Saturday, September 25, 2010

James & Kristy's Baseball Bash!

Last weekend I had the pleasure of marrying Kristy and James.

This very sweet couple had their wedding at Villa Olivia Country Club. The patio, with the lovely pond, provided a wonderful bac
kdrop for the ceremony. It was so pretty, especially with the fall colors just starting to emerge.

Kristy and James are both big baseball lovers, namely White Sox fans. Their passion for the Sox was evident on their Big Day.

Rather than table cards, James' brother created "admission tickets" for the guests, which were very cool. The tables were each named for a different baseball team. The centerpieces featured bags of peanuts adorned with baseball cards, which served as wedding favors. Love it!

The wedding included a sand ceremony, for which James and Kristy chose two colors of sand: black and white. The colors of the White Sox. A coincidence? I think not! I believe I even recall a little cheer of "Go Sox" from Kristy during the ceremony.

The ceremony itself went off without a hitch, despite some earlier worries about rain.

The bridesmaids each wore different colored dresses - pink brown and coral. They looked beautiful! The flower girl wore a bright pink dress and definitely looked the part of the adorable little princess. I think my favorite moment was seeing the her skip/prance down the aisle, tossing her rose petals. Too cute!

I also loved checking out the cool tattoos on some of the bridal party. I especially liked the Japanese Maneki Neko (good luck cat) sported by one of the bridesmaids!

Kristy and Jame
s, it was so much fun being a part of your celebration.
I wish you a lifetime of happiness - and Sox wins!






Friday, September 24, 2010

Outdoor Weddings: Connecting With Nature


This year I've had the pleasure of officiating many outdoor weddings. It is always such a joy to be a part of a ceremony that celebrates our connection to nature.

If you're considering an outdoor wedding, you should definitely check out the inspiring article by my colleague, Celebrant Emily VanLaeys, Outdoor Weddings Build Bridges Between Humanity and Nature.

Emily, a Life-Cycle Celebrant in New York, is the creator of the wonderful blog, Bridges from the Wellspring.


The purpose of the bog, in Emily's words:
"Inviting readers to participate in the return to Oneness by creating bridges between earth and heaven, between peoples of all faiths and cultures, and between human beings and nature beings. Building bridges with ceremony, readings, prayer, and meditation."

Visit her blog and start building those bridges......

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Hair's to Celebrating!

Many brides hire a hairstylist to fix their hair for the Big Day. Well, rather than the traditional up-do or curls, what about beautiful braids?

I recently met Katje Sabin, talented braider and owner of Crowning Glory Braids. There are so many fabulous, intricate designs that would be a wonderfully unique addition to your wedding.

Planning a Steam Punk theme? A romantic Renaissance-flavored celebration? A Pagan ceremony? Then this is right up your alley!

Or, maybe you just want something a little different...

You - and your bridal party - can have lovely, unique hairstyles. The braided design can even incorporate flowers and ribbons to match your wedding colors, if you wish. The possibilities are endless!

Be sure to ch
eck out Katje's website to learn more about her. The images here are just a sampling from her photo gallery.

Seeing these gorgeous photos makes me wish I still had long hair!!



Thursday, September 16, 2010

Cedric & Jessica's Wedding (Part 2)

A few more delicious details......

Jessica's dress was so fabulous - and laced up the back. She looked amazing! And just to add one more sweet note, her hot pink shoes featured a heart on the sole.

(For those of you who can't imagine walking in high heels, I'm happy to report that Jessica was completely graceful in these beauties. So there.)


The bridesmaids were lovely in green dresses. The groomsmen wore coordinating green ties - and cool black sneakers. Love it!

The reception, in addition to being a feast for the eyes, was also literally a feast! There was tons of a
mazing Brazialian-themed food, including grilled steak, beef with plantains, black beans.... and, of course, a variety of cup cakes for dessert. My kind of party!


Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Cedric & Jessica's Wedding with a Latin Flair! (Part 1)


Last month I had the pleasure of officiating the wedding of Jessica & Cedric. Not only were they a super-sweet couple, they had an amazing, gorgeous wedding!

They wanted a short & sweet ceremony,
focusing on their story. They have a really great love story, going all the way back to high school, when they both had crushes on each other, to the deep commitment they now share. There were lots of laughs - and even some tears were shed. But, those quickly vanished when the samba band played right after the ceremony!

The wedding was held at Ravenswood Event Center, one of my favorite venues in Chicago. Decked out with cool sports cars and vintage vehicles, this is a large open space that offers a fun & festive atmosphere.




One of m
y favorite details is all the funky vintage signs! Don't you just love the winking Buster Brown?!












For
the wedding, the first floor space was decorated with hanging paper lanterns, and hot pink flowers and table linens. There were also coordinating flower centerpieces (with fresh fruit!), created by a family friend.

The ceremony, which was held on the second floor, took place in front of a wall of windows. An aisle lined with rose petals and tall vases of branches helped create a more intimate feeling.

Another delicious detail? The cup cakes! I think by now everyone knows I love cupcakes, right? Check out the beauties served at this wedding. My only regret is not having a chance to eat one.... or even two.

This wedding had so many fabulous details that I'll have to write more in another post. So, stay tuned for Part 2.



Next time, I'll feature more pictures of the gorgeous bride
and her handsome groom. Here's a teaser - she had a stunning dress with a lace-up back - and sassy hot pink shoes!

And I have pictures of both!

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Create an Intimate Setting for Your Ceremony

If you are trying to create an intimate setting for your ceremony, you may want to consider a canopy, or chuppah. Commonly used in Jewish weddings, a canopy can be used for any wedding to create a more intimate atmosphere.

So, with that being said, I just had to share a picture of this beautiful chuppuh, or canopy, created by the wonderful Pollen Floral Design in Chicago.

The great news is that this lovely creation can be rented for your own ceremony!


Pollen will customize it to your specifications, using locally grown organic flowers or greenery, or Fair Trade products. This is a company that specializes in green weddings and uses eco-friendly products, so you can feel good about your choice.

Plus, the results are gorgeous! I've seen Pollen's work and you will definitely not be disappointed.

Can't you just see yourself exchanging vows under this beautiful canopy? If so, contact Pollen be clicking here.

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Bridesmaids Dresses to Make You Cringe

We've all seen our share of bad bridesmaids dresses. Some of us have even been forced to wear them.

Just thank your lucky stars you didn't have to wear this floral monstrosity!

Those bridesmaids are smiling on the outside, but inside, they're shrieking.

You can thank the folks at Awkward Family Photos for sharing the joy.