What better way to ring in the new year than to count down the best weddings from 2007?

The following 12 weddings are weddings that have touched me, made me go gooey inside, wowed me and shocked me!

12. Rebecca & Jerry

This casual wild west style wedding  had celebrity guests sitting on hay bales and bouquets wrapped in pretty gingham as Ugly Betty star Rebecca Romijin wed Jerry O’Connell in a surprise ceremony

11. Ricki-Lee & Jamie

Australian Idol contestant and Young Diva singer Ricki-Lee wed her beau Jamie in a gorgeous down to earth ceremony on the Gold Coast. Over 200 guests joined the couple as they laughed their way through their wedding vows. The cake was decorated with soft pink flowers and Ricki-Lee said "There’s nobody that fits me better than Jamie, we’re two pieces of a puzzle that nobody else can fit."

10. Gary & Melissa

Gary Fong has a reputation as one of the best photographers around. He wed his sweet Melissa in their gorgeous newly built ranch in Canada. Jessica Claire shot it, but Gary being who he is was surrounded by many photographers! The love at this wedding was so obvious and the setting, setup, shots- everything! Completely wowed me! Check out more pics here

9. Eva & Tony

Eva Longoria, star of Desperate Housewives wed Tony Parker in a France in an extravagant ceremony on the biggest wedding day of the year 07/07/2007! Guests recieved gold bracelets and the  bride and groom chose the Peter Field’s cover of Magnetic Fields - Book of Love for their first dance.

8. Erica & James

The media had a field day covering the wedding of James Packer & model Erica Baxter. An extended celebration took place in France with guests like Tom Cruise and Sarah Murdoch. The bride wore a $100,000 couture gown Dior gown with floral decorations by superstar planner Preston Bailey.

7. Ada & Chris

Ada Nicodemu, star of Channel 7’s Home and Away wed Chris Xipolitas in a huge 400 guest wedding in a Sydney Greek ceremony. Ada wore J’Aton (a gown rumoured to be worth over $60,000) with mushroom coloured bridesmaids gowns. Ada carried gardenias and was escorted down the aisle by her mother.

6. Erica & Andrew

Erica Heynatz, model & TV Host wed Andrew Kingston at Jonah’s on Sydney’s Whale Beach. Erica had Alex perry design two gowns for her wedding, a slim cut gown for the ceremony and a short fifties style number for dancing at the reception.

5. Tiffani & Neil

Ex Bardot singer Tiffani Wood wed her fiance Neil Cummins  in a relaxed girly, bohemian themed ceremony at beachside town Byron Bay. Bridesmaids carried letters of LOVE as they proceeded Tiffani’s walk down the aisle. Tiffani was pregnant at the time and the cuple now have a baby girl, Lily Adele.

4. Kate & Alex

Private Practice star wed Alex Young in California. Using a beautiful colour palette of soft pinks and a Monique Lhuillier dress made of beautiful lace, Kate and Alex wed after a whirlwind romance! (one month of dating before they got engaged and then three months later they wed)

3. Toni & Will

Aussie starlet Toni Pearen wed her man Will Osmond in a long weekend celebration in small town Moree. With guests like Lady Sonia McMahon & Andrew G, a small plane was greeted by glasses of champagne and festivities included backyard cricket and swimming before the guests gathered for the wedding.

2. Natalie & Luke

Natalie Gruzlewski and Surfer Luke Egan wed on Australia’s Gold Coast,  Natalie a true beach girl and present for travel show Getaway wore Alex Perry. The couple held their reception at Oscar’s and their guests relaxed in the simple yet intimate setting.

1. Katherine & Josh

Sight unseen this was certainly one of the most anticipated weddings of the year! An all white Christmas wedding, with the girls dressed in Oscar De La Renta, served Christmas food in the magical surroundings in Utah.

Images courtesy of Woman’s Day, OK! Magazine, Jessica Claire, news.com.au, justjared

Other favourites of mine this year included the paparazzi tent of Aussie swimmers Libby Lenton & Luke Trickett, Lauren Newton & Matt Welsh, Darren Lockyer & Lauren Pollack, Yvette Duncan & Oscar Done and Andrew Johns & Catherine Mahoney

So who can we look forward to seeing walk down the aisle in 2008? Rumour has it Megan Gale & Andy Lee may soon be engaged, Delta Goodrem proudly wears her rock from Brian McFadden, Jessica Alba is sporting a huge engagement ring from fiance Cash Warren, Black Eyed Peas Fergie is also engaged!

