Sarah and David's Wedding Ceremony

I marry people, too. Not get married to them, because that would be illegal, but I officiate weddings. And I love it, even more Ground Zero on the joy and happiness.
One of my favorite parts of the process is helping them write the ceremony itself. Sarah and David (not their real names, 'cause, you know) wanted to incorporate references of their mutual techie jobs, and their frequent wine tasting trips,  into the ceremony. And get some laughter out of them, too. It took a couple of weeks, but here's what I came up with:

Liz: Welcome. Now, please finish your last text, turn off their phones and put them away.

Today, Sarah Marie Cheng and David James Lipton proclaim their love and their commitment to a life-long connection with each other.  Their compatibility with has been confirmed, they are plugged in, and all their lights are green. We gather here to rejoice, with and for them, in the the new program, called marriage, that they will now run together as one. Do you two freely agree to be joined today?

Sarah and David: We Do.
Liz: If anyone has any objections, please wait until after the ceremony to post them on Facebook or Twitter.
(To Sarah and David):Now, face one another, and exchange the vows you have written. [Note: They wrote their own specific vows, this time, but sometimes I help with those, too. ]
Liz: Sarah?
Sarah: Vows
Liz: David?
David: Vows

Liz: David,  do you take Sarah to be your wife, to love and to cherish from this day forward?
David: I do.
Liz: Please place the ring on her finger.
(David places the ring on Sarah’s finger)
Liz: Sarah do you take David to be your husband, to love and to cherish from this day forward? 
Sarah: I do.
Liz: Please place the ring on David’s finger.
(Sarah places the ring on David’s finger)

Liz:  Like the wine tastings the two of you have enjoyed together, this is the time to savor each past experience.  The sweet moments, the dry moments, the moments that left you yearning for another sip, all of which have brought you to here and now. And there is so much more to come. It is an honor for all of us to be here to send you on your way.

By the power invested in me by the state of California, I pronounce you husband and wife. You may now share a kiss!

