Ring in the New

Your wedding rings are not only an outward symbol that you have made a life long commitment to the person you love the most, they can be a gracious reminder of your heritage. These beautiful rings are from a website called, appropriately enough, "Rings from Ireland".




Many of their selections feature traditional elements like Celtic crosses, trinity knots and Claddaghs, but there are more subtle designs too, and they are all beautiful.



This beautiful 'my soul mate' ring is available in silver with 18kt gold text that translates to "Mo Anam Cara", or "My Soul Friend"; the inscription is carved in Ogham script, the first known Irish writing.


The website goes on to explain,
"The characters comprise a series of lines and notches that are scored across a long stem-line often on standing stones.
In the majority of cases the inscription is read from the bottom up, and usually names the person being commemorated along with their ancestors and the carver of the inscription. Over 350 Ogham stones are known, with the majority found in southern Ireland from Kerry to Waterford and in South Leinster. They also occur in small numbers in western Scotland, the Isle of Man, and in Cornwall at Lewannick, where Irish settlers from Munster landed and founded communities.

While the stones in Ireland are written purely in Ogham, those in Britain often have the Ogham inscription repeated in Latin carved in Roman characters on the same stone.

In legend Ogham was said to have been created by Ogma, the son of An Dagda. Ogma was both a warrior and the god of eloquence and literature, and fought the second battle of Magh Tuireadh where he slew the Formi, Indech, son of the goddess Domnu.

It is truly fascinating, and a chance to infuse your New York Wedding ceremony (smooth, eh?) and your wedding rings with meaning that is holistic and historic to your family.

Many of my wedding ceremonies, New York or elsewhere, include variations on the Celtic handfasting, and these distinctive rings would add to that powerful ritual.

Dollar Dance

If you're a crafty sort, thinking of making your own centerpieces or other decor for your wedding, you'll LOVE the Dollar Tree site online. They have candles, votives, mirrors, all kinds of vases and baskets, silk petals and all kinds of useful things! They all come in case packs, delivered right to your door, which will save you time, gas and money; it's a win win situation.



I especially liked these sweet little candles, and the silk rose petals, which come in a number of colors. Just browsing the site will give you ideas!

We can dream can't we!

Flowers are on our minds; bouquets, archways, centerpieces,and petals for the flower girls. But how amazing is this backdrop!
The New York Times Magazine ran an amazing article this Sunday, about floral designer Daniel Ost who does some of the most incredible and creative work we could imagine.
For a private party at the Château Vaux-Le-Vicomte, France, Ost decorated a pond with fresh rose petals. He has done installations for runway shows, museum openings and yes, he does bouquets and centerpieces too.
His work, while on a grand and probably unaffordable scale, reminds us that some of the charm of flowers is in the unexpected and unconventional ways they can be used to enhance the important occasions in our lives.Check out the article and be inspired in a BIG way!

Beads and Brides

I know that a lot of you are jewelers and crafters and creative types and what better reason to indulge yourself in new beauties than to make some of the accessories for your bridal party and yourself. Fire Mountain Gems, has always been one of my favorite sources for beads, findings, and jewelry supplies of all sorts. They have lots and lots of ideas on their website, with a special section for wedding ideas, but give yourself a real treat and order their catalog. Their selection is exhaustive, their prices are fair, and they have many, many photos of finished pieces that will inspire you to create your own gorgeous things.

Crazy not about wedding ceremonies...

Every once in a while, I come across something too amazing, too inspirational to keep to myself, wedding wise or not. This is one of those things. Cynthia Rawlings, the wildly successful author of the Harry Potter series, gave the commencement speech at Harvard this year.
She spoke with humility and humor, talking of the value of failure and the joy of imagination. It is truly one of the most motivational performances that I have ever witnesses. I sincerely hope that you gift yourself with 20 minutes or so of time and watch the video that is available on the Harvard Magazine website. You'll be delighted that you did.

Ring a ding ding!

Okay! I stole this whole post! From a neat site called http://www.westchester-weddings.com/ Now that being said, I'm not crazy about all the sentiments expressed, but it does give you some ideas.

Your inscription should reflect you, and it can be anything; a line from your vows or the poems that you've chosen for your ceremony. It could be the name of your wedding song. One of my couples joked that they were going to use, "Everyone else sucks but we rock!" I kind of liked that!
Here are the ideas that I outright pillaged from the other site, but if you have something cooler going on, just let me know! I take no responsibility for the incidents of tastelessness that abound below!




