A royal wedding next year for Prince William, Kate

Kate Middleton shows her engagement ring given by her fiance Britain's Prince William in London November 16, 2010.[Photo/Agencies]

Britain's Prince William and his fiancee Kate Middleton (L) pose for a photograph in St. James's Palace, central London November 16, 2010.[Photo/Agencies]

Britain's Prince William and his fiancee Kate Middleton (L) pose for a photograph in St. James's Palace, central London November 16, 2010.[Photo/Agencies]

Britain's Prince William and his fiancee Kate Middleton (L) pose for a photograph in St. James's Palace, central London November 16, 2010.[Photo/Agencies]

Images of Britain's Prince William and his fiancee Kate Middleton are seen on a souvenir wedding mug in a photo released by Aynsley China in Stoke-On-Trent, England November 16, 2010.[Photo/Agencies]

Kate Middleton enters a room with her fiance, Britain's Prince William, to pose for a photograph in St. James's Palace, central London November 16, 2010.[Photo/Agencies]

Diana, Princess of Wales, wears her engagement ring and wedding band as she arrives for a lunch function at the London headquarters of the English National Ballet in London in an August 28, 1996 file photo.[Photo/Agencies]

Prince William is seen making a royal salute as he watches the scene of Trooping the Colour from the balcony of Buckingham Palace with his brother Harry and mother Princess Diana in London in this June 15, 1985 file photograph.[Photo/Agencies]

Kate Middleton shows her engagement ring given by her fiance Britain's Prince William in London November 16, 2010.[Photo/Agencies]

Kate Middleton shows her engagement ring given by her fiance Britain's Prince William in London November 16, 2010.[Photo/Agencies]

The fiancee of Britain's Prince William, Kate Middleton, poses for a photograph in St. James's Palace, in

Diana, Princess of Wales and her eldest son Prince William are seen waiting for Prince Harry after attending the annual Easter Sunday church service at St.Georges Chapel inside Windsor Castle, west of London in this April 19, 1992 file photograph.[Photo/Agencies]

Diana, Princess of Wales, accompanied by her son Prince William (R), is seen arriving at Wimbledon's Centre Court before the start of the Women's Singles final in London in this July 2, 1994 file photograph.[Photo/Agencies]

The girlfriend of Britain's Prince William, Kate Middleton, is seen watching the first race at the Cheltenham Festival horse racing meetingl in Gloucestershire, western England in this March 14, 2007 file photograph.[Photo/Agencies]

The parents of Kate Middleton, Michael and Carole , prepare to read a statement to the media outside their home near Bucklebury, in southern England November 16, 2010.[Photo/Agencies]

Britain's Prince William talks to soldiers before a Remembrance Sunday ceremony at Camp Bastion in southern Afghanistan in a November 14, 2010 file photo.[Photo/Agencies]

Images of Britain's Prince William and his girlfriend Kate Middleton are seen on a proposed souvenir wedding mug designed by, the then, high street retailer Woolworths, in this undated file image released in London on November 17, 2006.[Photo/Agencies]

The girlfriend of Britain's Prince William, Kate Middleton, is seen attending the Cheltenham horse racing Festival in Gloucestershire, western England in this March 16, 2007 file photograph.[Photo/Agencies]

Britain's Prince William (L) and his girlfriend Kate Middleton are seen attending the Six Nations international rugby union match against Italy in London in this February 10, 2007 file photograph.[Photo/Agencies]

Britain's Prince William walks with his girlfriend Kate Middleton at RAF Cranwell in this April 11, 2008 file photo.[Photo/Agencies]

taken from : China Daily
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Lindsay Lohan caught 'using heroin'

Lindsay Lohan has been caught on camera about to inject herself with what appears to be heroin.

The troubled actress - who was sentenced to four weeks in jail in Friday (24.09.10) for violating her probation by failing two drug tests, but was released hours later - is photographed wrapping what looks like a tourniquet around her arm to raise a vein before hovering a syringe over her left arm.

The images - which have been obtained by website X17online and the News of the World newspaper - were allegedly taken at a sleazy Hollywood party in 2007 and friends of Lindsay have been concerned about her lifestyle for many years.

A source said: "These images of her with the syringe are terrifying.

