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Celebrate your Special Dayin Style with LaRoy’s Hall
LaRoy’s Hall 12375 S. Telegraph Rd., LaSalle, MI 734.243.2456 www.laroyshall.com
Whether your plans are for a shower, the rehearsal dinner or the reception, we will make that special day a memorable occasion with your family and friends. The LaRoy family has been catering to guests for over 38 years. Put our experience and outstanding reputation to work for you!
2 Elegant Ballrooms Class C Licensed BarAccommodate 25-550 Guests
JAN. 19, 2011
HERECOMES
THEGUIDE
Bridal Guide Winter 2011
AP/Photo Illustration by James A. Molnar
12 ■ JAN. 19, 2011 / TOLEDOFREEPRESS.COM “THE MARRIED LIFE IS THE ONLY LIFE.” — GEORGE PETTIE
Weddings • Bridal Showers • Rehearsal Dinners • Cocktail Parties
301 River Road • Maumee • 419-794-8205www.TheLangleyHall.com
The Historic Commerical Building is also home to:
A beautiful room located in a historic building in Maumee’s residential uptown area, Langley Hall can accommodate anywhere from 6 to 110 guests. There are also three private rooms available for your special event. With its scenic river view, Langley Hall has the ambience for any event. From casual to formal, the decor suits any occasion.
Langley Hall is ahandicap-accessible
facility.
Jazz Café & Fine Dining Restaurant
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“TO CHURCH THE PARTIES WENT, AT ONCE WITH CARNAL AND DEVOUT INTENT.” — ALEXANDER POPE TOLEDOFREEPRESS.COM / JAN. 19, 2011 ■ 13
hen it comes to the top trends of 2011, there are two words you need to know:
“Understated Sophistication.”Color creates ambience and mood
and illustrates a couple’s style. As designer John Saladino said, “Th e most important thing about color is that it cannot be isolated ... Every color is only ever seen in jux-taposition with other ones.”
Th e 2011 color of the year is honeysuckle. It’s a very uplift ing color and perfect for 2011 when we are seeing more detail come back into the design spotlight.
But this reddish pink tone is not alone. 2011 brides are pairing colors with a palette of three to four vintage, earthy and sun-washed hues to create their signature look. In the spring and into summer we will see honeysuckle paired with bright blue, navy paired with light pinks and washed pink paired with white and off white.
Late summer into fall we’ll see shades of yellow and green, vintage green with soft pinks and black with pink. Th ese colors will carry into winter as pink will be paired with gold.
Outdoor weddings were big in 2010 and will continue to rise in 2011.
Since destination weddings are out and couples are returning to the comforts of their backyard or
family cottage, the party doesn’t have to end. Th ere’s no time limit like there would be on a rented ballroom. Guests can enjoy entertainment into the
morning with yummy goodies to satisfy their palette.
And speaking of yummy goodies, cupcake “cakes” are
out. Donuts and childhood comfort sweets are in.
We are also saying goodbye to the espresso or cappuccino stations. In are herbal and black tea stations in a variety of herbs, served with natural
sugars. Couples are creating their signature tea blend and serving it with their mono-
gram on the tea tag.As the saying goes, a
bride has to have something borrowed, blue, old and new. Th is year’s something old is trended with Victorian and
vintage inspired accessories. Vintage jewelry, pearls and rhinestones are not just worn on the fi ngers or wrist, but added as accessories to the waistline, dress pick-ups and hair styles.
Making a return from last year are the jeweled-tones, with navy being the most popular. Metallic accessories like gold or silver shoes have been pop-ular for bridesmaids since 2006. We are continuing to see metallic on the feet, but also with over-the-top jewelry, hair accessories, belts and broaches on the bride, bridesmaids and mother-of-the-bride gowns.
And speaking of gowns, the big ball gown is back. When I think of a big ball gown, I think of Princess Diana’s wedding to Prince Charles. Wonder if her future daughter-in-law will follow this year’s trend?
Famous women like Princess Diana were the inspiration for Carolina Herrera’s 2011 spring bridal line. Herrera designed gowns based on famous women of history. Just another way vin-tage is revived.
In bridal gowns we are seeing the infl uence of ballet and the movie “Black Swan.” Dresses, even long ones, have tulle skirts and tight bodices.
Grooms are staying within the theme of sophistication with the return of the bow tie and custom cuffl inks. Instead of renting the common wedding tux, grooms are treating their groomsmen to custom ties and vests for a signa-ture look. Th ese make great gift s.
Beautiful fabrics are not just for the dress. We are seeing luxurious fabrics on the table from ruf-fl es to custom designs and fl ourishing trims. With luxurious tablecloths come soft , simple fl owers and clean-lined table settings with chic modern glassware. Th is creates a balanced tablescape.
