This wedding brought to you by.....

You may remember several years ago Star Jones created quite a stir when she asked wedding professionals to donate their services for her wedding in exchange for promotion. At the time I thought it was tacky and a celebrity "stunt".

Flash forward to 2009. I was reading the holiday edition of Catersource magazine and came across an article about the bride who asked her caterer to sponsor her wedding in exchange for advertising the caterer's business by putting their business cards at each place setting.

Apparently, the bride got this idea from a morning TV show. While I am all for looking for creative ways to save money on your wedding, I think this is totally over the top and completely inappropriate. Your wedding should be about celebrating with your family and friends in doing so in a way that you and your family can afford.

Carly Roney, editor in chief of TheKnot.com summed it up, "have hamburgers and hot dogs before you have a sponsored wedding."

I'm curious what you think. Is there ever a time when it's OK to ask someone to sponsor your wedding in exchange for advertising?

Q&A Monday - Its a hairy situation

Today's Q&A was posed to Brides a la mode member, Sonia Stancombe of Nicholas J Salon & Spa

What is your advice to brides who are thinking of how to wear their hair on wedding day?

Our experienced staff will work with you on this.....but we suggest letting your face shape determine how you will wear your hair for your wedding. Along with your faceshape you will want to consider the style of your dress.

Regal, romantic, retro, relaxed and red carpet: these are a few of the descriptions I hear when discussing an overall image with our brides. This is really important in establishing the final look and feel. In general, a bride with a rounder face will look sleeker with an updo, and a bit of height at the crown. This elongates the face giving it a leaner look. A flattering look for someone with a long, lean face would include a hairstyle with soft, loose curls. This will give the bride a fuller look on the sides to create a more balanced look.

Another factor when considering your choice of hairstyle is whether the bride would like to have her neck covered or not. Some brides would much rather that she doesn't need to tuck or fix any bit of hair for photos through the Wedding day, while others feel very bare without the comfort of hair around the shoulder. Half-up-half-down is a popular compromise.

Remember, you can have your wedding questions answered by one of our professionals here every Monday. Just email info@bridesalamode.com!

Whose wedding is it?

Brides a la mode's wedding expert, Kathy Strukel talks about dealing with wedding venues that don't always put the bride's wishes first. Check it out here