"What no one knows for certain is just how often Lindsay does drugs - or exactly which drugs she does. Lindsay has made no secret of her drug addiction. People are used to seeing her off her head."

The photographs also show an unidentified person injecting a syringe into Lindsay's lower back while another one shows Lindsay enjoying a passionate kiss with Paris Hilton.

Meanwhile, friends of Lindsay, 24, claim she will enter rehab voluntarily within in the next few days, following her release from prison.

One told People magazine: "She will step up her treatment and do more than what she was previously ordered to do."

As part of the conditions of her release, Lindsay must wear a SCRAM alcohol-monitoring bracelet and avoid places "where alcohol is the chief item of sale".

The 'Mean Girls' star served only 13 days of a 90-day jail term in July for violating the probation terms of a 2007 conviction for driving under influence (DUI) and just 22 days of a 90-day court-ordered rehab stint following her release from prison in August.

taken from : China Daily
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Entertainment> Celebrities Phil Collins won't marry again

Phil Collins has vowed to never marry again.

Despite being very happy in his relationship with newsreader Dana Tyler, the former Genesis star - who has been married three times, to Andrea Bertorelli, Jill Taverman and Orianne Cevey - has no plans to ever tie the knot again.

He said: "She's a very sweet girl, sweet lady but I'm not going to get married again. I think I'm better off on my own."

The 59-year-old singer - who now lives in Switzerland so that he can be near his sons Nicholas, nine, and Matthew, five, from his marriage to Orianne - also revealed he has such a good relationship with his ex-wives that he often goes out for dinner with all three of them.

He added to the Daily Mirror newspaper: "I'm very proud of the fact that we go out and sit at the same table. It's what life should be like. And it often isn't, because people take sides, Whatever happened, happened and it wasn't one person's fault."

Phil's reluctance to marry Dana could be due to his recent declaration he is still in love with Orianne.

He said: "We are very much in love with each other actually. The fact is the divorce never should have happened."

taken from : China Daily
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Entertainment> Celebrities Katy Perry tweets about Street

Katy Perry is surprised her appearance on 'Sesame Street' has been axed.

The pop star had filmed a segment for the children's TV show in which she performed a modified version of her track 'Hot N Cold' with red puppet Elmo.

A clip of the track was posted on YouTube sparking numerous complaints the low-cut yellow dress Katy was wearing revealed too much cleavage and was unsuitable for younger viewers resulting in bosses cutting the scenes.

On hearing the news, Katy tweeted: "Wow, looks like my play date with Elmo has been cut short!"

The sexy singer's fiance Russell Brand also took to his twitter page to comment on the decision.

Parodying the famous announcement at the end of each 'Sesame Street' episode which reveals which letters and numbers featured in the day's programme, Russell wrote: "Today's 'Sesame Street' will NOT be brought to you by the number 34 or the letter D. (sic)"

He also made another post parodying the show's theme tune, saying: "Can you tell me how to get, how to get to Sex-with-me Street? (sic)"

In response to complaints from parents, 'Sesame Street' producers released a statement clarifying the clip will not be included in the TV show.

It read: "'Sesame Street' has always been written on two levels, for the child and adult. We use parodies and celebrity segments to interest adults in the show

"In light of the feedback we've received on the Katy Perry music video which was released on YouTube only, we have decided we will not air the segment on the television broadcast of 'Sesame Street', which is aimed at pre-schoolers. Katy Perry fans will still be able to view the video on YouTube."

taken from : China Daily
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Keith Urban's singing Sunday

Keith Urban helped his two-year-old daughter record her first songs.

The country music singer - who is married to Nicole Kidman - says he was keen to get little Sunday Rose behind the microphone when he took her to his studio recently and was thrilled when she showcased her vocal talent.

He said: "She came down to the studio the other day, and I put little headphones on her, and she came to the mic and she did two songs. She did 'ABC' and she did 'Twinkle Twinkle,' beginning to end. It was so cute to see the little headphones on her. It was cool."

Although he hasn't written directly about Sunday and Nicole on his new album, 'Get Closer', he says his family are the main inspiration behind the LP.

He told People magazine: "I haven't written literally about Sunday, but there's a deeper purpose that's come from my marriage and now from fatherhood. So, I'm drawing inspiration from that sense of purpose and a feeling of love that I've never had in my life before, and that has come from both my girls."

