I posted last year about Oroton’s lovely crystal clutches which are perfect for your wedding day goodies. Today Oroton unveiled their ‘Design Your Own’ Bespoke Range.

Made with Crystallized Swarovski Elements, you’re able to choose the clutch design, crystal colour, chain style and length. The bag can even have a nameplate engraved with your own message. The best part is you can go through the process online and the bag (with over 1,600 Swarovski Crystals) will be handcrafted for you in Germany and delivered to your door.

Priced at $AU1450 it may be out of the range of buying one for each of your bridesmaids, but may be the perfect wedding gift to yourself! (Or perhaps the perfect anniversary gift from a husband to his wife!)

Here’s my creation.

It features

Chronic illness is something that affects so many people, yet those who are touched by it march on silently, often alone.

For those in a relationship, it stretches the boundaries, tests the bond you have and requires so much emotional energy, patience and loyalty. It’s a journey which can provide many rewarding jewels but can also be something which makes your soul ache with the strength it requires and pain it causes.

Modern Bride (USA) has created a website called BeMyRock.org which is designed as a support community for engaged couples who have been touched by chronic illness to help them plan a wedding. It includes a community forum, reading list, advice from the editors of Modern Bride and plenty of resources.

The site is not only for those who suffer a chronic illness themselves, but also for those who have been touched by illness of family members or friends.

Tackling the task of planning a wedding is enough to send any person bonkers (or to use a certain zilla term!) Planning a wedding while dealing with chronic illness brings even more challenges- How do I deal with standing for my half hour ceremony? How do I involve my dad who has cancer?

BeMyRock.org is something the wedding industry has needed for a long time, if you’re touched by a chronic illness check it out, tell your friends and spread the word!

This little button means one very exciting thing.

Marketing legend Guy Kawasaki created a site- called Alltop.com, which in short, groups together all the top blogs stories into ‘channels’ there’s a fashion channel, a movie channel, a beauty channel and more.

But today I found out from a lovely photographer- Christine Tremoulet, that the weddings channel has launched and Polka Dot Bride is on it! Woohoo!

I’ve learnt a lot from Guy Kawasaki’s thoughts about business, but I certainly never thought I could put my name in the same sentence as his! Definitely worth checking out the Alltop site today to keep up with the latest topics!

There’s only four days left to enter Polka Dot Bride’s Win A Wedding Dress Competition!

Australian Brides- Entries close June 2nd at midnight AEST. All you have to do is create an inspiration board (or write one!) around the gown, let me know your sources and email it to me at win@polkadotbride.com. Easy! The perfect weekend project!

Check out the entry for a full list of terms and conditions, photos of the dress up for grabs and tips on how to create an inspiration board. It’s so easy to enter

It’s great to be able to see a video of a venue, especially if you’re planning from another country!

Here are some offerings from Youtube of some Sydney, Australia wedding venues

Sebel Pier One Sydney Hotel

The Dockside Venues Group

Watersedge Sydney

Waterview Convention Centre

Ah, the first winner of Australian Idol has finally walked down the aisle (our international might remember his curly afro from the one and only World Idol!)

Photo from news.com.au

Guy wed his childhood sweetheart Jules in Cardinal Cerretti Memorial Chapel (coincidentally where Nicole Kidman also wed) on Sydney’s North Shore.

A reception was held at the Crystal Ballroom Luna Park and Jules wore a gown (rumoured to be worth $10,000) designed by Master/Slave while Guy wore a brown velvet suit. Jules was flanked by six bridesmaids.

The couple danced their first dance to Spend My Life With You by Eric Benet & Tamia. Afterwards, Guy performed a song written just for his new wife called Perfection.

Guy proposed to Jules during Christmas 2007 and along with a diamond ring (containing 140 diamonds) Jules was presented with a fully furnished holiday home near the beach, a four-wheel drive in the garage, and a Louis Vuitton handbag.

One of the new trends which I love is serving your guests a midnight snack to keep them refreshed and dancing (or keep them awake for the trip home!). This can be a more casual meal and should be something easy for guests to handle, but also fun!

There are endless options for your midnight snack- you could choose your favourite food or an old fashioned favourite and serve it up in a fun way, on silver platters or in bite sized portions.

This wedding had doughnuts and mini milk cartons served at midnight

Photo by Jessica Claire

Janet & Roy used shot glasses to serve up cookies and milk

Photo by Aaron Delesie via The Bride’s Cafe

Miniature sorbet cones, candied apples, mini burgers and petite pizzas from brides.com

Some other ideas include:

• Cheeseburgers and french fries with chocolate milkshakes
• Mini icecream tubs
• Soft pretzels
• Loaded potato skins
• Tomato soup in shot glasses with mini grilled cheese sandwiches
• Mini hot dogs
• Roasted hazelnuts in paper cones
• Fried chicken pieces
• Mini hamburgers
• Roasted marshmallows
• Brownies
• Cupcakes
• Popcorn
• Mini peanut butter and jam sandwiches
• Tiny bowls of mac & cheese

Let your imagination go wild!

Paper Lanterns from Martha Stewart Weddings, Paper Lanterns at Emily & Garrett’s wedding from brides

Farah left a comment last week asking about finding paper lanterns in Australia. Paper lanterns look fabulous in wedding decor. During the ceremony they can be hung overhead. They can light the path to your venues, light your outdoor lounge area, be strung across the ceiling of your reception room, hung above tables and light up the dancefloor.

So I went on a hunt and came up with these!

Vivid Room stocks a lot of different types, from Chinese lantern style, to dotty ones! They have a huge range of all kinds of sizes and shapes. They also have candle bags and paper votives.

14" Eyelette lantern, Pink Polka Dot Set, Star Candle Bag

Pink Frosting has a big range of paper lanterns too in different shapes and designs (and their gorgeous shop is a little dangerous for impulse purchases!)

14" Cherry Blossom Paper Lantern, 14" Pink Polka Dot Paper Lantern, 30cm Flashy Pink Paper Ball Lantern

Chinatown Online stock a lot of traditional style ones (even in the shape of fish!

12cm Yellow Paper Lanterns in pink, purple and yellow.

Hope that takes you on the right path Farah and gave you what you needed! To all Polka Dot Bride readers- I’m always up for a challenge so send something my way! email polkadotbride@gmail.com

There’s one week to go until entries close to win a Henri Josef wedding dress valued at $1400! All you have to do is create (or write) and inspiration board around the gown!

Remember entry is open to all Australian residents aged 18 years or older. You can enter as many times as you like! Entries close midnight, Australian EST June 2nd. All entries must include at least one photo of the gown and must include all sources!

Check out the full entry for terms and conditions, instructions on how to make a board, photos of the gown and more!

Only seven days to go, so get your skates on!

Steven Khalil first fell in love with couture while watching Princess Diana walk down that long aisle. That was him at age six, at 17 he started working for a couture house and some years later began his own label.

He uses traditional practices to drape fabrics, fitting and lace appliqués creating a well made classic and simple gown. Operating out of one of Paddington’s terrace houses in Sydney, he offers a friendly yet comprehensive approach to design.

New collections are released biannually and his gowns are sought after by brides wanting a stunning unique gown for their wedding day. I loft the soft clean lines and feminine yet womanly features of his designs.

Steven Khalil
2 Gurner St
Paddington NSW
Phone: 02 9380 7547