Here's which Republican presidential candidates would attend your gay wedding

The majority of Republicans in the 2016 race for the White House, formal candidates and likely contenders, are opposed to legalizing same-sex marriage. However, nearly all say they would attend a gay wedding.
Among the trio of major declared Republican presidential candidates, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Florida) is the only one yet to provide a clear response to the gotcha question of the month. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) has avoided addressing the issue altogether. Cruz's office didn't respond to a request from Business Insider to clarify his stance. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) also hasn't weighed in yet and his campaign didn't respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.
Among the likely GOP contenders who responded to the question, all but one said they would attend a gay wedding. This willingness came in spite of the fact they are all opposed to legalizing gay marriage, with the exception of New York Gov. George Pataki (R).
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R), former Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R), former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R), Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R), Pataki, and Carly Fiorina would all be will to go to a ceremony or reception to celebrate a gay marriage.
Former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pennsylvania) said he would not attend. Steve Pope/Getty ImagesIf you invite me to a gay wedding, I will come, Marco Rubio says.New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R) have not publicly weighed in on the issue. Their offices did not respond to requests for comment.
A spokesman for retired neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Carson told Business Insider they did not have a comment on the issue.
The reaction from presidential contenders mirrors public sentiment, according to a Wednesday Reuters/Ipsos poll that showed more than half of Republicans in the U.S. would attend a same-sex wedding of a loved one.
Of Republican respondents, 56% said they would attend the gay wedding of a loved one if invited. Overall, 68% of Americans responded that they would attend such a wedding. 19% said they would not and 13% were unsure.
The poll was released one day after the Supreme Court heard oral arguments challenging state laws to prohibit same-sex unions.
Here's how 2016 Republican contenders answered: "Would you attend a gay wedding?"
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R): Would attend the reception
Walker told reporters in New Hampshire on April 18: "That's certainly a personal issue. For a family member, Tonette and I and our family have already had a family member who's had a reception. I haven't been at a wedding. That's true even though my position on marriage is still that it's defined between a man and a woman, and I support the constitution of the state. But for someone I love, we've been at a reception," according to the Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel.
A spokesperson for Walker’s Our American Revival PAC told Business Insider that Walker was out of town when the same-sex couple decided to go to the courthouse for their ceremony.
"Later, he went to their reception because he loves them even though he believes marriage is still between a man and a woman," the spokesperson said.
Erich Schlegel/Getty ImagesRick Perry said he probably would attend a gay wedding.Carly Fiorina: Yes, but not in a church
"I have attended a reception in a same-sex couple's home and celebrated with them. I would not be comfortable doing that in a church, for example. But I certainly would be willing to attend a civil ceremony or reception if I were invited to do so. And I have many gay friends and I'm glad they're happy."
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R): I would go
"No I haven't, that's not to say I wouldn't if people that I cared for were going to be married, of course I would go if they asked me to go," he told a crowd in Puerto Rico on April 28.
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Florida): Of course
"If it's somebody in my life that I care for, of course I would," Rubio told Fusion's Jorge Ramos on April 15.
"I'm not going to hurt them simply because I disagree with a choice they've made or because I disagree with a decision they've made, or whatever it may be. Ultimately, if someone that you care for and is part of your family has decided to move in one direction or another or feels that way because of who they love, you respect that because you love them."
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas): Non answer
"I haven't faced that circumstance. I have not had a loved one go to a, have a gay wedding," he told radio host Hugh Hewitt in an interview on April 16.
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R): Absolutely
"Sure, if it's somebody I loved and cared for, absolutely. Now, the reality is I don't like attending a lot of weddings," he told reporters on April 27.
Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R): Probably would
Perry told Hewitt in a radio interview on April 21,"Yeah, well, I probably would," when asked if he would attend a same-sex marriage ceremony.Rick Santorum said he would not attend a gay wedding.Perry did voice his complaint to the line of questioning, telling Hewitt, "I think the real issue here is you know, that's the gotcha question that the left tries to get out there so everyone will talk about."
Former New York Gov. George Pataki (R): Pleased to
"I'd be pleased to attend a same sex wedding. I've been invited, but I haven't had the chance. But when I'm invited again, if they're friends and I have the opportunity, of course I will go," he told Hewitt in a radio interview on April 23.
Former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pennsylvania): No

"No, I would not. No, I mean, because I don't, I've just self, as a person of my faith, that would be something that would be a violation of my faith. I would love them and support them, but I would not participate in that ceremony," he told Hewitt in an interview on April 16.

Majority of Republicans would attend a gay wedding

A majority of U.S. Republicans would attend the same-sex wedding of a loved one, a Reuters/Ipsos poll showed on Wednesday, highlighting the political risks for Republican presidential candidates who stake out positions against gay marriage.
Though some Republican White House hopefuls have tried to insert nuance into their positions on gay marriage – something that polling shows most Americans back – their opposition is clear.
Adamant opposition is popular with the party’s conservative wing, whose support is critical in the presidential nominating process.
The question of whether or not a candidate would attend the gay wedding of a loved one has become an increasingly common litmus test for candidates on the issue.
Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush said on Tuesday he would attend the same-sex wedding of someone he cared about. U.S. Senator Marco Rubio, also from Florida, told an interviewer he would do the same, though he opposes gay marriage.
Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker said he has been to a gay wedding reception but defines marriage as between a man and a woman. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, known for his appeal to the party’s right-leaning Tea Party wing, has said he has not.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll showed most Republicans across the country would show up for same-sex nuptials.
The poll showed 56 percent of Republicans would attend the gay wedding of a loved one if invited. That compares with 80 percent of Democrats and 70 percent of independents, who said they would go.
Overall, 68 percent of Americans would attend, the poll showed, while 19 percent would not and 13 percent were unsure.
The poll’s results suggests Republicans who stake out strong opposition to gay marriage could be on shaky political ground if their ultimate goal is to win the White House.
Though a right-leaning, anti-marriage position may appeal to important conservative voters in states with early nominating contests such as Iowa and New Hampshire, that stand could hurt an eventual nominee in the general election, in which cross-party appeal and independents play a larger role.
The poll comes as the Supreme Court deliberates a legal challenge to laws prohibiting same-sex unions. Justices appeared sharply divided on Tuesday on whether the U.S. Constitution guarantees a right to same-sex marriage.
The online poll was conducted between April 23-27 and included 1,752 adults aged 18 and older, among them 751 Democrats, 567 Republicans and 248 independents.

The Reuters/Ipsos poll is measured with a credibility interval. It has a credibility interval of plus or minus 2.7 percentage points for all adults, 4.7 percentage points for Republicans, 4.1 percentage points for Democrats, and 7.1 percentage points for independents.

Bakery told to pay gay couple $135,000 for refusing wedding cake

An American judge has ruled that the owners of a bakery in Oregon who refused to sell a wedding cake to a gay couple should pay the couple $135,000 (168,000 Australian dollars) in damages.
Judge Alan McCullough issued a proposed order last week that could mean Sweet Cakes by Melissa owners Aaron and Melissa Klein will have to pay $60,000 (AU$75,000) in damages to Laurel Bowman-Cryer, and $75,000 (AU$93,000) in damages to Rachel Bowman-Cryer, for emotional suffering.
In 2013, when the two women were planning their nuptials, the Kleins, citing their religious beliefs, refused to bake the cake. The gay couple married in 2014 after a federal judge struck down the state's same-sex marriage ban.
The state's Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) contends the bakery owners violated the state's anti-discrimination laws because the shop is not a registered religious institution.
Both sides of the civil rights case have 10 days to either file an exception to the order, or ask for more time to respond, BOLI spokesman Charlie Burr said.
The order will not be final until Commissioner Brad Avakian issues a final decision on the damages, which could include lowering or raising the amount. His decision is expected by summer.
"Our agency is committed to the fair and thorough enforcement of all Oregon civil rights laws including the equality act of 2007," Burr said.
Under Oregon law, businesses cannot discriminate or refuse service based on sexual orientation.
"The facts of this case clearly demonstrate that the Kleins unlawfully discriminated against the Complainants," BOLI officials said in a statement.
An attorney for the couple, Paul Thompson, said he could not comment on the case because it is still pending. An attorney for the bakery owners could not immediately be reached for comment.
In response to the proposed order, the bakery owners started a GoFundMe campaign, but it was shut down over the weekend by the crowdfunding website, the bakery's Facebook page said.
North Carolina-based religious organisation Samaritan's Purse is raising money for the couple in a post on their website entitled: "Help persecuted Christian couple in Oregon fined for refusing to serve lesbians."

