wedding dresses

Kochi: Amid tight security in the wake of the Chabad House attack in Mumbai, the Paradesi Synagogue in the old Jewish town in Mattancherry on Sunday witnessed a Jewish wedding after a gap of 21 years.

The marriage of Solomon, son of Josephai Abraham of the Thekkumbhagam congregation of the dwindling Cochin Jewish community (called by Israelis as Cochinis) to Susan of the Bene Israel (sons of Israel) Jewish community in Mumbai was solemnised at 5.30 p.m. as a select gathering of about 250 guests with security passes issued by the police witnessed the customary colourful ceremony held behind closed doors.

The last wedding to have been solemnised in the grand old synagogue was in 1987 when Gershom Joshua of the Cochin Jewish community got married to Elizabeth Abraham of the Bene Israel community as the Jew street lined with Dutch houses was choc-a-bloc with people from all over the world arriving to witness it.

Kochi’s Jews, had originally settled in the ancient port of Cranganore , presently Kodungallore, in AD 72 after the Roman legions attacked their temple in Jerusalem.

In the 14th century when they were forced to flee Cranganore under Portuguese onslaught, the Cochin Maharaja gave them land in Mattancherry where they built what came to be known as the ‘Paradesi Synagogue’ in 1568. But the community’s strength started eroding as more and more people left in search of the Promised Land after the India became Independent.

The marriage, however, was a low-key affair. As it was the ninth day of the Jewish Hanukkah festival, nine candles were lit and prayers sung prior to the wedding ceremony. Solomon arrived in a black suit and his bride wore a flowing milky-white gown. In what is unique to the Kochi Jews, the blessing, a part of the verse is in Aramaic, was read out by the bridegroom. The bride, all the while veiled, and the bridegroom sat under a chuppah (canopy), a decorated piece of cloth held aloft as the couple’s symbolic home.

Ketuvah, the marriage agreement detailing the husband’s earthly obligations to his wife, was read out and signed by the couple. Breaking their fast for the day, Solomon and Susan sipped wine and as her face, unveiled, flowered into a smile, he slipped the wine-soaked wedding ring on her finger and broke a wineglass. In the absence of a rabbi, chief warden of the Paradesi Synagogue, Samuel Hallegua, read out the seven blessings in Hebrew.

Thunderous applause and a song in Hebrew marked the culmination of the ceremony.

Kochi: Amid tight security in the wake of the Chabad House attack in Mumbai, the Paradesi Synagogue in the old Jewish town in Mattancherry on Sunday witnessed a Jewish wedding after a gap of 21 years.

The marriage of Solomon, son of Josephai Abraham of the Thekkumbhagam congregation of the dwindling Cochin Jewish community (called by Israelis as Cochinis) to Susan of the Bene Israel (sons of Israel) Jewish community in Mumbai was solemnised at 5.30 p.m. as a select gathering of about 250 guests with security passes issued by the police witnessed the customary colourful ceremony held behind closed doors.

The last wedding to have been solemnised in the grand old synagogue was in 1987 when Gershom Joshua of the Cochin Jewish community got married to Elizabeth Abraham of the Bene Israel community as the Jew street lined with Dutch houses was choc-a-bloc with people from all over the world arriving to witness it.

Kochi’s Jews, had originally settled in the ancient port of Cranganore , presently Kodungallore, in AD 72 after the Roman legions attacked their temple in Jerusalem.

In the 14th century when they were forced to flee Cranganore under Portuguese onslaught, the Cochin Maharaja gave them land in Mattancherry where they built what came to be known as the ‘Paradesi Synagogue’ in 1568.

But the community’s strength started eroding as more and more people left in search of the Promised Land after the India became Independent.

The marriage, however, was a low-key affair. As it was the ninth day of the Jewish Hanukkah festival, nine candles were lit and prayers sung prior to the wedding ceremony. Solomon arrived in a black suit and his bride wore a flowing milky-white gown.

In what is unique to the Kochi Jews, the blessing, a part of the verse is in Aramaic, was read out by the bridegroom. The bride, all the while veiled, and the bridegroom sat under a chuppah (canopy), a decorated piece of cloth held aloft as the couple’s symbolic home.

Ketuvah, the marriage agreement detailing the husband’s earthly obligations to his wife, was read out and signed by the couple.

Breaking their fast for the day, Solomon and Susan sipped wine and as her face, unveiled, flowered into a smile, he slipped the wine-soaked wedding ring on her finger and broke a wineglass, a practice reminiscent of the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem.

