Who pays?? For most newlyweds, they are.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Who is financing your wedding? For most newlyweds, they are.

HACKENSACK, NJ (October 24, 2008)-WedAlert.com, one of the most popular and fastest growing interactive online wedding planning directories on the Internet, today announced the results of its poll on who was financing their wedding.

The choices and results were as follows*:
Parents of Bride: 15%
Parents of Groom: 1%
The Couple: 57%
Combination of the above: 27%

This clearly reflect the changes in traditional financing of the wedding, where the parents of the bride primarily footed the bill. "It also reveals that couples today are more financially able to pay the expenses associated with a wedding than brides and grooms of the past", says David Ciccolella, a founder of WedAlert.

*Poll Disclaimer: WedAlert.com polls reflect the views of those who choose to respond and are not scientifically valid surveys. The results cannot be assumed to represent the opinions of Internet users in general, nor the public as a whole. WedAlert.com is not responsible for the content or opinions expressed in the polls.

About WedAlert.com Established in 1995, with headquarters in Hackensack, NJ, WedAlert.com is one of the most popular and fastest growing interactive online wedding planning directories on the Internet whose mission is to match the local bride and groom with wedding professionals in their geographic area, taking them from the engagement all the way through to the “I do” straight through to the honeymoon. By offering free access to the largest wedding song library on the Internet and other multimedia tools, such as virtual tours and streaming video, WedAlert.com saves couples both valuable time and money involved in planning their wedding. For more information, please visit www.WedAlert.com.

A Maui Destination Wedding

I would like to discuss some of the advantages of a Maui destination wedding. These advantages include greater freedom, flexibility and financial control.

Planning a wedding in your home town will most likely mean that many family members and friends are going to want to help you plan it, unlike planning a Maui wedding. Chances are they might have some strong opinions, too. And, can you say "no" to your finance's mother who insists on paying for a cigar bar at your reception, while you happen to loathe cigars?

Planning for a wedding afar, especially to a premium destination such as Maui, changes all that. You can blithely say, "Oh, my wedding planner already booked us a smoke-free venue," or... you might not even invite anyone except your fiancé - something you can get away with in Hawaii, but not at the country club at home. The Beaverton relatives despise the Campanos' family - no problem. They can work it out while watching your wedding on Maui on streaming video at home and you won't have to witness the drama.

On the other hand, if you love the idea of having Mom, mother-in-law-to-be and six bridesmaids planning the whole affair, invite them and they can help out strewing petals and making shell centerpieces. Along this same vein, say you have long fantasized a bridal processional preceded by six Tahitian drummers in flowered loin cloths on a dream Maui beach. If you wanted to do this at home, and could even find the Tahitian drummers, what would Aunt Mildred say? In Pittsburgh, probably a lot. On Maui, she would just shrug and say "well, I guess 'when in Rome...'" She might actually love it, especially after a mai tai or two.

Because it is much easier to control the guest list in a destination wedding, it is easier to control the spending. You won't be expected to invite everyone you know or your sister knows, and even if you do, they won't all come. Because of the distance involved, people have to make a real effort and commitment to come to your Maui destination wedding, and only the ones who really want to be there will come. And, that's good. You probably won't get cousin Ed's former dorm mates, who are only looking for free drinks and cut bridesmaids. Another financial bonus is numerous, beautiful free Maui wedding sites.

So, in conclusion, a destination wedding in Maui or other lovely exotic locales will allow you more fun and freedom to plan the wedding of your dreams. You will likely save money, which you can use to hire a helicopter to escape to a different Hawaiian island, fleeing friends and family who do follow you after the wedding. And, they will be find, swimming, surfing, para gliding and trying to find the phone numbers of those Polynesian drummers.

by Rev. Ayesha Sandra Lee
Merry Maui Weddings & Vacations

Mahalo!

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A bride on the TV show Bridezillas using WedAlert to find a DJ for her wedding.

FALL WEDDINGS: PHOTOGRAPHY EXPERT SHARES TOP PICTURESQUE SPOTS AND CREATIVE PHOTO TIPS

Photography Expert Shares Creative Tips & The Top National Destinations For Beautiful Fall Wedding Photos

With autumn starting on September 22nd, we are seeing the changing seasons bring about rich shades of scarlet, gold, and burnt orange. Fall is a stunning time for your wedding day, and with 35% of weddings taking place outdoors and 26.4 % of weddings taking place in the fall – many are gearing up for the big day during nature’s brilliant season!

“Fall weddings are some of the most memorable and colorful weddings that we see all year,” explains Dan Creviston of George Street Photo and Video. “There are so many natural elements in motion, photographers can get very creative with landscapes and backdrops and couples brighten their wedding with vibrant, foliage centerpieces, stunning seasonal dress colors, and bright floral arrangements,” he adds.

Dan can share some of the hottest fall wedding trends, provide expert tips for stunning fall wedding photography, and the top 10 national venues for breathtaking fall wedding shots.

DIY Tips for Stunning Fall Wedding Photography:

· Autumn foliage showcases its finest colors in the second week of October – shoot then!

· Photograph around sunrise and sunset for the best light and color.

· Photograph outdoors when your shadow is longer than you are, usually in the late afternoon.

· Don’t discount overcast days – colors are more saturated and shadows are softer.

· Get up close: A sweeping picture of a couple amongst the fall foliage is beautiful, but a close up of a couple under one tree works as well.

Top 10 National Venues for Picturesque Wedding Photos:

1. Frederick Douglass National Historic Site, Washington (for views of Capitol)

2. Beaver Chief Falls, Glacier National Park, Mont.

3. George Washington & Jefferson National Forest, Va./W.Va./Ky.

4. Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah

5. Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, Nevada

6. Everett Road Covered Bridge, Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Ohio

7. Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Calif.

8. Freedom Trail, Boston National Historic Park, Mass.

9. Governors Island, N.Y. (for views of two forts)

10. El Tovar Hotel, Grand Canyon National Park, Ariz.

George Street Photo & Video:
George Street Photo and Video continuously makes wedding days unforgettable for couples throughout Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana. They have locations in Chicago, Lisle, and Schaumburg.