For any bride-to-be who is dreading how she looks in white, good news: Black wedding dresses are in. Among the single and unmarried crowd, that is.

A poll today from SodaHead.com shows that 63 percent of respondents think that black wedding dresses are "cool," while only 37 percent think they are "creepy."

Single people polled thought that black wedding dresses were cool by a 76 percent to 24 percent margin. But those who have already walked down the aisle did not go ga-ga over the idea. Married respondents were split 50 percent/50 percent regarding if black wedding dresses are cool or creepy.

See more on this poll here.

Posted October 31, 2011 8:47 AM by Editor | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

Fifty percent of women said "no" (or had no) Valentine's Day date this past Valentine's Day, according to a V-Day survey conducted by AOL's MyDaily.com.

Most considered themselves free and single, and able to choose something else to do on that night.

Women also weighed in on what gets them in the mood and how they feel about V-Day proposals:

• Only 8% say Oysters get them in the mood, vs. 67% and 37% respectively who say chocolate or champagne get them in the mood

• Going against the grain of popular convention and trend, most single women surveyed are not that into V-day proposals (85% say either “they are not really for me” or they are “cheesy”)

Read more at MyDaily.com.

Posted February 20, 2011 2:45 PM by Editor | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

A Ketubah has long been part of the Jewish wedding. It signifies the marriage contract between husband and wife. It is part of the traditional Jewish ceremony and these days is part of the interfaith wedding ceremony, a la Chelsea Clinton's wedding.

In recent years they have become so gorgeous, artsy and meaningful that not only do you see them at Jewish and interfaith ceremonies, but also at Christian and Secular marriages.

Art Vows is an online gallery offering personally significant fine art pieces commemorating a couple's wedding can be displayed for a lifetime.

Many couples have them signed as part of the ceremony, rather than before. They can be signed by a rabbi and witnesses, or any clergy member.

Art Vows is the brainchild of Michael Shapiro, founder of Ketubah.com, a top provider of heirloom quality fine art Ketubahs.

He says he was inspired to create Art Vows as he saw an increase in non Jewish couples incorporating art into their bridal ceremony, and wanted to aid all couples in experiencing the beauty of what has become a traditional wedding ritual in many cultures.

Posted February 20, 2011 2:29 PM by Editor | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

While conventional wisdom tells couples to stay in the same bed no matter what, one expert thinks sleeping Lucy and Desi style will pep up your love life.

Guest Blog by Tracey Marks, M.D.

We know that for optimal sleep, you should reserve your bed only for sleep and sex. However sleepy people don’t have sex.

According to a National Sleep Foundation study, one in four couples are too tired for sex. What if the reason you don’t sleep well is because of your partner?

Some people need the comfort of their loved one lying next to them to sleep well. But there are many people whose sleep is disrupted by loud snoring or a partner who thrashes about. And no doubt spooning is romantic and cozy, but let’s face it - it’s hot. Hot bodies don’t sleep well.

If you don’t sleep well with your partner, you would be better served to sleep wherever you can, even if it’s means sleeping apart. This doesn’t have to mean that you will become distant with one another. After all, how intimate can you be when you’re asleep?

What’s the solution? Save the bed for intimacy while you are awake and when it is time to go to bed, go to your respective spaces. Reruns of I Love Lucy showing the couple sleeping in twin beds seems laughable today, but it may just make a good compromise for those want to be in close proximity but require their own physical space to sleep soundly.

Superficially, separate beds or bedrooms raise a red flag for marital problems, when in fact it may be just what you need to foster more intimacy during your waking hours.

Tracey Marks, MD, author of Master Your Sleep, is an Atlanta psychiatrist and psychotherapist specializing in how stress and anxiety impact quality of life. The book provides a thorough exploration of potential treatments, from herbal and prescription medications to a variety of therapies, explaining the potential risks and benefits related to all treatment methodologies. Visit her blog.

Posted February 13, 2011 9:31 AM by Editor | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

The US Census Bureau reports that only 11 percent of households celebrate Valentine's Day by gifting each other jewelry on Valentine’s. However, people seem to find other ways to celebrate the holiday of hearts.

-Hallmark Corporation say nearly 200 million cards are exchanged each year on February 14, and that doesn’t include V-day card packs exchanged by millions of schoolchildren each year.

-Organic Bouque estimates that over 200 million roses were produced for Valentine’s Day 2011.

-LifeStyles Condoms estimates that 87 condoms are used each second in the U.S. on Valentine’s Day, which also shares the day with the lesser known holiday, National Condom Day.

Whose footing the bill? Well, you know it's not just sex - it's dinner and flowers. The National Retail Federation reports that men spend nearly twice the amount women spend on the holiday.

Happy Valentine's Day.

Posted February 13, 2011 8:50 AM by Editor | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

Oy, Another Valentine's Day with more Valentine's Day survey results.

Everyone is doing surveys this February. Some are peppy and optimistic, but not all of them are that favorable about the holiday--or how it makes them feel.

A poll from the Web site HowToGetTheManOfYourDreams.com, conducted on both single and committed women, indicated that the majority of female readers are dreading the impending holiday.

-Nearly 40% responded that the worst part of Valentine’s Day was not having anyone special to share it with.
-32% of readers revealed that they didn’t appreciate being reminded that they were single.
-23% disclosed that they dreaded the inevitable disappointment in their partner’s lack of attention.
-Only 2% of respondents expressed that they loved Valentine’s Day.

“We expected that many women wouldn’t look forward to Valentine’s Day if they were single,” says Helen Park, Vice President and co-founder of How to Get the Man of Your Dreams.com. “But even women who are in relationships stated that they dreaded the holiday. Most of all, it was shocking to us that only 2% stated that they loved Valentine’s Day!”

She says her website will try to save the day by publishing articles that help women "Get What You Want from Your Man on Valentine’s Day."

Our theory is that when Valentine's Day puts too much pressure on singles and on men it is just as bad as trying to get through the winter holidays with the relatives. Why not just practice love on February 14? That may see us through.

Posted February 10, 2011 9:20 PM by Editor | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

The good news for relationships is that despite the challenges with the economy, the increase in natural disasters and bad weather, and the continued high trend in divorces, 9 out of 10 Americans still believe in true love. This statistic held true among women and men, married and single.

Ralph Lauren Romance and Glamour Magazine teamed up to provide an inside look at modern day romance that provided the above insights into romance as well as these key findings.

-About 1 in every 9 married adults met their spouse online (12%); most people meet significant others through friends, family or at work.

-Nearly 3 out of 4 single adults say 1-3 days is a reasonable amount of time to contact someone after obtaining their information; men were slightly more likely to say either the same day or the first week.

-1 in 3 adults remember what fragrance their significant other was wearing on their first date (34%); among those single adults with a lucky date item, 73% of say that item is a fragrance.

-Phone calls are the preferred way to be contacted after a first date by both men and women, although men are far more likely to rely on technology. After the first date, 49% of men said text messaging is the preferred means of making contact and 29% said email.

-88% of men said the #1 compliment they would most like to receive is “you’re so funny,” however the compliment most desired by women is “you have a great smile. (93%)”

-Men say “I love you” sooner than women, and are twice as likely as women to say “I love you” in the first week (19% vs. 10%). The number one thing men want to receive for Valentine’s Day is to hear “I love you.”

-Both genders agree that the best way to end a relationship is by meeting in person (60%), although men were more likely to say they’d end a relationship via a phone call (26% vs 17%).

See the full survey results here.

Posted February 10, 2011 8:53 PM by Editor | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

Flowers are not just for lovers. They are for mothers, fathers, grandparents and small children. This is according to Bloom Avenue, a flower company.

While millions of lovers will inevitably exchange presents on Valentine's Day 2011, the Bloom Avenue folks want to repurpose Valentine’s Day, making it a day of celebration for everyone who adores someone.

“Our vision is that Valentine’s Day this year and for years to come evolves into a creative celebration of love in the broadest sense of the word,” said Kevin Hall, president of Bloom Avenue

Posted February 9, 2011 9:49 PM by Editor | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

Here's a meaningful way to celebrate Valentine's Day with your sweetie: Give a Reeve Foundation Care & Cures Valentine's Day eCard to every special person on your list.

This is a great way to celebrate two soulmates who truly showed the world how powerful and enduring love can be.

Your generous gift of $25 or more will help people living with spinal cord injury live longer, healthier, lives and support research to find the cures they so very much need.

It's a fast and easy way to give a really meaningful Valentine's Day gift.

Posted February 5, 2011 3:25 PM by Editor | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

Stretch and bond during Superbowl halftime.

Prevention Magazine has discovered three get-closer couple stretches, designed for you and your honey to build trust and strengthen your relationship while helping you both to relax and increase flexibility. It’s a perfect way to spend time together while getting in some exercise. We've got your moves below:

Upper-Back and Shoulder Stretch: Face each other and hold wrists. Step apart, bend knees, and squat down, drawing hips away from one another. Gaze at the floor and keep neck relaxed.

Lower-Back Release: Lie faceup with your partner holding your ankles, Relax, keeping hips on floor, as he gently swings your legs side to side in an arc pattern for 30 to 60 seconds.

Chest Stretch: Stand with your back to your partner, arms at sides, palms forward. Have your partner hold your arms just above wrists. Lean forward as he steps back and gently pulls your arms up.

Posted February 5, 2011 2:44 PM by Editor | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

New survey says people living in Wisconsin are more sexually active than people living in Pennsylvania.

As America gets ready for the ultimate showdown on the field between the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers, a surprising survey gives more insight into the opponents’ sexual behaviors behind closed doors.

A new French online dating site, Smartdate.com, decided to do a poll on this topic and claims that people living in Wisconsin are more sexually active than people living in Pennsylvania.

On one level, one wonders, do we really care? On another level, one wonders, is this yet ANOTHER form of competition?

You can find the results of the survey here:
http://prmedianow.com/media/smartdate_super_bowl_survey.pdf

Posted February 5, 2011 2:32 PM by Editor | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

This is a really fascinating survey conducted by the social texting application textPlus. Check out how the youngins in the 13 to 17 are communicating these days:

“b mine” “I <3 u” “ur hot” – not exactly sonnets, but these little love notes are what today’s teenagers are most likely to send and receive on February 14…

According to a survey of 705 textPlus users ages 13-17, here is how teens talk about love:

-Nearly 40% said they think it’s ok to tell someone “I love you” for the first time via text message, and 35% have actually done it

-35% of those who choose to say “I love you” in text don’t spell out the word “love” – they use the text symbol <3 (a heart)

· And often they’re not careful – 30% admitted to accidentally texting “I love you” to the wrong person at least once!

