For Charles and Melissa

...Fairy Tales Do Come True

A bride, a groom, two loving families, 120 friends and a Cinderella setting--their Fairy Tale came true Friday evening at the newest wedding venue on the north side. Fairy Tale Manor in Frisco hosted its first wedding ceremony as Melissa and Charles became husband and wife following a three year romance and a romantic proposal last October.

Fairy Tale Manor is the new endeavor for Tom and Laura Parker, a couple well known to those of us at LoveNotes, most notably because of Laura's role as a professional photographer with Fairy Tale Photography. Are you sensing a theme here? Consumate professionals, they are both pouring tremendous energy and planning into the venue and it shows in the changes to the decor, attention to detail and goal-oriented staff (big shout out to Autumn!).

The bride chose chocolate and light blue for her colors that extended from flowers, to chair covers, to bridesmaid dresses and even the groomsmen's vests and ties. The wedding party included family members, close friends and college room mates.

The ceremony went smoothly with Gary Lankford of Heavy G Productions at the sound controls. He's a professional DJ, MC and party leader. Gary handled music for the ceremony as well as the reception--he even played some Lynyrd Skynyrd for me (I'm an old rock 'n' roller), but he has every possible genre of music in his library, and he knows how to keep a party going.

Thanks to Laura Parker. for sending me the pictures. And as always, my gratitude goes to the newlyweds, for letting me be part of their special day. Charles and Melissa made a memory for me, a Fairy Tale memory, and this one came true.

Blessings,
Ken

Happy Birthday, Alyssa

...my daughter-in-law turns thirty-something


Ian and Alyssa actually knew each other in high school primarily because Ian was friends with Alyssa's brother, Chris. While Ian was a sophomore, Lyss was a senior. They were acquainted, but that was it. Some years later, however, when Lyss was a student at the University of South Carolina (in Columbia, SC), Ian and Chris moved there to be interns in a church youth program. Acquaintances become friends, friendship sometimes becomes romance, and when Ian said "will you", she said " yes". God truly blessed us, and blessed our son, when he brought Alyssa into our lives.

Interestingly, some years ago, before Ian and Lyss were even dating, I worked in our church youth ministry with Lyssa's mother, Jan. One day we were talking about our respective children and we both wondered out loud, wouldn't it be great if Ian and Lyss got together--they would make such beautiful babies. Well, I'll let you be the judge of that outcome as you look at the pictures. If you'd like to see more of Liam and the Family Byrd in Albuquerque, click Here

God is good. He blessed us with Alyssa. Happy Birthday to the woman who makes our son so happy! !

Blessings,
Ken

Association of Certified Wedding Planners

...or, the cream always rises to the top

The American Association of Certified Wedding Planners is a purpose driven organization that continually emphasizes training and experience to those seeking to excel in the wedding & hospitality business. To learn more about this group click Here

Today, three of us from LoveNotes (including founder Rev. Marty Younkin and his wife Carol) were honored by being asked to present a program to the current class of those seeking the CWP designation. The session was held at the Magnolia Hotel downtown. For today's program, we were asked to talk about certain special touches and ethnic/cultural practices during a wedding ceremony, primarily the Bible/Coins/Lasso for Hispanic weddings; the Huppah, Kiddush cup and glass breaking for Jewish ceremonies; and the wonderfully historic practice of jumping the broom for African-American weddings.

Looking around the room was somewhat like looking at a Who's-Who of wedding planners. Shari Johns (who invited us to speak), Wendy Kidd, Karen Radford, and Alison Fuld along with another two dozen or so made us welcome and graciously invited us to share lunch afterwards.

In the photo above are, left to right, Karen Radford, Laura DeBow, Trudy Baade, Marsha Ballard French, Shari Johns, Kimberly Sutton, and Micki Novak, all of whom are among the leadership in the AACWP.

Here's my point: this group is dedicated to providing couples with the experience of a lifetime when it comes to the wedding ceremony and reception. They're the specialists, the go-to people. When I walk into a rehearsal or ceremony and see one of these folks, I mentally relax a few notches as I know that the bride and groom are in good hands and things will go as planned.

I appreciate being asked to attend these sessions. Brides should appreciate that there are those who care enough about a wedding ceremony to spend hours and hours in a classroom to get the training so they can create that magic, fairytale wedding that couples dream about.

Blessings,
Ken


UPDATE: At the time I wrote the above post I didn't know that the AACWP had just given LoveNotesWeddings their 2009 "Favorite Vendor" award. It's a great honor, and it's also humbling to know that this distinction was given by the professionals in the wedding industry. We appreciate the trust, but we also know we have to earn it each time we walk into an event.

Enchanted Memories

...created for Karim & Patty.

