Happy Halloween!

It's not quite Halloween yet, but I'm taking the day off to obsess over last-minute costume details, house decorations, and to eat as much candy as possible before the monsters show up tomorrow.



This is the perfect time to revisit some of my spooky/macabre/Halloween themed wedding posts from the past. Please enjoy!

My favorite - the weddings of Bela Lugosi

Robert Smith's wedding

Wedding customs and evil spirits

Marilyn Manson and Dita von Teese

Wedding ring made of human bone

And my own personal Halloween wedding daydream

Happy Halloween! If there's anyone out there getting married tomorrow CONGRATULATIONS! Have fun!

xoxo,
Kay

Dark celebrity wedding

The celebrity featured today is someone who is popular in the Philippines. He is Jay Contreras from the band Kamikazee. I've never heard of the band, but that doesn't stop me from loving this guy's crazy funeral cross-dresser wedding. This one is pretty far out - even if it's not your style the pictures are interesting.

Jay Contreras and his bride Sarah Abad


Their reception decor is very classic with the red roses and white chairs, but the black table cloths add an edge.


The guests are all in black and the bridesmaids wear fabulous black gowns


This picture is so funny. Are the guests cheering or heckling? Either way, everyone seems to be having fun.


Here is a shot from what looks like the day after photo session. She is wearing an edgier dress, and he is...also wearing an edgy dress. She appears to be sitting on a tombstone, while he wears a drop-waisted gown with a full skirt. Lovely?

All photos from MangoRed.

-Kay

Horror-themed wedding

This story is amazing.

An Ohio bride and ghoul have vowed to love each other and haunt and howl at the moon together at a Halloween-themed wedding.

61-year-old Jack Holsinger and 44-year-old Connie Spitznagel were both made up as pale-faced vampires for their scare-emoney Saturday night at a haunted house near Cleveland. The two chose the location because it's operated by the same people who own a campground where the couple met.

Holsinger arrived in a coffin inside a hearse, and the coffin was carried to the altar by six pallbearers. Minister Greg Kopp was dressed as Jason in the "Friday the 13th" movies. After the vows were exchanged, he ordered Holsinger not to kiss his new bride but instead to bite her on the neck.



“I thought it was kind of crazy, but neat,” maid-of-honor and the bride's sister Kim Spitznagel told the Chronicle-Telegram. Her bridesmaid look was fashioned after the Bride of Frankenstein.

Like typical mortal couples, the groom said he just wanted his bride to be happy.

“This is her first wedding,” Holsinger said. “She had a common-law marriage the first time around, so she never really got a wedding. It’s what she wanted and it’s about her. It’s her time. Whatever she wanted.”

Awesome, right?! I love that they're a mature couple - that makes this even more exciting to me.

-Kay

Geek wedding + amazing cake

This cake is kind of gross/graphic, but you have to appreciate the dedication to Star Wars and the fantastic craftsmanship. It is a dead Tauntaun wedding cake. No, I'm not kidding.

Chris Trevas, the groom, illustrates Star Wars roleplaying games, card games, collector cards, and more. He and his bride, Julie, hired Courtney Clark (known for her Food Network Challenge appearances) to make their cake - a dead Tauntaun stuffed with Luke Skywalker.











Not sure how much of the Tauntaun is actually edible, but I think that even cake snobs will love this cake.

Click for more backstory.

-Kay

Halloween wedding cakes

To celebrate Halloween, this week will be all geeky/goth/Halloween weddngs. Let's start the week with two of my personal favorites - Halloween and cake! Wait until you see the last cake because it is a-mazing.


From Flikr user discopalace
This cake gets big points from me for being entirely edible and spider-themed. I like the bold colors - this would work well at a costumed wedding.


Sorry, I don't know where this picture came from, but it's been in the folder, waiting for Halloween for months. The tall and skinny shape of the cake fits with Tim Burton's style. The bone garlands on the purple tier are my favorite, and you can just see a hint of Oogie Boogie on the top tier beneath Jack and Sally.