2008 will bring many fabulous weddings, but on the silver screen I am dying to see the ‘maybe’ wedding in the Sex & The City movie!

Here’s a sneak peak

Reggie, that endearing Tasmanian from the 2003 series of Big Brother wed Dale Sorensen in October in a sunset ceremony on the Gold Coast. The couple was joined by their seven month old bub Mia

Image courtesy Woman’s Day

We’re bunkering down in anticipation of a sweltering NYE here and I know NYE can be a popular wedding date! Here’s 10 tips to keep your wedding cool!

Myjones.com water bottles courtesy of theknot.com, Parasols from Jenny & Andy’s wedding courtesy of Weddingbee, Iced cocktail from brides.com, Thongs (Flip Flops) from Terra, Program Fans from Ceci New York courtesy of Weddingbee, Mini ice cream cones from brides.com, Loungechairs from brides.com, Seafood buffet from brides.com,  Fresh cherries from brides.com, Gorgeous mexican sunset from timparkinson

1. Fill containers with ice and decorate water or soft drink bottles with personalised labels to keep your guests hydrated during the ceremony and festivities. If you don’t want to DIY, Brewtopia will do them for you

2. Provide parasols for guests, decorate with tags and flowers and place bunched in baskets at your ceremony and reception entrance for a festive feel and to block out the harsh sunlight.

3. Having only recently discovered the goodness of a 7/11 Slushee (where have they been all my life?) hire a slushee machine (and top it up with a bit of alcohol for a frozen cocktail if you’re so inclined!) for a bit of childlike fun and pure cold bliss.

4. For sore, hot feet group thongs (flip flops) tied together in pairs in a basket for guests to slip on. perfect for walking over sand or grooving on the dance floor!

5. Make your ceremony programs in a fan shape, or provide pretty wooden fans for guests to use during the ceremony.

6. Serve mini ice creams at midnight as a snack for those night owls! Or set up an ice cream bar with different flavours and toppings for guests to choose from.

7. Set up seating areas for guests using beach umbrellas or nooks and crannies in the garden or beach (preferably in the shade). It allows guests some time to cool off and relax- ready to party again!

8. Bring back the 70s with some classic seafood on ice! A welcome cool and deliciously decadent treat!

9. Embrace the beautiful fruit of summer and serve ice cold watermelon, cherries, mango slices, nectarines and more!

10.  Have a sunset wedding! Pass the heat of the day and say your vows to the romantic (and cool) backdrop of the sun setting.  Think of having your time consuming couple shots before the ceremony and bask in the golden light.

In he midst of the holiday season, Katherine Heigl (otherwise known as Izzie on Grey’s Anatomy) wed her beau Josh Kelley on the 23rd of December in Utah.

T.R Knight (George) was one of Heigl’s honoured bridal party, in which the girls were dressed in cranberry red Oscar De La Renta which were a perfect match for Kate’s Oscar De La Renta gown.

The venue was filled with the magic of candle light which complemented the all white decor. Traditional Christmas fare was served at the reception with Christmas cookies given as favours.

Heigl walked down the aisle to a specially penned song by Josh aptly titled ‘December 23′

Katherine even wrote a ‘Bride For Guides’ for the NY Post which you can read on her official website here. Photos will be appearing in OK! Magazine soon!

Well that’s not strictly true, I believe this family still has quite a few Christmas puddings, a lot of turkey and ham, stuffing and other various holiday food stored away in the fridge. But that’s the best part!

Christmas in the Polka Dot Household was quiet, but food, lovely gifts & alcohol were freely flowing and a lot of love was in the air!

Now we creep up to the predicted blistering NYE and into 2008!

What did you get for Christmas?

Merry Christmas, Seasons Greetings & Happy Holidays to all of my Polka Dot Bride readers! May you feel loved and cared for this holiday season and enter safety into 2008!

Loving this frock from Wheels & Doll Baby, called Suppa Club ballet gown from their ‘Weekend At The Waldorf’ collection

When you’re in drought and the water storages are low, you shower with buckets and time your showers, the above is a wonderful Christmas present!

There’s something really special about glassware- whether it’s because candles are flickering inside sending light bouncing, or whether it’s a laid table with the shine of clear crystal.

Coloured glass can add a special unique touch to your event. Vintage stores and op shops always have a great range, but you can find bits and pieces online too.

Glassware available from Peter’s of Kensington