Attention Brides and Grooms-to-be … have you booked your photographer yet? Are you thinking about an engagement shoot but have yet to pull the trigger? If not, this might be just what you need.

On Saturday May 15th in NYC’s historic Central Park, 10 couples will experience an Engagement Photo Day with photographer Christopher Duggan of Threshold Visions. This is a perfect opportunity to meet with Christopher and “sample the goods”. Photography is such an intimate and vital element of your wedding day and to be able to work with your prospective photographer and get a sense of his talent, style and your chemistry is a rarity.

If you are chosen to participate in this special experience, you will receive…

• A 30 minute experience with Christopher creating natural, lifestyle portraits of the two of you. The perfect sampling of his signature style.

• Professional hair & make-up artist on site to help keep you looking fresh and camera ready.

• A chance to win a custom design Lovebook made of images from your Engagement Day (for sample CLICK HERE)

• Digital Negatives of images to use on Facebook, your wedding website or other on-line social media

Officially, the deadline for entries is tomorrow May 7th but Christopher is extending the closing date until Monday the 10th – EXCLUSIVELY for Blogsmaid readers. This is a wonderful and fun opportunity for those of you on the photog hunt and honestly it’s way to easy not to enter! Plus iit will give you an opportunity to practice those camera ready romantic gazes ;-).

To enter to win your Engagement Day, simply email Christopher @ studio@thresholdvisions.com with your:

– wedding date
– wedding location & venue
– a current fun photo of the two of you
– a few brief words about your story or your wedding plans

Visit Christopher’s blog for more details on the 4th Annual Engagement Photo Day. Tell him you heard about the Engagement Day at the Blogsmaid to be considered under this special extension.

Make sure to let us know if you are among the 10 lucky couples selected!!

xx
Sal

Well, my friends – the polls have closed and the winner is clear. We would like to officially name and congratulate Nina and her Pink & Orange Bridal Shower board! Great work Nina, the people have spoken. The board was fresh and fun. It is clear that the pair of Nina Shoes you selected to be your inspiration most certainly did just that. I hope you have been eying the Nina Shoes site, looks like you will have TWO pairs of shoes coming your way.

I am also pleased to announce our 2nd and 3rd place boards:

2nd place goes to Rae’s Tropical Paradise. Fabulous, fun, sophisticated & chic. Rae, I do believe the shoe fairy will be paying you a well deserved visit :)

3rd place has been awarded to LeeLa’s uber sexy and stylish Gallery Opening. A confident and fashion forward downtown vibe at it’s best! Get ready LeeLa, 50% off never felt so good.

A HUGE THANK YOU to all of our participants and the stunning boards that came our way. Each was so different and the style quotient – ridiculous! You guys took your Nina Shoes to a whole different level.

Voters, what can I say? You ladies and gents sure know how to answer the call. Thank you for taking the time to cast your votes. The blogsmaid thanks you & Nina Shoes thanks you. We are totally feelin’ the love.

And if any of you are feeling the urge to pick up something inspiring of your own, stop by the Nina Shoes Facebook page for some inside scoop and to see what other fans are saying.

Winners… we will be in touch!

xx

For those of you who have been following the Nina Shoes Giveaway and even those who have not, our finalists need you.

We have received so many wonderful entries and though it pains us, decisions still have to be made. Well, a little help never hurt. Who better to help make that decision than our faithful readers and shoe lovers out there!

Below are our top three picks – these finalists took this concept and ran with it. We love the colors, style and creativity of these boards and would like you to help us make the final call. How? Easy – pick a board below that strikes your fancy and leave a comment on this post saying which is your favorite. That’s it! The board with the most votes wins the top prize – 2 pairs of fabulous Nina Shoes, 2nd place  will receive 1 pair of shoes and 3rd place will receive 50% off the pair of their choice. Ladies, please take a moment to cast your votes.

The finalists are: (in no particular order of course)

1. Leela’s Gallery Opening

2. Nina’s Pink & Orange Shower

3. Rae’s Tropical Paradise

Forward to your friends, family and anyone who believes in the cause. All votes must be in by next Tuesday April 20th @ Midnight, winners will be announced the following day.

And to our three lucky finalists out there, good luck!! (you may want to forward this post to anyone you have ever met – every vote counts)

xx

Hey there! I hope you are all toiling away creating your Nina Shoes inspiration boards. Though I must admit, if you are anywhere near the NYC/NJ area you may have taken a few hours off to enjoy this magnificent weather. Many a peep-toe and sandal will make a cameo today… plus, it’s Friday! WIN WIN :)

Seriously, time is running out to send in your Nina Shoes inspiration boards. All submissions must be emailed to blogqs@alwaysabridesmaid.us no later than Thursday, April 8th. EEK! Less than a week ladies! Come on… FREE SHOES!

