Here’s your opportunity to shine! Our parent company, Tiny Prints, is on the search for America’s cutest families, couples and children (up to age 10).

If you want to be the face of  our 2010 advertising campaign, you can submit your best photos to the Tiny Prints Talent Search for a chance to become the face of Tiny Prints and win $1,000!

We’re accepting submissions from November 2 through November 27, 2009 from across the country.  So, visit www.tinyprints.com/talentsearch today for the opportunity to win a spot in an upcoming advertising campaign, as well as other prizes including:

• A trip to California
• A professional photo shoot
• Free personalized stationery from Tiny Prints
• Cash prize of $1,000

Good luck!

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Elaine and Tyler won with the following tip:

“When looking for music for the ceremony I was shocked at the costs! I wanted ‘live music.’ Some nice string music. I researched and it was going to cost me at least $500 for a 3 piece string quartet to play for an hour. Crazy! So I contacted my local university and spoke to the program director for the music department. I asked him to pass the word to seniors only that I needed a cellist, violinist and either a harp player or a flute player. I offered them $50 each. A savings of $350. Use your local college students! They are hungry for money and willing to work hard.”

Congratulations, Elaine and Tyler! Thanks for the great tip. We wish you the best of luck with your wedding planning!

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Wedding Paper Divas and our partner, Beau-coup, have teamed up to offer the perfect prize for any bride. Submit your ideas to be entered to win $1,000 in Wedding Paper Divas and Beau-coup gift certificates. Plus, by visiting Resourceful Brides, you’ll find tons of money-saving, savvy tips to help you make the most of your wedding in these rocky times.

Enter today, plus find great tips for planning your wedding!

The deadline for submissions is Monday, July 20 at 11:59 p.m. PST. Winning idea will be posted online on Friday, July 24 at www.ResourcefulBrides.com.

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Together, we’re also giving you a chance to win a dream honeymoon escape to Kamalame Cay, an exclusive private island hideaway located just off the coast of Andros in the Out Islands of The Bahamas.

Enjoy a luxurious week-long honeymoon package that includes:

* Roundtrip airfare for two
* Six nights accommodations in a Beach Suite including breakfast each morning and use of resort amenities, including golf carts, snorkeling equipment, kayaks, tennis courts, pools and more
* An indulgent Bath Butler service and a rejuvenating couple’s massage at The Spa at Kamalame Cay
* A private picnic excursion on a nearby deserted cay
* A romantic beach-side dinner for two
* And more!

To enter, simply visit our Dream Honeymoon Giveaway page and fill out the form.  The contest closes June 12, 2009, so make sure to enter!  Good luck!

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Love on the Mountaintop

My boyfriend Chris and I are avid skiers, so when he told me that the lifts at our favorite resort were opening early for season pass holders one Saturday morning, I couldn’t resist. We got up early and managed to be the very first to get to the lift. Unbeknownst to me, Chris had been in communication with the mountain staff for months and had convinced them to open the lifts a half hour early just for the two of us.
There were a lot of people getting their skis together behind us, so I didn’t think anything of it at the time. The lift attendants played along and said it was going to be a beautiful day, but really busy since it was a special weekend for pass holders.
About half way up the lift, Chris brought my attention to the returning chairs on the opposite side. There was a sign on the back of the chair that said, “Hi hunny!” I didn’t catch on right away, but there was a total of 16 signs on the chairs that passed, each with a special memory or inside joke from our time together. When we got off the lift, the last sign at the top of the mountain said, “Will You Marry Me?”
We clicked our skis off, Chris got down on one knee, said some of the nicest words anyone has ever said to me and asked me to marry him. I said yes, and then two of our best friends came out of the background holding cameras and champagne glasses with our names engraved on them. We toasted on the top of Bear Mountain!

Check out more photos and a video on Courtney and Chris’ website.  You can also find some of our other favorite stories and read more about the winner here.

Congratulations Chris and Courtney!  Enjoy your $500 Wedding Paper Divas Gift Certificate and don’t forget to send us photos of your wedding!

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Attendees will have the opportunity to meet and learn from the best wedding vendors in the business, while getting their questions answered at the panel discussions moderated by top bridal editors.

Other features:

• Experience the finest cuisine, cocktails and decor that New York has to offer
• Try on designer gowns and jewels
• Every couple will receive a goodie bag worth more than $250 and a chance to win  fabulous raffle prizes, including an all-inclusive getaway to St. Lucia

To win your set of tickets, leave us a comment with wedding invitation design from Wedding Paper Divas by Thursday, February 26 at 11pm ET.  The winner will be announced Friday morning. Good luck!

