bridal section

CelebrationsJanuary 2011 • Journal & Courier • jconline.com

Go digitalwith onlineinvitations

Page 7 Weddingson pointe

Brides become ballerinasin dance-inspired gowns

Page 6

2 Celebrations jconline.com | Friday, January 14, 2011

When shopping for diamond rings, remember 4 CsBy GANNETT

Finding an engagement ring thatfits a woman’s style, personalityand is flawless in appearance canbe challenging. But when incorpo-rating the 4 Cs during a purchase,chances are youwill choose theright diamond.

Carat, color, cutand clarity are theproperties to lookfor in a diamondand they add upto affect cost andappearance of thestone.

Carat:Dia-monds are mea-sured in metriccarats equal to 1⁄5 ofa gram. In general,the heavier a dia-mond is the more valuable it is. Buta bigger stone is not always better.

The other Cs affect a diamond’sappearance and radiance.

Cut:Cut dictates how light trav-els through the diamond to provide

maximum radiance. The better thecut, the more sparkle. Cut is thendivided into type of cut with roundbrilliant being the most traditional.

Clarity:This refers to thenumber of imperfections in a stone.Diamonds are rated on a scale of

flawless (the rar-est andmost valu-able) to inclusions(which containsmore imperfec-tions).

Color:Maybethe easiest qualityto tell with thenaked eye. Mostdiamonds containsome color, withvalue increasingas they approachcolorless. TheGemological In-stitute of America

rates diamonds on a scale fromD(colorless) to Z (light yellow).

Today’s styles range from tradi-tional to custom and contemporarydesigns, said Lucian Lee, ownerof Hale’s Jewelers in Greenville,

S.C., but the most popular tend tobe princess cut and round bril-liant, both of which provide a lotof sparkle nomatter a stone’s size.Mountings and bands are moreoften white metal like gold orplatinum.

The vintage style, with a largestone surrounded by smallerones, is gaining momentum. Newtechnology also has refined the waysmaller diamonds are cut, allowingfor a high sparkle factor even at alower carat.

Gannett file photo

Consider carat, color, cut andclarity when choosing a dia-mond engagement ring.

Celebrations 3Friday, January 14, 2011 | jconline.com

From table to topper, make your cake stand outBy JOJO SANTO TOMASGannett

If you are planning to take theaisle waltz and need to choose acake, there are afew things to keepin mind.

Use the advancetime to plan out thecake itself, from de-sign to color themeto flavor.

Here’s a listof things to keepin mind when itcomes to your cake:

Cake top-pers/ornaments.When picking anornament or caketopper, considerthe dimension andweight. Choicesinclude “bride andgroom” orna-ments or a floralpiece that matches your weddingcolors. New techniques and molds

allow for many types of edibleornaments, so check with yourdecorator.

Fresh flowers as a cake top.When using fresh flowers, make

sure they arearranged withpicks or con-tainers andnot directly onthe cake. Mostfresh flowersand greeneryare treated withpesticides.

Cake table.Have a sturdytable ready upondelivery of thecake. The caketable shouldbe covered anddecorated beforethe cake is placedon top.

Cost. The de-sign, flavor, type

of frosting, the number of layersand the difficulty in constructing

your dream wedding cake all addup. Decide on a cake budget beforeplacing your order.

Delivery. Make sure you askif your cake decorator can deliverthe cake and if there is an ad-ditional charge for delivery. Also

include a contact person to receivethe cake.

Cancellations.Make sure youunderstand the terms of the con-tract for cancellations. A percent-age of most deposits are non-re-fundable.

Associated Press file photo

TheMartha Stewart dovecake topper brings whimsy toyour wedding cake.


Bridal makeup should boost natural beautyByWENDY CAMPBELLGannett

The wedding day is one thatcalls for perfection. The bridemust look her best. A photogra-pher will capture her every move,so she wants to make sure hermakeup is flawless.

No matter your experience, youare wondering whether to counton yourself for the big day or lookelsewhere for help. There is onething to keep in mind — your wed-ding day is not the day for experi-menting.

