bride and groom - 02-26-2011

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...........................................TuxedosPage 7 ...............................................GownsPage 10 ...................................PhotographyPage 12.............................................FlowersPage 15 .............................................VenuesPage 16........................................InvitationsPage 20 ..............................................CakesPage 21 ...........................................CateringPage 26 ..............................................DécorPage 28 ..........................................Lighting2.................................................GiftsPage 34 .................................Honeymoons

INSIDE

A bride asks for a doghouse to be set up at her shower, the better to collect donations for the SPCA.A groom surprises his beloved with harmonica music – and a pair of handcuffs at the reception.Friends ask another bride-to-be if she’ll ride one of her family’s horses to the church. She’s not

going to – it’s not practical, she says – but if she wanted to, why not?

Your wedding is a time to expressyourself as you see fit, whether thatmeans getting married in a theater,asking a thirtysomething friend to beyour flower girl or starring in yourown movie and screening it for yourguests.

A Hollywood flairMelody and James Hamill incorpo-

ratedeachof those last threeelementsinto their Oct. 9 wedding, which took

place at The Campus Theatre indowntown Lewisburg, close to theirhome.

“It’s a beautiful, non-profit theater,like the Kirby Center,” said the formerMelody Robinson, who grew up inExeter.

Preceding the bride and her fatherdowntheaislewereninebridesmaids,a maid of honor and flower girl SaraKatrenicz of Seattle, who has been afriend of the bride since they attended

kindergarten in the Wyoming AreaSchool District together.

“She had carnations in a basket andhanded them randomly to women asshe went down the aisle,” Melodysaid.

“Then she had some for my momand James’ mother.”

Another highlight of the movie-themed wedding was a 10-minute bit

COURTESY PHOTOS

Melody Robinson andJames Hamill mergedtraditional and novelelements into their

wedding. At the recep-tion, they showed amovie in which they

re-enacted cinematiclove scenes, such asthe one at top, from

’Lady and the Tramp.’

Make the big day your own with a little creativityBy MARY THERESE BIEBEL [email protected]

See SIGNATURE, Page 4

Project Editors: Sandra Snyder and Lindsey JonesProject Reporters: Mary Therese Biebel andSara Pokorny

OUR TEAM

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of cinema in which the weddingcouple re-enacted some of theirfavorite love scenes from variousmovies.The flick shows the couple

re-enacting the pottery scenefrom “Ghost,” the “you-had-me-at-hello” sequence from“Jerry Maguire” and the balco-ny scene from “Romeo and Ju-liet” as well as – Disney fansmust have loved this – payinghomage to the Italian-restau-rant scene from “Lady and theTramp.”“Wedressedup likedogs,”Mel-

ody admitted with a giggle.Indeed, themovie showsMelo-

dy with her hair arranged in twoponytails, to look likeLady’s ears,while James sports a dog-earsheadpiece of his own.The two beam at each other as

a voice sings “Oh, this is thenight. It’s a beautiful night, andwe call it bella notte.”Yes, the couple does begin eat-

ing either end of a long piece ofpasta and ends up in a kiss.

And, yes, James does use hisnose to nudge an extra largemeatball toward his companion,just as Tramp did.Their movie took quite a bit

of planning for Melody, a ca-reer counselor for CentralSusquehanna OpportunitiesInc., and James, a reporter forWNEP-TV, Channel 16.

Handcuffs?Sometimes, the novel aspects

of a wedding are a bit more im-promptu.“You never know when the

instruments are going to comeout,” Judy Gingher of Tunk-hannock said, reminiscingabout how her husband, Carl,pulled out a harmonica and

played a blue-grass number called“Rabbit in a Log” at theirreception.He also surprised her by

suddenly producing a set of toyhandcuffs and attaching hiswrist to hers just in time to greetguests in their receiving line.“I still have them, 35 years lat-

er,” she said.JudyGingher hasweddings on

her mind once again, becauseher daughter, Amy, is planningto get married in August.The family owns six horses,

and Amy loves to ride.“Everybody asks me, ‘Oh are

you going to come riding in onyour horse?’ ” Amy said as sheand her mother shopped for awedding dress.The future bride doesn’t plan

to bring a horse to herwedding –though the guests certainlywould long remember such afeat.

Helmets work, tooPeople who attended the

Moon/Collins reception at theGreen Ridge Club in Scranton inJulywere no doubt impressed bythe sight of the bride dancingwith her husband’s brother fire-

fighters.The former Andrea Moon

wore Brandon Collins’ hose-company jacket to dance withthat particular group of friends,and each of them took a turnwearing her husband’s fire hel-met as they twirled the bridearound.

NOT in the doghouse for thisAnd, when friends reminisce

about Kim Meehan’s bridalshower, they’ll be sure to re-member the doghouse that wasset up as a drop-off spot for theless fortunate.“I wanted to do something spe-

cial for animals,” saidMeehan, ofWyoming who suggested guestsbring to her shower at the IremTemple Country Club donationsof pet food and cleaning suppliesfor the SPCA.Her future brother-in-lawMatt

Smith, brother of her fiancé,Robert Smith, crafted the dog-house for the shower, and ani-mal-lover Meehan wasted notime getting the donations to theshelter.The shower took place on a

Sunday.“Wedropped themoffMonday

morning,” Meehan said.

SIGNATUREContinued from Page 3

CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK/FOR THE TIMES LEADER

Among the presents at Kim Meehan’s bridal shower at IremTemple Country Club was this doghouse filled with dog treatsand food intended for the SPCA. Today’s brides sometimes optout of wishing wells and ask guests to fill other vessels withgifts for local charities.

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PAGE5

Look for a more streamlinedman towalk down the aislethis wedding season.

“The European style is a hit be-cause it’s fitted, less boxy,” saidTed Poulos, Sarno& Son regionalmanager. “It’s tapered at the waistand short in the body. The veryavant-garde man is in right now.”The European style also boastsa drastic change in pants.

