WEDDING: La Quinta Officiant at CTR Ranch Wedding near Indio and Palm Springs

Celebrant Venus sharing laughs with a fantastic couple!

Congratulations, Dar. and Al.! i had the honour and privilege of officiating (yet another)dream come true for a wedding Celebrant. A private home that sleeps 20 (but probably more) called CTR Ranch was the venue for this incredibly intimate ceremony that would beat any larger wedding in terms of love, friendship, family, celebration and partying!

Food truck Crêpes Bonaparte came out to feed the guests, as well as local hot dog business, the Riverside Hot Dog Company.  Fullerton musician Brett Cain provided entertainment.  Photography by Jake Ogle (not image at left).  More details to follow... i promise!

NEWS: June = (the first) LGBT Heritage Month in Los Angeles!

Thirty years ago, a newly identified cluster of symptoms and illness was first given the term 'Gay Related Immunodeficiency', or GRID, by the Center for Disease Control (CDC).  This first week of June 2011 marks the 30th anniversary of when these disease clusters became recognised as the first cases of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). 

You can listen to a fantastic account of this time in history in two parts - first with a doctor of infectious diseases, and next with a man living since the early 1980s with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV): on Dick Gordon's The Story on APR.

From the mayor's website

Perhaps coincidentally, June is also officially declared as LGBT Pride Month by President Obama's White House and by communities throughout the country.  On Friday, Los Angeles (finally) proclaimed June as LGBT HERITAGE MONTH.

According to the LA Times, Bill Rosendahl was the first openly gay candidate to run and be elected to the City Council in 2005.  On Friday, the Councilman, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck,  along with other city officials, honoured LGBT Angelenos and publicly celebrated the launch of June as LGBT Heritage Month.

The Times went on to say that the "City Council also passed several resolutions on Friday, backing state and federal legislation calling for LGBT equality, including a state bill that would add questions regarding sexual orientation and gender identity to state demographic surveys", but when i tried to authenticate or source this statement, i couldn't find any proof.  (But i did find a very odd and somewhat disturbing comment thread...)

ELEMENTS: Serving Rainbow Pancakes

Rainbows are everywhere, especially if you put them there...

More people are opting for a small wedding these days...or at least considering the possibility of having one.  But what could be more beautiful than serving these colourful rainbow pancakes at your wedding weekend breakfast or brunch?  

via A Non-Denominational Ceremony's TUMBLR.

Disclaimer:  i am aware of the potential harm various food colourings and dyes may cause...and you should be, too.  Check your ingredients and do your research!  There are lots of 'natural' colouring options out there.

BTW did you know there was a fuss was made in 2010 involving a segment of Christians, their use (misuse?  disuse?) of rainbow baked goods and connection (or lack thereof) to LGBT pride?   Also, here is a source for non-toxic, natural food colouring, plus a recipe for the stack pictured above.

Oh, and check the lovely rainbow wedding dress, pictured at right!

ALTERNATIVES: Eco Bouquets Made of Clay, Beads and NOT Flowers

Today's blog is a lazy, link-laden entry, which, admit it, is what you want anyway!  :)

i began researching non-flower bouquets as a true green option over the impermanent, biologically based traditional bunch of plants and flowers brides carry, pass to someone in their wedding party and sometimes throw to some lucky single (read: unmarried) person at the reception.  Anyway, these bouquets are freaking gorgeous.  i hope you agree!

DK DESIGNS
http://dkdesignshawaii.blogspot.com/2010/12/my-last-big-wedding-order-for-2010.html

Clay Bouquet by DK DESIGNS

SEA SHELLS IN BLOOM
http://www.seashellsinbloom.com/bouquets.html

Sea Shell Bouquet by SEA SHELLS IN BLOOM

FFFLOWERS on Etsy
http://www.etsy.com/people/ffflowers?ref=ls_profile

One Kind of Ribbon Bouquet by FFFLOWERS

BURDA STYLE on Etsy
http://www.etsy.com/storque/how-to/burdastyle-how-to-make-your-love-bloom-forever-3379/

Another Ribbon Bouquet by you/BURDA STYLE

LITTLE BIRDIE SECRETS
http://littlebirdiesecrets.blogspot.com/2009/08/make-fabric-flower-and-flower-tutorial.html

Fabric Flowers for Bouquet by LBS

HANDMADE BY ALI (the Bride)'s MOM
http://ruffledblog.com/a-diy-handcrafted-wedding-with-a-bouquet-made-of-ribbons-and-rickrack-by-goodnickels-photography/

Photo by GOOD NICKELS PHOTOGRAPHY

BEAD_FLORA_JEWELS on Etsy
http://www.etsy.com/people/BeadFloraJewels?ref=ls_profile

Custom-Made Bead Bouquet by BEADFLORAJEWELS

more beads
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz0g5B_4K54GqoH8Dza3fmxUzA3ouCAMP6sgu91wopXOyPSHYdJw2Rw20-XfmulnMX1wmda0Wr4-KVu-PC15FEaHU_p_WqqK9q0DQ5tMkWF8jRfC5JpWrLQIz6kTQdhy8Y8sCTkYwRXNZK/s400/Martha+flower+alternatives.jpg

FLOWER COVE
http://craftcove.blogspot.com/2009/11/beaded-flower-bouquet.html

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRc-UOkx3wl3HkE8DMI3RUSPEhiEYfDSDLoDECF_WXR5RlPxpCRiUPTkG_tYhorhmA13ceVS0KW0bC9Z5Korf__83_QjcYqaJVNGeKfT86cVuupUPv8eyOudgtD4BwdkFTnI-ViOPkh6Q/s400/y-286+h.jpg

SUCH PRETTY THINGS
http://suchprettythings.typepad.com/my_weblog/2009/02/french-beaded-flowers.html