Wonderful Wedding Forums

Apologies for the length of time between posts -- a cold bug had me waylaid and struggling to get myself into workable form. But I'm back, feeling better, and want to talk to you ladies about a great source of wedding-planning information -- wedding forums!

Wedding forums, while often affiliated with a popular wedding website (such as The Knot or WeddingBells), are inherently different from said mother company -- and thats the fabulous thing about them. Wedding websites are helpful in that they give you a good starting point for ideas and schemes for your Big Day; unfortunately, many brides-to-be find them more then a tad pretentious. And thats where the wedding forums come in.

Wedding forums are essentially a free place for real brides to get together and discuss ways to achieve their dream wedding, whether this be through do-it-yourself heaven or the recomendation of incredible vendors (NOT paid advertising, but coming straight from the mouths of those that have recently used them). I relied heavily upon wedding forums in the planning of my day, and through them was able to hear about and come up with oodles of marvelous wedding ideas. You don't need to post to be a part of these online communities -- just begin "snooping" every day or so on one or two of them, and I can gurantee that you will stumble across ideas that pique your interest. You may have to register to get initial access, but I have never had the problem of spamming from ANY of the following sites. Here are my absolute favorites:

WeddingBells Forum

This is the one I used primarily throughout my own planning. If you're a canadian bride, its the place to be.

Canadian Bride Forum

WeddingBells competition in the forum market, and just as good. The bonus with this forum is that vendors are allowed to post (in ONE section only, so no spamming), which gives you access to literally hundreds of suppliers that you might not normally have heard of. *Ahem* my company does a wee bit of posting here from time-to-time -- check out epiphpaper's posts!

The Knot Forum

The be-all and end-all for wedding forums. Incredible ideas, especially for you american ladies!

Indie Bride Forum

For those looking for not-so-typical wedding ideas. I LOVE this site!

And there you go, ladies. That should keep you busy for a while!

A Wedding Idea to Flip Over

So crazy it might just be fabulous ...

If you're like most brides, after your wedding you'll have a photo album full of pictures, a dvd full of video, and a head full of memories. These are always lovely, imperative, and traditional. But what if you're looking for a unique addition to that box of post-wedding keepsakes?

Enter FlipClips, an on-line company that will take any 30-second video and turn it into a sassy little flipbook memento (click here to check out a short video). Starting at only $8.99, FlipClip books are absolutely adorable with their retro-chic appeal and distinct personality. You simply have to upload the clip to their website, select an appropriate booksize, and design the cover. Thats it! FlipClips ships all over the world, and has been exceedingly well-received by press and clients alike.

I love the idea of having my very own flipbook. I used to make my own crappy stick-figure ones on the corners of books I was supposed to be using for "scholastic purposes" way back when, and now I can have one thats actually starring me! I can't stop thinking about the possibilities: bridesmaid gifts, shower favours, gifts-for-the-parents ... Let your inner-child run wild!

*allimages courtesy of FlipClips*