| HOME | Internet offers wedding planners some excellent resources By JIM BROOKS It's been a few years since my own wedding day, but my niece's wedding last Saturday sent me searching for online resources -- of which I can attest there are many. • If you're engaged and thinking of how to plan that wedding (or if you're a groom-to-be and wondering what your role is in all of this), then a great first stop is a Web site called The Knot. There you'll find a subsection to fit nearly every need. There's a section dealing with tradition and etiquette; an planning section gives ideas and guidelines for planning the all-important reception; an online bridal gown search lets brides-to-be to search pictures of more than 8,000 dresses. For the guys, there's a section aimed at both the groom and the best man, including gift ideas for the groomsmen. Beauty tips for the bride-to-be cover nearly all aspects of "the big day." But planning is The Knot's forte, and if a wedding is in your future, you'll want to take advantage of the site's built-in Countdown Calendar. This planning tool offers advice on when each part of your wedding plans need to be completed. A budgeter is also available to help plan the money end of the wedding. Obviously there's room for variation, but the planning calendar and budgeter are opportunities to put some real organization in your wedding plans. The best part is that these tools are totally free of charge. The Knot is a free site -- but to take advantage of the really neat stuff (and the best planning tools), users need to register. This consists of signing up with your name, address and e-mail address (a checkbox lets you tell The Knot to keep your e-mail address private). The Knot's content also covers the newly married, so don't overlook that section. Visit The Knot at www2.theknot.com. • If you've got a lot of unanswered questions covering every topic under the sun, chances are that the WedNet site will have what you need. From the engagement to the honeymoon, WedNet offers extensive how-to advice, as well as some really useful feature articles ("How to Choose a Videographer," "Everything You Need To Know About Making Your Own Veil," and "A Child-Free Wedding" among them). WebNet also features a secure online shopping area, featuring the latest in wedding reception favors and gifts. An online classifieds area has ad postings for an array of wedding items, from dresses to cake cutters. If there's a wedding in your future, you'll want to visit WedNet -- but be prepared to stay awhile, there's plenty here to keep the groom- or bride-to-be busy. Visit WedNet online at www.wednet.com. • Another good place to start your search for wedding resources on the Web is Wedding Central, found at www.weddingcentral.com. Wedding Central is a storehouse of links leading to dozens of wedding-related Web sites. The site arranges its content into one of three categories, and each page of links is further subdivided into like groups. You'll find resources for wedding planning, wedding etiquette for different cultures, primers on wedding flowers, music and more -- including a section on wedding software to help the bride-to-be keep everything organized. • Another handy wedding resources Web site is USABride.com, at www.usabride.com. USABride is both a resource site and an online shopping mall where you'll find nearly everything you would want for a wedding party -- right down to personalized candy bars to distribute to your guests. Brides and grooms will both find valuable information at USABride, including sections called "What I Would Do Differently," "Personalizing Your Ceremony" and perhaps the most useful part to those paying their own way, "The Frugal Wedding." • No mention of wedding resources is complete without a stop at I Thee Web, which bills itself as "Your WWW Hitching Post." I Thee Web is an online wedding chapel, where you and your significant other can be married in cyberspace. The site allows you to "pop the question" via a built-in e-mail interface; guests are e-mailed digital invitations to the nuptials, and there's even a bridal registry. If you aren't getting married, you can crash someone else's wedding. It's all tongue-in-cheek fun, well-planned and executed. But like the site says, "Remember, you're not really married until you're Internet married." Visit I Thee Web at www.hollywoodandvine.com/itheeweb and get your digital wedding certificate today! ANTIQUE OUTLOOK. Central Kentucky is awash in antique stores and boutiques. One man's trash becomes another's treasure -- how I wish I'd treated my old Matchbox cars more kindly! The popularity of antiques continues to grow, and one long-running television series now appearing on KET is devoted to the big questions: Is that prized plate handed down from Aunt Mat worth $1 -- or $100? Antiques Roadshow and its Web site attempts to answer this question every week from destinations all over the United States. The site is more than just information about the series. It includes a "Your Stories" section for submitted tales of antiques and their discovery; a tips section to help you better identify and place a value on antiques; a calendar of future appearances and more. The Roadshow will visit Louisville on Saturday, July 12, in case you want to make plans to have something you own appraised by their staff of experts. But be prepared to wait a while, as they generally expect about 7,000 to show up! The show does have some restrictions, so if you plan to go, be sure to check the Web site at www.pbs.com/wgbh/pages/roadshow. Comments and questions about this column may be sent to jbrooks@myoldkentuckyhome.com, or visit www.myoldkentuckyhome.com on the World Wide Web. | HOME |