Clearly the rules of love are changing in the digital age – so what does a romance today look like? textPlus resident “textpert” Drew Olanoff offers these tips for texters in love:

1. Saying “I love you” over text is perfectly fine – as long as you follow it up with a face-to-face “I love you.” You can’t ONLY say it over SMS.

2. Send your Valentine a photo of you blowing a kiss or making a heart shape with your hands – visuals can be sweet

3. Surprise your significant other by texting “open the door” or “look outside” and be ready and waiting with a bouquet of flowers

4. Long distance? Use tech tools like textPlus Face Text to hold a real-time text conversation with photos

His final tip is only for teens who have good texting plans -- do not run up your mother's bill!

5. No Valentine this year? Group texting and communities of single friends are the perfect place to commiserate together.

Posted February 5, 2011 2:03 PM by Editor | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

Do you have an ex who is never over? A former flame you are still hot for? An old boyfriend who you never quite got over?

With social media and online searches, it is tough to totally ditch an ex. Before you know it, your 6th grade boyfriend finds you on Facebook or the one who broke your heart in high school suddenly e-mails you. Those connections may be innocent and sweet. But what about those times you find yourself cyber staking a former lover on google or spending Saturday night flipping through his photo albums on Facebook to see what--and who--he is up to?

With all the ways we are all connected, making a clean break can seem almost impossible.

A recent YourTango.com survey* showed that 71 percent of respondents said they think about their ex too much and 48 percent (including 42 percent of married people) said they look at their ex's Facebook or other social networking profile too often.

Recognizing the value of being liberated from an old flame, YourTango.com—an online love and relationships site—has anointed February 13 as the first annual "Break Up With Your Ex” day. Between February 1 and 13 people are encouraged to unfriend their former boyfriends, girlfriends, spouses and partners on Facebook, offering solidarity to anyone who is still emotionally involved with an ex. People are also encouraged to:

-Unfollow your ex on Twitter, Foursquare and any other social networking sites;
-Untag and/or delete photos of yourself and that person online, on your computer and phone;
-Delete songs and playlists that remind you of the person;
-Block or erase the person on Google chat, AIM and other instant messaging services;
-Delete their numbers from your phone and their email addresses from your address book;
-Enlist the support of friends and community to detach and stay detached from your ex;
-Get back into the dating scene to complete the moving-on process.

And by no means should you "poke" this person on Facebook, ever again!

“The current digital landscape makes it especially difficult to truly break from past relationships. Nevertheless, getting someone out of your head—and your heart—is a necessary part of moving on and finding new love, as well as succeeding in a current relationship,” said Andrea Miller, founder and CEO, YourTango.com. “With the massive ex-attachment going on, we devised this simple call to action to help individuals digitally untether themselves before Valentine's Day.”

Additional data from YourTango.com’s research underscores how pervasive the problem is:

-57 percent of singles said thinking about their ex prevents them from finding new love
-60 percent of married people agreed that their ex is on their mind too often
-36 percent said their attachment to their ex interferes with their marriage

The epicenter of the campaign resides on Facebook.com/YourTango where users will find a “Break Up with Your Ex” resource center containing information and tools for people who want to sever ties and for those looking to lend support to friends who need to cut the cord. Participants can post “I Broke Up With My Ex” badges, send virtual gifts of encouragement to friends having a tough time, and nudge ex-obsessed pals with a "Facebook Stalker Star". They are encouraged to share their experience both on the Facebook page and using the Twitter hashtag #DumpYourEx.

Posted February 2, 2011 2:25 PM by Editor | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

There are a lot of Valentine's Day haters out there!

Has the holiday of hearts become a target for people who feel that the Hallmark induced version of February 14th brings too much pressure or disappointment?

It is always a holiday where everyone tries to sell us on love--chocolate, diamond, stuffed animal, mushy cards, condoms-with-hearts on them kind of love. This year, some folks have decided to try to sell us the anti-love angle.

We got a press release stating: "Cupid-haters have designed more than 358,500 anti-Valentine’s Day products on CafePress, the go-to Web site for make-your-own anything."

So we checked it out. While they do have sincere and sweet love stuff, they seem to have a collection of down-on- romance, love-stinks kind of items. Maybe love is a hard sell these days, and snarky comments and anti-relationship sentiments are more marketable.

From "Love is for Losers" t-shirts to "This will end in tears" thongs, you can find an assortment of items that flip the bird to February 14th--in an affordable way. There are greeting cards, and special collectible coasters and keepsake boxes, such as the one that says, "I can't believe how much I'm not sick of you."

We still vote for love, but see the humor in these items.

Posted February 2, 2011 12:13 PM by Editor | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

Wondering what's hot for the year 2011? From suprise honeymoons to fashion inspired by The Black Swan, TheKnot.com recently sent us predictions for the top 11 wedding trends for the coming year.

1. Prohibition-Era Elegance: So long, Mad Men—the most stylish new show is Boardwalk Empire and brides are noticing. From dusty nudes and lace dresses for the ladies to wing-tip shoes for the men, couples are falling in love with the dapper fashion of the 1920s. And it wouldn’t feel like Prohibition without alcohol. To reinterpret the boozy nights of the Roaring ’20s, couples are serving up “moonshine” and Prohibition “bathtub gin” in their very own speakeasy bar, all while guests dance the night away—to jazz, naturally.

2. The Redefined Princess: With a royal wedding around the corner, you can bet Kate Middleton’s going to alter what princess style is all about. Put away the ball-gown skirt because the new princess silhouette will be body-skimming but with a bold train. Add statement-making headwear like tasteful tiaras (seriously!) and cathedral-length veils. And you can count on sophisticated sequins and beading showing up on everything from the wedding dress to the floral arrangements and the wedding cake.

3. Sultry Ballerina Style: From feathered headpieces and shredded fabrics to airy plumes and pale pinks paired with black, the look of the season is all about Black Swan, right down to an ambience where everything happens after 8 p.m. One idea we love? Romantic ceremonies by candlelight.

4. Ivy League Chic: From Fair Isle sweaters to Vineyard Vines ties and Tommy Hilfiger blazers, preppy chic is back in a big way, and weddings aren’t immune. Brides will be channeling their inner Blair Waldorf from Gossip Girl or Ali MacGraw from Love Story and incorporating Ivy League-chic details like plaids and stripes for the perfect remix of retro, preppy sensibility.

5. Exotic Indian Inspiration: From Katy Perry’s Indian wedding and Eat, Pray, Love to Nicole Richie’s exotic elephant as a wedding greeter, India will definitely be the “it” country for wedding inspiration. Think vibrant color palettes like purples, reds and golds, lavish décor elements such as beading and rich drapery, and exotic, spicy dishes.

6. Wedding Man Caves: Blackjack tables, brandy bars, PlayStations and stogies. The man cave has officially moved from the home to the wedding, so don’t be surprised if you see all the male wedding guests in the new “groom’s corner” at the reception.

7. Prewedding PJ Parties: This isn’t Bachelorette Party, Part Two. Before the big day, brides will be planning a night of pampering and bonding via JHS-style slumber parties, complete with matching pj’s of course.

8. Food Truck Fun: Waffles, tacos and dumplings, oh my! People’s hunger for gourmet food trucks has seeped into weddings, and brides will be embracing it wholeheartedly by requesting makeshift sidewalk carts during the cocktail hour or food trucks for the wedding after-party.

9. Haute Desserts: Blame it on the popularity of Top Chef: Just Desserts, Amazing Cakes and Cake Boss, but desserts and wedding cakes will be taking center stage with gourmet flavor and haute style. Chocolate tart with a dash of sea salt, anyone?

10. Video Guest Books: Building on the popularity of “wedding photo booths”, wedding guests can expect confessional-style video booths and even iPads dressed up as guest books as the newest way to “write” well wishes to the happy couple. Bonus? Postwedding, couples can easily share their guest book online via YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Flickr or Vimeo.

11. Surprise Honeymoons: Couples will be taking a cue from Chelsea Clinton’s wedding and have the groom plan a surprise honeymoon.

Posted January 26, 2011 7:27 PM by Editor | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

American's are ready for a relationship tune up. YourTango.com recently conducted a survey that revealed that 82% of Americans think their romantic lives are in need of a makeover.

The survey questioned a national sample of 500 Americans, with polling taking place over December 17, 2010-January 7, 2011.

It prompted the love and relationship site to launch a “31-Day Love Life Makeover Challenge.” Running now through Valentine's Day, readers can visit for expert advice and practical takeaways from a consulting network of relationship professionals.

Beginning by asking participants to set their own goals to put them on the path to the love lives they desire, each day YourTango.com’s homepage will guide them with advice in one of four specific areas:

· Attitude. The first step to transformation is changing the way you think about your love life—and yourself.

· Communication. Deciphering man-speak vs. woman speak, how to flirt with your husband, handling difficult conversations with your significant other and charming the pants off someone new.

· Social. How to put the new you into action: whether single, starting over, or in a relationship, these ideas offer opportunities to bond and have a lot of fun.

· Physical. Help participants look and feel better through improvements to their wardrobes, beauty routines, diets, exercise and self-image.

“It speaks volumes that more than three-quarters of Americans feel that their love lives need a makeover,” said Andrea Miller, CEO and Founder, YourTango.com. “We hope to help everyone from the couple going through the natural ebbs and flows of a relationship to the single looking for a complete overhaul.”

Posted January 20, 2011 9:04 PM by Editor | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

Whether you are planning for a wedding, enjoying single life, or looking for a new job, your purse can be the key to attracting wealth and financial success. A Feng Shui expert tells you how.

Guest Blog By Kathryn Weber

It’s an indispensable tool, a valuable fashion asset and a source of all manner of important things like breath mints, a safety pin to fix a broken zipper, or keys to entertain a toddler. A woman’s purse is a collector of things – and sometimes those things are downright unhealthful.

According to recent studies, a woman’s purse ranks as one of the top ten germiest items we come in contact with on a regular basis. Ironically, a woman’s handbag is also the place where she carries her wealth and financial power.

Is your purse a symbol of wealth or is it a danger to your health? Maybe it’s a little of both.

Interestingly, for women, a purse is often a symbol of the self. An attractive, organized purse makes us feel better and more in control of our lives. When our purses are a mess and we can’t find anything, we feel lost and our bank accounts often reflect that scattered state.

Simply put, a purse with good feng shui is a purse that is organized, a handy resource, and supports its principal purpose: holding your money and financial wherewithal.

Read these tips to get your purse in tip top feng shui shape — and make you more prosperous!

1. Elevate your purse.

You’d never see a man put his wallet on the floor, yet women put their purses on the floor all the time – in the restroom, at restaurants, at work. Always keep your purse elevated and off the floor. And never, ever, put it on the floor of the restroom. Hang it on a door hinge or the corner of the door. A great idea is to buy a purse hanger for those times when you want to put your purse down, but not on a floor.