The judge's ruling was less than the $150,000 sought by administrative prosecutors and did not propose awarding damages for alleged harm from media coverage of the case.

Intermission: Wedding season, baby!

One of the interesting things about covering television in recent years has been the way programming has moved to nights that used to be dead spots because of the perception that people were out doing other things on Friday and Saturday evenings. “Orphan Black” has taken over Saturdays, and Bruce Jenner’s interview with Diane Sawyer was a genuine phenomenon this Friday. What does it take to get you to stay on the couch on Friday or Saturday? Or do you just DVR everything that might air on those evenings and wait for later?
• “Bring back the serialized novel,” by Hillary Kelly: I’m not sure that this argument holds up at a moment when binge-watching has made television shows more like novels, or that it’s strictly necessary when writers can still write terrific chapter-ending cliffhangers, but I appreciate any conversation about how to get more people reading literature.
(Ballantine)“More than 150 years later, the publishing industry is in the doldrums, yet the novel shows few signs of digging into its past and resurrecting the techniques that drove fans wild and juiced sales figures,” Kelly writes. “The novel is now decidedly a single object, a mass entity packaged and moved as a whole. That’s not, of course, a bad thing, but it does create a barrier to entry that the publishing world can’t seem to overcome. Meanwhile, consumers gladly gobble up other media in segments — whether it’s a ‘Walking Dead’ episode, a series of Karl Ove Knausgaard ’s travelogues or a public-radio show (it’s called ‘Serial’ for a reason, people) — so there’s reason to believe they would do the same with fiction. What the novel needs again is tension. And the best source for that tension is serialization.”
• ” ‘The Real Thing': a wedding reporter reflects on love and life,” by Sara Eckel: This is a lovely review of Washington Post wedding reporter Ellen McCarthy’s new book about how to have a great marriage, just in time for wedding season.
“The love-advice market is a crowded field, dominated by sassy know-it-alls — power-suited Dr. Joes and Janes smiling sternly on their book covers with their arms crossed; shrewd reality-television stars prolonging their 15 minutes by dispensing wisdom gleaned from their divorces,” Eckel notes. ” ‘The Real Thing’ is a refreshing change, since McCarthy’s pumps-on-the-ground reporting focuses on happy couples, rather than the ones who bicker in therapists’ offices or in front of camera crews. She thus accesses a largely untapped resource: ordinary people who make mistakes but basically know what they’re doing. We meet a young couple who fled India to marry out of caste, who always hold hands during arguments to keep tensions from escalating. There is the 57-year-old bride, widowed from her first marriage in her early 30s, who steadfastly refuses to remarry until she finds an equally good match. And an octogenarian couple, married 65 years, offer their secret to relationship longevity: ‘Be nice.’ That might sound like common sense, but common sense is in short supply in a category dominated by fear, blame and gamesmanship.”
• “Why Push Is Still One Of My Favorite Superhero Movies,” by James Whitbrook: You might have guessed that I appreciate smart explanations of why people love their favorite pop culture, so I was primed to appreciate this nice piece from Whitbrook about different ways to tell superhero stories.
“2009 was Hollywood on the cusp of superhero boom — ‘Iron Man’ kicking off the MCU and ‘The Dark Knight’ redefining the ‘serious’ comic book film the year before, we were about to dive into the global comic book phenom we’re in the midst of today. These movies are huge, sweeping superheroic epics, big stakes, big explosions, a sense of grandeur on grand scales. ‘Push’? Pretty much the opposite,” Whitbrook writes. “Shot on location in Hong Kong by Paul McGuigan, it was a small-scale action thriller that happened to feature characters with psychic super powers. It didn’t deal with the end of the world or with villains who wanted to rule the galaxy; it was about a small group of powered people on the run from the government. The action wasn’t meaningless splendor, existing to merely so we could admire all the explosions and energy beams. It was staccato gunfire and invisible psychic pushes — action that served the story, rather than interrupted it. It was proudly small and intimate, already unique enough for a superhero movie in 2009. But today, alongside the likes of ‘Age of Ultron’ or ‘Batman v. Superman’? That kind of movie just doesn’t happen any more.”
• ” ‘Montage of Heck’ and the Impossible Kurt Cobain,” by Lindsay Zoladz: There have been so many reviews of this movie, which is still sitting on my desk, and which I swear I’ll get to before next Monday when it airs on HBO, but I’m posting a lot of them, because “Montage of Heck” has inspired so much good writing.

“About a half hour into Brett Morgen’s new documentary ‘Montage of Heck,’ the camera lingers on a note written in the slanted, scratchy handwriting of a teenage Kurt Cobain,” Zoladz writes. “It’s intended for his first girlfriend, Tracy Marander, with whom he lived for a little while in Olympia, Washington, while he was first putting together a band he briefly thought of calling Man Bug or Fecal Matter before finally settling on Nirvana. ‘Don’t read my diary when I’m gone,’ the note says. Then, just below it, in the same script: ‘When you wake up, please read my diary. Look through my things, and figure me out.’ What are we to make of this contradiction? What is its tone? Sarcastic? Playful? Needy? Marander hints that it might be all of the above, but the only person who can really tell us for sure has been gone now for 21 years.”

'Game of Thrones' Recap: Sins of the Flesh

"Someone who inspires priests and whores is worth taking seriously," Lord Varys tells us, and say what you will about the Spider: He's got a way with words. "The High Sparrow," this week's fabulous installment of Game of Thrones, appeals to both the sacred and the profane in just such a fashion. It's a double-barreled blast of heady, horny stuff.
The episode starts on the spiritual side, as Arya Stark's old "friend" Jaqen H'ghar takes her inside the House of Black and White, home to the fearsome Faceless Men. With apologies to the Wu-Tang Clan, these residents appear to be an order of killer priests, worshipping death as a single god that wears different faces depending on your denomination. (The show doesn't aim for your inner middle-school fantasy nerd very often, but it sure hits the D&D/Frank Frazetta paperback-cover bullseye here.)
Equally appealing to your seventh-grade psyche, albeit in a completely different way: the wedding of King Tommen and Queen Margaery. Or more accurately, the wedding night, a wet dream come true in which a kind, beautiful older woman teaches an eager but innocent young lad exactly why the Gods gave him man parts. It's hard to pull this off [ahem] without seeming creepy, but that's part of the fun, and actors Natalie Dormer and Dean-Charles Chapman handle the material with charm and humor as well as heat.
None of this sits well with Tommen's mom. The Small Council may be firmly under Cersei's control, but her son is slipping through her fingers and right into Margaery's...uh, let's go with fingers here as well. Even a "friendly visit" (#airquotes) to her daughter-in-law earns her veiled insults ("I wish we had some wine for you — it's a bit early in the day for us") and tales of ribaldry about her baby boy's bedroom antics So when the Queen Mother sees an opportunity to acquire influence over church as well as state, she grabs it with both hands.
But in the words of Crosby, Stills & Nash, "How can you catch the sparrow?" As indicated by his casting alone — Jonathan Pryce is the biggest name to join the show since Sean Bean, or at the very least, Diana Rigg — the High Sparrow may prove a more slippery customer. Sure, the holy man makes self-effacing jokes about his unusual alias: "Sounds ridiculous, doesn't it? Like Lord Duckling, or King Turtle." Yet he's presiding over a bona fide fundamentalist movement, one capable of marching the High Septon naked through the streets and converting the Lannisters' lanky lord cousin Lancel into a true believer. Humiliating some pampered bastard who stages perverted rituals with prostitutes (it's sacreligious!) is all well and good, but does Cersei strike you as someone who's sinless enough to avoid incurring the judgment of her pious new BFF for long? The High Sparrow could be every bit as dangerous as the undead monstrosity that the Queen's crony Qyburn is keeping under wraps in his lab.
Up at the Wall, the Night's Watch's newly minted Lord Commander, Jon Snow, has also entered the alliance business, with equally mixed results. He's gracious to his archenemy Alliser Thorne, naming the grumpy old warrior First Ranger. But his attempt to placate the even douchier Lord Janos Slynt by giving him a castle of his own to command does not go well. As the former head of King's Landing's City Watch — a position in which he betrayed Jon's father and killed babies for King Joffrey — the man simply refuses to follow orders. This insubordination costs him his head.
Abandoned by his pal Thorne, surrounded by more loyal troops, and under the watchful eye of King Stannis, Slynt slowly realizes Snow isn't fucking around. By the time his noggin hits the block, he's baring his soul: "I'm afraid! I've always been afraid!" This only angers the young Lord Commander; his decapitated dad was no doubt frightened too. The blade falls, the King approves, and Jon is now a lord not just in name but in spirit: As Ned Stark used to say, "The man who passes the sentence should swing the sword."
On this, at least, the Starks and Boltons could agree. Crazy-ass Ramsay is applying his own hands-on approach to executions, though in his case they involve skinning people alive. His father Roose has other plans for his mad bastard: marrying him off to Sansa to cement the family's control over the North. Littlefinger isn't omniscient after all: If he knew what this kid was capable of, he wouldn't dare hand off his prize possession. She's has been able to handle some rough customers, from Cersei and Joffrey to Brienne (who's still tailing her), but she's never had to sleep with any of them. And as we've seen, Lord Ramsay is not a vanilla kind of guy.
'Game of Thrones' Season Premiere Recap: Like a Boss »
But it's Lady Stark's ex, Tyrion Lannister, who closes out the episode. When he and Varys reach Volantis, a massive slave city where red priestesses are talking about "the Dragon Queen" like she's part Abraham Lincoln and part Jesus Christ, their first stop is a whorehouse. (Classic Tyrion!) Unfortunately for the Imp, its star attraction is a Daenerys lookalike — which means that her exiled adviser Ser Jorah Mormont has set up shop there as well.