“Men are enjoying the flat-fronttrouser, where you can no longersee the pleats in the pants,” saidAlycia Forney, general manager ofSarno & Son in Edwardsville.Grooms also are looking to tuxe-

dos that are navy and brown, in-stead of the traditional black.One very popular tuxedo is the

Calvin Klein Cadbury Brown.“We’ve been seeing a lot of pink

and brown weddings, which thistux is perfect for,” Forney said.The Cadbury tuxedo also works

well with a white-and-ivory combi-nation.“People are opting for the white

shirt paired with an ivory vest andivory tie,” Forney said.“The contrasting colors give

the tux a very clean look, in-stead of an area of just white orjust ivory.”Both bowties and long ties are

holding steady, but what they’repaired with is changing.“Grooms are putting a colored

tie with the same-color pocketsquare, as opposed to a same-colorvest,” Forney said.“This avoids a large block of col-

or right in the middle of the tux.”Michael J. Pantano, owner of

Tuxedo Junction in Hanover

Township, thinks the traditional,very formal look is coming back.In fact, he said, he just booked

his first wedding in more than 10years inwhich the groomwanted acummerbund.“I think a cummerbund and a

bow tie definewhat a tuxedo lookslike.”He attributes this route back to

tradition to the bride.“Brides generally never deviat-

ed from the traditional white orivory dress, and I think they’restarting to prefer to have theirgroom look the same traditionalpart.”

By SARA [email protected]

BILL TARUTIS/ FOR THE TIMES LEADER

Alycia Forney, general manager at Savvi Formalwear by Sarno & Son, assists Nick Nardone in trying on a Jean Yves charcoal-gray tuxedojacket at the Edwardsville shop.

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PAGE7

Standing on a pedestal and sur-rounded by mirrors, AmyGingher of Tunkhannock in-

spected her reflection. Did she wantan A-line wedding gown after all?How wide did she want the skirt tobe? Would this dress be comfortablefor waltzing with her husband attheir reception in August?

Putting her hands up to her faceon a wintry Tuesday evening, sheseemed a trifle overwhelmed by allthe choices at Kathy’s Bridal Salonin Edwardsville. “So many of themare so pretty,” she said.

That’s when Kathy Nardonestepped in with a little pep talk.

“This is something you need tothink about,” the bridal-shop own-er said quietly. “Don’t let anybody,including anybody here, pressureyou. You’ll know when you’vefound your gown.

“When you put it on, you’re go-ing to know. Sometimes, I can feelthe hair on my arms standing upwhen someone has found hergown.”

Gingher may not have found“her gown” among the first fewshe tried on that evening, but shemay have found her headpiece.

“Are you a crown person?” Nar-done asked.

“I’m doing the crown,” Gingher

By MARY THERESE [email protected]

See DRESSES, Page 8

AIMEE DILGER/THE TIMES LEADER

Kathy Nardone of Kathy’s Bridal helps bride-to-be Kristen Killian with a headpiece as her mom, JeannetteKillian, looks on.

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replied firmly.Soon a glittering tiara was on

top of her head, and Nardonegently eased Gingher’s hair fromits elastic ponytail band. “It givesyou a very regal look,” Nardonesaid, showing the bride-to-be thedifferent ways a veil could be at-tached to the jeweled headpieceto accentuate either a flowinghairstyle or an upswept ’do.Naturally, a crown can only

help a bride feel like royalty. As arecent bride in another section ofthe store said, “That’s the bestpart of (wedding planning).“Other things can stress you,

but you feel like a princess whenyou shop for the gown. You canhave anything you want,” CherylFazio of Plains Township said.Fazio’s wedding took place in

September, but she was back atKathy’s to look for a bridesmaiddress to wear in her friend Kris-ten Killian’s wedding.Killian’s wedding will take

place in October, and the colorscheme involves raspberry anddark purple.As for the style of the dresses

the five bridesmaids will wear,they may be strapless or possiblyhave the one-shoulder look.“For anyone not comfortable

with strapless (the one-shouldereffect) is kind of a security blan-ket,” Fazio said as she modeledone for her friend.There are plenty of choices as

far as bridal and attendants’gowns, Nardone said, pointing tohand-sewn sequins on one gownand, on another, organza rufflescut to look like feathers.Ruffles are big this year, con-

firmed Kim Keck of ExclusivelyYou Bridal and Formal Wear inBloomsburg.“They can be along the bus-

tline or one side of the skirt. Ruf-fles are huge right now.”Other feminine touches are

bows, embellished sashes andfabric flowers on the gown, feath-ers or flowers on the headpiece,she said. “People are looking for

something to make them standout. They’re being very creative.”“What I love is that girls are

taking more risks,” Keck said.“I tell them this is a chance for

people to see them in a way theydon’t get to see them every day…so surprise them a little bit.”What kind of image do you

want your dress to portray?“It all depends on what kind of

girl you are,” Nardone said. “Sim-ple and elegant? Traditional? So-phisticated?”For the bridal gown she’ll wear

this fall, Killian knew she wantedsomething sophisticated ratherthen demure. Then the Wilkes-Barre woman surprised herselfby starting to cry when Nardoneheld a blusher veil in front of herface.“When she put a blusher on

me, that’s when I cried,” Killiansaid.“I thought it was charming and

traditional.”

AIMEE DILGER PHOTOS/THE TIMES LEADER

Kathy Nardone of Kathy’s Bridal shows bride-to-be Kristen Killian of Wilkes-Barre a dress adorned with a great deal of detail work.

DRESSESContinued from Page 7

Mother-of-the-bride Judy Gingher and her daughter, Amy, look through the gowns at Kathy’s Bridal inEdwardsville.

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Time was when a wedding photog-rapherprettymuchhada solepur-pose: to capture enough images to

fill a traditional, often large and heavywedding album that would serve as alifetime keepsake.Today’s shooters, however, do somuch more, and their job often beginsbefore the vows are exchanged.

Shane East Photography in MountainTop, for example, uses a couple’s engage-ment photos to put a spin on the tradition-al guest book.“We leave some blank space throughout

the book for people to sign or give bestwishes to the couple,” manager Lisa Eastsaid. “It’s not your normal ‘sign your nameon the line’ book.”“We really liked all that Shane had to of-

fer, but this book stood out to us,” said Jes-sica Pizano of Exeter, who in Julywillmar-ry Erik Vanston of Old Forge. “It’s a funway for everyone to see all of the engage-ment pictures and a new spin on how to

make them a keepsake.”Shane East Photography also offers

“brag books,” small books that have about100 photos from the wedding day in a 5-inch-by-5-inch or 7-inch-by-7-inch format.“It’s a fun little book that the bride or

groomcancarryaroundafter theirwed-ding to show everyone their specialday,” Lisa East said.Cami Haynes Photography in Scranton,

meanwhile, offers Apple iPad albums thatare engraved and uploaded with the cou-ple’s wedding photos.