2. Keep it clean.

Resist the temptation to throw gum or food wrappers, bits of paper or used tissues into your purse. What does it say when you carry trash in the same place as your money? Garbage should go in a trashcan and never into a purse.

3. Mind the change.

Avoid throwing change into your purse where it will fall to the bottom of the bag. This is disrespectful to money. If it’s too inconvenient to put change into a zippered coin compartment in your wallet, buy an old fashioned coinpurse that makes collecting change easy – and getting it out for tolls or parking meters — convenient too.

4. Be prepared.

Carry a small safety pin, a tiny container of dental floss, a small notepad with pen, a small pocketknife, highlighter pen and bottle of eye drops. Little items that make your purse a point of refuge in the world make you love your purse even more. Better still, when someone has a broken zipper they will forever remember you and your purse of wonders! Lastly, carry a $100 bill, but don’t spend it. Having a purse (and some cash) at the ready helps you be prepared for financial surprises.

5. Activate your purse.

If you see pretty hanging Chinese ornaments or tassels put some of these on your purse. These hangers are great for pumping up the feng shui volume of your purse and activating it for wealth. Choose hangers that appeal to you and that look especially pretty and coordinated. Yes, pretty is good feng shui!

6. Buy thoughtfully.

Like a bra, never buy a purse just for the fashion name or for how it looks. Make sure the purse hangs on your shoulder comfortably, and like a good bra, stays there. Even better, find a purse with enough compartments to hold small items like pens, your cell phone, and other items you need to get to quickly. Make sure you can easily close your purse for security sake, that you can find what you need and that the purse is working for you, not the other way around.

7. Use a key keeper.

These small hooks fit onto your purse and keep you from fishing around for your keys, which can endanger you if you’re trying to find them at night in an empty parking lot. By hanging on the edge of your purse, you can access your keys faster and more easily. This says you can find your way financially too.

8. Avoid wallet clutter.

Get a wallet that helps you stay organized with your money. Your money should be easily arranged, not rammed into a wad, and your credit cards should be easily accessible. Also, have only as many credit cards as you absolutely need. Too many credit cards becomes a financial trap, a credit score nightmare, and, well, clutter. When the clerks ask if you want one of the store-name-credit cards, tell them “No thanks; I’m cutting down on wallet clutter.” Who can argue with that?

9. Buy a purse in your personal wealth color.

Selecting a purse in a color that resonates with your personal wealth energy will help stimulate your wealth and money-making opportunities. If you don’t want to buy a purse in your personal wealth colors, other good options include red, metallic, white, black, and blue. Greens are also fine and a nice choice in 2010. The best choice for the year? Blue.

10. Pursue love.

The No. 1 feng shui rule for your purse? Don’t buy it unless you absolutely love it – and then treat it that way. Keep it clean, organized, and off the floor. Your money mojo will be activated and you’ll have more to spend and save. Show some purse love!

© K Weber Communications LLC 2002-2011

Kathryn Weber is the publisher of the Red Lotus Letter Feng Shui E-zine and certified feng shui consultant in classical Chinese feng shui. Kathryn helps her readers improve their lives and generate more wealth with feng shui. For more information and to receive her FREE Ebook “Easy Money – 3 Steps to Building Massive Wealth with Feng Shui” visit www.redlotusletter.com.

Posted January 15, 2011 5:40 PM by Editor | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

There is a fun article in the December 10, 2010 edition of the New York Times about celebrity wedding officiants.

"BEING wed by an Elvis impersonator is so last century," writes author Ari Karpel. "In the age of reality TV and Twitter, celebrities (we use the term loosely) are more accessible than ever. Some of them are even available to officiate at your nontraditional wedding, and they come without the reverence of a priest, pastor or rabbi."

Many celebs get ordained online at Universal Life Church. Although this credential is widely accepted in California it is not in New York and it is also very difficult to perform a legal wedding in Nevada if you are not ordained and legally authorized in the state. So check your state laws and clergy credentials to always make sure your wedding ceremony is legally binding.

Read the full article by Ari Karpel in the New York Times

Posted January 2, 2011 10:14 AM by Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

I am hoping that by the time you wed you will know this answer, but if not, you might gain a little insight--or have a little fun-- with the new Do You Know Your Groom App. It is launching from Sourcebooks today, July 15, starting at 99 cents.

Since brides spend a lot of time on their phones, planning their weddings, the maker of this app figures this will be yet another bridal accessory. They consider it the most entertaining way to discover all about your husband-to-be.

Honestly, I can think of other ways to discover more about your man, but, might as well enjoy a little fun amidst the craziness of wedding planning.

And, there are His and Her apps. The Do You Know Your Bride App is also available to test the groom’s knowledge.

Says the press release: "Based on the bestselling wedding books by the same name, these apps can be a great way to spend a night (or two) learning more about each other. Even after years of dating, there are sure to be surprises."

"The Do You Know apps are totally unique quizzes that brides and grooms can’t find anywhere else. Couples should expect to laugh a lot and playfully argue as they try out probing questions.

Posted July 15, 2010 9:36 AM by Editor | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

Wedding season is officially on in Hollywood as a number of A List celebrities got hitched over this past weekend.

Carrie Underwood, Megan Fox, and John Krasinski and Emily Blunt are among those who exchanged rings.

David Mamane, CEO of MyJewelryBox.com offers these tips to celebrities and other brides and grooms about tying the knot.

1. Choose a band that matches the material of your engagement ring, if her engagement ring is platinum; purchase her a platinum wedding band. Re-visiting the same store that the engagement ring was purchased from is always a good idea. The three most popular wedding bands are yellow gold, white gold and platinum. White gold is popular because it coordinates with both silver and gold and is less expensive than platinum. Yellow gold is traditional, but be sure to look into the karats. Nine karat does not look as nice and will not hold up as well as 18 karat, but more karats means a bigger price tag.

2. Shop together; this ensures that everyone gets what they want

3. Choose a style that compliments your fingers and hand. If you have a larger finger, a thick band will look more attractive than a thin band, while skinny fingers tend to look better with a small, simple, band.

4. Take into consideration what you do for a living; if you work in construction, you want a wedding band that will withstand how much abuse it will take.

Posted July 14, 2010 6:55 PM by Editor | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

Guest Blog by Nicole Hockin

No matter how much you are looking forward to spending some quality time with that special someone, traveling together can be a bit stressful; regardless of whether you have been married for decades or are just testing the waters as a couple. So what can you do to ensure a blissful getaway? Here are a few surefire ways to keep the fires burning without getting burned.

1. Both Contribute to the Planning - It’s important that you both feel like you have a part in the trip’s success. A site, like hotels.com, is great because you can check out all accommodations from bed & breakfasts to boutique hotels, vacation rentals to spa resorts. Take the virtual tours, read the guest reviews, check out the location relative to the sites you want to see and book it, together.

2. Work with Each Other’s Strengths - During planning, if one of you is a savvy researcher then perhaps that person can do the destination investigation while the other could be responsible for booking the flights or hotels. Working with each other’s strengths is even more important while traveling. Who’s the control freak (I mean backseat driver) between the two of you? Come on! Admit it?! Maybe you should drive while your partner navigates. Don’t be afraid to play to each other’s strengths versus struggling through a situation.

3. Pace Yourselves - Rome wasn’t built in a day and you can’t see it all in one either. Trust me! I know how fantastic it is to be on vacation sans work and children, but take time for the small moments and some relaxation. Factor in downtime for your vacation as well as extra time while sightseeing. You never know when you will want to spend some additional time in a museum, on the beach, or sampling the vineyard’s newest harvest. And you’ll appreciate not having the pressure to be on time or the disappointment of missing out on an opportunity.

4. Communicate - Seems simple enough, right? Are you tired? Are you hungry? Do you want to stay in this town for another day? How quickly we forget that we are not mind readers. Be sure to let your sweetheart know what you’re thinking before it’s too late to do something about it. When traveling, you are out of your normal rhythm and routine so it’s important that you are sharing your needs and desires even if you are used to your honey knowing what those things are.

5. Take Time for Yourself - It’s important on vacation to have some time for you, whether to relax or explore. That’s when the tips above are most useful by working together, communicating and taking the time to really enjoy your trip; you should be able to get some coveted “me time”. For example, you could check out the local village shops while he takes in a round of golf.

6. Do Not Disturb - Our sleep patterns can really wreak havoc with our vacations. Is your sweetie a snorer? Plan ahead and pack those earplugs. Who’s the morning person? Be kind to your special someone and allow her that precious time to sleep-in by perhaps following the tip above for your “me time” and take a walk around town or read a few chapters of that book you have been wanting to peruse.

7. Try Something New to Both of You - If you frequent the same destination then make sure you change it up by finding something new to do each time you go. Experiencing something for the first time is a great way to bring a couple closer together. So whether the destination is new to you or perhaps it’s that zip-line adventure that you both have always wanted to try, give it a whirl…together.

8. Budgets and Splurges - Let’s face it money is often an issue for most couples. It is important for a couple to understand their vacation budget, if they have one, before they embark on their trip. It’s not fair to either person to feel constrained or overly frugal while traveling. So know before you go! Allow and anticipate for splurges like dinner at that trés romantic restaurant you stumbled upon or a piece of locally created art.

9. Use the Hotel Concierge - Here’s what frequent travelers know; the concierge can make things happen. They often have discount tickets to area attractions, know the best restaurants and want to help make your hotel stay special. Tell the concierge if your stay is to celebrate a birthday, anniversary, etc. and see how he/she can help you make it memorable.

10. You Don’t Have to Go Far to Get Away - A vacation is merely a break for the ordinary. And sometimes staying in a nearby resort can feel like you are one million miles away. A staycation, or vacation close to home, is often a great way for new couples to test the traveling together waters as well as to have some fun. It’s also a great way for couples with children to have some alone time without the worry that comes with traveling away from your children.

Think you and your partner deserve a vacation? Enter the Hotels.com “I Need A Vacation” sweepstakes

Travel Expert, Nicole Hockin is author of the Travel Smart Blog.

Posted July 14, 2010 6:48 PM by Editor | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

I heard an awesome song called "All My Life (To Love You)" by British artist, Chapman. It is quickly becoming popular as the wedding song for couples getting married in the UK.

Take a listen at www.a-wedding-song.com.

The song is a complete expression of love between two people, the kind of love that two people who are about to embark on married life together might feel. It gives us a modern take on 'until death do us part', this is a love that will last for eternity or into the afterlife.

You can download it here.