Likely haunted by the murder of his former prostitute girlfriend Shae, the exiled Lannister discovers he can't bring himself to have sex again. It's a moving moment, and one that doesn't last long: Jorah kidnaps Tyrion, growling "I'm taking you to the queen." Which regent he means remains an open question, but the coolness of seeing these two characters cross paths after four-plus seasons on separate continents is beyond dispute. So is the excellence of this episode.

Oh, snap! Wedding photographer's pics fail to develop

They say a picture is worth a thousand words — which is especially true on your wedding day But what do you do when your wedding photographer doesn't deliver?
Everything is supposed to be picture perfect on your wedding day, but that couldn't be further from the truth for four women who all worked with the same photographer — Michael Guevara.
"The photos he presented were just amazing," said Karyssa Villalobos.
She was one of the many brides who hired Tasi Image, which is run by Guevara, to shoot her September wedding.
The bride-to-be said his online portfolio was "exquisite," but what she got was nothing to be desired.
Judith Highbanks had a similar experience, saying she only received two photos from him. They are also the only two photos she has of her wedding at Springs Preserve from January.
"I feel devastated," Highbanks told 8 On Your Side's Michelle Mortensen. "I can't believe a person could do such a thing."
Jenn Prince got a few more photos from her November wedding in Mesquite — except they were all candids, mainly of her guests, at the reception. "It almost brings me to tears," Price said.
Bride Lou Emily Pearson, who wed in December, got the worst of it: just one photo — her leg.
"I was pissed," Pearson said.
Each bride tried calling and writing Guevara to get their photos. He or his wife, Jessica, responded to each bride, just once, with a sob story. It turned out to be a very similar sob story.
All four woman say he told them he was "in a coma." Except, that wasn't true.
Here's what 8 On Your Side uncovered. When Villalobos got the story of the coma, Guevara was shooting the Prince wedding. When Prince got the story. he was shooting the Highbanks wedding, and when Pearson got the story, he was actually on the phone with Michelle Mortensen.
Guevara promised he would make everything right. He never did.
8 On Your Side has uncovered while Guevara said he was in a "coma," he was actually traveling, dining, and shopping with his wife all over Las Vegas and southern California.
But it doesn't end there.
After a thorough search of his website, and days of doing image searches, none of the pictures online were actually his. They were all stolen from Chris Smauch of Good Eye Photography, based in California. When 8 On Your Side told Smauch what happened, he said "it was shocking" and that he was "pretty outraged."
8 On Your Side was able to get Tasi Image's website taken down and also gotten him banned for life for the referral agency he used, called Thumbtack.

Although Guevara refuses to speak to anyone from 8 News NOW, he has tried to make things right with at least one bride. Villalobos said she has finally received her wedding album. However, the other brides say they are still hoping and waiting.

5 Important Tips for Keeping Children Safe and Entertained at Your Wedding Festivities

I must confess that once upon a time, I dreaded weddings with a lot of little people in attendance. And by "little people," I'm talking about wedding guests under the age of 10.
Please don't misunderstand, I LOVE children and we have good time with them at weddings. Some of the most fun I've had over the years is playing with the flower girl when I have a few down moments at the wedding reception. We have some classic videos of the flower girls and ring bearers dancing for us that are absolutely delightful.
With that said, I cannot help cringing when I hear we're going to have more than a handful of kids at a wedding, and I flat out want to scream when a couple tells me that there's no need to have any extra staff on hand for childcare because "their parents are going to be watching them."
Okay, allow me to dispel the myth that all parents carefully supervise their children at wedding events - they do not. Instead of playing "man to man" defense - meaning each parent sticks with one or more assigned children, they play a "zone defense," meaning they figure that everybody at the wedding will be watching out for their children when the children are nearby them. That is just complete and utter ridiculousness.
Reality Check: No other wedding guest wants to feel responsible for keeping your two year old out of the swimming pool, and my staff's job is to run your wedding, not keep the five year old from escaping to the beach without anyone to make sure they don't drown.
This is serious business folks - I'm not joking here. Wedding venues can be dangerous places. There are candles, and tiki torches, and swimming pools, and sometimes open access to beaches and the ocean. If you're in a city venue, there will be busy streets outside. Children under 10 need to be monitored, and children under seven need actual direct supervision from an adult AT ALL TIMES.
We had a wedding this January where the bride had a LOT of small siblings. They wreaked havoc through the villa all weekend, climbing on the furniture, even actually damaging a sculpture. The bride didn't want us to hire any babysitters because she said her family had it under control. They did not.
In fact, at one point, one of the kids actually shook a burning tiki torch til he doused himself with fuel. Thank God he didn't catch fire, and we were able to clean him up fast so he didn't get chemical burns. But it wasn't his parents that saw it happen, stopped it, and rescued the kid - it was my husband. And he had already warned these little boys MULTIPLE TIMES not to touch, or even get near, those tiki torches. And then the parents of the child had the nerve to get mad at us for upsetting the little monster by speaking harshly to him.
I'm not sorry that my husband, a retired cop and former firefighter too, spoke sternly to the child. I'm glad that all the other little kids who were part of the chaos heard him and were terrified too. Fire burns. It isn't something children should be playing with EVER. But when you take small children as guests to a wedding and you don't watch what they're doing, accidents happen. Yeah, it's annoying (and expensive) when they've colored on the linens or a wall. But being set on fire or drowning is a heck of a lot worse and both of those things can happen if you don't watch out for your children. And this doesn't just go for the actual wedding and reception. If there are beach parties, pool parties, and other pre-wedding events, these children need to be supervised at all of them. And no, it's not the job of the wedding planning staff to do it.
Make your own lives, and the experience of your wedding guests, much better by following these five tips:
1. Hire a babysitter to be on hand at the wedding events that require it. No more than two little guests under five assigned per babysitter - they can't keep track of more than two of them moving fast with so many potential hazards at the venue. Years ago, we began offering brides and grooms with little guests the opportunity to have a babysitter on site at the venue to supervise the children and then settle them down with a movie in another room at the reception venue when they got tired and started to melt down. Nobody wants a child having a screaming fit during the toasts or any other important aspect of a wedding. It's distracting and miserable for everybody who didn't bring their own children with them. Also, most people are nervous about leaving their children at their own accommodations with a strange new babysitter and they're more comfortable knowing they can just go inside and check on them at any point. Generally speaking, this is a tab the bride and groom pick up unless the guests have specifically requested childcare. It's well worth every penny.
2. Do special welcome bags for your littlest guests. Include "quiet" entertainment for them - a bride of ours recently did a really fabulous job with this including card games, Lego kits, coloring books with WASHABLE crayons and markers, and sticker books.
3. Have a children's table at the reception if you have five or more kids attending. Instead of a centerpiece (don't need them playing with candles, do we?), fill the center of the table with quiet entertainment. Again, Lego sets, small puzzle games, sticker books, funny mustaches and glasses, and other things like that will keep them quiet and entertained. Skip the coloring books and crayons since "washable" is a relative term when you're dealing with table linens you don't own. Since they're likely not having the same formal meal as the rest of the wedding party, ask the caterer to serve their dinners first, when they serve salads to the rest of the seated adults. Expect that they will be up and running around before dinner is over - another reason to have a babysitter or two on hand to supervise - but that's better than having them squirm and whine and aggravate everybody for an hour or more while dinner proceeds at a normal pace for the rest of the wedding. Some children really can't handle being stuck at the dinner table for a long period of time and the results can be hideous or hilarious, like the web-famous boy who pooped under a dinner table.
4. Plan some children's activities for them at the events - like bubbles (although make sure they play with these on a lawn or beach and not over tile floors where they'd turn it into a dangerous ice rink) or glow-light jump ropes. For daytime, outdoor activities, special floaties or kites or balls are all popular distractions. Remember that each small child needs an adult in the water with them at parties involving swimming. It only takes a minute for a little one to slip out of an inner tube - how long does it take for rum punch-soaked wedding guest to notice a child that isn't theirs is missing? I don't even want to think about it. Again, our staff isn't playing lifeguard and we're not responsible for watching the water.
5. Warn the parents of toddlers who won't be receiving a wedding meal that they need to come prepared with a cooler of snacks, juice boxes, bottles or whatever else the children require to get through the night peacefully. The caterers will not be prepared to feed those kids - they weren't on the list. Nobody is going to stop what they're doing with the wedding catering to take care of feeding somebody's toddlers unless arrangements were made by the bride and groom in advance. Snacks, pajamas, diapers, baby food, bottles, etc. should all brought by the parents of the child, and should be given - with instructions - to the babysitter on site upon arrival.

