by Martha Blanchfield
A Stamp Of Distinction
PhotoStamps offers one of the latest ways a bride can personalize her wedding. Take an image or photograph and turn it into an actual U.S. postage. Creating PhotoStamps is easy. Simply upload a photo, color customize it with a border and place your order. PhotoStamps can be purchased in one of seven different postage denominations ranging from 24 cent postcards to 39 cent regular first class to $4.05 for packages. The total cost of an order will depend on the postage value of PhotoStamps and the number of sheets. Minimum order is one sheet which is 20 stamps. photo.stamps.com
Bagging The Bridesmaids
The perfect thank you gift for bridesmaids is a photo-personalized bag or tote. Photographs are set onto the fabric portion of the bag through a special design process, with most images processed onto a heavy bridal satin fabric. This type fabric preserves the image's integrity and is smooth to the touch. Each order comes with your photo on both sides. For a slight additional charge, upload two different images and get a different pic on each side. Personal photo bags from Gina Alexander come in a range of sizes and styles, including everything from cosmetic clutch to super duper tote. It's easy to create your bag: select and upload an image file to their site, pick bag shape and size and place your order. Orders are estimated to arrive within four to six weeks from when received. The model shown, classic medium handbag with bamboo handles, is $200. www.ginaalexander.com
Stop Stringin' Me Along
The Magnetic Photo Rope is cool, sleek and silver. It uses tiny super strong magnets to affix favorite shower, rehearsal or wedding images in a line. A 43" cable plus eight mini magnets let you display photos, postcards, birthday cards, dental checkup reminders... you name it. The bottom of the cable is weighted to keep it straight, and a loop of cable at the top lets you hang the rope from anywhere. Buy one for $12, two for $20 or three for $28. Available online at www.photojojo.com
Small Is Big
This year, small-scale is upscale and simplicity is key in the do-it-yourself album world. Take a look at one selection from Kolo Photo Albums. Their Newbury album is pint size perfect at 8 3/4 X 10 1/4 the right choice for commemorating a single event such as a girls' night out. This album is made with fine European book cloth finished with grosgrain ribbon accent. Built with thick archival board to minimize warping, there are scored sheets to allow pages to nicely fold over. Kolo adds a square cut-out front window where you can place a favorite photo for personality. Each Newbury comes with 20 sheets (40 pages) and can expand to 30 sheets (60 pages) using the company's series J refills. Black and platinum Newbury albums feature black pages; all other albums are designed with soft white pages. $35
www.kolo.comPut Em In Pictures
Got an actor in the family? Need to spoof the groom at the stag party? Put em in pictures with a FunnyBio. FunnyBio is a hilarious (and tasteful) DVD biography that portrays someone you know as a movie star, pop music sensation, or superhero. Just send the producers up to three photos and they'll produce a masterpiece.
All FunnyBios include:
- Professional narration throughout the video
- Actual photographs of the subject (up to three) accepted either electronically or via regular mail
- Over 15 FunnyFotos (e.g., magazine covers and movie posters) edited to include the subject's face and name in humorous (but tasteful) situations
- Interviews with humorous characters that talk about the subject
- A special message written by you and featured at the end of the video
- A musical slide show of real photos and FunnyFotos
- Comes with a personalized DVD Case
Your loved one can star in a Hollywood Spotlight, Popstar Spotlight, Superhero Spotlight or another funny feature for $49.95, but the company often runs price specials online.
www.funnybio.com
Coasting Along
Seems every bride adds small gifts for guests at her table. Why not present something with a touch of glass? Forever Photo Frosted Glass Coasters make wonderful additions and guests are guaranteed to find these a useful addition at home. Packaged in pairs and tied with a sheer organza ribbon, these stunning coasters are easy for a guest to carry home. They measure approximately 3.75 x 3.75 and fit photos approximately 2 x 1. A pair costs $1.99. Available at
www.weddingstyle.caA Digital Frame-Up
The Philips Digital Photo Display in 7 and 9 sizes let you share and relive memories digitally. With enough memory to store up to 100 photos, Digital Photo Display shows images in portrait or landscape view, single photo, thumbnail or slideshow arrangement. Photo files can be directly accessed from a memory card connected to the frame, so there's no computer required. You can also use the included USB connector for fast photo transfer from your PC. Digital Photo Display works with Secure Digital (SD), MultiMediaCard (MMC), Memory Stick (MS), CompactFlash (CF) and Extreme Digital (xD).
The Philips Digital Photo Display operates on standard A/C power or cordlessly using the onboard rechargeable battery with a battery life of 50 minutes. Control the show with an automatic on and off programmed to preset times. The 7 comes in a choice of frames in modern or classic looks. The wall-mountable 9 display features an interchangeable frame option. $199 and $249, available at leading consumer electronics stores.
Wearing Love Near Your Sleeve
Share photos in a new way wear them. My Life Designs offers a line of photo-customizable jewelry and accessories for men, women and children. One of their hottest items for the ladies is the five photo chunky bracelet in solid sterling silver. It's water proof and measures in at 7.5 inches long. For the men, My Life Designs offers belt buckles, money clips, golf accessories, cufflinks and their latest -- a black leather band bracelet with space for an image. Upload your photos through the company's Web site and My Life Designs does all production (cropping, sizing, coloration, printing, water seal and assembly). The chunky five photo ladies bracelet is $245 and the men's band is $42. Visit the site to view all options at
www.mylifedesigns.com Invite Your Pal Polaroid
More and more brides are picking up a Polaroid instant camera and placing it on their guest check-in table along with an Adesso album. Guests can snap their own shots, tape them in the album and add personal messages. The Adesso Instant Photo Guestbook is elegantly designed and comes with custom dyed fabric cover. Pair it with the Polaroid ONE600 Ultra Camera so wedding guests can contribute to your living memory book while they are there. The Polaroid ONE camera runs around $42, the Adesso Instant Photo Guestbook for Polaroids is $59.95. Also consider the Begin Now Kit for Polaroids that includes the above camera and album, plus a Polaroid 600 Twin Pack (40 exposures) for $139.95.
www.polaroid.com,
www.adessoalbums.com 
