A wedding event that is attracting attention is The Ultimate Engagement Show being held in New York City’s Gotham Hall , voted among the best 10 places to wed. The show is being held with luxury, style and elegance in mind, at a time when Do It Yourself  brides are using spent toilet tissue rolls and doing themselves in.

Maya Kalman of Swank Productions is the person behind the show. Maya has done an excellent job of getting all the wedding industry’s top personalities and vendors together for the event. From Sylvia Weinstock, Bridal Reflections, Andy Kushner, the line up reads as a Who’s Who of the wedding elite that will show how it’s done.

The show is billed for Meeting New York’s hottest wedding specialists and style-makers. All in one room, all in one day. According to advertisement, The Ultimate Engagement is offering brides the opportunity to schedule 10 minute appointments with the wedding trendsetters they’ve read about in magazines, blogs and seen on TV.

“We’re definitely focusing our attention to that higher scale bride that has the means to create her own event, her own way for her family and friends,” said Maya in a recent interview. We caught up with Maya a few weeks ago during one of many snow storms . While everyone else was taking it easy, Maya told eWN she was working had to make sure this event would Rock some people’s world.

“We’ve been to the venue and it is an excellent place to have an event,” agrees Erick Kent of New Jersey Wedding . Kent heard about the show through eWedNews and has decided to publicize the event, if he gets a slice of Syvia Weinstock’s famous wedding cakes. Negotiations and discussions are ongoing and approaching a deal. 

Distributed with permission by eWedNews

All Rights Reserved

2010

Re-issued by permission from eWedNews.com

Over the weekend, a Wall Street Journal story titled  What a Wedding Really Costs caught the attention of wedding experts and even turned some into writers to give their views of why the WSJ should stick to financial news.

Essentially, the writer slanted his views towards a shift to cautious wedding spending, even questioning the expert opinion of Carley Roney, editor-in-chief of the Knot. Most planners and sources weighing in had no real opinion of their own or were not willing to share their thoughts. But a new, outspoken eWedNews source, Brad Junell, owner of CoordEgy didn’t mind sharing his views.

“In a time of ongoing economic anxiety and with the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in full swing, brides contend with slippery slopes beyond the media coverage of the Super-G. In a recent article in the online Wall Street Journal, Brett Arends asserts in no uncertain terms that rather than lavishly spending  money on their wedding, brides could realize a 500% to 1100%+ appreciation in the value of that expenditure “Over long periods” if they saved it “four decades or more” instead.

Cha’, get real Mr. Arends! Can you say “Would’ a, Could’ a, Should’ a?”  Let me think; forty-years ago if I:

1.) didn’t eat at McDonald’s I could’ a looked like Arnold Schwarzenegger did in his body-building hay-day

2.) played less pinball and with more Radio Shack 64-in-1 electronics kits I could’ a been sitting in Steve Job’s chair at Apple Computer Company.

3.) invested that first $0.50/hr paycheck I earned raking leaves in my uncle John’s yard instead of buying a 3-Muskateers candy bar I could’ a now enjoyed a net worth of a mini Warren Buffet.

Thrifty advice for brides? I think not. Good advice for brides to be thrifty? Absolutely! There’s no denying that the pressures and challenges of the recent economy have prompted brides and vendors to seek bargains and reduce costs from all angles. But to insinuate that brides forego the cost of celebrating the “here and now,” that one special day in their lives that they have dreamed about since being a little girl, that one moment in time that often establishes the foundation of a lifetime of emotional investment, can hardly be quantified and summed up with a simple calculation of the future value of $1 invested today.

My first reaction to this article evoked a Homer Simpson/Forest Gump shout out loud: “DOH! What are you stupid or something?”  I’m sorry but there are just some days in life where practicality takes a back seat on the bus ride of life.

Call me old-fashioned. Call me sentimental. Tell me time and again that “a fool and his money are soon parted” all you like. Out of the 25+ years of being married, not once has either of us said to the other: “Gee honey, you know, we could afford to buy that new 52” LCD high-definition TV now if we had only taken that extra $100 we spent for the really good band and saved it instead.” 

Honestly, not a day goes by in my life where there isn’t something I encounter or remember of that special day when I married my wife: a  picture on the wall in our bedroom of a beautiful blushing young women in a beautiful dress standing next to a handsome young man on a cool September day (and how we had to kick the break-dancer kids out of the bandstand for the wedding pictures); the occasional watching of a video seeing my dad dancing in a Tuxedo; reminiscing with a groomsman of how he cut-off an off-duty policeman and got a ticket in the mail a month later; remembering the bittersweet feeling of being on deck in the early morning sunrise as our honeymoon ship returned to port for disembarking.

These Mr. Arends are all my priceless memories and are worth more to me than any single dollar that I spent some 25 odd years ago and they are even worth more than any future dollar value you could possibly calculate.

My suggestion to brides is this: If you want news and opinion for financial investment instruments such as stocks and bonds then by all means consult the Wall Street Journal.  But when it comes to advice and opinion on priceless investments such as marriage – leave that to the professionals,”

The Wedding Report.com and E- Formal News combined resources in December, 2009 to form eWedNews  and have launched a new type of news, information and consulting project designed to help businesses of all sizes to leverage technology and match the fast paced world we live in.

