The concept of engagement photo shoots may be foreign to some but it’s a common practice in some parts of the world. With the introduction of concept photos in weddings and certain wedding themes or design ideas would require pre-wedding photos, some couples have been looking into getting professional photographers to handle the production of the needed photos.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/whybesubtle/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
In some countries, these are called engagement shoots since the photo shoot is scheduled after the couple gets engaged. Others simply call it pre-nup (pre-nuptial) shoots since it’s just one of the pre-wedding activities that couple needs to get …read more

For the technological minded here is a great gift and one that can unify geeks and non-geeks alike, as it is easy to use. Engadget report that Westinghouse at the CES show have announced its five new frames that range from a 5.6-inch model ($100) to a 14.1-inch model ($400). Easy to use and just need a USB cable – think even I could manage to do this!
I think this would be a great gift for an engagement – take a photo at the event and put it on ready for when your partner gets home. It would be also a great …read more

For me one of the best parts of a wedding is seeing the bride and groom take to the floor for the first dance. I was wondering which are the top played songs and here is the list.

Unforgettable (Nat King Cole)
Can’t Help Falling In Love (Elvis Presley)
Can I Have This Dance? (Ann Murray)
The Way You Look Tonight (Frank Sinatra)
It Had To Be You (Harry Connick, Jr.)
What A Wonderful World (Louis Armstrong)
Endless Love (Diana Ross and Lionel Richie)
I Cross My Heart (George Strait)
I Swear (John M. Montgomery or All 4 One)
A Whole New World (Peabo Bryson & Regina Belle)
As Time Goes …read more

Ever had family or friends who cannot make the wedding well here is an idea.
webcastmywedding broadcasts weddings to a couple’s friends and family unable to come over from (or to) far flung places. Customers need a video camera, laptop, and high speed online access. The company then charges USD 395 for setting up a live stream of the event, support for up to 25 simultaneous viewers (who are sent a url and password), and an on-demand archive of the wedding for 10 days.
Might be a great idea for any ill guests as well.

Advertising Age is running a story about one prospective groom who is planning to turn his marriage proposal into a Super Bowl advertising event. Keeping his identity secret, J.P wants to propose to his girlfriend at the event and had set up MySuperProposal.com to try and raise the money that he needed to air a commercial.
The bad news is that he is only at $100,000, and is now trying to find a marketer who instead will put him in his ad.
The good news is that any money he raises will go to the Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital in Nashville.
Now he has …read more

…Well that is exactly what my mum did all the way back in 1959. I can never understand why anyone would get married on that day, so while she is staying with me I thought I would ask her
 So mum, why Boxing Day?
Mum: I never really enjoyed Christmas, being the eldest in the family it meant that Christmas to me was always working hard. This way I had a Christmas when I could enjoy it, and others were helping me.
How did your family react?
Mum: My dad was not happy as he always went shooting on Boxing Day, and he had …read more

The Independent online reports one of the strangest wedding stories of the year – now here’s a few brides that  would have looked dog rough after the hen party!!
“A Hindu wedding ceremony of 18 dogs has been called off in India after hardline religious groups and animal rights activists said it was a mockery of the religion and cruel to the canines, a newspaper reported on Sunday.
The marriage of nine dogs to nine bitches to promote canine culture was expected to take place on Sunday in the northwestern town of Jaipur, the Times of India reported.
But the wedding which, according …read more

I subscribe to the wonderful Lou Tice newsletter and today I received this, which I thoughT was worth sharing with anyone planning an engagement or a wedding during this seasonal time.
“Whether we’re talking about a personal relationship or a relationship with one’s work or art, commitment is a matter of how we look at things. It means making a choice and giving ourselves time to fully involve ourselves with whatever that choice is. If you are deeply committed to another person, the time you spend with him or her will be important to you, both in quantity and quality. Commitment …read more

I just love the romance of this time of year, maybe because my parents got married on Boxing Day! The romance was brought alive again in the UK this weekend as people speculated whether Prince William would get engaged to Kate Middleton. What is it that makes this time so romantic – it cannot be totally down to the mistletoe can it!
In an age of war, of terror it is great to think about 2 people loving each other and thinking of spending the rest of their lives together. Will William propose? I don’t know but it sure would spread …read more

While the wonderful Christine is away, I am delighted that I will be writing on Our One Heart. I love the blog and it is great that I get the chance to add my thoughts. Christine is a great writer and a tough act to follow but I look forward to keeping her writing pad warm!
A little about me – I am (keep this quiet!) 40, live in the UK, called Anna and love the world of romance, probably because I am a Piscean so a true romantic!
Keep the comments coming and help me keep the “Heart” beating….