A Deal Is A Deal
A Lifetime Is All That I Need
A Lovely View Of Heaven/But I'd Rather Be With You
A Perfect Fit
All I Refuse & Thee I Choose
All My Heart
All My Love, All My Life
All That Is Gold Does Not Glitter
All You Need Is Love
Always
Always And All Ways
Always And Forever
Always Faithful
Always For Forever
As You Wish
At Last
Baby, I'm Amazed By You
Beautiful In My Eyes
Beloved
Better Part Of Forever
Bless O Lord This Ring
Body, Mind And Heart
Bound To An Angel
By Your Side
Can I Keep You?
Circle Of Love
Circle Of Trust
Come What May
Committed to you
Constant And True
Desire Hath Set My Heart On Fire
Don't Hope, Believe
Dreams Do Come True
Each For Each Other, Both For God
Endless Love
Eternally Yours
Eternity
Eternity Together
Everlasting Love
Everything I Do, I Do It For You
Faithful & True
Finally Complete
First My Heart, Then My Soul
For All Days
For All That Is Good
For All The Days Of Eternity/Never A Dark Night
For All Time
For Ever And A Day
For I'd Found Love/And Love Was You
For Love So Sweet
For My Greatest Love
For My Sunshine
For Time And All Eternity
For Whither Thou Goest I Will Follow
For You Alone
Forever
Forever Always
Forever And A Day
Forever And Ever
Forever Dancing To The Beat Of Your Heart
Forever Entwined
Forever Friends
Forever In My Heart
Forever Mine
Forever My King, Always Your Queen
Forever Thine
Forever Together
Forever True
Forever Yours
Forever, True And Always
Forevermore
Forget Me Not
Friends & Lovers
From This Day Forward
From This Day On
From This Moment On
Given With Faith, Hope And Love
God Bless Us
God For Me Provided Thee
God Unite Both In Love
God's Blessing Forever
Gotcha!
Grow Old Along With Me, The Best Is Yet To Be
Grow Old With Me
Happily Ever After
Have Love And All
Heart · Mind · Body · Soul ·
Here Is My Heart, Guard It Well
His (wife's ring)/Hers (husband's ring)
Honestly And For True
Hope Is The Life Of Love
How Do I Love Thee
I Am My Beloved
I Am My Beloved/My Beloved Is Mine
I Am The Luckier One
I Am Yours Forever
I Belong to You/You Belong to Me
I Choose Us
I Choose You
I Choose You As My Life mate
I Could Not Ask For More
I Do Not Wish To Love Any Other
I Finally Found You
I Found Love, And Love Was You
I Have Nothing More To Give You But My Heart
I Knew From The Moment I Met You
I Live For You Loving Me
I Love And I Hope
I Love You
I Love You Always
I Love You More
I Love You More Than Anything
I Melt
I Only Have Eyes For You
I Promise You Forever
I Wanna Know How Forever Feels
I Will Always Love You
I Will Be Here
I Will Love You My Whole Life
I Will Never Love Another
I'd Still Choose You
If God Be For Us, Who Can Be Against Us
I'm Amazed By You
I'm Forever Yours, Faithfully
In God And Thee My Joy Shall Be
In Heaven, Too, You Will Have My Hand
In My Mind And Heart
In Perfect Love & Perfect Trust
In This Life I Was Loved By You
It's Been You All The Time
I've Found All I've Waited For
Joined As One
Joined In Love
Joined In One By Our Love
Joy Without End
Keep It Real
Kismet
Let Me Always Be With You
Let The Winds Of Heaven Dance Between Us
Let Us Be One Til We Are None
Let Us Live As One
Let Us Live In Love
Life Has Begun
Love · Faith · Honesty
Love All Our Day
Love Always
Love Comforteth Like Sunshine After The Rain
Love Conquers All
Love Eternal
Love Ever
Love For Love
Love Is All You Need
Love Is Enough
Love Is Friendship Set On Fire
Love Is Patient, Love Is Kind
Love Knows No Distance
Love Me
Love Me And Leave Me Not
Love Me As I Love Thee
Love Of My Life
Love Till Death
Love Walked In
Love Without End
Love, Honor, Cherish
Lovers Forever
Maybe I'm Amazed
Mine
More Than Yesterday, Less Than Tomorrow
My Beloved Is Mine
My Best Friend
My Cup Runneth Over
My Dream Came True
My Fated Soulmate
My Favorite
My First, My Only
My Fondest Wish
My Friend, My Love
My Gentle Lover
My Heart
My Heart Is True, My Joy Is You
My Heart Will Be Your Shelter/My Arms Will Be Your Home
My Heart, My Life
My Heart's Desire
My Lady, My Lover
My Life And My Love
My Life Began With You
My Life, My Love
My Life, My Love, My Center
My Lord, My Lover
My Love Is Forever
My Love Is Forever Yours
My Love Is With You
My Love Will Forever Encircle You
My Love, My Life, My Friend
My Never Ending Love
My One And Only
My One Desire
My One True Love
My Pleasure
My Precious
My Soul Will Keep Thine Company
My True Companion
Near Or Far, I Still Love You
Near You Always
Never Another
Never Another You
Never In Doubt
Never To Part
No Joy Compared To Hearts Content
No One But You
No Regrets
Not Fade Away
Not For Pawning
Nothing Else Matters
Now And Forever
Now I Am Complete
Oh The Places We'll Go!
Olive Juice
Once Two, Now One
Once Upon A Time
One Flesh
One Life One Love
One Love, One Lifetime
One Sunset At A Time
Our Love Is Fate
Our Love Is Forever
Our Unity Is Christ
Pulse Of My Heart
Put It Back On
Real Love Is Forever
Remember When
Resistance Is Futile
Ring of Hearts A'Fire
S.W.A.K.
See How Much I Love You
So Will My Love Forever Encircle You
Someone To Watch Over Me
Soul Friend
Soul Mates
Sparkle Of My Life
Sweet Love
Sweet Treasure
The Answer To My Prayers
The Beginning Of Forever
The Best Day Of My Life
The Best Is Yet To Be
The Best Proof Of Love Is Trust
The Best Things Are Free
The Music Will Never Stop
The Other Half Of Me Is You
The Road That Never Ends
The World Moves For Love, It Kneels Down In Awe Before It
They Dance Under One Sky
Think Of Me
This And My Heart
This And The Giver Are Thine Forever
This Hath No End, My Sweetest Friend
This Is My Beloved And This Is My Friend
This Is My Solemn Vow
Til Infinity Plus One
Til My Dying Day
To Eternity And Beyond
To Have And To Hold
To Love, Honor & Cherish Always
To The Moon And Back
Today And Always, I Belong To You
Today I Married My Friend
Today, Tomorrow, Forever
Together Forever
True Love Always
Trust Love
Two Bodies, One Heart
Two Bodies, One Life
Two Hearts Together
United As One
Until Eternity Passes
Until My Dying Day
Until My Forever Ends
We Are For Each Other
We Are Forever
We Are One
We Fit
We Shall Be Together Even In The Silent Memory Of God
What The Eye Saw, The Heart Has Chosen
When You Are With Me, I Am Free
When You See This, Remember Me
Where Two Became One
Who So Loves Believes The Impossible
Why Do You Have Your Ring Off?
With All That I Am
With Arms Wide Open
With These Rings We Bind Our Love
With You Always
With You I Belong
Worth The Wait
Wrapped Around You Forever
Yes, I Still Love You
Yesterday, Today And Eternity
Yin/Yang
You And I Will Lovers Die
You And No Other
You Are Home
You Are Mine Forever
You Are My Desire
You Are My Heart
You Are My Home
You Are My Life
You Are My Strength And My Love
You Are My Sunshine
You Are So Beautiful
You Are The Love Of My Life
You Are The Reason
You Are The Reason I Am
You Complete Me
You Fill Up My Senses
You Have My Heart
You Have My Whole Heart For My Whole Life
You Make Me Grow
You Make Me Whole
You Own My Heart
You Shall Never Walk Alone
Your Love Is Better Than Ice Cream
Your Love Is My Happiness
You're In My Soul
You're Still The One
You're The Answer To My Everything
You're The Answer To My Prayers
Yours In All Ways
Yours Only
Yours Unfailing

