The Courier

Transcription

The Courier

WINTER 2011
The Courier
From tiaras to headbands to
feathers, brides-to-be have lots
of attractive options > INSIDE
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COV ER STORY
THE COURIER
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2011
Jeweled tiaras, headbands, even
feathers are attractive options
directly to her hair with a pin or comb.
“It’s the 1940s look,” said Distel. “It’s
kind of glam and a little different.”
A jeweled tiara? A sheer veil? A wreath
Tiaras, which are typically made from
of flowers?
silver or gold metal with shimmery rhineIf there wasn’t enough for a bride to stones or crystals to give them sparkle, are
worry about when she’s picking out that another popular choice, she said. Prices in
special dress for her big day, she needs to her store range from $75 to $300, dependkeep the total image in mind — including ing on how elaborate the tiara is, what kind
what she’ll wear on her head.
of metal it’s made from and how many crysFrom ornate and elaborate to simple tals it’s embedded with.
and minimal, there are many options availInstead of tiaras, Distel said she’s seeing
able when selecting a headpiece, according more brides select headbands to go with
to Christine Distel, owner of Lace and Ele- their wedding gowns. A headband is a band
gance, a bridal store which has locations in of fabric that extends from one temple to
Findlay and Tiffin.
the other. The look can
“There’s a lot out
range from simple to
“There’s so much
there, a lot to choose
elaborate, and the headavailable because
from, a lot of variety,” said
band is often made of
Distel, who carries more
satin, lace or another
each girl is different.”
than 100 headpieces and
material to match the
veils. “There’s so much
dress.
CHRISTINE DISTEL
available because each
“We’re not seeing so
OWNER, LACE & ELEGANCE
girl is different.”
much of the tight bun (in
Br ida l maga zines
hair styles) these days,”
and websites will tell you there are sev- she said. “I think, for our girls, they’re
eral things to consider when shopping for going for the loose, flowing, simpler, more
a headpiece: it should match the bride’s natural look for their hair.”
personality, reflect the gown’s features and
Some headbands feature ribbon woven
conform to the formality of the wedding with beads, almost like jewelry, she said.
and reception. The bride also needs to conSince choosing the ideal headwear
sider the length of her hair and what kind will depend on the style and design of the
of hair style she wants to wear.
wedding gown. Distel advised prospective
Distel said she has seen a trend toward brides to first choose a dress, then decide
birdcage blushers lately. These are short, how they want their hair styled before they
simple veils, just long enough to frame the select a headpiece.
face, and worn alone without additional
“The newest, most unusual look is
tiers or a separate blusher.
feathers,” which can be attached to a headHistorically, the veil was attached to
a hat. The modern bride, however, often
prefers to attach this short, circular veil
See WHAT, Page T4
By JEANNIE WILEY WOLF
STAFF WRITER
RANDY ROBERTS / The Courier
BRIDE-TO-BE ANDREA DERR of Carey is all smiles while
trying on a “birdcage veil” at Lace & Elegance in Tiffin.
From the ornate to the minimal, there are all types of options
for the bride when it comes to headpieces for the big day.
THE COURIER
THE FATHER OF THE BR IDE
T3
Dad’s big day
All eyes are on the bride, but
it’s a special day for dad, too
By SARA ARTHURS
STAFF WRITER
For the bride, the wedding day is a
once-in-a-lifetime experience. But, for
the father of the bride, too, it can be
an emotional day.
Take the tradition of the father
walking the bride down the aisle to
give her away. Ask any father, and he’ll
tell you, it’s not a moment you forget.
“I was very proud to walk with her,
but I was thinking, ‘Keep it together!’”
said Greg Roby, whose daughter Chelsae married John Pistello in Findlay
on July 31.
Roby said he thought he would be
OK but kept flashing back to memories like the first time he held Chelsae
as an infant.
“I was fine until the pastor asked
‘Who gives the bride to this man?’”
he said. “I could hardly blurt it out.”
Tim Brugeman’s daughter Melissa
got married on a boat, “so I actually
walked her down a dock.” She married
Adam Cornacchio on Sept. 6 in Bar
Harbor, Maine.
As he walked her toward her
groom, he was thinking, “Oh my
gosh, my little girl is so grown up.”
He recalled watching her go through
school and activities such as swimming and ice skating, and realizing
that now, here she was, getting married.
“Oh, I was so proud of her,” Brugeman said.
But really, the role of the father
of the bride can start even before the
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couple is officially engaged. Both Brugeman and Roby had the experience
of their now son-in-law asking them
for their daughter’s hand.
“I was pleased John was respectful
to approach us first,” Roby said of the
moment when John asked him and his
wife, Susan. “Yes, the moment was a
little awkward, but I think Susan and
I helped put him at ease. I just think
that it demonstrated that John was
cognizant of our feelings and he was
being courteous as well.”
Brugeman, too, had a conversation
where Adam asked him if he could
marry Melissa.
“I just kind of looked at him and
smiled and said, ‘We would just be
delighted,’” he said.
He was pleased to have Adam join
the family.
“I did not give her away when she
changed her name, I gained a wonderful son-in-law,” Brugeman said.
Brugeman said that, although his
daughter’s wedding was on Labor Day,
months later he’s still thinking about
it and enjoying the memories.
“It was just a terrific experience,”
he said.
The couple chose to have a destination wedding in Maine because the
Brugeman family had camped and
traveled there often, and had friends
in the area.
Both Brugeman and his wife,
Candy, were closely involved in the
wedding plans.
Roby said his role was more limited.
“The standard ‘joke’ was, I treated
it like my wedding — get a tux and
show up. Oh, but this time we paid
for it,” Roby said. “We gave Chelsae
and John a budgeted amount, which
of course, we overspent. They paid for
about half; we also threw in special
things like M&Ms with their names
embossed on the candy. Our daughter
is practical and did not go too much
overboard as they are both full-time
students working on their doctorates.”
The Brugeman-Cornacchio wedding barely missed being hit by a hurricane but all went well, Brugeman
said.
“This was just very beautiful,” he
said. “The weather was perfect.”
After the ceremony aboard the
schooner the guests traveled to a
nearby inn for the reception, which
See DAD’S, Page T7
Provided to The Courier
GREG ROBY (left) walks his daughter, Chelsae Roby Pistello, toward the
altar at Chelsae’s July 31 wedding in Findlay. Roby said he was very proud
to escort his daughter down the aisle, and couldn’t help allowing his mind
to flash back to other special memories of her, such as the first time he held
her after she was born.
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W EDDING SHOWCASE
THE COURIER
Gourmet creations
What
for your special occasion
Continued from page T2
piece or comb, Distel said.
“These tiny little white airy wisps
are beautiful,” she said. “A comb
with crystals and four or five of these
wisps, it’s just beautiful.”
Feathers are usually white and
ivory to match the color of the wedding gown.
Veils are another option for brides.
The associatedcontent.com website tells that the veil once served a
purpose dating back to the ancient
Greeks and Romans. Fearful of evil
spirits and demons, brides dressed in
bright colors, which were believed to
fight that sort of thing. Sometimes,
Roman brides were completely covered in red veils as protection from
evil spirits.
Since the colored veils obscured a
girl’s vision, this led to another tradition. A bride needed to be walked
down the aisle, usually by her father.
Hence the tradition of giving away the
bride came into being.
In the case of arranged marriages,
the veil acted as a screen to block
the bride’s face from her husbandto-be. Prior to the lifting of the veil,
the future married couple had never
before seen each other’s faces.
Distel said veils come in an array
of styles, fabrics and lengths ranging
from blushers to cathedral-length and
everything in between.
For example, the shoulder-length
veil stops at the shoulders and allows
the back of the gown to be seen in
its entirety. The fingertip-length veil
hangs just below the waist. The chapel
style is floor-length, while the cathedral style hangs on the floor and trails
behind the bride and the train.