See IMAGES, Page 18

PHOTO COURTESY OF MICHAEL STRAUB PHOTOGRAPHY

Michael Straub of Michael Straub Photography of Mount Pocono captured this loving moment during Melissa and Brian Osick’s September2010 wedding.

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COURTESY PHOTOS

ABOVE: October bride Karen Kaleta Alessi and her bridesmaids carried bouquets from Ralph Dillon Flowers of Bloomsburg.TOP: Erin Kovach of Kingston chose lavender, pink and white roses from The Flower Warehouse in Forty Fort for her wedding party.

When Karen Alessi of Moun-tain Top got married in Oc-tober, her bridal bouquet

was all about color – in particular somestriking flame-orange roses and lilies.

Erin Kovach of Kingston decided amix of lavender, pink and ivory roseswas a beautiful complement to her bri-desmaids’ black dresses last spring.

For herself, she said, “I hadthe same thing with a lot moreivory roses.”

And for her wedding com-ing up next fall, Kristen Kil-lian of Wilkes-Barre plans tocarry a bouquet that includesnot only gerbera daisies andother blossoms but raspber-ries and olives.

“They’ll be real,” the bride-to-be said with a laugh. “If Iget hungry, I can always eat anolive.”

All kidding aside, Killiansaid, the berries and oliveswill be nice touches for aharvest-time wedding, add-ing notes of interest to her“Dutch bouquet” of precise-ly arranged flowers.

Killian’s flowers have beenordered from Central ParkFlowers in Olyphant, whereowners Dorian and Eloise Bu-tovich say the bouquet is a


See FLOWERS, Page 18

Karen Alessi of Mountain Topdecided to make vivid colorsthe most important aspect ofher wedding bouquet.

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Feb. 28throug

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Mar. 18!

ENTERTOWIN!

Fantasy eddingTHE TIMES LEADER

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Send us a video ofyou and your fiancé!Tell us how you met and show us yourpersonalities. The 10 best videos will be selectedby a panel of judges at The Times Leader. Thesewinning couples will participate in a live contest.The winning couple of the live contest will receiveThe Times Leader FantasyWedding!

Return the entry form below along with your videoor enter at timesleader.com or theweekender.com.Videos must be no longer than 3 minutes!

Fantasyedding

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GIVEAWAY

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Return this form and your video to: The Times Leader, Fantasy Wedding, 15 N. MainSt.,Wilkes-Barre, PA 18711. All entries must be received by Friday, March 18, 2011. Allentries must include an official entry form. Your wedding date must be between July 31,2011 and December 31, 2012 to qualify. Must be 21 years of age or older to enter.Finalists will be notified by phone and will move to a final round.

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PAGE15

When it comes to picking the place for the big day,couples must consider many variables: the size,the atmosphere, the amenities.

Some couples go traditional and choose a hotel or banquethall, while others will always look for that “different” venue,that place perhaps no guests have been before.

Friedman Farms in Dallas isone example.“On our grounds we have both

a barn and a chapel, so you canhave the ceremony and receptionin one place,” proprietor AllisonFriedman said.The chapel holds 140 people,

and the barn holds 200.Friedman has hosted a spec-

trum of weddings.“I always joke that it’s a BYOC:

bring your own clergy,” she said.“We have all different kinds ofwedding ceremonies here. Mili-tary services, every religious affil-iation, justice of the peace; wewelcome it all.”In terms of décor and overall

atmosphere, Friedman also takesa wide-range approach.“We like to say you can run and

do with it what you wish,” shesaid.“It’s not by any sense of the

imagination your typical wed-ding venue.”Friedman offers rental items,

such as tables, chairs and a dancefloor and works to accommodatethe couple as much as possible.“If a couple is looking for a cer-

tain caterer or band, I’ll helpthem out the best I can,” Fried-man said.The venue is not limited to the

barn or chapel.“Some people choose the field

to get married; some choose thebarn. We’ve even had a weddingon horseback,” Friedman said.Another location that sees it-

self as out of the ordinary is theGallery at Pierce Plaza inWilkes-Barre.“We are definitely not a tradi-

tional venue; we’re unique,” saidKen Bond, owner/operator.“Instead of the typical square

ballroom and chandeliers, you’resurrounded by water, koi ponds.”“I do believe we’re the only

place of its kind.”The Gallery accommodates a

minimum of 40 people and amaximum of 150 for a wedding,and both the ceremony and re-ception can take place there.“We’ll do as little or asmuch as

the host wants,” Bond said.“If they want us to take care of

the floral arrangements, we cando that. Otherwise, I can pointthem in the direction of someonewho might be able to help themwith what they’re looking for.”One of the biggest draws is the

food.“We customize every single

menu we do. There’s nothing wecannotmake,” Bond said. “We ac-tually did a camouflage-themedwedding and imported elk fromNew Zealand for it.”Bond is always concocting new

dishes.“I made a wild-berry horserad-

ish demi-glace just as an experi-ment and ended up serving it at awedding. If a couple has an ideatheywant to express tome, I’d behappy to make it happen.”

When tradition winsBut another school of bride

and groomwill always seek out amore conventional ballroom-style venue.The area has several time-hon-

ored and popular options.“By far, the Appletree Terrace

in Dallas was the nicest place I’ve

been for a wedding,” SamanthaGood, 25, of Pittston said.“It was very lavish, yet laid-

back and comfortable all at thesame time.”Local hotels also get local

support, while some couplesopt for venues up to an hour orso away.Popular regional choices in the

past few years have included TheInne of the Abingtons in Daltonand Skytop Lodge in the PoconoMountains.And remaining popular with

Wilkes-Barre-area brides andgrooms are two downtownmain-stays.“When I think wedding I think

Genetti’s,” said Tammy Keeler,37, of Wilkes-Barre. “It’s tradi-tional, it’s classic, and the food isreally good.”“The Radisson is just perfect,

especially if you’re looking forsomething really classy andfancy,” said Joan James, 29, ofKingston.

COURTESY PHOTOS

A little creative table-arranging can turn the Gallery at Pierce Plaza in Kingston into a reception venue.

Friedman Farms in Dallas offers a different choice for a reception.


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The invitations are key.They introduce gueststo the wedding’s overall

feel and representwhat the cou-ple and the day are all about.

“Brides are doing everythingthey can tomake sure guestswouldnever think of throwing them out,”said Kristy Rice, founder of Mo-mental Designs in Wyoming.