*Each ticket is valued at $65

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An Unbreakable Bond

Last September, my boyfriend took me on a 17 day trip through Europe—he told me to pack my things, and he would take care of the rest. We spent the first two days in Switzerland visiting the town he grew up in, and then spent a few days sightseeing in Florence. On our third day there, he woke me up early and told me to wear something nice. A short time later, a man picked us up for an amazing eight hour private tour of Tuscany.

At the end of our incredible journey, we headed back to Florence to have dinner at a spectacular restaurant, and then to a semi-private opera with only 30 guests in attendance in a small, 600 year old church. Then, at the end of the night as we were walking back to the hotel, he asked if we could have one last look over the Ponte Vecchio. As we sat on the bridge listening to music and people watching, he started to tell me the history of this amazing bridge.

He said that Hitler had decided the bridge was too beautiful to destroy, so it was not allowed to be bombed during World War II. As a result, soldiers would bring their lovers to the bridge before heading to war, attach a lock on the bridge and throw the key in the water to represent their unbreakable bond. Then he pulled a padlock from his pocket with our names and the date engraved on it. We attached our lock to the bridge (which is illegal now!) and threw our key into the water below. Before I knew it, he was down on one knee with a beautiful engagement ring, asking me to be his wife.  ~Veronica G.

Love on the Mountaintop

My boyfriend Chris and I are avid skiers, so when he told me that the lifts at our favorite resort were opening early for season pass holders one Saturday morning, I couldn’t resist. We got up early and managed to be the very first to get to the lift. Unbeknownst to me, Chris had been in communication with the mountain staff for months and had convinced them to open the lifts a half hour early just for the two of us.

There were a lot of people getting their skis together behind us, so I didn’t think anything of it at the time. The lift attendants played along and said it was going to be a beautiful day, but really busy since it was a special weekend for pass holders.

About half way up the lift, Chris brought my attention to the returning chairs on the opposite side. There was a sign on the back of the chair that said, “Hi hunny!” I didn’t catch on right away, but there was a total of 16 signs on the chairs that passed, each with a special memory or inside joke from our time together. When we got off the lift, the last sign at the top of the mountain said, “Will You Marry Me?”

We clicked our skis off, Chris got down on one knee, said some of the nicest words anyone has ever said to me and asked me to marry him. I said yes, and then two of our best friends came out of the background holding cameras and champagne glasses with our names engraved on them. We toasted on the top of Bear Mountain! ~Courtney P.

A Valentine’s Day Scene

Just last weekend, my boyfriend, Bob, took me to a nice restaurant for Valentine’s Day. While we were eating, he said to me, “I can’t believe they don’t have flowers on the tables for Valentine’s.” I told him that not all restaurants do things like that for holidays, and he insisted that he was going to ask the waiter to bring a flower for our table. I thought he was just being silly, but when the waiter walked by he stopped him and asked, “Can we please get some flowers for her here on the table?”

Although I was amazed that Bob would actually ask, the waiter simply said, “Sure no problem.” Bob turned to me and said that I needed a flower to take home. Suddenly, the waiter returned to our table and laid down a bouquet of long-stemmed, exotic flowers. He kept returning with bunch after bunch of beautiful exotic flowers, and soon more waiters came over with even more flowers. Each bouquet was tied with a pretty purple satin ribbon.

I was amazed by all of the beautiful bouquets, and before I knew it Bob standing up beside me. He said, “I wanted them to be special, because I want you to be my wife.” He dropped to his knee and asked, “Will you marry me?” I said, “Yes!” and the entire crowded restaurant shouted and applauded.  ~Vicki G.

My True Love Gave to Me…

On Christmas Eve, my boyfriend brought over an advent calendar. He told me I couldn’t open the boxes until the next morning, so on Christmas Day I made him wake up early to read my first clue.

I opened the box and it read, “What is the last number of the year we met?” I eagerly moved on to box number six. Within six, there was another clue about our lives together, which lead to another and another. Finally, I got a note that said “Will you marry me? If yes, go to 24. If no, go to 23.”

I opened box number 24 to find a beautiful engagement ring! After I said yes, I looked in 23 just for fun—it had coal in it. It was such a sweet and wonderful way to start our lives together.  ~Nina F.

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First Comes Love…

On our one-year anniversary, my thoughtful boyfriend, Derek, told me that he had found something at his old apartment that he wanted me to help him get because it reminded him of us. He told me that there was a pair of old women from the apartment complex that begged him to bring me back so we all could talk over tea. I reluctantly came with him, and when we arrived he walked me to the nearby stream where we had hooked up an old hammock the year before. “Here it is!” he proclaimed.

