AisleDash

One of the things we loved about getting married was that new feeling of "home." We loved having friends over for dinner and throwing parties -- for some reason, doing these things as husband and wife felt so different and fun.

If you have a friend getting married who enjoys entertaining, there are a gazillion gifts you can give her that will be both fun and useful, but it would be hard to beat a fabulous apron by Haute Hostess Aprons. They're a little pricey, running around $100 (but many are on sale for half that!), but they're really an outfit all on their own. Forget covering up an amazing ensemble -- this is an amazing ensemble!

Check out the gallery and see which one is your favorite! Or, perhaps more importantly, which one would be your friend's favorite.

Sometimes the best gifts really do come in the smallest packages. Take, for instance, these hard-to-compete-with pop-up sponges from Williams-Sonoma: when packaged, they resemble little more than a small piece of paper. But when they are held under any amount of water, they begin to rise and turn into the best and most absorbent cleaning device your kitchen has ever been introduced to.

They come in sets of twelve and in two sizes: regular and large. Also, choose between the more natural yellow color of the funkier pink shade. Regardless of size or color, these sponges really are like no other -- compact for easy storing and durable when expanded, they are the best of both worlds.

Add these to your registry and you may even enjoy cleaning spills in your kitchen. Maybe.

Having a difficult time thinking of a gift for your groom? Something personal, something different? What about a book of boudoir photos? The art of boudoir photography has been around for a long time. But it's back in style in a big way.

While we were at the bridal bazaar, we saw some examples of beautiful photos. At Woman Captured, the entire crew is female. You can feel comfortable getting whatever type of photos you think your groom will enjoy. The photos range from tasteful and playful to downright risqué and sexy.

Want to keep it a surprise? They can help you with that, too!

Check for a photographer in your area if you'd like to try some boudoir photos. And check back soon for an interview with a boudoir photographer to find out more about the process!

Everyone knows a couple who babies their dog (or even dogs) as if they're ... well, babies. For these special engaged lovers, you might just make their day and definitely their dog's day but gifting them with the HotDoll.

As you may have guessed from the lovely photo, the HotDoll is a doggie sex toy created by French industrial designer Clement Eloy whose website showcases many interesting designs. Coming in two sizes, the HotDoll pretty much looks like a contemporary piece of art until you notice the conveniently placed pink hole in the back (which comes with a cover to fill when company's over). Can't you hear the howls of joy now?

Though the bride and groom have their gifts to buy, this post is for everyone else. The people who have to get gifts for the bride and groom, which can be an intimidating prospect. There are so many possibilities, people's tastes vary so much. If you don't know the person very well, and many people who are invited to a wedding will not be very, very close to the couple, how do you know if you've hit the mark?

One way to get it right is to buy off the registry. Simple, and you know the couple will like it. Another possibility is to consult the experts. Yes, there are gift-giving experts. Gift-giving experts who offer their expertise through websites.

Check out the wealth of ideas, tips and advice at Gifts.com. They have experts, they have lists of suggestion. They have a Question and Answer forum where you can input your particular dilemma. They even have a registry-finder, so you can find your friends' registry without having to ask them! Got a gift-giving crisis? See what the experts have to say!

There is very little about planning a wedding, and in particular, a green wedding, that isn't covered in My EcoChic Wedding. There's a wedding classified market, where you can buy, sell, and trade items, there are lists of vendors and lists of questions to ask those vendors, there are budget worksheets, timelines, to-do lists for every member of the wedding party. They will, for a fee, host your very own wedding website, which they'll let you try out free for a week.

They even give you a free, down-loadable 43-page wedding planning book. This is a seriously all-inclusive site, and though eco-oriented, it's not preachy. Even if you're not interested in having a 'green' wedding, you'll find the site useful. And you never know, some of those green tips might save you a little green money!

Dear AisleDash,

My fiance and I just bought a house together. We've been living together for a while and already have all the things we need, and really all we want for wedding gifts is money. Is there any way to register for this? Can we put it on our invitations that we just want money, not gifts? We don't know what the proper etiquette is. Please help!

-New homeowners

Dear homeowners,

Congratulations on your purchase. Presumably you bought a house you could afford, and you weren't banking on monetary wedding gifts to pay the mortgage for you. Still, paying the mortgage is your highest priority now (as it should be), so it makes sense that you'd prefer monetary gifts. However, there is no way to ask for money that isn't tacky, and blatantly putting that in your invitations is a huge faux pas. Don't do it.

We've already mentioned that we think a fun purse is a great gift for bridesmaids, and if you're having a Parisian-themed wedding, we still think it's a great idea. Of course, you also need a fabulous bag for yourself ...

We've got it right here -- the Eiffel Tower Bag by Timmy Woods. Granted, they're $375 a pop, so, even if you won't be able to give one to each of your bridesmaids, you might be able to splurge and get one for yourself! There are always other Parisian gifts to give your girls.