“The wedding day is a big dayfor the bride and groom, but moreso for the bride, in most cases,”said Sheryl Schwartz, imagespecialist with Studio Twenty-8in Pensacola, Fla. “A bride wantsto look perfect on her weddingday. She wants to be wearing theperfect dress, the perfect shoes,and she wants her makeup to beflawless.”

Should your dream weddingmakeup be delicate or extrava-

gant? Remember that weddingmakeup is aimed at making youmore beautiful, not changing you.

Wedding makeup should bedelicate, radiant and fresh. Thecolors depend on the appearanceof the bride, her skin type. Makeupshould also blend with the dress.

If you don’t like strong makeup,use a natural or mineral kind. Youwill still get the color you needbut without the heavy feel on yourface.

Foundation is the key. Choose agood color for your skin, and workfrom there.

After makeup, it’s on to the hair.“Doing someone’s hair for a

wedding is something very spe-cial,” said Amy Johns, hair stylistwith Studio Twenty-8. “This issuch an important day. A bridewants her hair to look perfect forthe wedding day. She wants to lookgreat for the wedding photos.”

Hairstyles vary from person toperson.

“A bride that has long hair mostof the time will want it pulled up

and fixed in a special way for herwedding,” Johns said. “Sometimesshe will choose to let it all hangdown, but especially for the moreformal weddings, up is always agreat choice for the hairstyle. Youcan leave some of the hair down

and then add some ringlet curls ifthe hair is straight. And if the hairis already curly, pull some up andlet some curl hang down.

Source: www.wedding.theknot.com


By LORI HOLCOMBGannett

If your goal is to retain at leastsome part of your wedding gown,there are plenty of options toconsider:

• Preserve it. Preservationcompanies recommend taking ac-tion immediately to prevent stainsfrom setting in. Some dry cleanersoffer wedding gown cleaning andpreservation services or sell kitsto send the dress off to companiesthat specialize in preservation.These companies clean the dressand place them in a pH-neutralbox. The kits are available atauthorized dealers; visit www.gownpreservation.com or a wed-ding website, such as theknot.comfor more information or to finda preservation company in yourarea.

• Repurpose it. If you wouldlike to stretch your dress’ usewithout giving it away, try incor-porating it into meaningful decor.The train could be used as trim-

ming in a baby blanket or to start afamily quilt. Some of the tulle andbeading could be used to adornphoto frames with pictures fromthe wedding.

• Donate it. By donating yourdress to Goodwill, the SalvationArmy or a similar group, you cangive someone who might not beable to afford a full-price dress theopportunity to also feel like theprincess you were on your big day.

Another option that will notonly extend the life of your dressbut also enrich someone else’sis to donate your dress to BridesAgainst Breast Cancer. This groupresales wedding gowns and do-nates the proceeds to the MakingMemories Breast Cancer Foun-dation, a group that grants finalwishes to women and men suffer-ing from terminal breast cancer.For more information, visit www.bridesagainstbreastcancer.org

• Sell it. There are plenty ofbrides looking for good deals, andeBay, wedding website messageboards or local consignment shops

that will share the profits with youare easy ways to unload the dressand get a little bit of return on yourinvestment.

• Reuse it. Celebrate a weightloss or special anniversary by hav-ing pictures made of you and your

hubby in wedding attire at alterna-tive venues.

•Got a sense of humor? A littlecreative makeup and you’ve got agreat bridezilla, bride of Franken-stein or a zombie bride Halloweencostume.

What to do with your dress after your big day


Ballet-inspired looks dance into bridal shopsBy TAYA [email protected]

Tana Lewellen of Logansportchose a whimsical ballgown towear during her September wed-ding this year.

“The way we met and every-thing was kind of like a fairy taleand when I was looking at dressesI thought, ‘I want that fairy taleending,’ ” the 22-year-old said. “Sowhen I put it on, it was perfect.”

