My LIW tribute...

Feeling sentimental so even though it didn't win me the necklace, here's my essay...


When I started planning my wedding in July 2003, I had very few resources or friends to help me. I had moved to Long Island after college and met my husband here, but knew little about the area, and had very few friends on Long Island to help me out. My Maid of Honor was my best friend from college who moved to Michigan soon after I got engaged, and my only bridesmaid was my sister in law who I did not have a close relationship with. I had never even been to a wedding, and here I was thrown into planning one! I felt lost, and overwhelmed by the amount of research I had to do before committing to booking a vendor. When I found LIW in March of 2004 (it’s my year anniversary!) all I had done so far was booked was my hall. I was on a strict budget, but did not want to compromise on quality.
The Brides Helping Brides board helped me book all of my other vendors. I booked my photographer, hair and makeup, officiant, florist, and honeymoon all based on recommendations from other women on the boards. I no longer felt like I was choosing a vendor blindly—my choice was based on the opinions and reviews of hundreds of other brides. I was so pleased with all of my vendors—not only did I have the wedding I always wanted, but was able to stick within the budget I had set! I even found the condominium that we bought the June before our wedding through two other women on the boards who live in the complex. It is wonderful knowing neighbors!
But LIW has done so much more for me than provide a service for choosing wedding vendors. I have met some of my closest friends on LIW. Soon after I joined, there was a thread on NWR asking where everyone worked. I posted where I worked, and another person after me posted she worked in the same place! It turned out peabody worked in the building next to me, doing a very similar job, and was getting married at my reception hall the month before me. We had both already booked Duet as our photographer and Flower Michele as our florist! It was so strange how much we had in common. We soon became close friends, and helped each other with the rest of our wedding planning. It was Tara who took a day off work and went with me gown shopping only two months before my wedding when I wasn’t happy with my original gown. She helped me pick “the gown,” and I was so happy with my second gown on my wedding day.
I started going to the Suffolk get togethers and met several other women who have since become close friends. Julie, Tara, Wendy, and I frequently met up for dinner since we all worked in the same area. When I joined the site, I thought the first wedding I would be attending would be my own, but I went to both Julie’s and Tara’s before mine, and was so happy to have them (along with their husbands!) at my wedding to share my day with me. Going to their weddings before my own was great—I knew how much time and effort they both put into planning their wedding, and was able to pick up some tips for my own wedding.
As a newlywed, I am so happy to have LIW as a resource. I think part of the reason why the friendships I have made through LIW are so strong is that we are all going through the same change in our life as we move on to another stage—we are leaving behind friends that are still single, and learning what it means to be married. The newlywed board is wonderful because it enables newlyweds to ask questions without being judged about what is normal in the first, most difficult year of marriage, as well as sharing the small joys of everyday married life. Recently someone made a post about the newlywed board being the only board where brides will admit that their husbands aren’t perfect! It’s a forum to vent, complain, praise, and share excitement with others that are going through the same thing at the same time, and aren’t afraid to tell you that the first year of marriage is hard. That is something that has been wonderful for me—living together for the first time was a huge adjustment, and hearing that I wasn’t alone in my feelings made me feel so much better.
I still go on Brides Helping Brides and try to use my experiences to help the brides-to-be. It’s amazing thinking that was me a year ago—my life has changed so much since then. And that is what it is all about—sharing experiences and advice with others, and making friendships along the way. My sister in law got engaged before my wedding, and I introduced her to LIW. I now “talk” to her more on LIW than I do in person, and find out more about her life (and my nephew that she is now pregnant with!) from her posts and FMs. It has brought us closer together since we now have a shared pastime.
Now I really can’t imagine my life without LIW. Tara remains one of my closest friends (my mom jokes that some people meet their groom online, but I met my friends online through LIW!), and we have fun getting together with our group of friends that met when we were planning our weddings together. We are now concentrating on trips to celebrate our first anniversary! LIW doesn’t end with the wedding, it’s only the beginning.

Re: My LIW tribute...

awww that is wonderful....

Re: My LIW tribute...

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Posted by RedHead

awww that is wonderful....

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Re: My LIW tribute...

I just got finished reading it - took me a while - I'm at work! It was beautiful!!