By all means, invite all the small children you love to your wedding if you want to - they're hilarious to watch on the dance floor. Last weekend's wedding with Lauren and Jonas Guentner and their three-year-old daughter Olivia went really well because bride Lauren put a lot of thought into what she would need to keep her seven little guests happy and entertained throughout the weekend, and especially at the wedding. And she requested an on-site sitter for Olivia and the ring bearer so that when the adorable littlest ones started to crash, they could be scooped up and taken to bed immediately. The result: Everybody had fun and nobody had to worry.

Tigard couple wins Elvis wedding, Priscilla Presley to attend

When Kaycee Satava learned at age 5 that Elvis Presley was dead and that she couldn't marry him, she locked herself in her bedroom and cried for hours.
Now at 26, the Tigard mother is getting the next best thing.
Satava and her fiancé, Cameron Baker, 25, heard Monday morning that they'd won the national morning talk show TODAY's "Ultimate Elvis Wedding."
Again, Satava cried -- but not for long. She wiped her eyes and said, "I get to marry my best friend."
The couple thought they were going to KGW's Portland studios as finalists to hear as the winner was announced. Turns out Satava had already won over the show's producers with her tale of falling in love with The King after watching his movies with her mother as a 3-year-old.
Satava explained that she'd had a medical condition as a child that required her to stay still for long stretches as she received her medication.
But for Elvis, she could manage.
She'd sit quietly through 'King Creole,' 'It Happened at the Worlds Fair,' 'Jailhouse Rock,' and, she said, "of course, 'Viva las Vegas.'"
She dressed up as Elvis for Halloween at age 6. And her all-time favorite vacation? Graceland.
Satava, who grew up in Washington County, found her true love through mutual friends as they both worked at Portland area Nordstrom department stores. They dated a year and got engaged last May.
They had planned to marry soon, but then came Lucy, who was born in October. Still, they thought, they'd plan a wedding. But in January, Lucy started suffering seizures, Satava said, and all energy and attention went to their baby.
They've spent some time at Doernbecher Children's Hospital, she said, and are scheduled to see a neurologist this summer.
"That's been first and foremost," said Satava, who saw information about the wedding contest two weeks ago.
She submitted her story and within a day, heard from producers. They told her to prepare to be married in two weeks, on Thursday, April 23.
Gilt Jewely of Northwest Portland donated her wedding band. Anna's Bridal in Lake Oswego offered a dress and alterations - free of charge.
Skittish with a bout of nerves even 'Blue Hawaii' couldn't settle, Satava slept about an hour Sunday night.
They heard the good news as "Love Me Tender" played in the background. The couple, their daughter and Satava's parents are being flown to Las Vegas. Ten other family members will join them. On Thursday, they'll be the first to wed in the Westgate Las Vegas Resort's new Graceland Chapel.
Priscilla Presley will serve as a witness.

"I was just so overwhelmed and excited -- our little family can be complete," she said. "The first thought that came to my mind was 'I just finally get to get married to the person I've been in love with for the past two years."

Wedding Company Contract Tries To Ban Bride & Groom From “Encouraging” Negative Feedback

Wedding and party rental companies often rely on positive word of mouth to find new customers, and negative feedback can do real damage to a small business. But one Florida wedding vendor is trying to preempt customers from saying bad things by including a clause in its contract that prohibits the bride and groom not just from making disparaging remarks, but from also encouraging others to make disparaging remarks.
Consumerist reader J. and his wife recently hired an Orlando-based company to supply seating, tables, and other items for their wedding. It wasn’t until after they signed the contract that they noticed the last sentence.
It reads:
“By signing this contract, you are agreeing that you will not make or encourage any disparaging comments about OWPR ever in any form verbal or written.”
We’ve seen non-disparagement clauses before — like the Kleargear.com terms of use that customers could be fined $3,500 for negative comments, or the cellphone accessory company that levied $250 penalties against customers who even threatened to complain.
There was also the apartment complex that claimed copyright on all tenants’ comments and images and dangled the threat of $10,000 for violating that alleged copyright.
What sets the wedding vendor’s contract apart from these other clauses is that there is no mention of a penalty, financial or otherwise. It merely says “you will not make or encourage any disparaging comments.”
Lawyers we talked to said that the company would have a difficult time trying to enforce this clause with such a vague consequence.
“To me, it just looks like a company trying to frighten the customer into not saying anything bad on social media,” says one attorney who has experience fighting non-disparagement cases. “I can’t imagine this would stand up in any court, but the company is probably hoping to keep the customer from even making a negative comment.”
Interestingly, J. tells Consumerist that the wedding went off without a hitch.
“I don’t really have anything bad to say about that company,” admits J., “which makes it even stranger to have something like that in the contract.”
In 2014, the state of California passed a law outlawing non-disparagement clauses. There was also an unsuccessful attempt to pass a similar law on the federal level.

We’ve reached out to the wedding vendor to ask what it hopes to gain by including this particular clause in the contract, but have yet to hear back. If we get a response, we will update this story.

Elderly woman alleges scam artists stole her wedding ring

A South Florida senior citizen is still reeling one day after, she said, two men posing as government workers talked her into letting them inside her home and then stole her most valuable possession.
For the first time in more than six decades, Miami resident Marta Bequer isn't wearing her 2.5-carat wedding ring. "For so many years, I have had it. For so many years, more than 60," she said.
Bequer said the piece of jewelry has a significant sentimental value. "My husband has been dead for 30 years now, and I never took it off," she said.
The 84-year-old, however, took it off Saturday under the orders of two men captured on surveillance video entering her home. She said the subjects are scam artists claiming to be with the City of Miami, and they told her they needed to check on her water. "[They said] that the water was contaminated with acid and that it was very dangerous," said Bequer. "[One of them said] he already had to send three people, two or three old people, to the hospital."
Bequer said she let them inside the home around 3 p.m. to check on the water. The men, she said, continued to instill fear, eventually urging her to take off her rings and place them in a Styrofoam cup. "[They said], 'You have to take off your rings, because when the water touches the metal, it will burn you up. You will bleed to death,'" she said. "At that point, I became very much scared, because I'm taking blood thinner, because I've had heart surgery twice."
The men then asked Bequer to wash her hands in the bathroom, and before she knew it, they quickly walked out of the home. "It was all a bunch of lies, and they made me very much scared, you know," she said.
Bequer said she hopes that Miami Police, aided by the surveillance video, will be able to find these impostors. "I hope, I really hope that they find these guys so they won't do the same thing to other people," she said. "I don't know what to say. At this point, I'm very distressed."
Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department officials told 7News it is very rare for employees to show up to go inside people's homes, adding that thieves targeted another elderly resident in March.
Officials said employees will always have proper ID and will always be in a marked vehicle. If a homeowner is ever concerned about their validity, they may call 311 to verify.