Chapman describes his sound as orchestrally soulful, digitally tantric.

Here are the lyrics, used with permission of the artist. I can also see these being used as vows or for a first dance.

I was treading water
and drowning everyday
I used to be a swimmer
I made my share of waves
You pulled me on to dry land
and brought me back to life
you dried out all my heavy clothes
and the tears in my eyes
You took the spark in me
Out of that dark place
you made tomorrow something I could face
I found the most important thing
That anyone could have
Is to find someone who loves you
and have someone that you love

I've got all my life to love you
I just want to give you love
and the only thing that scares me
Is that won't be long enough

Copyright 2010, Dom Chapman

Posted April 18, 2010 1:54 PM by Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

Glamour.com has launched a new wedding channel filled with interesting tidbits for brides planning their weddings.

Thought you might get a kick out of the article, "Superstitious? Check Out Five New Year's Rituals for Good Luck."

These rituals include making sure you have money in your pocket, wearing red undies to start the year off right and taking care to make sure the right person is the first person to enter your home on New Years day.

Good luck!

Posted January 1, 2010 11:13 AM by Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

People love famous inspirational quotes. They can truly inspire our days, and point us in a positive direction in life.

If you are going through a challenging time, or if you want to bring more joy to your life, check our this huge collection of famous inspirational quotes at Beliefnet.com.

Posted July 26, 2009 5:14 PM by Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

I like to think of myself as a fairly openminded wedding officiant but I am glad I was not called for the gig of officiating the first wedding in weightlessness.

But it could be a great way to eliminate wedding stress and cut down on the guest list: Get married in zero gravity aboard Zero Gravity Corp.'s modified Boeing 727-200 aircraft. That's what Broklyn, NY residents Noah Fulmor and Erin Finnegan did yesterday.

The first wedding in weightlessness was performed by video game entrepreneur and astronauts son, Richard Garriott, who was ordained by a California church so he could perform this wedding.

Read more about the first weightless wedding.

Posted June 21, 2009 12:18 PM by Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

Have you seen "Boyfriends With Benefits"?

This new video about health insurance as a chick magnet seems to be part of a new trend in times of financial crisis - practicality when it comes to love.

My friend Carrie Sloan wrote a terrific story about preparing for her wedding in two days, based on a very practical decision to marry sooner than later.

She had just been laid off from her job as an editor and was given three days of health insurance coverage. She and her beloved, Adam Lisberg, were already engaged and decided to move thier fall marriage to that Friday so that Carrie could hop onto his health insurance plan at the NY Daily News, where he is a City Hall Reporter.

Carrie e-mailed me to see if I could possibly officiate her wedding - two days before it was to take place. It just so happend I had a 4 pm Ceremony in Central Park so I told her I could marry her at 5:30 PM and that it would be my honor. I was truly touched to be part of it.

I have to say, it was a beautiful ceremony. It took place at The Pool, in Central Park, at 100th Street and Central Park West. Carrie and Adam are two beautiful lights, and together, they shine brighter. It was clear by the way they looked at each other and their comfort with one another that they were very much in love. They radiated love!

They said their "I dos" and exchanged candy rings (no time to get real ones) before parents (who flew in from long distances to attend the wedding) and friends who surrounded them in a circle of love. Even the ducks were stopping by to watch. A great sense of joy and playfulness prevailed.

They will do it again in the fall, in a ceremony officiated by the groom's step dad. This time, the wedding rings will be made of gold. Mazel Tov Carrie and Adam!

Photo of Rev. Laurie Sue with newlyweds Carrie and Adam and their pooch by Desiree Navarro.

Read Carrie's account of her rushed, yet wonderful, nuptials. She prooves it is indeed possible to marry well without spending a year planning!

Posted May 30, 2009 11:25 PM by Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

By Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway and Rev. Victor Fuhrman

So many people are fearful and feeling the pressure of the financial crisis. In the worst of times, it is important to remember there is always a ray of hope.

You can begin to find that hope with the help of a financial prayer.

We wrote these 10 financial prayers and blessings to offer spiritual help and healing. You will find prayers for jobs, money prayers, a prayer for the unemployed, prayers for family and a prayer to protect your relationship.

Read 'Prayers for Jobs and Money.' The first prayer is on rising above fear.

Posted February 18, 2009 9:21 PM by Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

You will find, as you look back upon your life, that the moments when you really lived are the moments when you have done things in the spirit of love. - Henry Drummond

I am loving this quote from Henry Drummond. Ever stop to think how much time you spend not doing things in the spirit of love. Kvetching, complaining, feeling annoyed and put-upon have become so much a part of our daily lives and culture.

What if, even when we do things we don't love, we do them in the spirit of love?

This makes it more of an act of service to God, and less of an annoying obligation to fill.

This does not mean that life is not also filled with annoying obligations and tasks. It just means we get over it, and see that in every task, there is a place for love - expressing it, feeling it, being it.

I know one person who is awesome at doing things in the spirit of love -- my husband Victor. He truly knows how take care of even the worst situations by approaching them in the spirit of love and service. Hope to be more like him when I grow up.

Alrighty, then. I am off the soap box. God bless.

Posted February 12, 2009 9:41 PM by Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

By Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway
From Wedlok.com

When you give your hands, you give your heart. Many cultures have different ways of blessing the hands of the bride and groom.

In Thai ceremonies, for example, the couple kneels as elder, married relatives pour blessed water from a conch shell onto their hands and offer words of blessing. In the ancient Celtic tradition of hand-fasting, the couple’s hands are literally tied together to symbolize spiritual and physical unity as prayers and blessings are recited.
Of course, in Las Vegas, the tradition is to have Elvis bless your hands as he serenades you with a song that touches your heart!

In any tradition, a hand blessing is a ritual that is meant to draw you closer to one another.
I have always heard that the hands are a connection to the heart, and a hand blessing symbolically brings two hearts together. When I officiated the wedding of a physician recently she confirmed that physically there is a connection between the veins in the hands and the heart.

I like to offer couples a non-denominational approach. It can be done at any point in the ceremony yet fits in perfectly right after the exchange of the rings.

Here’s how it works: You and your beloved face each other. First join your right palms, and then your left palms. This forms an infinity symbol with your hands, which symbolizes a love that will go on forever.
I love to begin with the sentiment that Shakespeare said, “Now join your hands, and with your hand’s your hearts.” (And in Las Vegas, you can probably find Shakespeare to utter that line himself during your ceremony!)

Continue reading "Hand Blessing Ceremony" »

Posted September 18, 2008 7:28 PM by Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

My friend Valerie Rickle, publisher of SoulfulLiving.com, just launched the wedding counterpart, SoulfulWeddings.com.

The subtitle for the site sounds like something right out of an ad I used to run for my wedding ministry: "Make Your Wedding a Sacred, Meaningful and Memorable Occasion."

I was thrilled to find the site carries just about anything you could need for an interfaith wedding.

There are wonderful sacred supplies, from Celtic Loving Cups to handfasting ribbons, from special bags for "breaking of the glass" to Buddhist bells. And shoes for the bride!

Posted August 25, 2008 8:05 AM by Editor | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

From Wedlok.com

Have same sex wedding to attend? Now you can say congratulations with a Hallmark greeting card.

If Hallmark has gone into the gay wedding biz, that's a pretty big social marker for change and acceptance. Or are they just hitching their wagon to the soon-to-boom gay wedding business?

Cards will feature same sex couples and the usual wedding greetings.

Find out more at WalletPop.com.

Posted August 25, 2008 7:55 AM by Editor | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

From Wedlok.com

News flash: Sexual desire can decline as women age into the "menopausal years."

For brides who are getting married later in life, and women in midlife who are in relationships, this presents a tricky dynamic when it comes to the honeymoon or second honeymoon. Not every woman is effected, but don't be surprised if you are.

We are hormonally driven creatures. In Perimenopause, desire can decrease. The onset of symptoms and lowered hormones can take the fun out of sexual funsies. In fact, it can take the fun out of life.

Read more about Low Sexual Desire and other hormone symptopms at Everyday Health.

Bioidentical hormones are helping many women in midlife keep the pep in their step. Our fave is Dr. Erika Schwartz, M.D. , a whiz when it comes to helping women find hormonal balance and peace.

Dr. Erika is a no-nonsense doc who helps women not just find health, but find themselves, in the years before, during and after the change of life. She doesn't believe any woman -- or man -- should or has to suffer from hormone imbalance.

Visit Dr. Erika's blog and informational website. Check out her new e-book, Dr. Erika's Hormone Friendly Diet.

Posted August 11, 2008 5:29 AM by Editor | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

From Wedlok.com

We found out about an interesting new Russian wedding tradition today: Newlyweds are professing their love by placing pad locks and in some cases chains on trees.

Talk about the bonds of matrimony! The idea is for couples to "lock in" their love.

Images of the so called "Trees of Love" in downtown Moscow were spotted on AOL and a few other places on the Internet.

We found this AP image in Daily Times, a Pakistani newspaper.

Posted July 31, 2008 3:29 PM by Editor | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

This fascinating internet project, The Great American Think Out, is aiming to give peace a chance - truly!

Created by Stephanie Gunning and Richard Aronow, it features dozens of teachers who bring you insights on meditation and how to calm your mind and feed your soul.

Here's what Stephanie and Richard have to say about their project, which is circulating inspiration around the internet daily!

"A momentum is occurring. Growing numbers of people are interested in being peaceful. The action of peace is being peace. Since we began in June 2008 we've already reached people around the globe in 44 countries and in every U.S. state."

"Peace is fun. When people are peaceful, they laugh a lot. They take care of each other. They share resources and are open to new and diverse ideas. Peaceful life is good life. It's spontaneous, generous, and wildly creative. It's an art and skill."

"That's what The Great American Think Out is all about: inviting everyone in this country and throughout the world to be generous with their presence, to promise to spend a day basking in the intentions of peace and meditation all at once."

Check out 30 days of inspiration from The Great American Think Out at: www.stopthinkingnow.com/30hope

Posted July 25, 2008 5:30 AM by Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

From Wedlok.com

For some of us, one of our biggest challenges is loving ourselves! It is so important that we reguarly tune-up our self-esteem.

If you need a self-love boost or know anyone who might, check out my feature, 10 Ways to Honor Thyself, on the front page of Beliefnet.com today!

www.Beliefnet.com

Many Blessings, Laurie Sue

Posted July 25, 2008 5:21 AM by Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

By Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway

I received an awesome gift recently. A beautifully crocheted prayer and meditation shawl created especially for me by Kay Moates of OnSlenderThreads.com. It's black with white edging, and has crystals attached at either end.

Kay is the mom of one my brides, Elizabeth, who married her beloved Matt on 5/5/05 at 5 PM in New York.