While Sunday seems to take after her father when it comes to singing, Keith recently revealed he is glad the tot has inherited the stunning actress' enviable long pins rather than his.

He said: "I think she's a combination of both of us so far. But she got my wife's legs, which is very lucky for her. She sure didn't deserve mine."

taken from : China Daily
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Julia Roberts makes film friends

Julia Roberts made "friends for life" shooting 'Eat Pray Love'.

The Oscar-winning actress travelled to Bali, India and Italy to film the movie and revealed it had been a "beautiful" experience, especially because she was able to take her husband Danny Moder and children, five-year-old twins Hazel and Phinnaeus and three-year-old son Henry with her on location.

Speaking at the UK premiere of 'Eat Pray Love' at the Empire cinema in London's Leicester Square last night (22.09.10), Julia told BANG Showbiz: "It was beautiful travelling to all those amazing places with my family. I've stayed in touch with lots of special people I met while shooting the film.

"It taught me to appreciate the ones you love and just have a blast. It's a corny cliche but I really have made friends for life. These are people who I will stay in touch with until the end of time."

Meanwhile, author Elizabeth Gilbert - who wrote the memoir the film is based on - admitted it was "life-changing" news when she was told the 42-year-old Hollywood superstar would be playing her in the big screen adaptation.

Elizabeth said: "The call was, 'Julia Roberts would like to make this movie.' I had to try and hold it together. It came at a time in my life when it was a very welcome piece of news. It was life changing.

"She's great. She's got this sort of luminescence, nothing in the world could prepare you for that beauty and when you see it up close, as accustomed as we are to that face, it's still pretty staggering to be in her presence. She's a phenomenon."

Also in attendance at the premiere were Julia's co-star Richard Jenkins and Danish actress Brigitte Nielsen.

taken from : China Daily
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Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year 2010

Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year 2010

jeannytsy.blogspot.com is now closed for the Christmas and New Year period, and we'll be back on January 4.

We'd like to extend our thanks for your support this past year, and wish you all the best for Christmas and New Year.
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Asian social networking sites profit from virtual money

A customer looks at a web page of Qzone, a Chinese social networking site at an internet cafe in Changzhi, Shanxi province, August 28, 2009.[Agencies]

SINGAPORE - By selling an array of virtual products from avatar clothes to e-furniture, Asia's social networking sites appear to have solved the conundrum of how to leverage big profits from their extensive user bases.

It's simple, they say, the money might be virtual but the profits are all too real.

Chinese university student Tan Shengrong spends about 20 yuan ($2.90) per month purchasing outfits for her pet penguin avatar or playing games on QQ, an instant message portal on Qzone, China's most popular social networking site.

It might not seem like a hefty sum, but every fen, or cent, is money in the bank for Tencent Holdings, which owns Qzone and saw an 85 percent increase in its second quarter net profit this year compared to 2008 despite the economic downturn.

"They keep growing even though the economy's bad because they keep making millions from cents from millions and millions of people," said Benjamin Joffe, head of Internet consulting firm Plus Eight Star.

From virtual clothes to e-pets, Asians spend an estimated $5 billion a year on virtual purchases via websites such as Qzone, Cyworld in South Korea and mobile-phone based network Gree in Japan, according to Plus Eight Star. That's about 80 percent of the global market for virtual products, it says.

"Social networking is just a way to get people together, but if you want revenue you have to sell them something. What they found was that people were happy to pay for content related to emotion, status and entertainment," said Joffe.

Of the virtual sales in Asia, about 80 percent comes from the sale of such items as equipment for online games such as rods for GREE's fishing game Tsuri Star 2. The rest comes from purchases for avatars on social networking sites.

Such is the success of virtual sales on Asia's most popular social networking sites that Myspace and Facebook are starting to look with a fresh eye at the potential of virtual money to generate cold hard cash.

Qzone's Tencent Holdings made over $1 billion last year with just 13 percent coming from advertising revenue. In contrast, Facebook and Myspace depend on advertising to fund most of their revenue.

The evolution of virtual money on social networking sites in Asia is partly due to a less developed online advertising market which drove Asian web businesses to seek new ways to profit.