If you have any information on these suspects' whereabouts, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward.

Two-Piece Wedding Dresses Make Their Statement

With an intimate May 16 wedding set in Santa Fe, N.M., Tiffany Coletti Titolo began a quest last year for a gown that would fit her hourglass proportions but that also, she said, “didn’t feel off the rack.”
Her reaction to her initial forays into the marketplace: “Really disappointing.”“Everything was the same: It was either a princess cut, mermaid cut or the strapless,” said Ms. Titolo, a 33-year-old marketing executive in Manhattan. “There was a ton of tulle. I felt like I was still in 1985.”
She thought separates might be an easy solution; she could customize the ensemble to her style and needs. “But when I suggested it at Kleinfeld, they really snubbed the idea,” she said, referring to her saleswoman at the New York store of that name. “They told me, ‘It’s not traditional.’ ”
So instead, she sought out Charles W. Bunstine II, the head designer of Anna Maier-Ulla-Maija Couture, to custom-sew her mermaid-cut skirt, strapless bodice and lace coverlet.“Look, as we get older, we’re more informed about who we are,” she said. “If I was getting married at 21, I’d probably end up in a ridiculous cupcake dress. But I know what works for me, so I went and got something made that was unique.”
Ms. Titolo is on to something. Two-piece wedding dresses are turning up in the fall 2015 lines of a number of designers who are showing them in their ateliers and at the New York International Bridal Week shows, which began this weekend in New York. “Separates are making a big statement in the world of weddings thanks to the sheer loveliness of Olivia Palermo,” said Abby Larson, founder of Style Me Pretty, a wedding blog.
Last June, Ms. Palermo, a socialite, married the German model Johannes Huebl. At their wedding in Bedford, N.Y., Ms. Palermo wore a long-sleeve cream cashmere sweater with ostrich feathers, white shorts and a full tulle skirt overlay, all custom-designed by Carolina Herrera.
“We worked on the look together,” said Ms. Herrera, whose fall collection includes a two-piece model called Desiree. “Brides love to wear something they can build themselves. Separates give them options.”
Also, “there is something really freeing about separates,” said the designer Giovanna Randall, founder and designer of Honor, the fashion label.Ms. Randall recently designed a bridal collection of gowns and separates for Stone Fox Bride, including the Astrid, featuring a silk faille cropped top and maxi skirt. “I like the idea of a confident bride that doesn’t need to wear a dress that is a silhouette of a cookie-cutter shape,” she said.
Ms. Palermo’s confidence, in particular, has left a fresh impression. “I was really pleasantly surprised that someone as fancy as she is would go for such a simple take on a wedding dress,” said Loren AliKhan, 31, a lawyer in Washington, who is in the throes of wedding dress shopping.
She has until May 2016 for her ceremony but has decided that the dress “is one of the most important first steps.” Ms. AliKhan has tried on a wedding romper (“I thought it would be fun, but it was terrible,” she said), a lace minidress and a more traditional column, among other things.
Continue reading the main storyContinue reading the main story“It turns out if you want something simple, there aren’t a lot of options in the gowns department except for spaghetti-strap dresses that look like you’re going to prom,” she said.
Now thanks to Ms. Palermo, she’s investigating separates, as long as the price is right. “I want to look classy and simple, but the wedding is about starting our life, not having a big fancy wedding and spending all of our savings on it,” Ms. AliKhan said.
In fact, the sister of the separates trend, the two-in-one dress, where either the skirt is whisked off to reveal a more casual silhouette underneath or a removable lace top cloaks a sexier strapless gown, is not only in fashion, but can also save you the cost of a reception dress.
Because of strapless-dress fatigue, it was Ms. Herrera who started offering the chiffon, tulle or lace tees and jackets. “There are so many strapless dresses, and the idea came from thinking, ‘How can I cover them a little so it’s not just a strapless gown?’ ” she said. (The strapless silhouette, which has dominated the industry for the last two decades, is still her best seller.)
Meanwhile, Monique Lhuillier’s removable airy tulle skirt overlay has been especially popular. “Women love the idea of transforming during the night,” said Ms. Lhuillier, whose line now includes one look with a silk white lace crisscross crop top with a pencil skirt.
Ms. Larson of Style Me Pretty agreed, saying, “My sister-in-law recently tore off her ball gown leaving only her bodice and a miniskirt to dance the night away with her guests.”
But Ms. Larson and Ms. Lhuillier emphasized that there are many ways to slice the wedding cake. They each pointed to other current trends like risqué low back cuts, fully embellished gowns and blush hues.

Today’s bridal looks should fit in with today’s open-minded approach to the ceremony, Ms. Lhuillier said. “There are less rules for weddings,” she said. “They can happen anywhere from a courthouse to a ballroom. So your look doesn’t have to be so fancy or formal. Anything goes now.”

Guess How Much Being A Wedding Guest Will Cost You

This should give you pause the next time you open up a vellum envelope packed with dried rose petals and custom-monogrammed confetti.
While anyone who has ever had the privilege of seeing their nearest and dearest commit themselves to each other for all eternity knows all too well the expenses involved, a new study has broken it down to the dollar.
New data from the American Express Spending & Saving Tracker shows that wedding guests spend, on average, $673 per wedding. That's up from $592 last year, and bad news for anyone who is staring down a pile of invites and save-the-dates as wedding season approaches. If you're a member of the wedding party, the cost rises to $701. But, at least you scored a new chartreuse, chiffon gown!
The $673 figure doesn't even include the cost of gifts for pre-wedding celebrations. If you're attending a bridal shower, tack on an extra $77. An engagement-party gift will run you $89, while the bachelor or bachelorette party present costs $86, on average. That expense might explain why guests are expected to spend less this year than last year on the actual wedding gift: $106 compared to $109, or $142 versus $150 for a family member.
What you're saving on gifts, you're spending on travel, hotels, meals, and new outfits. Spending is up this year across the board, with flights costing an average of $225, hotels $170, dining out $116, and apparel $95.
Meanwhile, knot-tying couples are abandoning cost-saving DIY methods. DIY weddings are down 12% from last year. Destination weddings, on the other hand, appear to be on the rise, resulting in a 33% increase in travel expenses for guests. Not surprisingly, some 72% of guests find them too expensive.

So, what's the answer? Boycott all weddings? Pester your pals to elope? Refuse the invite and spend the money on a pair of Jimmy Choos instead? Or, you could just suck it up and go, but bring along a big tote bag to smuggle crab puffs, floral centerpieces, and Champagne back to the room. We're down with the plan that includes crab puffs.