Sitting just a few blocks off Hwy 67 in Duncanville is one of those sparkling gems that more people need to know about. Enchanted Memories On The Hill is a wedding and reception venue that was designed and built to be just what it is. Opened about six years ago, it is owned and operated by Earnest and JoDee Wilson. Interestingly, the very first wedding rehearsal in the facility was for Earnest and JoDee and I had the priviledge of conducting that rehearsal. The building sits amidst lush vegetation and is perhaps best known for it's peaceful back garden and gazebo, the site of many wedding ceremonies. JoDee serves as wedding coordinator, along with the many staff members attentive to every single detail.
Patty and Karim elected the inviting chapel inside as the site for their ceremony. Patty chose pink for the Valentine's Day wedding, so that her bridesmaids were attired in pastels and hot pinks. The bride's sister was matron of honor and her niece was one of the bridesmaids. Fortunately, a couple of pink ties hang in my closet so I was able to coordinate with the chosen colors.

DJ duties for the evening were handled by Ken Savage , a veteran of CBS radio, not to mention that he has his own 8 piece band where he can show off his years of experience as a rock & blues guitarist. If you ever get the chance to see Ken Savage and the Best Kept Secret, do it--the horn section alone will blow you away!

My thanks to Robbin, who provided me the pictures taken during the ceremony. Check out the pic of me holding the flower girl--I think she had more fun than any of us during the ceremony; and look closely at the ceremony picture--one of the ring bearers decided to take a little siesta during the ceremony. He got up just in time for the recessional.

Blessings,
Ken

Molly and Greg

..tie the knot at Arlington Hall at Lee Park

Arlington Hall at Lee Park is steeped in Dallas history, sitting at the corner of Lemmon Avenue and Turtle Creek Boulevard. It's one of those places many Dallasites have driven past many times and perhaps wondered what the big stone and marble building is on that hill. It's one of those wonderfully elegant southern mansions now used for weddings and other events. Lee Park dates back to 1903, with Arlington Hall added in 1939. A complete restoration of the structure was completed about 5 years ago. Marissa Ritter(an event planner I've known for about five years) and her staff are consistently excellent in the level of service and quality of food. Click the red link above to see more.

This past weekend Molly & Greg exchanged vows in the beautifully restored main ballroom. Both bride and groom alternated between smiles and tears as about 100 family and friends looked on. Sage green, cream and light pink were the bride's colors as seen in flowers, decorations and bridesmaid dresses.

A special note should be made about the musicians for the ceremony and dinner music. Forte Strings is a group of talented string players that I see often. Their playlist runs from the usual classical pieces you hear at weddings, to Lennon-McCartney tunes, and even to more recent pop hits. They handle it all with ease. Sharon Hawkins is also one of the few musicians who actually attends wedding rehearsals. They are absolute professionals and a joy to work with. You can learn about about Forte Strings by clicking here.

Handling photography duties were not one, not two, but three ladies from Bella Bee Photography. I appreciate them allowing me to use the photos shot during the ceremony. With three of them snapping, it's unlikely that any good shot was missed; and yet, they were so unobtrusive, we hardly knew they were there during the ceremony. Fortunately, the ceremony was completed in time to take outdoor pictures just before the sun went down, so the lighting was soft and beautiful. I think photographers refer to that period as "the magic hour".

I'm grateful to Molly and Greg for allowing me to officiate their ceremony. It was tender yet fun at the same time. I only wish that Molly could have seen the look on Greg's face as she turned the corner and headed down the aisle with her proud father.

Blessings,
Ken

Grandchildren

...again

Any regular visitors to this blog and anyone who knows me personally will understand that my grandchildren are a great source of joy to me. Any grandparent will claim that their grandchildren are the most beautiful or smartest. The difference, modestly speaking, is that I absolutely know that mine are both.

Here's the latest pic of Liam (bottom left) with his two bff's, Emma and Aislyn. If you aren't familiar with internet & texting slang," bff" means best friend forever.

Another tip of the hat to Amy Grebe for a spectacular photo.

Blessings,

Ken

Marriage License Requirements

...what recent Texas laws mean to you

As I consult with couples and when I occasionally visit the various internet message boards for engaged couples, one of the topics that seems to generate a lot of chatter and a lot of confusion concerns your marriage license. Here is a summary of license requirements and some info about the latest changes in state law regard marriage preparation classes.

In order to marry in the state of Texas you must have a marriage certificate (license) issued in a Texas county. It doesn't make any difference what county, as a license issued in any Texas county is good in any of the 254 counties in the state. However, the license must be used within 30 days of issue and there is a 72 hour waiting period, meaning that a ceremony cannot take place until 72 hours after the certificate is issued. However, there are three exceptions to the waiting period: (1) Active military personnel are exempt; (2) A judge can waive the requirement; and (3) A certificate from an approved marriage preparation class (see details below) exempts you from the waiting period.