“Since our December announcement and Press Release , we’ve had a lot of inquiries and interest in the project and expect to very quickly become a good resource for businesses to partner with,” according to Shane McMurray of eWN. McMurray expects the growth being experienced in all the Social Networks to continue to build a formidable news feed that will draw attention to wedding industry needs. “Once we do that, we can offer market information and enable businesses of all sizes in their specific categories to better understand and service their customers,” feels McMurray.

During disclosure in the creation of  EWedNews, it was discovered a greater reach in the business-to-business wedding category exists between the two principal contributors, The Wedding Report and E- Formal News. In addition, greater systems to reach Business-to-consumers were also discovered and are now being explored further to broaden the scope of eWN. “At first we had decided to focus purely on B-to-B but our partners at E-Formal News showed us the benefits we could offer to our business partners by driving traffic to their doors,” said Shane McMurray of Wedding report over the weekend.

Development of the web site was ahead of schedule and below cost estimates, proving that wise decision-making and effective use of resources can help create positive results. “We’ve quickly completed tasks and created systems ahead of schedule and costs, allowing us to move into other areas we never even considered. We’re also very encouraged by the support we’re getting from wedding industry contacts in ways we never expected,” said McMurray.

Existence of formidable metrics associated with the Cost Of Wedding area of the Wedding Report company, www.costofwedding.com  that drew over 307,000 unique visitors with 1.9 million page views in 2009 and spent a significant amount of time filling out surveys, were credited for the decision in pursuing the more retail oriented market that E- Formal News/1800mytuxes are familiar with. McMurray and his partners are now leveraging the new-found opportunities to direct traffic to strategic retail partners and advertisers, creating a unique blend of Business-to-Business and an augment that will include consumers in the near future.

EWedNews launches with followers and supporters that have been kept informed of the progress every step of the way, via Social Networking. Formulation of News stories and wedding trade promotions will continue to include members that will quickly build a consensus around information that reflects the views of the majority. 

EWedNews 2010

All Rights Reserved.

For many seeking answers, a flood of information that offers parts of solutions, fragmented concepts and ideas are felt to be simply confusing people. But from all we’ve observed and gleaned from countless discussions concludes: something has to change—the status quo, holding pattern that has existed for years now can no longer continue.

From speaking with some of you, we had a laugh over the ten-year anniversary of Y2K, remembering where we were at midnight, 2000. Expected cataclysmic events resulted in an overloaded cell phone system that lasted for 20 minutes and returned. It was more of the unknown or what could happen that scared us. At midnight tonight, we’ve already progressed since then, simply knowing what cannot happen any longer; the general nothingness of apathy.

For us on 2009, the best thing has been getting to meet and interact with a broader scope of professionals, sharing thoughts and now concluding we are not alone in our findings. All that remains will be to dust off a decade of survival and look forward to building a thriving America, as we learn from that past, while looking to the future.

The best for a 2010 New Year because we still have a long way to go before we can hope for a “happy” one.

Since that time, the country has never fully recovered. In fact, many designate their lives “before and post 9/11”. Some feel life has changed forever and have resolved to the idea. But the current economic events of the past year are threatening the very essence of America and our capitalistic basis, showing a deterioration of net worth that is hitting every income level. Some say they feel the pressures leading to the acceptance of a new structure of government, leading down paths that are inconsistent with what our founding fathers had in mind when they structured this great nation.

Our thoughts turn to the common man and the rapidly growing population that is falling behind, as technology and a new set of standards separate those that are in the know and those that just know they want a simpler life. Even our interaction with companies shows the growing disparity and makes it clear, most will not survive.

Today we focus on the word hope; a word that has no negative meaning, even when times seem bleak and answers illusive. With hope comes the challenge of hard work; to persevere until the outcomes we want in our lives are finally achieved. But in order to achieve our final goals, we must first know what they are.

For us, the messages of life are delivered through music.  Songs like the theme from Mahogany, where Diana Ross asked, “Do you know where you’re going to? Do you like the things that life is showing you?” make you stop to think, do we? And if not, what are we doing to change them?

In life, it’s always good to question but, at some point, we must find the answers. In our favorite song, Let It Be, we listen to Paul clearly say he finds solace in Mother Mary standing right in front of him. For you non-believers keep reading—it was his mother; her name was Mary. For Paul, his mother stood right in front of him, speaking words of wisdom and delivered the message we still seek today, forty years later.

The song structures around the dreamlike state where much of the world’s plight are generalized. Mc Cartney then interjects the feeling of hope when he says, “Although they may be parted, there is still a chance that they will see—there will be an answer.” The hope continues when he wakes up to the sound of music and no, not Julie Andrews, but (his) Mother Mary comes to him.

In these troubled times, we continue to do what’s necessary in our lives to rebuild financial states and shattered dreams. But there can be no dreams of renewal without the hope that guides us. Please join us in making 2010 a time of hope, new adventure and a change: to “live” life and not remain stuck in one.

