Welcome to Wedding Ezine -The Online Magazine
Issue February 1-14, 2003
Happy Valentine's Day!

Our Brides and Grooms have danced the night away at their fairytale weddings! Let us help you plan Your 1st Dance and MORE! Offers the most full service Bridal Dance Packages. We hope you enjoy our Wedding newsletter, full of fun and useful information to help with your wedding day planning. Don't forget to book your wedding dance lessons!

Table of Contents

Click on a topic or scroll down.

1) A New Bridal Themed Wallpaper for your computer desktop!

Now your computer screen can be dressed up too! Simply right click your mouse on our background and tell your computer to save ("set") as wall paper, BUT be sure you have saved the current background on you computer desktop first, if you want to get it back! If the background does not show up immediately, right click on your desktop background and click on refresh.

2) A Different Celebrity Wedding Photo from Past or Present!

Before Queen Victoria convinced us all that white was the way to go when you got married, women got married in their best dress and often it was colorful. My great grandmother was married in a purple dress with peach trim. The stars below have put a beautiful modern spin on an old tradition. The colorful celebrity brides below are
Gwen Stefani with Gavin Rossdale and Natalie Cole with Bishop Kenneth Dupree.

3) Poems, Prayers & Promises

A romantic quote to elevate your mood or to help you find the right sentiment for your vows or ceremony.

"How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.

I love thee to the level of everyday's
Most quiet need, by sun and candlelight.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.

I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints,--I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life!--and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death. "

        Elizabeth Barrett Browning

4) Kim's Wedding Tips!

Getting Married Around Valentine's Day ...

1) Be aware that your flower budget will be doubled at this time of year, tripled if you want roses, and plan accordingly. We always associate red roses with this holiday and they are not only at a premium but also in short supply, so order well in advance! Generous mixing with baby's breath, filler flowers and traditional greenery can extend your displays dramatically.
2) If you are planning Valentine's Day wedding next year, buy gorgeous Valentines Day cards this year on sale and use them as wedding invitations. Using Valentine's day cards for invitations was a common thing to do in the Victorian era and makes for an unusual and beautiful wedding invitation in modern times.
3) A Valentine's Day wedding is the perfect excuse to give chocolate favors which can be a delicious and cost effective favor option, especially if you go with the traditional heart shaped ones. Who doesn't love chocolate?

4A)Wedding Dance Tip
HAVING ENOUGH ROOM TO DANCE:
If you plan to dance as opposed to swaying back and forth, be sure to have your DJ or band ask the guests to "Please clear the floor for the first dance". Since many people do not really dance, the assumption is that you don't need any room and the well wishing guests will sometimes crowd around you.

5) A Wedding Tradition Explained!

"WHO IS SAINT VALENTINE AND WHY DO WE GIVE LOVE NOTES ON FEBRUARY 14TH?"
In ancient Rome, February 14th was a holiday to honor Juno, the Goddess of women and marriage. Juno was also the Queen of the Roman Gods and Goddesses. The following day, February 15th, began the Feast of Lupercalia. Young boys and girls lived strictly separated. However, on the eve of the festival of Lupercalia the names of Roman girls were written on slips of paper and placed into jars. Each young man drew a girl's name from the jar and would then be partnered with her for the duration of the festival. The pastors of the early Christian Church in Rome tried to end the pagan element in these feasts by substituting the names of saints for those of the girls. And as the Lupercalia began about the middle of February, the pastors chose Saint Valentine's Day for the celebration of this new feast. So it seems that the custom of young men choosing girls for valentines, or saints as patrons for the coming year, arose in this way. Legend has it that the Emperor Claudius II Rome was involved in many bloody and unpopular campaigns. Claudius the Cruel was having a difficult time getting soldiers to join his army and reasoned that the problem was that roman men did not want to leave their wives and families. Claudius decided to cancel all marriages and engagements in Rome. Saint Valentine was a priest at Rome at this time. He and Saint Marius are said to have aided the Christian martyrs and married couples secretly (This set up a very proper tradition for getting married on Valentine's Day in modern times). For this, Saint Valentine was condemned to be beaten to death with clubs and to have his head cut off. He suffered martyrdom on the 14th day of February, around 270 AD. A colorful addition to this story is that while in jail, Valentine fell in love with the jailer's blind daughter and miraculously restored her sight. Before his execution, he is supposed to have sent her a farewell note signed "From Your Valentine." In 496 A.D. Pope Gelasius set aside February 14 to honor St. Valentine. People also believed that birds began mating on February 14. The idea of lovebirds soon became associated with Saint Valentine. Gradually, it became the date for exchanging love messages and St. Valentine became the patron saint of lovers. The date was often marked by the sending poems and simple gifts, such as flowers. The first written valentine is usually attributed to the imprisoned Charles, Duke of Orleans. In 1415, Charles spent his lonely confinement by writing romantic verses for his wife. By the sixteenth century written valentines were so common that St. Francis de Sales, fearing for the souls of his English flock, sermonized against them. Manufactured cards, decorated with Cupids and hearts, appeared near the end of the 18th century. A purchased valentine became the most popular way to declare love during the early decades of the nineteenth century. Some of these cards were miniature works of art. Victorian valentine's day cards were often painted by hand and were decorated with laces, silk or satin, flowers (some made from the feathers of tropical birds), glass filigrees, gold-leaf or even perfumed sachets! They put our modern day cards to shame.

6) This issue's Featured Vendor!

AUNT JOANIE'S CHOCOLATE SHOPPE

Click on the logo above to visit the website of Aunt Joanie's Chocolates for contact information. In all honestly you are better off calling the shop in Manassas, Virginia at (703) 393-7632. Not revealed on the website is a vast array of yummy chocolate favor possibilities. They specialize in gourmet, custom molded chocolates both solid and filled (even truffles). Since the chocolates are made to order, they are fresher and you can have control over the shapes (swans, roses, daisies, tulips, hearts, bells etc.) as well at the color of both the chocolate and the foil wrapping! Homemade truffles in personalized boxes or chocolate filled chocolate boxes are another tasty within tasty option. She even offers chocolate swan centerpieces! Call to make an appointment at their store in Manassas, Virginia so that you can see and taste how beautiful and delicious your wedding favors can be! Be sure to print this page to receive a 10% discount on the purchase of your wedding favors.

6 B) Don't forget our 10% off special on Dance Lessons ends on Valentine's Day!Click on Wedding Ezine, issue January 1-15, 2003 for more information.

7) Special Events!

Our teachers run events and perform locally on a regular basis.

Click to view the latest issue of our bridal newsletter: Wedding Ezine-The Online Magazine for our current listings!

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