WeddingDates.ie

Wow, another FANTASTIC Competition for you loved up brides and grooms to be out there!! I’d love to enter half these myself!! Here’s some info I got this week for the competition between Kildare Village and The K Club…

Kildare Village Outlet Shopping has become romantically entwined with The K Club 5* Golf & Spa Resort to seek out the most hopeless romantic and discover how deep is their love for their partner.  Our true lovesick lady or gent will be rewarded with the wedding of their dreams to share with their partner and 100 of their nearest and dearest guests at one of Ireland’s most aspirational wedding venues, The K Club Golf & Spa Resort in Straffan, Co.Kildare.

To win this incredible prize all you need to do is visit www.wedding.kildarevillage.com to enter the ‘How deep is your love?’ online competition and tell us the lengths you would go to show your love for your partner by uploading a picture, a video or simply tell a story. And we don’t want anything in return. Except, perhaps, your undying devotion to Kildare Village for ever and ever…

We want you to show the world what true romance is all about. We’re looking for those gestures - both tiny and grand - that stir our emotions.  If you are the girlfriend who ruined her killer heels watching him pay his beloved sport in a mucky field? Tell us about it. If you sent a teddy bear in a taxi to your girlfriend’s work because she was feeling poorly, we want to know. The tone can be sweet, romantic or dramatic, in text, photo or video format but it has to win the hearts and minds of the public and our judging panel.

You only have till March 14th to compose and upload your entry.  Next comes VOTING WEEK which begins at 9am on Monday 15th March 2010 so you will need to rally all your friends and get as many votes as possible before the closing time on Monday 22nd March 2010.  At the end of the voting week, the ten entries with the most votes will be reviewed by our team of judges who will select their five favourite entries. During Easter Week the five remaining couples will take part in a live final in Kildare Village to decide who will win the luxury wedding.

What are you waiting for? Take the plunge. Log on to www.wedding.kildarevillage.com today.  G’luck!!

Attention happy couples!!! How would you like to win the Ultimate Job in Ireland (And probably the World!)

You might have heard about this during the week on Ray D’arcy and other radio stations, but RunawayBrideandGroom.com and The Irish Times are searching for applicants to apply for what they are calling the Ultimate Job in Ireland.

Would you be able to sample champagne while lying in a hammock slung between two palm trees on a white sandy beach with your lover beside you without spilling a drop?  Well, then you may just have what it takes for the Ultimate Job in Ireland (and probably the World!).

www.runawaybrideandgroom.com and www.TheWeddingPlanner.ie, have teamed up with The Irish Times to look for the ideal candidate for the Ultimate Job in Ireland. The six month position will involve visiting some of the most romantic, exciting and luxurious wedding and honeymoon destinations around the world. The search for the ideal candidate is being run in association with The Irish Times GO travel supplement and the winner will have to write about each destination for publication in GO.

“We are looking for the right person who we can send to destinations such as Zanzibar, Mauritius, Thailand and sample wedding menus, champagne, spa treatments and put some of the most luxurious honeymoon suites to the test!” explains Rosemarie Meleady, managing director of Runaway Bride and Groom.  “The job is so ‘horrendous’ that we are willing to pay the candidate 20 thousand euro for six months of their time. And, as it would be very difficult to test out the rose petal Jacuzzis, hammocks made for two, the outdoor waterfall showers and the infinity pools alone, we will pay for their romantically linked other-half to accompany them on the trip.

“The successful candidate will be required to report back their verdict (on the venues not the lover!) to us. This will involve writing about the destinations for GO and recording webcasts of the venues and destinations so our future wedding and honeymoon couples can really get a feel for the luxury and exotic locations Runaway Bride and Groom have to offer,” she adds.

Do you have what it takes for the Ultimate Job?

Essential requirements:

• Good communication skills
• Be passionate about travelling
• Appreciate good service, fine dining and luxurious surroundings
• Have a friendly personality
• Be able to work on own initiative
• Know how to enjoy life
• Have good organisational skills
• Have a romantically linked other half who also has the above qualifications and is willing to accompany you on your trip in a voluntary capacity.