And, now, for the first time, may I present Mr. And Mrs. David and Sarah Lipton!

 ~~~~

Let me know if you would like some help with your ceremony, too, either as an officiant or helping you write it, email me or give me a call. I am here to serve. :-)


See you at the end of the aisle, 


Liz Coopersmith
Silver Charm Events
www.silvercharmevents.com
323-592-9318
liz@silvercharmevents.com

Wedding Wise Wednesday - May 16

Every Wednesday I bring you the best wedding stories, events and deals in Los Angeles and from around the web. And we call it Wedding Wise Wednesday. Welcome!

 Cool Wedding Thing of the Week:

NAKED WEDDING CAKE. Yes, please! At last, the fondant vs. buttercream debate resolved. Cake, frosting = WIN. Check out this and more on my Cool Wedding Tips, Tricks and Stuff board on Pinterest.

The Events:

Sunday, May 20
11:00am - 4:00pm
Bridal Showplace
Crowne Plaza Anaheim Resort
12021 Harbor Blvd., Garden Grove
Tickets: $4.00

Premiere Bridal Shows
11:00am - 4:00pm 
Hilton Ontario Airport Hotel
700 N. Have Ave
Ontario, CA 91764
Tickets: $5 online, $10 at the door



The Deals:

Lili Bridal in Tarazan is holding it's annual Watters Brides and Maids trunk show from Friday May 18 through Tuesday May 22nd. You'll get 10% off any Watters Bridal gown purchase. 15% off any Watters Bridesmaid or Wtoo dresses. And, finally, 15% off any accessories you purchase during the trunk show. So, you know: GO. Call 818-774-9700 or email sales@lilibridals.com to make your appointment. 

Speaking of dresses, did you know Ann Taylor has jumped into Wedding World, too?  This beautiful dress is only $550, and there's more where that came from. Click and check out the collection. 

My Wed Deal - $15 for  a $25 gift certificate at IndigoTwinWeddings Store. Save on their adorable handmade cake toppers and invitations. They can even make one that looks just like you!

The Wedding Channel - Save almost 50% on a photo booth at your wedding. For only $500, All Smiles solutions will give you custom graphics for your pics, props, a choice of color or black and white shots, a CD of all the photos from the event, and a scrapbook of the duplicate strips. But, you've only got until May 22nd to get it, so GO.

Which deal do you think you're going to take advantage of? And is there anything in particular you need to save money on? Let me know in the comments below!

See you at the end of the aisle,

Liz Coopersmith
Silver Charm Events
www.silvercharmevents.com
323-592-9318

liz@silvercharmevents.com  

Your Wedding Flowers and How To Swing Them

Taken from my post today on The Broke Ass Bride.

Most of my brides come at the whole wedding flowers thing in one of two ways:  They know exactly what they want, or they have no clue. They’re either focused on one particular tree or overwhelmed by the forest. And yes, I made a little botanical metaphor there.

The funny thing is, both end of up changing their minds.  Certainty slides into flexibility, while cluelessnes gives way to very firm choices. And it’s the same process – finding out what they don’t want, which leads to deciding what they absolutely do want.  Do yourself a favor right now, and #1 – Accept that there is a process. #2 – Don’t be afraid of it!

Two pieces of lavender. Simple and Beautiful.

Start before you even meet with a florist and pull all the basic numbers. How many guests are you having? Divide that by 10 (or 8 or 12 depending on the size of your tables), and that’s how many centerpieces you’re going to have.  You need a bouquet, your bridesmaids need bouquets,  and all the groomsmen need boutonnieres. Do you want your parents to have bouts or corsages, too? How many of them are there? How about the flower girl or ring bearer? These are the same questions any florist is going to ask you, but writing it down beforehand is going to make you feel a little bit more in control, and it’ll bring up  questions that you haven’t thought of, like, what size tables your venue has. Smaller tables = more tables = more centerpieces. But then again, smaller tables can mean smaller centerpieces, too. Something to ask the florist about if your budget is a consideration. And if it is, write down whatever 5% of your budget is. That’s what you want to try and stick to flowers-wise.

Another idea...

If you know what you want right now, collect pictures to bring to your floral consultation. Print them out, bookmark them on your smartphone/tablet/computer, but bring the visuals. If you’re not sure what you want, then ask yourself this:  what don’t you want? Do you hate roses, do you hate peonies, does the thought of a cascading bouquet give you hives? What’s your color scheme, or what is it definitely not going to be? Nine times out of ten, going through this exercise is going to give you a little more clarity.

And, now, it’s on to the florist.

Find out what to expect, and what more you should know, by clicking here. 

How would it feel to have a wedding strategist in your corner? If you're stressing about how to make your dream wedding happen, wouldn't be great to hand it over to someone and just watch it happen?  Email me today to schedule a complimentary consultation this week, and let's find out how I can solve your wedding challenges!

See you at the end of the aisle,

Liz Coopersmith
Silver Charm Events
www.silvercharmevents.com
323-592-9318
liz@silvercharmevents.com

Wedding Wise Wednesday - May 9

Every Wednesday I bring you the best wedding stories, events and deals in Los Angeles and around the web. And we call it Wedding Wise Wednesday. Welcome!

Cool Wedding Thing of the Week - The dream lives! Etsy has a wedding registry -feel free to go crazy!


The Events:
Saturday and Sunday, May 12 - 13
Unique L.A's 4th Annual Spring Show
The California Market Center
110 East Ninth Street, LA, CA 90079
Basically, it's live Etsy - shop over 325 Designers & Artists and Discover Great Made-In America Design. There was so much great wedding-related stuff at this show last year. Do yourself a huge favor and GO. 
Tickets: $10.00 online and at the door. But, if you buy them online, you get to bypass the main line, and you'll get a free ticket to the Craft and Folk Art Museum, and a set of Unique bookmarks. Have fun!




The Deals:

BridePower is having a sale on their CZ bridal jewelry, get 20% off with coupon code...20%off. Good until 5/15.


 Oriental Trading - Free shipping plus $10 off of orders $75 or more. Get your wedding accessories and supplies here!

My book, "The Mad Dash Down The Aisle: Planning Your Wedding in Six Months or Less" is now in Paperback for $8.99. You can also get the kindle version for $4.99. It's good, if I do say so myself...


See you at the end of the aisle,

Liz Coopersmith
Silver Charm Events
323-592-9318
liz@silvercharmevents.com

Wedding Wise Wednesday - April 25th

Cool Wedding Thing of the Week - Sunglasses as favors! And they don't have to be really expensive, obviously. You can pick some up at Forever 21 or Target. Now, these, people will keep forever.

The Events

Sunday, April 29:

Vintage Glamour Bridal Show - Pasadena
11am - 3:00pm

Pasadena Sheraton Hotel | map

303 Cordova Street

Pasadena, CA 91101

Price: $10 at the door / $6 pre-sale

Special Occasion Expo

Hosted By: Courtyard by Marriott Monrovia
11am - 3pm

700 West Huntington Drive

Monrovia, CA 91016

Price: Free Admission

Recreation Park Golf Club - Bridal Show
10:30am - 3:00pm

5001 Deukmejian Drive

Long Beach, CA 90804
Price: Free Admission

Thursday, May 3
Are you a bride with a small budget?The 10k Wedding Workshop launches May 3 ! Now until Friday, use code TenK20 to get $20 off registration. Want to save even more? Go to My Wed Deal to get another $20 off.

The Deals:

Weddingchicks continues to rule - 20 welcome totes for $100.


A one-year subscription to Martha Stewart Weddings is only $16 at Amazon, more than Half-Off. Go!




See you at the end of the aisle,

Liz Coopersmith
Silver Charm Events
liz@silvercharmevents.com
323-592-9318

What do you think?

Going through possible bridesmaid dress choices.

The 10K Wedding Workshop is LIVE

www.10kweddingworkshop.com

My baby is here! Starting Thursday, April 26th, I'm going to teach you how to work your budget to get the beautiful wedding you want. I'm on a mission to help you save hundreds, nay, thousands of dollars, not to mention time and an unbelievable amount of stress.

The Early Bird rates on the site are good until Sunday, when the price increases by $20. You can do a full payment, or two partial payments (hint: Full payment saves you even more cash). Blog readers can use the code 10kten for an extra $10 discount on either option. You're welcome!

If you have any questions, email me at liz@10kweddingworkshop, or give me a call at 323-592-9318.

See you at the end of the aisle,

Liz Coopersmith
Silver Charm Events