Mantilla veils are circular-shaped
and rest on top of the head. The outside edges of the veil are covered with
lace that frames the face.
While the veil was once connected
to the headpiece, it’s a separate com-
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TODAY’S BRIDES have several options to choose from when looking for
a headpiece for their wedding day. Those looking for a more classic style
usually go with a veil or tiara, while today’s bride may try something
different like a comb with some wispy feathers added.
ponent today, Distel said.
“The veil is usually attached to a
comb and can be easily removed from
the hair for the reception,” she said.
Veils can be sheer and simple to
very ornate with beads woven into
them, she said. Prices range from
$40 to $300.
Some of the other headpiece
choices for today’s bride include hair
pins that can sit into or on top of their
hair; combs which are usually worn to
one side of the head and can be decorated with pearls, crystals, flowers,
ribbons or sequins; crescents, which
are bands that fit on the top back portion on the head; a back piece which
is a barrette or comb, often decorated
with flowers or beads, and fastened to
the back of the head to which the veil
is then attached; or a crown which is a
full circular headpiece that sits on top
of the head and is usually decorated
with stones or beads.
Since brides probably aren’t used
to wearing items in their hair, Distel
suggested they do a trial run.
“When you come in to try on
headpieces, bring along the dress and
have your hair styled the way you’ll
be wearing it for the wedding. Then
you can get the full picture,” she said.
Lace and Elegance, 2044 S. Ohio
53, Tiffin, carries bridal dresses and
accessories, while the Findlay store,
at 15273 E. U.S. 224, offers dresses
for bridesmaids and mothers.
Wolf: 419-427-8419,
[email protected]
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THE COURIER
ONLINE OR DINATIONS
Friend, will you marry us?
Online ordinations a
growing trend
By MONICA RHOR
FOR THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Jessica Alexander’s wedding was
everything she had envisioned: a private gathering by her summer house
on an Iowa lake. There was a pink
and purple color scheme, a butterfly
motif, and a dessert bar rather than
a full meal.
And, wearing a short periwinkle
dress designed “to show off her legs,”
was Alexander’s minister and bridesmaid, Anna-Megan Raley, a close
friend who was ordained online specifically to perform the ceremony.
Raley, a blogger for the Houston
Chronicle, didn’t even know she had
been ordained until Alexander and
her mother sprang the news at the
bridal shower. They had already paid
a $25 fee and filled out a form with
her name and address, making her the
Rev. Raley.
“I thought it was a joke. I’m sure
that I put it on Facebook and Twitter,” said Raley. “But I had heard about
people getting ordained to perform
weddings. So, I said: ‘Sure, I’d love
to.’”
Nontraditional? Perhaps.
A growing trend? Definitely.
More and more engaged couples
are turning to friends or family members to perform their wedding ceremony. They say it is more personal,
relatively stress-free and cheaper.
It is also surprisingly fast and
simple.
Getting ordained requires little
more than finding an online ministry
that performs ordinations, and filling out a short form with your name
and address. Some websites require
a nominal fee for paperwork; others
don’t charge anything.
Prospective brides and grooms
should look into the website and
local marriage laws, however, to
make sure the ceremony would be
valid. Although online ordinations
See FRIEND, Page T20
PAT SULLIVAN / The Associated Press
ANNA-MEGAN RALEY was
ordained online specifically to
perform a wedding ceremony for
a close friend. More and more
engaged couples are turning to
friends or family members to
perform their wedding ceremony.
They say it is more personal,
relatively stress-free and cheaper.
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THE COURIER
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Do vintage because you love it, not to cut corners
By SAMANTHA CRITCHELL
AP FASHION WRITER
NEW YORK — There’s something
romantic about the idea of a vintage
wedding dress, with the wonderful
stories it could tell. Maybe there’d be
some delicate lace, too, or exquisite
siren-worthy satin.
Reality, though, isn’t always so
pretty.
Some vintage dresses are those perfect gowns you dream of, says Mark
Ingram, CEO and creative director of
Manhattan’s Mark Ingram Bridal Atelier, but others are too costume-y, too
dated or, more likely, simply ill-fitting.
“You can reach back to some vintage eras and look as contemporary
as buying a new dress. But,” he says,
“you have to consider your figure first
and foremost. If the dress isn’t flattering to your figure type, just don’t go
down the road.”
Cameron Silver, owner of the
Los Angeles couture vintage shop
Decades, suggests these questions to
ask — frankly — of yourself:
Do you need to wear a bra? Do you
have a boyish figure? An hourglass
shape? What about your hips? All of
these, he says, are factors in buying
any wedding gown, but particularly
those meant to fit women of previous
generations.
Silver, a resource for Hollywood
red-carpet looks, also warns that finding a pristine white vintage dress can
be hard, and that a good vintage dress,
if it’s not an heirloom, can be more
expensive than you’d think. Even with
your grandmother’s dress, there could
be pricey alterations.
“Don’t do this because you think
it’s the easy way out, or that it’ll be
cheaper,” adds Ingram. “You have to
want it — you have to want to have
this look.”
But if you do find that ideal gown
from yesteryear, Silver says, it’s a
magical moment. He once sold a
full Chantilly lace wedding gown by
Chanel. “It was such a thrill,” he says.
There was a more recent Olivier
Theyskens for Rochas gown that practically brought tears to his eyes.
(If you find a keeper, be ready to
buy it right away — no wavering —
because there’s not another one stuck
in some inventory closet.)
If you’re partial to embroidery, look
at gowns from the 1920s-’30s, while
sultry, satin gowns come out of the
‘40s. Women with a full bust might
look to the curvier ‘50s silhouette,
says Ingram, WE TV’s “gown guru,”
while mini-dresses of the ‘60s are cool,
yet hard to pull off unless the event is
casual or the bride prides herself an
individualist.
Silver says that’s usually the case
with those who wear vintage. “This
bride doesn’t want to look like everyone else.”
Still, you can hit contemporary
fashion trends. Something from the
See CHOOSING, Page T8
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SETH WENIG / The Associated Press
LACE AND BEADING contribute
to the vintage look of this Monique
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THE COURIER
THE FATHER OF THE BR IDE
T7
Dad's
THE CHUCK
WAGON
EXPRESS
PARTY BUS
Veteran dad’s
advice is to ‘make it
memorable’
included the traditional father-daughter dance.
“I just had chills up and down my
spine,” Brugeman said.
He said Melissa “looked so pretty”
and he was nervous about going out
in front of everyone. They danced
to a song with the lyrics “My Little
Girl,” about a young girl growing up
and becoming a woman. In a huge
tent overlooking the harbor, decorated with lanterns and candles, it was
a beautiful moment, Brugeman said.
He also gave welcoming remarks
and thanked the guests for coming
“and talked a little bit about Melissa
and how proud we were.” Despite
having rehearsed, Brugeman forgot
some of the remarks, but said people
told him it went well.
Roby did not do a father-daughter
dance and did not do a toast but did
offer words of wisdom privately to his
daughter, including “Laugh a lot.”
“My wife and I hoped they thought
more about their marriage than the
ceremony itself,” he said.
Brugeman said a friend gave him
a T-shirt before the wedding that
said that fathers of the bride practice
the “three ups”: “shut up, pay up and
show up.” But that was not his experience, as he and his wife had “fun
every minute together with Adam
and Melissa, making memories for a
lifetime.”
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A Perfect Day
Provided to The Courier
TIM BRUGEMAN (right) is shown with his daughter, Melissa Brugeman
Cornacchio, on her wedding day Sept. 6 in Maine.
His advice to other fathers?
“Just take it slow and enjoy every
minute of it,” he said. “It’s a special event,
so make it as memorable as you can.”
Also, he suggested, “Take a lot of
pictures.”
Roby said his daughter’s wedding ceremony also had a “special international
flair” since his new son-in-law’s mother
is Korean and they had a Korean pastor
perform part of the ceremony in that
language.