The successful candidate will be employed to research wedding venues and honeymoon destinations across the world.  To qualify, potential candidates will make a 90 second video marketing Ireland as a wedding destination of choice and to say why they and their romantically linked other half are the best couple for the job. And write 200 words stating why they should be chosen for the job.

To apply go to RunawayBrideandGroom.com/ultimatejob for full details

We reckon, our Bride-to-Be Liz Killeen from our vBlog series would be BRILL at this….if she enters, I’ll be sure to let ye know so you can vote for herself and Steve!!

After the dismal response to last month’s competition (only 1 entry!) we have upped the ante here in WeddingDates HQ and are offering our lucky blog readers the chance to win a 5 star pampering break in Wicklow for 2.  The renowned Marriott Druids Glen Resort has generously offered us 1 Nights, Dinner, Bed & Breakfast and a spa treatment for 2 people.  All you have to do to win, is tell us what the average price per head is for a wedding in the Marriott Druids Glen.  Email your answers to competitions@weddingdates.ie

Has everyone seen the new Denny Ad on the TV that features the real-life morning of the wedding scene?  We put out the call for couples to feature on the ad last year and I think the ad turned out really well.

Now, we have more info about a TV opportunity for some couple, COCO Television is developing a new TV series called ‘Dont Tell The Bride‘ for RTE television, based on the BBC show of the same name.  They are looking for couples who want to get married and in return they get €10,000 towards the wedding.  But, there’s a twist! The GROOM has to arrange the wedding on his own, every detail, even down to the dress!

They will be looking to present 4 fantastic couples to RTE in the next 6 weeks, with filming happening over the summer/autumn.  Timescales are very flexible so if you are interested at all, pick up the phone and chat to them about the opportunity!

If you are interested in being on d’telly and getting RTE to foot the bill for some of your wedding expenses, then contact Nicola on 01 4970817, or e mail info@cocotelevision.ie.  Good luck!

This months competition is courtesy of Boo TeeShirts - personalized t-shirts for hen parties.  You can win a custom designed t-shirt for the bride and 9 of her friends simply by telling us how your G2B proposed in the comments! (click on the link above to add a comment)  We will pick a winner and announce it in next months newsletter.  If you haven’t already signed up to get your monthly wedding fix, you can do so in the pink box on the right —–>>

There’s a new website to make your wedding planning another bit easier and its FindABand.ie.  Does pretty much what it says on the tin, it’s a website directory of bands from around the country.

To celebrate their launch they are running a competition to pay €2,500 for a wedding band for 1 lucky couple!  To enter the competition, you have to submit a short video of yourself and your other half explaining how you met and how you came to be at this happy point of your lives!  The competition runs till July 31st 2010 and you have to be getting married after that in order to qualify.  Short-listed Videos will be available to watch via their website and the judging will last for 3 weeks after which winners will be announced.  There are some T&C’s but nothing too tricky…read about them here.

Sounds like a fun competition - so spread the word to any Autumn/Winter 2010 couples or Weddings in 2011!

Tipp Brides - fancy winning Your Wedding?!  Well then, you had better visit the Dundrum House Hotel Wedding Fair on Sunday 3rd January 2010 from 12 – 6 PM.

Dundrum House Hotel near Cashel in Tipperary enjoys one of the most picturesque settings for your wedding day.  Situated in the beautiful  Golden Vale, this charming 18th Century Manor is set amidst the landscaped grounds and elegant interiors provide the perfect backdrop for wedding photographs.

Former Miss Ireland, Andrea Roche will be hosting the day - I have been to another wedding fair hosted by Andrea, and I have to say she did a fantastic job, really engaging with the guests.  There will be 2 Fashion Shows during the day displaying wedding gowns for the 2010 bride and will also include a display of contemporary fashion for the bridal party and guests.  Over 35 Wedding providers will also be exhibiting and will be offering discounts on their products and services for those attending.

