A Gift of Love & Life Video You MUST See-To Life!

"To Life:: Vanessa's Wedding Surprise" from her husband, father, family & friends.
Created by Films by Francesco, New York | Palm Beach

Your Las Vegas Wedding Concierge absolutely LOVES this wedding video that my dear friend Ellen sent me from You Tube.

An original, touching surprise involving the entire wedding party and parents and their true gift of love, joy and for celebrating Life and family with STYLE!

Of course, many of you know this song, "To Life, L'Chaim" from "Fiddler on the Roof" (one of my all-time favorite films). As the song says, "It takes a wedding to make us say, let's live another day...."

I could not agree more. It really does take a wedding celebration or any special occassion ("simcha") to make us realize what blessings we have in this life, even when things are not always so great.

For comparison, here is a You Tube video of the song and scene from the movie. I think you will all agree with me, they ALL did a fabulous job!!

I couldn't help smiling and singing and clapping during this wonderful tribute to family, new family and to the beautiful bride, Vanessa. This just makes you (well me for sure), feel so good.

To the bride and groom, the parents, wedding party and family and friends, what a beautiful memory you created for yourselves and congratulations to Films by Francesco for preserving it in such a fun and touching way.

MAZAL TOV and may you all (and all my readers) celebrate Love and Life Today and Every Day.
To Life, L'Chaim!!

The Jewish View of Marriage

Image found at www.Aish.com

For another, entirely personal reason, Your Las Vegas Wedding Concierge was browsing the website of Aish.com. Aish.com has become the world's largest Jewish content website. Their goal is to give every Jewish person the opportunity to discover their heritage in an atmosphere of open inquiry and mutual respect.

I happened to come across an article by a Rabbi Dan Silverman entitled "The Jewish View of Marriage".

As a Wedding Planner (and a Jewish one at that), this article spoke to me because it's not about the Jewish view of planning a wedding (although there are many books about that including a great one called "The New Jewish Wedding Wedding" by Anita Diamant).

To me, this article is about what marriage is about and how to try and live those ideals together with "your chosen one". It's about what the goals of marriage really are; sharing love, living and supporting your goals together and having a common destination. With that right person, even with ups and downs, Life together IS a beautiful journey and every year of marriage a noble destination.

Whether you are Jewish or not, I feel the lessons are very universal so I hope you take what inspires you from this article and some of the other posts you may find useful from this website on dating and love and marriage.

This is one excerpt that I particularly love (as I come upon 10 years of marriage).

"Which brings us to a shocker: True love comes after marriage. The Torah says that Isaac took Rebecca into his tent and he loved her (Genesis 24:67). Love should grow continuously as your appreciation of your spouse grows.

A friend of mine was sitting with his father and said to him, "Dad, after five years of marriage, I think I finally understand what love is."

The father said, "Wait till you're married 25 years, then you'll understand what love is."

The grandfather was also in the room and overheard this exchange. He told them: "Wait till you're married 50 years. Then you'll really understand what love is."

Celebrate Today and Every Day with Love, Life & Style (and with those you Love)!
Tracey

Luck be an Irish Lady Tonight! Happy St. Paddy's Day!

The Herradura "Green Agave Cocktail"

Well, Your Las Vegas Wedding Concierge doesn't have one lick of Irish in me that I am aware of , but hopefully I can enjoy some luck o' the Irish today as everyone gets to be green on St. Paddy's Day. Perhaps a good day to try some at the "Megabucks" machine later?:)

But, If this is your day, by birth, marriage, or by hook & crook...then hope you have a great one.

If you feel like starting off with something a bit more sophisticated before you hit the green draft, check out this very cool & festive cocktail I found in a post from Kori Ellis titled "More than just Green Beer" at She Knows.com (great living/lifestyle blog by the way!)

The cocktail, all decked out for the holiday, is called a "Herradura (that's a brand of Tequila) "Green Agave Cocktail" shaken with melon liqueur. Yummy! I love how how it's garnished with a lime carved to look like a lucky shamrock. How stylish is that? 

Not only a great idea for St. Paddy's day, but for a modern touch for an Irish wedding as well.

Recipe provided by Herradura.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 oz. Herradura Silver tequila
• 3/4 oz. melon liqueur
• lime
  

Directions:

1. Add tequila, melon liqueur and a squeeze of lime into a shaker with ice.
2. Shake for 15 seconds.
3. Pour into a chilled cocktail glass.
4. Garnish with shamrock carved lime and serve.

