Do Tell! A Poll. For reals! With buttons, and counting and everything!

We posted this over yonder on Facebook, but inquiring minds really do want to know, and we are way proud of our technical ability to insert this poll, so we’re asking here too:

OK fans – a question for you. We blog about a lot of topics. Etiquette, advice, event design, flowers…what topics are interesting to you? What do you want to hear more about? And what are we missing? Please chime in!

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Ed McMahon – a Lovely Wedding Guest

Casino Theme Cupcakes
Like these cupcakes, sweepstakes are a safe bet for your wedding.

Congratulations, you’re engaged!  With that handsome guy or gal on your arm, it feels like you’ve won the lottery, right? So why not ride that lucky streak you’ve got going? With your status changed to “newly engaged,” you and your wedding have just become eligible for all sorts of promotional contests, sweepstakes and competitions offered by companies across the country.  Now don’t roll your eyes and leave Ed McMahon waiting at the door, he’s here to help! Whether the prize is a lovely gown, an island honeymoon, or a registry’s worth of goodies, it is most definitely worth filling out a few forms here and there. Some couple is going to reap the rewards, why not let it be you?

“But wait,” you’re thinking.  “I’m planning a wedding. I don’t have time to surf the internet looking for contests.”  Lucky for you (streak! told you!) the awesome folks at About.com have a whole section devoted to nothing but sweepstakes, with a category devoted to all things wedding. So what are you waiting for?  Get to clicking! Luck in sweepstakes is like luck in finding “the one.” He/she didn’t just fall into your apartment, right?  You got out there.  Because you gotta play to win.

photo by Eduardo Quevedo

Not quite the Dog Days Of August – We’ll settle for the Duck Days of late July

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Want ducks marching down the aisle on your big day? The best trained ducks in the country are found at The Peabody Hotel in Memphis, TN where they have a Duck Parade twice a day.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0b4eR9xuPg]

From the Peabody’s Website:

“Back in 1932 Frank Schutt, General Manager of The Peabody, and a friend, Chip Barwick, returned from a weekend hunting trip to Arkansas. The men had a little too much Jack Daniel’s Tennessee sippin’ whiskey, and thought it would be funny to place some of their live duck decoys (it was legal then for hunters to use live decoys) in the beautiful Peabody fountain.

Three small English call ducks were selected as “guinea pigs,” and the reaction was nothing short of enthusiastic. Soon, five North American Mallard ducks would replace the original ducks.

In 1940, Bellman Edward Pembroke, a former circus animal trainer, offered to help with delivering the ducks to the fountain each day and taught them the now-famous Peabody Duck March. Mr. Pembroke became the Peabody Duckmaster, serving in that capacity for 50 years until his retirement in 1991.”

They also have a GORGEOUS art deco ballroom, conveniently right around the corner from the ducks’ “penthouse suite.” Rooftop Terrace And a fleet of Cinderella pumpkin carriages parked outside.  Cinderella Carriage on Beale Street

Trained birds, a beautiful, historic reception site, fairy-tale royalty modes of transportation…what more could we ask for? The Dog Days of August have a lot to live up to!