The dress has ballet inspirationlaced all throughout its design.It has a corseted bodice with asweetheart neckline that lacesup the back. The skirt, whichLewellen described as “very balle-rina at the bottom,” is voluminoustulle reminiscent of a tutu. Sheplans to pair the regal gown withballet flats to complete the look,she said.

Although ballet-inspireddresses are not a trend this year,bridal gowns are moving in adirection that incorporates manyelements of the ballet. Classictulle gowns similar to Lewellen’sare making a comeback and moreof these ballet-inspired dressesare expected to show up in bridalboutiques by fall of this year, ac-cording to design directors andretail managers.

“It seems to have occurredbecause the trend in bridal ismuch lighter and ethereal,” saidDan Rentillo, design director andDavid’s Bridal Style Council mem-ber. “With the release and public-ity surrounding ‘The Black Swan,’it will no doubt have an impact on

bridal design and fashion inspira-tion in general.”

Erin Kantz, assistant managerat The Bridal Boutique &Mr.Penguin Tuxedo in Lafayette, saidshe has seen the trend in bridalmagazines from late last year andthese magazines are what set thepace for dress trends the followingyear.

Also, it takes time for trends totrickle into Midwest stores, shesaid.

“I definitely think it could be atrend for 2011,” she said. “It’s inthe magazines and it’ll becomemore popular with the girls here.They kind of wait to see what’sthe new big thing.”

Some of the design elementsof ballerina-inspired dressesincludes corseted bodices, tea-length and tulle skirts, Kantz said.

Other elements such as feath-ers, flowers, ribbons, horsehairand crystal beading can appear tobe inspired by the ballet. Fabricssuch as tulle, satin and organza areall common design elements, notto mention the tiaras and balletslipper-style shoes, Rentillo said.

Kantz said the ballet evokes asense of femininity.

“A lot of girls want to feel grace-ful and feminine on their wed-ding day,” she said. “A little girldreams about being a ballerinaand dreams about her weddingday as well.”

Lewellen said her dress fitthat fairy tale ending that she sodesired.

“It’s like every girl’s dream,” shesaid.

By Brent Drinkut/Journal & Courier

CourtneyMcWaine models a ballet-inspired wedding gown.


By TIM [email protected]

In a digital world, local couplesare still putting out wedding invi-tations on paper.

But for Lee and Tiffany Good-ing, their October 2010 weddingsaw only a fraction of their invitesgo through the mail.

Most ended up in friends andfamily’s inboxes. Lee Gooding,29, works in IT and graphicsand thought an e-mailed invita-tion would allow people to RSVPquicker. A link took guests to apublic website that held all of theceremony and reception details.

“It was depending on theperson,” Gooding explained. “Weknew who is on the computermore and who to send a traditionalpaper one.”

The Goodings did create a printinvitation through Vistaprint.com and then scanned one to sendthrough the Internet. A link wasimbedded into the invitation toRSVP and to go to the couple’s site.

“If I could go back, I’d put (thelink) on top of the e-mail,” Good-ing said. “That’s something Ishould have changed —make thatvery visible at the top.”

Through Vistaprint, the Good-ings received 150 invitations andenvelopes for $50. However, theyonly ended up mailing out about50 of them. There were 155 guestsat the wedding.

The digital experiment was asuccess, Gooding said. He foundthe digital invites fromWedding-Wire.com easier to keep track of.

“No one complained about it,”he added. “I really don’t feel it wasmuch different than the paperone.”

But sometimes tradition winsover the new and cutting edge.

“I would do more mailed invita-tions,” said Oliva Casas, who willmarry JasonMilbeck on Oct. 22.“To me, it sounds more formalthan an e-vite.”

Casas andMilbeck are just start-ing to explore their invitation op-tions. They have a designer friendwho worked on their save thedate cards and may use him again.Those cards were mailed insteadof Christmas cards about a monthago. Casas said invitations won’tbe sent out until “10 or 11 weeks”before the big day as half of theguests are coming fromMichigan.

