|
| |
 |
|
|
 |
| November
6, 2004 |
|
Lisa Shepard and Glen Stewart were married on November 6, 2004 at
the Cathedral International in Perth Amboy, NJ. The ceremony was
followed by a harbour cruise reception aboard the Cornucopia
Princess, where we sailed to the Statue of Liberty and back.
Unlike so many couples we hear about, we enjoyed
every minute of our own wedding! I know this is due in part to the
various companies who have helped to make our wedding the very
special day we knew it would be.
As the VP of Technology for Cultured Expressions,
Glen will be making appearances at selected CE events, as his
schedule allows. |
Sewing for the Wedding
Yes, I did sew my own dress. . . (no, it
isn’t bad luck to sew your own wedding dress, and no, I wasn’t
hemming it in the limousine as some might have guessed.) I started
with Vogue Patterns 2720, changing the train completely, and adding
hand-painted cowrie shells to the edge of the train… I’m writing
an article about the process of sewing your own wedding dress for
Sew News magazine, to appear in the June 2005 issue. Details to
follow. . . |
Thank you to our wedding vendors . . . |
 MAPLEWOOD
BRIDAL IMAGE - Wedding Coordinators
Allison Teixeira and her staff are an absolute
godsend! No matter how organized you are (or think you are), there
are too many last-minute wedding details to handle on your own. So
the coordination services of Maplewood
Bridal were more than welcome. It began with Allison’s initial
consultation, to determine the overall mood and our “vision” for
the wedding, special elements of the day, etc. Her calming smile and
professional, friendly approach put me at complete ease although I
realized how many details I hadn’t yet covered, with about a week
to go before the wedding! Allison and company (Sari, Zakia, Debbra,
Alecia and Phoebe) expertly handled various logistics of the wedding
day itself -- you can’t possibly worry about things like
transporting centerpieces to the reception site when you’re busy
trying to look stunning for your new husband, greeting guests and
posing for endless photo opps ; ) The day came together beautifully,
and we were free to enjoy it as much as our guests did, if not more!
|
 CUSTOM
CAKE TOPPER - Artist Romona Tate has most
recently added custom Afrocentric Cake Toppers to her list of
creations. She combines her own vivid imagination with the actual
facial and fashion details that resemble the Bride and Groom from
head to toe, whether they are "light skinned, dark skinned,
with a bald head or dreads”. Even details down to the jewelry and
type of flowers carried by the bride can be replicated. She stands
at the forefront of a growing movement of African American artists,
crafting beautiful collectibles that depict real life events and
aspirations, while releasing the hidden cultural beauty. A custom
cake topper will be the hit of your reception! Contact A Celebration
of Color at 908-730-7295 or e-mail Romona: rdtcoc@earthlink.net |
 BRIDAL
SHOWER FAVORS - Warm Spirit -- Charisse
Penalver is a Warm Spirit consultant based in southern New Jersey,
and her product samplers were a highlight of the bridal shower. WARM
SPIRIT is a self-care and well-being company with a product line
that features over 250 aromatherapy products for skin and body,
including shower gels, lotions, baby care, hair care, holistic
remedies, pillows, Therapeutic Grade massage oils, dietary
supplements, and wonderful organic teas. Samples of the Spa Quality
scrubs, moisturizers and butters were a perfect fit with the “SPAHH”
bridal shower theme. Each favor was beautifully wrapped in an
organza gift pouch, with a scroll description of each sample. My
favorites are their Spiced Pear Soy Candle and the lavender-filled
Eye Pillow. Contact: Charisse M. Penalver, Senior Consultant #5206
at (609) 233-1743 or visit Charisse
Penalver's site
(Photo of “spa stuff”) |
 BRIDAL
PARTY MAKEOVERS - Jura MakeUp Designs is
here to help you create that special look. They specialize in
wedding day makeovers, but they can create beauty for any event. The
staff is friendly, experienced, and here to help you every step of
the way. Since my bridesmaids and I normally wear very little
makeup, Jen’Turea had the challenge of applying the right look to
get us through the day of picture-taking, while developing a look we’d
be comfortable wearing. For your holiday beauty needs, take
advantage of Jura Makeup Designs’ CHRISTMAS PROMOTION: BRING A
FRIEND and GET HALF-OFF OF THE COST OF YOUR MAKE-OVER. This
special offer is valid from December 1 through 31, 2004. For more
information, or to schedule an appointment for a consultation,
please contact Jen’Turea at (973) 393-8828 or email questions to juramakeup@hotmail.com |
FINANCIAL PLANNING SERVICES
/ Patrick Carter / American Express Financial Advisors, Inc. -
Financial planning is definitely one of the less romantic aspects of
a new marriage, and it's an essential that many couples avoid.
Patrick Carter is a financial advisor with American Express
Financial Advisors, in Edison, NJ specializing in comprehensive
financial planning for engaged couples and newlyweds.
When he responded to our wedding promo, we thought
it was an unusual but necessary addition to the usual roster of
wedding services. Patrick specializes in taking the fear out of the
financial "yours, mine, and ours" that comes with
marriage.
Even before Patrick contacted us, we were looking
for a financial planner, so the timing was perfect. Our first
meeting included an overview of his services, and an interesting
exercise that explored our attitudes toward money, as individuals
and as a couple. In subsequent meetings, he will continue to help us
establish and prioritize our financial goals, and to adjust our
strategies as the goals change.
"Everyone knows the statistic regarding the
50% divorce rate, but a more interesting data point is that of those
who get divorced, 80% indicated that household finances were a major
factor in their decision. As a financial planner with American
Express Financial Advisors, I pride myself on helping pre-nuptial
and newly wedded couples learn to understand each other financially
and build a strong financial house from the foundation up."
Contact: Patrick Carter, 732-767-6961 or email Patrick.G.Carter@aexp.com |
 PARKER
MUSIC PRODUCTIONS - MUSIC for the CEREMONY
& RECEPTION - Donald
Parker and his crew are known throughout the tri-state area (and
beyond) as the premiere entertainment source for weddings and
special functions of every description. They provided the music for
our church ceremony as well as our reception. Everyone raved about
the band, including My Husband’s keyboard solo. (It doesn’t hurt
that Glen plays keyboards with the group as often as possible, so
the music portion of our event was truly a family affair!) Thank you
to Donald, Eric, Burny, Kim and Denton for sharing your talents with
our guests. |
 BRIDESMAID
FASHIONS - The
Couture Hand – The bridesmaids and Matron of Honor selected
their own gown styles, which were sewn in the same fabric, a rich,
deep red silk duppioni. Two of the dresses were created by Vandarra
Robbins, who specializes in special occasion and career wear for
women of every description. (If you prefer to sew your own special
creation and just need some guidance or brush-up lessons, contact
Vandarra for expert sewing instruction, private or group). Visit www.thecouturehand.com
or email info@thecouturehand.com. |
 FLORAL
ACCENTS & TABLE DÉCOR – Afri-Craft
Ribbon - There’s always room in a Cultured Expressions event for
beautiful African print fabric ribbon by Afri-Craft! Designer
Jacquie Thomas graciously provided my favorite printed ribbon for
bridesmaids’ bouquets as well as the ribbon wrapped around the
reception centerpiece candles. |
|
|
|