“Getting together with family and
friends is always special and this was a
great time to share with our daughter,”
Roby said.
And he could be getting used to being
the father of the bride.
“If I did something wrong the first
time, I will have a chance to try again
this June; another daughter is getting
married,” Roby said. “Two in one year
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THE COURIER
Choosing
‘70s, a little bohemian but sexy, too, is
probably the hippest look going.
The period to stay away from is,
no surprise, the ‘80s, with its oversize
pouffy shoulders and tapered sleeves.
“Right now, the ‘80s looks so dated.
Yes, 20-30 years back is ‘vintage,’ but if
you’re going back, that’s a bad period to
dip into. No ‘Dynasty,’ not even Princess
Diana,” Ingram says.
A bride’s goal often is a timeless look,
since the photos will hopefully last a lifetime, but each era still has its signature,
says Michael Shettel, designer of bridal
brand Alfred Angelo. You might be best
off with a classic silhouette, while adjusting embellishments and details to current tastes, he suggests.
Wedding-gown trends don’t swing
as quickly as ready-to-wear fashion,
he explains: Of course, white always
dominates the market and the overall
vibe is fancy, but when you line them
up, you’ll see differences in the size and
types of pearls and beads, changes in
popular lace patterns, hemlines going
up and down.
“You want to make it your own,
while still honoring whoever wore a
vintage dress before. ... Maybe you’d
like to make it a little more low-cut, a
little more fitted, maybe give it a fuller
skirt,” Shettel says.
He also borrows from the past for
new gowns. The tight-bodice, tea-length
ballgown seems very fresh, Shettel says,
and the asymmetrical neckline remains
popular.
Ingram says the best of both worlds
might be vintage or vintage-inspired
accessories on a new dress. “Add a
fur piece — a shrug or a stole — and
it looks vintage, even if it’s new, which
probably means a better fit. The look
could be 1910 or 2010,” he says.
He also likes to add a beaded belt or
sash, which also can give the illusion of
a small waist, and carries that retro feel.
There’s no reason, though, to go
back in time for your beauty routine.
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Photos by SETH WENIG / The Associated Press
A FUR STOLE can give a more modern dress a vintage look as
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below, chunky beading and silk charmeuse fabric contribute to the vintage
look of a Jenny Packham wedding dress.
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THE COURIER
Many options available for couples to put
their ‘personal stamp’ on the big day
By JEANNIE WILEY WOLF
STAFF WRITER
There’s always something new
happening in the wedding industry.
While it can be overwhelming, all
of those choices actually make it easier
for a couple that wants to put their
personal stamp on the event.
“In recent years we’ve seen a
real trend where people are wanting
to have a ceremony and reception
that truly reflects them,” said Chris
Arnold, manager of Decorations Plus,
an event planning and party store
located at 2219 N. Main St.
“It gets away from perhaps the traditional course of what was expected,
and they’re more leaning toward
something that is really reflective of
their personality,” she said.
In fact, personalization is the
number one priority for many couples,
Arnold said.
“I think every bride tries to come
up with something that is more unique
to their particular event. They don’t
want to have the cookie cutter wedding,” she said. “They’re all looking
for something that is more unique.”
Arnold said almost every area of a
wedding, from invitations to the marriage vows, can be personalized.
“It takes a little more thought ...
you don’t just open a book and say, ‘I
do this and then I do this,’” she said.
“You can still open that book and get
some great ideas. I just think it takes
a little more forethought.”
Wedding colors
For the past year, brown has been
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the color of choice with brides, Arnold
said.
“Like brown and pink, brown and
Tiffany blue, brown and peach, but I’m
not sure that isn’t waning a little bit,”
she said.
Black and white remain popular.
“Black and white with an accent
of the bride’s color of choice, that’s
probably what we do most,” she said.
Color trends for 2011 are expected
to be in the orange and apricot families.
Guest book
There was a time when a guest
book helped the newly married couple
remember who came to their wedding,
organize thank-you notes and start a
formal address book.
In this day and age, however, the
guest book will likely be collecting
dust in some closet soon after the “I
dos.”
“Now we’re finding that there’s so
many other ways for our brides to go,”
Arnold said.
The guest book doesn’t even have
to be in the shape of a book, she said.
People can write their well wishes
on small cards to be hung on tree
branches or dropped into a box or
glass container.
Other ideas include having guests
sign a photo book. Pictures of the
couple could be inserted in advance
on the even pages leaving lines for signatures on the odd. Or scan photos
of expected guests and place them in
the album. Then guests can write a
special message next to their picture.
Arnold said she’s also had brides
create scrapbook pages for guests to
sign.
Sand ceremony
The unity candle has long been a
staple for ceremonies, both simple and
elaborate. However, unity sand ceremonies are also becoming popular,
Arnold said.
In this ritual, the couple ceremoniously pours various colors of sand
from a container, such as a seashell,
into a special container symbolizing
their coming together as one.
“Not only is it the bride and groom,
but if perhaps it’s a second marriage
and there are children involved, there’s
actually a family sand ceremony which
incorporates everyone and not just the
couple,” Arnold said.
The flowing sand and blending
T9
of the colors symbolize the bringing
together of two lives into one. Some
couples prefer to leave a small amount
of sand in their respective container to
show that even though they now function as one, they remain individuals.
Throwing things
Throwing something at a newly
married couple is an old tradition
that dates back to ancient Rome or
Egypt. The custom is intended to
give newlyweds good luck, and most
of the items thrown at the couple such
as rice or birdseed represent fertility
or abundance.
“I wish there would be some more
innovation in that area,” said Arnold.
“There’s still a few balloon releases.
There’s still a few bubbles. There’s still
a few petals. There’s still an environ-
mentally friendly rice,” she said.
Couples have also used noisemakers, hand-clackers, sparklers, confetti
poppers and small bells, she said.
“They’re still doing something. But
personally, I don’t think it’s as big of a
focus as it used to be,” she said.
A piece of cake
Wedding cakes used to be a typical, three-tier white cake, Arnold said.
The key phrase is “used to be.”
“Now we’re finding that there are
all sorts of (cake) flavors,” she said.
“And there are people who aren’t
going with cake at all. We had one of
our brides who did a pie bar.”
Personalized cookies and cupcakes
have also become popular bridal
See WHAT’S, Page T11
T10
HONEYMOON HOTEL
THE COURIER
A five-star hotel for honeymooners
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for newlyweds
By KERSTIN SOPKE
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
RECEPTION HALL
BANQUET FACILITY & CONFERENCE CENTER
PETR DAVID JOSEK / The Associated Press
A COUPLE STROLLS BY the Eh’haeusl Hotel in Amberg, Germany.
Couples who spend their wedding night at the tiny hotel will live happily
ever after and never get divorced, at least according to an old legend told
by the locals of this medieval town in Bavaria.
night and includes a whirlpool and an
open fireplace.
After a recent overnight stay, Barbara and Heinz Wilhelm, a couple in
their early 70s, said even though their
honeymoon was long ago, the experience was one-of-a-kind.
“We stayed at lots of good hotels
around the world, but there you’re just
one guest among many others,” said
Heinz Wilhelm. “Here we are the only
guests of the entire hotel.”
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AMBERG, Germany — Couples
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tiny Eh’haeusl in Amberg will live happily ever after and never get divorced
— at least according to an old legend
told by the locals of this medieval town
in Bavaria.
Now newylweds who want to test
the legend can do so in luxury. The
282-year-old Eh’haeusl — a Bavarian
expression for “marriage house” —
was recently renovated and turned
into a five-star hotel. It’s so tiny that
the entire building can only be rented
out by one couple at a time, and its
owners claim it’s the smallest hotel in
the world.
The red building on Seminargasse
in the town’s historical old city is
only 2.5 meters (8.2 feet) wide, and
stretches over seven narrow floors.