Just like choosing a caterer,wedding cake or photographer,choosing invitations is anotherdecision to make and the digitalrealm gives couples more to thinkabout.

Amy Bogan will marry DavidLedman on July 16 in Lafayette.They decided on print invitationsand added their own decorationsand embossments.

“We considered using an onlinesite, but with elderly family andfriends we went with the postcardroute,” Bogan stated.

The postcard style reduced costover envelopes with multiple cardsand paper.

“I priced some not very appeal-ing ones at $1.75 each up to $3.97,which is crazy,” she added.

Melissa Perez, owner of Scis-sors in the City, is still deciding oninvitations for her July 2 weddingin downtown Lafayette. She andfiance Shawn Harrison sent mag-nets to their more than 200 guests

as a save the date. The businesscard-sized magnet had a picture ofthe couple and a quote fromMarkTwain on it.

Perez has eliminated printingher own invites and using up herprinter ink. And she will stay awayfrom digital due to past experi-ences with online party invita-tions in e-mail and Facebook. Shedoesn’t trust all of her guests torespond online or even open up ane-mailed invite.

While the look of the invita-tions should be considered, gettingthem to the guest and getting themto respond on time are the mostimportant parts of the invitation,Perez believes.

“I think nowadays people arevery bad at RSVPing,” she said.

RSVP is just a click away with online invitations

Photo provided

Lee and Tiffany Gooding sent mostof the invites for their October2010 wedding via e-mail.

8 Celebrations jconline.com | Friday, January 14, 2011 Celebrations 9Friday, January 14, 2011 | jconline.com


When things go wrong, let etiquette be your guideBY ELIZABETHWILLISGannett

Of course, something’sbound to go wrong the dayof your wedding.

The cake your auntmade arrives in a mushypool. Themicrophonescreeches as your bestfriend does the reading.The officiate loses yourvows and tries to “wing it”frommemory.

To help you throughsome of those tough deci-sions, we’ve enlisted thehelp of Emily Post, whoselegacy of etiquette andmanners live on in hergreat-great-granddaughter, AnnaPost, and The Emily Post Institute.Anna Post has authoredmultiplebooks, including “Do I Have toWearWhite,” and answered someof the most common questionsabout wedding faux pas.

Question:How do you trim theguest list?

Anna: If the guest list is toolarge, you have one of two choices:You can extend your budget or youcan limit your guest list. If moneyis not negotiable, which is verycommon these days, look at howthe list is divided. Youmight let thebride and groom chose 50 percent,and their parents the other half. Ifthere are stepparents involved, thepie might be sliced even further. It’snicer if you can do that beforehand.

Q:How do you approach guestswho haven’t sent an RSVP?

Anna:Call them up and ask.

Direct is best, I think, but a kind ofdirect that doesn’t reveal that theyare annoying the pants off you. Tryenlisting close friends and fam-ily, maybe bridesmaids if they arewilling, to help. Plan to make thosecalls about one week before you re-ally need your final guest list.

Q: Is it OK to send first and sec-ond rounds of invitations?

Anna: I think it’s oftenmoretrouble than it’s worth, not just inthe form of potential hurt feelings.Send them all at once and expectthat about 10 percent will not beable to attend.

Q:How do you ask for cashinstead of gifts, without soundinggreedy?

Anna: It’s not wrong to ask for it.It’s wrong to demand it. The choiceof gift is always up to the personbuying it. That said, most peoplewould like to knowwhat’s reallyuseful to you. If that happens to be

cash, traditionally informa-tion about your registry wasgiven by word of mouththrough close family.

Q: If someone is single,are you obligated to include‘plus-one’ on the invitation?

Anna: It’s OK to say no,so long as this person isnot engaged, married, lifepartnered or living togetherwith a significant other. Theyare a package deal at thatpoint. If someone asks foran exception, it’s best if yoube consistent and say no, butend on a high note.

Q:What do you do ifsomeone shows up unin-vited?

