Layla & Lewis were married recently at the Valley Brook Golf Club in River Vale, NJ. I had so much fun getting to know them and learning their story. They also introduced me to a GREAT Greek restaurant – After Athens in Rutherford – two blocks from my apartment that I hadn’t been to – it has the most fabulous chai!
They really wanted a sentimental, touching, and funny ceremony, without getting too mushy. I think their Love Story really captured the wonderful love they have between them, and celebrated who they were. Layla gave me a special “checklist” that a friend had given her, as potential ways to check out a new guy’s history, and I opened with it:
Many years ago, a friend of Layla’s wrote a special screening checklist for her potential dates. This list included many gems of advice, including:
Number 1: Check guy’s psych history.
Number 4: Check his walls/photo albums for signs of obsessiveness.
But, the most important, was number 7: Above all, settle for nothing. Layla took this very important advice to heart, and it led her to her soul mate, as you see them before you today.
"You will always and forever be new to ME, you will forever be my REAL LOVE."
Layla & Lewis chose to write their own vows. It was their moment to really have fun and open up to each other, in front of their family and friends, and they did a fabulous job. Layla used a reading from the Velveteen Rabbit in her vows – telling Lewis that his love is what makes her REAL. Lewis said that one of his favorite activities is making Layla smile – and requested that she let him do that forever.
Lewis getting his vows!
Matron of Honor Jamie reads e.e. cummings
Their ceremony also included a reading by the Matron of Honor (e.e. cumming’s “i carry your heart”) and a handfasting.
The couple during their handfasting
Wrapping Layla & Lewis hands with the handfasting cord
Layla & Lewis are expecting their first child in March, and got engaged in November, putting their wedding together in just two months! I couldn’t believe it!
You guys rock. I had SO much fun. Congratulations again!
Please click here to see more photos from Layla & Lewis’ ceremony
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Here in New Jersey, weddings have a season – most people get married late spring to early fall – May to October. As soon as it gets a little cold and there’s that whisper of snow in the area – people just put their poofy white dresses away to hibernate until May.
But there’s always wedding planning going on! And I think the winter and early spring is an ideal time to begin communicating and contacting your vendors for your summer and fall weddings – for a variety of reasons!
We’ve all heard that the holiday season is the time to get engaged, so the New Year always starts out with a bunch of new brides, ready to start planning their perfect days. On the other hand, as the new year begins, all of the brides who have been planning their 2009 weddings can finally say – I’m getting married this year! – and fully dive in to their planning (this works for next year brides too – I’m currently planning my 2010 wedding, and have felt so much better about emailing and contacting vendors now that I can say “I’m getting married NEXT year!”)
As I said, this is a great time to start planning because if you have the time, you won’t begin to feel the pressure or crunch of wedding planning. And when wedding planning becomes stressful.. well, then it’s not fun, and planning the wedding is almost as much fun as the wedding itself.
So if you’re a new bride, or super excited to be getting married this year or NEXT year, here’s a great tip to get you thinking about planning your wedding ceremony:
What do you absolutely WANT to have? And what do you absolutely NOT want to have?
