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Featured Wedding: Abril & Mark – Wild Horses Couldn’t Drag them Away

Why start a featured wedding with the title of a Rolling Stones song? We couldn’t resist when we saw that the Bridal Procession was to the song “Wild Horses.” Intriguing. Even better to end your ceremony with a procession to Coldplay’s “Viva la Vida.” So we were hooked before we even saw the gorgeous photography provided by Jennifer Lindberg Photography!

The setting for the wedding of Abril and Mark was held at the glorious Laguna Gloria Museum in Austin, Texas (now the Austin Art Museum – Laguna Gloria — a personal favorite and must see when visiting Austin). The couple met while at SMU. She was attending the prestigious law school, while Mark was there getting his MBA.

Her stunning wedding gown is Monique Lhuillier. “This was the gown of my dreams,” explains Abril.  “When I first saw it online, I knew it was THE dress.  I tried it on and I was right. I only tried a handful of other dresses and nothing compared.”

A few special notes the bride wanted to share. “My mom is a china painter and she hand painted every single small porcelain dish (our guest favors). Our (dog) kids, Austin and Ema, were there to celebrate with us and I individually cut by hand every Westie shaped escort card!”

Other wedding vendors include: Hair & Makeup – Tanya Carpenter, owner of TRU Salon in Dallas; Floral Designer – Prive Floral; Wedding Planner – CLINK; Cake – Michelle’s Patisserie

Kindred Spirits – Kevin & Courtney

Photographer Andy Marcus, a StrictlyWeddings.com’s New York partner, shared one of his fabulous weddings with us and we’re thrilled to share Courtney and Kevin’s special day with you as well.

Kevin and Courtney met at Villanova University during their freshman year of college. They were in the same core humanities course and spent time together during a field trip and became fast friends. The summer following freshman year, they began dating, traveling across the country between Dallas and Connecticut to see each other and spent countless hours on the phone.

Her proposal arrived at sunset while the couple were walking on the beach in Bridgehampton. Both sets of parents were waiting at Courtney’s family’s beach house with champagne to celebrate when they returned. They were engaged in August 2009 and had a 22 month engagement (necessary as Courtney and her mom acted as the wedding planners).

The wedding ceremony was held at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, which had always been a special place for Courtney’s family as it’s where they would attend midnight mass on Chrismas Eve. “It always seemed magical,” says Courtney. The President of Villanova, Reverend Father Peter, married the couple and did a very touching homily. At the end of the ceremony, he called the parents up to sing the song ‘May the Road Rise to Meet you.’ “Our parents placed their hands on our backs. This is a Villanova tradition,” explains Courtney.

Floral Designer Dejaun Stroud and Courtney chose bright vibrant centerpieces and bouquets to contrast the navy bridesmaids dresses by Amsale and navy tableclothes. They included opulent displays of lilies, roses, hydrangeas, peonies, and eremurus in varied shades of coral.

The reception was held at the Mandarin. They fell in love the first time they entered the ballroom and knew it was the perfect place for the reception. Courtney and Kevin had their guests tour the city in New York on double decker tour buses before the cocktail hour for a real “classic” feel.

The couple honeymooned at the One & Only Reethi Rah Resort in the Maldives and stopped off at Dubai on the way back to the U.S. Avid travelers, Kevin and Courtney felt the exotic destination was appropriate.

Happy Holidays to all

Merry Christmas to all our wonderful fans and followers of StrictlyWeddings.com. We wish you many blessings this holiday season and safety for you and your loved ones. In anticipation and celebration of our New York City launch, shown below is Rockefeller Center’s famous Christmas tree (not this year’s, but it’s the sentiment we’re going for).

Best wishes,

Jeannine and Kay

10-10-10 is The Magic Wedding Date

Do you know anyone getting married this Sunday? Numerologists claim that the row of ‘perfect tens’ symbolizes not just a once in a 100 years quirk of the calendar, but a ‘powerful moment of rebirth.’

If you do know anyone getting married this Sunday, we’d love to know if you did anything special with your wedding theme or decor?

StrictlyWeddings.com

A Little France in Houston – La Colombe d’Or Luxury Hotel

La Colombe d’Or in Houston, Texas is the home to the World’s Smallest Luxury Hotel. Epitomizing Southern French hospitality, elegance and warmth, La Colombe d’Or is a distinguished Texas historical landmark. Built in 1923 as the Fondren Mansion, the hotel would make a statement for any wedding or reception and the perfect honeymoon suite.

StrictlyWeddings.com – Irish Weddings Customs

From tying the knot to ringing the wedding bells to exchanging claddagh rings, Irish wedding customs add a rich aura of Emerald Isle heritage to the special day.

Indeed, the very language people use to describe a wedding in casual terms, “tying the knot,” comes from Irish tradition. It refers to the old Irish custom known as “handfasting,” in which the bride’s and groom’s hands were tied together during the marriage ceremony as a symbol of their commitment to each other.

