Official Google Blog: More “I do”s, less “to-do”s: wedding planning simplified

Wait, Google is in the wedding planning business now? Now what will the rest of us ever do for anyone?

Heh. Okay, so in reality this just means that Google is gathering a number of generic tools they've had available for years and positioning them for users who are planning their own weddings. We've always known that there are great online tools that are freely available (haven't I blogged about this before?) and now Google is looking to make their stuff more visible in time for wedding season.

This is a win for everyone.

Announcement Coming Soon...

We are working behind the scenes to bring a new design to the store for this Winter and to expand the product catalog even more; adding new wedding favors, reception ideas and planning materials. Look for this as soon as possible.

"Our First Christmas Together" Ornament

Having an ornament to commemorate your first Christmas together is a great tradition that will be saved as a memento for many years. Every December, as the ornaments are placed on the tree you can reminisce about your first holiday season together.

Here's a good example that is currently available for a great price. This is the 2008 Lenox Our First Christmas Together Ornament available right now for $9.95 (and free shipping with code).

A four-tiered wedding cake is decorated with holly leaves and berries in this keepsake ornament. Two interlocking hearts from a crown-like cake topper. Each layer has gold wording that complete the commemorative inscription: 2008 Our 1st Christmas Together.

Read more about it and the review on the SlickDeals.net Forums or go directly to Lenox.com. And don't forget to use the free shipping code Free Shipping with code 4728697!

Update (2008/12/21)

I found out the Lenox is available directly from Amazon.com.

Order yours quickly in time to hang on your tree this year.

Wedding Photography Directory

I am building a short list of external links for HappyIsTheBride.com, to list directories of useful resources for brides and grooms planning their weddings. One of the eventual choices to cover for your big day is the photographer. Check out the Wedding Photography Directory (WPD©).

To get started from their home page you can either choose your state from the drop down menu or from the links at the bottom of the site.

• Find Photographers in Missouri
• Find Photographers in Illinois

You can also browse and read articles with advice for choosing your photographer, scheduling your wedding day, photography rights and wedding photography costs.

Google Gadgets

I found a few Google Gadgets that are wedding-themed that you might want to take a look at. Feel free to add them to your website or your Google homepage.

The first one of these that I found was called My Photos but it has since been moved or deleted, I'm not sure. It rarely works for me right now. The standard disclaimer applies to these tools as they are related to the keyword "wedding" but might not be what everyone is looking for.