Portland police nab suspected car prowl, theft ring and recover stolen wedding bands

The Kate Spade purse that Nameeta Richard found for sale on Craigslist looked surprisingly similar to the one stolen from the back of her 2013 Mercedes Benz SUV earlier this year in Northwest Portland.
Richard had gone to a Pilates class at her gym Feb. 19 and left her diamond engagement ring and wedding band inside her purse in her car, police said. When she returned to her car, she found a window busted and her purse gone.
Portland Detective Travis Fields responded to the Craigslist ad that Richard had found and spoke with the seller, Nicolette Harrelson.
Harrelson, according to court reports, offered to sell the purse to Fields for $130. They agreed to meet at Lloyd Center Mall. Harrelson told him to look for her distinctive "red and black hair.''
That encounter helped the detective identify a suspected car prowl ring of four suspects. Police found Richard's stolen wedding bands, but investigators are still working to find a unique diamond stone from Richard's engagement ring that was pawned separately.
The undercover detective met up with Harrelson that day at the mall, and asked her where she had gotten the Kate Spade purse. Harrelson told him it was a birthday present. He noticed that she also had a Marc Jacobs purse.
The detective showed her his Portland police badge and asked if he could look in the Marc Jacobs purse. Harrelson allowed him to do so, according to police and prosecutors.
Inside, the detective found a wallet with a driver's license and credit cards belonging to another woman named Amy Pearson. Harrelson claimed the wallet belonged to her friend, "Amy,'' and that she was holding it for her, a probable cause affidavit said.
A check of police records, though, revealed that Pearson had her wallet and credit cards stolen from her while she was at a gym in the Hollywood District on Feb. 25.
Fields now has tied Harrelson, 32, and alleged accomplices Dennis Michael Spence, 44, Stephanie Ann Bertram, 24, and Stephanie Romero, 22, to several car prowls and thefts in the city.
Spence had come with Harrelson to Lloyd Center Mall on the day the Portland detective met up with her. Once Fields identified himself as a Portland detective, though, Spence took off, according to police records.
Fields, using a law enforcement database, found that rings matching those stolen from Richard's purse were pawned at Mary's Jewelry pawn shop in downtown Portland. Fields learned that Romero pawned Richard's wedding bands at the shop, but the engagement ring was missing its 1.5 carat diamond center stone when it was brought to the store.
Investigators suspect that Spence took the diamond and Bertram pawned it separately at Affordable Jewelry & Precious Metals on Southwest Washington Street. Bertram received $3,800 for the diamond, the shop's records showed. Spence told police he pocketed half of that amount, according to a probable cause affidavit.
Police recovered Richard's wedding bands, but Richard had to pay the pawn shop money to retrieve them, Multnomah County Deputy District Attorney Elisabeth Waner said. The laser-inscribed diamond was sold to someone in Los Angeles, and investigators are working to get it back, according to police and prosecutors.
Harrelson and Spence also are accused of breaking into a black BMW parked at Lloyd Center Mall on April 4. Mall security told police that a man and a woman were seen on surveillance breaking into the car and then walking northb on Northeast Grand Avenue.
The surveillance image showed Harrelson and Spence walk up to the BMW and Spence punch out the rear passenger window while Harrelson stood by as a lookout. Spence reached in and grabbed a backpack, and the two took off as an alarm sounded.
Once in custody, Harrelson told police, "Sometimes people need to have their things stolen out of their cars so they learn not to be victims,'' according to the affidavit.
Harrelson was booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center on April 4, and released on her own recognizance about four hours later, to the dismay of police.
On Monday, a Multnomah County grand jury returned an eight-count indictment against Spence and Harrelson.
On Tuesday, Spence pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree aggravated theft, three counts of criminal conspiracy to commit identity theft, criminal conspiracy to commit first-degree theft, unlawful entry to a motor vehicle, second-degree theft and second-degree criminal mischief.
A warrant has been issued for Harrelson's rearrest.

Bertram and Romero each have pleaded not guilty to first-degree theft.

It Shoulda Been You' Is Inventive Satire of Weddings

A good wedding might offer touching moments, tension, humor and perhaps some surprising revelations. All that and more is provided by the new musical "It Shoulda Been You," a frequently funny satire of wedding mishaps. It's smartly staged like an extended sitcom by David Hyde Pierce, making his Broadway directorial debut.
The irreverent comedy, which opened Tuesday night at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre, is about two sets of parents from different backgrounds coming together to celebrate — unless they can destroy it first — a wedding between their children.
Brian Hargrove's book and lyrics have moments of both wit and poignancy, as well as the occasional vulgarity and a sometimes contrived set of surprises. Barbara Anselmi, who also conceived the show, provides tuneful, sprightly music which creates an air of gaiety as the carefully planned Big Day unspools into farcical chaos. Along the way, everyone must deal with the pressure of expectations, disappointments and strained family dynamics.
An excellent cast transcends the sometimes predictable material. Tony- and Emmy Award-winner Tyne Daly is fiercely funny as Judy Steinberg, the outspoken, acerbic Jewish mother of the bride. She is well-matched against Tony-winner Harriet Harris, wickedly comedic as Waspy (in every sense) Georgette, the bitchy, alcoholic mother of the groom, whose barely-repressed anti-Semitism creates some of the bigotry that's foiled with tart humor throughout the musical.
The story centers on Jenny, the taken-for-granted older sister of the bride who is ceaselessly needled by her mother. Lisa Howard gives a brave, poignant performance as a plus-size, single woman who is quietly resentful of always being treated as a hopeless failure. She pours her heart out in the wistful song "Beautiful" and the audience is truly rooting for her by the time she belts out a soulful anthem, "Jenny's Blues."
Meanwhile, Sierra Boggess is sweetly nervous as bride-to-be Rebecca, who's hiding a pretty big secret which eventually halts the wedding reception. Boggess' sparkling musical talent is underutilized; she sings a touching duet with Howard called "Perfect" and, late in the show, a lovely ballad about honesty and fear, "A Little Bit Less Than."
Josh Grisetti is accomplished and zestful as Marty, Rebecca's nerdy ex-boyfriend, who bursts delightfully into the action and crashes the wedding preparations upon realizing she's about to get married. The title song is sung ruefully to Marty by Rebecca's parents, who really wanted their daughter to marry a nice Jewish boy.

The show has a brash, non-stop pace, and is nicely set on two floors of an elegant hotel, with plenty of doors to facilitate farcical running around. Edward Hibbert impishly portrays an omnipotent, seen-it-all wedding planner, who oozes delight when things go awry and he has to save the day yet again. As he happily warbles in "Albert's Turn," he's a "nuptial Houdini/conjuring in-laws and panini."

As the Prince of Brunei marries in opulence, we look at the most extravagant weddings ever

Yesterday, the son of the Sultan of Brunei, one of the world's richest men wed bride Dayangku Raabi'atul 'Adawiyyah Pengiran Haji Bolkiah in a spectacular ceremony at the monarch's 1,788-room palace in Brunei's capital, Bandar Seri Begawan.
Prince Abdul Malik, 31, and his 22-year-old bride both wore outfits embellished with diamonds, while Raabi'atul carried a bouquet made of dazzling gems, rather than flowers.
The lavish display of wealth is possibly the most opulent wedding of all time, but the couple aren't the first too say I do at a ceremony costing millions.
Over the last 20 years,wedding expenditure has become an eye-popping affair, with celebrities and royals unafraid to spend millions on their big day.
Even stars like Kim Kardashian and Elizabeth Taylor, who have a string of failed marriages behind them, continue to spend a fortune of everything from their wedding booze and location to their dress.
Prince William's wedding to Kate Middleton in April 2011 was arguably the biggest wedding of the 21st century and the costs of the big day reflected that.
While most of the £24million went towards the security, at an estimated £21million ($32m), the couple also had to put on a lavish reception for their 1,900 guests, which included royal families from around the world.
The flowers for the ceremony and the reception cost £550,000 ($800,000) and the cake cost £55,000 ($80,000).
Kate's beautiful wedding gown, which was designed by Sarah Burton of Alexander McQueen was also pricey, costing an estimated £30,000 ($434,000).
When Tom Cruise married Katie Holmes, he already had two failed marriages behind him, but that didn't stop the actor going all-out for his nuptials to the Dawson's Creek actress.
The couple married at the 15th century Odescalchi Castle outside Rome, which costs £35,000 ($50,000) to rent for an event.
They spent £600,000 (($900,000) on flights for their guests including Will Smith, Jennifer Lopez and David Beckham to get to Italy and forked out £120,000 ($180,000) on wine for the reception.
Katie's dress was designed by Giorgio Armani, who also provided the suits for the groom and groomsmen and the bridesmaid dresses.
The bride's wedding night lingerie alone was said to cost £2000 ($3000).
The couple split in 2012.
With Hilary and Bill Clinton as parents, Chelsea Clinton's wedding was never going to be an understated affair.
Her wedding to Marc Mezvinsky in Astor Courts, Rhinebeck, New York, cost an estimated £3.5million, with 400 guests on the guestlist that included Oprah Winfrey and the designer Vera Wang.
The couple were reported to have spent £500,000 ($750,000) on catering, £350,000 ($500,000) on flowers and £420,000 (($600,000) on air conditioned tents for the reception.
The bride and bridesmaids' dresses were designed by Vera Wang and her jewellery was estimated to cost £170,000 ($250,000).
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West both have a reputation for ostentatious behaviour and their wedding at Fort Belvedere in Florence last May didn't disappoint.
Kim's Givenchy Haute Couture white lace designer gown cost a cool £350,000 $(500,000), while the 16th century picturesque Italian venue set them back another £300,000 ($410,000).
The opulent nuptials cost a whopping £8.2million ($12million) according to reports, with hotels, private jets and that 7ft vanilla and berry cake all adding to the cost.
In true Kanye style, their ancient wedding venue needed a lavish touch, and the famous pair splashed out extra cash for upgrades, lighting and construction..
This included a grandiose 20ft wall of white flowers, with the wall of blooms featuring white roses, peonies and out-of-season bushels of tuberose - known for their beautiful fragrance.
People magazine reported that the wedding flowers were prepared at one of the city's oldest florists - Fiori Della Signoria and set the couple back £95,000 ($136,000).
Opera star Andrea Bocelli charges anywhere up to £900,000 ($1.3million) per performance, and he was on hand to sing Con te Partiro, and Ave Maria when Kim walked down the aisle.
When Prince Al-Muhtadee Billah married Sarah Salleh in 2004, their nuptials were said to cost £2.8million ($4million).
Royal families and political leaders from around the world attended the event at the Nurul Iman Palace in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei.
After the wedding, the crown prince went on an 8km parade across Brunei's capital in a gold Rolls Royce stretch limo that was followed by 103 limousines and preceded by a marching band.
They hosted a lavish banquet for thousands of guests on the following day.
Liza Minnelli is Hollywood royalty and her wedding to David Guest was A-List heavy in March 2002.
David's best man was Michael Jackson and Liza's maid of honour was Elizabeth Taylor.
The couple were reported to have spent £500,000 ($700,000) on flowers and £30,000 ($40,000) on a twelve-tier wedding cake for their guests.
Evening entertainment included performances from Tony Bennett, Stevie Wonder, Natalie Cole and a 60-piece orchestra.

