ELEMENTS: Laughs are GOOD! - Using Humor in Your Ceremony

CONGRATULATIONS: Ste. and Jar.!  Married at Tustin Hills Racquet Club in Santa Ana, CA on 16 May 2010.  They first met at a stand-up comedy show...and since they love to laugh, why shouldn't they add a few laughs to one of the most important days of their life together? 

Photo by AARON HUNIU PHOTOGRAPHY.  Uploaded from Flickr by dj venus.










One way you can make an occasion your very own is to project your personality/ies through each element of the wedding: from the colours, the venue, the menu and especially the ceremony.  The following excerpts are actual examples taken from the ceremony:

"Seven months ago, S.J., Ste. and Jar.'s son, was born.  Ever since, he has been their dear little monkey..."

"...may you both enjoy a long life of happiness together, with S...and may you always be like a family of deer crossing a prairie in the sunshine."

You don't have to settle for the usual, less-than-memorable ceremony.  Humour does not detract from the seriousness of the commitment being made, nor does it make light of the person or persons being honoured.  Your ceremony can, and should be, FUN, if you want it to be!  For more information, please contact A NON-DENOMINATIONAL CEREMONY.

PROPOSITION 8: Dramatic Readings of Celebrities Re-Enacting the Prop. 8 Trial

Yes, that's Marisa Tomei and friends, reenacting Kristen Perry's Prop. 8 trial testimony, at Plummer Park in West Hollywood.

WEDDING: Officiant at Lindley-Scott House in Azusa, CA

Azusa Wedding Officiant at Lindley-Scott House, originally uploaded by dj venus.

Congratulations, Nikki and Chris! Married on 30 April 2010...

A historic home in Azusa, CA was the setting for this self-professed science fiction and fantasy loving, book and reading addicted couple!

Many thanks to Leo of the Lindley-Scott House for his professionalism and help in pulling off a lovely outdoor wedding ceremony!

INFO: Southern California Beach Weddings & Other Ceremonies - Things to Consider

Southern California is home to a beautiful coastline, and the beach is (potentially) an economical place to be married.  But, before you assemble your guests at your beach wedding, here are a few things to keep in mind. 

- Photo by Kiel of Foto Cielo

• Does your beach of choice allow small or large groups to gather? - Are gatherings allowed without a permit?  It may be a good idea to have official authorization from the city/state, so you can 'lay claim' to the ceremony site. Speaking of which...
• Are you ok with the public stopping by to watch? - Even with a permit, beaches in California are public, so be ready for some passers-by to stop and looky-loo upon your beautiful ceremony!  If you are looking for an isolated and private affair, it may be best to rent a home on the beach or with its own private slice of the coastline.
• Does your beach allow amplified sound? - Most beaches will not allow music but may allow a mic with public address system.  Don't forget how loud the waves can get!  Speaking of...
• What time does the tide come in? - If you plan to be up near the waves / water, this is an especially important consideration.
• What are you allowed to bring, and not bring, onto the sand? - This includes chairs, umbrellas, decorations, flowers, candles, torches (the fire kind, not the flashlight kind!), food, drink, glass etc.
• Is there any overhead activity scheduled? - This sounds funny, but you never know who may be performing military exercises in the area, or taking a helicopter tour, or hiring a skywriter...at the time your ceremony is scheduled.

Whether you choose Malibu, Catalina Island / Avalon / Two Harbors, Laguna Beach, San Juan Capistrano, Manhattan Beach, Long Beach, Ventura or Dana Point, there are many beach wedding locations to choose from.  For more information, please contact A NON-DENOMINATIONAL CEREMONY for your beach wedding officiant needs! We are professional, experienced, qualified and affordable, serving any Southern California location.

VIDEO: The Importance of Grief and Mourning in Children

Children may experience the death of a parent or family member differently than adults, but they experience it nonetheless.

Watch CBS News Videos Online

From CBS Sunday Morning the week of 11 April 2010.

FUNNY: Liz Lemon offers kind words to Grizz about his wedding (and choosing a best man)

LIZ LEMON: [To Grizz, who is having a difficult time choosing either Tracy Jordan or Dot Com as best man for his wedding]

Don't even have a best man!  Your wedding day is about you and your bride.  So who cares what anyone else thinks?  Love isn't judgmental.  Love is patient.  Love is...weird, and sometimes gross.  Love is elusive, and you found it, so treasure it.  And maybe, don't leave it alone with Dot Com.

GRIZZ: [Completely straightfaced, without emotion]

That was beautiful.  Look at me, crying like a baby.

-from 'Argus' the peacock episode, 30 Rock on NBC.  First broadcast 29 April 2010.

INTERESTING: Another Post Secret photo

Have Your Ceremony Your Way.  You Won't Regret It!

The above photo was taken from the POST SECRET website.

WEDDING: Ceremony Officiant at Hotel Figueroa in Downtown Los Angeles, CA

CONGRATULATIONS: Giselle and Franck!

This couple's nuptials were celebrated at the historic Hotel Figueroa in downtown Los Angeles.  G & F chose to include a reading from On Relationship by J. Krishnamurti as a part of their non-religious, multicultural ceremony.



The Hotel Figueroa special events director, Juno, possesses an ideal combination of detail-orientated organization and unobtrusive oversight.  Thanks to DJ SAM for his skills and accessible personality.  Photography by PATRICK CHAI.

IDEAS: BEYOND 20 (Stripper-Free) Bachelor Party Ideas

Believe it or not, some guys are NOT into strip bars and they are still good, smart, decent, real men!!!

This is a pretty good article which tries to avoid the whole "getting a bunch of guys together ≠ automatic debauchery or d-bag festival" thing. 

Although, i am a little disappointed they don't talk about LAN parties or video games.  But, whatever...that's ok.  At least, they're not insisting the bachelour party must contain nudity on the behalf of anyone other than the men participating...

i love websites like THE PLUNGE, THE MAN REGISTRY and STAGGERED.  'Tis about time wedding sites and magazines were designed for men!!?

NEWS: The Burden (and Obligations!) of Paying for Weddings has Shifted!

The norms of 'tradition' are changing and the trends of the DIY or do-it-yourself ethic prevail in many modern celebrations and ceremonies.  This new tendency for the couple to call the shots is an indicator of another way a couple may continue to insist on their wedding ceremony (and reception), their way.

According to an article written by Abby Ellin in the New York Times on 2 April 2010:

"When it comes to paying for a wedding while remaining financially afloat, today’s rule is all hands on deck...

"The Association of Bridal Consultants, an organization of 4,000 wedding planners, offered evidence that the trend has accelerated since the beginning of this century.  David M. Wood III, its president, estimated that only about 10 percent of weddings are now wholly paid for by the bride’s parents, down from the 20 percent figure that the association reported from a 2003 survey.Mr. Wood also estimated that 33 percent of weddings are now financed by the bride and bridegroom alone, up from 27 percent in the earlier survey."

The above was taken from Ellin's article called The Burden of Paying for Wedding Bells Shifts from her Field Notes column.

If the kids are putting up most of the $ toward the wedding, parents may have to let go of their wishes, so a son or daughter may have the wedding of their own dreams.  Sorry, mom and dad...you can no longer say things such as "You have to do it our way, since we're paying for it..." !  

And what a relief that is.  :)