From Flikr user Zonks55
This is a classic wedding cake with some hints of spooky - small pumpkins and skulls dot the cake. I especially like the bottom tier and the little pumpkin patch under the columns.


From Zombie Research
This cake is so amazing and the execution is so excellent. It looks like a classic cake, but the wedding toppers have a little situation on their hands. Who knew the zombie uprising would begin on their wedding day?

-Kay

Amazing Star Wars wedding

Oh my god, you guys. You guys. Oh my god. These pictures are incredible, and I don't even have words to explain how happy they make me. This has to be one of the highest-budget geek weddings ever? I loved the Katamari wedding for the simple and sweet geekiness, but this Star Wars Wedding is just over the top with awesome sauce. I don't even think you have to love Star Wars to enjoy the pictures.


LOOK AT THESE INVITATIONS! They are awesome. Tiger and Issa really have an eye for this stuff, or they had a super geek wedding planner. If I got this in the mail, I would cry tears of joy.



The lovely bride wears a Star Wars inspired gown. While it's fun to dress as Princess Leia, I like that her gown takes elements of Star Wars costuming so she looks beautiful and futuristic. (...But wait, Star Wars took place a long time ago in a far away galaxy, so it's not really futuristic. Whatever!)



Not sure if these are groomsmen, or just good sports, but this whole setup is really cool



They did such a good job of mixing feminine wedding elements with high-quality geekery.



I'm not inviting your Aunt Edna, and that's FINAL.

So cool! Congrats you two crazy padwans...all grown up and out of Jedi...that's enough, Kay.

There are many more photos at the photographer's site, and they all showcase the geekiness and love that was flowing on at this wedding.

Hope you have a great weekend!

-Kay

Vintage presidential wedding

Today's vintage wedding photo is of Harry & Bess Truman - the 33rd US President and his first lady. Their courtship reads like a romance novel because young Harry fell in love with Bess when they were only children.


Looking young, adorable, and southern on their wedding day - June 28, 1919


Eight letters, revealed this week to the media for the first time ever by Truman's eldest grandson, Clifton Truman Daniel, shed insight into the intimate and close relationship shared by the Truman couple, who met at Sunday school when Harry was 6 and Bess was 5.

"He recalled in his memoirs, walking in and seeing this blue-eyed, blond-haired little girl, and he was just smitten," Daniel said. "He basically carried a torch for her from then on, all through grade school and high school.

"As far as we know, she had one or two other suitors, but he never looked at another woman from the age of 6 on."

Twenty-nine years later, while overseas after the end of World War I, Truman implored Bess to marry him. "Please get ready to march down the aisle with me just as soon as you decently can when I get back," he wrote on Feb. 18, 1919.

The whole article is a long, but interesting read. The found letters shed light on the private personalities of the President and First Lady.



The two were married until his death in 1972. They had one daughter, Margaret Truman. Bess Truman lived to be 97, making her the longest lived First Lady in US history.

-Kay

With this Ring Pop, I thee wed

The Ring Pops may never be abandoned, but they have been replaced – in a big way.

Shortly after Michelle Kumler and Gordon Schwarz made headlines by using Ring Pops instead of wedding bands during their wedding ceremony at the East Pasco Government Center, the newlyweds received a message from Winnie Magnon-Marvel, owner of Alvin Magnon Jewelers in Tampa.

Magnon-Marvel said she thought it would be "a cool idea" to give the couple real rings. And not just any rings: a pair of platinum wedding bands valued at $2,500.

This morning, the Schwarzes, who married on Sept. 28, received the rings at the jewelry store on South Dale Mabry Highway. Magnon-Marvel also made them a cake out of cupcakes and had a chilled bottle of champagne waiting.



"Just because you didn't have a ring, doesn't mean you didn't want one," she said to Michelle Schwarz.

As the couple admired the precious metal on their fingers, Gordon quipped that he celebrated his wedding day by mowing the yard. After leaving the jewelry store today, he planned to pressure wash their house.

"Platinum can take a beating," Magnon-Marvel said. "It's a tough metal. It can stay on at all times."

