An Invitation To The Most Anticipated Wedding Event of The Season

Your Wedding Day magazine, inspiration for every bride, is opening the doors, taking brides and industry professionals on a first-hand tour behind the scenes. Experience the making of YWD as never before, with this special backstage pass event, be there live as the veil is lifted revealing YWD's visionary décor shoot. Doors open to the brides on Tuesday, February 23^rd from 6-9pm, and the industry on Wednesday, February 24^th from 6-9pm held at the new luxury private venue, Taglyan Cultural Complex, 1201 Vine Street, Hollywood, California. This comprehensive behind-the-scenes event will tantalize your senses as you experience live, in action, the final sets as they are captured for the pages of YWD's upcoming Spring|Summer issue. Be among the first to see the latest in décor trends and styling ... all in real time. Lights, camera, action!

WHEN & WHERE:

BRIDES BACKSTAGE PASS
Tuesday, February 23^rd 6 - 9pm
Taglyan Cultural Complex
1201 North Vine Street
Hollywood California 90038

INDUSTRY BACKSTAGE PASS
Wednesday, February 24^th 6 - 9pm
Taglyan Cultural Complex
1201 North Vine Street
Hollywood California 90038

RSVP by email to kate@ywdmag.com or phone 805.640.9242

WHERE:

Spread The Love This Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is the perfect day to spread the love not just to your significant other but among family, friends and co-workers. Send those special people in your life an inspirational Valentine's Day saying and let them know they have love all around them.

Here are some of our favorite quotes. Feel free to share them to spread the love.

• "May this Valentine's Day be filled with love, understanding, and contentment as you journey through life with those you hold dear." ~ Darly Henerson
• "Love, free as air at sight of human ties, Spreads his light wings, and in a moment flies." ~Alexander Pope
• "If you find it in your heart to care for somebody else, you will have succeeded." ~Maya Angelou
• "Keep love in your heart. A life without it is like a sunless garden when the flowers are dead. The consciousness of loving and being loved brings a warmth and a richness to life that nothing else can bring." ~ Oscar Wilde
• "Time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear, too long for those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice, but for those who love, time is eternity." ~ Henry Van Dyke
• "All I really need is love, but a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt!" Lucy Van Pelt, in Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz
• "In our life there is a single color, as on an artist's palette, which provides the meaning of life and art. It is the color of love." ~ Mark Chagall
• Love has no other desire but to fulfill itself. To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night. To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving." ~ Kahlil Gibran
• "Where there is love, there is life." - Mahatma Gandhi
• "Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves."
  Bible - Proverbs

Unique Wedding Idea: Upside Down Wedding Cakes - Defying Gravity

We’ve all heard of upside-down cakes. But an Upside Down Wedding Cake?!

A quick search via Google Images would return very limited images. Below are some of the of images that stood out. It’s a neat trick, it’s creative, and it’s definitely an eye-catcher. It’s amazing how cake artists make such a reverse, multi-tiered cake stand up without toppling over. It's an ‘engineering’ feat!

It’s definitely for soon-to-weds who want to make a statement. Cutting a slice would take some figuring out.

by Ally Cake Designs

by Piece of Cake Desserts

by Sweet Fantasies

Wedding and Special Occasion Jewelries For Rent

The past year and a half has been pretty eventful. I got involved in a lot of interesting things that lead me to take a bit of unplanned hiatus from blogging. But I've been doing a lot of thinking and have gathered a lot of great ideas worth sharing so stay tuned for a lot of fun "wedding" things and blog-worthy events.

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Weddings can be very expensive and engaged couples often find themselves compromising on one element or another. Fortunately, there's a new trend in wedding rentals that's making it easier to save money while still having something spectacular, and that's by renting your jewelry.

We all know that many of our favorite celebrities' red carpet and magazine cover looks are loaned to them by designers. Unless you're famous, you probably can't swing a free loan but rental services can have you dressing like a star for a fraction of the retail cost. With services like Avelle and Adorn, you have the opportunity to wear fabulous designer and diamond jewelries for your special night - return it, and no one will be any the wiser.

AVELLE

Why buy expensive, authentic designer jewelries when you can rent them for that special moment you’ve been saving it for? At Avelle, you get trendy merchandise, steal the limelight, without burning a hole in your wallet. Avelle also carries designer handbags, sunglasses and watches. From top designer labels like Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Prada, Fendi, Burberry, Kate Spade, Coach, and many more, you can now have luxury on a loan, or purchase them if you fell in love with your borrowed merchandise.

ADORN

Renting diamond jewelry for special occasions is an exciting new concept, and Adorn is proud to be the first to bring it to you. You could own these pieces, but why bother when you can embrace the variety and versatility of our diamond jewelry rental service. It’s smart to rent jewelry for occasions you care about the most and want to look your best!