Anna:This is one of the hard-

est because to turn someone awayat the door is very difficult. At thispoint they’ve put you in a verytough spot. I think the graciousthing is to make room at a table.Follow up later and say, ‘I appreci-ate you came, but it made if verydifficult for me.’

Q:How does the couple broachthe question, ‘Who’s going to payfor this?’

Anna: It’s common today to haveany type of financial mix, especiallywhen family members might bedivorced. If the bride and groomknow that they need help, it’s bestto have these conversations earlyon. Try to have a loose idea of howlarge or small the wedding could beand have some possible locationsin mind.

Gannett file photo

Weddings are stressful, but a little etiquette canhelp couples get through the toughest situations.


By JULIA HAYSGannett

To couples out there prepar-ing for their big day, the mostimportant person to find after youchoose a mate can be the weddingphotographer.

The photographer will not onlybe with you during the eight tonine hours of your preparation,ceremony and reception: The mo-ments his or her camera captureswill last a lifetime.

As Joshua Stern of JS Photog-raphy in Cherry Hill, N.Y., puts it,“Once the day’s over, the musicstops, the food has been eaten,what you’re left with to cherish isthose photographs.”

Couples can avoid scramblingsearches and complications byapproaching the task of findinga photographer with a plan inmind and a vision of what they’reseeking.

Finding the photographerJust like venues get booked,

photographers have busy sched-ules as well, which can fluctuatewith the seasons.

Experts say October and Mayare the most popular monthsfor weddings and recommendfinding a photographer once theceremony and venue locationsare booked, approximately ninemonths to a year in advance.

Knowing the demands of a de-sired photographer are importantas well.

As Bill Kovnat of K & K Photog-raphy in Cherry Hill points out, if

a region has many bar andbat mitzvahs booked twoto three years in advance,it’s important to book adesired date as soon aspossible.

Photographers recom-mend referrals as well asresearch.

Most say it’s good to getrecommendations fromclients who have workedwith the photographer,seen the results and knewtheir attitude on the bigday.

Style and personalityMost professional pho-

tographers have the tal-ent, but it’s important for couplesto also find one with similar taste.

“Look to see if the style is moretraditional, posed shots, or a pho-tojournalistic style, like candids ina newspaper where the photogra-pher is trying to tell the story ofthe event,” said Stern.

Looking through albums cantell a couple how a photographerworks, and it’s important to askwho will be shooting the event.Some places have multiple pho-tographers.

Much like a wedding guest ormember of the bridal party, thephotographer will spend hourswith the couple, and should meshwith them.

“Following the event, we’re to-gether anywhere from six monthsto a year,” says Kovnat.

Photographers are bookedin advance to spend a day with

a couple and may stick aroundto retouch proofs and complete

albums.

Important questionsThe three Ps of book-

ing a photographer foryour wedding are prices,packages and proofs.

Studying a package isimportant to know whatservices are included andwhich ones require ad-ditional costs.

Kovnat says it’simportant to sit downwith a photographer tobrainstorm ideas, discusslocations and times andto develop a script andmultiple plans to makesure that on your big day

the shutter goes off without ahitch.

Focus on search for photographer well in advance

Gannett file photo

Diana Lynn Newby, 31, of Memphis, Tenn., poses forher wedding photographer, Carine Tran, in the lobbyof the International House in New Orleans.


Try timeless glamour of vintage wedding gownsBy SAMANTHA CRITCHELLThe Associated Press

NEWYORK—There’s some-thing romantic about the idea ofa vintage wedding dress, with thewonderful stories it could tell.Maybe there’dbe some delicatelace, too, orexquisite siren-worthy satin.

Reality,though, isn’talways so pretty.

Some vintagedresses arethose perfectgowns youdream of, saidMark Ingram,CEO and cre-ative directorofManhattan’sMark IngramBridal Atelier,but others aretoo costume-y,too dated or,more likely, sim-ply ill-fitting.

“You canreach back tosome vintageeras and lookas contemporary as buying a newdress. But,” he said, “you have toconsider your figure first and fore-most. If the dress isn’t flattering toyour figure type, just don’t go downthe road.”