I remember her wedding so well. The Cherry Blossom leaves were gently pouring down upon us on this beautiful late afternoon in the Central Park Conservatory Garden.

It was the South Garden, also known as the Secret Garden or English Garden, where Matt and Elizabeth said their I dos.

The way they looked at each other... I cannot even put into words. They were so clearly meant to be, and their love radiated throughout Central Park. It was such a joyous experience! Magical, in many ways.

And the bride had a very cool Mom. I seem to remember Mom and the bridesmaids in special shawls that Kay had created. She told me they special spiritual qualities and blessings in them. I also remembered that Kay had bought copies of my book, A Goddess Is a Girl's Best Friend and asked me to sign them at the wedding, for all the bridesmaids.

A couple of years later, Kay reconnected with me through my colleague Cornelia Powell, who runs my column in her online magazine, Weddings Of Grace. She offered to make me one of her magical shawls. And what a gift it has been. Although she had meditation in mind, I often use it more for prayers and rituals.

Kay has created what she called "An Especially for Weddings Meditations Shawl." These make terrific and unique gifts for harried brides, bridesmaids and mothers of the bride.

She described it this way: "It is a tool for quieting one's self. Like a cocoon embracing the emerging butterfly,
this shawl will cloister the wearer as she ponders her self, her relationships, the wedding and the future. Clarity unfolds in this stillness to guide her through a rare, heart-infused Wedding Celebration of being true to herself and to those she loves."

Into each one-of-a-kind shawl are woven symbols of transformation that energize, enable and encourage the wearer will emerge radiant! Using earths fibers and stones, Kay mindfully creates tools for embodying change.

These one-of-a-kind wraps and shawls that enliven the senses and call one to quiet. In heartfull solitude, each design is knitted with intention to gentle, ground, balance, empower, refine, cocoon, or transform.

In these days of wedding craziness, it might be nice to have a little spiritual comfort from a very wise mother of the bride, Kay Moates!

Posted July 19, 2008 9:44 AM by Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

From Wedlok.com

I really enjoyed Star Guide to Weddings by fellow Llewellyn author April Elliot Kent.

An astrologer specializing in wedding astrology, she helps to-be-weds pick the right date to be wed. You can find out more about her consultation service on her website, www.BigSkyAstrology.

In Star Guide to Weddings: Your Horoscope For Living Happily Ever After , (Llewellyn Worldwide, 2008), she outlines marriage by sun signs, covering The Aries Marriage to The Capricorn Marriage and every sign in between.

This book looks at weddings that take place under certain signs, and certain times, and how the marriage might play out.

For a more specific wedding day selection, you should contact the author. In that case she can look at your chart and your beloved's and assess the most potentially auspicious dates. Reach author April Elliot Kent at www.BigSkyAstrology.com.

Wedlok.com astrology columnist Shelley Ackerman has long been telling us to select astrologically appropriate dates for weddings and this is a service she sometimes offers as well in the course of a consultation. Reach Shelley at www.KarmicRelief.com.

Posted June 18, 2008 6:46 AM by Editor | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

From Wedlok.com

Never Throw Rice At A Pisces (Thomas Dunne Books/St. Martin's Griffin, 2008) is a really fun and revealing book by astrologer Stacey Wolf.

It takes brides-to-be on a fascinating, astrologically-based wedding planning journey.

We especially loved Wolf's description of the most astrologically compatable attendants and bridesmaids. We share her wedding party insights, with the permission of Thomas Dunne Books/St. Martin's Griffin.

Who You Absolutely Must Have in a Bridal Party... or Else

By Stacey Wolf

Everybody has great friends, but are they up for the task? Before you choose your maid of honor and your bridesmaids, consider what you need from them most during this highly emotional time.

Aries: People who know you best. Friends who will be around when you want them, who aren’t going to be insulted if you don’t and won’t take it personally if you have an explosion or two along the way. Conversely, don’t choose someone overemotional or high maintenance--you will pull your hair out if you have to baby-sit anybody.

Taurus: Generous, sensitive pals. Friends who can coax you out of your shell a bit, support your decisions, and yet still be honest when it’s time to let something go along the way. Very often you’re busy helping others, If you end up choosing friends who can’t give back, you won’t demand more, you’ll just get very frustrated.

Gemini: Friends you can talk to. Surround yourself with people who have cell phones and are available to chat at all times of the day. You want to share all the latest details you’ve discovered and ask their advice before you make a decision. Stay away from people who want to appropriate all your time discussing their own dramas.

Cancer: Friends who lend emotional support. You need close companions who will share in all the fun; from dress shopping to the bridal shower. Just being there for you is all you ask. You don’t like feeling abandoned so never choose a friend who lives in another city, is too busy with her own life, or who is emotionally unavailable.

Continue reading "A Bride's Astrology Guide - Never Throw Rice At A Pisces" »

Posted June 17, 2008 1:37 PM by Editor | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

We love our pets. And statistics show that we are willing to spend oodles on our poodles, kitties, horses and other animals, keeping them well groomed, stylishly attired, fed, happy, healthy and safe.

More than 70 million American’s share their homes with cats, 60 million with dogs, and 2 million or so more with domestic birds. At least 65% of all homes in the United States include at least one pet.

For many of us, pets are as much a part of the family as any human member.

"That is why we are seeing more and more pooches walking down the aisle or bearing rings at weddings," according to Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway and Rev. Victor Fuhrman , interfaith ministers and authors of Pet Prayers and Blessings: Ceremonies & Celebrations to Share With the Animals You Love , due out from Sterling, August 5, 2008.

They have observed in their ministry work, and their own lives, that many owners recognize the divine nature of all “creatures great and small."

Pet owners consider their relationships to their animals sacred and essential. So the Reverends Brockway and Fuhrman, a married couple, treat prayers, healings and celebrations for pets in the same way that they treat human events they officiate of preside over.

Since they cannot be there in person to bless every pet, they have launched the Pet Prayers and Blessings Interfaith Ministry on Beliefnet.com's social networking community. There, soulful pet owners can chat, request prayers and prayer for one another's pets in this spiritual community.

The Pet Prayers and Blessings ministry on Beliefnet.com will be guided with the help of prayer maven and prayer circle expert Judy Newman.

Pet Prayers and Blessings, the forthcoming book, is a unique collection of blessings that specifically addresses the spiritual needs of modern-day pet owners .

Besides offering original prayers and adaptations of classics, it explains how to lead rituals and celebrations, and provides advice on involving pets in spiritual events, including those conducted by the clergy.

Although the book includes and honors many faiths, it is non-denominational and non-religious, and encompasses elements from many cultures and traditions.

There are healing prayers for ailing animals, ceremonies for special occasions (such as the arrival of a new pet), and blessings for a long and happy life with your animal companion.

You can preorder Pet Prayers and Blessings at www.bn.com.

Posted April 10, 2008 5:09 AM by Editor | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

Wedlok.com is offering the opportunity to win ANOTHER two free tickets to New York's most elegant wedding event, The Wedding Salon! The first Wedlok.com bride or mother of the bride to e-mail us wins -- so act fast!

The Wedding Salon is an important event for brides and grooms in New York. Its a chance to tie up loose ends, find important vendors and get yourself ready to tie the knot!

* Join wedding superstars Sylvia Weinstock, David Tutera, Michael George Flowers, HPNOTIQ, '21' Club, CECI New York, Renny & Reed, Bernard Maisner, Kleinfeld, and more for this elegant showcase of New York City's top wedding talents.

* See spectacular table centerpieces, photographers, couture gowns, jewels.

* Meet amazing ceremony musicians, invitations specialists.

* Experience complimentary beauty services, cake tastings, Champagne Bar, and receive incredible gift bags filled with bridal goodies.

When: Monday, April 21, 2008

Where: Gotham Hall, 1356 Broadway, NYC

What time: 3PM -8PM

Website: www.WeddingSalon.com

For more info contact: Sheenah by e-mail or call 212.631.7777

Special opportunity for Wedlok.com brides: Wedding Salon Special Promotional Tickets for You & Your Engaged Friends available at 2 for $50. Use code WedLokNY08P at www.WeddingSalon.com.

Tell Your Engaged Friends About this Event!

Wedding Salon Photo: Martha Stewart and other wedding cebrities

Posted April 2, 2008 5:16 AM by Editor | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

From Wedlok.com

Engaged couples are invited to join us for our annual Wedding Goddess Blessing of the Brides and Grooms in Central Park on June 14, 2008, at 4 PM.

This is the only event of its kind for engaged couples in New York City. Brides and their grooms, of all faiths and backgrounds, join us each year in one of the most sacred parts of Central Park. The blessing is in a place blessed by the hundreds of weddings that are held their each year.

Space is limited so you must RSVP to let us know you want to attend, and for location information.

The Blessing of the Brides and Grooms is a ceremony before your ceremony, to help you feel more relaxed, centered and confident …show you how to visualize your wedding going your way … and empower you to be present and there for one another on your big day!

It is a blessing meant to help give your marriage the best possible start.

The Blessing of the Brides and Grooms is offered by husband and wife officiants, Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway and Rev. Vic Fuhrman.

Our wish for all brides and grooms is that your journey to the altar be magical and blessed! And that their marriages have the best start ever.

This blessing is our gift to you each year!

PLEASE RSVP to Rev. Laurie Sue ASAP!

Posted March 22, 2008 8:41 AM by Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway, editor of Wedlok.com, is featured in a new episode of Lovecast on the Wedding Podcast Network.

This episode, titled "Wedding Prep 101," and features Rev. Laurie Sue's Wedding Goddess tips and solutions for reducing wedding stress and focusing on creating a good marrriage.

Rev. Laurie Sue shares wisdom that will help brides stay centered in the face of inevitable wedding drama.

For every bride-to-be who wants to arrive at her wedding day as the Goddess she truly is and enjoy a rewarding marriage, this podcast is required listening.

Listen right now.

Posted March 22, 2008 7:34 AM by Editor | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

Holli Ehrlich of the Wedding Podcast Network sent us this very interesting survey request from author and professor, Anna Kudak, professor and author of the book What Happy Couples Do.

Anna is working on a research study about marital satisfaction, rituals, and attachment style. It takes about 10 minutes. You can partake here.

Stay tuned to the Wedding Postcast Network interview with Anna kudak.

Posted March 22, 2008 7:18 AM by Editor | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

A new study says that men who clean house might get more sex.

Well, some would say that's enough reason to take out the vacum and aquaint yourself with the cleaning supplies under the sink!

But do we really need a study to tell us that a cleaner house makes a happier woman? Or that women are so relieved when a man does a little housework that she may have more energy for love?