The house was originally built in
1728, after the city council ruled that
couples could only get married if they
owned property.
To give lovebirds a chance to tie the
knot even if they did not own a home,
a resourceful Amberg citizen came up
with an idea of skirting the new law.
He built a house so tiny and inexpensive, that even poor people could
afford it — at least on a short-term
basis. They would buy the house, get
married, move in and then sell it soon
after to the next marriage-minded
couple.
With a different newlywed couple as
occupants every few weeks, it became
known as the “wedding house.”
Even today, many couples spend
their wedding night at the Eh’haeusl,
which costs 240 euros ($327) per
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TR ENDS
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What's
treats, said Arnold.
“The customized cupcake wrappers have become a brand new trend.
They’re having wrappers designed
that may have their initials on it or a
certain symbol that they’re carrying
throughout the wedding,” she said.
Some couples use individual cakes
as centerpieces on each table for a different spin.
“We’ve had people who are just
doing dessert bars so they’re still getting the flavor. And then they may
have a small cake made just for themselves,” she said.
Even cake toppers can add a personal touch.
“They’ve gone from the traditional
bride and groom to now we have them
on their cell phones or we have her
reeling him in with a fishing rod,”
Arnold said.
Many couples opt for a more formal
topper on the traditional wedding
cake but also have a groom’s cake with
a more whimsical topper.
Couples have also been offering hot
chocolate bars lately, while flavored
coffees have been popular for a couple
of years, Arnold said.
“We’re still seeing candy bars
being done. Again, how much more
personal can you get than to do the
traditional candies that you love now
or loved as a kid,” she said.
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Centerpieces
Centerpieces often reflect a couple’s interests and personality, Arnold
said. Recently, brides have even been
incorporating pictures in the centerpieces or in the table numbers, she
said.
“A cute thing that some of our
brides have been doing with table
numbers, they’ve been taking pictures
of themselves and holding a number,
like number 3. They do that (holding
a different number) for each of the
tables. It has been really cute,” she
said.
Sometimes couples will name
the tables at the reception instead of
assigning numbers to them.
“We had a couple that was really
big into music, so they chose their
favorite songs and had each table have
the name of a song as opposed to an
actual number,” she said.
For one wedding, Arnold and her
team handcrafted the couple’s monogram using wire and hand-blown
beads and placed it in a centerpiece
for the head table.
“So we took all of the things that
were important to them and incorporated them together so that centerpiece was not going to be at anyone
else’s wedding because it was all done
specifically with them in mind,” she
said.
Table runners can also bring some
personality to the reception, Arnold
said.
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CH A NGING YOUR NA ME
T13
Easing into a new life with a new name
Tips for how
to change
your name
on official
documents
By SARA ARTHURS
STAFF WRITER
It is estimated that up to 80 percent of new brides will take their husband’s last name.
Changing your name when you get
married involves many steps. You’ll
need a new driver’s license and Social
Security card, to start with. Then
there are bank and insurance records
that will need the new name.
Marriage licenses are issued in
probate court. Melissa Soto, chief
deputy clerk of probate court, said a
woman’s name appears on a marriage
license as it is when she applies for
the license, meaning it is usually her
maiden name.
After the ceremony, the officiant
fills out the bottom part of the license
and it is returned to probate court.
Couples can then get certified copies
of it as proof of marriage, Soto said.
Soto said this certificate will still
reflect what the woman’s name was
when applying for the license, that is,
the maiden name. But when probate
court issues certified copies of the
marriage license, this document with
the signature from the officiant serves
as proof of marriage so she can legally
change her name with other agencies.
Soto said probate court cannot
change the woman’s name with other
agencies but provides advice on where
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to go.
She said she normally advises
couples to get two copies of the certificate, one for Social Security and
one for the Bureau of Motor Vehicles.
The agencies normally give the copies
back, so they can be reused, Soto said.
Probate court issues two certified
copies for $5.
While a driver’s license and Social
Security card are the most important,
Soto advises couples to also keep in
mind bank accounts, car titles, credit
cards and “anything that they can
think of that they need to change
something on.”
Do you need to go to the Bureau
of Motor Vehicles first, or the Social
Security Administration?
Erin Thompson, public affairs specialist with the Social Security Administration’s Toledo office, said people
usually change their name with the
Social Security Administration prior
to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles.
But BMV spokeswoman Lindsey
Bohrer said doing it in the other order
is also OK.
Bohrer said the process of getting a
new driver’s license is pretty straightforward.
After the wedding, bring your
driver’s license, marriage certificate
and Social Security card to the BMV,
Bohrer said. Bohrer said a Social
Security card with your maiden name
is fine as long as you also have the
marriage certificate.
The BMV will issue you a new
license. It’s considered a duplicate
or replacement license, and the fee is
$24.50, Bohrer said.
If you were previously married and
divorced, you should also bring in the
court documents from your divorce,
Bohrer said.
When it comes to Social Security,
you have the option of applying for
a new card in person at any Social
Security office or you can fill out the
application and mail it into the office
with the appropriate documents,
Thompson said.
“We will need to see a document
in her previous name and a recently
issued document as proof of her legal
LOOKING
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name change,” she said.
The bride should bring both the
marriage license and the marriage
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certificate, with the official seal, to
the Social Security Administration,
Thompson said.
“We need to see the original or
certified documents,” Thompson said.
Along with the marriage documents, you’ll need something with
identifying information or a recent
photograph, such as a driver’s license
or passport, she said.
That driver’s license can be in
either the maiden name or the married name.
Once all of the information is verified, it takes about 10 to 14 days to
receive a replacement Social Security
card in the mail, Thompson said.
“Once a person receives the new
card, they should destroy the old
card,” she said.
Social Security does not charge for
the replacement card, Thompson said.
“Some private companies, not
affiliated with Social Security or any
other government agency, charge fees
for this service,” she said. “However,
these companies offer no advantage.”
If you go with those companies,
you’ll still have to provide documents
directly to Social Security, she said.
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T14
What's
New ideas for
favors, centerpieces
and card boxes
“Custom runners have become
very popular now,” she said. “Fabric
squares underneath the centerpieces,
even with patterns in them (are popular). Where before everything was
very plain, now we’re doing a lot of
patterned work.”
Bottles and even Mason jars in different shapes and sizes are being used
for containers on the tables.
“They could be things they’ve collected along the way. You can twist
and turn it into something that speaks
to you,” Arnold said.
Arnold said she sees that a big
focus for the tables lately has been on
glassware and candles.
“They seem to be a little more
glitzy than what we’ve seen in the
past. Our little acrylic gems have been
very popular, water pearls, something
that reflects the light,” she said.
“Definitely the taller vases are
more in style right now,” she said.
“And we’re seeing a trend toward
more natural ingredients being used.
We’ve been designing with cranberries and pine cones, greenery sprigs
and branches. We’re seeing a trend to
a more natural style of centerpiece.”
Favors
Although they’re not as popular as
they were a few years ago, favors are
another area where brides can let their
personality show, Arnold said.
“Maybe the groom is a dark chocolate fanatic so they’re doing the dark
chocolate pretzels or something like
that along with a cute little saying like
‘We’ve tied the knot,’” she said.
In some cases, couples are making
donations to charity instead of doing
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TR ENDS
favors.
“Some of them have a card printed
that says ‘In lieu of favors, we’ve made
a donation to ...,’ and then they’ve
chosen a charity that’s important to
them,” she said.
For the couples who favor favors,
Arnold said edible items are among
the most popular choices.
“With food, it’s edible, it’s disposable, it’s used, enjoyed, it’s gone. So I
think that’s why some of our brides
choose to go that direction,” she said.
“But again, they can make it very
personalized. We’ve had brides who
have had special cookies made or they
have done a cookie cutter. Now that’s
a little more usable item.”
