Apple-Obsessed Couple Tie the Knot on V-Day at Apple Store

Happy newlyweds Josh and Ting Li had a Valentine’s Day wedding, and while V-Day is a very, very cliche day for engagements, weddings and vow renewals, the Li’s wedding was anything but run of the mill.

The two said “iDo” in an Apple store at New York’s Fifth Avenue Apple store. The ceremony referenced Steve Jobs, the ring bearer was a first generation iPod and the priest who officiated the ceremony was dressed as Steve Jobs.

While this may just seem like two geeks who fell in love and because of their epic fandom, chose to have their wedding at an Apple store, but the location actually bears a great deal of meaning to the couple, since it was where they met. Ting was looking to buy an iPod and Josh struck up a conversation with her and the rest was history. Josh also accounts that he used to joke that the Apple store was his church because he is not religious and obviously, loves everything Apple, so it was only natural for the couple to tie the knot at a location that was very much important to them both.

Check out video of the couple’s wedding:

I absolutely love that this couple was able to have their wedding in a setting that they felt passionate for, but check out all of those people taking obsessive amounts of pictures! I know I would personally opt for a more intimate setting where I didn’t feel like I had a flock of paparazzi after me trying to get as many pictures of me as possible. While there are definitely some people out there who do crave that celebrity treatment, when it comes to your wedding, I would personally keep it a bit more private.

Have you or would you ever want to have a fan-based wedding?

A Not-So Happy, but Hilarious Valentine’s Day Special from FAIL Blog

Are you sick of hearing about Valentine’s Day? Are you apathetic or just begrudgingly bitter today? Have no fear! We have you Valentine’s Day-phobic folks all taken care of with this absolutely hilarious compilation of FAILs in romance from the very clever and never dull FAIL Blog.

Not So Common(ly Talked About) Relationships

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Split-Self. All opinions are 100% mine.

It’s no surprise that I am a huge fan of the young adult and chick lit genres. They are often very satisfying, light and decadent treats that make their frequent appearances in our book reviews section. While I read an array of different genres of books, it’s the chick lit books that let you wind down and curl up with at the end of a busy and stressful day and bring you into a world of humor and just often enough, lightheartedness.

There’s a book that just emerged on the scene that is self-defined as changing the course of chick lit and after reading a little bit about it, I am inclined to agree. Split-Self is a new book from F.S. Publishing that is your typical romance novel that will undoubtedly be intriguing to a great deal of people who have especially hopped on the Twilight and True Blood bandwagons. The main character of the story is a vampire who draws energy out of other people in order to supplement her own and she does this by feeding on them in seductive and totally hot encounters that leave them begging for more. But what this books has that redefines the typical chick lit genre we are all familiar with is that Split-Self revolves around a romance between a woman and a man… and another man. In F.S. Publishing’s own words: “Boy likes girl, boy also likes boy … girl thinks that’s hot.”

The romance itself in this novel will surely put a lot of people off from wanting to read it, but what I would really like to explore is the fact that why I automatically know in my gut that a great deal of people will not want to read it because the couple in the book is not a couple, but a polyamorous relationship containing one woman and two men. When people hear about most polyamorous relationships, especially with the induction of the HBO show Big Love and traditional polygamy being centered around one man with multiple wives. I actually really love the idea of a polyamorous relationship that includes one woman and two men; it’s a great spin and is actually a great deal more realistic than many may think.

Polyamory is not “new” by any means; it is not merely an open relationship, where people within a foundation relationship have permission to seek whatever they choose and have already agreed on beforehand outside of that relationship. What polyamory is, in fact, is more than two people in one, committed relationship. There are many sex educators and family therapists that counsel, have written books and have taught at lectures and workshops who educate people and couples of all kinds on how to live life with limitless sexual possibilities and while open and poly relationships are not merely based on sexual gratification, sexuality is one of the factors that could potentially cause rifts in your relationships due to jealousy and other conflicting emotions. One of the most intriguing non-fiction books I have found on the subject that I actually ordered the day after I discovered it is The Ethical Slut from educators and practicing “ethical sluts” Dossie Easton and Catherine A. Liszt.

