LaWanda and Page are two women from the heart of Tennessee.  They had a dream – for LaWanda 30 years in the making – and they made it happen.

They first contacted us in March – and never returned my call.  Then one day in late May – I got a text saying that they could not do it.    Who knew I was going to be taken on the adventure of my life?  I’m so lucky.  With very little money – LaWanda and Page decided to travel to DC to make their dream a reality.  They hired us to take care of all the logistical details.  We answered questions, responded to their needs, found and booked a venue, hired a photographer, helped with scheduling and travel.  You know what?  It’s hard getting around DC if you are unfamiliar with the layout.

From the first time I met them, I knew they were special.  LaWanda had been married 3 times – and remained unhappy for decades.  Her last husband loved her so much, that he put her feelings into words – brought her out of the closet – and the rest is history.

LaWanda spent the whole day readying herself for her special moment.  The colors were yellow blue and red – for Page who was a lover of Donald Duck.  She sewed beads on her dress and placed colored rings in her bouquet.

The ceremony took place at the WWI Memorial – the significance to Page was astounding.  After the ceremony, they took pictures on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to cheers or joy and congratulations from onlookers.

It was so cool.

Just looking at the video warms my heart.

LaWanda and Page said that they would like me to share their video and pictures with the world.  They felt it was important to share their love with all of you because they felt that DC was making incredible strides towards equality.

So here world (or the small part of the world that reads this blog) is Denise (everyone calls her by her last name – Page)  and LaWanda’s magical day (edited).

This is what Washington DC is about.  These two women!

Congratulations LaWanda and Page!

Pretty and pastel.  Perfect for weddings!

Sweet and sparkly, no?

Starlight Royale

2.25 cups squeezed lime juice (1.5 oz/ shaker) plus more for rims

1.5 cups Gin (2 oz/shaker)

0.5 cups of superfine sugar (2 tsp/shaker)

1 bottle of Brut Champagne (or sparkling wine) (4 oz/shaker)

Sanding sugar for rim

Grenadine for pink hue

Mix lime juice, Gin and super fine sugar and chill until ready to serve (2 + hours).

To serve dip glasses in lime juice and sanding sugar to create 1 inch thick coat.  Add champagne to shaker filled with ice.  Add 3.5 oz of gin mixture.  Strain into 2 glasses.  Add 2-3 drops of grenadine to each.

Thanks to Martha Stewart Weddings for this pretty drink

Happy planning!

Comfort is key! Anybody who knows me, knows that I’m all about comfort.  Having hurting feet can shift your focus from the the glory of the day – and the wonderful man that you choose to spend the rest of your life with – to painful and swollen feet.   Yuck.  Pain can affect everything, walking , pictures, dancing – the total enjoyment of your day.

Not fun.

And totally annoying.

Ballet flats are cute for the Bride, the Bridesmaids, Jr. Bridesmaids and flower girls.

You can do some fun things with color!

Guess what ladies?  They don’t even have to be made of satin.  There are beautiful ones out there made of breathable leather.  Comfortable and breathable – imagine that!

Happy planning!

Blush Bridal Boutique, just 30 minutes outside of DC, carries Justin Alexander.  There are more choices out there ladies.  If you don’t want to go in, call and see.  You can have elegant Silk, bamboo, hemp and more.  Justin goes up to size 20 and can be custom ordered in larger sizes.

You don’t have to be thin in order to sport natural and sustainable fabrics.

Happy planning!

Vienna by Billy Joel

Happy dancing!

The Jewish wedding consists of 7 parts, the first of which is signing the Ketubah.  The term Ketubah, which is the Hebrew word for “to write” refers to the traditional marriage document.  The traditional Ketubah is written in Aramaic – and stipulates that a husband must provide for the basic economic resources (food, shelter and clothing) for his wife.  The Ketubah also spells out what a husband must provide in the case of divorce – depending upon her status before they got married (virgin, divorced, etc).

While the Ketubah was created for the protection of women (the husband to provide for his wife’s well being), as you can imagine, during the 60’s (when the social and economic status of women began to change) it came under attack for being unfair to women.

And so, there was born the modern Ketubah.

Couple’s today are using Ketubot (plural of Ketubah) to creatively formalize their ideas on their relationship and new marriage -together.  They are using poems and unique text to demonstrate how they will love and support one another, build a family and weather a storm together.  Modern Ketubot are written in Hebrew, and are often translated into English under the Hebrew text.

Traditionally the Ketubah was signed before the Chuppah ceremony, and was signed by the Bride and Groom and 2 non-blood related males as witnesses.

Today, in a more liberal setting – almost anything goes.  Couples have given their guests an opportunity to participate in this beautiful tradition by signing the Ketubah during the wedding ceremony.  Couples have invited women and family members to witness the signing.  Modern couples have made it a very special rite of passage – in so many creative and inclusive ways.

Happy planning!

Thanks to The Ketubah Maven and My Jewish Learning for the information.

I’m not much of a scotch drinker, but if I’m going to take a taste, it better be good.

So, I went on a search for drinks containing Johnnie Walker Black Scotch Whisky.

Check out this monster

Four Horesemen of the Apocalypse

What fun!

WOW, this drink will “Light you Up”!

Even though the drink is NOT good for a wedding,  Johnnie Walker works well on a classy bar!  YAHHHOOO!

Happy planning!

I think it’s a great look and feel for the “right wedding”.  To pull it off, you have to choose everything with careful consideration.

In all honesty, I’m not so fond of doing spandex on the guest tables.  It looks really cool and all, but I’m not sure it’s too comfortable for your guests.  Try it out and see what you think.

It’s a look.

Happy planning!

Thanks to atozpartyrental.net and weston-events.com for the samples

Have you ever wondered what 100% recycled means?  Dealing with clients and their stationary needs – I have.  I wanted to provide a great resource of terms for you – but many seem ambiguous – and frankly, confusing.  In my search I ran into an article that address many of the misconceptions – that I had at least.  It was eye opening!

I thought this article would be great tool for you as well – so you understand what you are getting.  I think it’s important to know so that you can make the right decisions for you and your Eco-friendly wedding.

Knowledge is power!

Take a look

How Well Do you Know Recycled Paper?

It addresses recycled paper misconceptions, gives useful terms and talks a bit about tree-free alternatives.

Happy stationary choosing!

Happy planning!