Armed with glue guns, scissors, tissue paper and a myriad of creative ideas, the latest trend in wedding hosting include personalized themes and items that make them unique. Simple and elegant ways that brides are using their own personal touch are discovered to be gratifying ideas that are the topic of discussion both at the affair and for years to come.

Items like napkin holders made from, of all things, empty toilet paper rolls, can be made to look professional and add a touch of fun when guests learn they were made by the bride and her girls.  Center pieces that include sculptural shells, coral and conch shells, surrounding a vase filled with tiny shells and a pillar candle come to life at the affair and when visiting relatives lucky enough to take the items home. 

Trending and resources to assist in the creation of ideas that will personalize any affair are growing. The move to have at least one item– or an entire theme of DIY, Do It Yourself, can be gratifying and fun, if done with taste, guided by just the right ideas that are not cheesy or over-the-top. 

This article, along with others, will appear on www.theweddingreport.com , E- Formal News and is a sample of what’s to come on www.ewednews.com when the B to B web site launches in February, 2010. 

For more specific ideas and professionals to guide you, contact us at News@eformalnews.com

My Wedding Concierge, a part of www.wedsync.com , gets set to launch next month but is already attracting more publicity than they can handle. Phyllis Cheung, owner of Wed Sync, says,” WedSync is a one-of-kind site that leverages smart search to help brides organize and identify vendors for their wedding. WedSync is the only wedding planning site to have incorporated all of the wedding vendor’s social media in one place. My Wedding Concierge is the complementary iPhone app to WedSync.com. Brides can find wedding vendors on the go on our easy to use app,” according to her Linked In Bio http://bit.ly/7oGzQD

Currently, Phyllis is implementing the final stages of their web site that we’d love to show you but can’t. We’ve been watching the beta testing and graphic design and can only say you will be wowed. The web site will work in unison with the I Phone app that is currently being downloaded by thousands of brides, featuring vendors in national and regional markets that are already noticing traffic in what is usually the slowest part of the year.

Publicity campaigns for Wed sync launch later this month and are expected to open the floodgate to the next big thing in the wedding industry: Phone Applications. E- Formal News research shows, static web sites and boring graphics are already being replaced by interactivity offered by Social Networking, word-of-mouth and the convenience of cell phone applications like My Wedding Concierge.

For more information, please contact us at News@eformalnews.com      

Where Do We Get New Tuxes For Our Event?

Because of the current economic downturn and the lingering effects of 9/11, the men’s rental formal business continues to shrink down to a lessening demand for tuxedo rentals and events that require Black Tie. Since 2002, the number of stores that actually own and maintain their own merchandise has eroded, yielding to drop stores that order through a catalog.

Chances are good that when you walk into a neighborhood store, you will be asked to look at a book and select items that could come from across town– or across the nation. From talking with experts in many areas of event planning, we’re finding this less and less favorable, knowing that a lady would never order through a book and not try on her outfit until a few days before the event. We’re being interviewed and quoted on many web sites and publications that feel it’s important to get that message across. The quotes and web sites can be found in past articles and other areas of this blog.

Many of you have contacted and thanked us for confirming what has been suspected for some time. But you also wanted to know what new styles can we look forward to and where they may be found? We are sorry to report that since the selling season ended last month, there are no significant new styles and purchases in any great degree. What this means is, there will be no new 2010 new styles available, however, some stores are updating current basic and fashion styles.

Currently in our trade portion of E- Formal News, we are covering the possible merging of some of the remaining suppliers that are struggling to survive. For this reason, it is likely that any of the few orders that were place may never be executed.

Please feel free to contact us, we are happy to assist you in any way we can in getting you the best value for your dollar and finding the best tuxedo that will compliment your event.

Call 516-312-0090 or mailto:News@eformalnews.com

Also, follow us for daily updates and direct questions on www.twitter.com/1800mytuxes or join our Face Book Fan page 1800mytuxes . 

New Moonlight – Cardi International images released.

Images of the Moonlight – Cardi International New York photo shoot taken last June are appearing in all major publications. The balance of the images was released this week in time for prom promotions and next season’s wedding advertising campaigns.

Moonlight has already been promoting dresses for next season and has been featured in a formidable schedule of advertising campaigns and promotions that are creating demand for their products. New dress styles are featured on their web site at www.moonlightbridal.com . Moonlight information also appears in social networks including Twitter at http://twitter.com/MoonlightBridal

Images that include men’s formal wear by Cardi International www.cardiinternational.com styled by Paul Pannone will be featured in spring and summer ad campaigns to reach consumers in search of men’s formalwear. 

Images featuring Moonlight dresses and men’s formal wear by Cardi International, styled by formal wear expert,  Paul Pannone of 1800mytuxes may be viewed at http://www.1800mytuxes.com/CardWeb/index.htm

Please contact us for more information about any of the companies or products you’ve read about, or to obtain high resolution pictures.

Contact info@1800mytuxes.com or call 516-312-0090