When you look at this topic from a wide angle and disregard the many, many immediate responses you will hear when a debate like this pops up such as the “sanctity of marriage,” poly relationships actually make a lot of sense. Very few animals are monogamous and as it turns out, very few married people, both male and female alike, are monogamous. According to the Journal of Couple and Relationship Therapy approximately 50% of married women and 60% of married men will have extramarital affairs at some point while in their marriage. With statistics like these, it means that in nearly 80% of marriages as a whole, someone in that marriage is cheating on their spouse.

Given all of these little tidbits of information I have gathered, as well as my personal feelings on the topic, which is that in a relationship of any kind, what works for those people in that relationship is fine by me and I am not one to pass judgment on anyone or anyone’s relationship, I now want some of your input! What do you think of polyamorous relationships? Do they work? Can they work? Are you in one? Care to share any details? Leave whatever’s on your mind on the topic in the comments!

Trade in Your Wedding Notebook for a Website

While we have all seen the tremendous impact personal and business websites and blogs have had over the internet and internet surfers, engaged couples have found that wedding websites have been extremely helpful and convenient in not only their wedding planning, budgeting and reference, but also for just about everything else.

Wedding websites are the new reference point for the bride and groom and also for their attendees and wedding party. The websites that couples can make range from simple to complex and can be used purely for getting the word out to your friends, family and colleagues along with your online friends and everyone else in the world or for just about everything that goes into planning a wedding complete with interactive sections for your bridal party to participate in.

There are many websites out there that cater specifically to couples who wish to build their own wedding site. If you are not HTML savvy, there are some very chic and elegant templates to choose from on Wed Simple and My Wedding; both sites are set up to be as simple or as complex as you’d like.

Through a wedding site you and your husband or wife-to-be set up, you can not only keep track of your guestbook and contact information, driving directions, menus, little notes that remind you of upcoming appointment, photo galleries of the whole process from the proposal to the honeymoon, an extensive online gift registry and also a personal blog for the two of you to get frustrations out, think out loud and so on.

If you are HTML savvy yourself you do not have to go through a pre-made wedding website company. You can simply buy your own domain through GoDaddy ($10) or NameNova ($7 and also the domain purchasing website I have used for about 2 years now) After you get your domain name all you need is the hosting, which I cannot recommend BlueHost enough; I have used them for years now and have never had a problem with them.

Wedding websites are your complete wedding planning tool so do you think now is a good time for you to throw away that overflowing binder and myriad of Post-It notes in various colors to keep track of your schedule? Yeah, me too.

Find the Best Deals on Diamonds and Jewelry

Summer is the season for engagements, weddings and in turn, wedding anniversaries. People are most definitely spending an obscene amount of money leading up to the summer season and a lot of people run into the problem that for the first few months leading up to summer and through the entire season, prices on jewelry of all kinds is marked up for just these occasions, as well as through all major holidays.

Because of the convenience as well as the chance to find the best deals possible, more and more people are shopping online. The only confusing and sometimes irritating people run into while shopping online is the fact that there are so many websites out there trying to sell you pretty much the same thing–How do you know what site to choose and what site is going to give you the best deal possible for the item you want?

My Jewelry Box is an online jewelry store with the best prices that I have yet to come across. They carry all types of jewelry, perfect for any occasion. With an extensive collection of blue topaz jewelry, diamond stud earrings and a massive selection of engagement and wedding rings and bridal jewelry, My Jewelry Box is a site that must not be missed; you won’t find a better deal anywhere else with the same selection or customer satisfaction they strive for.

Whatever kind of jewelry you are looking for, for any occasion, My Jewelry Box not only has the best prices out there, but they also offer free Fed Ex shipping on all orders over $99 as well as free gift wrapping if you’re planning on purchasing something for that special someone in your life.

Bank Account Belly Somersaults

Working as a freelance anything definitely has its ups and downs.

