V: Evolution of a Website

Guess we all need to carve out our own little piece of cyberspace [see: this blog]. We made a nice little website in plenty of time before our invites went out. But the night after sending everything out, I busted out a complete different site, sparked by the genius of friend Caitee, a web guru getting married in September.

Version #1: A free wedding website from BridalFever.com. They have absolutely incredible templates. The backend interface is very simple, but limited in capabilities [no images or embedding code into the pages]. The sites appear to be in Flash, which cannot be viewed on mobile phones or easily linked to individual pages. Still, very nice looking sites.

Version #2: Wordpress.com! While these free sites are technically a platform for blogging, but with the Pages feature and tagging/categories, you can create a very neat website. Templates are limited, but the ability to have comments, embed video, photos and special Google maps really make this a great option.

Front page:

Interior page with directions from Ceremony to Reception in an embedded Google map:

Either way, when making a wedding website, my advice to you is to definitely purchase your own domain name. It's so cheap, and if you don't have to worry about an ugly URL, you can just go with your favorite template.

Makeover!

So I'm sort of obsessed with makeovers. Truly, madly, deeply. Whether it's hair, makeup, body, mind, soul- I LOVE the makeover show, movie or what have you. So imagine my glee when I discovered http://www.taaz.com/, the ultimate makeover website!

I am planning to use this website to help prepare for my wedding- what kind of hairstyle do I want? What shade of lipstick or gloss? Shade of eyeshadow? Should I get highlights? How about lowlights? There are lots of other fun things to try like fake eyelashes, colored contacts and lip-plumping. The plumping made me look like a total crazy lady. Anyway, the list goes on. PLUS, not only can you try different shades, but they are actually linked to real makeup products! Amazing.

Upon hearing about the site (from my dad of all people), I had tons of fun experimenting with different hairstyles, eye colors and hair colors. The technology is actually pretty good and you can adjust everything exactly to the picture you upload. It is super fun to see! Below I have posted pictures of me in different iterations:

Barbie Samantha
Beach Bum Samantha

Glamourous Samantha

Alternative Samantha

And finally, if Mr. L and I have a little Livalittle, this is what I think she would grow up to look like- me, with his coloring:

Has anyone used the site? Thoughts?

eINVITE!

Hey friends! Well tonight I have an exciting feature: eInvite, the ultimate companion for the modern-day bride! When I first heard the company name, I thought to myself, "are these online invitiations? What is left of etiquette in this world?" Fortunately though, I was absolutely mistaken.

E-invite is a company that allows brides and grooms to special order personalized invitations online. The designs are cute, the prices are good and the quality is fantastic! What's more, eInvite has teamed up with WeddingWindow.com to provide coordinated wedding invitations and wedding websites. Style conscious brides can create a streamlined look from the first visit to their website to the thank you notes received weeks after the actual event.

REFINEMENT- $429/100 invitations

similar to this invite, by the same company

The company produces all sorts of invitations- there are literally hundreds to choose from and all are suited to the hip bride, far from boring! eInvite makes stationery specific to all of the events surrounding a wedding including the bridal shower, engagement shower, rehearsal dinner and the big day itself. There are also stationery options for announcements, save-the-dates and thank you notes. Depending on the style you choose, prices range between $99 and $429 per 100 invitations, which includes envelopes. If you are curious about how a particular invite looks in person, ordering a sample is easy.

PRETTY POPPY- $98.99/100 invitations

FLOATING FLOWERS- $98.99/100 invitations

The online possibilities with eInvite are what make the company unique. Since a bride can choose to coordinate her invitations and her website, there are many other related options that are not only different but cost-effective and green-friendly. First of all, brides can choose to print only what is necessary- save the dates and announcements are available in attractive email format through the website. Also, once you have made your order, you can do your invitation proofs online, which is definitely faster than a standard stationery company. Finally, if you choose, you can have guests respond online rather than sending in response cards. While I wouldn't choose to do that for my actual wedding day, it's definitely a great option for the rehearsal dinner, bridal shower, engagement party and other pre-wedding events.

NIGHTIE NIGHTIE- $234/100 invitations

D FLAWLESS- $234/100 invitations

I was excited about all of the hype, but when I actually saw the invitations in person, I was quite impressed. The paper is heavy-weight, the designs are detailed and the raised thermography is attractive. When I received them in the mail, I was so excited that I went out in the garden to take some pictures to share! My apologies if the quality isn't perfect!

MIX & MINGLE- $198/100 invitations

MOVING BOX- $234/100 invitations

Which ones do you like? If not any of these, how about the ones on the Bridal Shower page? Has anyone used this company? Do you like the idea?