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Grooms Spoiler Alert






Written by Mark   www. groomsonline.com
Tuesday, 30 August 2011 13:24
By John A Cook Groom Concierge

Grooms want to be involved with the wedding planning process! But only a few want to be committed to every single aspect. In all of my years as a husband to a wedding planner there has only been one groom that was on every single conference call. Don't worry I won't give out your name. Nor will I name the pro athlete grooms that found us on Platinum Weddings!

The majority of grooms are interested in the following items and could pretty much gloss over the rest!!
Food! Of course, this is a no brainer! Guys this is your time to put your "Man Stamp" on the wedding. Share your ideas and thoughts to your planner. She can help bring your craziest ideas to fruition and help it blend in with the rest of the menu or find a way to hide it!
Music! Time to break out those cd's ( do they still have those?) and go thru a time warp and relive those songs from your early days together. Bring back a couple of classics that will make her laugh or cry! Here's your chance to earn a few points by putting some time into it.
Cigar Roller! One of the coolest things you can have at your wedding. You get the most bang for your buck with this option. Besides some really cool photo's, this totally puts a "Man Stamp" on a normally girly event. Even if you don't smoke cigars, it's pretty cool to watch someone roll a cigar that is just for you and your guests. It will make it seem like you went all out even though it didn't cost that much. Remember if you don't have an outside area to smoke you can always wait to light up later or have the cigar roller package them for travel.
Vodka Ice Luge! Another "Man Stamp" item! Another Platinum Wedding item that won't break the bank. Nothing gets the party going like food,

"Vodka Icebar
Another "Man Stamp Item" "]Vodka Icebar Another "Man Stamp" item![/caption]

music and alcohol. Throw in some shooters down an ice luge and you've got some great times!! If you wish to spend more there is always the whiskey bar sampler or ice bar with ice champagne buckets!
Suits/Tux! Your wedding photos are going to around for a long time. It amazes me to see so much thought, time and money put into the brides gown and most of the time little to none put into the grooms attire. "I will just rent a tux!" A rental seriously?? Think about it she's going to have hair & makeup professionally done plus on average she will spend $5000 on a gown and you're going to go rent a tux and show up? You don't have to be a metrosexual to see that the rental tux will fit you in the shoulders and nothing else. And nothing makes you feel like a $100 than rental shoes! Guys there are alternatives, buy a nice suit which you can do for less than a thousand dollars and you get to wear more than once. Change it up for the ceremony by adding a bow tie and vest.
"John A. Cook The Groom Concierge"]John A. Cook The Groom Concierge

Then remove both and maybe change your shirt for the reception. Most brides are opting for the dress change after ceremony. Now you can do the same with out breaking the bank.

Grooms, there are so many things you can bring to your wedding...or simply ask your wedding planner for ideas!!

John A Cook is married to a wedding planner that specializes in pro athlete weddings and events. In addition to providing his services as a Groom Concierge he is an avid golfer that uses any excuse to take a groom golfing...
For the Groom Blog ...
www.dreamdesignweddings.com 
Follow Twitter/
@johncookddw

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sohappy2

Um, this collection from Pebbles Inc reminded me how happy a nice, graphic collection actually can make me! Look at the perfect combination of happy colors and stuff! It truly lived up to its name :) Love it when I can layer patterned papers like this without it being too messy (well, imo anyways – personal taste really is different, I know :) ).

 

Nevertheless – as you can see – we got to play with this Happy Go Lucky collection from Pebbles Inc – and my, were they generous sending us lots of embellishments in additions to the papers..lovesit! :)

Check out the post from Glue Arts where you can enter the giveaway – you really do want this collection (and to try out GA-adhesive if you haven’t yet! ;) ).

 

And by the way, don’t miss out on the Jillibean SoupMaya Road blog swap..check out this awesome little house by Jennifer Beason…she’s simply awesome when it comes to thinking outside the box for altered stuff!


My little girlie started 1st grade last week! So this is mainly for my mom..

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Fulgte Amalie til skolen – det regnet litt, derfor full regntøy :)

På veien traff vi flere andre førsteklassinger som alle skulle begynne i samme klasse som Amalie…

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Hun var veldig spent i begynnelsen..men ventingen gikk nok litt over i småengstelse..det var så mange ukjente voksne og barn der! Hun kjente bare én fra før av nemlig..

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Så hun var litt på nippet til å gråte en liten skvett et par ganger der mens vi ventet på at navnet hennes skulle ropes opp..

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Hun klarte å smile tappert, da..

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Vel inne var det av med regntøyet. Plaggene hadde hun valgt ut selv..hun velger som regel ut klærne sine selv for tiden..