Still, we will continue to see simple and chic with a lot of DIY (do-it-yourself) projects to
create the personal, one-of-a-kind touch.Another item brides are keeping simple and
understated in 2011 is the menu. Instead of heavy gourmet foods, brides and grooms are choosing childhood favorites like mac ‘n’ cheese to complement their fi let mignon.
Take a seat. Props aren’t just for fun engagement and couple sessions. Brides and grooms are posed on chic couches with plush fabrics for a more re-laxed, comfortable look. Th is was popular in the ’70s, which makes this trend a bit vintage.
Got royal fever? Th is year’s brides anxiously await the wedding of Kate Middleton and Prince William, but we won’t see those trends take full eff ect until the fall/winter season and then boom in 2012. With so many details unknown and the constant parallels of Kate’s simple, chic style and Diana’s lavish, opulent gown, there’s no telling what we will see. Whichever style Kate chooses will certainly take off with dress manufacturers copying the dress overnight.
Th e 2011 theme of “Understated Sophistica-tion” allows today’s bride to have the platinum look without breaking the bank. Over the top opulence is passé. With DIY touches, and simple luxuries, brides are creating a classic look they are sure to look back and enjoy years to come. ✯
Brittany Craig is the principal event designer and coordinator for Crowning Celebrations. She specializes in weddings and social celebrations. Follow her Eventista blog at www.crowningcelebrations.blogspot.com.
2011 trends include honeysuckle, tight bodices, personal touches
W
THE EVENTISTA
BRITTANY CRAIG
ce and mood are returning to th
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14 ■ JAN. 19, 2011 / TOLEDOFREEPRESS.COM “IT IS NOT GOOD THAT MAN SHOULD BE ALONE; I WILL MAKE HIM A HELPMATE.” — OLD TESTAMENT
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Florists have world at their fi ngertips
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By Sarah OttneyTOLEDO FREE PRESS STAR STAFF WRITER
Couples today have the world at their fi n-gertips, both from an information and fl ower selection standpoint, local fl orists say.
“Fift y years ago, brides were limited to whatever fl owers were in season that they could get locally; there was not a whole lot of choice,” said Frank P. Viviano, president of Bartz Viviano Flowers and Gift s in Toledo, Perrysburg and Oregon. “Brides today come in having done all kinds of research online. Th ey have pictures, they have ideas — our job is to advise them about what works and what’s in their price range.”
Th e old advice about ordering seasonal fl owers to save money doesn’t hold as true anymore, since most ship worldwide and are available year-round without much price fl uc-tuation, said Ann Strickland, special events consultant with Bartz Viviano.
“Th ere are only a few — less than a dozen — that I have to limit myself from selling year-round,” Strickland said.
Th at level of availability paired with brides’ penchants for personalization make it hard to pinpoint trends.
“Out of 20 weddings, I will literally have 20 diff erent ideas for bouquets,” Strickland said.
That being said, Strickland said she has noticed choices trending toward bigger blossoms, softer colors and the addition of natural elements, like twigs, herbs, thistle,
pods and berries, for texture. Others want to add “bling” — sparkly
crystal and diamond accents — to bridal bou-quets and centerpieces, said Jen Cummins, owner of Beautiful Blooms by Jen in Sylvania.
Keith H. Brooks, owner of Keith H. Brooks Florist in Sylvania, said cascade bouquets, as opposed to round, for brides seem to be staging a comeback while, because about half of bridal parties now wear short dresses, bridesmaid bouquets are getting smaller.
One downside of online browsing is some-times couples want things they don’t realize are unrealistic for their price range, although most ideas can be adapted to fi t smaller bud-gets, Brooks said.
Cummins said flowers usually cost 10 to 15 percent of a wedding budget, with couples spending between $1,000 and $3,000 on average.
“We can work on any budget, but it’s im-portant to know what your budget is,” Cum-mins said.
All the fl orists agreed it’s best to nail down key wedding decisions before attempting to plan the blooms for your big day. Th e more information about the venue, colors, attire, theme — even food choices — a couple can bring with them, the better.
“Aft er that we can be in a good position to off er advice; if not, we are just kind of shooting in the dark,” Viviano said.
■ FLORISTS CONTINUES ON 16
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Florists have world at their fi ngertips
“BLEST IS THE BRIDE, ON WHOM THE SUN DOTH SHINE.” — ROBERT HERRICK TOLEDOFREEPRESS.COM / JAN. 19, 2011 ■ 15
Passionate about recognizing and celebrating allthe wonderful occasions and events life surprises us with.
