I have seen cupcakes — a growing trend. Most couples have a wedding cake. Last weekend, for the first time ever, I saw individual wedding cakes — one for each guest.
A wedding cake for each guest
Unfortunately, this is not the photo of them. The 5 different flavors made by Bombon Cafe of Chicago were more varied and prettier than these. The couple, Jennifer and Greg, had the on-top-of-every-detail Kelly Turner of the Allerton Hotel box up two of them for me to take home — chocolate and key lime! They were quite tasty and beautiful to look at. They were so rich that my wife and I shared one of them — which satisfied our sweet tooth for the day. So, we had two days of fresh baked treats.
When the couple went to their tasting, the cakes were presented to them this way. They asked and the owners said sure, they could do that for their wedding. So, don’t hesitate to ask when you see something you like.
As we come to the end of the first decade — OK, technically it ends in one year but does anyone really think of decades that way? — we can’t even figure out what to call it.
Plenty of names have been suggested over the years. The Oughts, the Naughts, the Naughties, the Zips, the Preteens, the Ohs and the Oh-Ohs are among the more familiar. You’ve probably heard them all. None has caught on.
We like to predict the future.
Paul Milo wrote a book called “Your Flying Car Awaits: Robot Butlers, Lunar Vacations and Other Dead-Wrong Predictions of the Twentieth Century” (Harper Paperbacks). As the title says, it is a guide to some major “oops,” committed in many instances by eminent thinkers.
How do you get into this floating car?
But we can always take comfort in what Abraham Lincoln said:
“The best thing about the future is that it comes only one day at a time.”
First time I’ve heard that quote.
Read the rest of the clever essay in the New York Times by Clyde Haberman.
Not much surprises me about weddings. But a recent article in the New York Times did.
SARAH NIANOURIS found the perfect wedding dress. Then she continued shopping… Multiple wedding-dress purchases, are a trend in the wedding industry, if the anecdotes mean anything.
Really?!
Josie Daga, the owner of PreOwnedWeddingDresses.com, has labeled the phenomenon multiple-dress syndrome. “A two-dress wedding is old hat,” she said. “Easily 15 to 20 percent of our sellers are two-dress brides. But buying several dresses? This is new.”
There are limits to everyone’s budget. I hear from brides that can’t afford me. If so, how can this be? Or is it such a small percentage of brides that it’s not relevant to 99% of weddings? Or does this just prove I’m a guy?
I wonder if any of the brides I’ve married have done this. Please leave a reply if you have.
In Sunday’s Chicago Tribune, there was an article called “Insurance: Don’t Get Caught Without It.” The author, Lew Sichelman, had an interesting twist — he ended it with information about wedding insurance. What surprised me was the reason for claims on the policy.
He writes, “Unlike most policies, which renew year after year, wedding coverage is a one-time deal. Starting at a one-time premium of $160 and rising, depending on the type of coverage you want, Travelers’ wedding-protection plan protects against postponement or cancellation because of weather, because you or your intended is called for military duty or because of other unavoidable occurrences.
“According to the company, more than 40 percent of the wedding-insurance claims filed in 2007 and 2008 involved issues with vendors and venues, some of which closed down because of the worsening economy. Almost half of those problems occurred with caterers, photographers and wedding planners who failed to show up at the anointed hour on the big day.”
You’ve got to be kidding me. You’ve paid them. They signed a contract and don’t show? But you still can have a wedding even without a professional photographer. Without me (or someone like me), there is no wedding.
I’ve never missed a wedding for being sick. I’ve never been late to a wedding (due to heavier-than-expected traffic I’ve cut it closer than I would like a few times.) That’s why my order of service has the phone number for the bride, groom and venue — so I can call if there is a problem.
I have no idea how many couples I’ve married had wedding insurance. What’s been your experience — helpful or a waste of money? Comment below.
A groomsman carried a flip video camcorder as he was walking in the processional on Saturday. Eric was groomsman #8, the first groomsmen to walk in. So, it was a clear shot of the chapel — and me — as he walked down the aisle. I have never seen that before.
The bridesmaid, Meghan, held flowers in her left hand and held on to Eric with her right hand. In his fisted left hand — arm extended out for the bridesmaid to hold on to — was the flip video camcorder. It is small enough — smaller than most smartphones — that I did not notice it until he got close.
I’m curious to know how the video turned out. The couple, Nicole and Danny, had two photographers but no professional videographer.
The New York Times ran a story about pocket video camcorders with brand comparisons last week. The day before that ran, some wedding colleagues suggested that we interview couples after the wedding about how well they liked our services — and post it to Facebook. Brides, how annoying would that be if I did that? Easier for a DJ to do it at the end of the evening. Please leave a comment.
The wedding was at the beautiful and historic Century Memorial Chapel at Naper Settlement in Naperville. Stephanie there took great care of us. Having Katie Kozlowski of Dettagli Weddings, wedding plannerr extraordinaire, ensured that it all ran smoothly.
How did Marty propose to Karen?
It was the summer of 2008 on a walk on the riverwalk in Naperville. He’s on a fishing expedition. “Do you want to marry me?” It was not a proposal — but to see if the relationship is going somewhere. She says “Yes.”
She does not get a ring but thinks it was imminent. So, she goes off and researches options for a wedding and begins working on a guest list.
He tells her that she was, and I quote, “premature to talk about wedding stuff.” She is deflated. He pacifies her by telling her he would make the proposal on a special date. She thought it would be New Year’s Eve.
She is thinking about buying a single family home. “Let’s get married sooner than later,” she says. He agrees.
She had a ring on her right hand — a power ring for she did not need some guy to buy her a ring. “I’d like to put this ring in a new setting.” He agrees — it would take time for him to save up for a ring. And they did want to get married sooner than later.
She takes the ring to her primary jeweler — Marty is not there — to get it reset. She does not want to see the ring — so she makes Marty go and pick it up. He brings the ring up in the bag — but he is not going to give it to her until the proper occasion.
They go out to dinner. He inadvertently leaves the bag — with the ring in it — at her apartment. It’s there for a week. She can not stand it — she looks! He walks into her apartment at just that moment. She hides her hand behind her back. She fesses up right away. “Now that I have it on, I’m not sure I want to take it off.” He is amused — and mad — that she would not wait — like a little kid opening her present before Christmas.
He gives her a hug. Laughing, he says, “Will you marry me?” Laughing, she says, “Yes.”
She never thought she’d get married. They both had to get through a journey before they could be at the right time and the right place to find love — to find each other.
I told this story at Karen and Marty’s wedding a few weeks ago at Century Memorial Chapel at Naper Settlement in Naperville. Their guests loved it. And they got to hear the full version. Photo courtesy of Fred Fox Photography & Video.
Cake & Desserts, Firsts, Reception | Rev. Phil Landers | 
December 31, 2009 8:01 AM | 
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