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På vei inn i klasserommet var engstelsen glemt for en stakket stund..

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Men da det var samlingsstund falt det noen stille tårer som hun fort tørket vekk – og hun snudde seg stadig for å se etter om jeg fortsatt stod der…:)

 

Nå etter en uke synes hun skolen er gøy, er blitt flink til å gå til og fra skolen og til og med begynt å bli kjent med noen av de andre elevene :)


Wowzers! Eeeeeeek! Huraaay!



We have been keeping this little secret for weeks now! So we are so super-duper excited to finally be sharing this awesome news with you today friends!



We didn't think anything could top having
Richard & Casey's Sailor Wedding featured on the previous cover of the SARIE Bruid Magazine, but being on the cover ourselves is pretty motherflippen special!!! Plus they did a lovely feature of our wedding inside as well as featuring some more of our work!



welovesariebruid!



We can't wait to get our hands on one - aaaah we want to come home!!!



P.S Once again, all credit goes to ourawesome friend and big brother Otto Schulze for being the best photographer EVER!



weloveyouotto!



love,

welovepictures



http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac125/lovemademedoit/SARIEourwedding.jpg?t=1314646550


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minib1

I recently got to play with Echo Parks Splash-papers – a typical summer-themed collection, but it’s well executed and I loved the graphic and fun papers…plus, this time I actually had photos which fit the theme, haaa! I rarely use (I think anyways) sticker phrases and stuff from such themed collections, but as I did have themed photos I used lots of them in this mini. At least more than I usually do. It’s a mini from out little trip to Bø Sommarland earlier this summer :)

If you’re interested in a step-by-step on how to create this mini, feel free to drop by the Glue Arts post here!

minib2minib3minib4minib5minib06

Enjoy! ~


Oooops, we just realised we skipped the first part of our road-trip - the epic 2-day drive from Denver to Seattle :) There was a lot of driving. Winding through true cowboy country as we made our way through Wyoming and Montana.



We stayed over in in Bozeman, Montana where Otto ate the 'best burger ever' apparently. You'd expect that kind of statement from a place with Steer trophies all over the walls.

And then for breakfast and 'the worst coffee ever' when we stopped in a tiny town called Rainier, surrounded by forests and mountains. It was beautiful.



And then there was more driving...
Hours on the road passing mountains, forest, more mountains, epic clouds, wind turbines and more forests.



love,

welovepictures



http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac125/lovemademedoit/_AIS2823.jpg?t=1314551433http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac125/lovemademedoit/_AIS2847_edt_low-1.jpg?t=1314551433http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac125/lovemademedoit/_AIS2841.jpg?t=1314551438http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac125/lovemademedoit/_AIS2880.jpg?t=1314551439http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac125/lovemademedoit/_AIS2865.jpg?t=1314551433http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac125/lovemademedoit/_AIS2878_edt_low-1.jpg?t=1314551436http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac125/lovemademedoit/01-5.jpg?t=1314551444http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac125/lovemademedoit/_AIS2886.jpg?t=1314551439http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac125/lovemademedoit/_AIS2898.jpg?t=1314551441http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac125/lovemademedoit/02-3.jpg?t=1314551447http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac125/lovemademedoit/_AIS2978.jpg?t=1314551441http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac125/lovemademedoit/_AIS3030.jpg?t=1314551448http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac125/lovemademedoit/_AIS3011_edt_low-1.jpg?t=1314551445http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac125/lovemademedoit/_AIS2957.jpg?t=1314551444http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac125/lovemademedoit/_AIS2989.jpg?t=1314551442

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We couldn't help ourselves - there are just too many great pictures.

So here is #2 of Seattle to Portland.

Yes, that's a wall full of bubblegum.

And yes, that is a thrift-heaven.

And yes! that's a REAL photobooth!



love,

welovepictures



http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac125/lovemademedoit/_TRA5074.jpg?t=1314504878http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac125/lovemademedoit/_TRA5075.jpg?t=1314504881http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac125/lovemademedoit/_TRA5461.jpg?t=1314504884http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac125/lovemademedoit/_TRA5460.jpg?t=1314504884http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac125/lovemademedoit/_TRA5391.jpg?t=1314504878http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac125/lovemademedoit/_TRA5409.jpg?t=1314504884http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac125/lovemademedoit/_TRA5397.jpg?t=1314504882http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac125/lovemademedoit/_TRA5402.jpg?t=1314504881http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac125/lovemademedoit/_TRA5416.jpg?t=1314504884http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac125/lovemademedoit/Untitled-1-2.jpg?t=1314504887

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Ameriie's rehearsal dinner at Viceory Anguilla, above (from left to right)  John A Cook & his wife Celebrity Wedding Planner Tiffany Nieves-Cook of Dream Design Weddings, Ameriie & her fiance Lennie Nicholson


The entire wedding will be featured in Munaluchi Magazine on news stands September 6th

Congratulations to Lennie & Ameriie Nicholson


Photo courtesy of Martha Ramirez of UDS Photo UDS Photo

For the complete story and Ameriie's wedding photos click on the link below
http://dreamdesignweddings.blogspot.com/2011/09/ameriies-wedding-photos-featured-in.html

Hello friends!