Brittany Craig | 419.297.1133 www.crowningcelebrations.com
www.crowningcelebrations.blogspot.com
16 ■ JAN. 19, 2011 / TOLEDOFREEPRESS.COM “A WOMAN OF 60, LIKE A GIRL OF 6, RUNS AT THE SOUND OF WEDDING MUSIC.” — ABRAHAM COHEN
It’s helpful for brides to bring color swatches and photos of dresses as well as any photos that caught their eye, whether for color, style, con-tainer or any other reason, Strickland said.
Inspiration photos are helpful because “a lot of times the bride tells me one thing, but then shows me a picture and it’s not at all what I was thinking,” Cummins said.
Booking a fl orist six to nine months out is ideal, if only to assure availability for your date, as many are already booking into 2012.
For couples with tight budgets, surrounding a few large blossoms with less expensive fl owers, like Gerber daises or carnations, can fi ll out ar-rangements for less, Strickland said.
A “hand-tied” bouquet, with its just-gathered look, is less expensive than a more formal, labor-intensive, arranged bouquet, Strickland said.
Some brides are choosing to skip bouton-nieres “since men don’t usually care about fl owers anyway,” Cummins said.
One area that should never be skimped on, however, is the bride’s bouquet, Strickland said. “Everything else can be cut, but you might as well make it right for the most important person there,” she said.
Silk fl owers aren’t really a cost-saver since ones that look real are nearly as expensive as fl owers, Cummins said.
Another tip is to reuse as many blooms as possible between the ceremony location and the reception, such as using bridesmaid bouquets for table centerpieces. Ornate venues may not even need extra decoration, Brooks said.
Avoid a delivery and setup fee by having a
family member do the pickup and set up, Cum-mins said.
Of course, there’s also the full DIY route: buying from a chain store and arranging your own blooms. Th is option can potentially save a
lot of money, but should be weighed against the stress it can bring on your wedding day, the fl o-rists said.
A lot has changed, but fl owers will always be synonymous with weddings, Viviano said.
“People have been celebrating weddings with fl owers for eons, since they could pick them out of fi elds,” Viviano said. “Trends come and go, but using fl owers to celebrate this special day is something that will always be there.” ✯
■ FLORISTS CONTINUED FROM 14
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In Lucas County, both the bride and groom must be present when fi lling out an application for a marriage license.
A marriage license is valid for 60 days aft er it has been issued. An or-dained or licensed minister of any religion within the state, who is licensed with the secretary of state as well as a judge in mu-nicipal or county court may sol-emnize mar-
riages. Marriage licenses can be obtained at the Lucas County Probate Court, 700 Adams St. suite 200, Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Th e cost of a marriage license is $50 and must be paid in cash.
What you need:✯ Government issued picture ID (driver’s license, state ID, passport or military ID)
✯ Social Security number (requested but not manda-
tory)✯ Birth certifi cate for those younger than 21✯ Copy of fi nal Decree of Divorce, Dissolution of
Annulment (for those previously married)
✯ Copy of Death Certifi cate (for widows/widowers)Ohio residents must obtain a mar-
riage license in the county where either the bride or groom re-sides. Th ere is no waiting pe-riod on marriage licenses and weddings may take place the same day. For information, visit www.lucas-co-probate-ct.org/MarriageLicense. ✯
Source: Lucas CountyProbate Court web site
How to obtain a marriage license in Lucas County
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18. ■ JAN. 19, 2011 / TOLEDOFREEPRESS.COM “LOVE AND MARRIAGE, GO TOGETHER LIKE A HORSE AND CARRIAGE.’ — SAMMY CAHN/JIMMY VAN HEUSEN
By Sarah OttneyTOLEDO FREE PRESS STAR STAFF WRITER
Couples looking for a unique “wow factor” at their wedding might consider commissioning a personalized ice sculpture. Chad Hartson, owner of Ice Creations in Napoleon, said he and his crew do about 3,000 ice sculptures a year, with about a third of those for weddings.
Possibilities for a ceremony or reception in-clude fountains, drink luges, punch bowls, sorbet dishes, food tables, ice bars, candle holders, wine bottle holders, vases and centerpieces. Hartson has also artfully suspended chunks of ice from string, forming a curtain to hang behind the altar, said Paul Raukar of Ice Dreams. He has been doing weddings for 14 years along with his wife and business partner, Tajana, a seven-time world ice carving champion.
“Guests are used to fl owers or candles on the tables, so it’s something a little bit diff erent,” Raukar said.
Hartson, who has also been carving for 14 years, said ice sculptures at weddings are pop-ular on both coasts, especially in New York and California, and the trend is working its way inward.
“It’s still kind of one of those things people don’t really know about,” Hartson said. “I think more than anything they don’t think it’s possible to do unless we mention it or they see a picture of something we’ve done.”