The Schwarzes, who elected to use Ring Pops because of recession-related money woes, didn't look like they were about to take their rings off. Gordon Schwarz, 49, works at Ukelele's restaurant in Land O' Lakes. He delivered stucco for a local construction company until he was laid off.

Michelle Schwarz, 47, a hair stylist at Euro Concepts Salon in Land O' Lakes, is known for giving away the lollipops on a ring to her clients. She said the couple will keep the Ring Pops they were married with in their freezer.

In case the power goes out, she said, "We might need to get a generator."

Lighten up, Bridezilla

"Some people think the world revolves around me and they have illusions of grandeur. It has to be absolutely perfect. They want at $10,000 wedding for $50," Rev. Faires said. "I should have proofread it before I said it but I didn't and it's regretful but when it happened before, people just laughed about it,"

The Ryders have no plans to sue or ask for a refund. They just want people to know about their experience with Anywhere Wedding Ceremonies of Hazelwood.

"We felt our wedding was a train wreck," Brandi said.

Train wreck - such strong words for a small error during an $80 wedding ceremony. I realize that names are very important, but I would have laughed and moved on. I don't understand the bridezilla call of "It's my wedding!!!" Yes, it's your wedding, but mistakes still happen. I think it's especially odd that they don't want their money back, and they aren't satisfied with the apology, they just want to complain to the entire world.

-Kay

Justice of the peace refuses to marry interracial couple

A Louisiana justice of peace refused to issue a marriage license because the couple trying to wed was interracial. Keith Bardwell, a justice of peace in Tangipahoa Parish, cited concern for children that the couple might have as one of his reasons. Bardwell, who claims most interracial marriages do not last long, came to the conclusion that offspring from those relationships are discriminated against.

"There is a problem with both groups accepting a child from such a marriage," Bardwell told the Associated Press. "I think those children suffer and I won't help put them through it." He supports his decision by saying he treats all interracial couples the same way. "I try to treat everyone equally," Bardwell said.



The justice of peace estimates that he has denied marriage to four couples during his two and a half year career. The latest couple to be denied, Beth Humphrey, 30, and Terence McKay, 32, will look into filing a discrimination complaint with the U.S. Justice Department. "That was one thing that made this so unbelievable," Humphrey said. "It's not something you expect in this day and age." Humphrey, who is white and an account manager for a marketing firm, and McKay, a welder who is black, recently returned to Louisiana.

Humphrey called Bardwell on Oct. 6 to ask about getting a marriage license and learned through Bardwell’s wife that he would not sign for interracial couples. "We are looking forward to having children," Humphrey said. "And all our friends and co-workers have been very supportive. Except for this, we're typical happy newlyweds." The American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana has already sent a letter to the state’s judiciary committee asking it to investigate Bardwell. "It is really astonishing and disappointing to see this come up in 2009," ACLU attorney Katie Schwartzmann said. "The Supreme Court ruled as far back as 1963 that the government cannot tell people who they can and cannot marry."

But Bardwell insists that he did nothing wrong. "I've been a justice of the peace for 34 years and I don't think I've mistreated anybody," Bardwell said. "I've made some mistakes, but you have too. I didn't tell this couple they couldn't get married. I just told them I wouldn't do it."


This is from another article, and I think it really clarifies everything:

"I'm not a racist," Bardwell told the newspaper. "I do ceremonies for black couples right here in my house. My main concern is for the children."

You guize! He's not a racist, so it's okay. He's even had black people in his house!!! I wonder if he would marry a mixed person to a non-mixed person? Or would that person have had too difficult a childhood to have a successful marriage?

-Kay

Funny/terrible wedding photos

It's FRIDAY! Time for something a little different. Remember the sad story about the terrible wedding photos from earlier in the week? BBC News asked their readers to send in their own terrible wedding photos. Most of them are from amateur photographers, and I think these in particular are pretty funny.


