NEWS: "Best of Class Wedding Officiant" Recognition

A Non-Denominational Ceremony is Named to the 2012 Wedding Professional Hot List

2 Jan, 2012 - MomentVille.com, one of the worlds leading wedding websites, is pleased to announced that A Non-Denominational Ceremony has been selected for the 2012 Wedding Professional Hot List.

The annual Wedding Professional Hot List recognizes excellence within the wedding industry, as determined by reviews from tens of thousands of brides and grooms. A Non-Denominational Ceremony was among the best reviewed vendors in the past year.

"The Wedding Professional Hot List recognizes best of class wedding professionals." said Geoff Evason, MomentVille's CEO. "Highlighting the success of the top wedding professionals is an exciting way to spread the word and help newly engaged couples find the right professionals for their own weddings."

About A Non-Denominational Ceremony
Venus Kitagawa-Stojsic of A Non-Denominational Ceremony offers a modern, individualized approach to the ceremony tradition.  Venus is an ordained, non-denominational minister with over ten years experience officiating, speaking in public and leading groups. Her unique approach personalizes each ceremony, which is custom-written and performed to reflect her clients' values, cultures and tastes from the unusual to the traditional.  Venus is certified by the Celebrant Institute & Foundation.  She graduated from Chapman University in Orange, CA.  For more information, see www.ceremonyceremony.com . 

About MomentVille
MomentVille.com offers engaged couples and wedding enthusiasts a one stop place for planning and sharing a wedding. Offering free wedding websites, wedding planning tools, a gorgeous gallery of wedding pictures a searchable list of reviewed wedding vendors, and lots of helpful and inspiring wedding content, MomentVille helps newlyweds with all aspects of their wedding. For more information contact media@momentville.com

WEDDING: Ceremony Officiant at Ace Hotel in Palm Springs




Ace Hotel Wedding Officiant in Palm Springs, CA
Originally uploaded by dj venus on FLICKR.

 Congratulations, Heather and Erica!

The V.O.'s, as the gorgeous couple are known, celebrated in beautiful and classy style at the infamous Ace Hotel in Palm Springs, CA.


venus with the happy couple!

 The wedding was attended by a small group of dear friends and family, and took place in the Commune area of the hotel.

The desert chic setting was made complete with a black and white colour theme accented with lemon yellow (and lemonheads and lemonade!), perfect weather and true love.  It was a dream come true!

Photography by LILY RO (not these).

VIDEO: TV Host on His Daughter's Wedding Day

"Wallet open, mouth shut." That's how BILL GEIST of CBS News describes his role, for the most part, as he leads us in a taped segment about being the 'Father of the Bride'.

It was broadcast today on the season premiere of CBS Sunday Morning.

IDEAS: Rainbow Cake Jell-o® Shot !??

Rainbow Cake Jelly Shot, originally uploaded by Jelly Shot Test Kitchen.

Here's another gorgeous entry from one of my favourite Flickr sites, the JELLY SHOT TEST KITCHEN.

These are perfect for an LGBT ceremony or any event. The JSTK shows us just how beautiful gelatin can be. Too bad i'm a vegetarian! :))

WEDDING: Los Angeles Arboretum Officiant in Arcadia, CA

Congratulations, Pa. and Jn.!  This couple was married in a rose garden ceremony in front of a few dozen of their closest loved ones.

Arcadia Wedding Officiant

The wedding included a ringwarming and a ceremonial passage through archways, or gates, attended to by four sets of significant people, to mark the couple's transition from single to married life. (Please see the (horribly backlit) photo here. ---->)

It was a beautiful, and meaningful, ceremony, especially when the couple crossed the thresholds together.  Hope to have more photos soon!

VIDEO: Weddings Get an 'I Do Over' on WeTV

i am excited to announce my involvement with an episode of a new WeTV series called I Do Over! i performed the ceremony for Lindsy and Reid in the second episode of the series. Here's a teaser/trailer featuring the show's glamourous yet extremely down-to-earth host and event stylist, Diann Valentine. And please note the officiant at the 1:05 mark... ;-P

The show brings a second chance to couples who were married in less-than-ideal circumstances at their first wedding. This doesn't mean second marriages (although, i think that would be a great idea for another show!); it just means these lucky newlyweds get a 'do over' to have the wedding of their dreams. More details to come!

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