Here are just a few Irish Wedding Customs:

• Bells. Rung to chase off evil spirits, small bells may be passed out among the congregants at the ceremony for them to sound as the bride walks down the aisle.
• Magic Hanky. The bride carries a special linen handkerchief that, when the moment comes, can be simply transformed with needle and thread into a bonnet for her first baby.
• Horseshoes. Dating back to the ancient belief that there are magical powers present in the iron from which actual horseshoes are forged, this tradition calls for the bride to carry a tiny horseshoe charm in her bouquet or sewn into the hem of her dress as a symbol of good fortune. Bride and groom may also be given an actual horseshoe as a gift, to hang in their home together. Horseshoes are always placed with their open ends facing up so that fortune won’t spill out.
• Handfasting. This ancient Celtic ceremony involved the tying together of a couple’s wrists as a symbol of their unity. Sometimes, handfasting was considered wedding ceremony enough, without need of an attending priest.
• Claddagh Ring. The traditional Irish design symbolically sums up the essence of marriage. Two hands of friendship clasp a heart for love, above which rests a crown symbolizing eternal honor and loyalty.
• Mead. The ancient, potent brew fermented from honey is served to the wedding couple, with the intention of increasing her fertility and his virility.
• Salt and Oatmeal. To begin the wedding banquet, bride and groom together take three bites each of these down-to-earth, hearth-and-home foods to ward off the evil eye.<
• Kidnapping the Bride. The wedding party traditionally ends with the groom picking up and carrying off his bride, a playful reference to the ancient practice of mead-intoxicated men kidnapping the women they wanted to make their wives.

Interestingly, that last custom, along with the drinking of mead, is also believed to be the source of the common English-language name for the couple’s post-wedding vacation together – the honeymoon.

Source: Norman Kolpas, from Google

Photo courtesy of Liz Shim at EatCakeBeMerry

Happy New Year from StrictlyWeddings.com!

Happy New Year!

All of us here at StrictlyWeddings.com want to wish all of you a wonderful and safe New Year, that will bring you peace and prosperity and much love!

As we look back on 2009, we wanted to share with you some new things we discovered along the way. We so look forward to bringing you the new trends for 2010 as well as continued advice that is helpful to our bride and groom.

Here are some of our favorite things, that came our way this year!

1. The your reception décor does not have to be the standard table and chairs. Photo courtesty of Prop Rock Concepts & Production.

2. That wedding photographers enjoy showing their creativity (it’s not just pictures of the bride and groom or wedding party anymore). Photos courtesy of (top to bottom): Karlisch Photography, Jordan Payne Events, Rick Aguilar Studios, Peter Thurin Photography.

3. That Cake Balls will certainly give the cup cake a run for it’s popularity.

4. That more and more color is breaking the barrier of pastel as the necessary color. Purples, reds, orange and other jewel colors now make a statement in the wedding details. Photos courtesy, of (top to bottom): Jordan Payne Events, Artisan Events, Inc., Karlisch Photography

5. The unique beauty of Indian Weddings – colors, textures, traditions – courtesy of Kehoe Design, Chicago.

And on a final note our favorite brides that made 2009 their year and were featured in our new section – Featured Weddings – thank you for letting us be a part of your wedding.

Blessings to all of our brides. We hope 2010 is a joyous year and that you’ll continue to let StrictlyWeddings.com be a part of that joy.

Sweet Gifts for Your Maids

We’ve not used theses cookies personally, but we just could not pass this by when we recently found it in our “ongoing search” for great ideas for our brides.

Here’s a sweet way to ask your friends to be your bridesmaids (or save the date). The Flour Pot, a bakery in Philadelphia, bakes delicious sugar cookies in the shape of (bridesmaid) dresses and can attach a card with a note inviting your girls to be your maids.

You can customize the color of the cookie’s icing to reflect your wedding colors or the color of the dress you are planning on having them wear. Each cookie is wrapped in The Flour Pot’s signature polka dot gift box and tied with a bow.

While the company is based in Philly, they ship nationwide. And in addition to their “Will you be my bridesmaid?” cookie, they also create cookies as save-the-date “cards” and favors for engagement parties, showers and weddings. Visit flourpotcookies.com to view their complete portfolio.

Talk About Financial Management BEFORE the Wedding

We’ve offered many topics about the wedding and all the “fun” stuff that goes with it. Occasionally, it’s important to address those “less attractive” topics, such as marriage and finances.

We budget our wedding – personalize wedding favors, purchase bridesmaid and groomsmen gifts, budget for bridal apparel and the honeymoon – yet rarely does the couple address the day to day finances after the marriage.

Conflicts over money are the number one problem reported by married couples.

Choose Who Will Manage the Finances
Decide which partner should handle the day-to-day financial affairs. It is common for one spouse to have a good aptitude for money management and organization, while the other spouse does not. It is important to recognize which one has the better skills, and let them keep track of the finances on a daily basis. This would include paying the bills, reconciling the bank statements, and working within a budget or spending plan.