From Jonathan Proud "As a keen amateur, I was designated 'official photographer' for my niece's wedding, as they didn't want a professional who would dominate the proceedings. I'd never photographed a wedding before. There was a driveway between the bride, groom and family members being photographed, and the rest of the wedding party taking pictures and looking on. From time to time traffic interrupted proceedings, like this laundry trolley, causing great amusement"



Photographer Gareth Fudge says "Being a wedding photographer is not as easy as it looks. You get the shot set up and someone dives in. Fortunately I am amateur and was just shooting my friend's wedding. This made it into the album though as a private joke."



This one makes me laugh so much. Says Carolyn Hendry "The atmospheric lighting in the venue was affecting the flash on our camera, so the picture didn't take until a couple of seconds after I pressed the button. The bride and groom looked beautiful - honest!"

Who thinks wedding photography looks easy?!? It sounds stressful to me. And I don't understand why you wouldn't hire a professional photographer. If you don't want a bossy photographer, don't hire a bossy person! The last picture of the pole is so, so funny. It took me a few seconds to even figure out that there were people behind that pole!

Have a great weekend!
Kay

If you want to see all of the bad photos, you can take a look here and here.

Interview with the 99 Cent Store Bride

A while back, I posted the announcement of the 99 Cents Only store wedding promotion, and then later, I posted some pictures of the big day. One of the 9 lucky brides found this blog and agreed to let me do an interview with her. If you’ve ever wondered about the details of being a contest wedding couple, here’s your chance!

The bride’s name is Emily and her new husband Whillis is a Marine. The two met online and clicked instantly. Within a few weeks, they were spending every minute together; within a few months, they were tiptoeing around marriage. Whillis planned an elaborate proposal, but plans were cut short when the Marines ordered him home from vacation a day early. Soon after that Emily’s mom, Anne, passed away unexpectedly and engagement plans were put on hold again.


Looking cozy on their first trip together in Napa, CA . Photo courtesey of Emily Wiley-Hall.

Emily and Whillis are currently living in San Diego, CA where she first heard about the 99 Cent wedding promotion on a local radio station. They had planned for a yearlong engagement, but Emily entered the contest without telling Whillis! After her initial interview with the 99 Cent store, she realized she had still not told Whillis about it, and sent him a text message “I am NOT proposing but would you marry me?”. He was in pre-deployment training at the time, but texted back “Yes I will marry you” Aw!

Emily said that she had a good feeling about her interview with the company and waited anxiously for them to call her back. The announcement day had come and gone with no notice…until the next day when they told her that she was a winner! Emily and Whillis were married on 9/9/09 in the Hollywood 99 Cents Only store with eight other couples. The contest promised a $2,500 wedding for under a buck.


Emily on her wedding day

Kay: You said that your relationship with Whillis is more important than any fancy wedding. What was it about this contest that made you want to enter?
Emily: I thought it was exciting and unique. I am not a high maintenance girl and would have been ok with a courthouse marriage and a party afterwards. To both Whillis and I the relationship (the marriage) is the important part and having each other, rather than be in debt up to our eyeballs.

Kay: Sometimes parents are a driving factor in wedding planning. What did your families think of your wedding?
Emily: My Mom has always been an Angel on Earth but recently she was invited to the Pearly Gates in Heaven so my Mom was there on my wedding day just as she is with me now with every breath I take. She was happy for us, I know it. My older brother was there with us in the flesh. He walked me down the aisle (#15 if you were wondering) and was very proud. At first everyone (including us) was like WHAT?! The 99 Cent store?! Really?! But after we learned more about their plans to make it a wonderful location and experience everyone liked it.


A beautiful and thrify table setting from the Discount Store Diva

Kay: I posted some of the photos a while back, and I was really impressed with the cost-minded yet fun and elegant refreshment table and décor. What did you think of the in-store wedding setup?
Emily: Hearing Kathy (the designer) explain her plans for decorating is really what took Whillis and I from the "What the hell are we doing?" thought to the "Wow this is going to be beautiful!"