A toast to your wedding ceremony!

Why not toast your wedding at the ceremony? There are so many creative ways to do this, and it lets your guests know that you've really thought out every detail. Here are some ideas from my amazing couples who've celebrated their wedding ceremonies in New Jersey and New York.

You could have a wine or sake sharing with appropriate words from your wedding officiant. When I do this, I usually talk about the beauty and nuance that time can add to simple grape juice or rice water. The bride and groom sip from the same cup, although a traditional sake sharing is a little more involved, incorporating the family.

You could choose to toast each other and the guests, saying a few words of thanks and/or welcome at the beginning or end of the ceremony.

OR

You could have your banquet hall staff, or your bridal party (I love this for a small group of guests), circulate with trays of champagne or other festive beverage, maybe one keyed to your colors....) and have a group toast at the very end of the wedding.

All of these alternatives include your toast in the part of the day that is really "toastable"; the ceremony!

Ornamental Things

It is always a challenge to find great thank you gifts for your attendants; they are all so unique and precious. Well a visit to Ornamental Things is going to give you perfect solution! Natalies delicate, vintage jewelry creations are as unique and precious as your bridesmaids. She hand crafts sweet, idiosyncratic combinations that are charming and romantic; the ideal compliment to their gowns for the day. And you might even find a little treat for yourself!