I glanced at the tree he was looking at, and discovered that he had carved a huge heart into the tree. Inside, he carved his initials and mine with FOREVER etched underneath. I stared at it and laughed, because it was such a delightful gesture on our one year celebration of being together. Then, before I knew it, he dropped to his knee and asked, “Will you marry me?” I was in shock! He said that he had asked my parents a few months prior when we went to visit them, and that he had spent the past week looking for a ring and the entire morning carving our initials into the tree. It was perfect! ~Jennifer S.

Drive-In Delight

My boyfriend, Brad, spent the entire afternoon building an outdoor birthday surprise for me in the backyard. Finally, after dinner, he asked me to follow him outside. He had set up a hammock, lined it with blankets and pillows, and then erected a projector and sound system to create a homemade drive-in movie theater! He even had popcorn and a cooler filled with beverages. I was stunned, thinking that it was already one of the sweetest things anyone had every done for me.

He helped me settle in to the hammock and started fidgeting with the speakers and surround sound. He said that he had made a “Preview DVD” so that he could adjust the focus and the sound without missing any of the movie. He popped in the DVD, and we laughed together as old-fashioned commercials for popcorn and corndogs that he had found played on the screen. Then he sat down next to me on the hammock while “What a Wonderful World” began to play and a beautiful slideshow of our years together played on the screen. I enjoyed watching the memories flash by, and I even got a little teary.

The DVD then transitioned to a series of “Bonus Features.” First, “One is the Loneliest Number” started playing. As the song changed to a Beta Band remix, the screen flashed with the text, “Wanna Get Hitched?” I couldn’t believe it! When I realized what was happening, he had placed a beautiful diamond ring in my lap. I started to cry as he said, “Well, will you marry me?” After a few more moments of shock I finally said yes! ~Katie G.

Aquarium L’amour!

On a trip to Newport, Oregon, my boyfriend and I spent the day at the local aquarium. We were some of the first people in the door, and shortly after we arrived one of the staff members asked us if we wanted to watch them feed some of the fish. She led us into the underwater viewing area of the tank, and we saw several scuba divers swimming around the tank and getting ready for the feeding. 

After a few minutes, one of them reached down and started to slowly lift a sign that said “Brooke, will you marry me?” I turned around and saw my boyfriend on one knee with the most beautiful ring I’ve ever seen. He then asked me to marry him, and I happily said yes. Everyone in the aquarium started cheering and taking photos of us. It was the best day of my life! ~Brooke M.

A Sensational Surprise

I was so excited that my boyfriend, Adam, had planned a date night for us. After dinner, he told me that I had to tie my scarf around my eyes so that I couldn’t see where we were going. A few minutes later, we stopped and Adam helped me get out of the car. Holding on to each other tightly, we began to walk outside in the cold with me still blindfolded.

When we finally reached our destination, I took off my blindfold to find myself in a park that we used to go to all the time at the beginning of our relationship. Adam explained that he had a bunch of little gifts for me—one for each of the five senses. I had to close my eyes, hold out my hands and guess what each gift was after he gave it to me. The first few were silly inside jokes, including cologne he used to wear, a few Andes mints and a Coldplay song. Finally, Adam told me to close my eyes and hold my hands out in front of me for the final gift.

I felt him slip a ring on my finger before he leaned in close and asked me to marry him. In total shock, I opened my eyes and said yes about eight times! I started crying, and Adam pulled out a bottle of champagne. We spent the rest of the night sitting in the park hugging, kissing and sipping champagne for a long time.  ~Ashley Z.

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Love on the Bow Bridge

I spent four months designing the perfect ring for my girlfriend, Tanaz. I then asked her parents for their blessing, and planned lunch reservations on the other side of New York City from where we lived for my birthday. As we walked through Central Park to get to the restaurant, it was a brisk 26 degrees outside and very sunny. I took her to the relatively famous, but secluded, Bow Bridge. As soon as we were alone, I told Tanaz how much I love her and all the reasons I want to spend the rest of my life with her. Then I got down on one knee, pulled out the ring, looked into her eyes and asked, “Tanaz, will you marry me?” She replied with a quick “Yes!” and I slid the ring on her finger.

Without telling Tanaz, I hired two photographers to follow our every move. They took pictures of us walking in the park, talking and laughing, and they even shot photos of me proposing to Tanaz from both sides of the bridge (see video, below). Once I told her about the photographers, we had them take a few extra fun shots as well.  Tanaz and I are looking forward to our future together, making new memories and sharing them with all our family and friends.  ~Gustad M.