Extreme personalization is

huge, she said, noting couples arehiring caricature and landscapeartists to create special designs.

Momental takes personalizationa step further with the CuratedCollection, which is “all aboutfound objects. We act as your cura-tors and find objects for you thatwill serve as invitations,”Rice said.

These objects can range fromadornments, such as brooches andhandkerchiefs, to books or hand-painted bottles into which invites

are inserted.“We have a bride that’s a teacher

and her fiancé is a computer pro-grammer,” Rice said. “She wantedto incorporate books, so we’vefound old books to put the invita-tion in and wrap a hand-paintedribbon around with a design likethe inner workings of a computer.”

Another trend is the pocket con-cept, which pleases the organized.


See INVITATIONS, Page 18

DON CAREY/THE TIMES LEADER

Jessica McCafferty works on hand-crafted wedding invitations at Momental Designs in Wyoming.

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PAGE17

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way for a bride to make astatement.“Whatever it is that gives

you a good feeling, bring it inand we’ll get a good idea ofyour style,” Eloise Butovichsaid, explaining some brideshave shown her a favoriteshoe, purse or fabric for thatpurpose.As far as flowers are con-

cerned,DorianButovich said,he wants to put the world atyour disposal.Orchids? “For orchids, I’ll

go to my contacts in Bang-kok,” he said.Lilies of the valley?

“There are some greatfarms in New Jersey,” hesaid.“And you can get them

from Holland. Usually theycome with the root ball at-tached, so they’ll be fresh.”“If you want a peony in De-

cember, you can have it.”John M. Barancho of Flo-

ral Designs in Forty Fortagrees.“The world is our oyster.

Let’s try to find the pearl,”Barancho said.“Lily of the valley is prob-

ably the hardest to find, butI’ve found them in October.And tulips, we can get themfor the fall now.“Look at it this way: It’s al-

ways spring somewhere, andit’s always fall somewhere,”he said.“Everything is a matter of

taste anymore,” Baranchocontinued.“Certain themes come into

play. A bride might say ‘I likeVictorian’ or ‘I like contem-porary,’ ‘I like garden flowers’or ‘I like field flowers.’ ”Gone are the days when

wedding flowers were, moreoften than not, orange blos-soms.“Last year we used more

hydrangea, orchids and cal-la lilies,” said Barancho,who discovered a trend to-ward color combinations ofwhite, pink and green.There really are no rules,

Barancho said, explainingsome brides go so far as tocarry vivid, rainbow-huedbouquets themselveswhile choosing white flow-ers for their bridesmaids.

FLOWERSContinued from Page 12

Haynes also offers a float wrap.“The image iswrapped aroundmasonite to

createa thinwrap,”Haynes said. “It’s like theyappear to be floating on the wall with themain focus on the image. It’s striking andbeautiful.”Michael Straub Photography in Mount Po-

cono cites social networking as somethingphotographers also are considering part oftheir modern-day role.“Photographers are putting together a

short 30-second slide show that the couplecan upload to something like their Facebookpage,” Straub said. “It allows the couple toshare the video with as many people as pos-sible.”Straub offers many of the traditional wed-

ding-album styles, but he said what couplesexpect of the layout is changing.“They’re leaning towards clean and simple

layouts. They aren’t trying tomake the albumlook like a scrapbook. They want the book tobe about the images of the day, not what youcan fade into the background or put on the

borders.”Straub likes to capture a couple’s candid

side, which was a big draw for Melissa andBrian Osick, whomarred in September 2010.“Michael provided the combination of posed

and candid shots wewere looking for,”Melissasaid. “Iwas especially excited thatwewould begiven proof books with 3-by-5 images of all ofthe photos taken of our wedding day.”“I find that the bride and groom prefer nat-

ural shots as opposed to standing,” Straubsaid. “They just want to bewith their familiesand friends more and enjoy their time withthem.”

COURTESY PHOTO

This shot of Melissa Osick, by MichaelStraub, puts a detailed veil in the spotlight.

IMAGESContinued from Page 10

COURTESY PHOTO

Shane East Photography in Mountain Topuses engagement photos to make a cus-tom, eye-catching guest book.

The wedding landscape haschanged drastically over theyears, particularly when it comes

to family dynamics. Now, more than ev-er, couples must be mindful of how toword that all-important invitation, a pa-per piece of the wedding process that’s amajor indicator, really, as to who is theprimary benefactor of this grand affair.Traditionally, this isn’t a difficult task.“A traditional formal invitation always

announces the parents of the bride, whoare usually the people paying for theevent,” saidMaryHepner, thedirector ofand a teacher at the Protocol School ofPennsylvania.Those in the wedding field are finding

that, most often, this isn’t the case.“There’s probably no scenario I

haven’t seen or heard,” said Carl Besan-con, graphic designer at Nick of TimePrinting in Dallas. “There are a lot ofcouples with parents that are divorcedand remarried, and some couples justdon’t have any parent involvement atall.”“Tradition has such a spin on it now;

it’s really about what wording makessense to the bride,” said Kristy Rice,founder of Momental Designs in Wyom-ing. “It’s about what’s respectful given

the particular situation.”The proper way to handle the invita-

tion wording is to emphasize those whohave played a vital part, no matter whothey are, the experts say.“Youshouldhonor thosemost integral

to the wedding process, someone whohas been exceptionally important,”Hepner advised.“It can be a sister, both sets of parents,

whoever,” Rice said.“In today’s society, we see a lot of peo-

ple putting their money together,” Be-sancon said. “It can be parents andgrandparents that are helping out, aswell as the couple themselves.”“If the couple finds themselves footing

the bill, it’s perfectly acceptable to list nohost at all,” or to simply say the couplerequests the guest’s presence, Hepnersaid.So what happens if the list of contrib-

utors is a long one?“You do list all of them,” Hepner said.

“As long as they’re in the game andthey’re hosting and really supportingthis, they should be acknowledged, andyou should acknowledge all or none ofthem.”“It’s a couple pieces of paper. It’s not

like youhave tomoveheaven and earth,”Hepner said. “It’s an easy thing to do, aswell as the right and mindful thing.”

