Eddie Murphy and Tracy Edmonds got married on January 1, 2008, and they didn’t last two weeks. Now that we’ve established the depth and sincerity of most celebrity weddings…

I thought it would be fun to choose five of the most famous celebrity marriages of 2008 and ask you which of the five has the best chance of lasting until death actually does part them. Here are your choices:

Scarlett Johansson and Ryan Reynolds

Beyonce and Jay-Z

Ashlee Simpson and Pete Wentz

Ellen Degeneres and Portia DeRossi

Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon

Just send me a comment with your opinion! Which celebrity couple will last the longest and why? I’ll put the best answers in a future blog!.

Meanwhile, let’s talk about a couple of great wedding favors for those of you who would love to get married on New Year’s Eve. How can you pass up the “It’s About Time! Let’s Celebrate!” Champagne Bucket Timer (left)? It’s cool! It’s practical! It’s sooo New Year’s Eve! So are the “Have a Blast!” Biodegradable Wedding Poppers (right)! Your guests can shoot them off  at midnight when you and your groom celebrate your first New Year’s kiss as husband and wife! By the way–a very Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah, Happy Kwanzaa and, from the bottom of my heart, a Healthy and Happy New Year!

Somebody needs to help me get to the bottom of this. I understand why married couples might renew their vows on a 20th or 25th or 50th anniversary, but we’ve got some celebrity couples who renew their vows before the ink is dry on their original wedding license!

So what’s up? Is it because they have nothing better to do with their money, and it was so much fun the first time? Do they think their marriage will last longer if they renew their vows repeatedly? Jennifer Lopez and Mark Antony have been married for four years, and they renewed their vows last month.

A Theory Emerges

I think I have an answer—in Hollywood, one year of marriage is equal to five years of marriage for non-celebrities. Now it begins to make sense. If you think Marc and Jennifer are the only couple to jump on this bandwagon, consider this: Scarlett Johansson and Ryan Reynolds just got married a few, short months ago, and they’re already planning a second wedding. So are Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon. David (the King of Soccer) and Victoria (Posh Spice) Beckham have already renewed their vows, and they’ve been married a whole nine years. Amy Winehouse and Blake-Fielder Civil, married a year, renewed their vows in the prison where the happy groom is spending some time. And let’s not forget Madonna and Guy Ritchie, who were going to renew their vows, but got divorced instead. Now that’s the celebrity spirit of commitment I know and love!

Wedding Favors for Celebrity Vow Renewal Celebrations

After some deep thought, I came up with two perfect wedding favors these celebrity couples should present to their guests. The first is the “It’s About Time! Let’s Celebrate!” Champagne Bucket Timer (left.) And what makes this a winning wedding favor under the circumstances? Hey, it’s a timer that counts down from one to sixty minutes, the actual, average time of a celeb marriage. Ding! My second choice is the “Head Over Heels” Bottle Stoppers (right) with one for the bride and one for the groom. These bottle stoppers showcase the bottom view of the bride’s wedding gown and the groom’s tuxedo, which, as far as I’m concerned, makes it much easier to figure out where their heads are. Maybe we should check back with these same couples in a year or so to see if immediate vow renewal kept them together. They may actually have something there. Do you “star” gazers out there want to make any predictions?

If you grew up in the 70’s, you probably tuned in every week to see all the fun and antics that happened on “The Love Boat” television show.  Well, the Royal Princess is setting sail again.  In true “Love Boat” style, “the most romantic cruise line” is commemorating the launch of their newest ship with an actual wedding on the high seas!

After winning the “Romance On The Ruby” contest sponsored by Princess Cruises and USA Today, the lucky winners, Danielle Vurpillat and Kip Hickman, will be married during the ship’s christening festivities on November 6th. Television celebrities Trista and Ryan Sutter (you remember them from The Bachelorette 2003 TV show, don’t you?), will serve as attendants and former “Love Boat” captain, Gavin MacLeod, will give away the bride.

How fun!  They have my congratulations.  But, I just have one question?  Were nautical wedding favors included in the grand prize?  If not, Danielle better get over to My Wedding Favors to pick some up before they set sail on their two-night cruise.  Here are my top picks!

These sailboat candles add a romantic spark to any table and can be given as wedding favors to all who attend.  Needless to say, they would be a glowing reminder of their beautiful wedding day.