Hotel bags
A lot of couples are doing hotel
bags for their out-of-town guests who
are staying at a hotel, Arnold said.
“That is a great place to show your
personality,” she said.
In addition to directions to the
church and reception, items could
include water bottles with personalized labels and food items that tell
visitors something about the couple’s
hometown. In Findlay, that could
include candy from Dietsch’s or popcorn from Brinkman’s, she said.
Information about other local tourist attractions could be added, as well.
Balloon sculptures
Balloons are still being used for
wedding decorations, but they’re
being dressed up, said Arnold.
“A lot of people think balloons, I’m
going to put three balloons on a ribbon
and tie it to a vase. That is so not what
it is. There’s a very large difference
between birthday party balloons and
wedding balloons. It’s just hugely different,” she said.
“We incorporate tulle. We incorporate ribbons. We have a variety of
shapes. We have filigrees. It’s a whole
different look,” she said.
Wedding balloons in general are
going a little rounder.
“We’ve been doing some really
giant size balloons on fish lines so
it looks like they’re totally just suspended, floating in free air,” Arnold
said.
“... There are brides that want
something more sophisticated, and
balloons can offer that sophistication
as well,” she said.
Card boxes
In the last six months, Arnold and
her staff have started designing special boxes to hold cards at the reception.
“We’ve started doing customized
ones that they can either rent or they
can purchase. And we’re ending up
with all these cool shapes and sizes.
It’s very fun.”
Being able to rent items also helps
couples afford to include more of their
own touches, Arnold said.
“People think, if they rent it,
they’re going to get the same thing
everyone else has,” she said. “But
they’re not. We start tearing things
apart and we start putting them back
together the way they want them. And
again, we’re back to where it becomes
your own.”
Arnold said the bride and groom
may even have items in their home
that can be incorporated.
“You might have found a flower
that you love at a craft store, or you
found grandma’s old handkerchief collection. Bring it in. Let us sit down
with you and show you some ideas of
what can be done with it,” she said.
“We’ve had brides where we’ve
taken apart mom’s wedding dress.
The daughter doesn’t want to wear it,
but mom says, ‘I would love for this to
be part of your wedding.’ We’ve taken
off appliques or we have used portions
of the fabric, or we’ve reworked the
veil into some floral arrangement and
that way it’s kind of tied in,” she said.
“You have the tradition, but then
again, you’ve done that spin that
makes it your own,” she said.
Wolf: 419-427-8419
[email protected]
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CH A NGING YOUR NA ME
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Easing
Be wary of allowing
online sites to ‘help’
In addition, you should be wary
of giving out your Social Security
number or other private information
online, she said.
If it’s a second marriage for a
divorced woman, “it is generally best”
to bring the divorce decree with you
along with the marriage certificate,
Thompson said.
Thompson recommended people
check out the Social Security website
for more information.
In addition to the Social Security
card and driver’s license, you’ll need
to change your name on your bank
accounts and insurance documents.
Gena Grismore, assistant vice
president and branch manager at First
Federal Bank, said it’s best to change
your driver’s license before going to
the bank. Bring your new driver’s
license, as well as a copy of the marriage license, to the bank, she said.
They’ll then help you create a new
signature card, which will be on file
at the bank, with your signature with
your married name.
Becky Bowman, agent at Eoff
Insurance Agency, said they can
change the name with a copy of the
updated Social Security card or driver’s license. If you don’t have those yet,
they can take a copy of the marriage
certificate, she said.
And both Bowman and Grismore
said there are other legal steps you
may want to take, besides just the
name change.
For example, you should combine
your auto insurance policy with your
new spouse and make sure both of you
are on the renter’s or homeowner’s
policy, Bowman said.
“There are also many other items a
couple could consider talking to their
financial institution about such as
opening a savings account or talking
to a mortgage officer about purchasing a home,” Grismore said.
Online:
http://www.socialsecurity.gov/
ssnumber/
UK pubs to stay open late
to toast royal wedding
LONDON (AP) — Britain’s government says the country’s pubs will
likely be allowed to stay open late to
toast Prince William and Kate Middleton’s royal wedding.
Home Office minister James Brokenshire said in a statement that all
licensed premises could be allowed to
serve customers until 1 a.m.
The government plans to consult
with the entertainment industry on
the plan. Brokenshire said the wed-
ding was “an occasion for national
celebration.”
Currently, only bars and pubs with
special licenses are allowed to stay
open past the traditional final drinks
call at 11 p.m.
Brokenshire said the relaxation
will apply April 29, the date of the
royal wedding — which has already
been made a public holiday, meaning
Britons have the day off — and the
following day.
T15
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Lunch Served: Tues.-Fri. 11:30-1:30pm
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T16
W EDDING W EBSITES
THE COURIER
We’re in love and online
More brides are informing
guests with wedding websites
By CARYN ROUSSEAU
ASSOCIATED PRESS
With friends and family headed to
her California wedding from all over,
bride-to-be Carrie Shields decided
online organization was key.
“Really the wedding website was
one of the first things we did,” the
32-year-old public relations director
from San Diego said. Shields is marrying fiance R.J. Jones, 36, who was
born and raised in Wales. Their April
wedding in Napa Valley comes four
years after they met through friends.
“I knew people were going to have
a lot of questions about what to do
and how to get there,” Shields said.
“I wanted to make it fun and personal. I kind of jumped right on things
because people were traveling so far.”
Wedding experts at TheKnot.com
and its partner WeddingChannel.com
say this year’s annual survey found 64
percent of brides now have a website
to share details with guests about
ceremony and reception logistics,
registry information and travel accommodations. Web companies exist that
allow couples to host wedding sites
for free while others charge a fee for
access to fancier templates and tools.
The page Shields created has a personal and creative flair. It features a
blue and orange frame with a brown
background. The happy couple smile
from behind sunglasses on a beach. A
counter below them lets visitors know
it’s “151 until our wedding!”
“A lot of the people coming over,
they’ve never been to America,”
Shields said. “I’m going to add a little
bit about things to do in San Fran-
cisco, trying to take the guess work
out of it.”
Experts at WeddingWire.com recommend that couples launch their
website at least six months before
the wedding date to give guests as
much information as early as possible. That allows enough time to make
travel arrangements. WeddingWire
also offers other online tools, including a program that lets guests RSVP
directly from the website.
Carley Roney, editor and founder
of TheKnot.com, said her site and
WeddingChannel.com together host
more than 500,000 wedding websites
for couples.
“It’s a simple, easy way of communication,” Roney said. “It’s really like
going to the website for a restaurant
or a concert event. Everything is in
one place.”
That’s why more wedding website
addresses are appearing in fancy fonts
on the bottom of printed invitations.
“You’re going to want to give the
same information you always needed
to have on an invitation: the name,
location, time of event,” Roney said.
But things like dress code or babysitting services can be saved for the
website.
Some sites let couples upload music
or an audio track of their voices, video,
animated graphics, or polls asking
guests what songs to play or which
appetizers to serve.
To personalize her website, Shields
added a “glossary” of Welsh and
American words, and photos of the
20-member wedding party.
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DENIS POROY / The Associated Press
CARRIE SHIELDS updates her wedding website at her home in San Diego.
With friends and family headed to California from around the country
and the United Kingdom for her upcoming wedding, Shields knew online
organization was key.
sites can choose from templates by
high-fashion designers like Oscar de
la Renta, Monique Lhuillier and Vera
Wang.
“You still want to make the investment in it to make it uniquely you,”
Roney said. “Just like you do on the
wedding day.”
Roney offers three tips for setting
up a wedding website:
1. Don’t assume your audience is
only younger friends, and remember
your etiquette. “You want to keep
things ‘wedding and older people
friendly,’” Roney said. “You don’t
want to go on and on forever. You
don’t want to put things like, ‘please
ship our gifts to.’ Some of the etiquette
that is wrong for wedding invitations
is wrong for this too. To be making
specific demands of your guests isn’t
appropriate.”
