What a great New Jersey wedding Ceremony!

or anything else that is meaningful to you! You don’t have to recess from your ceremony through a tunnel of crossed swords; you can have an archway of anything that is meaningful to you! Your “sword bearers” need to be seated on the aisle, and they need to know the last words of your ceremony so they can rise and cross implements!

Let’s see; could be tennis rackets, golf clubs, chefs’ knives, whisks, slide rules, rakes…….I can hear ya thinking!!!

What a sweet, intimate wedding! From the minute I arrived, Shelita and Derrick’s gathering treated me like I was one of the family! It was a wonderful, personal moment, and the perfect way to start a new year! A new marriage and their move to a new house! All the excitement that they deserve!

See more reviews of Celia Milton, Celebrant on Project Wedding.

Is frightening, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a great time to have a wedding! Winter typically means lower rates for your wedding venue and sometimes the professionals that will be doing your flowers, photography, and music. We get lonely in the winter; we yearn to see other human faces and leave our respective buildings!

Winter presents you with wonderful opportunities for color themes,(white, silver, blue, snowflakes; you get the picture…), musical selections (”Baby it’s Cold Outside”, “Let it snow”, etc…), the welcoming aroma of hot cider or chocolate when your guests enter your wedding space. It gives your New Jersey Wedding Officiant (shameless plug alert) a chance to talk about winter as a time of contemplation and the subtle signs that the rebirth of spring is on the way. It provides your guests with a delightful break from the zen like quiet (okay, okay, I’m an optimist; maybe the grey slushy mess) that happens in this stretch before April will EVER show up!

                                  So go buy those bridal white snowboots, reserve the four wheel drive white Jeeps, and make those plans!

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You might want to put together cd’s or ipod mixes of music for your reception; there are some great tips from a DJ pro; you might not agree with all the suggestions, but they are certainly food for thought!

* Play at least SOME music your public likes, even if you’re not crazy about it.

* Play mainly music aimed at the women. Men will only start to dance when there are women on the dance floor.

* Play the most widely accepted music first, and move to the younger, harder genres later in the evening when the elder family members have left. This way everyone gets to hear some music they like.

* Make the dance floor dark enough;people won’t dance when they are too exposed in the light.

* When someone requests a song that you wouldn’t normally play (because you think it’s not going to work), tell them that you’ll only play it if they promise to dance to it.

* When the dance floor is opened early and there’s not much dancing: don’t worry–people still have to talk, and when they’ve gotten into the party mood )and maybe into the wine and Cosmos….)they will start dancing.

Although I can recommend many fantastic musicians for your wedding, you might be planning  to put together cd’s or ipod mixes of music for your reception; there are some great tips from a DJ pro; you might not agree with all the suggestions, but they are certainly food for thought!

* Play at least SOME music your crowd likes, even if you’re not crazy about it.

* Play mainly music aimed at the women. Men will only start to dance when there are women on the dance floor.

* Play the most widely accepted music first, and move to the younger, harder genres later in the evening when the elder family members have left. This way everyone gets to hear some music they like.

* Make the dance floor dark enough;people won’t dance when they are too exposed in the light.

*  Take requests on your weddidng website, or email some of your party animal friends and ask for suggestions.  When someone requests a song that you wouldn’t normally play (because you think it’s not going to work), tell them that you’ll only play it if they promise to dance to it.

* When the dance floor is opened early and there’s not much dancing: don’t worry–people still have to talk, and when they’ve gotten into the party mood )and maybe into the wine and Cosmos….)they will start dancing.  (Thanks for the pix, Nicole and Michael!)