Re: My LIW tribute...

That was sooooooo beautiful Beth!! Really well said!

I wish Ron would have posted more of the entries, I think everyone would have enjoyed what the ladies had to say about LIWs and how important it is to so many of us

Re: My LIW tribute...

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Posted by FeliciaDA

That was sooooooo beautiful Beth!! Really well said!

I wish Ron would have posted more of the entries, I think everyone would have enjoyed what the ladies had to say about LIWs and how important it is to so many of us

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Re: My LIW tribute...

Here's mine

I was born-to-be a bridezilla, who imagined every detail of my perfect wedding day since I was barely a toddler. I used to take my mother’s old end table doilies and prance around the house with them on my head; thinking they were the prettiest veil ever created.

When I became engaged in February 1997, my main sources of information for all of my bridal needs were the freebie publications in the supermarkets and word of mouth from various sources. I became fully engulfed in my planning (even though the day was a good three years off); attending all of the bridal shows I possibly could, reading up on all the latest and greatest trends in the magazines, etc. But, there was no one I could really turn to who would understand my anxious fears about less than enthusiastic bridal party, lackluster favors, you name it. There was no one I could co-miser ate with who really understood what I was going though in the moment. Other brides within my network of friends were so wrapped up in their own concerns to really hear me, and my family was plain burnt out on the intricacies of the perfect floral arrangement.

I only became familiar with the Internet in March of 1999. Prior to that, I had little or no experience with the “net” and the whole process seemed intimidating. How could one find so much information from just one resource? Someone clued me in on how the search engine worked and I was off and running. I discovered so many wedding websites. I was in my glory. While most had great resources and interesting chat boards, you seemed to get lost in their expansive size and continuous posting. No real
Connections were established and I felt discouraged. While I thought my issue was the worst thing that could ever happen to a girl; it barely received acknowledgment in the flurry of mass postings. Still I searched on; determined to find an outlet for my wedding angst.

I came across a site that had local Long Island Resources, but when I went to re-enter the site, I was off by a few letters in the address line and I came across www.liweddings.com
“Ahhh” I said aloud as I searched the site. The local resources could not be matched. The chat board was easy to follow and even easier to engage in a one on one conversation with established board members. They weren’t individuals who were just here and then gone; they were there, daily. Each day I grew more and more excited about “tuning in” on the latest bridal gown disaster or photographer done wrong. I offered sympathy to those who needed it, answered questions on issues I felt like I could contribute to and grew to really care about specific posters after I had logged off for the day. I formed some long-term friendships prior to my wedding through LIWeddings and we happily shared in each other’s day, a goal I could never imagine achieving from any other site. I am still to this day friends with those very same ladies.

Although the board has evolved from my very first post and my wedding day is a half a decade old; I still enjoy logging into www.liweddings.com. It’s the site I frequent the most. I’ve developed friendships with newer users and enjoy the diversity of having men, not just ladies utilize the site. It’s not all about weddings anymore (even though I’m still a sap when it comes to a beautiful bride and a handsome groom), it’s a home for those of us who love chat throughout the day and have a sense of comfort with those around us. Even though I know I should move on (and even though many allege they have), there’s no fighting the addition. I love liweddings.com.

Sharon
AKA: Shamee/Ambersmom

Re: My LIW tribute...

That was great!

Re: My LIW tribute...

Beautiful Sharon!

Re: My LIW tribute...

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Posted by nov04LIbride

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Posted by RedHead

awww that is wonderful....

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Thanks, I thought no one liked it from the lack of responses!

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Re: My LIW tribute...

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Posted by wc0143

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Posted by nov04LIbride

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Posted by RedHead

awww that is wonderful....

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Thanks, I thought no one liked it from the lack of responses!

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I just read it and I feel very honored to have been mentioned



My entry was short & sweet:

I don't come here for prizes but for fun & friends!!

(something like that)

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Re: My LIW tribute...

awww ladies, those were so sweet!!!!



good job!

Re: My LIW tribute...

Sharon yours was awesome too!!

Re: My LIW tribute...

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Posted by nov04LIbride

Feeling sentimental so even though it didn't win me the necklace, here's my essay...