Rhia & Joe ~ 8.8. 08 Wedding

Photos taken by Forever True Photography

Along with good luck, 8/8/08 has a few other factors that make it a desirable day to get married. August is a good month for a wedding, since out-of-towners are more open to travel in the summer and there’s a better opportunity to wed outdoors. Also, when the numeral "8" is turned on its side, it becomes the symbol for infinity -- a fitting motif to represent the beginning of a marriage.

I am so pleased to be able to share these images with you before they go up on my website. They were shot by Forever True Photography at the lovely Castle Green. A big thanks to all the fabulous vendors, Nesly's Floral Design & Events, Matt Graumann Entertainment, Event Professionals, Lightbox Digital, Monet Salon, Porto's Bakery, my lovely assistants Cristina and Joanna, without whom... and I would like to wish Rhia, Joe and their families all the best....

Please enjoy!



Source: Chinese Weddings by The Knot

Venue Spotlight: St. Charles Borromeo Church and Calamigos Equestrian

Photos courtesy of Louis Felix Photography

St. Charles Borromeo Church is a Catholic church and elementary school located at Moorpark and Lankershim in North Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. It is one of the oldest parishes in the San Fernando Valley dating back to 1921. It has long been a parish with celebrity members and was the site of funerals for Bob Hope, Dorothy Lamour, and Robert Urich.


With over 53 years of experience in special event planning and catering, the Calamigos Staff will help in making your event not only successful, but unforgettable. Calamigos at the Los Angeles Equestrian Centers offers a secluded and beautiful venue centrally located on the north face of historic Griffith Park. The scenic Santa Monica Mountains provide a pastoral backdrop to this unique location. With its impressive ballrooms and garden ceremony sites, Calamigos at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center offers accommodations from 75 to 500 guests for weddings and receptions.




I was very fortunate to have been a part of Nini and Luis' wedding. It was a perfect day in June, the wedding of a wonderful couple. The ceremony was held at a magnificent church and the reception at a charming and elegant location. It was such an honor to have worked at this wedding. "Thank you, Nini & Luis, and Congratulations! And special thanks to Louis Felix Photography for the fabulous photos."

Sources: MyWedding.com, Wikepedia

Same Sex Marriage Legal in California!

Photo borrowed from GayWeddingLA.com

Gay Marriage Legal in California! Gay Premarital Counseling
By Rik Isensee

What an exciting development!

Shadowed, as expected, by a vote on the amendment to bar same-sex marriage in November. Starting with the first same-sex marriages on June 16th, there will be an amazing opening for as many couples as possible to create"facts on the ground" that will be very difficult to ignore. Even if the amendment passes, what will be the status of marriages that have already taken place?

And if we have thousands of marriages in the meantime, voters will discover that the sky doesn't fall, thus creating the same kind of momentum that Massachusetts experienced, where the legislature finally gave up on trying to amend the constitution to prohibit gay marriage.

Bringing this closer to home, some of the couples in my own life (in addition to those I've been working with) are very excited! Some are making plans to get married this summer.

Yet at the same time, the very possibility that we can actually get married brings up the question: Is that what we're ready for?

One partner might be chomping at the bit, raring to go--while the other still needs to think it through. Even though a fairly comprehensive domestic partners law has been in force here in California for some time, the idea of marriage nonetheless evokes a whole other level of commitment.

One guy's hesitation can be very unsettling to the partner who's ready to get married, who then questions what that hesitation means. I saw a similar phenomenon during the brief window of gay marriage here in San Francisco, when Mayor Gavin Newsom opened the floodgates four years ago. There was a heady excitement, mixed with not knowing how long it would last--and a keen desire to strike while the iron's hot!

So despite the excitement of the current moment, I like to encourage couples to take a deep breath and really take some time to listen to each other's concerns. It's far too easy to construe any hesitation as an indication that our boyfriend's not really committed, when it may simply mean that there are some underlying concerns that still need to be addressed. Despite our enthusiasm, it's probably not the time to make all-or-nothing demands.

The prospect of gay marriage is a very exciting stimulus for getting in touch with our hopes, dreams, and desires. By listening and empathizing with each other's point of view, we can then determine how getting married at this particular time in our lives may (or may not) facilitate our goals for our own relationships!

Rik Isensee is the author of Love Between Men, and practices gay couples therapy in San Francisco. If you're in the process of sorting through your own readiness for marriage, click on Gay Premarital Counseling!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rik_Isensee
http://EzineArticles.com/?Gay-Marriage-Legal-in-California!-Gay-Premarital-Counseling&id=1264409

Check out this article on FAQ's in Getting Married in Los Angeles including obtaining licenses for same-sex couples and same-sex wedding friendly venues: DiscoverLosAngeles.com