In the absence of a rabbi, chief warden of the Paradesi Synagogue, Samuel Hallegua, read out the seven blessings in Hebrew.

Thunderous applause and a song in Hebrew marked the culmination of the ceremony.

The holiday season may be wrapping up, but engagement season is just getting under way.

According to TheKnot.com, 40 percent of all marriage proposals happen between November and February. Which means approximately 1 million newly engaged couples will begin planning their nuptials this year.

However, planning a wedding can be a costly venture. Wedding Report Inc., which follows the trends of the industry, reports the average wedding costs around $29,000.

Given the economic downturn, Anja Winikka, an editor for the TheKnot.com, said she suspects many brides-to-be will be looking for cheaper ways to say “I do.”

Winikka and three local brides offer their tips on how to plan your big day without breaking the bank.

First things first

When starting to plan a wedding, Winikka said determining your budget is No. 1.

“I would suggest (the bride) not spent one penny until she knows who is contributing to the wedding and where the money is going to go,” Winikka said.

After the budget is set, Winikka said it is important for the bride to prioritize. Whether it be the flowers, the reception or the dress, the bride needs to pick out what she feels are the most important elements of the wedding, Winikka said.

“Pick out (your priorities) first and plug in the rest,” she said. Doing so will make planning the rest of the budget less complicated.

While planning her wedding last summer, Jaime Hemsley of Knoxville said photography topped the priority list for her and husband Brent.

“Photography was very important to me,” Hemsley said. “In the end, this is what your kids are going to look at.”

Looking back on her wedding in August, she said it was the best choice she made while planning.

Something borrowed

If your budget has almost reached its breaking point, try borrowing things instead of buying.

Newlyweds Jennifer and Brian Cleek suggest asking friends and family to help out.

The Knoxville couple now living in New York said they were able to save money on decorations for their reception by borrowing hundreds of votive candles from one of Jennifer’s friends who had recently gotten married.

“We kept the decor simple and saved money by not doing centerpieces.” Jennifer Cleek said.

Be your own planner

Wedding planner Peggy Love, owner of Plan it With Love, said if you are trying to stick with a strict budget, you should forego professional assistance and plan it yourself. Lori Caldwell, a recent Knoxville bride, decided to use the wedding planning tool on TheKnot.com and a good friend to help coordinate her special day. This not only saved her money, but allowed her to plan the wedding she wanted.

Caldwell said she didn’t want her vision of the wedding to compete with a planner’s.

“I really had my own things in mind,” she said.

Don’t follow the crowd

Winikka said the most popular time to get married is in the late spring and early fall.

These peak months are not only the most popular, but the most expensive.

If possible, Winikka said, avoid setting a date during this time because vendors will charge more than they would in an off-season. Better deals can be found in months like January or February.

“There just aren’t as many events going on at that time,” she said.

Go digital

While paper invitations are traditional, Winikka said sending some information over the Web can be more cost-effective. “Limiting the amount of inserts in an invitation can save a lot of money,” she explained.

Winikka suggests sending directions over the Internet either in an e-mail or setting up a Web site for your wedding.

Though this may work well for Internet-savvy guests, Winikka said inserts should still be used for any older guests on the list.

Sweet and simple

Custom wedding cakes can cost hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars. Winikka said there are several creative ways you can get the cake you’ve always imagined without paying a lot.

One way to do this is going with a smaller version of the cake you want. Winikka said iced sheet cakes can be kept in the back and served to guests once the cake is cut.

Another alternative is having a bakery create faux tiers for the cake. Winikka said this creates the illusion of a bigger cake at a minimal cost.

Jenny Ratledge may be reached 865-342-6432.

THE QUESTION

My buddy, let’s call him Allan, is a good friend I’ve always been there for. He was diagnosed with cancer recently and blew off my wedding. I had been keeping in touch with him, and it looked like he would be able to come, but then the week before the big day I called him and he said, and I quote: “Oh, that’s this weekend?” He said he would come if he and his wife could find a babysitter for the weekend. He e-mailed me the next day and said they wouldn’t be able to attend. I told him I understood, but in reality I was seething. For the past year I’ve been trying to forgive him, but I find myself steaming and stewing and can’t seem to get over it. Now I’ve received an e-mail saying his condition has worsened. Should I say something to clear the air or let sleeping dogs lie?

THE ANSWER

Well, I don’t know anything about sleeping dogs, but unless you want this can of worms to turn into a nest of vipers that bites you in the ass, I would proceed with extreme caution.

Now, normally the motto of this column is: “We’re here to help you, not judge you.”

Team Damage Control understands better than anyone that we’re all human and make mistakes.