An Ardent Art Display

I had planned to go to the Georgia Museum of Art to see an exhibit of exotic and artistic rings with my best friends Milly and Alanna. We got to the museum and began wandering around the displays, admiring the unique assortment of rings. As we neared the end of the exhibit, Milly called my attention to one final ring on display. I admired its beauty and brilliance, and thought to myself, “This is the best one here!”

I wanted to know more about this phenomenal artist, so I looked at the artist information card. It listed the artist as T.L. Johnson—the same initials and last name as my boyfriend, Tino! I eagerly read on to the next line, which had that day’s date followed by the name of this exquisite piece: The Johnson Engagement Ring.

At that moment, it all became clear. Tino came in from around the corner, looking handsome as ever. He removed the ring from the display, got down on one knee, professed his love for me and asked me to be his wife. I said yes!

My next thought was to try to call my mom and share the good news with her, but the call was dropped. Frustrated, I tried to call again, but before I could complete the call my mother appeared in the museum holding a vase full of roses. Tino had arranged everything! It was perfect.  ~Zoe M.

The Sweetest Ending

I met Rich seven and a half years ago while working with him at the Ben & Jerry’s Scoop Shop in Natick, Massachusetts. We were both home on summer break from college, and our mutual love for ice cream made us instant friends. As that summer came to an end, we realized that our friendship was turning into something more. Despite going off to separate colleges, we began what would turn into four years of long distance dating. Later, while in graduate school in Amherst, Massachusetts, we moved in together.

This past August, we both finished grad school and moved to Boston. We went out one night to celebrate our seven year anniversary. After dinner, Rich suggested Ben & Jerry’s for dessert, and naturally I couldn’t resist. It just so happened that the closest Scoop Shop to the restaurant was the one where we met. It was a busy Saturday night, and as I stood in line reading the flavors up on the wall, something caught my eye.

Right in between “Imagine Whirled Peace” and “Mint Chocolate Chunk” was a new flavor I had never seen—“Marry Me Jennie.” I looked at Rich in disbelief and asked him if it was a joke. He replied by pulling a beautiful diamond ring out of his pocket and asking if I would marry him. I was so shocked I could barely speak! By this point, the flavor had been on the wall for an hour, and other customers and staff had been waiting around in the store for our arrival. As I said “Yes!” everyone burst into applause. We are now planning our wedding, and we’re so excited to have Ben & Jerry make us an ice cream wedding cake. I can’t imagine a sweeter ending!  ~Jennie I.

A Timeless Love

I was spending Thanksgiving with my boyfriend, Andrew, and his family in Missouri on his grandparents’ farm. We somehow started talking about time capsules, and Andrew said that he remembered that he buried a time capsule there when he was seven years old. He said he had lots of childhood memorabilia, toys and pictures in it, and I couldn’t wait to see what was important to him as a child.

We grabbed a pair of shovels and climbed to the top of a hill. We came across the tree that he had buried it by, counted out a number of steps and started digging. We eventually dug up an old coffee can time capsule, and sat down together to open it. Andrew pulled out something that was carefully wrapped in old, yellowing newspaper.

He started unwrapping it, and said, “Wait a minute, this doesn’t look so old…” Before I realized what was happening, he was holding a ring box in his hand. He told me how he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me, and I’ll never forget the way his voice was cracked with emotion as he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. I said, “YES!!!” and nearly tackled him. Then he ran behind a tree and came back with some champagne and glasses that he had stashed there earlier in the day. We spent the first few moments of our engagement enjoying champagne and watching the sun set together.  ~Megan H.

A Seaside Surprise

My parents invited me and my beautiful fiancée, Whitney, to spend the weekend in Rockport, Texas, where they own a condo. We couldn’t pass up the opportunity to escape the cold January weather, and I knew this would be the perfect chance to ask Whitney to be my wife.

One night during our stay, sunset was approaching and I asked Whitney if she wanted to walk to the end of the pier to check out the view. As we walked, she noticed a bottle with a message inside of it lying on the beach. She asked me to get it for her, and when I returned she was overwhelmingly excited that we had found a real message in a bottle!

She wanted to read it immediately, but I told her to wait until we reached the end of the pier. She started looking inside the bottle and noticed that the message was in my handwriting, so she started running out to the end of the pier so she could read it sooner. She finally read the note, and I got down on one knee to offer her a beautiful diamond ring and ask her if she would be my wife. We will never forget that day along the beach, and I will love her for the rest of my life.  ~Kyle H.

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