Hartson said he used to get lots of requests for swans or love-birds perched on hearts, but lately monograms have become more popular. Couples also request
pieces with personal touches, such as a photo or other item frozen inside.
Ice carvers use everything from power tools to hand tools. Details and words are formed by using router bits to engrave the design, which is then packed with snow and refrozen, Hartson said.
“It’s very similar to woodworking, just a lot colder,” Hartson said.
Hartson, who was introduced to ice carving during culinary school and has since received national and international recognition, said a typical wedding sculpture takes about two hours to complete and is usually carved two weeks in advance.
All of his sculptures start from a 300-pound block of ice 40 inches tall, 20 inches wide and 10 inches thick.
Large sculptures are transported to events in freezer trucks and smaller pieces in insulated boxes with dry ice, Hartson said.
One of the biggest sculptures Hartson has carved for a wedding was com-
missioned by Shawn Stockman of Boyz II Men, who was married in Toledo.
Th e pieces are cold enough that it takes six to eight hours before details
starts to blur and 12 to 14 hours before structural melting begins.“It’s melting throughout the night,
but it melts at such a slow pace that details usually last all night,” Hartson said.
Hartson said an average wedding sculpture costs about $270, including delivery, set up, trays
and lights. Ice bars start from $1,250, fountains $350 and centerpieces $75 each (minimum of 10), according to Raukar’s website.
Hartson said he encourages couples to contact him about their dates and ideas as
early as possible, but he has done sculp-tures as late as a week before an event.
Both Hartson and Raukar said
it’s fun to work with couples to make their wed-ding visions come true.
“I just like creating something new all the time, that’s basically what it is,” Hartson said. “I do the ice carving, watch people react to it, it melts and then you get to do it all over again.”
For more information, visit www.icecre-ations.net or www.icedreams.net. ✯
Personalized ice sculptures can be centerpieces, full statues
Chad Hartson
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“NEVER GET MARRIED IN THE MORNING; YOU NEVER KNOW WHO YOU’LL MEET THAT NIGHT.” — PAUL HORNUNG TOLEDOFREEPRESS.COM / JAN. 19, 2011 ■ .19
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From venues to transportation, photogra-phers to fl orists, be sure to follow these few steps to ensure reliable and professional service on your wedding day:✯ History
New or experienced, don’t be afraid to ask how and why they got started in the wedding in-dustry. Even a new professional should be able to share prior experience that led them to this point in their career.✯ References
A well-seasoned wedding professional will have a list of brides, grooms and mothers-of-the-brides, whom you can call upon. Ask for profes-sional references, too. A vendor who produces great product may be diffi cult to work with and unfavorable amongst other professionals. You want all your professionals to work like a well-oiled machine.✯ Portfolio
Ask to see images from their events. While inspiration boards and concept ideas are a fabu-lous way to see a wedding professional’s cre-ativity, it’s best to view actual examples of their work or product. ✯ Web or social media presence
Th is is a great way to see how active they are in the industry and community. A website will show their portfolio and give more detail about their product. Social media avenues like Face-book, Twitter and online planning sites such as OneWed.com will show interaction and reviews.
✯ Staff Be sure to ask if the professional you are
meeting with will be there on your wedding day. And if they say they might not be, don’t be alarmed. Some vendors, such as DJs, can take several weddings or events in one weekend. Th ey usually plan their staff around a client’s needs and style. ✯
— Brittany Craig
How to hire a wedding professional
‘‘
’’
A well-seasoned wedding professional will have a list of brides, grooms and mothers-of-the-brides, whom you can call upon. Ask for professional references, too. A vendor who produces great product may be diffi cult to work with and unfavorable amongst other professionals.
20 ■ JAN. 19, 2011 / TOLEDOFREEPRESS.COM “THERE IS NO SUCH COZY COMBINATION AS MAN AND WIFE.” — MENANDER
never fantasized about my wedding day growing up, but the day aft er I got engaged, I went out and bought a bridal magazine. I was caught up in the excitement and I just
wanted to dive right into planning.Flipping through the
pages of some of the information seemed useful, but most of the weddings I saw would require racking up some serious debt to fund. At bridal shows I looked for tips, but always felt like someone was trying to sell me something.
When it came down to it, the best advice I got came from friends who were former brides.
As a recent newlywed, I’ve decided to share some of what I learned from my wedding day and wedding planning with the readers of Toledo Free Press Star.
✯ Add personal-ization to your wed-ding day. One of the best ways to make your wedding unique is to add per-sonal touches from you and the groom.
My wedding cake had Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head as a topper because we dressed as the couple for one Halloween. We also served pizza at the reception in addition to the dinner because it is my husband’s favorite food. Even if it may seem unconventional, little touches of person-ality can make a wedding more memorable. ✯ Remember the meaning of a wedding. Future brides always hear, your wedding day is all about you, but really your wedding day is about both you and your future husband. It’s the first day of your lives together.