Even I, David Eddie, CEO (chief error-rectification ombudsperson) of Damage Control’s vast international aggregate of extrication experts and screw-up specialists, am endlessly appalled at the flow of gaffes, missteps, blunders, stumbles and faux pas that emanate “from my desk.”

That’s why Team DC has never seen the point of tut-tutting or tsk-tsking or acting all superior when people write in.

But we’re going to diverge a bit from our normal policy in this case to suggest, ever so gently and begging your pardon, good sir, that perhaps you could stand to get over yourself a teensy-weensy bit.

I mean, for all you know, in the rollup to your wedding, “Allan” was a pincushion of intravenous tubes, hair falling out from chemo, so drugged on a “cancer cocktail” he was barely able to get out of bed.

Maybe when he said, “Oh, is that this weekend?” he was in such a morphine haze he hardly knew his own name.

(My mother was a cancer nurse for a while. When she cranked one of her patient’s dosage up, he was so grateful for the pain relief he said it was like being “born again.”)

Perhaps his disease or treatment had caused some disfigurement he did not want to exhibit to the world.

I remember once I ran into a friend who had brain cancer. I hadn’t seen him for a while, and his head, covered with a large tuque, was oversized and misshapen. I had the feeling he wished he hadn’t run into me – that he didn’t want to be seen in this state.

Meanwhile, I was so sad for him I didn’t know what to say.

(It was so awkward, that conversation, the last one we would ever have. He knew his days were numbered, and he knew I knew, and in a circumstance like that even my reflexive urge to ask, “Hey, how’s it going?” felt like a faux pas. “Well, Dave … ” he began. I was thinking: “Argh, wrong question! Dumb, dumb, dumb!”)

Likewise, maybe your friend’s “sitter” line may have been a smokescreen to spare you any possible discomfiture or sadness on his behalf.

But instead of giving him the benefit of the doubt, you’re all like: Me, me, me, wah wah wah, woe is me, I’ve always been there for him and he blows me off and na na na.

I would suggest if you just can’t seem to let it go then, yes, you should talk to him.

But if you do go that route, then really back into it. Say something like: “Listen, I owe you an apology. There’s been something that’s been bothering me and I know it’s totally unfair, but I have to admit it hurt my feelings when you didn’t come to my wedding and it seemed to me you were being so casual about it.”

Pause here, to give him a chance to explain. If he says something like, “Yeah, well, I won free tickets to a Method Man concert so I decided to blow off your candy-ass wedding and go to that instead,” then, yes, you have the right to dress him down a bit.

(I would even go so far as to add “just like anyone else.” After all, you don’t want to be cancer-ist, do you, and treat him with kid gloves just because he’s sick as well as rude? If he’s being a pill, you should let him know just as you would any healthy person.)

But if, as I suspect, he says something more along the lines of: “Yeah, the morphine had me in an iron grip, and I was so sick from the chemo, lying around like a poisoned frog, I couldn’t get up to go to the bathroom, let alone your wedding,” then you will feel like a schmuck for chewing him out.

Really, the best thing, if you can manage it, is to set the whole episode aside. Drop it. In a word: Fuhgedaboudit.

After all, time may be short. You say you’ve always “been there” for your friend. It seems to me that now is a time he needs you to be there for him more than ever. Time to mend fences, set aside petty differences and be there for your buddy before God takes him and he’s no longer there for you or anyone else.

David Eddie is a screenwriter and the author of Chump Change and Housebroken: Confessions of a Stay-at-Home Dad.

I’ve made a huge mistake: Have you created any damage that needs controlling? Send your dilemmas to damage@globeandmail.com, and include your hometown and a daytime contact number so we can follow up with any queries.

France’s first lady, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy has revealed that her wedding to President Nicolas Sarkozy was decided just two days in advance.

In a one-hour interview for French TV, Ms Bruni also recalled that she practiced her curtsy for Britain’s Queen Elizabeth with British rock singer Marianne Faithfull.

The programme “Carla Bruni in complete freedom” reunited the president’s wife with friends from her former careers as a model and singer-songwriter.

Guests included French fashion designers Christian Lacroix and Jean Paul Gaultier, who created the Hermes dress she wore for her wedding in a small private ceremony in February.

Ms Bruni said the wedding was decided just two days in advance, leaving her barely enough time to find a dress. She said she chose the cream Hermes knee-length dress off the rack in one of the brand’s Paris stores.

She also revealed she was nervous about meeting the Queen and was given specific instructions by diplomats on what to wear and say. She decided to curtsy to the British monarch, even though it is not obligatory for the wives of heads of state.