But the big news of the day has to be that Dundrum House Hotel are giving couples a chance to win their wedding valued at over €8,000!! The prize includes: a wedding for up to 80 guests at Dundrum House Hotel consisting of a delicious 5-course meal, wedding cake, punch reception,  floral centrepieces for the tables and beautiful chair coverings.  Accommodation for the bridal couple and their parents on the night of the wedding is also included as is the First Anniversary dinner and overnight stay in the hotel for the couple.  And so that they can be in tip top shape for the big day, the winning couple will receive a 6-month membership in the awarded Leisure Club.  They’ll also receive a day out prior to the wedding for the bridal party including pampering in the Leisure Club for the ladies and a round of golf for the gentlemen accompanied by lunch in the popular eatery, The Clubhouse Venue.

Now that’s what I call a prize!!  Reason enough to get up off the couch after the New Years festivities and hit the road for Dundrum!

Since we launched our newsletter, Love Letters last January, we have given away a prize every month and I have to say I’m jealous of the brilliant stuff we get to giveaway!!  This month is no different with a fantastic break awy in the 4 Star Brehon Hotel in Killarney, Co. Kerry.

As a proud Cork-woman I understand acutely the rivalry that goes on between the neighbouring counties, but I have to admit after holidaying in Kerry since I was a wee one that it holds a special place in my heart.  Anyone that hasn’t been to Killarney seriously needs to remedy that because its one of the most beautiful parts of the country and The Brehon is certainly a pretty swish base from which to explore it!

This months prize is: 1 Nights Luxurious Accommodation with Full Irish Breakfast for Two People in a Deluxe Room.  Includes complimentary access to the Vitality Suite of the Angsana Spa.

All you have to do to be in with a chance to win is to leave a comment below letting us know WHY you deserve a Spring break in Killarney.  The winner will be announed in next months newsletter, at the end of January!

Gift-giving is always tricky with weddings.  Guests nowadays give money as standard, but what about the gifts to each to other or to the wedding party?  What do you get for the groom who has everything?  Recently I heard about a unique concept - personalized cufflinks.  Littlepinkies.co.uk handmakes cufflinks in solid silver using a loved one’s fingerprint.  Ideal for the groom/best man/father of the bride etc.

These must be one of the most memorable gifts you could ever give!  The bride could get her finger prints made into unique cufflinks as a present for her groom or her own father for the day.  If the couple has children already, how about the fingerprints of the child/baby to mark the family commitment?  Very few types of jewellery are as different and as memorable as this.  Want to give it as a surprise gift on the day and can’t get do the fingerprint casting?  Get the couples initials or wedding date engraved instead and give as a unique and memorable wedding gift.

LittlePinkies.co.uk ship to Ireland, and they have kindly offered us a custom pair of cufflinks as this months prize!  So, to be in with a chance of winning just sign up to (or stay subscribed) our newsletter in the pink box on the right and forward it on to any other engaged friends out there that would like a monthly wedding jolt along with top prizes!

The prizes just keep getting better and better here at WeddingDates.ie!  And boy, oh boy you aren’t gonna want to miss this!!

This month, enter our competition and you could relax and indulge yourself at the prestigious Mount Juliet in Kilkenny with an overnight stay for two people, B&B with a complimentary dinner at one of the estate’s award winning restaurant’s.  But that’s not all!  Your prize also includes an activity of choice from Angling to Equestrian, Golf, Archery, Clay Shooting or for those of you who prefer a more modest pace why not check out the myriad of treatments available at the Spa where trained therapists will be delighted to advise you on all aspects of health and beauty care.  The Mount Juliet Leisure and Health Centre, which is fully equipped with swimming pool,sauna, steam room and gym is complimentary to all guests.

All you have to do to be in with a chance to win this super-fantastic prize is watch the video walkthrough of the Mount Juliet Wedding Venue below and send the answer the simple question to competitions@weddingdates.ie

Question:  What is the name of Mount Juliet’s famous Golf Course?

Send your name, address and answer to competitions@weddingdates.ie!