This purse isn't only good for your wedding, either. It's one of the bags being featured in the Sex and the City movie, carried by none other than Miss Carrie Bradshaw herself. So not only will you be a beautiful bride, you'll also be a serious fashionista any time you carry it!

Wednesday Wedding Wrap-up is a weekly roundup of highlights from the past week, covering wedding blogs and websites, reality TV, even particularly hot scoop right here at AisleDash. Think we missed something? Leave your favorite highlight in the comments!

Did you miss out on something exciting before you got hitched? Manolo for the Brides discusses the importance (or lack of importance, as the case may be) of the "Do THIS before you get married" lists.

Decidedly Uncomplicated puts together a welcome bag ... and they come out to $37 each! Find out what she kept and what she nixed.

Weddingbee's Miss Tiramisu has chosen a wedding song, but not until she and her Mr. went through a long and arduous process of elimination, including dissecting the lyrics of every possible contender. However, they made a great choice, and her reasons for choosing or not choosing a song might just help you out.

We took a peek at super-luxury weddings to create this inspiration board: From record-breaking bouquets to Indian weddings that are truly over the top, we found that you don't have to be an LVMH heiress to add a few luxurious touches to your real life wedding.

However, it doesn't hurt to dream, does it? So let's get to it!

If you like to cook and are looking for items for your registry or wish-list, we have found the newest items from chef Emeril Lagasse's Emerilware™ line.

The Emerilware™ Bread & Baguette Maker by T-fal® not only makes the typical bread loaf - it also makes baguettes! This is the first time we've seen a bread maker that will handle a baguette. It has a special tray that will make up to four baguettes. If you love the smell of fresh-baked bread in your home, but don't have the space or time for traditional breadmaking, something like this may just work for you.

If you don't have a lot of space for kitchen gadgets, but find yourself needing a blender and a food processor, you may have to choose between them. Not any more. The Emerilware™ 3-in-1 Food Processor by T-fal®, a.k.a. The BAM! Machine is a multi-purpose machine. Along with the processor and blender, it has a juicer. Now that's the way to maximize your kitchen tools!

The new items debut on HSN this month. Take a look at the gallery for pictures of the new Emeril products, along with some other Emerilware™ staples from T-fal®.

Sunglasses can be a fabulous bridesmaid gift for an outdoor or beachy wedding, but if your wedding is nothing but opulence and luxury, get shades that follow suit. After all, if your jewelry is Tiffany & Co. or Bulgari, why should your bridesmaids have anything less?



Tiffany & Co.'s line of sunglasses is relatively new, so in addition to getting the name, you'll also be at the forefront of fashion by choosing these. However, Bulgari is ... well, it's Bulgari, and no girl in her right mind is going to turn her head to that.

However, each brand has it's own stylings -- Tiffany has several glasses with the well-known "Return" tag, while Bulgari is just bling-a-rific. Check out the gallery and let us know if any of these styles would be a satisfactorily luxurious gift for the members of your bridal party.

For most of us, 400-count cotton sheets is decently luxurious. And then there are those who shop at Charlotte Thomas. Bedding of 150's Merino wool, woven with real 22-karat gold thread, and backed with Indian hand-loomed silk jacquard, accompanied, if you wish, by silk or 1,000-count Egyptian cotton sheets. Bedding which can cost up to $2400 per sheet.

But we're wondering: with sheets that expensive, would you -- could you -- actually sleep in them? And risk crumpling them? Or, heaven forbid, sweating? Never mind attempting anything that might actually, ahem, make a mess?

If you are planning your wedding without the restraint of a budget, the sky really is the limit when it comes to what gifts to buy for your bridesmaids. A few things to choose from when it comes to spoiling your favorite women include the dress they will wear in your ceremony, travel accommodations to the wedding (flight, hotel) or a day at a local spa (pedicure, manicure, facial -- the works!).

But if you're looking to splurge on a thank-you gift that not only shows your gratitude but is also original -- something she is sure to get use of and be stunned by, check out the gallery for a handful of lavish gift ideas your bridal party won't soon forget.

If you're going to make sure the flowers, cake and decorations are all the cream of the crop, thank your bridesmaids with the best of the best, as well.

Wednesday Wedding Wrap-up is a weekly roundup of highlights from the past week, covering wedding blogs and websites, reality TV, even particularly hot scoop right here at AisleDash. Think we missed something? Leave your favorite highlight in the comments!

Bridalwave gives us the scoop on the $10,000 proposal.

Polka Dot Bride has us drooling over the idea of customizing our own bubbly. Cheers to that!

We love the Capiz Party Garlands at Hostess with the Mostess. But who needs a party? We want to decorate our house with them!

Wedding Bee's Miss Toucan discusses her hesitation toward registering for big ticket items. If you don't register for them, you have no chance of getting them, but you don't want your guests to think you're greedy ... what do you think?