There should always be open communication between both spouses on all financial matters. This is a key point that many couples miss and actually one of the most difficult. To admit that you’re not good at managing your money can be a major hurtle – for both – yet the beginning of a healthy marriage.

Share Accounts
Putting your money in joint accounts is the best arrangement in most cases, and by having joint accounts with the right of survivorship, there are other benefits as well. In the event of a death of one spouse, the ownership will pass directly to the surviving spouse, without having to go through probate and the cost, time, and public record required for probate. So, it is a good idea to have a joint owner or beneficiary on every account.

Work Up a Budget
Working up a budget, or a spending plan, is a very necessary part of financial management. Too many of us have no idea how much we spend each month, compared to how much we earn in income each month. Remember, we’re now paying for additional groceries, dry cleaning and other incidentals.

The trouble begins when we run up credit card debt, and other debts that our income cannot pay for. By using a budget or spending plan, this will help make sure that you are not going to spend more than you make, and will help you achieve financial success, and create the ability to save for things you want in the future.

Couples must work together in managing their finances in an open, committed relationship so that the two become one.

Tips on Tipping

It’s customary to give gratuities to your wedding vendors. But to whom? When? And how much? To add to the confusion, some vendors include a gratuity in their contracts, while others leave tipping to your discretion. Ask before you sign, so that you know whether tipping is optional or contractual. Here’s a breakdown of what to expect and what to do:

When Gratuities Are Expected

Waitstaff at the rehearsal dinner

• How much tip? For parties of 20 or more, a gratuity of approximately 20 percent will automatically be added to the bill.

Wedding-day transportation

• How much tip? 20% of the total cost.
• When to tip: Most transportation companies allow the option of paying in advance or on the day of the wedding.
• Give the job to: the best man. He can be in charge of paying any outstanding transportation bills and tips.

Reception staff (including the manager, maitre d’, waitstaff, bartenders, and powder-room, coat-check, and parking attendants)

• How much tip? 18–20% of final reception bill. (This is usually split between the manager, maitre d’, waitstaff, and attendants.)
• When to tip: The bill and tips are usually paid a few days prior to the reception.

DJ/musicians at reception

• How much tip? $20–$25 for each musician.
• When to tip: at the end of the reception.
• Give the job to: the best man. Have cash envelopes prepared in advance.

When Tipping is Optional

Delivery-truck drivers (cake, rental equipment) and workers who set up rental equipment (tents, tables, and chairs)

• How much tip? $5–$25 per person, depending on difficulty of the tasks.
• When to tip: Upon delivery or post setup.
• Give the job to: The person accepting deliveries or the person in charge of setting up the ceremony and reception sites. Have cash envelopes prepared in advance.

Officiant

• How much to tip? $100 and up. It’s common to make a donation to the church/synagogue or to a charity in the officiant’s name in lieu of a tip.
• When to tip: Donations can be made prior to the wedding, presented at the rehearsal dinner or given after the ceremony.
• Give the job to: the best man, if you wait until the wedding weekend.

Organist/musicians for ceremony

• How much to tip? $20–$25 for each musician.
• When to tip: at the end of the ceremony.
• Give the job to: the best man. Have cash envelopes prepared in advance.

Reception-hall manager/maitre d’

• How much to tip? $30 or more for each, depending on the size of the wedding and the final reception bill.
• When to tip: at the end of reception.
• Give the job to: The father of the bride or the best man. Have cash envelopes prepared in advance.

Waitstaff and bartenders

• How much to tip? $20 per person or 10 percent of the total bar tab for bartenders. (Also, instruct the maitre d’ that guests should not be solicited for tips.)
• When to tip: at the end of the reception. If you are tipping a percentage, you will need to know the final bar tab first.
• Give the job to: the maitre d’. Have cash envelopes prepared in advance.

Powder-room, coat-check, and parking attendants

• How much to tip? Each attendant should receive $.50–$1 per guest. (Also, instruct the maitre d’ that guests should not be solicited for tips.)
• When to tip: at the end of the reception.
• Give the job to: the maitre d’. Have cash envelopes prepared in advance.

Hair and makeup artists

• How much to tip? 10-15% of total cost.
• When to tip: at the end of service.

Manicurist

• How much to tip? 15-20% of total cost.
• When to tip: At the end of service.

Masseuse (pre-wedding massage)

• How much to tip? 15–20% of total cost.
• When to tip: at the end of service.

Tips You Can Ship

Although you can always tip or send a thank-you note for exceptional work, these vendors do not generally receive gratuities for their services:

Wedding consultant
Stationer
Bridal shop
Seamstress for alterations
Tux shop
Jeweler
Cake baker
Florist
Caterer
Photographer and assistant
Videographer
Travel agent for honeymoon
– Anita K. Henry, Modern Bride magazine