Cameron Silver, owner of theLos Angeles couture vintage shopDecades, suggests these questions

to ask — frankly — of yourself:Do you need to wear a bra? Do

you have a boyish figure? An hour-glass shape?What about your hips?All of these, he said, are factors inbuying any wedding gown, but par-ticularly those meant to fit women

of previousgenerations.

Silver, aresource forHollywood red-carpet looks,also warnsthat finding apristine whitevintage dresscan be hard,and that agood vintagedress, if it’s notan heirloom,can bemoreexpensive thanyou’d think.Even with yourgrandmother’sdress, therecould be priceyalterations.

“Don’t dothis because youthink it’s theeasy way out,or that it’ll be

cheaper,” adds Ingram. “You haveto want it — you have to want tohave this look.”

If you’re partial to embroidery,look at gowns from the 1920s-’30s,while sultry, satin gowns comeout of the ’40s.Womenwith a fullbust might look to the curvier ’50ssilhouette, said Ingram,WETV’s

“gown guru,” while mini-dressesof the ’60s are cool, yet hard to pulloff unless the event is casual or thebride prides herself an individual-ist.

Silver said that’s usually the casewith those whowear vintage. “Thisbride doesn’t want to look likeeveryone else.”

Still, you can hit contemporaryfashion trends. Something from the’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 over-size pouffy shoulders and taperedsleeves.

A bride’s goal often is a timelesslook, since the photos will hope-fully last a lifetime, but each era stillhas its signature, saidMichael Shet-

tel, designer of bridal brand AlfredAngelo. Youmight be best off witha classic silhouette, while adjustingembellishments and details to cur-rent tastes, he suggests.

Wedding-gown trends don’tswing as quickly as ready-to-wearfashion, he explains: Of course,white always dominates the marketand the overall vibe is fancy, butwhen you line them up, you’ll seedifferences in the size and types ofpearls and beads, changes in popu-lar lace patterns, hemlines going upand down.

“Youwant to make it your own,while still honoring whoever worea vintage dress before. ... Maybeyou’d like to make it a little morelow-cut, a little more fitted, maybegive it a fuller skirt,” Shettel said.

By SethWenig/The Associated Press

Lace and beading contribute to thevintage look of this Monique Lhuil-lier wedding dress.


By DIANAMARSZALEKThe Associated Press

You’d be hard pressed to find abride who doesn’t make flowers,centerpieces and tablecloths apriority when it comes to creatinga certain mood for the wedding.

But talk to wedding lightingdesigner Bentley Meeker — whoseclients have included ChelseaClinton and Catherine Zeta Jones— and he’ll tell you that simpletricks, such as changing the colorof light bulbs, can create the de-sired ambiance more effectivelythen roses and fancy tableclothsever could.

“Wedding lighting is reallyabout what people are alwaystrying to do with their weddings,which is to create a certain vibeand atmosphere,” the New YorkCity lighting pro said.

“Say you’re going to do a wed-ding in your office, and you bringin flowers and the tables and youstill have fluorescent lighting,” hesaid. “It will look like your officedecorated for a wedding.

“But if I came in and lit theoffice and didn’t do any otherdecorations, we would have trans-formed that space.”

Diann Valentine, a Los Angeleswedding designer and expert onthe cable stationWedding Central,agreed that lighting should topbrides’ decorating priority listsbecause it “allows us to programthe mood of an event.”

That might mean changing theintensity of light throughout awedding — dimmer for cocktails,

brighter for dinner, for example— or using it to completely changethe feel of a room.

Rainer Flor, who married wifeCandice last month at singer Glo-ria Estefan’s Costa d’Este in VeroBeach, Fla., said lighting effectsenhanced the “Miami chic” atmo-sphere they were looking for. Withfloor lights and strategically placedLED lights, he said, the room, rightoff the beach, “looked almost likean aquarium.”

