The Knot Australia has launched today! Lots of information and pictures to see!

Check it out and let me know what you think!

Henry Roth, designer of Henri Josef, mentor on Project Runway Australia and general fashion star will be making an appearance at Maggies Bridal Centre in Dandenong this Saturday 3oth of May!

Henry will be showcasing Henri Josef gowns (some which are not yet released) for 2010 and helping brides with their dress choices! He will be in store between 9am and 3pm. All Henri Josef gowns purchased on the day will receive a half price veil to match.

Maggies Bridal Centre is located at 146 – 148 Walker St Dandenong Call Jodi on 03 9706 7688 for more information and tell Henry Ms Polka Dot sent you!

Finally, after trying (and failing) to fit into the Project Runway schedule a few times. Henry Roth will be deciding the winner of the Rock Your Frock competition this Sunday! The announcement will go live on the Polka Dot Bride Monday or Tuesday next week so stay tuned!

A few little tid bits having in the wedding world you might like to know about

If you’re in Atlanta  The Not Wedding is on again!

On April 5th, The “not” wedding will be staged by vendors including Joy Thigpen(who styled the wedding on the cover of the current Southern Weddings Magazine), planned by Ashley Baber photographed by the amazing Our Labor of Love and will feature invitations from Verde Paperie, accessories from Oh My Deer!, flowers from Amy Osaba and cakes from Chocolate Pink Cafe,.

Amongst other vendors Check out their website for the chance to win a free wedding.

The beautiful lady behind Peonies & Polaroids has opened her etsy store selling beautiful, gentle photographs. Check out her shop here

Dynamite Weddings are giving away a $100 gift certificate to both Wedding Paper Divas and Beaucoup Favors. Check out the entry to enter!

Modern Bride magazine is holding an event for bridesmaids! Dig out your old bridesmaid dress on March 7th and head to the Hammerstein Ballroom in NYC to benefit Planet Hope. The bridesmaids gowns will benefit girls who may not otherwise be able to afford a prom gown this year. Donators will be treated to free beauty consultations, fashion shows, free gifts, food & drinks, discounted shopping and a goody bag.

Entry fee is a bridesmaid dress! Check the website out for more details.

Susan Stripling has teamed up with style guru Carson Kressley for a video series called “How To Look Good In Photos” Susan and Carson have filmed episodes just for weddings.

Here Comes The Bride Part 1

Here Comes The Bride Part 2

Here Comes The Bride Part 3

Polka Dot Bride readers know I love a good wedding movie. I never expect them to change my life, to teach life lessons or to have a heavy moral ending. But I was apprehensive to see Bride Wars, I’d read one review which said the movie put women back 40 years!

The movie starts off with the two best friends (Emma and Liv played by Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway) getting married scenario. There’s a few laughs, a few dreamy moments as the girls fawn over Vera Wang, Tiffany & Co and the fairytale that is a New York wedding. The wedding planner (Candice Bergen) quips  “A wedding marks the first day of the rest of your life. You have been dead until now. Were you aware of that? You’re dead right now.”

The tide suddenly turns and the girls get nasty pulling all sorts of tricks and ploys to force the others decision and make life miserable. Of course like any romantic comedy, both brides end up sad and lonely and the stress eventually puts tension on already fragile engagements.

There is a moral undertone- albeit it a light one. The wedding planner summed it up.

“It was quite a wedding and as i stood there watching i realized something i’d forgotten a long time ago. Sometimes in life there really are bonds formed that can never be broken. Sometimes you really can find that one person who will stand by you no matter what. Maybe you will find it in a spouse and celebrate it with your dream wedding. But theres also the chance that the one person you can count on for a lifetime, the one person who knows you sometimes better than you know yourself is the same person who’s been standing beside you all along.”

This isn’t a movie to see if you’re looking for a movie about the marriage not the wedding. It isn’t going to break down any miscconceptions and it probably isn’t going to change your life.

It is however the perfect movie to see with your girlfriends, bridesmaids or your fiance (if you can drag him there!) for a bit of light hearted relief, a bit of poking fun at the huge elaborate do that is a wedding and a few little tears where your heart longs for the friendship to be rekindled.

In the end, it wasn’t nearly as fluffy as I expected- it had just the right mix of emotion and laughs. My favourite part? the childhood memento that makes a reappearance.  I rate the movie 3/5 dots!

Images from Bride Wars