Remember – visit Nina Shoes and pick your fave, get your creative juices flowing and put together a fabulous look to go with the lucky pair you have chosen. Polyvore.com rocks for making inspiration boards but feel free to create however you would like, just make sure to send it over in a jpeg format.

For full contest details, check out the original post here @ Always a Blogsmaid.

APRIL 8th. Six days and counting. Make us proud.

xx

Sal

In this age of technology brides have taken advantage of the Internet in a VERY big way, making it a prime information source for themselves, as well as a great way to share nuptial news with their friends and family. One of the easiest and best ways to spread the word is your wedding website – your personal web page that allows you to share your gift registry, upload photos and share your “I-do” details with a few of clicks of the mouse.

Well digital damsels, now your web page can win you $1000!  WeddingChannel.com is looking for the top two wedding web pages with the most “visits” to award with a little extra cash.  All you have to do is ask your friends and family to visit your website.  That’s it! There are no forms to complete and no special voting process.  WeddingChannel.com will track your website’s traffic, so by simply visiting your site they have already helped you get one step closer to all that mullah!

Spread the word and fast because the contest ends April 21st!

For more information about the contest or how you can make your very own wedding web page (if you haven’t already) visit Wedding Channel.com

Good Luck!

xx

Sal

Whether it’s favors at your next occasion or a personal present to a someone special, the art of gifting is rarely an easy process…until now.  For those of you who find yourselves wrapped up in frustration rather than wrapping up that perfect gift, Navy & Lavender just may be your perfect solution!  Navy and Lavender is a great company that not only helps you find that ideal gift but also packages it with unique style. Best part – they currently holding a “March Madness” contest that gives you the chance to win a $150 gift certificate!

Navy and Lavender has made it their goal to not only make gift giving an easier task, but also add a touch of distinctive charm. Stop by their website to check out great gifts including wedding favors, welcome baskets, adorable pet packages & new baby gifts!  N&L have described the inspiration of their name as well as the heart of their services to be “the perfect balance” of “polished, refined” with “softer, romantic sensibility.”

Winning this $150 gift certificate seriously could not be any easier. Simply  sign up to follow them on Twitter, leave a comment on their blog N&L Notes, or become their Facebook fan.  Hurry though, the contest ends March 31^st!

For more info check out their website @ www.navyandlavender.com

xx

Sal

Girls, get your thinking caps on STAT!

Let’s cut to the chase – it’s about shoes, it’s about fashion and being fabulous 24/7! Nina Shoes & Always a Bridesmaid are giving you the opportunity to win not only 1, but 2 pairs of shoes! Not sure if you have checked out the Nina Shoes site, but if you have not – you must. If you have, swing by again! So many beautiful shoes and not enough feet :( … Not sure about you, but anytime I see a great pair of shoes, I instantly begin to think (daydream) about the multitude of outfits the shoe would work with. But actually, I’m really thinking about what outfits would work with the shoe. Yep, more often that not it’s about building from the bottom up.

So here’s the 411 – Nina Shoes has a huge selection of drop dead gorgeous footwear. In fact, if you have a shoe fetish you may need supervision when visiting the site. They have a great selection of bridal footwear, but also fabulous selection of shoes for any other time of the day or night that you want to look and feel like a hottie. This doesn’t automatically have to mean heels girls, many a chic outfit has been rocked with a pair of great flats. If you love shoes, styling, or just like playing with inspiration boards – this contest is for you!

It’s simple – Visit the Nina Shoes site, pick a pair that inspires you, and go nuts! Build an inspiration board designed around your chosen shoe. Would you pair the shoe with an outfit for a fun and flirty daytime date or a swank weeknight hotspot? And of course – who can resist the perfect shoe for the perfect night out with the girls. Hmm…

1. Select your shoe from Nina Shoes

2. Style your outfit – whatever it takes, whatever moves you. Mix and match a pair of heels with a sundress, a barely there dress, the perfect jean and to die for top, you get the idea. Let us know how how you would wear your Nina Shoe. Accessorize as needed, gotta love a great bag, the perfect bracelet – maybe a scarf? The sky’s the limit. Do what you gotta do ladies, just make it fabulous and remember – free shoes are at stake!

3. Build that board – we love Polyvore.com for the ultimate in inspiration board building. Don’t forget, your board must have an image of your favorite Nina shoe along with your other goodies.

4. Send it over – your inspiration board should be submitted in jpg format and should include the website and name of each item on the board. Email entries to blogqs@alwaysabridesmaid.us

*Please also send us your name, where you are from and where you would wear your wonderful creation.

The contest starts TODAY and will run through Thursday, April 8th. You have 3 weeks so get that outfit together!

PRIZES!!!!!

1st Place: 2 pairs of free shoes

2nd Place: 1 pair of free shoes

3rd Place: 50% off a pair of shoes

Here’s a sample Polyvore board from our lovely Mayra… but just remember your boards are all about the shoes :)

YAY! Free Shoes!!