Perfect proprietyBy SARA [email protected]

“Brides are choosing invitations that arealmost like a brochure,” said Carl Besan-con, graphic designer at Nick of TimePrinting in Dallas. “It opens up on bothends, with the invite in the middle.”“There are sleeves on each side where

each piece, the response card, directions,whatever needs to be included, can go.”Another organized invite is the seal and

send, which folds into itself, Besanconsaid. “By the time you’re done folding it,it’s the invitation, response and envelopein one.”A perforated postcard at the bottom

serves as the response card.These “are about a quarter of the cost

you’d normally spend,” Besancon said.

SUBMITTED PHOTO

A worn copy of ‘Tom Sawyer’ is the lat-est invitation creation in MomentalDesigns’ Curated Collection.

INVITATIONSContinued from Page 16

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COURTESY PHOTOS

ABOVE: Her husband, Alexander, better known as Chuck, is quite the Eaglesfan, a fact Erin Kovach of Kingston noted with this cake topper.

RIGHT: Melody and James Hamill of Lewisburg are film buffs, so their choco-late wedding cake was decorated with white-chocolate-coated popcorn and filmstrips.

For movie buffs Melody andJames Hamill of Lewisburg,the perfect wedding cake

turned out to be five tiers of darkchocolate adorned with film stripsand popcorn kernels.Erin and Chuck Kovach of King-

ston, meanwhile, saluted thegroom’s love of football with a caketopper that showed a determinedbride pulling her husband awayfrom a Philadelphia Eagles helmet.

Wedding cakes and groom’s cakes, too,can reflect a couple’s personality in manyways, said George Blom of Bakery Delite inPlains Township, who has made confec-tions resembleanything froma“BeautyandtheBeast” castle to a “StarTrek” scenario toa mountain climber’s rocky summit.Still, the baker said, most couples opt for

less complicated cakes, with relatively sim-ple decorations.“In spring and summer, probably 50 per-

cent of the cakes that go out of here havefresh flowers on them,” he said.The biggest decision might be what fla-

vor do you want to taste on the big day?“Orange creamsicle is a popular flavor,”

Blom said.“Red velvet is pretty popular.”Of course, the baker said, there’s always

room for the purists who opt for “the tra-ditional silver-white wedding cake bat-ter.”Silver?“The main difference between silver-

white and regular vanilla is that it’s madewith egg whites instead of whole eggs, toget it whiter,” Blom explained.Cathy Reppert of Truly Scrumptious in

Kingston, who has been known to sculpt aNittany Lion from cereal and fondant andperch himon top of a cake that looked like arock, also has found lots of brides andgrooms opting for the kind ofwedding caketheir parents likely enjoyed.“It’s a dichotomy right now,” Reppert

said.


See CAKE, Page 23

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AIMEE DILGER PHOTOS/THE TIMES LEADER

Chef Dave Sinoracki of the Waterfront Banquet Facility plates a vegetable stromboli alongside eggplant towers and mini calzones. Horsd’oeuvres come in all shapes, sizes and categories these days, and a nice variety can make your feast memorable.

The shrimp with gournay is sim-ple but elegant, the roasted redpepper with goat cheese makes a

bold statement, and the veggie strombo-li is stuffed with plenty of creamy broc-coli. Which will you choose? The miniReuben sandwich, the tidbit of chickencordon bleu and the half-dollar-size egg-plant Parmesan pack all the flavors oftheir full-size sibs, but they’re smallerand cuter. So which do you want to try?

Don’t worry. We’re talkinghors d’oeuvres here. They’reso petite you can sample all ofthem and still have room foryour entrée and dessert, ChefDave Sinoracki of the Water-front Banquet Facility inPlains Township said.

The Waterfront has a list ofsome 30 hors d’oeuvres forbrides and grooms to peruse,and the chef is open to experi-menting with other items ifyour favorites are not on thelist.

“You know what is really bigaround here? Italian cuisine,”

Sinoracki said, pointing outthe bite-size calzones that areamong the most popularchoices for appetizers at wed-ding receptions.

Other ethnic dishes worktheir way into the menu aswell, bringing the spices of In-dia, Asia and Africa to manyweddings.

“What I’m really proud of,”the chef said, “is we make ev-erything here.”

After you’ve whet yourguests’ appetites with some


See CUISINE, Page 23

What’s your pleasure? ChefDave Sinoracki of the Water-front Banquet Facility holdstrays laden with freshly pre-pared hors d’oeuvres of roast-ed pepper and goat cheese,shrimp and gournay cheese,mini Reuben sandwiches, minicalzones and more.

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“One segment wants anindividualized cake, some-thing unique that isn’t whitefrosting. Another segment isgoing back to the traditionalall-white cake … maybe withfresh flowers or Austriancrystals.”

For her spring 2010 wed-ding to Chuck Kovach, theformer Erin Peters chose avanilla/white cake fromBakery Delite as part of thewedding-reception packageat the East Mountain Innand crowned it with a Phila-delphiaEagles topper sheor-dered from www.funwed-dingthings.com.

“We received a lot of com-pliments,” she said, “espe-cially from the Eagles fansthat were there. We even hadthe DJ play the Eagles fightsong at our reception.”

For edible decorations onthe outside of your cake,glazed fruit or nuts could bejust the ticket.

If you want an extra tastetreat inside the cake, you canask for filling.

When Melody Robinson,formerly of Exeter, marriedJames Hamill in October,the chocolate cake they or-dered from Wedding CakeArtistry in Mifflinburg hadboth fudge and cherry fill-ing.

“It was scrumptious. Peo-ple were raving about it,”Melody said, describinghowthe cake also had “dark-choc-olate ganache icing withwhite-chocolate-coveredpopcorn cascading from topto bottom.”

“The bottom tier was cre-ated to look like a film reel,”in keeping with the wed-ding’s cinematic theme,“and a film strip was drapedaround the entire cake.”

“Thatwasa funcake,”bak-er Donita Keister of Wed-ding Cake Artistry recalled.

CAKEContinued from Page 20

little treats, they’ll probably belooking forward to an entrée.

“A couple years back, lots ofpeople were dead-set on ChickenFrancaise,ChickenMarsala,”Sin-oracki said.

“Now, if you want to be a littledifferent you can try ChickenCathy – that’s a big seller now –with Boursin cheese and broccolifolded inside. We also came upwith Chicken Ballantine with pis-tachios.”

Chocolate fountains aren’t toopopular anymore, Sinoracki said,and he knows the staff isn’t sad tosee them go.

