The Beautiful Mind of Preston Bailey

The king of event design Preston Bailey is renowned for his remarkable gift of creating oppulant magnificence! He is in the magical business of space transformation and we think his portfolio is just spectacular.

Take a step into his world of elegant fantasy and see for yourself.....

Marriage & the step parent dilemma

The society in which we live today is filled with wonderful blended families that come in all shapes and sizes.  We're not just talking about couples coming together from different cultural backgrounds, but also couples coming together, each with children of their own. (How could we forget The Brady Bunch - if only it was that easy). So many of the couples I see as a celebrant have families like this.

The joining of two families can be a really wonderful experience, but it would be remiss not to mention the fact that it can also be exceptionally difficult and fraught with potential disasters, particularly when combined with the stress of planning a wedding. Step parenting is never easy and we all know very well that planning a wedding can be overwhelming, even for the calmest of couples, but combining the two can see some couples in total despair.


To any of you who have successfully brought two families together while planning and executing an amazig wedding, we commend you. You truly deserve a round of applause.

BUT, for those of you (and I'm sure there are many) who are currently struggling with a suddenly much larger family, while trying to plan your big day and include children and step children, then we symapthise and are here to help.

In working with many couples in this situation I have put together a few ideas I wanted to share with you that may hopefully help you in finding ways to include children and step children and ease the stress of  any family tension that may be lingering.

I have found that finding ways to include and unite the family on such a public level really helps to strengthen the bond and puts the focus on inclusion and unity rather than exclusion and individuality.

Here are some ideas to help:

1. If the children are old enough allow them to act as junior bridesmaids/groomsmen. Asking them to stand beside you earns them a level of importance and respect that you may find helps them to feel apart of it all.

2. If you are each coming to the marriage with a couple of children it may not be practical to have them as attendant in the ceremony. I once did a ceremony for a couple where they each had 3 children and so they bought each of them a gold letter (the childs first initial) and as part of the ceremony each child was asked to come forward as the step parent placed the necklace on and gave them a kiss. All  the guests were crying and the children were so proud and pleased it was beautiful.

3. Include a unity ritual in your ceremony. A great way of making children feel included is by having a unifying ritual. A sand ceremony is a great example (see our sand ceremony for an example) I perform many sand ceremonies with families which usually requires a vase of coloured sand each different and representing the particular family member, They each then pour their sand into the large vase so the colours layer beautiful and then the vas eis then sealed. The glass can be engraved with the wedidng details or an engraved plaque put on the front. Once on display in the home the significance of the once single colours of sand that can now never be seperated again from the others is a constant reminder of the families bond.

4. If they are not wanting or confident enough to take part in the ceremony then give them a job. Ushering guests, handing out rose petals or bubbles. This will allow them to have a purpose on the day.

We really hope this helps and if you are still stuck feel free to contact us and we will be happy to help with more ideas.

The Wedding Gurus
xxx

Kate Moss & Jamie Hince Wedding

Kate's wedding gown by John Galliano is a perfect picture of romantic elegance

The page boys military jacket (by Bill Bull) and flower girls dresses (by Bonpoint) 

Lila Grace (Kate Moss' Daughter) wild flower bouquet and floral head garland

Kate Moss with Daughter Lila Grace and father Peter Moss

Arriving in a silver vintage rolls royce Lila Grace helps her mum (wearing gorgeous Manolo Blahniks).

Kate's 1920's inspired lace veil with flower embroidery was just stunning

Kate with her 13 flower girls and 2 page boys arriving at the chapel where 138 guests await to see the marriage

St Peters Church Southrop

Kate's vintage ring was inspired by 1920's icon Zelda Fitgerald

We are sure Jamie Hince (dressed in a blue suit by Stefano Pilati) is stunned by his new wifes stunning radiance

This 6 tiered cake (each layer a different flavour may we add) is by talented London bake Peggy Porschen

The reception, held in a Edwardian Marquee was beautifully decorated with flowers by Scarlet and Violet

The function was catered for by Londons Dorchester Hotels and The Ritz Carlton Paris

 

Teepees were erected in the field for the children to rest

*Photos of Kate Moss Wedding originally from Vogue and photographed by Mario Testino.

