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18 Independent & Free Press, Wednesday, May 24, 2006 BRIDAL CORNER Make your wedding experience a world-wide event Use the Internet to share your day with friends and family BY RONDA ADDY Special to The IFP Through a little something called the Internet, you can now share your wedding with friends and family all over the world. You can do this by setting up a wedding website. Let's take a look at the benefits of such of a site and the procedure for making one. A wedding website is a great place to post all of your wedding details in one place and include those far away in the wedding planning without the cost of long-distance bills. Prior to the wedding, you can include an events calendar listing all of your wedding activities, maps and directions for out-of-town guests, gift registry information and links to online shopping. If you need to make changes, you can notify guests right away on the site, as well as provide them with an easy way to RSVP online. After the wedding, you can post wedding pictures and provide a place for others to share their thoughts and pictures. Having a wedding website sounds like fun, but how do you go about setting one up? You have two options. You can either set up your own site or you can hire a professional to do it for you. If you have the technical know-how to set up your own site, the first thing you need to do is find a host. Most companies that host websites do so for a monthly fee. However, there are some that host sites for free. To make money, they rely on popups or banner advertisements, which they place on your site and others. For those on a budget, this may be the best way to go. Using a template-based website service is another option. You choose the style and colors of your site from pre-designed templates, submit your information through an online form and it is posted immediately. Many of these services will even allow you to download digital photos. There is a cost, though. Most services charge a fee after an initial trial period. For those who want to go all out, they can have their website custom designed. If this is the direction you want to take, find a local web designer whom you can meet in person to work out the details. Otherwise, you will have to fill out a series of questionnaires for a service that will work with you to create your site. With a custom website, you can choose the theme, graphics, text and colors you want to use. You can add a guestbook, a ding invitations. Custom websites can be expensive, with the average cost of a single-page site running around $50 on up to a full-featured, multiple-page site running just under $1,000. Once the wedding is over, you can keep the site if you want and use it to stay in touch with friends and family. Some companies will give 12 to 18 months of free hosting after the wedding, while some template and custom services will offer extending hosting after the initial period for a cost. Some companies will also let you buy a CD of your site after the free hosting period is up. A wedding website is all about the happiness of the big day. Creating one will let you share your happiness with friends, family and people all over the world photo album, a place to RSVP online, maps and a chat room. Some designers will even create matching websites and wed- Invite the luck of the Irish to your wedding The Irish have practised many wedding traditions throughout history. Many Irish wedding traditions revolved around luck. It was considered bad luck if: · The bride wore green · The groom sang · The couple got married on a Saturday · The couple washed their hands at the same time in the same sink · The couple or a guest met a funeral on the road · The couple or a guest heard a cuckoo or saw three magpies · The couple or a guest broke a glass on the wedding day · The first person to wish the couple joy was a woman It was considered good luck if: · The bride carried a horseshoe · The couple got married during a growing moon and a flowing tide · A guest threw an old shoe over the bride's head as she left the church Elizabeth's Fashions & Bridal Boutique The Place To Shop In Downtown Geor getown 905-877-8468 When the best is just the beginning.... The arrangements must be just right. There can be no second best. Our goal is to be attentive to the tiniest details of timing, q u a l i t y a n d a t m o s p h e r e. Yo u rs is to share the moment and enjoy the feeling! 2 0 0 6 D a t e s Ava i l a bl e Choose from a great selection of gowns from these designers: · Alfred Angelo · Alfred Sung · Jessica McClintock · Jasmine · Mon Cheri · Numode Bridesmaids · Numode Collection · Sarah Danielle · Sincerity Bridal · Moonlight Outstanding Service, Quality and Value all for you from Elizabeth's Contact: kmurray@clublink.ca mdayman@clublink.ca "I Do" Wedding Ceremonies I will follow your lead and help you design a wedding ceremony to suit your tastes and needs. It may be simple or elaborate, a civil, religious or spiritual ceremony. It may take place in your home or mine, in a park or a hall. You will have the satisfaction of creating a wedding ceremony that honours your feelings, traditions, dreams ... and love for each other. Rotary Glen Banquet & Convention Centre Halton-Peels Best Kept Secret! www.rotaryglen.ca 905.873.2277 William Strachan, B.A., M.Th. Ontario Marriage Officer Phone 519-853-2483 email: wstrachan@sympatico.ca 77 Main St. S., Downtown Georgetown 905-873-1470