When you go to the country clerk office to get your license, both parties need to go and you should take two forms of government issued identification, such as drivers license, social security card, birth certificate, passport, etc. Also, take cash, as most counties do not accept checks, credit cards or debit cards for a marriage license. Check with your county clerk's office for any exceptions. There is no requirement for witnesses to sign, nor is there a physical exam, blood test, etc. required.

Okay, now what's all this we're hearing about marriage counseling?? In the spring of 2007 the Texas legislature passed a bill commonly known as the "Healthy Marriage Initiative". It became law on September 1, 2008. In summary, the bill says that the state will waive it's fee for a marriage license and waive the 72 hour waiting period, IF the couple presents a certificate showing that they have taken an eight hour curriculum from an approved provider. The state of Texas put all of this under the Health & Human Services Department, which then appointed a group of third party intermediaries in districts around the state. In north Texas, that third party is Anthem North Texas. They are charged with accepting applications from counselors, psychologists, churches, ministers, etc. who wish to provide the counseling. If you elect to attend counseling and you want it to count towards that state requirement, be sure you verify that the person or group you've chosen has a provider number.

Here are some frequently asked questions about the marriage preparation classes:
Am I required to take a class? Absolutely not. Even though the state is encouraging couples to be prepared to enter into marriage, they did not place a requirement for these classes. However, couples who elect not to take a class will have to pay the full fee of $60.00 for a license (plus whatever the county fee is)

Does it have to be counseling at a church?? No, the state says that the providers of the classes can be faith-based or secular, but either way, they must be approved by the intermediary, and they must use an 8 hour curriculum recognized by the intermediary.

What is covered in the classes?? The usual things you would expect such as interpersonal relations, conflict resolution, finances, household management, etc.

When do I have to take the class? Completion of the class must be in the 12 months prior to your wedding ceremony.

Do I have to pass a test?? No, but some curriculums may provide little quizzes for each segment.

How about our church pastor? We had some counseling at church. Does that count? Only if your pastor has applied for and been granted status as an approved provider and a recognized 8 hour curriculum was followed.

How do I know if my church or counselor is an approved provider? Ask for verification, such as a provider number.

How will the county clerk know that I took the class? Upon completion of the class, the approved provider will give you a certificate with proper identifying information, which you will then present to the county clerk?

So, if I take this class, my marriage license is free? No, only the state fee of $60.00 is waived. The county may still charge a fee, but it's small, ranging from $8.00 to $12.00 depending on county.

Where do I go for more information? How do I find a provider? On the panel at right is a link to North Texas Anthem. Their website has information about requirements and they also have a locator to help you find an approved provider close to you.

What does "Anthem" stand for?? Alliance for North Texas Healthy Effective Marriages.

Does LoveNotes provide these classes? Not at this time, although we may consider it. We will also be able to recommend approved providers.

If all of the above sounds very confusing, well you're right. The change that took effect last September 1 caught a lot of people unprepared. I have attended the orientation and preparation sessions offered by Anthem North Texas and even though I have not applied for provider status yet, their sessions gave me a lot of insight into the new requirements.

If you have a question that I didn't answer above, email me at treasurethepromise@gmail.com If I don't have an answer, I can direct you to the right person or site to get that answer.

Blessings,
Ken

Thanks, North Texas

...for the wonderful honor

All of us at LoveNotes are pleased to announce that we were selected to the annual "Best Of" list for wedding vendors in Texas by OneWed, a respected website that serves as a resource for brides. We were just recently made aware of this honor that is based on comments and feedback not only from brides but from other wedding professionals as well.

If you'd like to see the news story and get access to the list, just click HERE. It's free.

This is a great honor, but we know we have to earn that trust and respect each time we walk into any venue or officiate any ceremony. It is gratifying to be recognized for doing something we love.

Blessings,

Ken

Thanksgiving after your wedding

...pause to say thank you

A trend I've noticed that I hope will continue and expand is couples taking time to say "thank you" to the vendors who poured time, energy and heart into that ceremony and reception. I have to admit that it's gratifying when I receive a card or email (especially with a picture) from one of my couples. The wedding coordinators have their lists of the wedding party and how it's all organized. The DJ has met with the couple to nail down the "do play" and the "don't play" lists. The florist works behind the scenes to make the bouquets, boutonnières and table arrangements perfect. The photographer brings years of experience and thousands of dollars in equipment. The catering folks want every food station to be memorable for the guests. Get the picture?

Sure, the vendors are grateful to have the business, and it's what they do for a living, but everyone enjoys a little pat on the back sometimes. Most of us involved in the wedding industry truly care about what we do and go to whatever lengths are necessary to ensure that the bride and groom have a singular, wonderful day.

To my couples who send me notes and pictures, I truly enjoy and treasure each one of you and I hope I've made it clear how much I appreciate you. Each wedding ceremony is unique, but the one constant is the joy I get from saying "I now pronounce you husband and wife". I never tire of saying it and I never tire of hearing from my couples.

Blessings,
Ken