“I really wanted to curtsy to the Queen, and we had a lot of fun with my friend Marianne Faithfull, who had already met the Queen,” she said.

“She (Faithfull) is a British citizen, and she showed me 50 different kinds of curtsies, including some that involved practically throwing yourself on the floor, and it was very funny. I did not imagine that people would talk about the curtsy that much afterwards,” she added.

Ms Bruni acknowledged she had toned down her naturally playful personality because of the criticism she drew when she first started dating the President.

“There was a brief period when I was trying to be serious so that people would trust me and so they wouldn’t worry, so they wouldn’t say: ‘My God, what is the world coming to?’,” she confided.

She said she did not mind interviewers asking her about her desire to have another child (she has a seven-year-old son from a previous relationship), but resented suggestions her stomach already looked pregnant. “Isn’t that rude? Now, I’ve completely cut out the beer,” she said with a laugh.

Lacroix said the television show was the first glimpse of her real personality. “It’s the first time that you see her as we know her,” he said, referring to the years when she modeled in his catwalk shows.

The president’s wife raised eyebrows in July by releasing an album with lyrics mocking her reputation as a man-eater and comparing her lover to a class A drug. She is donating her royalties from sales of the record to charity.

This week, she won damages from a clothing firm who had distributed bags bearing a nude image of her from her modeling days.

In the February/March issue of Modern Bride, Bride Wars stars Anne Hathaway and Kate Hudson dish about weddings.

Hathaway says her “favorite wedding moment” is when her older brother and his boyfriend got hitched a few years ago.

“At one point, he and his husband were standing up there, and my mom got up to sing,” Hathaway recalls. “She was just beaming straight love into them, and everyone felt it, and it was just this really beautiful moment.

“When Mike and Josh booked the place, it was before daylight savings time, and the sun was pretty high up in the sky,” she continues. “Now it was at eye level, and it was blinding! Burn-your-retina bright!

“We sent my cousin’s boyfriend down to Canal Street [in New York City] with $250 to buy as many sunglasses as he could, and we put them on every other seat. Everybody just put on their sunglasses, and we have some great pictures of that!” she says. “It’s all about crisis management, isn’t it?”

See unforgettable celeb wedding photos.

As for Hathaway, “I’m not the sort of girl who dreams about her wedding,” she admits.

Find out at what age your favorite stars got engaged.

But lately, she says she’s found herself putting together her
“ideal wedding playlist.”

“I haven’t thought about the food; I haven’t thought about the look; I haven’t thought about my dress. I haven’t really thought about the guy … but every once in a while, I’ll listen to a song, and I’m like, ‘I want that at my wedding!’” she says.

Her must-haves: “Maps” by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs; “Walken” by Wilco and “You Are the Best Thing” by Ray LaMontagne.

“That’s going to be, like, the No. 1 wedding song for the next 25 years — trust me!” she says.

(Don’t play Celine Dion’s “All By Myself” or Donna Summers‘ “Last Dance,” she advises.)

Hathaway also urges women not to try to feel perfect in their wedding dress.

See what Kate Hudson looks like in a wedding dress.

“I gave up my struggle with perfection a long time ago. That’s a concept I don’t find very interesting anymore,” she says. “Everyone just wants to look good in the photographs. I think that’s where some of the pressure comes from.

“Be happy. Be yourself,” she says. “The day is about a lot more. But if your lifestyle is not as healthy as it should be, and it’s motivation to try something new, maybe that’s for the best. I know Kate would advise everyone to take a pole-dancing class.”

Hudson also has some advice for the big day.

“No. 1: Make sure you’re ready to get married, that you’re really sure you want to do this,” says the actress, who wed Chris Robinson in 2000 and split six years later.

“And No. 2,” she adds, “I would say really good placement of the bar! At a wedding you want to have a good time. Have special cocktails that are really fun for people.”

See who Kate Hudson hooked up with in 2008 - and more flings!

And remember, Hudson says, girlfriends are always more important than guys.

“We all need girlfriends,” she said. “At my sister-in-law’s wedding shower, my mom [Goldie Hawn] said, ‘I want you guys to look around at each other. At the end of the day, men come and go. Sometimes reality can be difficult, but the girlfriends you are next to allow you to work through the things in your life. Because when trouble happens with boys — which it does — it’s your girlfriends who hold you up.’”

The award-winning entertainment media university will present the video game wedding event Saturday, January 17 at 1:00 PM at the Orlando Science Center.

