Honeymoon Registries

Posted by:
Stephanie Smith
CLM Weddings-Lead Coordinator



With so many weddings to buy gifts for, sometimes it can be stressful to find that perfect gift for your closest family and friends getting married. Yes, you know they are registered at all the local home goods stores and of course Target, but when you want to be a bit more creative than the average pot and pan set, where can you turn?



A recent trend that has taken wedding gift giving to a whole new level are gifts for the honeymoon. Such gifts can range from destination activities including jet skiing, tours, dining and more. One of the many resources that provides great options and which is also recommended by the Wedding Channel is Travelers Joy.



This new idea of gift giving provides the happy couple with fun options that will make thier honeymoon dreams come to life. The couple getting married simply builds a registry for the activities they hope to experience just as they would for all the household products in a normal wedding registry. Guests can then join online and choose from the listed activities to claim as thier own special gift.



Whether it is a pristine beach paradise with endless bahama mama's all day or a guided tour through the cobblestone streets of Ireland....the newly married couple is sure to have an unforgettable honeymoon experience

Military Weddings

Posted by: Stephanie Smith
CLM Weddings-Lead Coordinator

It's a feeling I repetitively get after a wedding has just ended...I feel ecstatic and pleased knowing that it was another succesful evening. Everything went off great...everyone was on time, the food was fantastic, the DJ got the party going and best of all the bride and groom just had the best day of thier lives. But as the year or more of planning comes down to a screecing hault, the thing I crave most is to see the photos that make the day come to life. It is without hesitation that our photographers come through and demonstrate how talented they are time and time again when I recieve the teaser photos of our incredible couples. This morning I received the photos for The Wedding of Johnnie and Angela from December 13, 2008. An amazing photographer, Chelsea-Nicole created a beautiful slideshow to highlight just a few of the wonderful moments from the evening including the traditional Saber Arch. I was inspired by this photo as it brought such a unique and special element to an already special couple and family.

Johnnie, who is a proud member of the Air Force wanted to incorporate military into the ceremony beyond his uniform. What better way to do it, than a traditional Saber Arch. Not only does this incredible element demonstrate honor for those who serve, but also adds an unforgettable effect to the ceremony and of course a bit of fun as the bride, Angela gets a "swat" from the last swordsman as she is accepted into the military family. As seen in the article below from Wedalert.com this tradition holds a special place in any military wedding ceremony. Congatulations to Angela and Johnnie Green!

Military weddings are a privilege of those in the armed forces or cadets. All are formal, with military personnel in dress uniform and commanding officers seated according to rank. What most guests at a military wedding are most likely to remember is the "crossed sabers," also known as the "arch of sabers," or the "arch of steel. The word steel, is synonymous for and used to represent either sabers for Navy or swords for Army, Air Force and Marines. Traditionally the bride and groom walk through the arch of swords. That passage is meant to ensure the couple's safe transition into their new life together. The arch of swords is formed by an honor guard made up of members of the military who would normally wear a sword or saber when in dress uniform. Should one of the honor guard also be serving as a wedding attendant, in order to conform to tradition, he or she must be in full uniform.
That includes wearing a sword or saber while in the wedding party. No one out of full dress uniform may, when conforming to military procedure, carry a sword or saber. The commanding officer should serve as a resource for the prospective bride and groom for information about who can and who cannot wear a uniform with a sword. The arch of swords procedure is a simple and elegant one. The honor guard form two lines opposite each other. On the command of "draw sword" or "draw sabers," the steel is raised with the right hand, with the cutting edges facing up. The couple enters the arch, kiss, and then passes through. The newly married couple then salute the honor guard. Members of the honor guard then sheath the swords or sabers and return them to a carry position.
Depending on church rules and on the particular branch of service, the arch can be formed either outside or in the foyer of the chapel, synagogue or church. Yet another tradition relating to the arch of steel is a gentle "swat to the backside" that the bride receives from the last swordsman. Grooms take heed. Should you decide to adhere to this custom, it would be prudent to inform your bride about the possibility so that she isn't unpleasantly surprised. In addition, it is also traditional for the wedding cake to be cut with a saber or other type of military sword. Although the ushers usually act as sword bearers, other officers may be designated as sword bearers--which would accelerate the arch of swords ceremony following the wedding ceremony. It is customary that six or eight ushers (or designated sword bearers) take part in the ceremony. Although the chaplain's office will furnish swords (sabers for the ceremony, it is customary, such as at West Point, for the cadets to furnish their own white belts, gloves, and breastplates.
If the ushers have removed their swords, they now hook them on. In an outdoor ceremony, they proceed down the steps of the chapel where they form, facing each other in equal numbers. In the NAVAL SERVICES, the head usher gives the command, "Officers, draw swords," which is done in one continuous motion, tips touching. The bride and groom pass under the arch--and only they may do so-- then they pause for a moment. The head usher gives the command, "Officers, Return (swords brought to the position of "resent arms" swords." Swords are returned to the scabbard for all but about three or four inches of their length. The final inches of travel are completed in unison, the swords returning home with a single click. When the arch of swords ceremony is held indoors, it takes place just as the couple rises after receiving the blessing. All members of the bridal party wait until the ushers swords are returned to their scabbards before the recessional proceeds.
In the Army and Air Force, the Arch of Sabers is carried out in this way: when the bride and groom rise from their kneeling position after the benediction, the senior saber bearer gives the command, "Center Face". This command moves the saber bearers into position facing each other. The next command is "Arch Sabers," wherein each saber bearer raises his right arm with the saber, rotating it in a clockwise direction, so that the cutting edge of the saber will be on top, thus forming a true arch with this opposite across the aisle. After the bride and groom pass under the arched sabers, the command is, "Carry Sabers" followed almost immediately by "rear face," with the saber bearers facing away from the altar, thus enabling them to march down the side aisle. They form again with arched sabers on the steps of the chapel. The information in this article was taken in large measure from the book with the answers to all of your questions on military weddings: "Service Etiquette" by Oretha D. Swartz.
By Judy LewisHudsonValleyWeddings.com

