“Rachel Getting Married”

This movie looks pretty funny, actually. Hathaway plays the sister of Rachel (the one getting married). She’s a self absorbed, chain smoker who just escaped from rehab. Her family has a love-hate relationship with her choppy hair and boisterous personality. The plot thickens when their alienated mother shows up at the rehearsal dinner. All in all, this movie seems like a funny movie to see when perhaps you are stressed about you own wedding plans. The movie takes place in Stamford and Fairfield Connecticut.

New trend in India: Pre-Wedding checks

In India, the first step to planning a wedding is no longer hiring a florist, finding a great dress, or a spectacular reception hall. Lately, the latest trend is to hire a private investigator to check on you prospective bride or groom!

This has created a wealth of business in India as most marriages are either arranged between families or through personal adds. As a result, the partner-to-be has his or her prospective partner investigated to assure that they are who they claim to be. Although there has been an increase in wealth and modern conveniences in India, it remains very traditional. Many of the marriages that occur in India are not love matches but arranged marriages. People are finding that many of the ads do not disclose the number of divorces or affairs one may have had.

Typical ads will state that a woman is decent, pure, homely, and god fearing which are all good characteristics in Indian culture and mean that the woman will be good in the home. A man’s ad may state that they are religious, warm and caring, and a member of a wealthy family. This would translate to mean that they would be a good provider for the family. Investigators are finding that some people are the exact opposite of their ads.

As the India economy continues to grow it will be interesting to see if this trends grows with it as modern growth and deep rooted traditional beliefs collide.

Picking the perfect wedding dress

It is hard to believe it has been ten years since I was looking for the perfect dress. I remember spending hours studying the wedding magazines and wishing I could afford a beautiful Vera Wang dress. But sadly, I did not come into a fortune by winning the lottery or by inheriting money from a rich dying uncle. So I had to pick out a more reasonable dress that still made my dream come true and didn’t hurt my already screaming savings account.

When looking for THE dress, it is important to remember a few things….First, be sure to leave yourself plenty of time to try on many, many dresses from a variety of different shops and boutiques. Trust me, you don’t want to rush into a decision and end up with something Britney Spears wore at her many weddings. Second, try on a wide variety of different styles. A friend of mine always talked about wearing a dress that was off the shoulder but when she tried on some dresses she found that she actually like one with long lace sleeves. Third, have a clear idea of the time of year you are getting married. Summer can be hot and winter can be cold. Bottom line is you want to be comfortable. Lastly, if you are looking for a bargin, consider some of the annual sales like the Running of the Brides in Boston or some bargin stores like David’s Bridal. There are so many knock-offs these days. You can still get the dress you dream about without breaking your budget.

Save the Dad’s Dance

Choosing the right song to dance with your father at your wedding can be very difficult because you want it to be sentimental and perfect. Well, instead of stressing out about it, why not hand that duty over to your father? Or, make a compilation of songs that remind you of him. In my case, my Dad actually surprised me with his own compilation of songs. I loved every second of it, however, wish he had let me hear it beforehand because I cried my eyes out!  The mix consisted of pieces of the following: Butterfly Kisses, The Way You Look Tonight, You are So Beautiful, and Isn’t She Lovely, where he then spun me around to show off his “lovely” daughter. It was really sweet. The point is, sometimes it’s best to forget the traditional and do your own thing.

What to do with bridal party flowers at a reception…..

Many people take their bridesmaids bouquets and lay them flat on the head table at an angle. This does look nice, but if you want to take extra care of the flowers, here’s an idea that I did at my wedding. My florist actually cut me a good deal on stainless steel vases, which I then had monogrammed with each bridesmaids’ initials. That way, there was a place for the flowers at the reception, and my bridesmaids were able to take a beautiful vase home with them as an added gift plus a great memory of the special day.

Ellen and Portia Wedding Song

I am a huge Ellen fan, and try to watch her show everyday. I happened to catch her second show of this season and she showed some video of her wedding. The wedding song she chose for her and Portia is absolutely beautiful. It’s called “Today” by Joshua Radin. Check it out on this Youtube link.

Hey! You may even like it for your own wedding song!

Say Yes to the Dress!

This month on The Learning Channel (TLC) begins the series “Say Yes to the Dress!”. The series focuses on the premier bridal salon, Kleinfeld Bridal. Each show focuses on a few brides who are looking for the “it” dress and the bridal professionals who try to make miracles happen for each bride.

I think there are two critical lessons from this new show.  One, not every dress is right for each bride. Sometimes what you think will look great on you may not fit your body structure.  Two, remember to stay calm. Every person involved in helping a bride find the “it” dress want the nest for the bride. No matter how daunting the task of finding a dress is, you will find the dress that is right for you. Allow yourself the time to discover your dress.

Check your local listings for days and times.

What Happens In Vegas

It has been a while since I have seen a movie that I thought was truly laugh out loud funny. This weekend my husband and I rented the movie What Happens in Vegas which stars Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher. The story goes something like this: Successful girl has uncommitted boyfriend who breaks up with her in an all too familiar and yet incredibly embarrassing way – his surprise birthday party. No direction guy just looses his job. His father is the owner of the company which just makes the firing that much more funny as they play a game of basketball for his job. In the midst of both characters woes, they and their best friends decide to go to Vegas. Where else would you go to have some fun and forget about you troubles?

As you may guess, the ending is a happy one but the adventure in getting to the ending was laugh out loud enjoyment for this married couple. There are so many movies out there about marriage and love. In my opinion, it is the adventure as you grow as a couple and reach the aisle that can be the most interesting and the most memorable. How many people love to tell the story about how they met? Even my grandparents who recently celebrated their 62^nd wedding anniversary still light up as they tell their story of their adventure in New York City. Take picture, write down your story, and share it with the world….who doesn’t like a good love story?love

Cell Phones at a Ceremony

Seven Year Itch Party

On August 30th, LeAnn Rimes and her husband, Dean Sheremet hosted a “seven year itch” party. In an interview with people magazine, Rimes said “..she wanted to remember how excited they are about each other…”. The festivities were held at the calistoga ranch in Napa Valley, California.  The party incorporated a seven course meal in the ranch’s wine cave. The following day they watched their wedding day video.

I think that this is a great idea. So often, the impression of the 7th year of marriage is when it typically crumbles. Congratulations to LeAnn and Dean on celebrating and reflecting on their seven years together and looking forward to their future with the family and friends who support them!

Check out the entire article and pictures featured in the September 15, 2008 issue. Photo taken by Joe Buissink.