Ross McCall's family for over 100 years. Alicia Silverstone wed Chris Jarecki wearing a ring crafted from his great-great-grandmother's ring. Passing down a time-honored piece of jewelry adds another layer of sentimentality that can't be bought in a store.

RECEPTION REDUX

THE "MARIE ANTOINETTE" WEDDING: We bet that Sofia Coppola had no idea that her fashionable blockbuster would inspire a whole new class of bourgeoisie brides! Lush floral centerpieces, rich gilded colors, big gowns, brocade, and decadent receptions are fit for royalty, complete with hand-painted invitations, champagne tasting bars, seven courses, and extravagant dessert displays!

'80'S COVER BANDS: Oh L'Amour! Couples are going beyond the classic wedding band and hiring '80s cover bands to play their favorite tunes from Men at Work, Madonna, and Michael Jackson. Other genre bands for hire: classic rock, college frat-house bands, swing orchestras, and Latin ensembles--along with hired dancers to get the party moving.

GREEN WEDDINGS: Couples continue to be earth-conscious in 2008: from email invites for weddings and festivities to serving up locally grown, free-range fare and donning bio-friendly wedding gowns made of 100 percent silk and cottons. They're also honeymooning at eco-resorts and gathering friends for charitable showers at soup kitchens and local park events.

GOING HI-TECH

THE SOCIAL NETWORK WEDDING: From viral proposal videos posted on YouTube to enhanced wedding web pages and Facebook-friend polling on first dance songs and menu options, weddings have become public planning ventures. Look for couples to log online, use blogs as "communication central," and, with new mobile technology, post on-the-road photos to get immediate feedback on decisions from their bridesmaids, friends, and family.

THE REAL WORLD: YOUR WEDDING: Couples will get celebrity exposure with major video footage of their wedding days, from "day in the life of" documentary-style videos to "same day edits" where ceremony photos and footage are highlighted at the reception. Guests become paparazzi with disposable video cameras on the tables (check out The Knot Shop).

TRAVEL

DARING DESTINATION WEDDINGS: The destination wedding trend will continue to evolve as new spots emerge. From taking guests on African safaris to skiing the slopes of Sundance, fly-fishing in Big Sky, Montana, and jetting off to Barcelona and Scottish castles!

HONEYMOONS ON STEROIDS: Twice as long, twice as far, twice as memorable: Couples are going the distance for their deluxe vacations.

               2007                               2008
----------------------------------------------------------------------
            Greek Isles                       Italian Coast
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       Cruise the Caribbean                  Cruise the Nile
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         Five-Star Resort                     Private Villa
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            Costa Rica                           Panama
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          African Safari                  East Asian Excursion
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Do you know why people tie cans to the back of the wedding car?  According to Mental Floss's 3 Bizarre Wedding Customs Nobody Questioned (Until Now!),

This tradition actually started during the Tudor period in England. As the bride and groom left in their carriage, wedding guests would throw their shoes at them because it was considered good luck if you hit the vehicle. Today that would be considered a lawsuit, so we tie them to the car instead. And since walking home from a wedding with only one shoe is no fun, Americans started using aluminum cans instead.

The other two customs are why we have a "ring finger", and why it's bad luck for a groom and bride to see each other on their wedding day.  Some of the comments are just as interesting as the article, too.

In response to one of the most stressful events in life, The Professor's House has opened up a new advice and relation section to combat the pre-wedding woes. For all about to be wives, husbands, in-laws, friends, and family, the new Wedding Information (http://www.professorshouse.com/family/relationships/relationships-weddings.aspx) section is a relief and a welcome resource for those in the throes of marital vows.

To help engaged couples and their family and friends deal with the long list of potential stressful issues that are likely to erupt, the website known for its commitment to life enhancement has launched their new section with stress reduction as its key focus. All under one quaint roof, engaged couples and their family members and friends can seek out advice and get down to earth useable information no matter what type of wedding information they are seeking.

"How awesome to have so much advice in one place. Every time I think I have all my ducks in their row," exclaims Georgia Houston of Hampton, "I find new questions and concerns, usually at three in the morning. Having an abundance of information in one place makes it easier to find out how others have handled the stress and even had fun at their own wedding!"

The details of an upcoming wedding are exhausting. There are churches or places of worship or outdoor locations to secure for the day. You need to find someone to marry you. People need wedding dresses, mother of bride dresses and bridesmaid dresses. There is a honeymoon to plan. There are details involving food, reception, drinks or the lack thereof, and of course, all the special festivities that go along with creating a very special occasion for a very special day. Nobody makes it through this time without a little help. And the more help that can be piled on, the better. That's why resources such as The Professor's House Wedding Information Section is so vital to reducing stress and making the big day all about the wedded couple instead of failed details. Sometimes, the only thing a future bride really needs is to laugh at the understanding that everyone has a crazy wedding story, and hers will seem just as funny some day.

Thankfully, resources such as this are out there, making a real dent in the stress of wedded bliss. By simply utilizing one solid resource, future brides, grooms and their friends and family can significantly reduce the expected stress levels and make the process of getting married much more enjoyable for everyone.

Not quite sure this is what we need...

Country music cable channel CMT is getting hitched to "My Big Redneck Wedding."

The reality series, to be hosted by thrice-married actor Tom Arnold, will premiere at 9:30 p.m. on January 11. The network ordered eight episodes.

Each episode will feature a different wedding, following the "most down-home country couples" as they take their trip down the aisle. The series will spotlight each wedding's "rustic eccentricities," whether it is a four-legged best man, a romantic beer-can canopy, a celebratory shotgun salute or a reception filled with mattress surfing and mud wrestling.

Press release at http://www.reuters.com/article/televisionNews/idUSN2064244420071220

According to the Conde Nast Bridal Group, December is the most popular time for marriage proposals (and, we're guessing, acceptances).

Our latest featured bouquet is perfect for the Christmas season!  This hand-tied bouquet featured twenty deep red and bicolor (Latin Lady) roses, seven white mini calla-lilies, red spray roses, red hypericum berries and cedar and salal greenery.  The stems were wrapped with white satin ribbon, and finished with a row of pearls.  Approximate price $200-$225.