After "YES," Before "I DO" and Everything In Between

Last night, one of my clients asked how she and her fiancé could effectively yet appropriately honor loved ones who have passed on during their wedding. I've seen this done in many ways over the years, like dedicating the ceremony on the wedding program, the lighting of a memory candle, the setting aside of a certain number of empty chairs and even the ringing of bells during a short moment of silence. But for this couple, I recommended the following simple passage to be spoken by their officiant during the ceremony, to uplift their guests as they honored their deceased loved ones: " Before we begin our celebration today, BRIDE and GROOM would like us all to take a moment to remember those family members who can not be with them today. Although death has separated them from us physically, faith and love has bound us to them eternally. Though we cannot see them, we know they are here. Though we cannot touch them, we feel the warmth of their smiles and their love surrounds BRID...

Our F l AVOR of the Month for July 2008 is ... Mini Candy Dispensers w/ Scoop by Beau-Coup Description: Sweet perfection! These mini candy bins always make a big impression and they're only about 3 inches high. Fill each unique wedding favor with sweet delights and give to guests of all ages at your wedding, baby shower, bridal shower or birthday party. Or, give as a corporate holiday gift and enjoy the tasty treats displayed on desks all year round. Choose between classic mini candy bins and doubly delicious double-decker mini candy bins (pictured left). Both sizes feature darling details that set these candy dispensers apart from the rest. Each clear plastic bin has a sloped, hinged lid and a mini candy scoop. Dress up your fabulous favors with personalized labels and/or ribbon. And d on’t forget to fill your bins with your choice of irresistible candy!

It's been one year since THE BRIDAL PARTY opened for business. Time sure does fly! After 2 years of procrastination and apprehension we finally registered as an LLC July of 2007, however ... in hindsight the timing was perfect and our successes continue to humble me every single day. Our first year has truly been phenomenal, exceeding expectations, and we've had the pleasure of working with so many wonderful people. All I can say is THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! THANK YOU to our clients who trusted us to help make their once-in-a-lifetime events as memorable and special as they could possibly be. THANK YOU to our vendors who help build our reputation, ensure our clients are receiving the very best of service and keep our standards at the highest level of excellence. THANK YOU to our assistants/staff who never cease going above and beyond for our clients. Your dedication is truly appreciated. Our second year already looks promising! I don't want to spoil any surprises, b...

Four years ago today, I married the only man who has ever allowed me to be 100% myself, all of the time, without reservation or condition ... never not supportive of my dreams, never ceasing to push me toward my very best. A quote by Phoenix Flame reads ... Marriage is love personified . And I'm happy to say through my marriage to Keith, that's absolutely correct. Happy Anniversary, Babe!  

This passed weekend I had the pleasure of planning and executing an outdoor All-White 25th Birthday Party at a private home on Long Island (Dix Hills, NY). The host decided to throw the party and brought me on to plan the event just three weeks out (no, that wasn't a typo ... just THREE WEEKS) but it was an awesome opportunity, a worthy challenge and turned out to be a huge success. Guests were greeted with chilled glasses of champagne and passed the most delectable of hors d'oeuvres, including Baby Lamb Chops, Seared Filet Mignon and Maryland Crab Cakes (provided by Elegant Affairs Catering ). And later, everyone feasted on a variety of Jamaican inspired dishes like Jerk Chicken, Escovitch White Snapper, Rice & Peas, etc. The food was out-of-site and successfully pleased the palettes of everyone in attendance. Since 200+ very thirsty guests joined us, we erected 2 outdoor bars along with large white tents that were illuminated with soft blush lighting that housed white lea...

Essence.com is featuring a special wedding blog written by actress Malinda Williams, a New Jersey native who'll soon marry Derrick Jones, better known as D-Nice (member of mid-80s hip-hop group, Boogie Down Productions). So far, the blog only features 4 posts, but it's down-to-earth and really interesting. I so look forward to the wedding story and photos because these two are so in love! Here's a video that Derrick created for Malinda right before they officially started dating. They were still "just friends" then, but both were having romantic thoughts toward one another behind the scenes. I must say, this is an extremely clever and courageous way for a man to express his feelings for a woman. I love it!

While frolicking in SoHo a couple weeks back, I ran into an intriguingly creative jewelry maker at Onieals Grand Street Bar (also the location of Scout ... the bar on Sex & The City opened by Miranda's then-boyfriend, Steve, and Carrie's old-flame, Aidan). The owner of Onieals is good friends with artist Marie-Lise Lachapelle and allows her to showcase her beautiful collections there from time to time. I've seen lots of jewelry, but her pieces are truly captivating. She uses natural semi-precious, precious stones and most impressive ... REAL flowers and leaves! Actually, some of her prettiest works were actual flowers dipped in 18-karat gold. She also uses sterling silver, gold vermeil, white and rose gold. The combinations are endless and she approaches each like sculpture. During our brief chat, we discussed bridal jewelry, which she admitted is her favorite to create. An idea we had was to take flowers from a brides bouquet and turn them into jewelry as a means of ...