Central Florida wedding plan-ner Karry Castillo, who helpeddesign the Flors’ wedding, saideffects can range from simple spot-lights on particular room featuresor decorations, to lighting motifsand patterns on walls, floors andceilings.

In addition, lighting effectscan be relatively inexpensive,anywhere from a few hundreddollars to thousands, depending oncomplexity.

“In many ways, lighting not onlyenhances the elements you havein place, but it can also give you alot more bang for the dollar, too,”Castillo said.

Meeker is particularly fond ofusing pink and amber light bulbs,though he warns that those colorsmust be used cautiously (“Thereis ugly amber”). Dimmed incan-descent light is another of hisfavorites.

Particularly in closed rooms, hesaid, use lighting that’s appropriatefor the setting — fixtures that canbe absorbed into, rather than takeover, the larger setting.

“It has to look beautiful so when

the guests walk in they lose theirbreath,” Meeker said.

Make sure light isn’t so glaring— or dark — that it distorts or dis-tracts from the wedding party.

And choose soft, flattering col-ors to create a serene atmosphere,particularly by quelling stronglights. “Lighting can change somuch that people really feel goodabout themselves,” Meeker said.

Meeker sometimes works withcrews 120 strong, and charges any-where from $4,000 to $500,000 tocustom light a wedding. But thereis plenty that brides and wed-ding planners with more limitedresources can do quite simply, hesaid.

One cost-free suggestion: Dimthe lights.

Simple lighting tricks create ambiance

The Associated Press

Bentley Meeker designed the light-ing at Billy Joel’s 2004 wedding.


ByMONICA RHORThe Associated Press

Jessica Alexander’s weddingwas everything she had envi-sioned: a private gathering by hersummer house on an Iowa lake.There was a pink and purple colorscheme, a butterfly motif, anda dessert bar rather than a fullmeal.

And, wearing a short peri-winkle dress designed “to showoff her legs,” was Alexander’sminister and bridesmaid, Anna-Megan Raley, a close friend whowas ordained online specificallyto perform the ceremony.

Raley, a blogger for the Hous-ton Chronicle, didn’t even knowshe had been ordained untilAlexander and her mother sprang

the news at the bridal shower.They had already paid a $25 feeand filled out a form with her

name and address,making her the Rev.Raley.

“I thought it wasa joke. I’m sure thatI put it on Facebookand Twitter,” saidRaley. “But I hadheard about peoplegetting ordained toperform weddings.

So, I said: ‘Sure, I’d love to.’ ”Nontraditional? Perhaps.A growing trend? Definitely.More and more engaged

couples are turning to friends orfamily members to perform theirwedding ceremony. They say it ismore personal, relatively stress-

free and cheaper.It is also surprisingly fast and

simple.Getting ordained requires little

more than finding an online min-istry that performs ordinations,and filling out a short form withyour name and address. Somewebsites require a nominal fee forpaperwork; others don’t chargeanything.

Prospective brides and groomsshould look into the website andlocal marriage laws, however, tomake sure the ceremony would bevalid. Although online ordinationsare generally recognized, lawsvary widely from state to state,sometimes from county to county.Some states require ministers toregister after they are ordained.In Louisiana, parishes ask for a

letter of good standing from thechurch, while Las Vegas requiresa four-page application and back-ground check.

In 2009, about one in sevenweddings were performed by afriend of the couple, according toThe Wedding Report, a researchfirm.

At Alexander’s lakesidewedding in Iowa, her minister-bridesmaid Raley also served aspersonal attendant, and helpeddecorate for the reception — all ofwhich lent an air of comfort andfamiliarity to the ceremony.

“It helped that she was the onestanding up there for us,” saidAlexander, a fourth-grade teacherwho lives in Rockwell, Texas,outside Dallas. “I wouldn’t havewanted it any other way.”

Friends go from wedding guests to wedding celebrants

Raley


By CARYN ROUSSEAUThe Associated Press

With friends and family headedto her California wedding from allover, bride-to-be Carrie Shieldsdecided online organization waskey.