Don’t forget that.It’s very easy to fall into this is what I want;
make sure you step back and ask your fiancé what he’d like.✯ Get organized. I laughed when my mom came home with a wedding-planning binder, but it helps.
You could meet with several venders before choosing the one you want, so don’t assume you’re going to remember everything. Write down what you liked and didn’t like about someone and save it for later. With the plethora of options available for each part of a wedding having a running tab of likes, dislikes and prices will re-ally help.
In addition to a binder, create a checklist for every guest (see image). Make sure there’s a spot to check off if you’ve sent out his or her invitation, thanked him or her for a shower gift and then thanked each guest for the wed-
ding gift. This is a great way to make sure you don’t forget to invite someone as well as thank him or her for
a gift.✯ Ask for help. Weddings
consist of many details and not everyone can af-ford a wedding planner; asking for help and ac-
cepting help from friends will make everything a
little less crazy.My wedding wouldn’t
have happened if it weren’t for the help I got from my
mom. She took care of many of the details I could not. And my older sister designed
my invitations.Don’t be shy about
asking for assistance, but don’t be demanding either. Many people will be more
than willing to lend a hand, but you don’t want to take their gesture for granted.✯ Send out thank yous when you get a gift . It’s common to get gift s sent to your home before a wedding; the best thing to do is sit down and send out a thank you that day. Th ank yous can pile up aft er a wedding and become an over-whelming task, so plan ahead.✯ Check out Th eKnot.com. Th is site has some practical advice as well as some other useful tools for planning a wedding. Plus it contains forums for discussions where you can interact with other brides.
While the site doesn’t contain info on all the different wedding venders in Toledo, it’s still handy and free.
I found the best feature to be the ability to create your own Wedding Website.
Tips from a newlywedI
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THE MARRIED REPORTER
KRISTEN CRISWELL
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■ CRISWELL CONTINUES ON 21
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“A DRESS THAT ZIPS UP THE BACK WILL BRING A HUSBAND AND WIFE TOGETHER.” — JAMES BOREN TOLEDOFREEPRESS.COM / JAN. 19, 2011 ■ 21
Groom’s guide to wedding planningongrats gents on gathering the heart-thumping courage, shaky hands and weak knees to ask the love of
your life if she will spend forever with you! You are officially the groom-to-be. Your fianceé is prob-ably already up to her nose in wedding magazines, color swatches and inspiration boards. Inspiration boards, you ask? Just wait.
While your bride is DVR-ing every bridal show on TV, take a sec to review these 10 tips:
1. Establish your wedding priorities and share them with your bride. What’s most impor-tant to the two of you? Don’t lose site of that.
2. Don’t put the horse be-fore the cart. Marriage is a rite of passage. Th e reception is a celebration of the ceremony. Give heartfelt thought and consideration to planning a ceremony that joins your beliefs and heritages.
3. Talk cold hard money. Th is goes two-fold: Discuss the wedding budget — but fur-thermore, discuss your fi nances. When your bride becomes your Mrs. will you have single
or joint accounts? How and when will you pay your bills? Discuss income,
loans, savings accounts and the mortgage.
4. It takes two. Your wedding day should refl ect
both your styles. By deter-mining your wedding style,
it will make choosing a venue, dinner menus and music easier.
5. Line up your roster and pick “Team Groom.” First ask your best man, followed by your groomsmen and ushers, if needed.
6. While “Team Groom” is planning the bachelor party, you will
have some planning of your own. Th is in-cludes the honeymoon,
which traditionally is paid for by the groom. Today’s grooms are also
planning the music by booking DJs and bands, as well as transportation with limos, vintage cars and specialty buses.
7. Set a timeline — and stick to it. Grooms are notorious for leaving details and reservations to the last minute, thus sacri-
ficing the best wedding pros. Be sure to fulfill your responsibilities. This will help prevent pre-wedding arguments or tiffs with your bride. It will also ensure that you will enjoy a fun engagement.
8. You deserve the best, so hire the best. Ask your coordinator and other wedding pros for recommendations for the best wedding ven-dors. Check the BBB and online websites for testimonials.
9. Look your best on your wedding day. Start a workout routine or maintain your look. Be sure to dress the part with style to compliment your beautiful bride. Rent or order suits and schedule alterations. Be sure to pick them up two days prior to wedding day to ensure the proper fit.
10. Give with gratitude. Shop with your bride for Mr. and Mrs. wedding bands. Also be sure to pick her up something special for the traditional wedding gift . Groomsmen, ushers and parents should be on the list, too.