Week 16: Stone Ceremony

Welcome to week 16 in our ’52 Rituals/Traditions in 52 Weeks’

This week we are looking at a traditional stone ceremony, although it is not commonly used in todays weddings it is an important part of Australian history. In early Australia many of their convicts could not afford to exchange rings therefore the stone ceremony was used to replace this. The couple would cast a stone into nearby river or ocean to signify their remaining together while the tides of time flowed over their lives. Please watch the video below for more of an indepth description and wording. 

Celebrant Announcement

On Thursday the 21^st of June, our resident celebrant blogger, Susan Gallina will be conducting an Ongoing Professional Development session for South Australian Marriage Celebrants on behalf of The Gordon TAFE Victoria. (Details below)

The session will be held at the:

University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes Campus

from 4:00pm to 9:30pm

and is sure to be an evening filled with fun, great discussion and fabulous opportunities to network. Any celebrants who have attended a session that Susan has presented will tell you that they not only completed their requirements, but had a great time doing it.

One participant said:

"I completed my OPD in Adelaide on Thursday of last week and just thought I would reply to this email to say how very much I enjoyed it.  The facilitator was called Susan and it was a great session at a very pleasant venue.   Very informative, as I did not know too much about rituals and good interaction within the group.  It was serious but, at the same time, there was also an injection of humour, when needed, and this certainly added to the overall session being a success.  Thanks.”

If you are a South Australian Celebrant and are looking for an informative, fun and entertaining session to complete your OPD for 2012 then Susan would love to see you there.

If you are interested in attending, please follow this link to the Gordon TAFE website for further details and registration. http://www.thegordon.edu.au/Courses/Pages/ShortCourse.aspx?CourseID=1247

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Course Details:   Marriage Celebrant Ongoing Professional Development – Face to Face – Package 4
Course Code: 25G01161

Introduction
A requirement of the Attorney-General's Department is that Marriage Celebrants complete 5 hours of ongoing professional development each year.
Topics include: 2012 Compulsory Text (1 hour), Getting it Right on the Day (2 hours) and Music in the Marriage Ceremony (2 hours).
Content
2012 COMPULSORY ACTIVITY This course is the 2012 Compulsory Activity provided by the Attorney Generals’ Department, Marriage Celebrants’ Section. Celebrants must complete this topic to successfully complete 2012 OPD requirements. The topics covered are:
1. Accepting correct forms of evidence for proof of date and place of birth.
2. Witnessing the NOIM in Australia and overseas and other frequently asked questions in relation to the NOIM including:
• Shortening of time
• When does the notice period commence
• Total period of residence in Australia
• Transferring the NOIM
• Recording the names of the parties on the NOIM
3.Information Sheet on Forced and servile marriage

GETTING IT RIGHT ON THE DAY This course will be useful for celebrants who wish to ensure that issues which may arise on the day are anticipated and can be dealt with appropriately. A range of potential situations and examples will be discussed during this workshop.
By the end of this workshop, participants will:
• increase awareness of the value of a well conducted wedding rehearsal by developing a ‘Rehearsal Checklist’
• explore strategies for performing effectively on the day
• ensure that participants in the ceremony are aware of the movements required
• consider useful tools and equipment which may assist with the smooth running of the occasion.
MUSIC IN THE MARRIAGE CEREMONY This course will be useful for Celebrants who wish to enhance ceremonies by the inclusion of music. A wide range of music will be discussed and issues of copyright will be raised.
By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:
• increase awareness of the role/value of music in the marriage ceremony
• increase/ broaden the resource base of celebrants with regard to sourcing music and readings for ceremonies
• consider ways of presenting resources to clients and where necessary helping them to increase their a2wareness of the resources available; to therefore assist clients to make choices of music and readings for their ceremony
• revise/ review the copyright requirements when including music in a marriage ceremony
This course has relevance to both civil and religious Celebrants.

Diamonds Explained

Choosing a ring is not a task to be taken lightly. So many Grooms head off to their jewellers and choose something that is merely visually appealing without considering what contributes to its actual value.

We thought it might be helpful to give you a lesson in what contributes to the value of a woman's best friend (Yes, diamonds) so that you can become familiar with not only their different shapes, but also with the terms jewellers may use to describe them.

