Nice Touch

It was a true New York City wedding setting...a landmark building, traffic in a terrible snarl, and the bustling Feast of San Gennaro at the back of the building.

In the middle of it all, Jillian and Alan found a quiet oasis of white flowers and lovely chamber music to have their wedding ceremony.

This wedding took place in the event space at The Puck Building. (Remember the opening scenes of the TV show "Will and Grace" where a brick building with a statue of a "puckish" figure is shown? That's The Puck Building!)

At the outset of the ceremony during a few moments of silence, Alan lighted a candle in memory of a good friend. Memorial candles at a ceremony invoke the presense of the departed loved ones. The glowing light of that candle reminded us all of the tenuous flickering gift of life...so let us live it well!

Jillian and Alan hired a dedicated, smart, unflappable, and focused wedding planner - Candice Benson from The Finishing Touch. Good sense of humor too! Whatever her fee, it was a well-spent part of their wedding budget. She and her staff were there for every detail, and the somewhat complex wedding event went smoothly.

Have you ever been to a wedding reception when you wished the cocktail hour wouldn't end? Well, Jillian and Alan's reception was a long cocktail hour...no formal sit-down meal. It was just perfect...good band, a variety of delicious food, and an inviting arrangement of informal tables and chairs that promoted the movement of guests from conversation to conversation. There was limited traditional seating at tables for family elders - very considerate. Great idea to make a reception one to remember!

As I was leaving, I glimpsed the wedding cake out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the icing on the cake was done in the image of Jillian's artwork...the flowers on the wedding program. Nice finishing touch!

Julie Laudicina, Celebrant!

In the Secret Garden

It was a delightful surprise to enter Central Park's Conservatory Garden for the first time. You go through the Vanderbilt Gates and turn left and right...and there you come upon a lovely reflecting pool with seasonal plantings...just a charming spot for an intimate wedding.

Corine and David came to New York last winter to select the location for their ceremony in Central Park. They found The Secret Garden...and they loved it. So they invited family and friends from their home in Canada to come to NYC and share their wedding in this lovely setting.

With the music of a violin and cello in the background, Corine's father escorted her to her groom who stood in front of a circle of guests. I talked about "real love" in relationship to this bride and groom. They spoke vows, exchanged rings, and I declared them husband and wife.

This is the 13th year David and Corine are together...so it was appropriate for them to be married on the 13th. It was indeed a lucky day for them. The rain held off until the ceremony and the hugs and kisses were done...and everyone was off to a celebratory dinner at Ristorante Del Posto in lower Manhattan.

The Conservatory Garden does require a permit to have a wedding there. Check out the park's website for details.

Julie Laudicina, Celebrant!

Hurricane Hanna

Michelle and Craig had arranged for an NYPD launch to take us out in the New York harbor for their ceremony...in the shadow of the Statue of Liberty. It would have been unique and moving, but Hurricane Hanna had her way that day...so we ended up inside for the ceremony. So all couples planning outdoor wedding ceremonies - know that you may desparately need to have a "Plan B."

At Plug Uglies, a self-advertized "drinking establishment," their family and friends from around the country witnessed Michelle and Craig speak their vows, and Michelle's daughter, Kaitlynn, serenaded the newly married couple.

The punctuation of the reception was provided by the NYPD Emerald Society pipe and drum band. It seemed like there were more than a dozen pipers and drummers in a small space...filling the air (and pounding on my ear drums) with their traditional music...making sure that Hurricane Hanna was drummed out of town. This was Michelle and Craig's day...not hers!

A Circle of Love

Christopher and Tessa brought family and friends together at The Shakespeare Garden in Central Park to witness their marriage. They had friends create a circle of rose petals on the ground where they stood for the ceremony. Within that "circle of love," they said their vows and exchanged their rings.

Tessa entered the ceremonial space unescorted. It was a symbolic set of steps in her life's journey that she wanted to make on her own. This smiling bride circled her soon-to-be husband three times and then joined him in the circle of rose petals. To her, this symbolized that she finds her home in life with him.

They wrote their own vows...each of them using the phrase "I life you," in addition to the traditional "I love you."

Documents were signed, pictures taken, and very young nieces and nephews scampered about. It was a joyful afternoon in the circle of love!

Julie Laudicina, Celebrant!