The big day is hours away. No, it's not the day the recession is over, but for many it is a sort of relief.
The wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton in London is not only grand and historical for Britons and England, but this royal event seems to draw great interest from abroad as well. Not only for Americans who had a love for the late Princess Diana and watched little William grow up, but we don't have our own royal families to follow, and some of us just plain love weddings and get lost in the fantasy and magic of it all. Even if it's only for a few hours.

Here's a few suggestions on how to follow the fun and pageantry along, before the event, watch it live if you're that daring, or follow up after, even if you didn't get an invite.

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KCET, independent public media for Southern and Central California, will air BBC's live broadcast of Prince William and Kate's Royal Wedding on Friday, April 29 at midnight. In case you're not a night owl and miss the original airtime, the wedding will rebroadcast several times throughout the weekend including Friday, April 29 at 10:24 a.m. and on Saturday, April 30 at 12 a.m., 12:26 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Tonight, April 28, at 10 p.m. and tomorrow, April 29 at 9 and 11 p.m., KCET will also air William and Kate: The Royal Wedding, where viewers can get an intimate look at the couple's eight-year courtship and fairytale romance. Check your local listings for more details.

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Livestream will offer viewers exclusive VIP access to this worldwide celebration with live coverage of the pre-nuptial madness, the procession, ceremony, after-party and more through their 'RoyalWeddingLive' network page at http://www.livestream.com/royalweddinglive. Viewers are also invited to RSVP to events of their choice to receive email notifications when the excitement begins. Partnering with Livestream to provide coverage is the following:

AP Live from the Royal Wedding beginning on Friday, April 29th at 5 a.m. ET / 9 a.m. GMT.
ET The Insider.com, Live at the Royal Wedding in London, now through April 29.
UK Press Association Live from the Royal Wedding.
CBS News from the Royal Wedding features live anchored coverage from 5 a.m. ET / 9 a.m. GMT to 12 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. GMT on Friday, April 29.
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Appitalism.com, the mobile app superstore, has put together a list of the top applications to follow all the breaking news and events for tomorrow's historic event. Here's the list:

Royal Wedding Countdown (free for the Android): Live countdown of the days, hours, minutes and seconds until the Royal Wedding of HRH Prince William of Wales and Kate Middleton. The apps even plays a trumpet fanfare when you press the Royal Coat of Arms.

Royal Wedding Insider (free for the Android): - BBC America's Royal Wedding Insider is the best way to keep up with the latest on the upcoming nuptials of Prince William and Kate Middleton. Users can get insider access to exclusive video content, wedding tips from BRIDES magazine, royal facts of the day, a wedding planner that allows you to design and share the perfect day of your own and more.

Blag the Royal Wedding ($1.99 for the Apple iPhone): - Do you have what it takes to plan the wedding of the year on time and in budget? Fancy the title of Royal Wedding Planner? Plan the most talked about wedding of 2011. Blag the Royal Wedding is a fun, tongue-in-cheek quintessentially English wedding game.

Kate's Royal Wedding Story ($0.98 for the Android): - Will and Kate's fairy tale romance has been immortalized in the most modern story book of them all - as an animated motion-comic book app. Kate and William, the motion-comic, is a downloadable diary of the royal love story of the century. It is a fun, funny, fictionalized account of what might have been happening behind the scenes between Kate and William during their much-publicized romance.

ARE YOU WATCHING THE ROYAL WEDDING LIVE? OR SETTING THE DVR TO WATCH LATER?
TELL US YOUR PLANS BELOW.

Are you engaged and dreaming of a spring wedding? Bridal Showplace and SoCal Officiant is giving couples a chance for a "Royal Wedding" valued at more than $15,000 for FREE.
That's right, no cost for you, your love and up to ten guests at the Sky Room in Long Beach on May 1.

The package includes:
Ceremony at the beautiful Skyroom Chapel  -  www.theskyroom.com
Minister and wedding bands provided So Cal Officiants  -  www.socalofficiant.com
Honeymoon Suite provided by the Queen Mary  -  www.queenmary.com
Cake by Rossmoor Pastries  -  www.rossmoorpastries.com
Flowers by Bixby Knolls Florist  -  www.bixbyknollsflorist.com
Photography and Video by GDL Photo and Video  -  www.gdlphoto.com
Ceremony Music by DJ Debonaire  -  www.djdebonaire.com
Reception Music by Just For Fun  -  www.just4fundj.com
Day of Coordinator by A Fairy Tale Wedding  - www.afairytalewedding.com
Bridal Gown by Showcase Productions  -  www.bridalshowplace.net
Tuxedos by Friar Tux  -  www.friartux.com

To enter submit a picture no more than 200k, a bio, and why you think you should be chosen.  Email it to: bridalshowplace.royalwedding@yahoo.com. 
Submissions will be accepted until April 17 and the winner will be announced on April 21 with the whole wedding take place on May 1 during the Bridal Show.