“They’re hard to clean up af-

ter,” a co-worker said.What is becoming more pop-

ular, the chef noted, are cup-cakes as an alternative to wed-ding cake, and “candy bars”that allow guests to select anassortment of old-fashionedcandies and take them home ina little bag.

Another kind of bar thatdoesn’t involve alcohol is a onethat offers cappuccinos instead ofKahlua and sodas instead of char-donnay.

Karen and Stephen Alessi ofMountain Top opted for a coffeebar during their reception at Hay-field House, the gracious oldmansion on the campus of PennState/Wilkes-Barre.

“Alcohol isn’t allowed there,and my husband and I are notdrinkers, so it wasn’t important,”Karen Alessi said.

“People loved the coffee bar.They had cappuccino, espresso,frozen drinks, Italian sodas thatmost people never experiencedbefore, iced tea and water.”

At Genetti’s Best Western,wedding planners get a choice ofserved dinners, buffet and familystyle, banquet-sales coordinatorLindsay Griffin said.

Carving stations can be a pop-ular addition to the meal, shesaid, alongwithpasta, stir-fry andrisotto stations.

Guests have even been enjoy-ing potato stations, wheremashed potatoes are served inmartini glasses.

“We usually do white potatoesas well as sweet. It is kind of fun,”Griffin said.

If you choose a buffet, she said,you might want the selections toinclude chicken, beef, pasta and

maybe some baked haddock withlemon butter, she said.

If you’re looking for a top-of-the-line meal, that could be a sit-down dinner of prime rib or surf-and-turf.

You can name your pleasure atVia Appia in Taylor, too, whereowner Francesco Lepri said carv-ing stations, seafood stations anddessert stations are popularchoices.

The dessert stations serve notonly the wedding cake but usual-ly Viennese pastries and a sam-pling of other cakes, he said.

Via Appia is known for itsNorthern Italian cuisine, Leprisaid, and he’s especially proud ofthe pasta. “I usually tell people, ifyou’re trying to conserve a littlewith the budget, take somethingelse away. Don’t take the pastaaway.”

AIMEE DILGER/THE TIMES LEADER

Chef Dave Sinoracki of the Waterfront Banquet Facility plates a chicken-based hors d’oeuvre.

CUISINEContinued from Page 21

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The Magpie VintageRental Collection atDetails in Exeterdemonstrates whatstore ownerMaggie Farrellcalls ’controlledeclectic,’ acombination offlea-market, antiqueand thrift-store itemscombined to form anappealing table spread.

So many weddingdecoration optionsare available it can

get difficult to nail downpreferences.Heather Dehnel, of

Event Planning 911 inWilkes-Barre, saidcouples should focusmore on pulling out

what’s already at the ven-ue and keep in mind thatless is more.

“The table linens, the center-pieces, they’re all going less,”she said. “Tables aren’t as heavy-looking. Centerpieces are goingtall, but they aren’t the hugespray that they used to be.”Where there might be less dé-

cor, there aremore color options.“Matchy-matchy is complete-

ly out now,” Dehnel said. “Youwant to find colors that are inthe same family, that comple-ment each other.”“When brides bring in their

color swatch, they think it’s thestarting and ending point, butit’s not,” she said. “We try topick out four more colors thatcomplement it.”

Another trend is the com-plete opposite of matching.“I like to use the term ‘con-

trolled eclectic,’ ” Maggie Far-rell, founder of Details in Exe-ter, said.“It can be anything frommis-

matched dinner plates to mis-matched reception chairs,” shesaid. “It’s eclectic but beautifulbecause the pieces comple-ment each other in some way.”Although less is more, some

brides might want to spend alittle extra on specific decora-tions. Farrell said a brideshould consider what’s mostimportant to her.“If a bride’s main focus is the

table, it’s worth the splurgeon detailed linens or Chiavarichairs,” Farrell said.“If they are opting for a tent

wedding and they’re doing a lotof work themselves, theymightwant to spend a little more tohave the ceiling draped andchandeliers added.”Farrell has seen a growth in

tent weddings during the pastyear and attributes it to theclean slate a tent provides.“People are becoming drawn

to the idea of it because you canmake it completely your own,”Farrell said. “It’s a blank canvas;there’s no funky wallpaper orcarpet to work around.”


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You’d be hard pressed tofind a bride who doesn’tmake flowers, centerpiec-

es and tablecloths aprioritywhenit comes to creating a certainmood for the wedding.

But talk to wedding-lighting design-er Bentley Meeker — whose clientshave included Chelsea Clinton andCatherine Zeta Jones — and he’ll tell

you that simple tricks, such as chang-ing the color of light bulbs, can createthe desired ambience more effectivelythen roses and fancy tablecloths evercould.“Wedding lighting is really about

what people are always trying to dowith their weddings, which is to createa certain vibe and atmosphere,” theNewYork City lighting pro said.“Say you’re going to do a wedding in

your office, and you bring in flowersandthetablesandyoustillhave fluores-cent lighting,” he said. “It will look likeyour office decorated for a wedding.

“But if I came in and lit the office anddidn’t do any other decorations, wewould have transformed that space.”Diann Valentine, a Los Angeles wed-

ding designer and expert on the cablestation Wedding Central, agreed thatlighting should top brides’ decoratingpriority lists because it “allows us toprogram themood of an event.”That might mean changing the in-

tensity of light throughout a wedding— dimmer for cocktails, brighter fordinner, for example — or using it to

By DIANA MARSZALEKFor The Associated Press

See LIGHTING, Page 31

AP PHOTO

Lighting designed by Bentley Meeker is shown at the wedding of Melissa Rivers at New York’s Plaza Hotel. ‘Wedding lighting is reallyabout what people are always trying to do with their weddings, which is to create a certain vibe and atmosphere,’ the New York City

lighting pro said.