While most people might not have the budget to give a nice beach tote bag like this to all of their guests, I’m suspecting this prize-winning couple is a little different, which makes this an excellent choice for them.   They can also give these canvas personalized tote bags to their wedding party as bridesmaids gifts or to special guests. They will surely come in handy as they visit different ports of call.

Since Princess Cruise Line was recently named the “Best Cruise Line for Romance” and “Best Cruise Line for Weddings” in the 2008 Cruise Critic Editors’ Picks Awards, you might want to consider them for your destination wedding.  Find out more at http://wwwprincess.com.  For unique wedding favors for all types of weddings, visit My Wedding Favors.

Well, we’re not sure yet, but over the weekend, we did learn that Adam Shankman,  who directed the first “Wedding Planner” movie is, indeed, launching a sequel with co-producer Madonna. So let’s engage in the popular-culture fan’s favorite pastime–speculation and jumping to conclusions!

WHAT’S MADONNA’S ANGLE?

Is she in it just for the producing credit, or is she getting ready to revive her acting (and I use that term very loosely) career? Time alone will tell but, as one of my tuned-in friends observed, Madonna certainly knows a thing or two about wedding planning. The question remains–will she or won’t she?

THE FIRST “WEDDING PLANNER” MOVIE

The original 2001 film starred Jennifer Lopez as San Francisco’s most successful wedding planner. She knows all the tricks and all the rules. But she breaks the most important rule of all when she falls in love with the groom, played by Matthew McConaughey. I saw the movie, which did fairly well at the box office, and I enjoyed it. I thought J-Lo and Matt had some chemistry, and though the movie was predictable, it was a pleasant way to spend an evening.

THE SEQUEL—STARRING MADONNA 

We’ll start with the cons. Unless the director is deliberately aiming for the over-50 demographic, it’s not likely Madonna will pack in the younger crowd. It’s true–she looks amazing for 50, and she’s still got that singing thing going for her.  Next, and this is a big one, she’s not what you would call a good actor. None of her movies has done well, and most have been widely panned by critics. Lastly, whom could they cast as the male lead that Madonna’s strong persona wouldn’t chew up and spit out? Shrek? Hey, now there’s an idea! Nevermind. I’ll move on to the pros. Sorry, can’t think of any.

WEDDING FAVORS–MADONNA-STYLE

As long as we’re speculating, I thought it might be fun to imagine what kind of wedding favors Madonna will have at her next wedding (Madonna Gets Married III.) The first one I have in mind honors Madonna’s Italian heritage. It’s “A Slice of Love” Pizza Cutter, which comes in adorable “pizza box” packaging. This is perfect for her, because she clearly only gives a slice of her love at a time. Perhaps if she gave a man the whole pie, she’d have a lasting relationship. My next choice would be the “Love–Let Me Count the Ways” Heart-Shaped Calculator, although in her case it would be called “Love–Let Me Count the Times.”

Speaking of counting the “times,” I think I have the ideal wedding shower favor for Madonna’s next marital go-round. But before I tell you what it is, I’d like to recount the singer’s “times” for you. There were two marriages, Sean Penn and Guy Ritchie. And then there were the romances, with Warren Beatty, Dennis Rodman, Dan Gilroy, Vanilla Ice and Carlos Leon, father of daughter Lourdes. Call me silly, but I can’t think of a more appropriate wedding shower favor than “The Ex Files,” a matchbook-style envelope filled with a dozen emery boards. Written on each file is a deal-breaking characterization of the men who didn’t make the cut—jerk, loser, lazy bum, player and momma’s boy. Just for fun, let’s figure out which of Madonna’s boyfriends matches which file! Send me your choices, and I’ll put it in my next blog!

Imagine not having any photos of your special day? Well, that’s what happened to Bette Midler. Whether it was by accident or the chapel decided to just hold on to them for publicity, she didn’t get them on her wedding day. Surprisingly, it took 23 years for multi-award winning singer and actress Bette Midler to receive wedding photos after her quickie wedding in Las Vegas in 1984. You would think that such a well-known star getting married by an Elvis impersonator would have no problems getting those shots. But somehow, they were “misplaced” and were just discovered while the owners were closing the Starlight Chapel’s doors for the last time. She says, “Three weeks ago the guy closed the chapel and sent us the pictures. We were so shocked.” I’m sure seeing the photos was like reliving that fun and fateful day all over again. Now, all she needs is a nice photo album! I must give kudos, though, to Midler and hubby Martin von Haselberg for outlasting most Hollywood couples, even after getting off to a sort of “wild and crazy” start! Better late than never… I suppose!