The Bridal Showplace event will be held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on May 1 at The Sky Room, 40 S. Locust Ave., Long Beach.
For more information, visit www.bridalshowplace.net or call (562) 381-2865.
The Bridal Show will feature some of Southern California's most distinguished wedding professionals offering everything you need to plan the perfect wedding.

**THE FIRST 50 BRIDES AT THE DOOR WILL RECEIVE A "SWAG BAG" which includes an all-inclusive resort getaway, a necklace and earring set and more.

In a time, not long ago, it was kind of taboo to use a coupon at a fancy restaurant - but we don't live in those times any more. We live in this economy now and thanks to wonderful new social group discount ventures, having a coupon is actually quite savvy and classy. Not only are we helping the economy but not going broke while still being able to celebrate special occasions.

For me, it started with Groupon. I remember when this social group discount site was just starting out in a small market. Now it has spread all over the country and several others, bringing with it unbelievable prices and finds for lavish spas, decadent culinary delights and more.
These group-buying Web sites work with companies to offer daily deals on anything from house cleaning to yoga classes.

I'll admit that I was an addict for a couple months. There were just so many deals too good to pass up. And none of them broke the bank!

There are plenty of offers and deals in the San Gabriel Valley. Here are a few I have yet to enjoy in Pasadena.

I scored a few hair laser removal group discounts that made me feel better about my strapless gown before my wedding. Definitely needed in a time where I couldn't afford to shell out a couple hundred bucks per session.

Then, I discovered Living Social, Tippr and LA Weekly's VOICE Deal of the Day. More recently Daily Candy, a social cultural website geared specifically towards various metro areas, launched its own Daily Deals for its Los Angeles edition.

The market is definitely expanding for these sites and who wins - us, the consumers!
Go ahead and plan that birthday outing, girl's night, date night, or get a great gift at a great price with the help of these sites. Let your imagination soar without the bill following suit.

Tippr's latest deal is perfect for a great birthday gathering, bridal shower or bachelorette/bachelor party or get it with the excuse to get friends and family together: $49 buys you an in-home or in-office wine tasting party for up to ten people from PRP Wine International for up to ten people. Check out the details HERE. This offer expires in two days and about 5 hours since this has been posted. ENJOY!

Got any other places you get discounts, coupons or deals for celebrations? Share! 

Local couple Belinda Campos and Jonathan Moctezuma were featured on last night's ABC Eyewitness News at 11 p.m., hoping to garner votes in MediaOneBridal.com and The Lucille Ball & Desi Arnaz Center's Lucille Ball Hometown Wedding giveaway contest, held in honor and in conjunction with Jamestown, New York's celebration of Lucille Ball's 100th birthday and 60th anniversary of the "I Love Lucy" show.

Campos of Ontario and Moctezuma of Baldwin Park are one of five finalist couples competing to win an all expense-paid trip for two to Jamestown and have a 1950's inspired all inclusive wedding ceremony at the world famous Tropicana Room and cocktail reception at the Desilu Playhouse and Lucy-Desi Museum, as well as an all-inclusive 7-day, 6-night honeymoon in Niagara Falls. Over twenty-five premiere wedding specialists from New York and Pennsylvania will collaborate for this unique event.

Aside from filling out an application to enter, couples had to create a 60-second video. To vote and view the videos for each couple, visit www.lucilleballhometownwedding.com . Only one vote per ip address per day. Online voting ends Feb. 11 and the winning couple will be announced Feb. 14.

After the couple is chosen, online viewers will also be asked to vote on various wedding details such as the bride's dress, favors and so on.

For more on Campos and Moctezuma, pick up the Baldwin Park Highlander community newspaper this Thursday or read it online at www.sgvtribune.com/highlanders. And to view the ABC7 clip from Monday's broadcast go to http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/video?id=7890996 .