Women are pooped from cleaning up all the time and managing the homefront and kids. It is really no mystery that women carry the brunt of the chores related to creating domestic bliss in the domicile and that for years we have been begging, cajoling and praying men would do more.

Doing something nice for your woman is always a form of foreplay: Cleaning, cooking, letting her complain for a half hour straight and listening. So keep it up guys!

I think it is great that men are helping a tad more. It is a step toward more balance in the home. A man will feel more helpful and a woman feels more loved. Maybe it helps couples bond. That is as it should be.

But if you really want to enhance your sex life, hire a house cleaner and a babysitter.

Posted March 7, 2008 6:03 AM by Charlotte Rose | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

Wedlok.com is offering the opportunity to win two free tickets to New York's most elegant wedding event, The Wedding Salon! The first Wedlok.com bride or mother of the bride to e-mail us wins -- so act fast!

The Wedding Salon is an important event for brides and grooms in New York. Its a chance to tie up loose ends, find important vendors and get yourself ready to tie the knot!

* Join wedding superstars Sylvia Weinstock, David Tutera, Michael George Flowers, HPNOTIQ, '21' Club, CECI New York, Renny & Reed, Bernard Maisner, Kleinfeld, and more for this elegant showcase of New York City's top wedding talents.

* See spectacular table centerpieces, photographers, couture gowns, jewels.

* Meet amazing ceremony musicians, invitations specialists.

* Experience complimentary beauty services, cake tastings, Champagne Bar, and receive incredible gift bags filled with bridal goodies.

When: Monday, April 21, 2008

Where: Gotham Hall, 1356 Broadway, NYC

What time: 3PM -8PM

Website: www.WeddingSalon.com

For more info contact: Sheenah by e-mail or call 212.631.7777

Special opportunity for Wedlok.com brides: Wedding Salon Special Promotional Tickets for You & Your Engaged Friends available at 2 for $50. Use code WedLokNY08P at www.WeddingSalon.com.

Tell Your Engaged Friends About this Event!

Wedding Salon Photo: Cake by Sylvia Weinstock

Posted March 4, 2008 1:25 PM by Editor | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

By Shelley L. Ackerman
For more insights visit karmicrelief.com

Wedlok.com astrology columnist Shelley Ackerman says Happy Birthday Leap Year Babies! And aspiring brides, go ahead and pop the question!

As early as kindergarten or in the first grade, we learn that a calendar year is 365¼ days and that every four years there is a ‘leap year’, an extra day added to the short month of February, to compensate for the fact that a ‘solar year’ is almost six hours longer than 365 days.

Annoyingly, three of every four years, “Leapings” (as those born on February 29 are called) must celebrate their birthdays either on February 28th or March 1st.

But the odd end-of-the-month date has an upside:

Not to be confused with Sadie Hawkins Day, which is celebrated on November 15, Leap Year is a boon to women who long for a wedding ring and who'd prefer to take matters into their own hands and pop the question without fear of social recrimination or rejection.

Read Shelley Ackerman's Weekly Horoscope on wedlok.com.

Continue reading "Leap Year 2008: Aspiring Brides-to-Be Can Propose February 29!" »

Posted February 28, 2008 6:45 AM by Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

For more information

A recent study on religion in America may provide some insight into the growing trend in interfaith and non-religious weddings.

"The U.S. Religious Landscape Survey" released February 25 by The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life tells us that more than a quarter of Americans have abandoned or switched from the faith of their birth and 16.1 percent consider themselves unaffiliated.

The study does not specifically cite statistics on Interfaith weddings or marriage, as far as we can see. However, the fluidity of people's religious beliefs is obviously opening the door to increasing numbers of interfaith unions. The evidence that such a large number of Americans have stepped away from organized religion points to the increased demand for non-denominational or non-religious wedding ceremonies.

Continue reading "Interfaith and Nondenominational Weddings Trends - New Study Offers Insight" »

Posted February 27, 2008 3:06 PM by Editor | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

By Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway
Editor, Wedlok.com

You gotta love this story.

Nude weddings are on the rise, according to "Weddings Exposed: Bride and Groom Bare All," a carefully crafted piece by Lana Gerseten of Columbia News Service. It appeared in yesterday's, Feb 20th, Arizona Central.

Geresten apparently attended the wedding of a nudist couple in the Berkshires - no word as to whether the reporter was clothed -- and she wrote a trend report on the increase of weddings without clothes. She tells us most of the guests were sans clothes - save for a few hats and accessories -- and that about 12 had their clothes on. (The family of the bride and groom, I bet!)

This is an interesting trend. Just think of the money the bride saves on a dress! Not a bad way to knock a few bucks off the traditional $26,000 or more average cost of a wedding.

Geresten says that nude weddings are a big thing on nude cruises. On a recent naked cruise 15 couples came together in holy matrimony or renewed their vows.

Obviously, these are couples who spend as much time nude as they can and not people who spur of the moment rip off their clothes and say, "hey, let's get hitched." They seem to be pretty serious about their stand of nudity.

Continue reading "Would You Get Married In The Nude? This Pair Did!" »

Posted February 21, 2008 7:10 AM by Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

From Wedlok.com

There are many ways to celebrate your relationship, promise your love and affirm your commitment.

The most important thing is to make sure your vows are truly meaningful to you both, and that you select a way to express them that is comfortable.

Neither of you should feel forced to speak, or pressed to write vows if writing will stress you. Vows should not be a source of discomfort, they are meant to be a celebration of your love and promises to one another.

Your Perfect Wedding Vows: How to Write, Find and Select the Words that Express What is in Your Heart is an easy-to-use e-book tells you everything you need to know about personalizing or selecting your vows.

Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway has helped hundreds or couples through this process and she shares the secrets of the perfect wedding vow with you in, Your Perfect Wedding Vows E-book:

* Learn dozens of different ways you can express your love in your wedding ceremony.

* Find inspiration and how-to for writing your own wedding vows.

* Look through dozens of personalized wedding vows used by real couples and select or adapt any that you like.

* Be prepared to deal with wedding tears gracefully during your vows.

* Embark on a process of finding or creating the right vows that helps you learn more about your partner.

* Utilize your sacred vows to give your marriage the best start possible.

* If you are shy, or nervous, discover alternatives to reading wedding vows.

Order now and receive it Immediately. Only $16.99.

Posted February 17, 2008 7:34 AM by Editor | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

For more information

Husband and wife team, Robert Allen and Holli Ehrlich, have been working hard to perfect the art of the wedding podcast and now they have a thriving network of bridal shows that are easy to access and fun to listen to on their Wedding Podcast Network.

I had the pleasure of chatting with them recently on their own show on the network, Bridal Scene, and it was such fun. Holli is a high energy, enthusiastic interviewer and Robert is a techno-wiz with a video background.

They are both so dedicated to bringing brides "advice worth listening to."

On Bridal Scene, they talk about everything wedding. Just engaged or in the midst of planning your special day? Obsessed with weddings? Looking for important information and guidance?

You will find so many engaging topics in this very well rounded podcast, as well as thoughtful and useful wedding wisdom on all of the shows on this network.

Here are some of the terrific programs featured on Wedding Podcast network:

Grooms with a View, Here Come the Moms, It's Your Wedding, Meet the Masters, Newlywedcast, LoveCast, Planet Bride, Wedding Workout, Travel Talk and more!

You can start enjoying podasts today. Give a listen.

Posted February 15, 2008 7:47 AM by Editor | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

From Wedlok.com

Special Offer: The first five Wedlok.com reader/brides to sign up for The Bridal Bliss Club will receive a free, autographed copy of Wedding Goddess.

Just sign up -- its free! -- and send us the link to your profile in an e-mail. The first five brides to contact us win a copy of the book!

What's Wedding Goddess about? Today’s weddings have become so commercially-driven and so stressful to plan that couples sometimes forget about the sacred nature of getting married.

In fact, for many modern brides-to-be, planning a wedding is more like going into battle. Rather than experiencing it as “the happiest time” in her life, she feels like she is managing a crisis.

In WeddingGoddess: A Divine Guide To Transforming Wedding Stress to Wedding Bliss (Perigee/Penguin, 2005), Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway, interfaith wedding officiant and editor-in-chief of Wedlok.com, shows brides how to transcend the emotional frenzy of wedding planning stress and take charge of the most sacred time of their lives.

Brides-to-be are guided on an emotionally and spiritually empowering, step-by-step journey to the altar. Rev. Laurie Sue's unique approach suggests ways to treat every step of the experience – from engagement and bridal shower, to getting your marriage license and signing it on your wedding day– as its own rite of passage.

Wedding Goddess shows how to make the entire journey special and sacred. Special highlights include.

Continue reading "Join the Bridal Bliss Club - Win a Copy of "Wedding Goddess"" »

Posted February 15, 2008 5:30 AM by Editor | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

By Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway
Editor, Wedlok.com

Here's Valentine to brides acround the globe:

Wanted to invite you all to The Bridal Bliss Club, a brand new online community I created as a way to support brides (and grooms!) on the journey to the altar.

It is a place to share stories, ask questions, get support from other brides and to-be-weds. It is a very relaxed and soulful place to seek advice and to also receive my guidance on your wedding issues.

Interfaith marriage. Problem mothers. Difficult bridesmaids. Wedding Stress and more. These are all discussed with an eye toward turning your wedding stress into bridal bliss.

I know how busy you are, but if you are a cyber bride, and feel moved to be part of a safe space for sharing ideas, challenges and bridal comraderie, please consider signing up for the BBC (Bridal Bliss Club). It's free.

To get involved you would go to the Beliefnet.com community, become a member of Beliefnet, and create an online profile. It can have minimal information on it, or you can really get into creating it. You can make up any user name. You can use a photo of you and your honey if you want, or keep your identity and image completely confidential.

Once you are on, you can go to The Bridal Bliss Club home page to sign on.

The Bridal Bliss Club offers a soulful, completely online approach to helping you through the challenges of wedding planning and assisting in finding your "wedding bliss" and a sense of "wedding zen"

Hoping to see you there!

Photo of Denise and Jason by Lensgirl.com

Continue reading "Wedlok.com Invites You to The Bridal Bliss Club" »

Posted February 14, 2008 7:13 AM by Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

Chocolate lovers, take note. Dr. Andrew Weil says it's okay to enjoy a special treat, and gift your beloved with chocolate, this Valentine's Day!

Recent studies have been trying to tell us that a little dark chocolate can go a long way toward heart health and other health benefits."

"Giving chocolate on this Valentine’s Day can help keep love alive - and the lovers, as well.," according to the Weekly Wellness Bulletin from DrWeil.com. "The evidence is growing that dark chocolate, in moderate amounts, conveys several health benefits, and the latest good news is that regular intake appears to lower blood pressure."