Grooms, keep in mind the pressure and responsibilities brides are under to plan their special day with their perfect man. If you follow these top 10 tips, you are sure to impress her. ✯
Brittany Craig is the principal event designer and coordinator for Crowning Celebrations. She specializes in weddings and social celebrations. Follow her Eventista blog at www.crowningcelebrations.blogspot.com.
C
THE EVENTISTA
BRITTANY CRAIG
the heart or joint accounts? H
The interface is very user-friendly and it’s a great way to share useful information with your wedding guests as well as share the story of how you and your husband-to-be first met.✯ When buying a dress, think of your long-term comfort. Maybe try and sit down in it for a little or dance around in it. My dress was strap-less and I made the decision, against the advice of my mom, to go one size smaller so I wouldn’t have a wardrobe malfunction walking down the aisle or on the dance fl oor. Huge mistake.
While everything went nicely walking down the aisle, when I finally got to the re-ception and sat down to have some food, I could no longer breathe. I ended up leaving the reception early and coming back in a dif-ferent outfit so I could enjoy myself.✯ Roll with the punches. Wedding days are hectic. It’s very easy to forget things and little things can go wrong. So if you do like I did and forget to bring the wedding ring to the church, take a second, breathe and remember this is why attendants are there to help you get ready. Also, little things that don’t seem perfect at the time might be that way because of nerves and stress. Looking back you’ll see the bigger pic-ture not all the tiny details.✯ Enjoy the day and your new husband. While it may feel like forever for your wedding day to arrive, once it gets here, it fl ies by. ✯
Kristen Criswell is special sections editor for Toledo Free Press. She was married Nov. 13, 2010, in Athens, Ohio. Kristen can be reached at [email protected].
■ CRISWELL CONTINUED FROM 20
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Buying the right ringBy Joel SensenigTOLEDO FREE PRESS STAR STAFF WRITER
Guys, you know you want to spend the rest of your life with her, now it’s time to buy the ring.
“If you’re going to get engaged, you’re going to have to buy a diamond. You’re talking about spending thousands of dol-lars, you want to make sure you get some-thing that’s nice for X amount of dollars and something that’s worth X amount of dollars,” said Maxwell Ohnezeit, manager at David Fairclough Fine Jewelers.
Ohnezeit said the most popular time for men and women to get engaged are around the holidays and during the summer.
Local jewelers reported slightly dif-ferent accounts of how often the men bring their future fianceés with them to look at engagement rings.
Jeffrey Mann, owner of Jeffrey Mann Fine Jewelers, said it was about 50-50 on whether the woman accompanied the man to peruse, while Ohnezeit stated
he meets the female recipient of the ring “well above 50 percent of the time.”
Jennifer Bostleman, managing partner at J. Foster Jewelers, said “very rarely do we have a man just on his own.”
When it comes to engage-ment rings, Mann said he likes to see men take a risk.
“What I tell guys a lot of times if I have the oppor-tunity is, ‘If you surprise her with a ring, it’s always going to be the ring you chose for her,’” he said. “It may not be exactly what she would have picked out, but besides selling jewelry, we also sell sentiment. If she comes in with you and picks out that exact ring that you picked out, you’ve lost that element of surprise and those bragging rights that go along with her telling ev-eryone you picked it out for her. We encourage surprises.”
■ RING CONTINUES ON 23
All three jewelers said it wasn’t how much one spends on jewelry that matters, but how much one knows and the quality of the jewelry that really counts.
“When your fi anceé opens some-thing and it’s a good solid reputable store in Toledo, that shows a lot about what his choices were in buying a ring and what he thinks of her,” Mann said. He touted the Charriol line of products as being representative of the belief that one doesn’t need to spend a lot to get a lot.
“The cool thing is you don’t have to spend more money to get the best, you just have to be edu-cated so you know what’s impor-tant,” Ohnezeit said. “We sell en-gagement rings that are $500 and we sell rings that are $100,000. It just depends on where somebody’s at in their life.”
Bostleman said J. Fosters has a large selection of semi-mounted and loose diamonds that allow men to create their own ring “a la carte.” She said one carat is the most pop-ular size, with princess and round being the most desired cuts.
Bostleman said, “We don’t care if you spend $1,000 or $15,000, we just want to be your jeweler. We’ll find you the best ring for your money.” ✯
“MARRIAGE IS A MISTAKE EVERY MAN SHOULD MAKE.” — GEORGE JESSEL TOLEDOFREEPRESS.COM / JAN. 19, 2011 ■ 23
■ RING CONTINUED FROM 22
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By Kristen CriswellTOLEDO FREE PRESS SPECIAL SECTIONS EDITOR
Aft er trying on more than 15 diff erent dresses, Christie Lange found her wedding dress.
Lange, of Maybee, Mich., started with one vision of her perfect wedding dress, but that gradually changed as she tried on more and more dresses.