Winter Park, FL (PRWEB) December 19, 2008 — Full Sail University, an award-winning entertainment media university near Orlando, FL, presents the video game wedding event, “A Match Made in Halo.” The wedding will take place on Saturday, January 17 at 1:00 PM at the Orlando Science Center (www.osc.org).

The couple will be married during Otronicon (www.otronicon.org), the ultimate video game experience, in front of 3,000 local guests in a fully-themed Halo wedding event. Elements of the Halo theme include: game Master Chief serving as the officiant; bridal party attire featuring bride and groom’s Halo emblems; a string quartet to play Halo soundtrack music; a Halo-themed wedding cake; and Halo décor throughout the ceremony and reception.

The bride and groom and avid gamers, Desirai Labrada and John Henry, met while playing Halo online in December 2004 through the Xbox Live system. In August 2005, Labrada relocated to Florida and began her studies at Full Sail University in the Digital Media Degree Program. The couple continued their relationship while now living together in Central Florida.

“The ‘A Match Made in Halo’ wedding event will bring to life how interactive entertainment and digital media are changing the way we communicate with one another,” said Rob Catto, Program Director of Game Studies at Full Sail University. “Today’s generation is meeting through online platforms and it is only natural for this unique way to connect and date to find its way into multi-player video games.”

MTV Multiplayer Gaming Blog will be blogging about the progression of the wedding plans and featuring 60-second videos prior to the wedding day. MTV News will be traveling to Orlando in January to cover the wedding for a feature segment on MTV.

The couple has received numerous donations from businesses in the Central Florida area to create the Halo-themed memorable occasion. They are the following: Apple Blossom Florist & Gifts (Appleblossomflorist.com), providing floral décor and bouquets; Aramark (Aramark.com), providing food and beverage catering; Atlantis 9 (Atlantis9.com), providing videography services; Becky Lantree - Art Under Glass, providing custom pendants with bride’s Halo emblem; Clambake Partners - String Quartet, providing live Halo themed music; Copperhead Salon (Copperheadsalon.com), providing hair services for bridal party; Good 2 Go Event Management Inc. (G2gevents.com), providing wedding planning services; Heather Smith - Costume Designer, providing wedding dress alterations and customization; La Bella Storia - Weddings & Events (Labellastoria.com), providing wedding planning services; RF Photography (Rfphotography.com), providing photography services; Sacino’s Formal Wear (Sacino.com), providing groomsmen tuxes; Safia Pulliam - Makeup Artist, providing makeup for bridal party; Sullivan’s S&S Jewelers (Sandsjewelers.com), providing wedding bands; and Zoet Finest Cakes (Zoetcakes.com), providing custom wedding cake.

“As a graduate of Full Sail, I have had the opportunity to attend Otronicon and have always enjoyed this one-of-a-kind event,” said Labrada. “Now as a bride and a Halo fan, I cannot think of a more perfect setting to celebrate our wedding day. John and I are greatly thankful to all involved for their generous contributions in making our Halo themed wedding dream a reality.”

About Full Sail University:
Since 1979, Full Sail University, located outside of Orlando, FL, has been an innovative educational leader for those pursuing careers in the entertainment industry. With over 30,000 alumni, graduate credits include work on Oscar, Emmy and GRAMMY®-winning projects, best-selling video games, and the #1 grossing U.S. concert tours. Full Sail’s 190-acre campus and online education platform proudly welcomes over 6,100 students from 50 states and 50 countries.

Full Sail currently offers a total of seventeen degree programs including: Associate of Science Degrees offered in Graphic Design, Recording Arts and Show Production & Touring; Bachelor of Science Degrees offered in Computer Animation, Digital Arts & Design, Entertainment Business (online and on-campus), Film, Game Art, Game Development, Internet Marketing (online), Music Business and Web Design & Development; and Master of Science Degrees in Education Media Design & Technology (online), Game Design, Entertainment Business (online and on-campus) and Internet Marketing (online); and a Master of Fine Art in Media Design.

Full Sail was most recently was named the 2008 “School/College of the Year” by the Florida Association of Postsecondary Schools and Colleges. The university has also been named: The Harvard of Game Schools by Tips & Tricks Magazine; one of the top three New Media Schools by Shift Magazine (alongside the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and New York University); one of the Top Five Game Degree Programs in the world by Electronic Gaming Monthly; one of the Best Music Programs in the country by Rolling Stone Magazine; one of the Best Music Business Departments in the Schools That Rock: The Rolling Stone College Guide; and one of the Best Film Programs in the country by UNleashed Magazine.

For more information about Full Sail, please visit FullSail.edu.