Cultural issues are at play too. Gaming is popular among adults in Asia, whereas in the West it tends to be only for kids.

East Asian societies are also very status conscious. Players are loath to be the only avatar without the latest gear and Asians are perhaps more willing than counterparts in the West to buy virtual products to update their avatars or social space.

Asia's social networking sites tend to be country specific but they have very active user bases.

Qzone had 228 million active user accounts for the second quarter of 2009, although it won't give out monthly visitor figures. Meanwhile, Cyworld, which says that 90 percent of South Korea's 20-somethings are members, had 23 million unique visitors per month at the end of the first quarter of 2009.

VIRTUAL RENTALS

Like their Western counterparts, Asian social networking sites allow their users to chat, play games and share photos.

There is also some advertising, but the sites earn most of their revenues from their users. Members are represented by avatars and acquire virtual currency from the sites to buy digital goods, game packages or upgrades.

The model has taken off abroad but there is still a long way to go until the West catches up with Asia.

Habbo, a social networking site for teenagers owned by Finland's Sulake Corporation, sells virtual clothes and furniture. Meanwhile, games such as Pet Society which is available on Facebook and allows users to raise virtual pets, sells goods such as virtual pet accessories and e-food.

Playfish, creator of Pet Society and other social games, says it has 47 million active users per month playing its games.

With seven million or so inhabitants, the virtual world Second Life offers a range of e-wares for sale for Linden dollars. Some are mundane and others are controversial such as guns and virtual phalluses with price tags based on the size.

Asia is also a playground for a range of virtual business models such as rentals. For example, Cyworld rents background skins of popular South Korean baseball players for limited periods. Such rentals drive repeat sales and tap into trends.

LOST IN TRANSLATION

The success of these East Asian sites contrast sharply to the frustrated social media landscape across the Pacific where despite immense popularity, Facebook and Myspace are yet to fully harness the profit potential of their massive user bases.

Facebook, the world's biggest social network with close to 300 million visitors per month, is on track to bring in more than $500 million in revenue this year, mostly from advertising, but its focus is on growing its user base rather than making money.

Still, a recent New York Times article suggested signs of an exodus from Facebook as disillusioned users leave due to privacy concerns or complaints of rampant commercialism.

Rupert Murdoch's MySpace has been unusual among the major social networks in turning profitable through advertising sales, although is now undergoing a major overhaul, including ousting its CEO and firing hundreds of staff, in the face of worrying user metrics.

Meanwhile, both Facebook and MySpace are eyeing the virtues of virtual money. Facebook, which sells virtual goods mainly in the form of 'Facebook gifts' through a credit system, said in March that it was looking at offering a common virtual currency to third-party application developers.

At the Web 2.0 Summit late last year, Myspace's recently-departed chief operating officer Amit Kapur mentioned that that the firm was also seeking to develop a payments and virtual goods system.

Meanwhile, Internet entrepreneurs are coming to Asia to pick up on innovative web business models.

In June, 32 venture capitalists and Internet entrepreneurs visited Japan and China under the banner "GeeksOnAPlane," to learn about local success stories such as DeNA, video hosting website Tudou, and gaming website PopCap.

"They were all blown away even though some of them already knew about what was going on here," said George Godula, founder of Shanghai-based consultancy Web2Asia. "They (Asian social networking sites) are quite nimble at finding out business models or ways of how to make money," he told Reuters.

taken from : China Daily


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Happy Easter

Myspace Easter

Keep Jesus Alive in your heart, happy easter!

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Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year 2009

Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year 2009

jeannytsy.blogspot.com is now closed for the Christmas and New Year period, and we'll be back on January 5.

We'd like to extend our thanks for your support this past year, and wish you all the best for Christmas and New Year.





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Perfume vials from Christ's era unearthed in Israel

ROME (Reuters) - A team of Franciscan archaeologists digging in the biblical town of Magdala in what is now Israel say they have unearthed vials of perfume similar to those that may have been used by the woman said to have washed Jesus' feet.

The perfumed ointments were found intact at the bottom of a mud-filled swimming pool, alongside hair and make-up objects, the director of the dig conducted by the group Studium Biblicum Franciscanum told the Terrasanta.net religious website.