Kay: Silly question...Who paid for the wedding – you or Whillis? Did you pay cash?
Emily: Well my gown didn’t have pockets and his tux did so that made it easy. :-) He had money on him and I didn’t. (Though if need be my big brother would have paid cash for our wedding.) And we thought it funny that on our receipt it actually DOES say wedding 99 cents. Plus HE paid for all of the other expenses we had, the dress, the tux, our 3 rings, the 2 rooms at The Hotel Angeleno the night before, etc. When he gets back from The Deployment we are having a Welcome Home/Reception Party as well. With all our additional family and friends present and I will put my dress back on and he either a tux or his USMC Blues. [Kay's note: I LOVE boys in uniforms, so you all know my vote!]


Excited Whillis shows off his receipt.

Kay: Were there any wedding planning details that really stressed you out, or were you pretty relaxed about the day?
Emily: Many of the other 8 couples were nervous and or stressed. Whillis and I were relaxed and excited. We were tired because we left our hotel room at 3:45am but other than that everything went smooth. There is nothing I wish we did differently.

Kay: Wedding days always go by so fast. What is your favorite memory of the day?
Emily: Wow, I have too many favorite memories! There was the night before when we bought 2 hotel rooms for the night (so we didn’t see each other) and brought our friends up to Brentwood with us to share the night together and celebrate and have fun. There was the look I got from my Husband as I started to walk down the aisle and he first saw me in my dress as his eyes said "wow". There was the giddiness and pride I could see and feel from him as we held hands in front of the Reverend. There was our first kiss as husband and wife and cutting our cake together and feeding it nicely to each other. My Mom always said it’s not nice to shove it into each others’ face so we didn’t.


Whillis and Emily in Aisle 15

Emily, thanks again for your time! I wish you two the best, and a very safe return for Whillis.

-Kay

Elvis and Priscilla Presley's reception photos

Want to buy some candid snaps of Elvis and Priscilla Presley's wedding reception? You'll get your chance this weekend when several of the photos go up for auction.




A lot of the collection being auctioned once belonged to Gary Pepper, a man with cerebral palsy that Elvis befriended. Pepper, who was also president of the Elvis Presley fan club, left his collectibles to his friend and nurse, and she is now auctioning them off. A portion of the proceeds will benefit United Cerebral Palsy of the Mid-South.


Elvis, Priscilla, and Gary Pepper

Many of the photos were taken on a Polaroid camera by Pepper during his friendship with the King.

I don't know much about Elvis, but I'm impressed that he befriended his fans. He is amazingly handsome as ever, and of course Priscilla Presley is gorgeous. Gary didn't get the memo that only brides wear white to the wedding, but he looks dapper in a white jacket and dark tie.

-Kay

Couple sues photographer for terrible wedding photos

A photographer in the UK has successfully been sued by Mark and Sylvia Day for 'woefully inadequate' wedding photos. The photos included headless people, random close-ups, and are described as poorly lit, and odd. The couple paid $2,200 US for these terrible photos and a shaky wedding video in which the operator swears after dropping the camera.



The Days also pleaded with the photographer to take down a photo on his website - a picture of a half-naked, three-year-old flower girl getting ready for their wedding. Creepy!

The photographer Gareth Bowers told the judge he had been in business for four years and claimed to have photographed more than 20 weddings. The judge ordered Bowers to pay back £500 from the £1,450 they paid to him, £450 in damages, £170 in court fees and £100 in loss of earnings to the couple.

I'm sure these photos were really terrible, but it seems like this can't be a one-time offense. Didn't they see a portfolio before hiring him? A man who can't take a decent group photo must have a terrible portfolio. Of course, I feel for the couple because they can never get their big day back, and this debacle will always hang over their wedding day.

-Kay

Enthusiastic Rabbi

It's Monday again, and I'm struggling to find any wedding-related news that doesn't make me want to crawl back into bed. Shooting brides, robbing stores - I just don't want to know about that on Monday. So I went to my old friend Live Leak to try to find something funny, and I liked this a lot. The title is "Orthodox Rabbi Gets drunk", but maybe he's just enthusiastic? I don't see a glass in his hand or anything.