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completely change the feel of aroom.Rainer Flor, who married wife

Candiceat singerGloriaEstefan’sCosta d’Este in Vero Beach, Fla.,said lightingeffects enhanced the“Miami chic” atmosphere theywere looking for.With floor lightsand strategically placed LEDlights, he said, the room, right offthe beach, “looked almost like anaquarium.”Central Florida wedding plan-

ner Karry Castillo, who helpeddesigntheFlors’wedding, saidef-fects can range from simple spot-lightsonparticular roomfeaturesor decorations, to lightingmotifsand patterns on walls, floors andceilings.In addition, lighting effects can

be relatively inexpensive, any-where froma fewhundreddollarsto thousands, depending on com-plexity.“Inmanyways, lighting not on-

ly enhances the elements you

haveinplace,butitcanalsogiveyoua lot more bang forthe dollar too,” Cas-tillo said.Meeker is particularly

fondofusingpinkandamberlightbulbs, thoughhewarnsthat thosecolors must be used cautiously(“There is ugly amber”).Dimmed incandescent light is an-other of his favorites.Particularly inclosedrooms,he

said, use lighting that’s appropri-ate for the setting— fixtures thatcan be absorbed into, rather thantake over, the larger setting.“Ithastolookbeautifulsowhen

the guests walk in they lose theirbreath,”Meeker said.Make sure light isn’t so glaring

—ordark—that itdistortsordis-tracts from thewedding party.And choose soft, flattering col-

orstocreateasereneatmosphere,particularly by quelling stronglights. “Lighting can change somuch that people really feel goodabout themselves,”Meeker said.Meeker sometimes works with

crews120strongandchargesany-where from$4,000 to $500,000 to

customlightawedding.Butthereis plenty that brides andweddingplanners with more limited re-sources can do quite simply, hesaid.One cost-free suggestion: Dim

the lights.“If you want to transform a

space, youputeverythingondim-mers,” he said.Meeker says he dims lights

somewhat darker than you’d ex-pect (“Your eye adjusts”); wheth-er you can see your shoes and lac-es clearly is a good barometer orwhether you’ve hit it right.Other wise advice: “Ask your

mother or mother-in-law-to-be,and if it’s not too dark for her,there’s your atmosphere.”Meekeralso suggests this fairly

inexpensive trick:Use small spot-lights (about$30each,hesaid) tohighlight architectural or decora-tive features around the weddingspace.

LIGHTINGContinued from Page 28

AP PHOTO

Bentley Meeker also designed the lighting at Billy Joel’s weddingin Centre Island, N.Y.

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Mini wine bottles and personalizedmatchbooks are becoming things ofthepast in theworldofwedding favors.

“The idea behind favors anymore is that it’seither something fun and youthful or some-thing that is philanthropic,” Heather Dehnel ofEvent Planning 911 in Wilkes-Barre said.

Many are opting to donateto local charities in lieu of, orin addition to, favors. The or-ganization they pick is mostoften a result of personal ties.Paul Shaw, 27, and his wife

Nicole, 28, of Wilkes-Barre,chose to donate to the Amer-ican Cancer Society for theirAugust 2010 wedding.“I was diagnosed with tes-

ticular cancer in December of2007,” Shawsaid. “Aftermanysurgeries and chemo, I amcompletely cleared of it as ofNovember 2008.”“We opted out of favors and

simply put a centerpiece ateach table that was a smallerversionof our cakewith anotethanking the guests for beingwith us on our special day and

letting them know that wewere donating to the CancerSociety in their honor.”“A lot of non-profits have

wedding packages nowwherethey will provide you withcards to put on the table to letguests know you’ve made adonation to them,” Dehnelsaid.Charitable donations aren’t

only monetary.Bridget McFarland, 25, and

Randy Deeble, 27, of Pittston,are both involved in the fieldof education and are person-alizing part of their April wed-ding to show that.“For our centerpieces we’re

using children’s books,”McFarland said. “Each table isnamed after the book, and the

guests find their seatsthrough place cards sayingthat they’ll be dining in booksettings, such as Hogwarts orNarnia, or with a characterfrom a book, such as the ‘VeryHungry Caterpillar’ or ‘FlatStanley.’ ”Each centerpiece will have

a note letting the guest knowthe books will be donated to alocal library in their honor.Candy buffets also are

growing in popularity forthosewho like a youthful edgeor who might have severalyounger guests.“We originally planned on

having an adult reception on-ly, but our families are full of


See GIFTS, Page 36

COURTESY PHOTOS

ABOVE: Bridget McFarland and Randy Deeble of Pittston plan to use children’s books as wedding centerpieces. Guests will get a similarlythemed card indicating their table, where a note will explain the books will be donated to a library in their honor. TOP: A table note at Paul andNicole Shaw’s wedding let guests know a donation had been made in their honor to the American Cancer Society.

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PAGE33

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A honeymoon can beas simple as a camp-ing trip in the Adi-

rondacks or a long weekendin New York City where youcatch a Broadway show.

It can be as adventurous as atrek through the Amazon rain-forest or a safari in Africa.

Of course, if you have relativesin the military who happen to bestationed in Europe, why not usetheir house as a base of oper-ations?

“My husband has a cousin mar-ried to a man in the service who isstationed in Germany,” said An-drea Moon Collins of Avoca, whomarried Brandon William Collinsin July. “They offered to have uscome and visit them as part of awedding gift.”

The newlyweds happily ac-cepted the offer and were able to

visit such internationally famoussites as the Matterhorn in Swit-zerland, the Brandenburg Gate inGermany, the Leaning Tower ofPisa in Italy and the Eiffel Towerin France.

“It was fantastic,” Collins said.“My husband and I bought a Eu-rail pass, and we hopped on atrain in Frankfurt and went toRome and from Rome to Paris fora day, and then we met our cou-sins in Berlin.”

People were so friendly, shesaid, that when she and her hus-

band were standing on astreet in Italy, looking lost, acouple from South Carolinanoticed, approached them andgave them directions.

Another place you’re likely tofind friendly people is at a San-dals Resort, travel agent Karen A.Monko-Nagle said.

“They always welcome youwith champagne and maybestrawberries and give you achance to meet the other honey-

Simple or elaborate, post-wedding trips are all about comfortBy MARY THERESE [email protected]

COURTESY PHOTO

Andrea and Brandon Collins of Avoca pose in front of the Eiffel Tower on their European honeymoon.