2. Include your registry informa-
Online:
http://www.theknot.com
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tion. According to TheKnot.com and
WeddingChannel.com survey, about
61 percent of guests find out where a
couple is registered from their wedding website — a figure that has
grown from 47 percent in 2008. “It
really is becoming the absolute de
facto way that guests are going to find
out where you’re registered,” Roney
said. “It used to be that brides were
worried it was tacky, but it’s simply
not tacky. It’s how it’s done now.”
3. Get the word out. Don’t just
create and publish the website and
assume everyone knows it exists.
“Send the information directly to your
guests,” sometimes more than once,
Roney said. “You can’t assume that
something you put on your website
was acknowledged by all.”
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LIGHTING DESIGNED by Bentley Meeker was featured at Billy Joel’s wedding in Centre Island, N.Y. “Wedding
lighting is really about what people are always trying to do with their weddings, which is to create a certain vibe
and atmosphere,” the New York City lighting pro said.
Use simple tricks to create the perfect ambiance
By DIANA MARSZALEK
FOR THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
You’d be hard pressed to find a
bride who doesn’t make flowers, centerpieces and tablecloths a priority
when it comes to creating a certain
mood for the wedding.
But talk to wedding lighting
designer Bentley Meeker — whose
clients have included Chelsea Clinton and Catherine Zeta Jones — and
he’ll tell you that simple tricks, such
as changing the color of light bulbs,
can create the desired ambiance more
effectively then roses and fancy tablecloths ever could.
“Wedding lighting is really about
what people are always trying to
do with their weddings, which is to
create a certain vibe and atmosphere,”
the New York City lighting pro said.
“Say you’re going to do a wedding
in your office, and you bring in flowers and the tables and you still have
fluorescent lighting,” he said. “It will
look like your office decorated for a
wedding.
“But if I came in and lit the office
and didn’t do any other decorations,
we would have transformed that
space.”
Diann Valentine, a Los Angeles
wedding designer and expert on the
cable station Wedding Central, agreed
that lighting should top brides’ decorating priority lists because it “allows
us to program the mood of an event.”
That might mean changing the
intensity of light throughout a wedSee LIGHTING, Page T18
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T18
LIGHTING
Lighting
Weddings by Teresamarie
ding — dimmer for cocktails, brighter
for dinner, for example — or using
it to completely change the feel of a
room.
Rainer Flor, who married wife
Candice last month at singer Gloria
Estefan’s Costa d’Este in Vero Beach,
Fla., said lighting effects enhanced the
“Miami chic” atmosphere they were
looking for. With floor lights and strategically placed LED lights, he said,
the room, right off the beach, “looked
almost like an aquarium.”
Central Florida wedding planner
Karry Castillo, who helped design the
Flors’ wedding, said effects can range
from simple spotlights on particular
room features or decorations, to lighting motifs and patterns on walls, floors
and ceilings.
In addition, lighting effects can be
relatively inexpensive, anywhere from
a few hundred dollars to thousands,
depending on complexity.
“In many ways, lighting not only
enhances the elements you have in
place, but it can also give you a lot more
bang for the dollar too,” Castillo said.
Meeker is particularly fond of using
pink and amber light bulbs, though he
warns that those colors must be used
cautiously (“There is ugly amber”).
Dimmed incandescent light is another
of his favorites.
Particularly in closed rooms, he
said, use lighting that’s appropriate
for the setting — fixtures that can be
absorbed into, rather than take over,
the larger setting.
“It has to look beautiful so when the
guests walk in they lose their breath,”
Meeker said.
Make sure light isn’t so glaring —
or dark — that it distorts or distracts
from the wedding party.
And choose soft, flattering colors
to create a serene atmosphere, particularly by quelling strong lights. “Lighting can change so much that people
really feel good about themselves,”
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BENTLEY MEEKER / The Associated Press
CREATE A SERENE ATMOSPHERE by using soft, flattering colors and
toning down strong lights at your reception venue.
Meeker said.
Meeker sometimes works with
crews 120 strong, and charges anywhere from $4,000 to $500,000 to
custom light a wedding. But there is
plenty that brides and wedding planners with more limited resources can
do quite simply, he said.
One cost-free suggestion: Dim the
lights.
“If you want to transform a space,
you put everything on dimmers,” he
said.
Meeker says he dims lights some-
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what darker than you’d expect (“Your
eye adjusts”); whether you can see your
shoes and laces clearly is a good barometer or whether you’ve hit it right.
Other wise advice: “Ask your
mother or mother-in-law-to-be, and if
it’s not too dark for her, there’s your
atmosphere.”
Meeker also suggests this fairly
inexpensive trick: Use small spotlights
(about $30 each, he said) to highlight
architectural or decorative features
around the wedding space.
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T19
Last-minute change
of place? Don’t panic
Pre-wedding
hurdles can
usually be
fixed in time
By ALICIA CHANG
ASSOCIATED PRESS
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jennifer
Cassista expected that her 18-month
journey to the altar would include a
few stumbles.
A mixed-up order, perhaps. An
incorrect size. A meltdown or two.
She didn’t count on having to book
a new venue less than three months
before her May nuptials because her
first choice closed down.
Of all the troubles that can arise
during wedding planning, having the
location fall through at the last minute
is perhaps the most trying. Couples
tend to decide early where to tie the
knot, and every other detail is linked
to that. When a seemingly perfect spot
unexpectedly evaporates before the
big day, it sets off a domino effect.
Real-life stories of desperate brides
abound on Internet message boards
and vendor blogs. With many world
economies weakened in the last few
years, it’s not uncommon for restaurants or event spaces to go out of business, leaving couples in the lurch.
Pre-wedding hurdles usually can
be fixed in time, said Tampa, Fla.,
wedding planner Lauren Grove, who
keeps the “Every Last Detail” blog.
For couples who find themselves
venue-less before the big day, the
priority should be fighting to get the
deposit back.
Those who can’t need to rethink
their budget when searching for a plan
B venue, Grove said.
“Hopefully the losses wouldn’t be
too severe, and they would be able to
reschedule and have their dream wedding day,” she said.
Luck and resourcefulness saved
the day for Cassista and her fiance,
Tom Bryan. They had thought they
had found their dream ceremony site
when they booked a resort lodge not
far from where they lived in Ontario,
Canada, in March 2009. During a
walk-through, the wedding coordinator gushed about an upcoming renovation to erect a new vow-exchange site
down by some rapids, complete with
a lush garden and pew-style seating.
Though the couple had to use their
imagination, they trusted the resort
to deliver.
Things became suspicious when no
one returned Bryan’s calls or e-mails
when he asked for updates on the project. This past spring, he received a call
from a resort front desk receptionist
saying the place had gone bankrupt.
Cassista and Bryan started dialing
other venues on their short list. All
were booked on their wedding date,
See CHANGE, Page T21
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The Associated Press
GUESTS AT THE wedding of Sarina Chhay and Brian Harnett are shown
outside of Radius in Boston. Of all the troubles that can arise during
wedding planning, having the location fall through at the last minute is
perhaps the most trying.
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T20
Friend
Friends preside at
approximately one
in seven weddings
are generally recognized, laws vary
widely from state to state, sometimes
from county to county. Some states
require ministers to register after they
are ordained. In Louisiana, parishes
ask for a letter of good standing from
the church, while Las Vegas requires a
four-page application and background
check.
Last year, about one in seven weddings were performed by a friend of
the couple, according to The Wedding
Report, a research firm.
Andre Hensley, president of the
non-denominational Universal Life
Church, which has been issuing ordination credentials since 1962, believes
more couples are turning to friends
because of the Internet, which makes
the process easier, and because of
many people’s lack of affiliation with
a church.
