Bridal war to break out in Scugog

PORT PERRY -- Colleen Ferguson is preparing for war. The last few weeks have been a whirlwind for Ms. Ferguson as she prepared to transform her store, Forever Friends Bridal Boutique, into a battlefield of sorts for an upcoming skirmish that will pit bride against bride. On Aug. 7, Forever Friends will play host to the inaugural Bridal Wars competition, that will see teams of four -- a bride-to-be and three attendants -- square off in a series of competitions that could potentially land brides thousands of dollars worth of wedding-themed prizes. Ms. Ferguson began sketching out the battle plans for Bridal Wars in June after catching a news segment about an American wedding store that was planning a cake-diving event. That got Ms. Ferguson thinking about the possibilities for her store and, a few weeks and a few phone calls later, war had broken out. "It's turned into such a huge event, I'm a bit overwhelmed myself," said Ms. Ferguson. A random draw to be held on Aug. 2 will determine the 20 teams that will battle it out for the Bridal Wars championship. Five days later, beginning at 10 a.m., the squads will engage in a series of relay races with a bridal theme. The first event will see two team members complete three tasks: lace up a wedding gown on a mannequin, create a wedding cake with marshmallows and tooth picks and unwrap a bridal shower present. The remaining two team members will then carry out the same tasks in reverse. Each team will be timed and the fastest 10 teams will advance to the cake-eating event at 4 p.m. In that contest, each bride will have to gnaw her way through a giant slab cake, hunting for poker chips. Each chip will represent a prize and each bride has an opportunity to win two prizes. "It seemed like a fun little way to draw attention to the store. It started out as just some fun, but it's turned into an unbelievable amount of attention," said Ms. Ferguson, who has patented Bridal Wars due to the overwhelming interest in her idea. To qualify, brides-to-be must be getting married between Aug. 14, 2011 and Dec. 31, 2012. Team registrations close at 11:59 p.m. on July 31. Teams can register by sending an e-mail to info@foreverfriendsbridal.com , with 'Bridal Wars Registration Form' in the subject line. More than $10,000 worth of prizes will be up for grabs on Aug. 7. Some of the prizes to be included in the cake are a seven-night, all-inclusive stay for two at Riu Santa Fe Resort in Los Cabos, Mexico (flight not included); $2,000 off the purchase of a home, donated by Ralph Fairman of Coldwell Banker; a $1,000 wedding gown donated by Alfred Angelo; four bridesmaid dresses totalling $800 donated by Sophia Tolli-Mon Cheri Bridal; and a free night of DJ services totaling $600, donated by Sight and Sound. There will also be bridal accessories such as shoes, jewelry, bouquets, skin care and make-up packages, landscaping services, hair services, tanning packages, a limo service and personal training sessions. Various gift certificates, a one-night stay at the Nestleton Waters Inn, drycleaning and nail services will also be up for grabs. "It's crazy," said Ms. Ferguson of the prize list. "It just keeps growing and growing." Registration will run from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Aug. 7. From noon to 4 p.m., a package lunch deal of one burger, a bag of chips and drink for $5 will be offered, with all profits donated to the Big Brothers-Big Sisters of North Durham. For more information, visit www.bridalwars.ca .

Break the Wedding Shopping ... - Welove Gifts & Jewelry Blog

When shopping for your wedding party, most brides look for something meaningful to express their appreciation to friends and family for taking part in their wedding. After all of the other purchasing decisions the bride makes before finally getting to the wedding party gifts, she’s very likely worn out with shopping. Choosing among many options can wear you out.

For this reason, online wedding gift vendors catering specifically to the bride and groom are a welcome sight to the shopping weary bride and groom.

personalized bridesmaid gifts currently rank as the most popular gift. Even the simple gift like a tote bag, slippers or cosmetic bag become something special as a personalized bridesmaid gift. Other favorite options are personalized flip-flops, towels, t-shirts and jewelry.

For the guys, again a somewhat basic gift becomes more meaningful when personalized. Cufflinks to be worn in the wedding are popular as are sports mugs and shot glasses. For something a bit more sophisticated, a men’s leather valet is a gift most men will find very useful for years to come. Some men’s leather valets offer special trays and partitions to allow for phones and electronic gadgets to charge overnight while stored in the valet.

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