Dr. Weil explains why is chocolate good for the heart. Yum. Yum. Yum, indeed!

We have known for ages that a little bit of chocolate can release feel-good hormones that imitate the feeling of "being in love."

In spiritual circles it is believed that food taken in during a sacred ritual does not count as normal food intake and that the bad stuff -- sugar, undesirable carbs and fats -- are transmuted by the holy nature of the ritual.

So make sure you feed your honey chocolate with a prayer so that it goes down easy, and has only health benefits ... as well as counting toward your healthy relationship.

Chocolate hearts from www.lakechamplainchocolates.com.

Posted February 14, 2008 6:49 AM by Editor | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

Wedlok.com guest columnist Karen Vander of RedHotBrides.com shares insights into wedding wear from around the world and the joys of wearing red on your big day.

By Karen Vander
For More Infomation Visit Redhotbrides.com

The vociferous bang of thousands of exploding firecrackers and magnificent flowing silk dragons dancing in the road.

Sumptuous feasts of auspicious-sounding dishes and sweets.

Red envelopes stuffed with cash and given out to children.

East Asians are ringing in the Lunar New Year in a big way. And many Asian brides select this auspicious time of the year to get married.

Vietnamese people celebrate the lunar year in pretty much the exact same manner as the Chinese people do. There are many similarities when it comes to wedding traditions as well.

For example, Chinese brides, both modern and classic, typically change outfits three or more times on their wedding night.

Vietnamese brides do the same. The bride, in fact, may wear four to five dresses. And the groom changes outfits too!

Continue reading "Chinese New Year -- Many Vietnamese Brides Marry in Traditional Red" »

Posted February 6, 2008 5:38 AM by Editor | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

We see a lot of diamond rings. Big rocks. Small shiny ones. Special settings. Simple ones.

Glittering diamonds are on the hands of most of the brides we meet. Women do love their wedding jewlery and they wear it forever!

There are so many different kinds of diamond options these days. So when you make a major purchase like this for your Valentine's Day proposal, or any time, you want to make sure you have a little diamond know-how.

Here is some advice from the Independent Jewelers Organization (IJO) for buying a sparkler for your sweetie.

Decide what you can spend. A diamond engagement ring is a major investment and buying the best diamond you can afford is always good advice. With the expanding market for designer engagement ring settings, however, you should make an early decision about where your budgeted money will be spent: Would you rather spend more for a better diamond in a simpler setting or opt for a designer setting with a smaller stone?

Familiarize yourself with the basics. The four-Cs--cut, color, clarity and carat weight--describe the proportion of a diamond as well as other important physical characteristics which will effect its price. Understanding the basics will help you to understand the diamond's price.

Learn how to read a diamond grading report. All reputable jewelers sell diamonds with grading reports or certificates, which provide a third-party evaluation of a diamond and heavily impact its price. The grades should include measurements of the stone, carat weight, color, clarity, finish, polish, symmetry and fluorescence.

Posted February 4, 2008 8:07 AM by Editor | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

For more information

If you are in a committed relationship and ready to tie the knot what could be better than a romantic dinner, a wedding proposal and an engagement ring?

Many guys go to great lengths these days to ask a woman to marry them. They conjure elaborate plans.

There are paid consultants who help you find clever, dramatic ways to pop the question. And hotels have special packages for engagement dinners -- where you can wine, dine, propose and spend the night in a sexy suite.

Guys shell out big bucks for this. And there are guys like Brett.

I don't know who he is, but he is the subject of a delightful creation of Pop Art Creations. He got a personalized Pop Art jack-in-the-box that looked like him, holding an engagement ring.

How clever it that?

"Pop Art Creations are very special handcrafted jack-in-the-box toys," says proprietor and artist, Heather. "They are like the old tin ones you remember from your childhood, but with a twist. They are handcrafted, hand-sculpted, and hand-painted especially for you! They are still working, popping, musical hand-crank toys."

"I've done a bunch for guys proposing to their sweethearts. It's the guy's image, hand-sculpted by me, and when they pop out, the ring is tied to their little hands. They can literally POP the question with this! "

Customers can even choose from about 20 different music box songs! Prices vary according to your special order.

See a short video and watch 'em pop. Find out more at www.popartcreations.com.

Posted February 2, 2008 8:17 AM by Editor | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

Our guest columnist Karen Vander of RedHotBrides.com will be sharing about the history and the joys of wearing red on your big day. Here she discusses different cultures and their take on a red wedding dress.

By Karen Vander
For More Infomation Visit Redhotbrides.com

A red wedding dress or bridal apparel is the norm in many cultures. And many American brides are catching up to the idea that it is an awesome color in which to speak their "I dos."

However, in America, red still has some conflicting connotations. Some Western brides and their families find it almost offensive.

Our research shows that a lot of this sentiment against red came from the powerful influential Queen Victoria back in the 1800s. Red went from being a luxury color to being associated with "loose women." In Europe, countries such as England have begun to adopt red again. In France, it used to be considered very bad luck to be married in white. Afterall, Marie Antoniate chose white, instead of the customary red, and we all know that worked out.

Other cultures, however, have always embraced red and continue to do so.

In China, the color red is considered good luck and a strong color that can keep away evil spirits. The traditional Chinese wedding dress in northern China is usually wears a wedding dress call Qi Pao which is embroidered with elaborate gold and silver designs. Brides from southern China usually wears a wedding dress call Qun Gua, Kwa or Cheongsam, also elaborately adorned with golden phoenix and dragon.

In India according to the Wikipedia, “In northern parts of India the traditional color of women’s wedding garments is red, a color symbolizing auspiciousness.”

Indian wedding dresses are also often red. In that culture, as in the Chinese culture, white is a color of mourning.

Red Indian wedding dresses are considered to be good luck and will bring the couple much happiness, also similar to beliefs of the Chinese culture. An Indian wedding dress is often called a Sari but other styles include gaghra choli, and shalwar chameez.

There is something special about the color red. Go try on a red wedding dress and see how you will like it. Give it a shot. Be the daring and bold woman you are or can be! There is nothing un-american about it. Other cultures love it.

Red is such an exciting color and more fun then white can ever be. Every bride is different. Stand out and be a red hot bride.

See the original story to enjoy the wedding dress photos that illustrate this story.

Copyrighted 2008 Karen Vander, for Redhotbrides.com

Karen Vander, who was married in red, writes about wedding dresses for RedHotBrides.com, a NY based publication dedicated to the wonders of wearing a red dress on your special day. The site is devoted to helping brides who dare to be a little different find their perfect red dress. Contact Karen directly or sign up for the Red Hot Bride Newsletter at www.RedHotBrides.com.

Posted January 26, 2008 7:17 AM by Editor | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

By Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway
Wedding Goddess Wisdom

Newly engaged! Congratulations. What a great way to start off the new year.

Don’t wait until the wedding day to take pictures. A camera is a must-have accessory. Whether you get a good camera or a bunch of disposables doesn’t matter.

Just find a way to capture the images of your wedding planning journey and have pictures developed and placed in an album as your journey to the altar proceeds. Having a record of your joy – and all efforts and emotions – will be a fun thing to look back on when it is all said and done and will help you realize how much love and effort you have put into your wedding.

While you are planning the big day, it is a great pick me up that you can go through times of doubt or stress.

Collect memories through photos and memorabilia (such as receipts, menus, match covers). Have the photos developed as you go along and create a truly meaningful wedding journey memory book.

Alternatives and additions: Keep a wedding journal of feelings and experiences, including the ups and downs; have fun documenting the wedding planning journey on video tape.

Continue reading "Take Pictures of Your Wedding Planning Journey" »

Posted January 3, 2008 5:50 AM by Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

By Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway
Excerpted from Wedding Goddess

Self care is as essential as breathing for a bride-to-be -- especially when you are stressing about wedding planning!

It is the time spent nurturing yourself, taking care of your unique needs and consciously preparing yourself for marriage that will make your journey to the altar so much more enjoyable and graceful. While planning your wedding -- and managing the myriad of responsibilities, relationships and emotions that come along with the package -- it is truly important that you try not to cut corners on nurturing yourself!

There is so much pressure on a bride to please others while planning her wedding that sometimes she forgets to take care of her own needs. My friend Dr. Patti Britton, a relationship coach, suggests for a happier trip down the aisle, it pays to be a little selfish. She calls it “extreme self care.”

Some brides get so caught up in the preparation – and things to do – along with the pressures from others that they are afraid to slow down for a little “me time.” Britton suggests that if you feel guilty about being selfish with your time and energy,give the word a new meaning. Take each letter of the word and imbue it with a more expansive and positive definition. Here’s an example:

S Nurture your SPIRIT.

E ENJOY moments alone.

L LOVE yourself.

F Keep FIT and FEEL good.

I Make your unique needs IMPORTANT.

S SHOWER yourself with gifts.

H Be HAPPY and open-HEARTED as you plan your wedding.

Fortunately, brides today are blessed with many options for self care. Massage, facials, manicures, pedicures and other beauty treatments are a standard part of the bride’s ritual preparation for her wedding day. Many brides include dieting, fitness and exercise in the months before the wedding. Go beyond the typical and into the realm of the fabulous by making traditional pampering more meaningful … and by seeking self-expression, physical exercise, emotional support and spiritual pursuits that massage her spirit and exercise her soul.

Photo by Lensgirl, reprinted from Wedding Goddess.

Continue reading "Words of Wisdom for Stressed Out Brides - Find a New Way to Be S.E.L.F.I.S.H." »

Posted December 17, 2007 5:52 AM by Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

By Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway

These days, brides get married to the wedding before they get married to their mates. With so many choices and so much stress, it is easy to get lost in planning a great wedding and forget to focus on building a great marriage!

Here are some Wedding Goddess tips for stepping into married life with strenght and wisdom:

1. Be aware that getting married can stir up a lot of emotions. The process itself sets forth period of growth and change that can be very nerve -wracking. Once you decide to marry you will begin the process of getting ready for marriage … and unresolved emotions may come to the surface to be explored. Be prepared to do some inner work along with all the external preparations. Honor and address the emotions and fears that arise. Trust they are natural. Don't sweep things under the rug. There are things you can do in addition to pre-marital counseling.

2. Ask yourselves, and each other, A LOT of questions. Don't assume that married life will be the same as single life. And don't be afraid to get to know each other's truest feelings. It is important that you you delve into everything from how you'll raise your kids, to what kind of color scheme you want in your home, to how you will spend free nights at home once the wedding is over. Many brides and grooms tend to want to avoid the deep talks, and dwell on the surface aspected of getting married. Your married life will be a lot smoother if you communicate with and listen to. Be willing to hear things you may not like and agree with... find ways to compromise or give in to one another.