“Really the wedding websitewas one of the first things we did,”the 32-year-old public relations di-rector from San Diego said. Shieldsis marrying fiance R.J. Jones, 36,who was born and raised inWales.

“I knew people were goingto have a lot of questions aboutwhat to do and how to get there,”Shields said. “I wanted to make itfun and personal. I kind of jumpedright on things because peoplewere traveling so far.”

Wedding experts at The|Knot.com and its partner WeddingChannel.com say this year’s annualsurvey found 64 percent of bridesnow have a website to share de-tails with guests about ceremonyand reception logistics, registryinformation and travel accom-modations. Web companies exist

that allow couples to host weddingsites for free while others charge afee for access to fancier templatesand tools.

The page Shields created has apersonal and creative flair. It fea-tures a blue and orange frame witha brown background.

“A lot of the people coming over,they’ve never been to America,”Shields said.

Experts at WeddingWire.comrecommend that couples launchtheir website at least six monthsbefore the wedding date to giveguests as much information as ear-ly as possible. That allows enoughtime to make travel arrangements.WeddingWire also offers otheronline tools, including a programthat lets guests RSVP directly fromthe website.

Carley Roney, editor andfounder of TheKnot.com, said hersite andWeddingChannel.comtogether host more than 500,000wedding websites for couples.

“It’s a simple, easy way of com-munication,” Roney said. “It’sreally like going to the website for

a restaurant or a concert event.Everything is in one place.”

That’s why more weddingwebsite addresses are appearingin fancy fonts on the bottom ofprinted invitations.

“You’re going to want to give

the same information you alwaysneeded to have on an invitation:the name, location, time of event,”Roney said.

But things like dress code orbaby-sitting services can be savedfor the website.

Couples share ‘big day’ details on wedding sites


Frugal brides-to-be find DIY inspiration onlineBy DORIE TURNERThe Associated Press

After the I dos and ’til deathdo us parts, they’re the two littlewords every bride waits to hear onher wedding day: “How creative!”

At least, that’s what I wantedto hear after I got married lastSeptember before 90 guests in anoutdoor ceremony at an antebel-lummansion in downtownMem-phis, Tenn.

Artsy to the core, I longed tocreate the perfect handmade wed-ding, with clever details that myguests wouldn’t see anywhere else.I wanted to highlight my personalstyle and undying love for beingcrafty and gluing stuff together.

And with a budget of $10,000, Iwanted to save a little cash.

Already an avid shopper at theonline artists marketplace Etsy.com, I knew when my beau, John,proposed that it was the first placeto start looking for unique items,and to get ideas for what I couldmake myself.

Etsy sales have risen quickly

since it began in 2005, reaching$180 million last year thanks inpart to a burgeoning wedding sec-tion with thousands of handmadewares, said spokesman AdamBrown. Brides can peruse every-thing from typewriter-key cuf-flinks to a personalized ring-bearerpillow.

Wedding blogs such as 100Layer Cake, Style Me Pretty andEtsyWedding also promote hand-made wedding fare and artsy style.Online bridal message boards lightup with suggestions when brides-to-be ask about how to maketheir own table numbers, or craftlanterns out of baby food jars andtea light candles.

Do-it-yourself wedding decora-tions and favors have become sopopular that TheKnot.com andMartha Stewart Weddings — thearbiters in all things bridal — nowhave sections dedicated to brideslooking to break out the hot-gluegun.

“In generations past, weddingswere very similar, but now peoplewant to put their own unique

spin on their wedding,” said Re-becca Dolgin, executive editor ofTheKnot.com. “They want it to bedifferent from someone else’s, andthese DIY details really make thathappen.”

Not everything that can be DIY

at a wedding should be, though.There are some things best left tothe experts.

Dolgin recommends that brides— even the most frugal ones — hirepeople to take care of the food,cakes and photos.

bridal section

Documents

cake table

onthe cake

type of cut

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cake budget beforeplacing

tobe princess cut

color themeto avor

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