General Hospital actress Julie Berman married commercial real estate broker Michael Grady in Los Angeles on Aug. 15, her rep Nicole Nassar tells PEOPLE exclusively.
Berman, 24, who plays the troubled daughter of Luke and Laura Spencer on the popular daytime show, wed Grady, 27, in a Roman Catholic ceremony in the Sacred Heart Chapel at L.A.’s Loyola Marymount University. A reception at a private home in Pacific Palisades followed.
http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20219777,00.html
Jamie Lynn Spears is ready to say “I do!” She already has a handsome fiancé in Casey Aldridge, an adorable baby in Maddie and a new house. The former Zoey 101 star has already started planning her wedding, and that she and Casey will walk down the aisle together before the end of the year…
BEIJING, June 13 — A large number of Shenzhen residents are calling to book marriage registration slots Aug. 8, the opening day of the Beijing Olympic Games, the city’s civil affairs bureau said Wednesday.
Apart from the Olympic connection, couples want to get married Aug. 8 as the numbers 8 and 6 are considered lucky for Chinese, the Daily Sunshine said Thursday. Chinese people believe Aug. 8 this year is composed of three “eights,” which will bring them happiness and fortune.
All six district marriage registration offices in Shenzhen have reported accepting far more bookings for registration slots Aug. 8 than the maximum allowed, the report said.
“The date of Aug. 8, 2008 is also the eighth day of the seventh month in Chinese lunar calendar. It is an auspicious day that comes once in many years. It will be very lucky to get married on that special day,” a woman surnamed Luo said, who was delighted that her booking had been accepted.
But an Internet user who identified himself as Xianzhaohui was not so lucky as Luo. He claimed in an article posted on sznews.com.cn that he could not book a slot online even after trying for two hours.
“It took me two hours to access the booking system at 2 a.m. June 8,” he said. “But I was told no more bookings were being accepted. I was very upset.”
An official with the municipal civil affairs bureau pleaded for more understanding from the public as regulations state the daily booking quota cannot exceed 60 couples a day.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-06/13/content_8360560.htm
Sounds cool!
Fans of the hit game series, “Diner Dash,” have been anxiously waiting to swap brooms for grooms in PlayFirst’s first official offshoot game, “Wedding Dash.”
Available now for Windows-based computers, this downloadable “casual” game does not deviate far from what made its predecessors so popular but offers many challenging scenarios and laugh-out-loud moments.
http://indystar.gns.gannett.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070809/TECH0603/708090309/1010/TECH
Beach weddings are, well, a little hot:
Simple cakes, dresses, flowers also popular
Awedding blends traditions with trends unlike any other event under the sun.
At the center of every wedding are two people who love and commit to each other. But beyond the decision to marry are hundreds of other big and small decisions, from the location of the ceremony and reception to the variety of flowers in the bridal bouquet. A wedding should be unique, but not outlandish.
http://www.bradenton.com/health/story/112560.html
See wedding planning for more wedding ideas and wedding vows for tips on writing wedding vows
Wedding tourism, anyone?
PARIS: The first time that Hirosha Watanabe and Naoko Shibuya entered a church was the giddy moment on their march down the aisle in pearl grey tails and a frothy wedding dress to the strains of Wagner’s “Bridal Chorus.”
They were joined at the altar of the American Church in Paris by a minister, a translator, a video maker and a photographer – key players in Japanese wedding packages for lavish Western ceremonies with traditional trappings from rose nosegays to chauffeured Mercedes-Benzes.
Most of these brides and grooms are more familiar with Buddhist temples than church sanctuaries. And many newlyweds cannot fathom the words, “I now pronounce you husband and wife.” But they are flocking to Paris and other romantic European locations in search of high rituals, stained glass and bellowing pipe organs chosen from convenient online catalogues.
Watch out Blue Nile!
Buying a $10 paperback from Amazon or a 99-cent new release from iTunes is now commonplace. But has online shopping matured to the point where people don’t blink at dropping a $20,000 half-carat diamond into an online shopping basket and proceeding to checkout?
De Beers Diamond Jewellers, Inc. is banking that the answer is yes. And given the success of online-only jeweler Blue Nile, they might be right.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118546553732879024.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
See diamond engagement rings for more info
Sounds pretty neat!
Buckingham Palace, Queen Elizabeth II’s London home, opens to visitors tomorrow, marking her 60th year of marriage with an exhibition of dresses, diamonds and uniforms worn at her wedding.
King George VI was on the throne in 1947 when Princess Elizabeth married the Duke of Edinburgh, who had dropped his titles of Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark. The bridal dress by Norman Hartnell, a one-time theater-costume designer, was inspired by Botticelli’s 15th century painting, “Primavera,” symbolizing rebirth after the war, said the Royal Collection’s press office.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601102&sid=aonysJhJiCuM&refer=uk
See also wedding gowns trends
After the date has been set, the flowers have been ordered, and the dress has been fitted, the focus of wedding planning turns to the more intricate details of the ceremony and reception — especially music. But because of the sheer number of songs to choose from, the task of selecting the right wedding music — and the right musicians — can be overwhelming.
More on wedding music
More wedding trends…
Budget wedding gowns
A once-in-a-lifetime experience no longer requires a once-in-a-lifetime investment. So here comes the bride — in a budget wedding gown from Target. The gowns that were introduced in May are sold through Target.com for less than $200. Bridesmaid dresses sell for as little as $30.
J. Crew offers wedding gowns for $295 to $2,450.
At H&M, a Viktor & Rolf designer wedding gown for $349 introduced in November sold out in one day.
The typical bride spends more than $1,000 on a wedding gown.
http://www.kansascity.com/238/story/204616.html
Wedding planning guide offers comprehensive ideas and suggestions on planning your wedding.