So, I don’t know how many of you out there are considering changing your name, but let me tell you that it is NOT an easy task!

First you have to decide WHAT you are doing with your name. Are you taking his last name? Are you hyphenating? Are you making a new last name that is a hybrid of your two last names…. something that can be a challenge to do well, to say the least.  And then there is getting the word out there.

I have a past clientfriend (that’s what they are called, btw, once the wedding is over- Clientfriends) who months later still needs to end every email with “Please Note my new last name….” and that’s just inter-office.  There is the DMV, passport office, bills, and more.

All the reason to consider using a name-change service.  They make it easy and tend to gather and consolidate all of your information giving, and sending into one convenient place…. well at least that is what Name Change Express does. And as a plus, they don’t require you to submit tons of personal information online, minimizing exposure to your identity.

So, we are giving away 2 Name Change Express packages worth $30 each.  Simply leave a comment below, and the person who leaves the 10th comment will automatically win one of the packages.  The 2nd package will go to the commenter with the most unique hybrid name of your first and last names (whether you intend on using it or not… you know I’m always open to a good joke!)   I’m going to keep this contest open until Friday… so you can ponder what new and ridiculous last name you can create together over Turkey day.  Or you can just try and leave the 10th comment. Please don’t comment more than once ladies!

A little delayed, but we HAVE a winner for our Agent Provocateur/ Always a Bridesmaid Lingerie Shower party!!!  In order to protect our dear, wonderful winner (because I’m sure she doesn’t need this to come up anytime anyone google’s her) I’m going to leave her identity out of this post and we will simply call her K.W.  Here is her story and you’ll see why it compelled us to select her as the winner of this sure to be fun little fete!:

I’m not sure where to begin with my ‘lingerie’ story. I guess the easiest way to explain my story is that it is tri-fold…

First, my lingerie past… My most recent ex-boyfriend (which is to say is about the only one that cared about lingerie) loved red lingerie. I by no means have a stock pile of it, but my fiancé hates red lingerie. Hates it, as in thinks it’s trashy (regardless of how nice it may be!). He’s more of a black or white kind of guy. So, there goes my former lingerie….
Which brings me to my current lingerie situation: T-shirts.  Not just any t-shirt, but the extra-large ones that you don’t want to get rid of for one reason or another… they have no use other than taking up space in your pajama drawer. As you can see from the visual aid below I have an affinity for my Georgia Bulldogs and root for them while I am both awake and asleep. Go Dawgs! This is what I look like every night when I go to sleep:

While I am discussing my ‘lingerie present’ let me also say that I am blessed, and cursed, by my figure. My mother kindly gave me genes for big boobs (34D) and a tiny waist. Now, while most people think this sounds awesome, I am so self conscious about my chest fitting into anything. I know that’s the point when wearing a sexy little number, but all those little red items from my ‘lingerie past’ are generally two piece items (to accommodate for my measurements), and it would be nice to have a few two piece items that have a little more ‘flair’ if you will. I know that Agent Provocateur specializes in flair!
I’ve covered my lingerie past & present, so now I must say a little about my (hopeful) lingerie future…My fiancé has this amazing ability to fall asleep as soon as his head hits the pillow. Most of it is due to a nagging health issue, but I am not kidding when I say that it is unnatural. He has been known to fall asleep in the middle of a crowded bar, at a friend’s dinner party, and unfortunately as soon as he lies down on the bed. So, if I have any hope of keeping him awake and, um…occupied, on our honeymoon I need some help! So, I’m asking both you & Agent Provocateur to graciously help me make my lingerie future secure!!

There are tons of great give-aways for brides right now!  Earlier this week we announced our ‘lil contest to host a lingerie shower for a lucky bride at Agent Provocateur and now I’m pleased to spread the word about the WeddingChannel.com Dream Wedding Give Away.

This is the 2nd year that WeddingChannel has partnered with UsWeekly to give a lucky a celebrity inspired wedding.  Not only will the winners get an entire wedding planned entirely by WeddingChannel.com with the best of the best in the wedding industry, but the nuptials will be profiled in Us Weekly and televised nationally on Inside Edition.

Engaged couples can enter the contest today until May 26 at www.usmagazine.com/wedding. On June 5, 10 finalists will be selected by WeddingChannel.com and Us Weekly and visitors will get to vote and determine the winner. Voting closes on June 18 and the winner will be announced on June 25.

Last year’s “Dream Wedding” program resulted in more than 4,200 entries and more than one million votes were cast for the winning couple. The vendors of the best of the best… last year the couple’s wedding included Robert Evans (Tom Cruise & Katie Holmes’ wedding photographer), Sylvia Weinstock, Tacori, and more.  Here’s a picture of the happy couple from last year!