What a great New Jersey wedding Ceremony!

It’s that time again; time for the New York City Gay Men’s Choir concert at Carnegie Hall, the highlight of the Chriskwanukah season in New York. Maestro Gary Miller returns to the conductor’s post once again for an evening of great holiday music that will inspire you, make you laugh, and bring you great cheer. It’s the most fabulous time of the year!! Our Holiday Spectacular is one of NYC’s most anticipated December events and always sells out.
Special guests this year include the ever fabulous Charles Busch and Tony-nominee Michael McElroy
You can even help dress the stage at Carnegie Hall with a Memorial Poinsettia and pay tribute to a loved one.
This spectacular takes place on Monday December 11, 2006, at 8 pm at Carnegie Hall.
Buy tickets online at carnegiehall.org or at Carnegie Charge 212-247-7800.
The box office is at 57th Street and Seventh Avenue. It will be unforgettable, as usual!

One of my Christmas couples who got married last week started their wedding with a festive and colorful touch; trays of green apple martinis and deep pink Cosmopolitans to greet their guests as they entered the cocktail hour space. (This great idea could be fine tuned for any season; margueritas in the summer; mulled wine or Kaluah spiced hot chocolate for the winter; bright multicolored martinis for the spring.) It was a great introduction to their stylish reception, but it also served as a brilliant logistical decision; it kept almost half of their guests from going immediately to the bar, and that first “crush” of thirsty guests was averted in a gracious and celebratory way.

Sunday is a wonderful relaxed day to plan a wedding if the timing is right. Early afternoon is perfect; everyone can actually arrive there on time without rising at the crack of dawn; everyone can get back home in time to regroup for their Monday. Sunday afternoon is also a time that defies description, menu wise. You could do a brunch, a cocktail grazing party, an early dinner. Almost everything on a Sunday is more low key (translated= less expensive). Your dress and your attendants’ will be not so formal; the men will follow suit(no pun intended). Floral centerpieces, menu and music will all fall in line.
This being said, Sunday morning will be a tough time to book a church so (SHAMELESS PLUG ALERT) finding a civil celebrant will be the perfect choice to officiate at the site of your choice.

(Smooth!)

Brilliant idea for spring weddings. Use beautifully dyed eggs (hmmmm….maybe a shower activity?) as placecards. (Write the name and table number on those babies in wax crayon before dying or a beautifully colored Sharpie marker afterwards…)

One of my creative clients decided to name her tables instead of numbering them. She had each table designated by either a vacation spot her and her husband had visited, a hobby they have, or one of their pets. There were photos instead of table numbers. It was a real conversation starter at the table. This could be tweaked if you’re sitting groups by interest. Your work friends could have one photo, your family and his family another, your motorcycle group another, your friends from the gym another (tell the caterer not to give them any carbs!)

No matter how simple, casual,intimate your wedding is going to be, you need a
“go to” person. They will run interference between you and anyone who has a question (and everyone will have a question), pay your vendors, keep track of gifts, the wedding license, and generally make things more relaxed for you. They should have a cell phone on them (until the ceremony, of course), and all your vendors (photographers, caterers, ministers, limo drivers, etc), should have that number. Your person should have a list of the people who are supplying everything from the cake, (as in “where is it!!!!), to the ceremony music, (as in “where are they!!!), to the flowers, (as in, “who ordered the poodle shaped carnation centerpieces???). Communication is a beautiful thing…