What a great New Jersey wedding Ceremony!

Or dahlias, calla lilies or tulips!  No matter what blossom is in your wedding dreams, Accents with Flowers, that beautiful little jungle in Montclair, can make that dream a reality.  So it was just a no brainer to call on them to help with Celebrant Ceremonies’  intimate little wedding sampler this weekend.  They created a beautiful bouquet of white roses that was the perfect accent for our bride’s dress, and lent a note of simplicity and elegance to the ceremony.  Their creations range from the simple to the wildly extravagant, and they work in both silk and natural flowers.  

A trail of delightful things that is, courtesy of artist and designer Marilyn Scott-Waters who graciouly makes all manner of whimsical and delightful toys available on her cool website, “The Toymaker“.  Her sweet illustrations will charm you (can’t you tell; I’m even writing in a more charming way than usual…..) and entertain you, and I bet you’ll find all kinds of ways to incorporate her designs into your wedding or shower.  Her website is visited by thousands of people every day, and they have collectively downloaded more than four million of her easy-to-make paper toys!   She is the author of n is the author of The Toymaker: Paper Toys That You Can Make Yourself, the best selling paper toy book on Amazon.com.  (And you can read about her by visiting her blog;  http://www.livejournal.com/users/thetoymaker/. 
Marilyn started as a designer for Nike, and then created her own design firm when she realized that she could pursue a career as the masterful designer she is and still attend preschool field trips.

When you visit her site, you are going to get all sorts of great ideas for favors, decorations, fun things to mail to your guests, and interesting creatures to include in your programs. How perfect would these lovely little stamps be as a seal for your invites?  Very!

In the latest assault on human rights, Ken Starr — and the Prop 8 Legal Defense Fund — filed legal briefs defending the constitutionality of Prop 8 and attempting to forcibly divorce 18,000 same-sex couples that were married in California last year. The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in this case on March 5, 2009, with a decision expected within the next 90 days.

The Courage Campaign has created a video called “Fidelity,” with the permission of musician Regina Spektor, that puts a face to those 18,000 couples and all loving, committed couples seeking full equality under the law.

Please watch this heartbreaking video now. If you have the same reaction that I did, you can help spread the word by sharing it with your friends ASAP — before the Valentine’s Day deadline:

http://www.couragecampaign.org/Divorce

The more people who see this video, the more people will understand the pain caused by Prop 8 and Ken Starr’s shameful legal proceeding.

After you watch the video, please join me and over 100,000 people who have signed a letter to the state Supreme Court, asking them to invalidate Prop 8 and reject Starr’s case.

Thanks.


"Fidelity": Don't Divorce... from Courage Campaign on Vimeo.

Cocktail hour……. the inevitable and expected next step after your New Jersey wedding ceremony (smooth, eh?)yep, a cocktail, pleasant conversation, background music….and WAIT!  IS THAT A BALLOON ANIMAL???   I know it sounds just crazy, but how much fun would it be to see your guests  walking around the cocktail hour with inflateable swords, funny balloon hats, squeeky flowers. Trust me, it’s fun.  I had the pleasure of officiating for a couple who had hired Magic Mike, a wonderful magician and balloon artist from B. Happie Entertainment.  Mike entertained the legions of kids and adults, and he was really the hit of the day.  He brought along millions of balloons and his rabbit (who actually has a real name and a stage name; I’ll omit them both in the interest of keeping the rabbit’s privacy intact…those papparazzis can be brutal…or is it “hopparazzis” if you’re a bunny…)  and everyone had a great time, except possibly for the rabbit. (Could that be because we were at a traditional French Bistro, and well, one of their favorite entrees is……oh nevermind….)  (And PS; this great balloon hat pix is from another of my favorite sites, Mental Floss.  You’ll love them!

They are so important, especially on a day that is one of the milestones of life; not only to you and your fiance, but to your friends and family as well.  You couldn’t have a better ghostess than Chloe, the talented and articulate writer behind the enticing blog , http://wordarrangement.wordpress.com/.  Chloe creates personalize poetry that captures the essence of the couples that are lucky enough to work with her.  These poems can become a memorable part of the ceremony or the reception toast, and then framed as a wonderful memento for the couple. 

Her blog is inspiring and thoughtful, and the pieces she creates for her clients are poignant and meaningful.  You will enjoy reading through her blog; but be prepared to get lost in her winding stories of wedding ceremonies and the artists that make them special.  You’ll take away many ideas for your own wedding, and maybe you’ll make the smart decision to make Chloe a part of your preparations.

You’re getting married. Cool beans.  Now you need to make plans for a multitude of vendors, situations, products, fashions, food and details that are mysterious, illusive,  and expensive. Not so cool.   The details can completely overwhelm you; even the resources to help you figure out  the details can overwhelm you!  On the traditional side, favorite bridal and lifestyle magazines present noteworthy trends and ideas as do newspaper bridal sections, columnists and books by wedding experts.  And there is always your mom, your sister, and the lady down the street who once coordinated the potluck extravaganza for the dedication of the church elevator. (No one died. Bonus.) 

But wait!  It’s 2009!  There is a much better way to sort this all out!  The Internet has proven to be a convenient way to gather information and resources to help with nuptial planning, and now you have an even cooler way to find out almost everything you need to know! (About the wedding that is; everything you need to know about your future spouse is up to you…)

 The answer to your wedding planning dilemmas is Podcasting !!!  Now, you  can download free audio content right onto  your Ipod or computer and get expert input (try saying that three times fast…) on any wedding subject you can imagine.  Wedding Podcast Network (WPN), an all wedding, all advice site created by Holli Ehrlich and Robert Allen, is going to help you figure it all out; and you can do it while you’re commuting, on the treadmill, or walking the dog.  Multi-tasking; the millenium bride and groom live by it!   New York City-based WPN (weddingpodcastnetwork.com) creates a variety of
programming dedicated to sharing wedding planning advice via the Internet, to be downloaded
and listened to. “We wanted to establish an authoritative resource for brides and grooms-to-be
who are planning their wedding but have busy lives. ” explains Allen. 

They have several channels that speak to newlyweds, nearlyweds, mothers of the brides, and grooms, and their targeted advice is invaluable.  Concludes Robert Allen: “Discussion-formatted
podcasting allows couples to get information based on their preferences and schedule demands. Wedding Podcast Network is wedding talk radio to be heard when they want, where they want and how they want.”
Thus for countless love-struck couples–and with more than two million weddings being performed in America each year—cutting edge sources of nuptial advice, along with traditional media, should make planning for that big  day less of a daunting challenge, and more of the happy experience it should be.
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