"If chemical analyses confirm it, these could be perfumes and creams similar to those that Mary Magdalene or the sinner cited in the Gospel used to anoint Christ's feet," Father Stefano de Luca, the lead archaeologist, told the website.

Mary Magdalene is cited in the New Testament as a steadfast disciple of Christ from whom seven demons were cast out. She is often considered the sinner who anointed Jesus' feet.

"The discovery of the ointments in Magdala at any rate is of great importance. Even if Mary Magdalene was not the woman who washed Christ's feet, we have in our hands 'cosmetic products' from Christ's time," De Luca said.

Magdala was the name of an ancient town near the shores of the Sea of Galilee in what is now northern Israel. A Palestinian Arab village stood near the site until the war at Israel's establishment in 1948, and an Israeli town called Migdal now occupies the area.

"It's very likely that the woman who anointed Christ's feet used these ointments, or products that were similar in composition and quality," De Luca said.

Studium Biblicum Franciscanum supports research in biblical studies but focuses on archaeological excavation of sites linked to the New Testament and early Christianity in the Middle East.

(Writing by Deepa Babington, editing by Tim Pearce)


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Britney Spears performs during 60th Bambi media awards ceremony

Pop star Britney Spears performs during the 60th Bambi media awards ceremony in the southwestern German town of Offenburg November 27, 2008. Each year, the German media company 'Hubert Burda Media', honours celebrities from the world of entertainment, literature, sports and politics with the Bambi awards. [Agencies]

Pop star Britney Spears performs during the 60th Bambi media awards ceremony in the southwestern German town of Offenburg November 27, 2008. Each year, the German media company 'Hubert Burda Media', honours celebrities from the world of entertainment, literature, sports and politics with the Bambi awards. [Agencies]


Pop star Britney Spears poses with her award during the 60th Bambi media awards ceremony in the southwestern German town of Offenburg November 27, 2008. Each year, the German media company 'Hubert Burda Media', honours celebrities from the world of entertainment, literature, sports and politics with the Bambi awards. Spears won the "Pop International" Award.[Agencies]


Pop star Britney Spears performs during the 60th Bambi media awards ceremony in the southwestern German town of Offenburg November 27, 2008. Each year, the German media company 'Hubert Burda Media', honours celebrities from the world of entertainment, literature, sports and politics with the Bambi awards.[Agencies]


Pop star Britney Spears performs during the 60th Bambi media awards ceremony in the southwestern German town of Offenburg November 27, 2008. Each year, the German media company 'Hubert Burda Media', honours celebrities from the world of entertainment, literature, sports and politics with the Bambi awards.[Agencies]


Pop star Britney Spears poses with her award during the 60th Bambi media awards ceremony in the southwestern German town of Offenburg November 27, 2008. Each year, the German media company 'Hubert Burda Media', honours celebrities from the world of entertainment, literature, sports and politics with the Bambi awards. Spears won the "Pop International" Award. [Agencies]


Pop star Britney Spears performs during the 60th Bambi media awards ceremony in the southwestern German town of Offenburg November 27, 2008. Each year, the German media company 'Hubert Burda Media', honours celebrities from the world of entertainment, literature, sports and politics with the Bambi awards.[Agencies]


Pop star Britney Spears poses with her award during the 60th Bambi media awards ceremony in the southwestern German town of Offenburg November 27, 2008. Each year, the German media company 'Hubert Burda Media', honours celebrities from the world of entertainment, literature, sports and politics with the Bambi awards. Spears won the "Pop International" Award. [Agencies]


Pop star Britney Spears performs during the 60th Bambi media awards ceremony in the southwestern German town of Offenburg November 27, 2008. Each year, the German media company 'Hubert Burda Media', honours celebrities from the world of entertainment, literature, sports and politics with the Bambi awards.[Agencies]


Pop star Britney Spears performs during the 60th Bambi media awards ceremony in the southwestern German town of Offenburg November 27, 2008. Each year, the German media company 'Hubert Burda Media', honours celebrities from the world of entertainment, literature, sports and politics with the Bambi awards.[Agencies]

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Igor Moiseyev Ballet Tour hits Budapest

Dancers perform on stage during the "Igor Moiseyev Ballet Tour" in Budapest November 23, 2008.[Agencies]

Dancers perform on stage during the "Igor Moiseyev Ballet Tour" in Budapest November 23, 2008.[Agencies]