Hopefully this is not too late for some military brides - Jobyna's Bridal & Tuxedo in Glendale is having a Military Bridal Celebration starting today, Nov. 9 to Nov. 11, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

As part of that celebration, the shop will be giving away 50 wedding designer gowns to 50 military brides with participating brands such as Jazmine, Moonlight, Paloma Blanca, St. Pucci, Maggie Sottero, Monique Liu, Henry Roth, House of Bianca and more.

But if brides miss their chance at a free gown, Jobyna's will offer plenty of specially discounted gowns for military brides only.

To qualify for the giveaway, brides must be engaged, be on active duty in the military or a fiance on active duty in either Iraq or Afghanistan, and show identification, deployment papers or orders, or other qualifying proof.

For questions or information, call 626.248.0026 or visit www.jobynasbridal.com . Jobyna's is located at 805 E.Wilson in Glendale.

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LOOKING FOR WEDDING BLOGGERS!

Are you itching to share your wedding ideas, thoughts and more with the world?

WedSpace is looking for bride and groom bloggers. WedSpace is a new website where brides and couples can connect with other couples, guests and vendors. Members share photos, videos, blogs, events, articles and more.

The site is looking for "expert" bloggers who: have great writing skills, have a great sense of style, will post frequently (at least once a week), love to share ideas, diy projects, planning details etc. and will share pictures and stories of their engagement, wedding planning, wedding day, honeymoon, etc.

If you are interested in becoming a WedSpace bride or groom blogger, send an e-mail to Tiffany@WedSpace.com for more information.

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SPECIAL CASTING CALL FOR ENGAGED COUPLES

The Oxygen network is looking for engaged couples for their new show - Tori & Dean's Wedding Planner Show.

Celebrity couple Tori Spelling & Dean McDermott will help couples plan their dream wedding. "They will use their expertise, exquisite style, and vast network of impeccable connections to deliver the wedding of a lifetime!"

Tori & Dean will help with the planning, relationship issues, family drama, overbearing in-laws, theme conflicts, and anything more the couple needs to make their big day unique and special.

Oxygen is looking for couples, 18 to 30 years of age, engaged and looking for more than a traditional wedding. The wedding should be themed or have a unique twist, something out of the ordinary that represents the couple's individuality - whether it be a Vegas wedding, Bollywood wedding, Rockabilly wedding, Jewish wedding, big BBQ cookout wedding, or dream of riding in on a horse? The wilder the dreams the better.

Submit a brief bio of the bride and groom including name, age and occupation. The couple's story and why they need help. What is their ideal wedding? Theme? What is the biggest fear associated with the wedding day? When you plan on getting married? What has been planned so far? Is there a date? Venue? Why they could use a celebrity to help plan and any other concerns.

Email the submission to weingradcasting@gmail.com . Don't forget to include recent photos of the couple. Casting is only for two weeks and begun early this week. The couple must be ready to get married in January, live in Southern California and be engaged already.

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GET MARRIED IN TIMES SQUARE

Love being a part of weddings? You can be a part of one of the biggest weddings of the year.

Take part and vote in all the details in Get Married's "Get Married in Times Square on New Year's Eve." Out of tons of entries, Marine reservists Bethany and Geoffrey were chosen as the lucky couple to be married on New Year's Eve at Times Square in New York in the wedding website's first big wedding.

Over the next few weeks, the Get Married website audience will have a chance to choose everything from the bride's gown, favors, wedding rings, honeymoon and more for Geoffrey and Bethany's New York wedding on December 31, 2010.

Find the couple's story and how to vote at www.getmarried.com .

National Spa Week (Sept. 13-19) will be ending this Sunday. Take advantage of great discounts and services quick or find out which participating salons are extending sales and promotions beyond spa week.

Participating salons are offering discounts of up to 50 percent off their services and more, many at just $50 for treatments during the week-long event.

A spa service or massage would make a great gift to give away or a nice treat for yourself. Contact your favorite salon to see if they are offering any specials for Spa Week, or visit www.spaweek.com to find a salon near you for promotions during the week.

Don't forget to tip at least 15 to 20 percent of the original cost of the treatment. On the other hand, also be prepared for some services or salons not accepting tips or gratuities. (I learned that while getting a hair laser treatment by a doctor recently. A little embarassed but was treated graciously.)