The first thirty seconds are a normal, quiet ceremony, but revelry breaks out as soon as the groom stomps that glass. ...Is the Rabbi doing the robot? What is that?!

Happy Monday,

Kay

JAM wedding

This is not strictly wedding related, but I lovedlovedloved the Jim and Pam wedding on The Office last night! The last season or so, I've been really worn out on the whole JAM/PB&J pairing, but the wedding was really sweet and charming.

If you want, you can visit Mr. & Mrs. Halpert's wedding site...

...or watch the video of the guests dancing down the aisle like that viral wedding video




Strangely I wasn't a fan of the original viral video, but this really works for me.

But my favorite moment was when Jim cut off his tie to match Pam's veil. :*)

*Click*

-Kay

p.s.

The Governator's wedding

Barack and Michelle Obama recently celebrated their anniversary, so I thought we'd take a look at the wedding of another current politician. Here in California, our governor is Arnold Schwarzenegger former body builder and actor. He married the daughter of a Kennedy, Maria Shriver. The two were introduced in 1977 by Tom Brokaw.

Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver were married April 26, 1986 in Hyannis, MA at a Catholic church.


Oh 1986. They both look great, she just looks really, really eighties.



I love this candid moment - they both look so proud and happy. Honestly she looks so fabulous here with some meat on her bones. She is very thin now. Having seen photos of her mom, I think it must be in her genes, but she really looks gorgeous with some weight on her.

At the reception they served Austrian and Cape Cod dishes ranging from Wienerschnitzel to lobster. Okay, seriously hot dogs and lobster?! Add some champagne and that is my type of party (no, I'm not kidding)


Maria wore a Christian Dior gown with an 11 foot train. Only 11 feet? Here you can see it engulfing her closest family and friends. This picture is so funny. It's interesting that she dressed all of her bridesmaids in different colors - I've never seen that before.

The couple had a 400 pound wedding cake that was an exact replica of the cake made for the bride's parents. Here is the original, along with her parents Sargent and Eunice Shriver:



Wow, that's some cake! I guess royalty and political royalty really like to have towering cakes!

Maria and Arnold are still married, of course, and they have four children together. She is a Democrat and he is a Republican, but they've been together so long I'm sure there is some secret to their happiness.

-Kay

Harry Potter crashes a wedding

In case you hadn't noticed I'm curmudgeonly about new trends. I'm late to twitter, I don't understand Twilight, and I focus a lot of time on vintage celebrity weddings. So it shouldn't be a surprise to you that I'm only halfway through the second Harry Potter book that someone pressed into my hands after years and years (and years) of telling me that I have to read them. I watched the first movie too, so now Daniel Radcliffe and that gorgeous girl Emma Watson catch my eye when I'm reading celebrity gossip.

Daniel Radcliffe, the Harry Potter actor, is taking driving lessons in Dorset because the country lanes are quieter than his London home. The 20-year-old spent last weekend staying in Poole to brush up his driving skills away from the congested roads of the capital. He surprised guests by dropping in unexpectedly to a wedding at the Harbour Heights Hotel, where he was staying. The Harry Potter star even took to the dance floor with the bride and bridesmaids after he was spotted by young fans.


I now pronounce you muggle and wife.

Musician Stuart Darling, 24, who performed at the wedding, said: "He seemed very happy and comfortable having photos taken and signing autographs. He was a thoroughly nice chap. He said he was down from London taking some driving lessons where it was quieter, and seeing a friend. I presume he was on his own - I didn't see anyone with him. He was probably a bit lonely and came out to socialise. As you do at weddings they were dragging people up to dance and he was one of them."

Chelsea Collins, a guest at the wedding, said: "He danced with the bride and was there until 1.30am, joining in with everyone. He was so down to earth and friendly. He brought a bit of magic to the evening."

Very punny, Chelsea.

-Kay

Cruel "proposal"

From the Telegraph: A mystery woman called Jennifer has become the talk of the town in Bilgola, NSW, Australia, after a series of signs appeared on telephone poles along Barrenjoey Rd, the busiest road in the area...

