My novel is Kickin' on Kindle!

"It's My Wedding Too" is enjoying fabulous success in paperback, as it makes the rounds for movie rights, and now as a Kindle hot pick. Looks like real-life brides are enjoying seeing Emilie get her revenge on those battling mothers of the bride and groom!

So tell me...what do you think of the surprise ending? Did Carmela have it coming to her? And what would you like to see happen to Leah -- she can't be all work and no play, no matter how much she's in love with her new, dreamy, hotspot dessert lounge. Your ideas could help shape novel #3....

THE most hotly-anticipated bridal magazine is on the way!

You've seen me on Get Married with Colin Cowie and with David Tutera, also in segments with Preston Bailey and Sylvia Weinstock. You know the show as a gorgeous compilation of expert advice and breathtaking images for inspiration. Now, get ready for the Get Married magazine, which is coming to you FREE starting with the October issue!

We in the wedding industry are so excited about the launch of this new magazine, because we know its fresh and innovative styling is going to thrill YOU, the bride, and everyone around you. They're mixing planning ideas and savvy shopping ideas, the latest tips and trends from superstar wedding experts, and more. So make sure you subscribe to this beautiful new glossy!

Catch me on ABC News Now's 'Ahead of the Curve'

I recently appeared on ABC News Now's 'Ahead of the Curve,' talking about how technology can save you money on your wedding plans: http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=7581801.

Ritz Carlton Lodge...beauty on a budget!

A budget wedding at the Ritz-Carlton?! It CAN happen for you! Here is an announcement I just received, and get ready to marvel at the opportunity before you...

The Ritz-Carlton Lodge INTRODUCES
NEW SIGNATURE WEDDING PACKAGES
Offering ease of planning for busy, budget-conscious brides-to-be



GREENSBORO, Ga. - May 26, 2009 - The Five-Diamond Ritz-Carlton Lodge, Reynolds Plantation proudly rolls out its 2009 wedding season packages. From the “’Let’s Run Off’ Lodge Elopement” to the “Everything But the Dress,” these value-packed packages offer affordable luxury for the bride-to-be while easing the task of planning the perfect wedding.



Each of the four signature wedding packages include a choice of venue. “From a sunrise service with the backdrop of the shimmering waters of Lake Oconee, to an evening affair under towering loblolly pines in the privacy of a forest clearing, to an amorous afternoon rendezvous within The Lodge’s elegant and luxurious interiors,” said Kimberly Bachelder, Catering Sales Manager, “The Lodge is known for its vast array of inspiring ceremony settings.” Additionally, each of the planning packages offer the services of a Ritz-Carlton wedding professional to handle every detail and indulgence, so that the wedding party and family are free to enjoy the experience.



Perfect for a Vow Renewal or secret getaway wedding, the “Let’s Run Off” Lodge Elopement package is $1,250 USD and includes:

· Intimate Outdoor Setting for Wedding Ceremony

· Officiant for Wedding Ceremony

· Bottle of Champagne for Toasting

· Dedicated Special Events Manager

· Directions or transportation to and from the Greene County Courthouse for marriage license



Offering additional luxury and pampering for couples, the Romantic Rendezvous is priced at $2,675 USD and includes:

· All Lodge Elopement inclusions

· Overnight accommodations in a Luxurious Executive Suite

· Photography for Ceremony (Wedding Portrait Session)

· The Ritz-Carlton Signature Rose Bouquet and Boutonniere

· Romantic Lakeside Chiminea Dining Experience for Two

· 60-minute Couples Massage in The Ritz-Carlton Spa’s Couples Suite

· Rose Petal Turn Down

· Breakfast In Bed



The Lodge’s most popular package, Ceremony Simplicity provides a memorable ceremony setting for intimate weddings of 30 or less. Priced at $3,500 USD, it includes:

· Intimate Outdoor Setting for Wedding Ceremony

· Officiant for Wedding Ceremony

· Signature Décor at Ceremony Site

· The Ritz-Carlton Signature Rose Bouquet

· Traditional Groom’s Boutonniere

· Photography for Two Hours (Ceremony, Portrait Session and Family Portrait)

· Solo Musician to perform during Ceremony (Additional Fee for Harpist)

· Dedicated Special Events Manager

· 10% off any Spa Wedding Packages for you or your wedding party



This ceremony and reception package is ideal for guest lists of 50 to 75. Priced at $6200 USD, Everything But the Dress* includes:

· Intimate Outdoor Setting for Wedding Ceremony

· Officiant for Wedding Ceremony

· Signature Décor at Ceremony Site

· The Ritz-Carlton Signature Rose Bouquet for Bride

· Groom’s Specialty Boutonniere

· Maid of Honor Rose Bouquet

· Best Man Boutonniere

· Photography for Four Hours (Ceremony, Portrait Session and Reception)

· String Trio to perform during Ceremony and Reception (Total of Four Hours)

· Floral Centerpieces for Reception (Up to Five Centerpieces)

· Dedicated Special Events Manager

· 10% off any Spa Wedding Packages for you or your wedding party

· Complimentary two-night first anniversary stay, redeemable at The Ritz-Carlton Lodge, Reynolds Plantation



The Lodge’s Signature Wedding Packages are available Sunday through Friday and Saturday prior to 4 p.m. Prices above do not include applicable service charge and tax. For parties of 15 or more, a Food and Beverage Package is required. For additional information on The Ritz-Carlton Lodge’s Destination Wedding packages, please contact The Lodge’s Catering Sales team at (706) 467-7115 or visit the resort’s website at www.ritzcarltonlodge.com.



The Ritz-Carlton Lodge, Reynolds Plantation is a AAA Five Diamond resort, providing guests legendary Ritz-Carlton service highlighted by gracious southern hospitality. The Lodge is recognized as one of the “Greatest Hotels and Resorts in the World” by Travel + Leisure (2009 T+L500) and is named one of 50 Top Resorts in the U.S. by Zagat (Zagat Survey 2009). The 251-room Lodge is secluded on the sparkling shores of Lake Oconee in Greensboro, Georgia, with 99 holes of golf designed by the greatest architects of the game, Mobil Four-Star-rated Spa with southern-inspired service and exclusive Lodge adventures from fishing for large mouth bass to horseback riding and canoeing.

"It's My Wedding Too" on Amazon's hot chick lit list!

Amazon suggests my novel "It's My Wedding Too" among hot chick lit titles by:
Jennifer Weiner
Plum Sykes
Helen Fielding
Emily Giffin
and Sophie Kinsella!

It's almost beach-read time, and it is wedding season, so pick up my comedic tale about a battling Mother of the Bride and Mother of the Groom and all the chaos they cause before the Big Day. [And don't fret that the graphic is different on the order page: we have the fresh new cover (seen above), so if the title's right, the book is right!]

Enjoy, and don't forget to let me know what you love about the book! It's been a top book club pick at PashWeddings and iVillage, so you might even want to book club with your friends and bridesmaids over my novel. E-mail me, and I might just call in to chat with you all about it!

Wanna Bet?

My book Love Bets is on the front tables at bookstores all over the country, and couples are writing to me with reports of the fabulous things they're winning in bets with their spouses:

"We're going for a 3-day weekend getaway, without the kids, for the first time in 5 years. I got to pick the destination." - Sam, New York City

"He has to make me breakfast every day this week. The American Idol results went my way! Sorry, Danny Gokey, but I'm getting my waffles and bacon!" -- Elizabeth, Houston

"She's washing my car right now. I picked out her outfit." -- James, Sarasota

Here's what else my Love Betting couples are winning: handbag shopping sprees, foot massages, cleanup of the dog's messes in the backyard [oooo -- that's quite a wager, people!], taking the kids every Sunday so Mom gets a day off, three things knocked off the To Do list this weekend, trip to the winery, and a karaoke performance. What will YOU win with Love Bets?