They split up just sixteen months later.

Linda Haac: I, wedding planner

I’m planning my younger daughter’s wedding, and I feel as if spring will never come even though it’s already here.
It’s a late spring, I know, but I’ve barely had time to look up from the million details that consume anyone who’s planning to have more than 100 guests visit one’s hometown and celebrate something as special as a marriage.
I can’t say what possessed me to be both the mother of the bride as well as the wedding planner. I know movies exist about the kind of disasters that wedding planners face. I’ve seen a couple of those movies myself. The problem is I must have failed to learn from them, because here I am planning a wedding, and my daughter’s at that.
Right now, you might be asking yourself if I should have my head examined. It might be a good idea.
As some of you know, I tried to plan my own wedding, but my mother had other ideas. So this is the first large-scale wedding I’ve ever attempted. That in itself should give a sane person pause. Luckily, I once planned large events at work, but that was something I did for corporations, nothing like this.
I know absolutely nothing, for instance, about flower arranging, but I’m learning fast.
I’m finding out where to buy the prettiest ribbon. (You might try Purple Puddle in Chapel Hill.) I’m finding out how to create endless decoupage centerpieces with maps as their focus, given the wedding reception has a travel theme, and I’ve decided I might start a new small business after this as a decoupage artist. I’m learning the right size for tablecloths and where to buy little bottles of bubbles shaped like wedding cakes and where to find the best deals on lemonade and wine.
In other words, I’m becoming an expert in all things related to large parties, which is knowledge I hope I never have to use again.
That said, it might be easier next time. I’ve learned so much by now. But I doubt anyone but my two daughters would ever want me to do this again, and my daughters soon will have had all the weddings I hope they have.
My younger daughter is working just as hard as me, but she’s a second-year surgery resident and barely has time to sleep, much less to eat. Both of us, however, have our lists to go through. For me, I have so many lists I’m afraid I’m losing more of them than I’m keeping track of. I have the greatest admiration now for wedding planners in general. How do they do it, wedding after wedding?
Meanwhile, my daughter’s marriage ceremony is just a month away. I’m beginning to feel like I’m already seriously behind: I still have my dress to be altered, my own shoes to buy. There are checks to be written decorations to finish, cocktail napkins to buy, table charts to do, brownies to bake, a wedding cake to make, bouquets to put together.
Still, I’m nearing the finish line. I can feel it. This is may be why I’m feeling so exhausted – and exhilarated.
It’s been a marathon so far, and I expect the last moments will be a sprint. I’ve got to go to the gym more. I’ve got to be in tip-top shape. My dream is to dance the night away at my daughter’s wedding, and I’m keeping my fingers crossed all the guests will dance too. To make sure everyone has a good time, including me, I’ve hired another wedding planner for the day, someone besides me who can make sure the cake gets cut and the dishes get cleared and the paper airplanes get made for my daughter and the groom’s going-away moment, when guests will get to fly those planes in tribute to the happy couple.
After that, I expect I will sleep for a couple of days, knowing spring is in full swing, everything finally in bloom. I will have more free time then to write, but I bet I will miss all this intense, wild wedding planning.

Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/community/chapel-hill-news/chn-opinion/article18174767.html#storylink=cpy

Strike a pose — Issaquah High School prepares for annual fashion show

About two-dozen students stood on the Issaquah High School stage and nervously peered out into the sea of empty seats April 1.
They suddenly burst into movement when, with the press of a button, music began to blare from the auditorium’s speakers — it was time to strike a pose.
One by one, the Issaquah students walked the tape-lined stage, a mock-runway of sorts, each stopping three times for full fashion-show effect. They weren’t perfect — some turned the wrong direction, while others failed to hold a pose long enough — but it didn’t matter, this was just practice.
It was all in preparation for the fourth annual Issaquah IFashion Show and Auction April 24, benefitting both the school’s Associated Student Body programs and, new this year, the nonprofit Northwest Behavioral Associates.
“It’s an amazing production,” Issaquah parent and fashion show co-chairwoman Lisa Clawson said of the final product. “The kids are putting themselves out there.”
“It’s a brave thing to do. That’s one of the things I love about it,” added fellow parent and co- chairwoman Stephanie Morton.
The school fashion show and auction has become a popular ticket. Organizers once had to beg students to walk in the show; now, it’s first come, first served. This year, about 70 models will walk the runway, and for the first time, underclassmen will get the chance to participate.
It all started in 2012 when a parent suggested a fashion show as a fundraiser for ASB programs. The show, organized by both the Issaquah High School PTSA and the Issaquah ASB, has gotten bigger, and raised more money, every year.
What’s special about the show is that it is so much more than an Issaquah High School event, it’s a community event, Morton said. With a tiny budget, organizers rely on the generous contributions of local businesses to make the IFashion Show the quality production that it is.
“There are a few companies that have been with us since the beginning that are just the backbone of this event,” Morton said.
She rattled off a long list of local business names, highlighting Studio B Portraits, the show’s official photographer; ULTA Beauty, the show’s makeup and hair styling sponsor; and Sports Authority.
The local, mostly free, support is important, Clawson added, because the intent is to have most of the funds raised go toward ASB programs, and this year’s nonprofit beneficiary. Northwest Behavioral Associates, which treats autism through intervention and education, will receive 25 percent of the money raised from ticket sales and the auction.
Students will walk down the runway in a wide range of clothing. You might see someone pose in clothes bought at Target, while the next person is sporting designer fashions by Kate Spade.
“Ultimately, fashion isn’t money,” Issaquah freshman and fashion show participant Grace Heller said. “Fashion and style is being able to put together looks that incorporate things from a thrift shop, Target or a Kate Spade, and being able to make it your own.”
Heller, a fashionista in her own right, has a small fan following boosted by her Instagram account featuring daily looks and fashion tips. She and fellow freshman Grace Morton were among those that helped shape a vision for this year’s show.
“We just kind of drew inspiration on what we saw trending in the magazines and what we saw trending on people that we looked up to,” Grace Morton said.
The night begins at 6:30 p.m. with a silent auction. A live auction will follow during the show intermission. Attendees can bid on themed baskets, lavish vacations and more.
Doors to the Issaquah High School theater officially open at 7 p.m. and the show will start at 7:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at the door, online or, for students, from the Issaquah DECA cart during lunch.
If you want the best seats in the house, purchase $45 VIP tickets online. Those come with swag bags, in addition to front-row seating.