Your Non Matching Bridal Party

This morning I was looking through the most recent wedding trends and I found this great blog called The Celebrity Wedding Blog! This is what they had to say:

There are bridezillas out there who would throw a fit if one of their bridesmaids dared to show up at their wedding with even a hair out of place, but if you’re a modern bride looking to achieve an elegant effect, you might want to ditch the notion that your bridal party should be smiling clones. While Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen were the first celebrities to buck the trend when they stood up for their assistant in non-matching attire, first daughter, Jenna Bush took it a step further last year when she had celebrity bridal designer Lela Rose create not one, not two, but fourteen separate bridesmaid dresses in seven different colors for her Texas ranch wedding to Henry Hager.

The trend has already caught on with many non-celebrity brides who are expanding their multiple color palette to include their entire bridal party. J.Crew has become a favorite one-stop shopping spot for bridesmaids apparel in complementary colors and styles, as has perennial wedding dress favorite, Priscilla of Boston. Our advice: Don’t be afraid to buck tradition – especially if it means making your wedding feel fresh and modern (and your bridal party deliriously happy).

Innovative Bridesmaids Solutions

In today's economy brides and bridesmaids are very conscious about how they are spending money, especially for destination weddings. Along with plane tickets, hotel rooms and buying gowns some bridesmaids are just tapped out once it comes to the wedding day.

Lately we have have a high volume of requests for an alternative and a lower cost option for make up services for the bridal party. Although we always suggest hiring a wedding professional such as Make Up in the 702 or Posh Make Up there is an affordable option for bridesmaids who simply can not afford to hire a wedding professional.

"I wanted to make sure that I looked beautiful for Sarah's wedding, but I just can not afford to spend money to have my make up done. This was a brillant alternative ... "

We found this fun, creative and inventive option called Color On Professional. The application is so easy. Simply peel back the applicator from the card, and center the pad on closed eyelid. Hold in place at each corner of the eye, making a "peace sign," and gently rub the back of the applicator with the index finger of your free hand. Remove and dispose. Lightly dust with setting powder provided. This will make the formula waterproof, and give the shadow a soft matte finish.

Platinum Weddings

CLM Weddings will be featured on the We Channel Platinum Weddings, February 15th , 2009 at 10pm PST. CLM and Platinum Weddings celebrates the Wedding of Apple and Tony,a profesisonal race car driver from Arkansas.

Apple and Tony's love truly shined as their beautiful and flawless wedding took place on an exquisite May evening in Las Vegas, Nevada. Their wedding ceremony was held at St. Joseph Husband of Mary Catholic Church in Las Vegas, NV and a stunning high end reception at The Rio All Suites Hotel.

While walking down the aisle in a custom wedding gown, Apple wore over $50,000 in diamonds. Tony wore a custom suit and also shined in over $25,000 in diamonds and platinum.

Their wedding was opulent and elegant while her color scheme reflected a monochromatic red scheme with a complimentary and masculine steel grey. Their reception shined with three large custom crystal chandeliers which hung from the ceiling covered in thousands of flowers. As the guests entered into their lounge style cocktail hour a $35,000 crystal chandelier hung above their grand entrance.

On top of the steel grey pintuck linen, their guests experienced the divine flower artisrty created by Hadley Han, Owner of Jason Kenneth Designs. Han created an oversized low red rose centerpiece, which included over 100 red roses and various other red flowers. The majority of the flowers were hand picked for their wedding and flown into Las Vegas direct from South America.

Custom menu cards and table cards with Swarovski crystals greeted each guests as they found their dining table. The Rio All Suites Hotel created a custom menu and specialty drinks which were served in an Ice Luge which adorned the couples monogram and wedding date.

Fine china, crystal stemware, custom crystal chandeliers, hand picked flowers from South America and many more elements helped to create a wedding of a lifetime for Apple and Tony!

For more details and photos from the Wedding of Apple and Tony please visit CLM Weddings Website at http://www.clmweddings.com/ .