Get your copy here, and have more fun with your partner!

Who wants a week in Jamaica?

Sign on to win a week's honeymoon -- or second honeymoon if you're already married -- at www.techsavvybride.com, where you can also win two phenomenal new Nokia 7205 Intrigue cell phones and find out how technology can help you improve your wedding planning process, keep you organized, save money and -- most importantly -- maintain your relationships with everyone around you.

I just returned from taping a segment on ABC News Now's 'Ahead of the Curve' where I shared insider secrets about how this particular Nokia phone organizes your wedding vendor calls and messages AUTOMATICALLY, so that you can keep their quotes, your orders and your payments organized, saving you the headache of checking messages on your 4 different e-mail accounts. The phone does it automatically! So when that florist says you didn't pay your deposit, you can just whip out your Intrigue and show her that Yes, you did make the payment and she sent you a thank you message. No paying double for you. On a design front, the Nokia 7205 has a Habitat mode that assigns nature icons for each of your contacts. And they have His and Hers models. Check it out at www.techsavvybride.com, and get your His and Hers phones instead of spending hundreds on those His and Hers tee shirts, hats, and underwear sets.

Like the phone? Send me an e-mail, and I'll give one winner a month a copy of my newest book "Home From the Honeymoon," giving you tips for handling the first, challenging year of marriage.

Catch me on Arizona Bride!

Arizona Bride has posted a lovely review of my book "Home From the Honeymoon"

This new book helps newlyweds celebrate all of the Firsts of their first year of marriage, and also tackle the many challenges of adjusting to life as Marrieds. No more post-wedding blues! There's so much to look forward to...

'Here Come the Moms' Show #7 is now live!

'Here Come the Moms,' my show at Wedding Podcast Network, is now live with our newest installment! Listen in here to find out the newest ways that brides and their moms can face the challenge of a wedding budget together, get some things for FREE, and not sacrifice quality on the wedding day.

Personalize your wedding with Caribbean 'Shells of the Month'

While my husband and I were on our second honeymoon on St. John, we visited a lovely jewelry shop in Mongoose Junction and discovered this fun chart about the 'Shells of the Month,' which works a lot like birthstones and the flowers of the month. The jeweler casts actual shells using precious metals in his work, but you can incorporate the real deal in your decor. Check it out to see if your island destination wedding or honeymoon could use a fun shell theme with meaning:

Attributes of Shells, from http://www.pattongold.com/shell_attributes.htm

In the 1970s R&I PATTON collected local* shells and made molds of them in order to cast them in solid 18k, 14k and sterling. They are beautiful, lasting tokens of remembrance for an amazing island and a significant event.

Seashells and what they have come to represent:

January:
Starfish: orderliness, charisma, honesty, persistence, regeneration, originality

February:
Limpet: intensity, stability, determination, durability, steadfastness

March:
Scallop:truth, faithfulness, trustworthiness, precision, balance, dependability

April:
Tulip:sweetness, compassion, loveliness, kindness, tranquility, love

May:
Murex: poise, beauty, intricacy, intelligence - very feminine shell

June:
Sanddollar:loyalty, encouragement, reliability, certainty, predictability

July:
Coral:warmth, charm, openness, complexity, enthusiasm, zeal

August:
Urchin: boldness, confidence, creativity, decisiveness, certainty, bravery

September:
Cowry: prosperity, worth, generosity, directness, ambition, versatility

October:
Flamingo Tongue: strength, simplicity, potency, courage - a very masculine shell

November:
Triton: expansiveness, loquaciousness, wildness, energy, passion

December:
Conch: power, leadership, devotion, optimism, cooperation, harmony

* Since it is now illegal to remove any shells from the beaches and waters of the U.S. Virgin Islands, these precious metal replicas are great and lasting mementos.

These shells make wonderful wedding party gifts. Our staff would be happy to help you decide about which shells would be appropriate for individuals in your group.



For more on personalizing your wedding, visit my site!