“She came in wanting a simple A-line dress. Now she’s ending up with one that’s more fi tted with ruffl es,” said Dee Seger, senior sales con-sultant at Atlas Bridal. “Your style may change as you get the dresses on your body.”
At Atlas Bridal, each bride starts with eight to 10 dresses in their dressing room and con-sultants bring them additional dresses based on the bride’s feedback.
“I just look at what they’re liking and pick out details of what they’re liking,” Seger said. “It’s our job to know what is going to look good on her. I combine the elements that she likes into one dress. It’s almost like a puzzle in a way.”
Atlas Bridal has seamstresses that can help alter dresses to make a dress more custom for the bride and it’s the consultant’s job to let a bride know that, Seger said.
“We’ll talk about things and pin things down to give them a vision. A lot of my job is reading what they want and figuring out how I can make it the best I can,” she said. “I’m big on doing a little custom change to the dress because if she does [make the changes] she’s going to be the only person who ever does that to the dress.”
Lange said having a dress consultant helping her try on wedding dresses really helped.
“Honestly, when I fi rst tried this dress on, I did not like it. All it took was her to say you can take that off and suddenly this is my favorite one,” she said. “If someone hadn’t suggested, ‘Oh take the strap off ’ I would have taken the dress off and been done with it.”
When trying on dresses, Seger reminds brides to be realistic about their budget and not to try on things outside it.
“You don’t want to fall in love with a dress and then not be able to aff ord it,” she said.
Seger said brides should bring two to four people with them to try on dresses, any more than that and too many opinions get involved.
“The most important opinion is your own. If you have 10 people tell you they don’t like your dress before you even look at it, it’s hard for you to even know what you really like. Your judgment gets clouded by other people,” she said.
For the brides looking for that emotional moment when they fi nd their perfect dress, don’t be too disappointed if that doesn’t come, Seger said.
“If you’re not a crier, you’re not going to be a crier,” she said. “A lot of girls do have that moment, but you’re still you. It’s still your personality and you know in your heart if you love that dress or not. It’s OK if you don’t have that feeling.”
Seger said popular trends starting to show for next year include one shoulder dresses, ruffled or tiered skirts as well as a lot of lace, flower or feather accents. There are also several trends that will never go out of style, such as the wrap style, since it’s so slimming, as well as trumpet and mermaid dresses, she said.
When it comes to color, Seger said ivory is the most popular with 50 percent of the dresses she sells in that color. White is close behind with roughly 40 percent and the other 10 percent of dresses Seger sells are in colors like champagne and light gold.
Women who can’t find their wedding dress at a store can visit Sew-n-Such for custom dresses.
“So many people don’t want to look like ev-erybody else. People have an idea in their head of what they want to look like and they come in with it,” said Mary Cianci, owner of Sew-n-Such. “‘I want this kind of dress and I can’t fi nd it anywhere.’ Or they’ve found a dress, it’s so expensive. We can make it pretty close.”
24 ■ JAN. 19, 2011 / TOLEDOFREEPRESS.COM “IF MARRIAGE WERE OUTLAWED, ONLY OUTLAWS WOULD HAVE IN-LAWS.” — ANONYMOUS
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■ DRESS CONTINUES ON 25
The quest for the dress
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Brides come into the store with pictures and descriptions of what they want and Cianci sketches the dress for them, she said. Th e brides are then given a shopping list of mate-rials to purchase and they bring it back into the store.
Cianci said she likes to have at least three months to complete a dress, but she can make one faster if need be.
“I like to do it slower because a lot of the time a girl comes in with the material and we start cutting for the fi ttings and as we’re getting into it brides change their minds,” she said. “If you rush through it, you don’t get the chance to change as you go.”
Cianci said not all dresses have to be made from scratch and she can work with any ex-isting dress. A lot of women come in with dresses they’ve found at garage sales, the Sal-vation Army and even online and ask her to fi x them, Cianci said.
Cianci, who has been working on and making wedding dresses for 34 years, said she can also be a particular help to those brides who are having religious ceremonies.
“Th ere are no dresses with shoulders and sleeves. Th e few that are out there are pretty bad and a lot of people don’t like that. I can help them,” she said.
Sew-n-Such can also make custom dresses for bridesmaids and mother of the brides as well as custom suits for grooms. ✯
■ DRESS CONTINUED FROM 24
Mary Cianci of Sew-n-Such
“MARRIAGE IS A WONDERFUL INVENTION: THEN AGAIN, SO IS A BICYCLE REPAIR KIT.” — BILLY CONNOLLY TOLEDOFREEPRESS.COM / JAN. 19, 2011 ■ 27
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When it comes to gift s, etiquette has changed through the years, Zachman said. It used to be tradition to send the present to the address of the bride’s parents, but now it is more common for people to bring gift s to a wedding.