Dancers perform on stage during the "Igor Moiseyev Ballet Tour" in Budapest November 23, 2008.[Agencies]


Dancers perform on stage during the "Igor Moiseyev Ballet Tour" in Budapest November 23, 2008.[Agencies]


Dancers perform on stage during the "Igor Moiseyev Ballet Tour" in Budapest November 23, 2008.[Agencies]

Taken From : http://www.chinadaily.com.cn

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Lesotho mine yields one of world's largest diamonds

LONDON (Reuters) - Miners in the southern African kingdom of Lesotho have found one of the world's largest diamonds, a near-flawless white gem weighing nearly 500 carats, mining group Gem Diamonds said on Sunday.

The diamond was discovered in the Letseng Mine on September 8, the company said in a statement. It has been analyzed by experts in Antwerp and found to weigh 478 carats, with very few inclusions and of outstanding color and clarity.

"It has the potential to yield one of the largest flawless D color round polished diamonds in history," the company said.

Letseng is one of the most productive mines in history -- four of the world's 20 largest rough diamonds have been found at the mine, including the three largest found this century.

Before it is cut into gems it is hard to value the diamond, but a spokesman for Gem Diamonds said a similar weight stone with lesser-quality color and clarity had recently sold for $12 million (around 5.5 million pounds).

"Preliminary examination of this remarkable diamond indicates that it will yield a record breaking polished stone of the very best color and clarity," Clifford Elphick, the chief executive of Gem Diamonds, said in a statement.

The minister for natural resources in Lesotho, an impoverished mountain kingdom in eastern South Africa, praised the productivity of the mine, one of the highest in the world at more than 3,000 meters (10,000 feet).

"Once again Letseng has proved its ability to produce extraordinary diamonds and continues to place Lesotho at the forefront of diamond producing countries," Monyane Moleleki said in a statement.

Letseng is 70 percent owned by Gem Diamonds and 30 percent owned by the government of Lesotho.

The world's largest diamond is the Cullinan, discovered in South Africa in 1905. It weighed more than 3,100 carats before it was cut into more than one hundred separate gems, many of which are part of the British crown jewels.

(Reporting by Luke Baker; Editing by Mariam Karouny)

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Do-It-Yourself Guide to Planning the Perfect Wedding

Finally a practical wedding planning guide any bride can use to plan the day of her dreams! No longer will you feel alone and overwhelmed by the many details and choices available for planning your wedding. This course offers timelines and checklists to keep you organized, details about etiquette, and tips to save you time and money. The best thing about this guide is that you will be able to ask questions and share information with fellow brides and grooms to be. Don't stress alone over planning your big day!


Lesson 1: After You Say Yes . . .

Saying "Yes!" is the easy part, but planning your wedding can be fun. Start the ball rolling by sharing the news, making some key decisions, and developing a wedding budget.

Lesson 2: Setting the Date, Managing Timelines, Handling Legal Details

Planning an event as large as a wedding does take some time. Find out how to set reasonable timelines that will take you from now through your honeymoon and beyond.

Lesson 3: What Kind of Wedding Do You Want?

Now it's time to brainstorm about the stuff dreams are made of: the ceremony itself, and the style of the overall wedding.

Lesson 4: The Guest List, Invitations, and Gift Registries

This lesson is all about making lists. You'll learn etiquette and tips for compiling your guest list, designing and creating your invitations, and deciding where to register for gifts.

Lesson 5: Food, Music, Flowers, and Pictures

Throwing a wedding requires you to form partnerships with a variety of service providers. This lesson looks at managing the business end of your wedding: hiring caterers, florists, musicians, and photographers.

Lesson 6: The Main Cast

While the bride and groom are the focus of the wedding, a collection of attendants makes the wedding party complete. This lesson covers the roles and responsibilities for everyone in your wedding party.

Lesson 7: The Ceremony

Finally, after months of planning, the moment you've been waiting for is here: your wedding day. In this lesson you run through details of a traditional ceremony and plan your own unique one.

Lesson 8: The Reception and Beyond

You've worked hard at finding a reception site, choosing the food, music, and perfecting every detail. Finally -- it's party time!

Taken From: http://ilearn.ivillage.com
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