As we write this post, we are sitting in Denver, CO, on the porch with our dear friends, Otto and Lindsay, enjoying the summer heat, sipping ice water and cold beer, and doing absolutely nothing. In other words we are having motherflipping good time. We've had a few too many good locally-brewed beers, gained a few kilos from a little too much over-indulgence and all in all had a killer four-week holiday/honeymoon. In a few days we will be boarding the plane again for a 27 hour trip back to our sweet-sweet home in Cape Town. But right now, we don't want to think of that.



We've finally had a chance to sift through all the images from our 14-day road-trip along the West Coast and through almost 5 States. We're having an awesome honeymoon, as those of you following us on Twitter and Instagram already know :) It's definitely been worth the wait. We thought we'd share a few of our favourite pictures in our favourite cities and of our favourite moments. They are random moments and we've only selected our few favourites :) These pictures don't even come close to summing up the entire trip, for that we'd end up working too hard, having to edit them all and we're still on holiday so no thanks. Plus, sometimes we just didn't feel like picking up a camera, but instead just soaking it all up with our eyes and hearts.



We have been truly blessed to be able to have done this trip and we thank our awesome friends, Otto and Lindsay, for borrowing us their car for 14 days and sacrificing their AC and for putting up with us in their home for two weeks. weloveyouguyssomuch x We also want to thank my sister, Silke, for house- and dog-sitting while we're away, she's a rockstar, and we all know that our dogs are spoiled girls. Danke Bebi x And lastly we want to thank our awesome sweet-sweet Jesus, for without him this trip would never have been possible and all the places we'd visited are awesome because of Him.



Enough blah-blahing - let's get into Seattle and Portland!



We spent a weekend in Seattle, where Travis and Otto covered a wedding together - check it out here. I spent the weekend happily running from one hipster shop to another and spending a little too much money. On the last day we went street shooting in Pike Place Market, Seattle. Home of the first Starbucks and the famous fish-tossing-fish-mongers. Then Otto flew back home to Denver to his wife and their beautiful daughter, and we started our roadtrip down the West Coast towards San Francisco. First Stop, Portland, Oregon. The home of our favourite Author, Donald Miller. We almost tweeted him to beg him to have a cup of coffee with us, but then we worried it might be a little stalkerish. So we ended up enjoying the city, it's massive micro-brewery culture and it's awesome, humbling nature surrounds- waterfalls and Mt Hood- instead. Yep, this was the first time I got to see snow. And yes, I'm wearing sandals, but Portland was really hot when we left for this adventure!



We'll try to post a few pictures of each significant part of our trip in the next few days and sum up as best we can the immensity of the fun we had. Or maybe you should just come visit us in our Studio in Cape Town and hear about our adventures - we're a lot funnier in person.



pssssttt... be sure to check back for a Sneak Peek of Scott & Andrea's wedding in Toronto, Canada. Coming soon-soon!



love,

welovepictures



http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac125/lovemademedoit/USATrip_PartOne_001.jpg?t=1314401730http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac125/lovemademedoit/USATrip_PartOne_002.jpg?t=1314401736http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac125/lovemademedoit/USATrip_PartOne_003.jpg?t=1314401730http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac125/lovemademedoit/USATrip_PartOne_004.jpg?t=1314401730http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac125/lovemademedoit/_TRA5467_edt_low.jpg?t=1313139946http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac125/lovemademedoit/USATrip_PartOne_005.jpg?t=1314401733http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac125/lovemademedoit/USATrip_PartOne_006.jpg?t=1314401737http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac125/lovemademedoit/USATrip_PartOne_007.jpg?t=1314401736http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac125/lovemademedoit/USATrip_PartOne_008.jpg?t=1314401740http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac125/lovemademedoit/USATrip_PartOne_009.jpg?t=1314401743http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac125/lovemademedoit/USATrip_PartOne_010.jpg?t=1314401740http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac125/lovemademedoit/USATrip_PartOne_011.jpg?t=1314401745

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