This same post also offers some recipes for spin-offs on the cocktail called "Emerald Isle" (naturally) & an "Irish Whip". 

So I'll raise me a fancy green cocktail & wish you all a happy day. Have fun and stay safe!

The Marriage of President Obama & the USA

Image: Carolyn Cole, LA Times

There was a young and good looking couple and family, a processional involving the couples own family "party" and the other "family", a "Best Man" and "Matron of Honor", a ceremony including vows with an officiant, blessings, and one very, VERY large guest list!

There were luncheons, formal portraits, chauffered transportation, the ultimate venue for a ceremony, a multitude of receptions, decor, flowers, lighting, rentals, food, drinks, speeches, kissing, handshakes, hugs and best wishes for a bright future. 

And then the couple's highly anticipated moment at their "ball". With the "groom" in an elegant tuxedo and his first lady in a stunning white, off the shoulder gown by designer Jason Wu and the spotlight on them, they made magic as they danced their first official "first couple" dance.

It will now forever be "their song"; "At Last", the Etta James romantic classic performed by the incredibly talented Beyonce Knowles who played the legendary jazz diva in the film Cadillac Records. It was such a perfect choice that honored their African-American heritage and spoke volumes about how they and many of their billions of friends felt on this day. 

Sounds like a pretty fabulous wedding, doesn't it?

Damon Winter, NY Times

Many of the elements of the January 20th, 2009 Presidential Inauguration of the 44th President of the USA, Barack Obama and his "First Lady", Michelle Obama, did seem orchestrated like a wedded union; the culmination of the great love affair between now President Obama and the people of the USA. It may not have had a 7 layer wedding cake but it did have about 50 layers of every kind of security you could imagine.

I bet, taking the dance floor, they probably did feel some of that wedding magic from 16 years ago.

10 Inuaugural Balls representing different regions and reasons and they toasted and twirled at each one of them. Phew! The "first couple" toasted their appreciation to their guests for their support and love through the years throughout the long night and now..."At Last", the big day is over. 

I don't know how long the happy marriage and the "honeymoon" will last between Mr. Obama and the American people but I have a pretty strong hunch that YOUR honeymoon with the "first man" in your life will stretch much longer. I hope you still feel like you are on your honeymoon on your 4th, 8th, 25th....

The Obamas may be starting their honeymoon in frigid national capital, Washington, DC but Your Las Vegas Wedding Concierge thinks a wedding and a "Honeymoon in Vegas" is a much warmer and appealing destination. Since Las Vegas IS the "Wedding Capital of the World" you are always lucky in love in this exciting city and, who knows, you may even get your own unexpected personal stimulus package while you are here!

So, happy planning and cheers to no term limits on celebrating many happy anniversaries and occasions!

Photo: Lorenz Foto

Happy Chanukah!

Your Las Vegas Wedding Concierge wishes my family, Jewish friends, clients and colleagues a very Happy Chanukah or Hanukkah. 

However you spell it, have a wonderful holiday, sing "The Chanukah Song" (even Adam Sandler's version), enjoy the latkes, the dreidel games, lighting the candles, eating some chocolate "gelt" (or silver coins=money) and opening a gift or two or, if you are real lucky, 8!

"Hanukkah", from the Hebrew word for "dedication" or "consecration", marks the re-dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem after its desecration by the forces of Antiochus IV and commemorates the "miracle of the container of oil". According to the Talmud, at the re-dedication following the victory of the Maccabees over the Seleucid Empire, there was only enough consecrated olive oil to fuel the eternal flame in the Temple for one day. Miraculously, the oil burned for eight days, which was the length of time it took to press, prepare and consecrate fresh olive oil.

*From Wikipedia.com (Love that website!)

One day I would love to plan a Chanukah/holiday wedding! I think it would be so meaningful and fun at the same time to have a twilight ceremony with guests holding candles during the ceremony, and the bride and groom would light a menorah under the chupah (wedding canopy).

Crisp, white flowers, elegant blue and platinum table decor with lots of light and menorahs that guests would also light in a large candle lighting ceremony.

Of course, the "latke" (potato pancake) would be styled up served at an interactive latke station with a variety of flavors; regular, sweet potato, even spicy and served with different gourmet toppings  and paired with  "He'Brew: The Chosen Beer" and also a vodka based (because it's also made from potatoes) festive cocktail 

And, to top off a fabulous meal with a modern take on a traditional Israeli tradition of serving "Sufganiot" (donuts) with a donut station from "The Fry Girl" (thanks Green Orchid Events Blog for this resource) for desert making mini-donuts on the spot with powdered sugar, cinamon, and jelly toppings. Serve with a sparkling wine or desert wine.