If a guest chooses to bring a gift to the wedding, they should ask bridesmaids or groomsmen where to leave it. Th e guest should never hand a gift di-rectly to a bride or groom, she said.
A thank you card should be sent four to six weeks aft er a wedding, unless the bride and groom are taking a honeymoon outside the country.
Th e thank you card should be handwritten and thank the guest for attending the wedding as well as thank them for the specifi c gift , Zachman said.
“Th ank you for the money; it will be used to decorate our new home,” she said as an example.
If for some reason a bride or groom cannot get out their thank yous right away, they should make sure to call close friends and family to thank them and let them know a thank you will be coming in the mail eventually, Zachman said.
“A late thank you is better than no thank you,” she said.
Zachman reminds brides and grooms that fl exibility is key to a wedding, so be respectful and considerate of others’ suggestions.
“Many battles are started during a wedding and it doesn’t need to be like that,” she said. “If everyone is willing to give and take, things can go smoothly. Just because someone is paying for a wedding doesn’t give them the right to dictate every detail of the wedding. Th at’s very important to realize.”
For more etiquette tips, visit jill-marie.com.✯
■ ETIQUETTE CONTINUED FROM 26
More brides inform guests onlineBy Caryn RousseauASSOCIATED PRESS
With friends and family headed to her California wedding from all around, bride-to-be Carrie Shields decided online organiza-tion was key.
“Really the wedding website was one of the fi rst things we did,’’ the 32-year-old public re-lations director from San Diego said. Shields is marrying fi ance R.J. Jones, 36, who was born and raised in Wales. Th eir April wed-ding in Napa Valley comes four years aft er 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 survey found 64 percent of brides now have a website to share details with guests about ceremony and reception lo-gistics, registry information and travel accommodations.
Carley Roney, editor and founder of Th eKnot.com, said her site and Wed-dingChannel.com together host more than 500,000 wedding websites for couples.
Roney off ers three tips for setting up a wedding website:
✯ Don’t assume your audience is only younger friends, and remember your eti-quette. “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.’’
✯ Include your registry information. According to TheKnot.com and Wed-dingChannel.com survey, about 61 per-cent 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.’’
✯ Get the word out. Don’t just create and publish the website and assume ev-eryone knows it exists. “Send the informa-tion directly to your guests,’’ sometimes more than once, Roney said. “You can’t assume that something you put on your website was ac-knowledged by all.’’ ✯
28 ■ JAN. 19, 2011 / TOLEDOFREEPRESS.COM ”MARRIAGE HAS SOME THORNS, BUT CELIBACY HAS NO ROSES.” — VERNON MCLELLAN
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By Monica RhorFOR THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Jessica Alexander’s wedding was every-thing she had envisioned: a private gathering by her summer house on an Iowa lake. There was a pink and purple color scheme, a but-terfly motif and a dessert bar rather than a full meal.
And, wearing a short periwinkle dress de-signed “to show off her legs,’’ was Alexander’s minister and bridesmaid, Anna-Megan Raley, a close friend who was ordained online spe-cifically to perform the ceremony.
Raley, a blogger for the Houston Chron-icle, 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. Th ey say it is more per-sonal, relatively stress-free and cheaper.
It is also surprisingly fast and simple.Getting ordained requires little more than
finding an online ministry that performs or-dinations, and filling out a short form with your name and address. Some websites re-quire 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 are gener-ally 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 Th e Wedding Report, a research fi rm.
Andre Hensley, president of the nonde-nominational 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 peo-ple’s lack of affiliation with a church.
“I’ve gone to weddings where the minis-ters 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, each 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 at all and who didn’t know us,’’ said Jones, who has been dating her fiance, Eric Strand, for six years.
Th e couple turned to Jones’ sister, Vicky Rap-patta, who has been happily married for 10 years, has a background in writing and had always been a motherly fi gure to her younger sibling.
“I was so honored and so moved that they wanted me to be such a huge part of their wed-ding. Now, I’m getting terrified,’’ said Rap-patta, 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 get-ting her marriage license.
“The last thing I wanted to do was get a fake ordination,’’ said Rappatta, who got her credentials from American Marriage Minis-tries, whose website boasts “over 10,000 mar-riages 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 hus-band, who was raised Muslim, wanted a spiri-tual 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.’’ ✯
Friend, will you marry us?
Andre HENSLEYPresident, Universal Life 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.
“A MAN’S WIFE HAS MORE POWER OVER HIM THAN THE STATE HAS.”— RALPH WALDO EMERSON TOLEDOFREEPRESS.COM / JAN. 19, 2011 ■ 29
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