When I started planning my wedding in July 2003, I had very few resources or friends to help me. I had moved to Long Island after college and met my husband here, but knew little about the area, and had very few friends on Long Island to help me out. My Maid of Honor was my best friend from college who moved to Michigan soon after I got engaged, and my only bridesmaid was my sister in law who I did not have a close relationship with. I had never even been to a wedding, and here I was thrown into planning one! I felt lost, and overwhelmed by the amount of research I had to do before committing to booking a vendor. When I found LIW in March of 2004 (it’s my year anniversary!) all I had done so far was booked was my hall. I was on a strict budget, but did not want to compromise on quality.
The Brides Helping Brides board helped me book all of my other vendors. I booked my photographer, hair and makeup, officiant, florist, and honeymoon all based on recommendations from other women on the boards. I no longer felt like I was choosing a vendor blindly—my choice was based on the opinions and reviews of hundreds of other brides. I was so pleased with all of my vendors—not only did I have the wedding I always wanted, but was able to stick within the budget I had set! I even found the condominium that we bought the June before our wedding through two other women on the boards who live in the complex. It is wonderful knowing neighbors!
But LIW has done so much more for me than provide a service for choosing wedding vendors. I have met some of my closest friends on LIW. Soon after I joined, there was a thread on NWR asking where everyone worked. I posted where I worked, and another person after me posted she worked in the same place! It turned out peabody worked in the building next to me, doing a very similar job, and was getting married at my reception hall the month before me. We had both already booked Duet as our photographer and Flower Michele as our florist! It was so strange how much we had in common. We soon became close friends, and helped each other with the rest of our wedding planning. It was Tara who took a day off work and went with me gown shopping only two months before my wedding when I wasn’t happy with my original gown. She helped me pick “the gown,” and I was so happy with my second gown on my wedding day.
I started going to the Suffolk get togethers and met several other women who have since become close friends. Julie, Tara, Wendy, and I frequently met up for dinner since we all worked in the same area. When I joined the site, I thought the first wedding I would be attending would be my own, but I went to both Julie’s and Tara’s before mine, and was so happy to have them (along with their husbands!) at my wedding to share my day with me. Going to their weddings before my own was great—I knew how much time and effort they both put into planning their wedding, and was able to pick up some tips for my own wedding.
As a newlywed, I am so happy to have LIW as a resource. I think part of the reason why the friendships I have made through LIW are so strong is that we are all going through the same change in our life as we move on to another stage—we are leaving behind friends that are still single, and learning what it means to be married. The newlywed board is wonderful because it enables newlyweds to ask questions without being judged about what is normal in the first, most difficult year of marriage, as well as sharing the small joys of everyday married life. Recently someone made a post about the newlywed board being the only board where brides will admit that their husbands aren’t perfect! It’s a forum to vent, complain, praise, and share excitement with others that are going through the same thing at the same time, and aren’t afraid to tell you that the first year of marriage is hard. That is something that has been wonderful for me—living together for the first time was a huge adjustment, and hearing that I wasn’t alone in my feelings made me feel so much better.
I still go on Brides Helping Brides and try to use my experiences to help the brides-to-be. It’s amazing thinking that was me a year ago—my life has changed so much since then. And that is what it is all about—sharing experiences and advice with others, and making friendships along the way. My sister in law got engaged before my wedding, and I introduced her to LIW. I now “talk” to her more on LIW than I do in person, and find out more about her life (and my nephew that she is now pregnant with!) from her posts and FMs. It has brought us closer together since we now have a shared pastime.
Now I really can’t imagine my life without LIW. Tara remains one of my closest friends (my mom jokes that some people meet their groom online, but I met my friends online through LIW!), and we have fun getting together with our group of friends that met when we were planning our weddings together. We are now concentrating on trips to celebrate our first anniversary! LIW doesn’t end with the wedding, it’s only the beginning.

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Re: My LIW tribute...

That was so sweet!!!!!!!!

Re: My LIW tribute...

Beth And Sharon, both of your entries were beautiful and so touching.

Re: My LIW tribute...

Beth that was really beautiful!

Re: My LIW tribute...

Great tribute!

Re: My LIW tribute...

Very nice! This site definately has brought us closer together .