3. Picture Your Future. In addition lots of questions and thoughtful answers, begin to think about and visualize the life you want to share. What will it look like? What will your new roles be like? What kind of home and family life do you home to have. Although it is fun to day dream, it is very practical to give thought and vision to the life you want to create. You might even want to create a treasure map or a book of choices to guide you.

Continue reading "Beyond the Wedding - Tips For a Healthy Marriage" »

Posted November 14, 2007 5:16 AM by Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

By Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway

Find out more at http://www.artofmarriage.org and http://www.marriageframe.com.

I have been corresponding with Erik Kent, who, along with his wife Beth Kent, is co-publisher of the New Jersey tri-state area wedding planning site www.njwedding.com. These wedding professionals fell in love with "The Art of Marriage," by Wilfred Arlan Peterson and have established a foundation to help couples bring those thoughtful words to life in their marriages.

I agree with the Kents. Peterson's reading captures the essence of what it takes to make a marriage a great success and I love that they have established a forum for this kind of marriage education. It certainly helps newlyweds look beyond wedding planning and into what it takes to build a good life together.

Here is their stated mission:

Mission: To promote healthy marriages through marriage education in New Jersey and throughout the United States

Goal: To reach engaged couples with positive messages about "planning for their marriage, while planning their wedding" through bridal media

Objective: To provide "The Art of Marriage" essay by Wilferd A. Peterson
in various formats, helping couples to learn the "art" of building a strong marriage, and provide additional resources for couples to consider (such as premarital counseling, specialized programs and workshops or talking with a member of the clergy).

Beyond the reading itself, the Kents have begun to work with the family of Wilfred Arlan Peterson to keep his legacy alive. Peterson was the author of many "The Art Of Living" books and essays.

The Kents have also licensed the reading to create an awesome wedding gift product. It's a lovely frame with a matted version of "The Art of Marriage" and room for your wedding photo. Very cool! Find out more at: http://www.marriageframe.com.

Wedlok.com will stay on top of the Art of Marriage story as it develops. As mentioned, parts of the reading were recited at the Las Vegas nuptials of Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward; then Joanne Woodward read it at daughter Nells wedding in 1995. Will it surface again at a vow renewal ceremony next January 29 when the Newman's celebrate their silver anniversary? Stay tuned!

Continue reading "New Jersey Wedding Pros Establish "The Art of Marriage Foundation"" »

Posted November 6, 2007 11:46 AM by Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

The classic wedding reading "The Art of Marriage," by Wilferd Arlan Peterson, is one of the most oft read and inspiring wedding readings around. As we reported several months ago, wedding lore has it that several lines of this reading was included in the nuptials of Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman, who got hitched in Las Vegas.

That was almost fifty years ago! Today it stands out as a classic for our times.

I have been using this reading in my wedding ministry for many years. Couples love it because it reflects the values and sentiments that truly enhance life together! It's the stuff a good marriage is made of.

Wanted to share it again here because it is so important for all of us to remember that a good marriage must be created, nurtured, built over time. Marriage is an art unto itself. And …

In the Art of Marriage the little things are the important things.

It means never being too old to hold hands, or to say I love you.

It's never going to bed angry.

It is at no time taking the other for granted; the courtship should
not end with the honeymoon. Allow it to continue through the years.

It's having a mutual sense of values and common objectives.

It's standing together facing the world.

It's forming a circle of love that gathers in the whole family.

It's doing things for each other, not in the attitude of duty or
sacrifice, but in the spirit of joy.

It's speaking words of appreciation and demonstrating gratitude in
thoughtful ways.

It is not looking for perfection in each other and yet seeing each
other perfect as you are.

It is cultivating flexibility, patience, understanding and a sense of
humor.

It's having the capacity to forgive and forget.

It's giving each other an atmosphere in which each can grow.

It is finding room for things of the spirit.

It is a common search for the good and the beautiful.

It is establishing a relationship in which the independence is
equal, dependence is mutual and the obligation is reciprocal.

It's not only marrying the right partner, it's being the right partner.

The above is a version of "The Art of Marriage" that I may have slightly tweaked over time, so I offer it with apologies to Mr. Peterson if a word was changed here or there. However, I imagine it would please him to know how much his words have meant to so many over time!

You can find links to the original short and long versions, with related copyright information, at http://www.artofmarriage.org.

Posted November 6, 2007 11:33 AM by Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

By Jessica Meyer
Listen to sample musical selections

From the first note played as your guests arrive, to the moment you begin your new life together, the music serves as a true reflection of the unique atmosphere you want to create for your wedding day. Just as your dress, flowers and surroundings convey your personal style, so should your music!

Not so long ago, the “Wedding March” was one of the limited musical choices that brides had for coming down the aisle. Nowadays, many other wonderful classical melodies can be played to set the tone for your ceremony - from what have become “standards” for weddings, to more unconventional gems of the repertoire the average bride would not know about.

Another option for personalizing your ceremony is to incorporate more contemporary songs which can express even more intimate sentiments. Anything song that is dear to a couple can be selected - from jazz favorites, to Beatles classics, to movie themes, to Coldplay. With access to many fine classical musicians here in New York, you can select music that will be tailor-made to fit the vision of your special day.

Here are some tips you can use when selecting your ceremony music:

Selecting the right kind type of ensemble for the venue: Is string quartet the norm? Not necessarily - there are many different ensembles you can have, all of which depend on your personal taste, the kind of acoustics the venue has, and how many guests you are expecting. Having less than 130 guests? Then a trio would be fine (or a duo if under 80 guests). Having an outdoor wedding? Then a flute in the ensemble can really help to project sound across a grassy open space. There is a good chance that the vendor you are talking to may have played there before – so ask for their expert opinion on what has worked well and what has not in that space.

Know what kind of ensemble can play your repertoire: Vendors often supply brides with CD’s that have samples of the music they play. When listening to a sample CD, there are going to be instruments that you love hearing and others that you don’t care for. For me, it usually narrows down to the flute - some people love the flute with strings and/or harp, or they really prefer just a string sound. Expecting to have more contemporary repertoire played during your ceremony or cocktail hour? Then stick to ensembles with strings, flute and/or clarinet (unfortunately, jazz on harp doesn’t really work!). However, a harpist in addition to a quartet with strings and/or flute is truly gorgeous for a ceremony. Each vendor will have their own recommendations based on the musicians they are used to working with.

Choosing selections to fit your musical style: When you listen to any CDs you receive from potential vendors, keep a running list of songs you like, as well as a list of songs you don’t particularly care for. Whoever your music specialist is, they should be able to get a sense of what styles of music you like and dislike, and will help you decide which selections would be best for certain parts of the ceremony and cocktail hour. If you would like the ensemble to play a more obscure or contemporary piece that is not on their CD or repertoire lists, check with them anyway to see if they have it in their library. They should also have access to people who can arrange songs specifically for the ensemble you choose, if sheet music is not available.

Whether it is soft, romantic music, a march declaring the entrance of the bride, or the favorite song that you listen to on your home sound system everyday – your selections can both set the right mood for your guests and make you feel as beautiful as you look. Enjoy!

Jessica Meyer is owner and violist of Venus Ensembles, one of New York’s leading providers of the finest classical and jazz musicians to enhance your wedding day. Her training at Juilliard, combined with the experience of having planned and performed almost 1000 wedding ceremonies, enables her to provide expert and personalized guidance on musical options. Having been a recent bride herself, she realizes how important it is to have a personal Live Music Consultant to help you create the unique atmosphere you have always envisioned. The best part is, you can study a list of classic wedding music and hear samples in different combinations at: http://www.venusensembles.com/.

You can also reach Jessica at 877-888-3687.

Posted October 11, 2007 5:27 AM by Editor | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

Every time I see a couple dance that first dance, I feel a sense of pride, having had a least a little bit to do with the fact that they are celebrating their marriage!

Cutest first dance I ever saw was at the wedding of Jane and Adam, at Grand Prospect Hall in Brooklyn.

They did not have a clue how to dance. But she was as producer and he was a musician and they came up with a clever idea. As they danced, the DJ played a prepared voice over tape that was meant to sound as if we were in their heads, listening to their thought. The dialog went something like this:

“Oh no, everyone’s looking at us and they will think we are dorks.”

“I told you we should have taken dance lessons.”

“Do you think they know we haven’t danced since senior prom?”

And so on. It got lots of laughs as they sort of shuffled around the dance floor.

Of course, many couples today prefer to take those dance lessons and create an amazing first dance. I had one couple practice a tango for months! Came across a wedding video collection on AOL today of couples who obviously put a lot of thought into their first dance moves!

Posted September 12, 2007 11:38 AM by Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

Brides are always asking me for the best hair and make up vendor in New York City. I can wholeheartedly recommend Once Upon a Bride. This is a company that is truly devoted to the inner and outer radiance of brides on the wedding day.

Proprietress Stacey Lyn Weinstein is not only a walking advertisement for her good work, she is a very caring person. Her specialty is hair and hair designs. She has a staff of make up artists and other hair professionals who work like busy bees throughout the wedding season.

One of her makeup wizards did the make up for my wedding three years ago and even persuaded me to wear false eye lashes, for better photos. It worked!

I still get my hair cut at Stacey's salon, Violet, at 296 Elizabeth Street in NYC so I often get to see her and the staff doing pre-wedding bridal consultations. Wow... I didn't realize it sometimes takes a village to figure out what will make you look best on your wedding day.

Between Stacey, her staff, Mom of the bride and assorted sisters and bridesmaids, there is a lot that goes into deciding on your bridal hairdo! You can reach Stacey at the Salon at 212-353-2350. Check out the website at www.ouab.com. Stacey will be sharing some of her beauty tips with Wedlok.com readers in weeks to come.

Posted September 12, 2007 6:25 AM by Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

One way to keep wedding costs from soaring is to ditch the open bar for a signature drink! You can even name it after you and your beloved!

Anthony Alba, Mixologist at the Rio All Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, has designed a few signature cocktails to make brides and grooms feel ... happy. We like the pink drink he designed with the bride in mind! Sounds like a malted with a little kick to it. He calls it a drink as "exquisite as the bride." The recipe includes:

* 1 part Vox® Raspberry Vodka
* 1 part DeKuyper® Pucker® Strawberry Passion Schnapps
* 2 parts rose nectar
* Splash pasteurized egg white (or fresh egg whites kept cold)
* Splash of champagne

Shake with ice and strain in a champagne flute. Top with champagne, garnish with a rose petal and sprinkle with edible gold dust.

Not sure if gold dust is good for your digestive system, but hey, it's your wedding and this is Las Vegas!

Posted August 15, 2007 9:50 PM by Editor | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This