“It’s so professionally done, and then we have fun surprises sprinkled throughout,” Clawson said of the show. “It’s thoroughly entertaining. If you have a daughter, or son even, that loves fashion, you have to bring them.”

Supporters Raise More Than $94,000 For Florist Who Refused To Sell Flowers For Same-Sex Wedding

Thousands of dollars have been raised for a Washington florist after she was fined $1,000 for refusing to provide flowers for a gay couple’s wedding.
Supporters of Barronelle Stutzman, a 70-year-old florist in Richland, Washington, have donated more than $94,000 to a GoFundMe campaign that seeks “to protect Barronelle and her livelihood.”
Stutzman, a Christian, refused to sell flowers for the 2013 wedding of longtime customers Robert Ingersoll and his partner, Curt Freed, for religious reasons.
“[Robert] said he decided to get married, and before he got through I grabbed his hand and said, ‘I am sorry. I can't do your wedding because of my relationship with Jesus Christ,’" Stutzman told KEPR in 2013.
Ingersoll told the Tri-City Herald that Stutzman’s decision thoroughly shocked the couple.
"It really hurt because it was somebody I knew," Ingersoll said. "We laid awake all night Saturday. It was eating at our souls. There was never a question she'd be the one to do our flowers. She does amazing work."
Last month, a judge ruled that Stutzman's refusal to sell flowers to Ingersoll and Freed violated the Washington Law Against Discrimination, which makes bias based on sexual orientation illegal. She was ordered to pay a $1,000 fine, plus $1 for court costs and fees.
Following the ruling, Stutzman’s legal team said that the fine, together with additional penalties and fees, would “financially devastate Barronelle’s business and personal assets.”
Thanks in part to the promotional efforts of conservative talk radio host Dana Loesch, the GoFundMe campaign in support of Stutzman went viral this past week. Thus far, more than 2,300 people have donated money to the florist.

As the Seattle Times points out, this campaign bears similarities to a fundraiser launched for Memories Pizza, an Indiana pizzeria that closed after its owners said the restaurant would not cater a gay wedding in light of the state’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act. The owners said they shut their doors after receiving threatening messages. A GoFundMe campaign for the pizzeria raised more than $842,000 in four days.

Norwegian Cruise Line offers legal weddings at sea

Couples can now get legally hitched at sea when sailing aboard some Norwegian Cruise Line ships.
Beginning in April, engaged couples can opt to have their ceremony performed by the ship captain aboard Norwegian Getaway, now sailing from PortMiami, and Norwegian Breakaway, which is based in New York. The new weddings package also will be available on Norwegian Escape when it debuts in Miami this fall.
The wedding-at-sea package costs $2,199 and includes a bridal bouquet and matching boutonniere, champagne toast, wedding cake and more, plus an experienced wedding coordinator.
The couple's marriage license will be issued by the Bahamas, the Miami-based cruise operator said.
Additionally couples sailing on these three ships and others fleetwide can also choose from a handful of other wedding packages, including a "Symbolic" non-legal ceremony that's also performed by the ship captain, and legal "Harborside" or "Destination" weddings.
The harborside ceremony is performed onboard when the ship is docked at select ports. The destination ceremony is done on shore in select ports.

Rates for symbolic packages start at $1,799, while prices vary for the other two ceremonies are based on the port.

Watch John Legend sing at his dogs' wedding in adorable charity video

John Legend sang at his dogs' wedding in a video shared this week.
The 36-year-old star serenaded his pet pooches Puddy and Pippa with his hit All of Me at their nuptials yesterday, as he sprinkled rose petals down the aisle for the pair and even fed them their first piece of wedding cake on their big day.
The two proud pets were appropriately dressed for the occasion in suit and bow tie and a bridal gown and they found time to take some snaps with their owner-turned-wedding singer in a photobooth at their mutt marriage.
The singer even officiated the wedding for his and wife Chrissy Teigen's bulldog and French bulldog, who looked to be thoroughly enjoying their canine ceremony.
His partner walked in at the end of the video to spot the embarrassing moment - but how would she react?
Some fans thought the event might be an April Fool's joke but that was not the case as John in fact put on the dogs' big day to help promote a new initiative for his charity, The Show Me Campaign, which aims to give impoverished kids a great education.
John is encouraging fans to donate money to the initiative - which is also raising money to rebuild the auditorium at the former South High School in Springfield, Ohio - over the next 14 days, and anyone who does will be put into a prize draw to win a private performance from the star at an event of their choice.
A message on the donation page states John will be available to spend time with guests at the lucky winner's chosen event as well as perform.
It also states: "A private John Legend concert at your wedding or other event (birthday parties, going away parties, and parties for no special occasion are all welcome!) (sic)"
The star has partnered with Omaze - which offers once-in-a-lifetime experiences which benefit charitable causes - to raise funds for the initiative.

He wrote on Twitter: "I’m so excited to play at your wedding, I filmed my rehearsal. My babies helped too! (sic)"

West Fargo couple celebrates curling-themed wedding

Curling isn’t the most traditional post-wedding activity, but tradition is not what West Fargo native Mitch Finn and his fiancée, Charlotte Zich, were shooting for.
The West Fargo couple held their wedding at the FM Curling Club on 23rd Avenue South in Fargo on Saturday and after a quick ceremony, Finn, Zich and their guests took to the ice sheets to partake in the traditional Scottish sport.
The two started curling about two years ago. The FM Curling Club had recently opened its new building and the club wanted to rent out the building for weddings in the spring and summers.
Finn thought having a wedding when the ice was still there would be better, though.
“I said, ‘Well, you guys should have weddings when the ice is out,’ ” Finn said.
“ ‘That’d be a lot more fun.’ ”
The Curling Club management liked the idea.
“It’s not a conventional way to do it but it’s an awesome way to do it,” said the curling club’s facilities manager, Quentin Way.
The club has hosted a few other events, including graduation parties and receptions, but never a wedding.
The wedding will help market the club, too, since it relies on word-of-mouth marketing from its members.
“We just wanted to do something a little bit different and we both really like curling,” Zich said. “We wanted everyone just to try something new.”
Zich said the curling-themed wedding was Finn’s idea but she went along with it.
Her family wasn’t surprised by the unconventional venue, either.
“I think they knew it was coming because Mitch is in love with curling,” Zich said. “I think it didn’t surprise them at all.”
The two got involved in curling two years ago when a friend of theirs had the idea of joining a curling league.
“It’s in the winter time when there’s not a lot to do,” Finn said. “Rather than do the traditional bowling or pool or darts, we thought we’d do something different.”
Curling is played on ice sheets, usually with teams of four players who slide granite stones down the ice to a target area. Sweepers alter the ice surface to help guide the stone.
The ceremony only lasted about 30 minutes and then the party hit the ice.
Before the wedding, very few members of the wedding party, other than Finn and Zich’s friends in the club, had ever tried curling. After the wedding, a lot more people can say they’ve tried the sport.
Zich even took curling into account when she picked out her dress.
“There were two dresses, one is a little more princess cut and the other was tight all the way down so I did choose the one I thought it would be easier to curl in,” Zich said. “He didn’t get the dress I thought he would like because the other one I could curl better in. He has to give up a few things.
“He sort of (got) the wedding of his dreams,” she added.
Regardless of which dress Zich is wearing, Finn just wanted to see his bride on the ice.
“The shot, the picture I’m looking for is her on the ice with her dress on,” he said.
The short ceremony and two hours of curling and reception and dance at the Speedway Event Center in West Fargo were planned because, “We wanted everybody to have something to do,” Zich said.
There were still some traditional aspects to the wedding and the families were very involved.
Zich’s two brothers officiated the wedding and one of Finn’s sons played music for the event.

“Everybody’s wedding day is a big day … but we were just trying to keep it a little bit more relaxed,” Finn said.