“I’ve gone to weddings where the
ministers didn’t know the couple or
anything about them. It didn’t have
a special feeling,” said Hensley, who
estimates that his church has ordained
18 million people. About 3,000 to
5,000 are ordained every month, a
number that has steadily increased
over the last 10 years, Hensley said.
It takes about 24 hours for the
church to process an ordination
request, all of which are reviewed by
a live person, he said.
Janis Jones, a 27-year-old Chicago
nurse, asked her older sister to perform her wedding this June.
“Neither of us belong to a church,
and we liked the idea of incorporating
prayers and the religious aspect into
the ceremony, but we didn’t want to
be married by someone we don’t know
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at all and who didn’t know us,” said
Jones, who has been dating her fiance,
Eric Strand, for six years.
The couple turned to Jones’ sister,
Vicky Rappatta, who has been happily married for 10 years, has a background in writing and had always
been a motherly figure to her younger
sibling.
“I was so honored and so moved
that they wanted me to be such a huge
part of their wedding. Now, I’m getting terrified,” joked Rappatta, who
plans to write an original wedding
prayer for the couple.
Rappatta said she researched the
legality of the ordination process,
including checking with the county
where her sister will be getting her
marriage license.
“The last thing I wanted to do
was get a fake ordination,” said Rappatta, who got her credentials from
American Marriage Ministries, whose
website boasts “over 10,000 marriages
performed!”
Kirsten Nichols, whose October
wedding was performed by her husband’s cousin, asked a co-worker who
is an ordained minister to be on hand
at the service — just in case.
“If you find out after the fact that
you are not legally married, it can definitely put a damper on things,” said
Nichols, who lives in Montgomery
County, Md.
Nichols, who is Christian, and her
husband, who was raised Muslim,
wanted a spiritual ceremony that
would “focus on us coming together
under God, not on the fact that we are
of two different faiths.”
At Alexander’s lakeside wedding in
Iowa, her minister-bridesmaid Raley
also served as personal attendant, and
helped decorate for the reception —
all of which lent an air of comfort and
familiarity to the ceremony.
“It helped that she was the one
standing up there for us,” said Alexander, a fourth-grade teacher who lives
in Rockwell, Texas, outside Dallas.
“I wouldn’t have wanted it any other
way.”
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By GREGORY KATZ
ASSOCIATED PRESS
BUCKLEBURY, England (AP) —
Kate Middleton’s picturesque country
village of Bucklebury is never going to
be the same.
Tour company operator Adrian
Morton plans to send bus tours to
Bucklebury, where Middleton was
raised in privileged style some 55
miles (90 kilometers) west of London.
He hopes they will be filled with
visitors looking to experience what he
dubs “Kate Middleton country,” figuring the home of a likely future queen of
England should provide a draw.
Americans in particular seem
transfixed by the upcoming royal
spectacle of Middleton’s April 29 marriage to Prince William at Westminster Abbey in London.
“There seems to be more interest
in the States than in our own country,”
said Morton, who has long-standing
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royal wedding.
Adrian Morton anticipated some
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bad press, like ‘What do you think
you’re doing sending great big coaches
round our little country roads?’ but
I haven’t heard anything negative or
positive,” he said.
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CH A NGE IN PLA NS
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Change
T21
T
Best advice in a
crisis: Relax and roll
with the punches
a
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Tangles will be at the 27th Annual
Courier Bridal Showcase on Tuesday,
February 1, 2011 at the University of
Findlay Koehler Center.
May 29.
“We were in desperation mode. It
was like, ‘Oh my God, we have to do
this all over again,’” Bryan said.
Bryan’s father, who sells computer touchscreens to restaurants,
suggested Golden Beach Resort on
the south shore of Rice Lake, east of
Toronto.
Cassista and Bryan weren’t
impressed by the space’s website, but
in desperation decided to check it out
in person. Not only were the grounds
better than the first place, but the
dance floor was larger. An added
bonus was that it was available the
day they wanted, and was cheaper
than the previous resort too.
With the new venue locked in, the
couple spent the next several weeks
redoing invitations and notifying
other vendors.
Looking back, Cassista said, she
was willing to change the wedding
date if they didn’t find a backup in
time.
“You just need to relax and roll
with the punches. Things will happen
in every bride’s planning,” she said.
“Be levelheaded and try to figure it
out.”
Self-described foodies Sarina
Chhay and Brian Harnett worked
their connections to turn a pre-wedding near-disaster in their favor.
The couple were set on holding
their reception at Great Bay restaurant, a seafood restaurant close to
Fenway Park in Boston. But the economy had other plans. After six years in
business, the restaurant was shuttered
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stylists and book your Bridal Party.
Tangles is a beauty salon and luxury
day spa offering combined salon and spa
Bridal Specials!
STACEY WRIGHT / The Associated Press
JENNIFER CASSISTA and Tom Bryan (center) celebrate with members
of their wedding party during their wedding at the Golden Beach Resort
on the shore of Rice Lake, east of Toronto. The couple had to change their
venue three months before the wedding when their first choice closed.
at the end of May 2009, three months
before their wedding.
They scurried to find a replacement, calling more than 20 places and
visiting half a dozen, with zero luck.
“There was a feeling of helplessness,” Chhay said. “I was losing sleep.”
Harnett had an idea. As a last
resort, he reached out to the restaurant’s events manager, who promised
to check with the other sister restaurants to see if they could host their
wedding.
Fortunately, Radius, known for
modern French cuisine, was available. The couple went with it since it
was where they shared their first fine
dining experience. In September, they
celebrated their one-year anniversary
there too, the chaos all but a memory.
“It goes to show that you can plan
a wedding in two months,” Harnett
said.
Both Cassista and Bryan, and
Chhay and Harnett managed to get
their money returned.
A Toast To You!
Champagne • Wine • Beer
Gift Baskets
Let us work with you to ensure
your wedding celebration is a
fantastic occasion.
Reserve “Uncorked” for
your Bridal Shower
or Brunch!
419.424.0391
540 s. main st., findlay, oh
mon.-sat. 10am-7pm
Christina and Christoph Schumacher had a laundry list of things go
wrong before they said their “I dos”
in June 2008.
Many couples worry about the
weather not cooperating, but for
the Schumachers Mother Nature
unleashed a flood a week before their
wedding in a small Indiana town,
triggering a state of emergency. The
state park where they planned to have
their wedding was shut down because
of lack of water, and it was unclear
whether it would reopen in time.
With no backup plan, the couple
contacted several politicians and
explained the situation. In the end,
they were able to use a log cabin at the
park for their ceremony, but the guest
lodgings were off-limits. After saving
the venue, they scrambled to find
motel rooms for out-of-town guests.
It rained on and off the day of the
wedding, but the Schumachers managed to have their first dance and
cake-cutting outside.
401 West Main Cross Street • 419-427-8500
ww.tanglesbeautysalon.com
Give your
Wedding that Special
touch... Favors, Mints,
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www.dietschbrothers.com
400 West Main Cross - 1217 Tiffin Avenue
419.422.4486 - 419.423.3221
T22
DESTINATION W EDDING
THE COURIER
Nicole K. Frick
Hair & Make-up Artist
419-384-7551
607 Sherman St. Pandora, Oh 45877
321 S. Main St.
Findlay, Ohio
419-422-0808
Banquet Room Available
The Associated Press
ONE OF THE five rooms available at the South Court Inn in Luray, Va. is shown. Business leaders in Page County,
Virginia, where Luray is located, are marketing the area to couples planning destination weddings.
•
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Bridal Showers
Rehearsal Dinners
Corporate Meetings
Birthday Parties
Beer &
Wine
Available
Call today for information and menu pricing.
Destination: Virginia
Virginia county hopes to cash in on weddings
By JEREMY HUNT
DAILY NEWS-RECORD
LURAY, Va. (AP) — Page County
is known for attracting all manner of
tourists, including campers, hunters
and boaters.