See HONEYMOON, Page 38

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Many think thatwhen you attend awedding what you

put in the card should at-tempt to cover the cost ofyour plate. Not necessarily,said Mary Hepner, directorof and a teacher at the Proto-col School of Pennsylvania.“There’s no obligation tocover the cost of dinner,” shesaid.In fact, Hepner insists, agift is just that.“A gift is a gift, and if you

choose to give money, that’sgreat,” she said, “but if youchoose to give a vase, set of pil-lowcases or whatever, that’s per-fectly acceptable as well.”If you do choose to go themon-

etary route, Hepner said, youshould not feel pressured.“There is nominimum; there is

no maximum; there is no guide-line that you should follow,” shesaid. “You give what you’re ableto afford.”Julie Terrana, of Wyoming,

sees nothing wrong with givingthe couple a personalized orhousehold item as a gift.“If you feel you can’t afford to

give enough to cover the plate,and you’re afraid of looking

cheap, buy a nice vase or frame,”she said. “There’s no dollar valueon it, and it’s something thought-ful.”Hepner agrees.“I think that gifts given as a

means to help the couple startout in their new life are alwayswelcome.”Many also believe the weight

of the gift depends on the rela-tionship to the couple.“It depends on how well you

know the couple, if they’re familyor friends,” said Abby Kosta, 32,of Edwardsville, “and if it’s afriend, you have to think abouthow close you are to them.”“You might have to look at the

relationship you have with theirfamily or parents,” Hepner said.No matter what, it’s best to

keep the reason for the day inmind.Michael Salvadore, 26, of King-

ston, is getting married in April.“I know people who say things

about making a profit on theirwedding, and it just sounds disre-spectful,” he said. “A wedding issupposed to be about celebratingwith family and friends. If you getmoney along the way, great, butthat’s not the point.”“The hosting of a wedding is

simply this,” Hepner said. “Togather friends and family to bearwitness to that love and to en-courage the couple as they godown the road of developingtheir life.”

Delicate decisionsHow much should a guest give?Hard-and-fast rules don’t applySARA [email protected]

Charitable donations mightbe fashionable, but if you’dstill prefer to offer a keep-sake on your wedding day,options are as limitless asyour imagination. Andplenty of favors have practi-cal use post-reception. Weasked around and learnedwhat some of the mostappreciated favors havebeen.

• Photo coasters: Thesecan be filled with pictures ofthe couple or double asseating-arrangement placecards.

• Shoeshine kits: Nothingsays “sole mates” like alittle footwear lovin’.

• Photo snow globes:Perfect for a winter wed-ding, these personalizeddecorations can be of futureuse to the receivers, whocan simply swap out theengagement photo for oneof their own.

• Beer cozies: A very pop-ular item most often embla-zoned with “To have and tohold and to keep your beercold.” Your guests will ap-preciate this gift’s useful-ness long after the weddingis over.

•Mint tins: Functional forthe guests, and quick with apun, these personalizedcontainers show that youwere “mint to be.”

-- Sara Pokorny

STILL FAVORACTUAL FAVORS?

kids, and we wanted them to beable to celebrate with us sincethey mean so much to us,” saidSarah Daywood, 26, of Pittston,who married her now-husband,Simon, in August of 2009. “I re-member going to weddings as akid and going home with a can-dle or a bottle of wine, and it justdidn’t serveme any purpose.Wethought this would be fun for ev-eryone.”Candy buffets also can cut

costs.“I bought all the glassware

myself from craft stores andused discount candywebsites tobuy in bulk,” Daywood said. “Istill use the glassware aroundthe house.”Companies such as Sugar

Plum, in Forty Fort, supply ev-erything from candy and coo-kies to chocolate popcorn, aswell as the trimmings for thebuffet table.“Sometimes the bride and

groomwant what their favoritesgrowing up, or they just wantsomething that will make a col-orful impact on the room andmatch their theme,” FrannEdley, owner of Sugar Plum,said. “We have so much at ourfingertips to make the buffetspecial to the event.”

COURTESY PHOTO

Sarah and Simon Daywood, who married in August 2009, chose tohave a colorful candy buffet at their wedding.

GIFTSContinued from Page 32

“A lot of non-profits have wedding packages now where theywill provide you with cards to put on the table to let guests

know you’ve made a donation to them.”— Heather Dehnel of Event Planning 911

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PAGE37

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Complete the nomination form and on a separate sheetof paper, write why you are nominating this person for aHumanitarian Award. Mail both the form and your essay to:The Times Leader, Humanitarian Awards, 15 N. Main Street,

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mooners,”Monko-Nagle said, ex-plaining she’s arranged many re-sort honeymoons through herbusiness, Sea The World Travelin Forty Fort.In her experience, the top des-

tinations for honeymoons aresuch sunny locales as the Baha-mas, Jamaica, St. Lucia and Anti-gua aswell as theRivieraMaya inMexico and Punta Cana in theDominican Republic.“We don’t get too many honey-

moonerswhowant themountainareas,” she said. “It’s the crystal-blue-water beaches. Everyonewants that.”Recent bride Cheryl Fazio of

Plains Township seconds themo-tion. That’s why she and her hus-band went to Aruba. “I just want-ed to lie on the beach and donothing. That’s just what a hon-eymoon should be.”Erin Peters Kovach, who jetted

off to Hawaii with new husband,Chuck, in April, agrees warmsand is awonderful place to relax.“We took a helicopter ride and

did some snorkeling, whateverwe felt like doing,” said Kovach,who brought back striking pho-tos of volcanic cliffs and a luau.“It was a long flight (two hours

from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton toChicago plus 10 hours from Chi-cago to Hawaii) but well worthit,” she said. “For some honeymooners, the

ideal wedding trip is to explore apart of the world neither hasseen.“We knew it was hurricane sea-

son and we were taking achance,” Karen Kaleta Alessi ofMountain Top said. “But neitherof us had ever beenona cruise be-fore. It was great. It was relaxing.It was perfect.”Their October cruise took

Alessi and her husband, Stephen,to Key West and the Bahamas,and there were no hurricanes todisrupt such idyllic pastimes askayaking in water that Alessi de-scribes as “one part blue and an-other part green.”

COURTESY PHOTOS

A luau on Maui was one of the activities Erin and Chuck Kovach of Kingston enjoyed during their honeymoon trip to Hawaii.

HONEYMOONContinued from Page 34

Andrea and Brandon Collins of Avoca pose in front of the LeaningTower of Pisa on their European honeymoon.

Erin and Chuck Kovach of Kingston brought this photo of VolcanoNational Park back from their honeymoon to Hawaii.

“We took a helicopter ride and did somesnorkeling, whatever we felt like doing.”

Erin Peters Kovach, who honeymooned in Hawaii with her husband, Chuck

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Wednesday - Sunday: 4 p.m. - 2 a.m.Wednesday - Sunday: 4 p.m. - 2 a.m.Find us on facebook: www.facebook.com/arenabarFind us on facebook: www.facebook.com/arenabar

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bride and groom - 02-26-2011

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