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Newsletter
Dec. 2005
ELIZABETH’S
ETIQUETTE
This month we
will cover the proper Etiquette for Payment
Responsibilities.
Who pays for
what can sometimes be a very easy question and answer. These
days whoever has the money to cover the expense is who gets to pay the tab. But
when payment is not clearly attached to one person’s wallet, how do you decide
who pays for what? Here is a quick and easy breakdown for you to follow.
The bride
and/or her family are responsible for paying:
All reception
expenses
Invitations
Wedding
photography
Bride’s gift
to attendants
Wedding gown
Floral
decoration
Soloists
Valet and
Limousine services
Groom’s
wedding ring
Music for
ceremony & reception
The groom
and/or his family are responsible for paying:
Ties and
gloves for groomsmen
Bride’s going
away corsage (if she is to wear one)
All corsages
for the immediate family members
All
boutonnieres
Officiate fee
or church donation
Marriage
license
Transportation
for the groom and best man to the ceremony
Honeymoon
expenses
All costs
associated with rehearsal dinner
It is
important to remember that these are just guidelines. Your wedding should be
paid for by the person who has the means and desire to do so. Above all, stick
to your budget. Knowing who is paying for what and how much they are willing to
spend is the key to success.
 THE CULTURAL CORNER
America is
truly a melting pot of various cultures, religions and races. We mix culture in
everything we do. This can be true in your wedding plans too. In the Cultural
Corner we open a window to various cultures specifically related to wedding
traditions. When making your wedding day plan, remember that the day should be
a reflection of you. The wedding ceremony itself is cloaked deep in tradition
so it would only be appropriate if you could find the right cultural flare to
express your culture and individualism.
African
American Wedding Tradition:
Jumping the broom is a tradition that originated during slavery. The exact time
of its origin cannot be determined but it is estimated that it began some time
around early nineteenth century.
Slaves were
not permitted to marry but slave owners did not typically object when they
performed this ceremony. Staff-like sticks or broom handles were chosen because
they symbolized strength and vitality. The broom had the extra symbolism of
being a start to the couple’s homemaking. The custom was intended to bless the
couple’s new life together as husband and wife. The entire ceremony was very
short. The couple would stand before witnesses, pledge their love to each other
and then jump over the broom or sticks and land into the “Holy Land of
Matrimony”.
The broom or
sticks are often decorated with ribbon, flowers, greenery or all of the above.
Some like to keep the broom as a keepsake in their home for years to come.
In today’s
African-American wedding ceremony, the Jumping of the Broom or Crossing Sticks
is very common in marriages where one or both of the wedding couple has African
American roots. The symbolic act of jumping is typically done during the
ceremony after the couple has been pronounced husband and wife or at the start
of their wedding reception when they are introduced.
 Wedding of the Month
Pamela and
Edward Torrence were recently married at Lake Eola in Orlando, Florida. Pamela
very matter-of-factly reports that they were engaged for seven months and
nineteen days. They met at a carnival on the Fourth of July holiday.
Edward chose a
cozy and romantic approach to his proposal. He brought dinner to Pamela and
after eating a candlelight dinner with jazz music in the background, he
professed his love. He told her that he wasn’t going anywhere and he knew that
Pamela was the woman for him. Edward said, “I want to spend the rest of my life
with you and I want you to be my wife”. Obviously the answer was a “YES”!
During their
engagement, the couple lived in Washington D.C. and planned their wedding long
distance with the help of the bride’s sister Rita Turner. Early on, Rita hired
Special Event Solutions for the “Day-Of-Event” coordinating. She chose Central
Florida as her wedding site because this is where her family lives. All of her
relatives are within a three hour driving radius of Orlando.
The couple
decided on red and white with silver accents for their wedding colors. The
bride made a bold decision to have red linens instead of traditional white
linens on all the guest tables and the head tables. It was a simple idea that
made a really big impact on the reception décor. It was magnificent! Color,
color, color and lots of it, is the latest trend. The centerpieces were evenly
divided between floral arrangements and hurricane lamps. All tables had votive
candles. The head table and cake table were accented with a garland made of red
roses and ivy. The backdrop was lighted columns with white chiffon draping.
As guest
favors, the bride and groom chose to give away personalized candles ordered from
www.weddingchannel.com and sachet
bags filled with butter mints tagged with a note that read, “A Love That Is
Mint To Be”.
According to
Pamela, the most difficult part of the planning process was choosing the
ceremony location. Once that was done, it was “smooth sailing”. She is very
thankful to her entire family who live in the Orlando area for being all the
places she could not be. She is especially thankful to her sister Rita for
taking on the task of vendor selection and all the planning details.
Pamela and
Edward are still in the Washington D.C. area but are in the process of building
their home here in the Lake County area. They plan on being Central Florida
residents by early 2006.
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NEWS
If you’ve been
looking for a great garden setting for your wedding ceremony and/or reception,
we have found just the place for you. The Polasek Museum and Sculpture Garden
has recently opened to weddings.
Walking
distance from Rollins College is the home of Albin Polasek, considered one of
America’s most prominent sculptors of the twentieth century, who moved to the
area in his later years and called Winter Park his home. After his passing, the
home was turned into a museum. The museum is surrounded by lakeside gardens and
the grounds create one of the most uncommon and beautiful backdrops in Central
Florida.
The garden has
several of Polasek’s original sculptures. These sculptures range from
liturgical works to whimsical characters inspired by Slavonic mythology. An
ABSOLUTELY ROMANTIC and SPIRITUAL setting.
There are
eight different areas in the gardens where you could host a wedding and/or
reception for twenty guests or up to 250 guests. There is also a very intimate
private chapel that can accommodate up to 18 guests. There are no indoor
accommodations so it is highly recommended that you have tent coverage in case
of inclement weather.
For additional
information, visit the website for the Polasek at
www.polasek.org. The gardens are available for
touring during museum hours Tuesday through Saturday 10:00am to 4:00pm and
Sunday 1:00pm to 4:00pm. There is no fee to see the gardens but normal fees
apply to tour the home and galleries.
 Gown
for Sale
Click on
picture for full size view
If you're a
size 8 and looking for a white wedding dress, we have a bargain for you. We have
been asked to showcase a "never before worn" wedding dress. The seller is asking
for $500. The original price was $782. The tag is still on it. If you're
interested please email Kimberly at
specialeventsbylaroche@msn.com
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