Of course, the band would have to play a hora or two because what's a Jewish wedding and Chanukah without some dancing, right?

To send guests off in style, treat them to a little "to-go" bag filled with chocolate "gelt", a dreidel and box of gourmet Chanukah candles for their own menorah. 

So, nu? Anyone out there interested in a Chanukah wedding?   

Some Wedding "Tradition" on this Traditional Day

I am enjoying a nice, quiet Thanksgiving Day (not cooking this year). I was pleasantly surprised to turn on the TV and see that Fiddler on the Roof is on. I came in just before the wedding scene and "Sunrise Sunset" (seen above in video). How appropriate!

I was about 8 years old when my parents took my brother and I to see the movie (after wearing out the original Broadway recording on LP), and it has been part of my top-10 movies list ever since.

The songs and story and many of the scenes continue to be the most indelible and endearing for me and have gained more significant meaning over the years in my own life-From growing up in a big extended Jewish family filled with "Tradition" in a small town to marrying my husband (who is not Jewish) and moving 3000 miles "Far from the Home I Love" and becoming a Wedding Planner in Las Vegas who would eventually plan a wedding featuring the famous "Bottle Dance" that hearkened to one of my favorite cinematic wedding scenes ever.

The movie about Tevye, a very poor Jewish milkman, and his 5 daughters in late 19th century Russia is about as close as I can get to imagining the life that my Jewish grandparents and great-grandparents lived in Lithuania and Poland.

This is a cinematic glimpse into the world where my family, my traditions, culture and values come from. 

It is one of the most award winning, long-running and beloved musicals on broadway and film of all time and the "traditions" have been translated to every part of the world in countless languages. 

Thank you for allowing me to share some of my traditions on this day of "Tradition". 

The Bride Takes, um correction..."IS the Cake"!

I must admit, when I saw this picture & the additional pictures in the article on CNN Online, my mind was just swirling with every pithy post title & comment I could think of to write here. I'm sure you are thinking them too!

This is Mrs. Chidi Ogbuta from Allen,TX standing with her groom, Inocent at their September 2007 wedding.

The bride said she had a lifelong dream (almost-she actually wanted to be a "doll"), fulfilled by having her likeness created in a wedding cake & her new husband was all too happy to help her have this dream of a very unique & personlized wedding day come true.

As I am sure you can imagine, the cake caused "quite the scene" at the wedding reception.Don't you just know this bride, her cake & her groom are going to wind up on one of those crazy wedding clip shows?!!!

Talk about "personalizing your wedding"!!

I admit, as I said at the top, I was really taken aback by these pictures, but I was intrigued so I dug a bit deeper into the story to find out the bride is of Nigerian heritage & had also seen something like it at a wedding celebration in Nigeria when she was young. It was a beautiful image for her that represented happiness and plenty that stayed with her her entire life.

I had an opportunity to assist a wedding planner friend of mine with a wedding last year where the bride was of Nigerian descent & many guests came from the homeland dressed in traditional colorful headdresses, dresses and robes. It was different, gorgeous & over the top in it's elaborateness & I loved every minute of it.

When I first start working with a couple, we talk at great length about their wishes and desires for their wedding day. I ask them about their culture & customs, priorities & what means the most to them to incorporate into their celebration. It's my job to listen, understand & embrace these things & do all I can to help them bring those wishes & desires (yes, even lifelike wedding cakes that serve up to 600 & take a full 7 days to consume) to life so they can celebrate their wedding in "their style with Style", honoring their past while stepping into their future.

I freely admit that I would have raised my eyebrows an inch or 4 had I been in that first meeting had I been hired as their wedding planner. But the beauty of being a wedding planner & one aspect of why I love my job is getting to learn about worldwide wedding traditions. The fact that Las Vegas plays host to the world & I have the opportunity to be a part of so many families' celebrations of love and in so many different cultures, faiths & unique customs is, well...here it goes, "the icing on the cake"! :)

So I wish Mr. & Mrs. Ogbuta a very sweet life & perhaps the 1st anniversary will be celebrated as they dig in to enjoy a delicious piece of "Mr. Ogbuta" & a glass of milk!

Have a Sweet & Stylish Day!