There are many different diamond shapes available and the one you choose will depend on your personal preference. Keep in mind the shape you choose to wear for the rest of your life should be a statement of who you are not just your style or the fashion trend of the moment.

Remember this will probably be sitting on your finger staring at you every day for the rest of your life.

Image Source: diamondvues.com

When shopping for your diamond there are a few things you should always keep in mind: After choosing your desired shape, the four C’s are most important: cut, colour, clarity and carat.

Cut: the cut does not refer to the shape of the diamond, but to the way in which the diamond has been shaped and polished. A well cut diamond is symmetrical and well proportioned, where as a diamond which has not been cut well will be less luminous compared to the visual brilliance of one that has.

Colour: Diamonds are found in a variety of colours with some of the rarest having a colourless grading our in vibrant colours such as red, green, pink or blue. Colourless diamonds are those which are graded in the D to F range (see chart), these are the rarest and most valuable.

Those diamonds within the K to Z range have a yellow like shading which can be detected with the naked eye whereas those diamonds in the colourless to near colourless range can be very hard to detect with an untrained eye and we recommend you check this with your jeweller.

Image Source: diamondimports.com.au

Clarity: The clarity of a diamond is determined with the help of a 10x loupe magnification. The diamond is graded ranging from flawless (the diamond has no blemishes) to I3 (the diamond has large blemishes). The diamonds value is largely affected by its clarity, not by its visual appearance. The following grading explanation is derived from thediamondbuyersguide.com.

• F
  Flawless: No internal or external flaws. Extremely rare.
• IF
  Internally Flawless: no internal flaws, but some surface flaws. Very rare.
• VVS1-VVS2
  Very Very Slightly Included (two grades). Minute inclusions very difficult to detect under 10x magnification by a trained gemologist.
• VS1-VS2
  Very Slightly Included (two grades). Minute inclusions seen only with difficulty under 10x magnification.
• SI1-SI2
  Slightly Included (two grades). Minute inclusions more easily detected under 10x magnification.
• I1-I2-I3
  Included (three grades). Inclusions visible under 10x magnification AS WELL AS to the human eye. We do not recommend buying diamonds in any of these grades.

Carat: The carat of a diamond is determined by its weight (see chart). The carat cannot be determined by its size but instead by the density of the stone. The rings carat will depend on whether it is set with a single diamond or multiple diamonds. The letters “ct” refers to the carat of a single diamond whereas the abbreviation “ct TW” refers to the total carat of all diamonds set within the ring. Choosing a carat will depend on your budget and the personal preference of the person who will be wearing the ring.

Image Source: mydiamondsforever.blogspot.com 

Knowing the four C's helps you to make an educated choice on which ring is right for you whilst also ensuring you are not paying too much. Don't be afraid to ask your jeweller questions relating the the diamonds cut, colour, clarity and carat, and if they are unable to answer these questions then it may be in your best intrest to find a jeweller who can.

A ring is an expensive and treasured investment and therefore you should be certain of its value before you purchase!

The Wedding Gurus

xxx

UGG Boot Wedding Collection

Yes that's right, it's not a misprint. The fabulous Aussie's and creators of the UGG Boot have done the unthinkable - yep, they've created a bridal UGG collection.

         

Check out this fun picture from the NY Daily News was taken by Clarke Walker Studios and shows the bride wearing a pair of the bridal UGGs while the bridal party wear traditional ones.

You can read the full article at:

http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/fashion/australian-footwear-company-uggs-unveils-line-brides-article-1.1084348

It's called the 'UGG I Do Wedding Collection' and consists of:

The 'Bailey Bling I Do' Boot (RRP: $225)

The 'Sparkles I Do' Boot (RRP: $190)

The 'Fluff Flip Flop I Do' Slipper (RRP: $80)

After a long day of standing, photos and saying your hello's to every guest how fantastically comfy would it be to throw off those stinging stilettos and wack on a pair of these at the reception?

We absolutely love them, but then again we love anything original and new (especially when it's shoes!). We would love to hear what you think so please give us your thoughts.

If you are interested in purchasing a pair of these gorgeous things you can find them at
UGG Australia:

http://www.uggaustralia.com/i-do-wedding-shoe-collection/the-i-do-collection,default,sc.html?icid=ft_wedding

The Wedding Gurus

xxx