Today is National Popcorn Day, so in honor of that auspicious occasion, I had some for breakfast (thankfully it wasn’t National Vodka Gimlet Day, or there would be no posting at all……). Popcorn is wonderful stuff; everyone loves it, it just looks like fun, and a gourmet variety would make a wonderful addition to your cocktail hour. We make a mix of popcorn, pignoli nuts or toasted almonds, little pretzels and Oriental rice crackers. Toss that all with melted butter, a little kosher or rough cut salt, pepper and throw it in big silver bowls on the bar. Yum Yum. When I’m at home, in my jammies, I add chunks of fresh mozzarella, sliced sun dried tomatoes and roasted garlic, and pan fried garbanzo beans. Wash it all down with a Gimlet (but not for breakfast, okay?)

A hidden jewel too, as wedding venues go. I had the pleasure of being the New Jersey wedding officiant (okay, okay, shameless plug)  for Ko and Holly on Saturday, and their intimate gathering took place at the Crowne Plazain Englewood, NJ. What a great find this one is!  It combines the sophisticated atmosphere of a city hotel with a convenient location and a gracious staff.  And while they can easily  accomodate groups up to 130, they can also cater beautifully to smaller groups like this wedding of 25 guests.  It’s a real winner, and I was glad to discover it.

Beth, their catering manager should really have another title that describes her caring and hands-on approach to each event. Honorary Aunt?  No, that sounds too dusty….. designated fusser over?  Maybe. I’ll work on it, Beth….  Her calm, but enthusiastic manner made our sweet, personal wedding a breeze.  Each guest felt warmly welcomed as they made their way into the ceremony and the reception.  And when my couple added a special candle lighting to the agenda, Beth hooked me up to Yahoo so I could include the perfect words for the occasion.  After their ceremony, I stopped by her office to say goodbye,  and she was already up to her ears in Sweet Sixteen centerpieces for that evening (adorable balloons from Party-with-Us, a decoration company that’s almost next door). 

The Crowne Plaza offers a sumptuous reception menu with all your favorites hors d’ oeuvres and stations, ending with beautiful wedding cakes from Palermo’s in Ridgefield Park. (You will totally lose your mind when  you see their amazing designs; they even make mini cakes for favors. Pass me the canoli cream please!)  It is definately a venue to consider for your wedding….your first anniversary….your baby welcoming….well, you get the idea!

Or the New England clam dip, or those fantastic butter cookies? Your aunt Carole, or cousin Fred! And since they’re the best of the best, why not include them in your wedding reception. Wedding celebrations are all about the blending of families and friends, and what better way than to share your family’s heirloom recipes. In addition to providing a taste of home, these goodies can create a wonderful conversation starter for your guests. And with more and more couples  adding DIY elements to their celebration, this becomes a perfect way to trim the budget a little bit and let those talented cooks bask in the glow of compliments.

What you can do, as the recipient of their gifts, is make their contribution as easy as possible.  If your cake will be homemade, ask your venue if there is a place to deliver and store it earlier in the day, so that your favorite niece isn’t trying to drive to the wedding with the cake on the seat next to her. (Smart cars and fondant do NOT mix….)    Try to encourage contributions that can be made in bulk rather than individual pieces; this is a little more forgiving when it comes to figuring out quantities.  If you’re going to have a printed program or menu, credit should be given where credit is due (I once even wrote a New Jersey wedding ceremony [like you didn't know THAT was coming....] that included a reference to a special kind of spiced pecans that would grace the cocktail hour, thanks to a dear friend of the groom’s.)

Now, if your grandma’s favorite recipe is curried smelts, candied Brussels sprouts or Jello Mold and Ball Bearing Surprise, we might want to investigate another way to honor her…..

I know, I know….everyone’s had  two hours of hors d’oeuvres, a beautiful dinner, wedding cake, a Viennese table and more Champagne than you ever imagined. But in the wee small hours of the morning, when they are headed home after dancing up a storm, they are going to be HUNGRY AGAIN!!

So, the PERFECT favor is a beautiful little bag or box with a freshly baked muffin or bagel, some flavored cream cheese, and maybe a little bottle of cool and groovy juice. Add a New York Times (or your paper of choice) and you’ll have guest who think you’re just cool beans. Coffee beans that is…..