My advice to you is that if you’re planning a destination wedding to a place like Las Vegas (or any place for that matter), be sure to bring along one of these disposable wedding cameras. That way, you can snap all the pictures you want without having to wait 23 years to see them! Give one to the wedding witness (your pseudo bridesmaid), the lady on the organ and even the Elvis impersonator to be sure you don’t miss a thing. While you’re at it, you can also pass out these delightful Las Vegas themed wedding favors.

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Each year, Modern Bride magazine compiles their “Top 100 Things We Love” list, and we are proud to announce that we made the list! Having two of our gifts featured among their top picks for wedding favors, gifts and accessories for 2008 is quite an accomplishment. We hear a lot of great comments from brides who love our unique wedding favors, and now we know that Modern Bride loves them, too!

Featured in the August/September 2008 issue, these adorable, music-themed place cardholders are ranked at #76 and include the “Ain’t Love Grand?” piano and the “Music Stand.” The detail of both the black miniature grand piano and the petite stand with “sheet” music makes this dynamic duo an excellent choice for music lovers, as well as garden, black-and-white and Victorian-themed weddings. Versatile and stunning, these place cardholders are also a great way to display photos, making them delightful favors that guests can use around the house after the wedding.

Among the many boutique-quality favors and gifts offered at MyWeddingFavors.com, we proudly feature the complete line of Kate Aspen products, of which one was also featured as a top pick for Modern Bride. The Garden Topiary place cardholder made the list at #28. It only stands to reason, since this wedding favor has long been a popular product in the Garden-themed favors section because of the realistic detail.

Many other “favorites” that made their list can also be found at MyWeddingFavors.com, such as silver-plated wedding-cake place cardholders, elegant monogram stamps, mini gumball dispensers, personalized Hershey’s Kisses, seashell cardholders, hot cocoa favors, wedding conversation hearts, personalized fortune cookies, silver-plated wedding bells, fans and seashell cookies. Go ahead. Browse around. There are plenty of styles to choose from!

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Sue here. Saw the movie. Must put my TWIST (The Way I See Things) into the flood of opinions swirling around out there. I was a big fan of the HBO series (Sex and the City, if you haven’t figured it out yet,) and the movie didn’t disappoint. It was a hoot!

But I’m compelled to comment on Cari’s choice of bridal headwear. When she first tried on the gown that she would wear on her wedding day, I thought it was one of the most beautiful gowns I’d ever seen. It truly was breathtaking. Then, on her wedding day, she had her veil attached to this blue, feathered thing that turned out to be a bird.

Now I freely admit I’m not a fashionista, nor do I pay a lot of attention to high fashion because, like most people, I really can’t afford it. But I can tell when something looks ridiculous, and that hideous, blue bird caught in her veil undid every bit of beauty, elegance and style she might have otherwise had on the most important day of her life. Once you get a load of that bird, it’s impossible to look away–like watching a horrible accident scene. I know Carrie Bradshaw’s hallmark is her avant garde sense of style, and I really do think most of her clothes are very cool. But the costume designer or stylist who made this call really blew it. I can’t say anything more without giving important plot points away, so I’ll make the best of this fashion freak out.

How? By finding the absolute perfect wedding favor to complement that bird! Who knows? Maybe it was the greatest fashion moment of the century so far. If it was (but I sincerely doubt it,) how fabulous would it be to decorate her wedding reception tables (in the distinguished New York Public Library!) with the “Love Dove” Chrome Bottle Opener. At the very least, it would give guests a more becoming bird to focus on. Actually, the “Love Dove” would be a gorgeous wedding party favor even if Carrie had worn a more appealing head ornament.

When I ignored the bird and concentrated on the dress itself, I realized she would have no problem coordinating her guest book and ring bearer pillow with the champagne color of her gown. Sleek satin with a simple bow–and no bird.

So really. You must tell me. Whether you’ve seen the movie or are just seeing the photos of Carrie Bradshaw’s wedding ensemble right here and now–what do you think of the look? And I need more than “I love it!” I’d really appreciate knowing why you think this is a smashing wedding combo. For those of you who say, “Yuck,” believe me, I understand…

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Mr. Christopher reporting on news that you can roll your eyes too. Actress/Model Pamela Anderson has decided that marriage is not for her.  After being married three times and failing miserably each time, Pamela Anderson has decided that being married doesn’t suit her anymore.  Pamela appeared in Hollywood for the premiere of the movie spoof film “The Superhero Movie” in a tight white dress. One of her fans shouted that he was getting married in the Summer to which Pamela replied, “Really? I’m sorry to hear that. I don’t really recommend it.”