It looks like the only road in the area to me. Anyway, take a look at these photos that some scorned fellow pasted up on telephone poles overnight.


Jennifer with a heart over the i. Cute?


More hearts.


Wait, what?







Oh.

Until Jennifer and her scorned beau come forward, we'll never know the story behind these posters. I can make some guesses. First, this guy is probably not grown-up enough to be married. Second, if she did something (like stealing or cheating) to cause him to go crazy enough to put these signs up, she probably wouldn't have married him anyway. So perhaps it's for the best. Or maybe this is all a hoax? If he'd really wanted to embarrass her, he would have used her last name...
-Kay

Video of Anne Frank

This is only loosely related to weddings, but it is a very cool find. The Anne Frank Museum in Amsterdam, Netherlands is releasing some rare footage of Anne Frank. She's leaning out her window to catch a glimpse of a bride and groom heading off to their wedding.

From the AnneFrank YouTube channel:
July 22 1941. The girl next door is getting married. Anne Frank is leaning out of the window of her house in Amsterdam to get a good look at the bride and groom. It is the only time Anne Frank has ever been captured on film. At the time of her wedding, the bride lived on the second floor at Merwedeplein 39. The Frank family lived at number 37, also on the second floor. The Anne Frank House can offer you this film footage thanks to the cooperation of the couple.



Most little girls love pretend and dress-up, so it's no surprise that Anne Frank wanted to see her neighbor in her finest. The bride looks really smart - I love her hat and the trailing bouquet. I wonder what Anne Frank thought? Maybe she pictured herself all grown up with a dapper young man and a trailing bouquet of her own.

Thanks to occasional guest blogger Harriet for the link!

-Kay

Honeymoon planning advice from Kay: If you're planning to visit Amsterdam, don't miss the Anne Frank house like I did. I'm so, so sad that I didn't get to see it. You can buy advanced tickets online and you won't have to wait in the horrendous lines that form outside the museum.

Blogger of the Bride is now on Twitter!

Hey friends and fans of Blogger of the Bride, I'm now on Twitter! I still don't fully understand how it works, but I signed up for it anyway. You can "follow" me here: http://twitter.com/bloggerbride

Tweet ya later!

-Kay

Walmart wedding

Before you roll your eyes and call this wedding tacky, hear me out. I know the words "Walmart wedding" probably don't make you think of a classy affair, but I think these two got it right. Instead of standing in the cereal aisle amongst garish boxes of Lucky Charms, they put some thought into their wacky wedding plans.

The bride wore dark lavender, the groom black jeans. Flowers were everywhere. The York Walmart Supercenter hosted its first wedding Saturday when Crystal Newsome and Robert “Vick” Vickrey exchanged vows amid hanging baskets and seasonal foliage in the lawn and garden department.


See!? Would you ever know this is Wal*Mart? It looks lovely and the purple/black/green color scheme really works for me.

“We had our first kiss at Walmart,” Crystal recalled. Robert has been with Walmart for 12 years and is the grocery department manager. With five years behind her at the company, Crystal is the deli manager. Friendship blossomed into romance about two years ago.

Robert has three grown children and four grandchildren. Crystal has four children. Her oldest son, 6-year-old Keagan, walked her down the “aisle,” a white runner. The entire blended family was part of the wedding while Walmart employees gathered with more friends to hear Crystal and Robert exchange their vows. “We put an invitation up near the time clock for a while,” Crystal said. She laughed at her co-workers' reactions: “Are you kidding? Why would you want to be here on your day off?" "We both work here, we met here, it all started here, why not?” Robert said of his Walmart wedding.

Getting married in the garden department was really smart. All the lush greenery really makes up for the harsh florescent lighting. Remember the 99 Cent store wedding? I loathe florescent lighting so much, it's all I could see when I looked at the pictures. So, newlyweds, I applaud your efforts to have the nicest wedding possible at a big box store. Good luck!

-Kay