On one hand, you have the luxury of working when you want, not having to ask your boss if you can duck out for a smoke or have to plan your meals around a business schedule. On the other hand, you always tend to not work as much as you had planned, get distracted a lot more easier especially if you do work that puts you in front of a computer and of course there is the case of the impatient freelancer who checks their PayPal and bank account and the client who suddenly disappears right in time–Just as soon as you send out your invoice.

As I have already blogged about, Victoria’s Secret is currently in the midst of having their semi-annual sale; that combined with a wedding reception I attended recently that I desperately needed a dress for as well as thinking I could afford a little frivolous spending did not help the current situation that I am in.

So, as any normal person who knows they’re broke but isn’t aware of just how broke they are, I avoided my bank account. I have not looked at my bank account all month and I was really loving that arrangement; however, I noticed this morning that I am half way through my last pack of cigarettes and oh no, I need to buy more! And so, with many belly somersaults and the feeling of nausea creeping in, I checked my bank account balance.

Luckily, I have enough money for the carton of cigarettes that will save my life as well as my ability to work and earn the money that will replenish my bank account because I got nothin’!

Makes you wonder where the money I did have went. Oh yeah, shoes, undies, tank tops, pretty pretty dress. Sigh…

The Worst Wedding Cake Toppers

Some weddings are casual, some weddings are extravagant. Some weddings have themes, some weddings have…absolutely horrible wedding cake toppers. Have a look at just some of the tackiest and tasteless cake toppers out there.

Click the thumbnails for larger picture.

Even if you’re celebrating your wedding on the beach, on a tropical island or if your wedding happens to be beach or island themed, there is no excuse for a couple to be making out on top of your wedding cake and especially not for $56.95.

This wedding cake topper screams “Hooray, it’s a wedding! But wait! First, I have to finish my shift at the strip club.” While I think that custom-made cake toppers are an amazing thing that I think more couples will be attracted to, but perhaps reserve the stripper decoration for the bachelor party.

There’s cute and humorous and then there’s poking fun at the female gender, which I could really do without. All I get from this cake topper is the idea of a bunch of men sitting around a card table complaining about their wives and how they are always shopping–And I could use a little less of that.

Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t find the romanticism in a cake topper where the bride and groom are atop a tractor. The song ‘She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy’ pops into my head and I can’t help but start to giggle. Not only that, but I can also picture cows; lots and lots of cows.

There’s nothing like inviting your wedding guests into your wedding bed. After seeing the cake, your guests are going to be thinking about nothing but honeymoons, wedding lingerie and sex. On second thought, perhaps that isn’t a completely bad thing–Your honeymoon should most definitely be exciting, why not give your guests the same luxury?

Planning Your Big Day: Wedding Registries

There are a lot of things to consider when planning your wedding and let’s face it, who can ignore the fact that there are presents involved?

Women have a tendency to over think pretty much everything regarding their wedding day; the term “bridezilla” didn’t come out of the sky, you know, and setting up your wedding registry is no different. There are some simple things you can do, however, to make the process of setting up your wedding registry.

First of all, start with the room you get the most excited about when you think about getting shiny, new things for it. If it’s your bedroom, go to the bedroom and take a look around. Take note of what you already have (and like) and think about what you’ve been wanting to add to the room that you haven’t already. If you have some items, like myself, that maybe your parents or your soon-to-be spouse’s parent’s handed down to you, would you like to update them? If so, in what colors or styles? Make a list of items you need as well as what you would like–It’s okay to be a little frivolous; in fact, it’s expected.

After you’ve finished with the room that you get the most excited about, move through the house in the order of what rooms give you that warm and fuzzy feeling and rooms that you would love some new gadgets for. However, it is also expected that you will forget some items that you’ll be kicking yourself later for not adding to your registry, so to help out with setting up your wedding registry, I Do Sugar, part of the Sugar blog network, has made a very convenient wedding registry [PDF] containing items that one can most often easily forget about to make sure that doesn’t happen to you!

You can download the file here; I can’t even imagine the number of sanities this file is going to save when it comes to wedding registry planning!