Maybe she would have a better shot at marriage if she actually fell in love with someone and stopped tramping herself out.  Her last marriage was annulled just recently.  That was the marriage where she indicated that she slept with Rick Salomon to pay off gambling debts and then fell in lust with him.  Most know Rick Salomon from his co-starring role in the Paris Hilton sex tape.   Of course the only thing they had in common was that she herself had made a sex tape with her previous husband Tommy Lee.  What more do you have to have in common with someone?  That’s love in the making baby!  Head to the kitchen folks! We have a great recipe for disaster.

So she let the tainting of her last 2 celebrity-marriages cloud her judgment on the beautiful ceremonial blessing of matrimony.  So if you’re getting married and must listen to or be influenced by what actors, actresses, singers or other talentless hacks have to say, do us a favor and just ignore the ramblings of this bleach blond bimbo.  Marriage is a God given right of passage for two people that truly love each other.  Pamela has yet to experience the true meaning of what marriage is.  She’s confused into thinking that marriage is simply a piece of paper that gives you permission to sleep with someone you’re temporarily attracted to so that people don’t call you a tramp.   In a world that increasingly looks upon marriage as simply a silly little ritual, I implore you to actually fall in love and realize how important and honorable that it actually is and ignore the ramblings of a woman whose claim to fame is completely based on sex.

Every year for the past 100 years, Hungarians in the city of Roma would bury a double bass to signal the end of the wedding season and also would confess their sins that were committed against the instrument. Then they followed up with an all night party. A strange custom to be sure, but a custom nonetheless. Well 2008 saw that custom nixed from Hungary’s event calender. The bureaucrats in Hungary basically forgot to put it on the list of festivals that has been held every year on the first Thursday of every February.

The festival is included along with the carnival that celebrates the arrival of Spring. The custom is really a tradition of the gypsy musicians who have carried on the tradition year after year. However, the strangest part is that the local government of Roma had no choice but to ban the ceremony since it wasn’t listed on Hungary’s Festival List.  So even if it was an accident, it doesn’t matter. It’s not on the list, so it doesn’t exist.

And you thought our government was strange.

As part of a very unusual experiment called “The Week The Women Went”, the women of a small Canadian town called Hardisty near Alberta decided to simply pick up and leave their husbands and children alone by themselves for a week. The husbands had to manage everything from the meals, housework, cleaning up, getting the kids to and fro, putting them to bed and the entire enchilada.For most reading this, your response may be “So what. I do that every day.” And that’s exactly what the study was set to find out. In Canada, over 70% of the households are run by women and most of which also had full time jobs. The study, which was caught on film, was going to find out if, A) the men could handle such a daunting task and B) if there would be an increased appreciation for what the women must do every day that they feel is being taken for granted.

One of the women named Kelly Weatherly stated “It will be a disaster, a complete disaster.” Others such as Heather Mills stated, “I don’t even know if he’s had them for a whole day.” Miller’s husband simply replied, “Two people to take care of, both under the age of five, how hard can it be?” And then there was the negative side of the coin where viewers like Andrew were annoyed by the mere premise of the show stating, “What a misandric (man hating) idea for show. What is wrong with Canadian society that we need to continuously promote how important women are to society at the expense of men?”

Not to spoil the outcome, but to the women’s chagrin, the result wasn’t what they hoped. The men faired very well with only minor speed bumps. One of the participants, the town Administrator and father of three named Tony Kulbisky stated, “It wasn’t that much of an ordeal. We just pre-planned everything, or tried to be as organized as we could be.”

There was a silver lining though as one man who refused to marry his girlfriend of 10 years even after the couple had 3 children together decided to plan a surprise wedding as a result of the time apart. The study will be aired on TV on a yet to be named network and viewers will need to tune in to see how the wedding went along with the antics of “The Week The Women Went” because it wasn’t all smooth. There are some very hilarious and entertaining moments that will be sure to have women and men alike murmuring, “He did not just do that.”

Meanwhile, we at My Wedding Favors will be here to celebrate all weddings from fairy tale to elegant to themed events. So husbands to be, show your respect for your lovely lady and tell her about My Wedding Favors to help do your part in planning your big day.

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