But business owners and tourism
officials hope to draw attention to and
capitalize on another demographic
that’s increasingly drawn to the area:
Chocolate
Memories
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•
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We offer inexpensive
homemade chocolates for
Wedding Favors
Shower Favors
Chocolate Candy Buffets
Attendant Gifts
Contact Kathy
419.387.7142 • [email protected]
brides.
While couples from all over the
country and even around the world
come to Page County to get married,
the vast majority of the weddings are
for couples from Northern Virginia.
Given the success so far in recent
years, business leaders are looking
to ratchet up Page County’s share of
the market in the upcoming wedding
season next year, which begins in late
spring.
Luray was recently featured in an
article about destination weddings
posted on the website of TLC, a cable
television network that highlights
weddings, among other topics.
The town was listed at No. 2 in the
article, “10 Beautiful Destination Wedding Locales in the United States.”
See VIRGINIA, Page T23
Catering to Your Tastes
Snook’s
Dream
Cars
J&J
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For All Occasions
13920 County Home Rd.
Bowling Green, OH
419-353-8338
419-422-6871
1-800-589-8274
www.snooksdreamcars.com
Limo, LLC
Accommodations
• Contemporary Guest Rooms • Jacuzzi
Suites • Continental Breakfast • Indoor Pool
and Whirlpool • Fitness Center • Conference
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• Fax and Copy Machine • Sundeck
• Walking-Jogging Track
For Rates and
Reservations Call
24 Hour Answering
Service
941 Interstate Drive • I-75 & U.S. 224 • Exit 159
For Reservations Call: 419-420-1776
www.holidayinnexp-findlay.com
Weddings, Parties
and All Occasions
Class Act
by Bob Norris
Northwest Ohio’s
Premier DJ Service
419-472-4465
www.classactbybobnorris.com
a mile of shoreline along the South
Fork of the Shenandoah River, according to its website.
Eco-conscious brides and grooms
can forget about having a white wedding and go “green” by taking their
vows at Khimaira Farm.
The working goat farm is owned
and operated by Campbell’s family,
whose members pride themselves
on their sustainable operation. That
includes incorporating and recycling
all possible materials used in weddings.
“That’s just near and dear to our
hearts, being conservationists,” said
Linda Campbell, Briana’s mother and
vice chairwoman of the Shenandoah
Valley Soil and Water Conservation
District’s board of directors. “We’ve
had an organic farm from the beginning.”
The Campbells’ foray into the wedding business began somewhat by
accident after another of their daughters, Julena, wanted to get married on
the farm in 2005. The following year,
they decided to market the venue to
the public.
Now, Khimaira Farm is booked
solid every weekend between May
and October, sometimes holding backto-back weddings on Saturdays and
Sundays to keep up with demand.
Wanting to know the economic
impact of weddings to the county as
a whole, the Campbells interviewed
clients, wedding guests and family
about their activities surrounding the
nuptials, Linda Campbell said.
The Campbells added up hotel
bookings, shopping, meals, tourism
and other activities during one weekend when Khimaira hosted two rather
large weddings.
“It was very close to half a million
dollars for that weekend. That was
two rather large events,” she said.
“It’s encouraging to see that even in
today’s economy.”
Information from:
Daily News-Record
http://www.dnronline.com
T23
Picture Perfect Wedding Party Gifts
Switchflops
By Lindsay Phillips
214 W. Front St., Findlay
Hours: Mon-Fri 10:30-5:30 • Sat. 10:30-3:30
Change your look, not your sole!
Available in many colors and styles.
Every party needs
a few NUTS!
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1016 Tiffin Ave., Findlay, OH
419-423-1355
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Gina Lynne
Floral & Design
www.ginalynnedesign.com
Your wedding dream, big or small, will come true
...custom designed especially for you!
Bridal Bouquets & Corsages
Ceremony & Reception Decorating
Fresh Cut or Silk Stylish Bouquets
Rentals
318 W. Sandusky St., Findlay, OH
419-425-4562
Ad upside down by request
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with color - rich, gorgeous
shades that’ll make you
look twice. I’m talking
sheer mineral makeup
that glides on and
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looks that are ready to
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about ideas that’ll awaken your
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Janine Johnson
419-236-1220
www.marykay.com/jjohnson7
C. Marie’s
Photography
Jackson Hole, Wyo., was No. 1.
“A lot of the places on this list
were chosen for their scenic beauty,”
the article states. “(Luray) certainly
has that in spades, what with being
seated at the foot of the Blue (Ridge)
Mountains.”
But the article pointed out that the
area is known as much for its beauty
belowground thanks to its caverns,
a popular tourist attraction. Luray
Caverns was specifically noted in the
TLC article.
Luray Caverns has hosted more
than 450 weddings, John Shaffer,
director of public relations, said in a
statement.
TLC’s designation expedited
planned efforts by the Luray-Page
County Chamber of Commerce to
market the area as a wedding destination, and now officials are tying the
network’s article into their plans to
ring more out-of-towners’ wedding
bells.
“We’re definitely taking steps to
try to maximize and capitalize on
this,” said Briana Campbell, president
of the chamber. “We’re just thrilled,
obviously.”
Campbell, who became president
of the chamber earlier this year, said
the organization plans to promote
Page County as a wedding location
early next year. The idea sprouted
from her own family’s recent success
in the business. Owned and operated
by her parents, Khimaira Farm began
hosting weddings three years ago.
The chamber is communicating
with its members to pool together
all their resources, which will be
compiled on its website as a one-stop
shop for brides-to-be. Florists, hair
stylists, caterers and venues all will
Courtney Frederick
Couples drawn to
area’s scenic beauty
567-208-8149
be featured on the Web page, expected
to debut in the next couple of months.
The Page Valley, nestled between
Massanutten Mountain to the west
and the Blue Ridge Mountains to
the east, has a plethora of venues for
couples to choose from, depending on
their tastes.
The aforementioned Luray Caverns provides a natural — and undeniably unique — backdrop without the
potential disruption of poor weather.
The historic Mimslyn Inn in downtown Luray, built in 1931, offers a classic, formal setting, manager Jim Sims
said.
The Mimslyn reopened three years
ago after the Asam family, which purchased the hotel in 2005, completed
an extensive $7 million renovation
project.
Following the renovation, Mimslyn
began hosting weddings, and its popularity has steadily increased since,
Sims said.
About a dozen couples wedded
there the first year after the reopening. In 2009, that number doubled,
and this year, it nearly doubled again
to about 40 weddings, Sims said.
The Mimslyn has gained national
prominence as a wedding destination,
having been featured in bridal magazines “Modern Bride” and “Bride
Today.”
“It’s grown sort of naturally,” Sims
said. “When the tourism (industry)
took a big hit last year, for us, from a
strategic planning point-of-view, we
had to look for other areas, and the
weddings market was it.”
One recent wedding party spent
about $52,000 on food alone, Sims
said.
For those looking for an intimate
setting, the South Court Inn Bed and
Breakfast in Luray caters to “couples
seeking quality times together,” its
owner Tom Potts said in a statement.
Outdoor weddings in the natural
settings of Rivers Bend Ranch and
Khimaira Farm are also popular,
Campbell said.
Rivers Bend Ranch, located west
of Stanley, is a working quarter horse,
cattle and guest ranch, with more than
Professional Wedding & Portrait Photographer
Virginia
DESTINATION W EDDING
cmaries-photography.com
THE COURIER
Kathy Lammers-Maas
419-969-4613
www.marykay.com/klammersmaas
BANQUET ROOM
Accommodates Up To 65 People Call:
Rehearsal Dinners, Bridal Showers,
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419-257-3299
Buffet Available 6am-10pm
Full Menu 24 Hours A Day
12906 Deshler Rd.
(SR18)
N. Baltimore
T24
THE COURIER
419-425-4999
www.michaeleller.com

The Courier

Transcription

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