A Real Bride Reflects on Her A-List Dream Wedding

Van and Eric (Ceremony and Reception) from Monachetti on Vimeo.

Remember our 2009 dream wedding winners Van Ngo and Eric Oberly? We’ve got more video to share from their fabulous fall wedding. Take a behind-the-scenes look at their celebrity-inspired “I dos”. (A very special thanks to the awesome videographer Michael Eller of Monachetti!)

We checked in with Ngo to find out what the whole experience was like for her and found out that she’s still on cloud nine about it!

“The wedding was more than anything we could've dreamed of,” says Ngo. “It’s so hard to pick out a favorite detail because everything really was wonderful. The band was amazing, and the flowers took my breath away. The food and cake looked as good as it tasted. I look back on our wedding day in awe and disbelief because it really was perfect.”

What’s your dream wedding style? Tell us below!

Behind the Scenes With Our Dream Wedding Winners

Van and Eric (New) from Monachetti on Vimeo.

We just got this awesome video in and I’m so excited to share it! Remember our Dream Wedding Contest winners Van and Eric? We already showed you their fabulous fall wedding, and now we have some behind-the-scenes footage to share too. (A very special thanks to the awesome videographer Michael Eller of Monachetti!)

And the Dream Wedding Contest Winners Are…

Van Ngo and Eric Oberly of Alexandria Virginia! After millions of votes, the winners have been chosen – and boy are they deserving! (Have you read their story?) We asked them to come to New York City to stay at the fabulous W hotel in Union Square. They thought they were just coming to be interviewed by Inside Edition because they were in the top three. Instead, we had something (much!) better in mind: We teamed up with our friends at Us Weekly and planned a big surprise announcement. Check out the video of their reaction -– so cute! (Oh, and you’ll see me in the green dress congratulating the pair up close and personal!)

Related Posts:
• Finalists Launch “We’re No Brangelina” Video to Get Votes
• Polls are Open: Vote for Your Favorite Dream Wedding Finalist
• We Want to Throw YOU a Dream Wedding

Finalists Launch “We’re No Brangelina or Speidi” Video to Win Votes

As you know, right now, there are 10 couples battling to win the wedding of their dreams care of WeddingChannel.com and Us Weekly. The couple with the most votes has the best chance of being selected, so with the voting period winding down our finalists are getting pretty crafty with their self-run PR campaigns.

Heather Cowan and Shaw Jones have made a mockumentary-style video of what their wedding would be like if they don’t win. It’s hilarious, and a must see! Plus, look out for the ring bearers (their adorable two dogs) to totally steal a scene or two.

Related Posts:
• Our Dream Wedding Contest is Back!
• Vote for Your Dream Wedding Finalists
• Win an A-List Honeymoon in St. Kitts

Win a Fabulous Honeymoon Getaway

You. Him. Here! Wouldn’t that be nice? We're teaming up with SpaWeek.org to offer one lucky couple a chance to win the ultimate A-list Hawaiian honeymoon -- on us! (Yes, that means totally FREE!) Now that you’re listening, here’s what you could win: Seven relaxing days and six fabulous nights in an ocean view suite at the Fairmont Orchid on Hawaii’s Big Island. Spend your days frolicking along the beautiful Kohala Coast and return for a romantic five course dinner with private butler service (for two!) on a private lanai (that’s Hawaiian for balcony) or as you snuggle beneath a coconut tree. They’ve even added an 80-minute oceanfront couples' massage turndown service, and a complimentary gift bag to sweeten the deal. All for the amazing price of…nothing! (Has a ring to it, doesn’t it?) Enter now, and your honeymoon prayers could be answered, just like that. Good luck, girls!

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• The Polls are Open: Vote for Your Favorite Dream Wedding Finalists
• The WeddingChannel.com Team Gets their Spa On
• Scarlett Johannson’s Eco-Friendly Honeymoon Escape

The Polls are Open: Vote for Your Favorite "Dream Wedding" Finalist!

You may remember our blog post last week about Us Weekly and WeddingChannel.com's "Win Your Dream Wedding" contest. (Missed it? Click here now.) Here’s the latest: After combing through thousands of entries, we’ve narrowed it down to 10 lucky finalists!

Now it's your turn. You can view more photos of each couple, read about how they met, see who’s in first place, and cast your vote here! Plus: Find out fun facts about the couples, like which one wants a wedding like Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, which flew to Paris immediately after becoming engaged, and more. Vote now!

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• Bride saves neighbors from fire on her wedding day
• Have a ”Romeo and Juliet”-themed wedding?
• Meg White marries... at her ex-husband’s home!