Here are a sample of participating salons and treatments offered:

Clarins Skin Spa at Nordstrom
Nordstrom Santa Anita, 400 South Baldwin Ave., Arcadia
626.821.6363, www.clarins.com
Treatments: 60 Min Clarins Signature Facial Treatment or Men's Signature Facial Treatment

The Huntington Spa at The Langham
1401 South Oak Knoll Ave., Pasadena
626.585.6414, www.thehuntingtonspa.com
Treatments: 60 Min Huntington Signature Massage or 50 Min "Walk in the Clouds" Pedicure

A VH1 casting crew will be on hand at the Premier Bridal Show to be held this Sunday, Aug. 22, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Anaheim DoubleTree Hotel, 100 The City Drive, Orange.

The casting company will be looking for brides and wedding professionals to be a part of their upcoming new series, "Wedding Wars."

"Wedding Wars" is a new competition-elimination series where eager engaged couples vie against one another for a dream wedding. In each episode these passionate personalities will face a variety of wedding-themed challenges as they compete for the ultimate prize.

Sunday's bridal show will feature vendors and professionals to help any couple plan their dream wedding. With everything from make-up artists to photographers, and specialty linens to cake, brides can preview current trends, taste gourmet cake and cuisine, view the latest fashion, enjoy music and live entertainment, while taking advantage of discounts and giveaways.

Brides will receive swag bags filled with goodies from Crate & Barrel, wedding magazines, planning ideas, samples and more. Family, friends and fiance's are encouraged to attend.

For tickets and information, visit www.premierbridalshows.com .

With WeddingChannel.com's IDOnate Charity program, couples can give back as they receive gifts for their wedding.

WeddingChannel.com will make a donation to the charity of the couple's choice with every purchase made from their registries. Couples do need to sign up through the wedding website. No fee is required.

According to their site, "WeddingChannel.com works with the I Do Foundation (a national nonprofit organization) to pre-screen the charities that are included in this program and to send the donations to each charity. There is absolutely no cost to you or to those who buy wedding gifts for you on WeddingChannel.com. WeddingChannel.com pays for the entire donation as our way of saying thank you for using our service."

The actual donation is based on a percent of the registry products purchased through WeddingChannel.com (excluding taxes and shipping) up to 3%.

The program is also still available for couples who have already registered, just link your registries with the website and share with family and friends.

There are over 100 charities couples can choose to donate to including the American Cancer Society, Boys and Girls Club of America, National Wildlife Federation and more.

Couples can also create a Charity Registry where family and friends can donate directly to up to four charities of their choice as a gift for the couple.

For more information, visit www.weddingchannel.com and click on the registry tab.

Who said having a nice wedding in this economy is impossible?

Check out what this Washington couple are doing to have their wedding dreams come true while helping the environment.

How are you continuing traditions and celebrations in this down economy?

Just a few updates on previous posts:

In Ceremony conundrum, my fiance and I still didn't have a Catholic church to hold our ceremony at.

Well, not too long after that posting, we finally heard back from St. Benedict Catholic church in Montebello and got the thumbs up. The most humble and honorable Father Maguire will assist us in our marriage vows.

Despite the little bit of panic on our part for waiting so long, we are relieved and very happy to be married at St. Benedict, which was where my fiance originally wanted to hold the ceremony since it has been his family's church for many years.

Only a few more months to go.....

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In this Quinceañera posting, we got a mother's perspective on planning for this big 15th birthday tradition.

With all the hush-hush and sneaking around, surprisingly the birthday girl still had no clue up until the time she reached mom's driveway, which served the entrance to her big surprise party.

As mentioned in the previous posting, the quinceañera didn't want a big fancy bash but rather a smaller kid's party at the park. But of course, this princess did want a fancy dress to take studio pictures in.

Well, she got her dress and took her studio pictures, then held the party at the park.   

But after that fun celebration, we convinced the birthday girl to get back into her dress to take more photos with her grandmother and aunts who came in from out of town.

After a little hesitation, we dressed the birthday girl up in her dress at a separate location (away from the surprise party). We finished with a quick swipe of makeup and then headed to mom's house to "take pictures."

As we drove up to the house, balloons could be seen and loud music could be heard, coming from mom's driveway.

Though the birthday girl noticed that, she didn't think it too strange. She thought it was just stepdad blasting his ranchera music while hanging out with brothers and neighbors, relaxing after work.

Then she opened the driveway gate and saw a row of family and friends, all dressed up, waiting to greet her, and she could see the party decorations behind them. The shocked look on her face was priceless.

After the last song was danced, and the last piece of cake was eaten, I know my mother thanked everyone who helped in putting the surprise party together.

But I believe my mom deserved the greatest recognition for being the genius who beautifully coordinated the whole surprise, making it a fun, unforgettable celebration.