Monday, January 30, 2012

Pictures from Indie Wed


There was so much to see at Indie Wed - gorgeous flowers, delightful desserts, beautiful dresses (some on wheels), paper goods..... more than I can possibly explain. 


Want to see some pictures? Check out my Indie Wed album on Facebook by clicking HERE!

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Handfasting & Blessing Stones Explained

I have to start by saying that I had such a great time at Indie Wed yesterday!! Yes, I was utterly exhausted by the time I got home, but I had a ball!

One of the best parts was meeting brides and grooms and talking to them about various wedding ceremony rituals. Here I'm explaining the handfasting ritual. This is an ancient Celtic tradition, believed to be the origin of the term "tie the knot." 

Handfasting cord
In this ritual, the couple holds hands and a cord or ribbon is wrapped around their joined hands. They can exchange vows at this time, if they choose, or have their Celebrant recite the Blessing of the Hands.



Handfasting at Indie Wed




Blessing Stones

 I also had the chance to explain the Blessing Stones. In this ritual, guests are given a stone (or shell, or anything they choose) at the beginning of the ceremony. During the ceremony guests are asked to hold the stone in their hands while making a wish for the couple. After the guests have bestowed their blessings upon the stones, they are collected by a friend or family member. This will then be a keepsake for the couple. 

It was really fun getting to explain the rituals that I believe add so much to a couple's ceremony

Friday, January 27, 2012

Bride's Choice Award!

Weddings, Wedding Venues
2012 Bride's Choice Awards | Best Wedding Photographers, Wedding Dresses, Wedding Cakes, Wedding Florists, Wedding Planners

So happy to have been awarded this honor! A big thank you to the wonderful couples who provided such kind feedback. 

I truly have the best job in the world! 

Monday, January 23, 2012

Tie the Knot with a Handfasting Cord!

Another of the rituals I will be demonstrating at my Indie Wed workshop will be handfasting.


I finished these sample cords this morning. Yay! 


In addition to the workshop, I'll also have a cord at my table if anyone wants to see how it's done. Stop by and I'll help you tie the knot! 


See ya soon.

Saturday, January 21, 2012

A Ritual for Chocolate Lovers

May I offer you some chocolate? Umm.... not so fast.


These chocolate bars will be a part of my display at Indie Wed next weekend. They are used for the Tasting of the Elements ritual in a wedding ceremony. In this ritual, the different flavors represent stages a couple may go through  (ex - salty represents tears, spicy represents the "heat" of an argument, etc.).


If you'd like to learn more about this ritual - and see how it's done- stop by my 11:00 workshop, "The Perfect 'I Do' for You." I'll demonstrate this ritual, as well as several others.


And by the way, I'll need volunteers from the audience, so if you like chocolate, this one's for you!


If you miss the workshop, stop by my table and I'll be happy to give you the details.  See you there!

And the Winner is.......

ALEX CANTU 


Alex, you are the lucky winner of a pair of tickets to Indie Wed! Congratulations!!


See you there!

Monday, January 16, 2012

Indie Wed Ticket Giveaway!



Indie Wed is coming up very soon...... and I want to see you there.


So I'm giving away a pair of free tickets!


Here's the scoop:


Indie Wed is on Saturday, January 28th, from 10am to 4pm at the Ravenswood Event Center in Chicago (entrance is at 4043 N. Ravenswood Ave.)




Indie Wed will feature:
*two floors with 100+ vendors (like me- AnitaWeds!)
*food & beer tastings - Yum!
*musical & dance performances
*wandering models featuring spectacular bridal fashions
*swag bags for the first 50 people in line (for which I am making a very cute goodie bag, if I do say so myself)
*free workshops & lectures, including a workshop on personalizing your ceremony, called, "The Perfect 'I Do' for You" - presented by yours truly.
*and much more!

 Tickets are $20 per person at the door - but I have a pair to GIVE AWAY!

Interested? Here's how to enter the giveaway:
Leave a comment here at the AnitaWeds blog by this Friday, January 20th at 11:59 p.m. 
Include the following:
your first name & wedding date
why you're interested in attending IndieWed  

The randomly selected winner will be announced here on Saturday, January 21st. 


Good luck!

Friday, January 13, 2012

Getting Ready for Indie Wed!

I'm really looking forward to participating in this year's Indie Wed on January 28th. Not only will I have a table, I will also be presenting a workshop called, "The Perfect 'I Do' For You." The focus of the workshop is to give couples ideas for making their wedding ceremony more personal. I'll cover a variety of topics including music, readings, and rituals. There will also be time for Q & A, so bring your questions! 


In the meantime, I'm working on my giveaways. I was looking for some type of fun goodie bag, and came across these "robots in love" baggies. Perfect! I just finished assembling them and they're all ready to be included in the swag bags given to to the first 50 attendees. 


So, now I'm busy making buttons - thanks to my dear friend (and artistic adviser and all-around advice guru) for lending me her fancy schmancy button making machine. It's pretty addictive. My children and I got lost in a button-making haze for about a week.


Now that I'm done cutting stuff out of magazines and making buttons for fun (like a cool tentacle button that's on my jacket right now), I'm working on making buttons to give away at my table. I have buttons with the AnitaWeds logo, my signature red flower and cute "groom" and "bride" buttons. 

So, if you're coming to Indie Wed, stop by and say hi. And grab a few buttons for your jacket.

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Robot Love

Earlier today I was looking at robot wedding cake toppers. Why? Because I like cake toppers. And I love robots.


So, in my internet wanderings, I came across this tutorial for making your very own robot wedding cake topper. Ya gotta love Instructables!


While it did take about a week to put together this particular pair of love-bots (each tiny part had to be individually painted), it only cost about $20 to make. 


It's a great way to save money - and make your wedding a little more YOU.  

Monday, January 2, 2012

Engaging Stories



It's engagement season! Many couples became engaged over the holidays, with more to come on Valentine's Day. This got me to thinking about proposal stories.

My own poor husband underwent an ordeal when trying to surprise me with a romantic proposal. Let's just say that I was really hungry after a long day of work, he was acting weird, and I was getting impatient. And grouchy. And did I mention that I was really hungry?

When he finally asked, my "Yes!" was followed by, "Can we eat now?" And, believe it or not, he still married me.

One of the best things about being a Celebrant is having the privilege of telling couples' love stories. The proposal is an important part of their story, sometimes being perfectly executed, sometimes not going quite as planned.

Here are some of my favorite proposals of couples I've married....
  • On the 4th of July, during a fireworks show
  • Hiring a diver to appear from the ocean, presenting a shell containing the ring
  • Texting a picture of the ring with the caller ID reading "Will you marry me?"
  • Ring tucked into a flower in an elaborate bouquet - which the recipient failed to notice until prompted
  • Friends helping with the big moment by setting up candles on a beach for a romantic setting
  • A ring tied to a handmade bookmark, tucked inside the couple's favorite book
  • On a camping trip, just as the sun was rising
  • Ring hidden inside a box of chocolates
  • Trying to find the perfect moment before going out for the evening - and finally proposing in the bathroom
  • Treasure hunt leading up to a box with a ring
  • Making arrangements with the restaurant to have the ring placed on top of a cake - only to have the bride wanting to skip dessert
  • Spelling out "Will You Marry Me?" across three computer screens
Despite the various methods, all the proposals were a success!

Now I'd love to hear about your proposal. Feel free to leave a comment if you'd like to share your story!