We Want to Throw YOU a Celeb-Inspired Dream Wedding: Enter Now!

I have exciting news to share with you today that's sure to help you beat any planning blues you might be feeling: It’s time, once again, for WeddingChannel.com and US Weekly magazine to team up to give one (very!) lucky couple the ultimate gift – their dream wedding, for FREE! Yes, I said free; we’re picking up the entire (celebrity) vendor tab, we swear! That means it’s time to stop reading all that mood-killing recession news online and instead head over to the official contest site to enter for your chance to win the ultimate celeb-inspired wedding.

Last year’s winners Courtney Dempsey and Gary Courtney received millions of votes, and as you can see here, their wedding was truly fabulous. (They wed at the same place Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore did, and their A-list vendor list included one of Jennifer Aniston’s personal deejay picks, a celebrity florist favorite, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas’ wedding cake baker, and TomKat’s wedding photog!) Are you typing up your story yet? If not, you should be – you only have two weeks! The entry period ends May 26th. Here’s how it will all go down: Once we’ve received all the submission, we’ll partner up with US Weekly to decide on 10 awesome finalists. After that the wild-voting rush begins. In the end, the couple with the most votes wins. Good luck, ladies!

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photos: Robert Evans Studios

Win a Destination Wedding in Jamaica!

Talk about hate mail – ever since we started posting about some of the more fabulous celebrity honeymoons and destination weddings we’ve seen, we’ve gotten complaints from our loyal CWB fans that the average bride and groom just can’t afford to spend that kind of money. Well guess what? We’re giving away (yes, we mean free!) a luxury destination wedding for one lucky couple.

Our friends at Secrets Resorts & Spas, Air Jamaica, and the Jamaica Tourist Board are offering up round-trip airfare for two and a 7-night stay in Jamaica for Valentine’s Day 2010. That’s right – you get a free wedding and honeymoon, along with all the essentials you’ll need for your special V-Day ceremony and reception.

How to enter: Just sign up to become a WeddingChannel.com member, then fill out the entry form. Sweepstakes ends on February 26th. If you’d like to find out if you’re winner, join our Twitter Feed. We’ll be announcing the grand prize winner on February 27th.

(Now don’t ever say we never did anything for you.)

SoCal Breast Cancer Survivors: Win a $10,000 Hair and Lingerie Makeover with a Celebrity Stylist

If you’re currently fighting or have survived breast cancer, I have something that might just brighten your day.

Anaheim-based sustainable florist, The Spiraled Stem is giving away a wedding-day bridal package worth $10,000 to a SoCal bride who lost her hair from chemotherapy treatment. The winner of the ”Say 'I Do' With a Big 'Do” contest will receive professional hair extension service from celebrity hairstylist Abby Aguilera (her clients include supermodel Janice Dickinson and actress Olivia D’abo), valued at $5,000. Other prizes include a sustainable floral package from The Spiraled Stem (valued at $2,000), a “Day-of” wedding coordination package from Simply Mumtaz Events (valued at $3500), a personalized bra fitting and wedding day lingerie set, including Bra Pockets, from Sculpted Silhouette (valued at $100), and a Foot Petals Runaway Bride Gift Set (valued at $44.95). What a sweet prize for a courageous bride.

The application deadline is January 2, 2009, so get a move on if you qualify ladies. Check the site for rules to enter!

Sylvia Weinstock Goes Couture for Godiva

Sylvia Weinstock, wedding cake designer to the stars (including celebrity brides like Catherine Zeta-Jones and Mariah Carey), is adding tiny treats to her repertoire. The teacher-turned-designer, who makes about 2,000 cakes each year, recently partnered with Godiva to create petite gourmet chocolate couture wedding favors for the company.

"I had a lot of input on the design," says Weinstock. "I thought it was a nice idea to give away a little chocolate that looks like a three-tiered wedding cake, boxed properly. I sketched the design and told Godiva what I thought would work. Often at weddings, people give away favors like paper weights and picture frames that nobody wants. Lots of clients want favors that are more personalized—things that are boxed individually and that they can take home from a wedding."

The favors, which come in two different styles and vary in price ($20-$30 for a box of four), also come in a variety of flavors. "I wanted something that would appeal to everyone’s palate, such as mocha, chocolate, hazelnut, and praline," she explains. "My favorite is chocolate with chocolate ganache and vanilla cream. I think that's probably the most popular. If we venture into other ideas, I'd like to do some fruit creams as well."

Want to have Sylvia Weinstock and Godiva at your special day? Click here for your chance to win $3,000 worth of couture chocolate favors for your wedding!