D.C. Brides Hoping for Surprise Appearance from the Obamas at their Weddings

Way back when our Commander-in-Chief was still referred to as “President Elect” we told all you patriotic brides out there exactly how to invite President Barack Obama to your wedding. Apparently you did just that – and told a friend, or two. According to a recent article on Politico.com, the White House has received thousands of wedding invitations for the Obamas, and many of the brides (especially locally) are kinda-sorta-hoping they might really come.

“It doesn’t even faze us when we see the Obamas on a guest list these days,” District Weddings blog editor and event planner Devon Pearce told the site. “We don’t even wonder why they’re doing it. It’s just another invitation to send.”

That is unless of course you’re banking on the fact that the Obamas are probably the most down-to-earth duo to ever call the White House home.

Pearce says that she and other local planners refuse to tell their clients it’s an impossibility for that very fact.

“There’s a lot of glamour surrounding the Obamas,” she said. “And they do socialize a lot and have this habit of randomly showing up to places where everyday people are.”

Wouldn’t that be one heck of a surprise wedding present? I wouldn’t put it past this dynamic duo. Do you think they’d ever show? Oh, and did you invite them to your wedding? Have you gotten anything back yet? (You were supposed to get signed response at the least.) Talk to me gals!

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photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Ebenezer, 93, and Monica, 89, Get Married -- Aww!

Everybody now! “We’ve only just begun...” Palm Beach, Florida love birds 93-year-old Ebenezer Rose and 89-year-old Monica Hayden tied the knot this weekend. Their courtship was brief, but it’s actually been around twenty years since they first met at church. At the time, they were both married, but Rose’s first wife passed away after 58 years of marriage and Hayden is now twice-widowed: Her second husband passed away six months ago.

"[Rose] told Hayden, 'Each of us is living a lonely life. Why not get married?'"

If only it were always that simple!

—Josey Miller

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photo: Todd Rafalovich

Couple Tying the Knot in Zero Gravity

They’d rather get married “in space or on Mars,” says 31-year-old Noah Fulmore. But instead, he and his (fellow sci-fi addict) fiancée, 30-year-old Erin Finnegan, will become the first couple on Earth—or anywhere else, that we know of—to say “I do” in zero gravity.

On June 20th, the couple and a few friends will fly on a plane owned by the Zero Gravity Corporation, the only federally approved provider of commercial weightless flights. It costs $5,200 per person, and the Brooklyn, New York bride and groom are footing the entire bill. Fulmore says:

"I think we will spend some of our married life simply paying off the expense, but I think that weightlessness is probably the best metaphor for love that one can experience.”

The 90-minute trip includes several 30-second dips called “parabolic arcs.” Space tourist (and astronaut’s son) Richard Garriott will officiate the ceremony.

What do you think: crazy or romantic? Would you ever have an extreme wedding?

—Josey Miller

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photo: Nino Satria/jelaga/SXC

Heroine Bride Saves the Day (on Her Big Day!)

When you’re on the way home from your wedding, you’re probably pretty distracted, right? Laughing, reminiscing about your favorite moments... Thankfully, despite a car full of leftover wedding cake and hydrangeas and lilies in water, Georgette Fogarty-Clemons still noticed a neighbor’s house spewing black smoke. The brave Bridgeport, Connecticut bride pounded on the door to alert the residents. And Susan Schneiderman, her 16-year-old son, and their pets are all safe thanks to Fogarty-Clemons’s quick-thinking courage.

"She was doing her best to get everybody out," Bridgeport Deputy Fire Chief Bruce Porzelt said. "It's got to be a funny thing to end up doing that on your wedding day, in your wedding gown."

—Josey Miller

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Bold Thief Steals Photog’s Camera During Wedding: What Would YOU Do?

Your gown is stunning -- as are you in it -- the ceremony, beautiful. Your closet friends and family are all there to share the magical moment, and the two of you, all smiles, are in heaven as your pricey (but well worth it!) photographer captures every blissful moment. You’re now 45 minutes into your reception and the unimaginable happens: Some jerk dressed as a guest has swiped your photographer’s camera – with the memory card holding all 800 plus of your wedding memories inside. (Pause for reaction…) You’d be furious right? I sure was when I read this sad, sad news story.

This wedding nightmare happened to Redondo Beach couple Chris and Areli Kahl. The crime took place under the watch of a hotel security camera about 45 minutes into their wedding reception. The police are saying it was likely a professional looking for valuables. The pair is optimistic that someone will answer their plea for the stolen memory card, but somehow I don’t think they’ll be so lucky. The photo shown here was snapped by a guest. Let’s just hope there’s a lot more where that came from.

This just sucks all around. There’s no one to blame for an unfortunate sitch like this, but I can’ think of a more awful vendor nightmare, can you? Let’s discuss!

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Wedding Reception Grand Entrances: Helicopters?

Is a helicopter too much for a wedding reception grand entrance? British newlyweds Phil and Sally Collins don’t think so! They surprised their guests on Saturday when they arrived by helicopter at Freemasons’ Hall Cheshire View in Christleton (about four hours northwest of London). Mother of the bride Sue Redman explained:

”It was an elaborate stunt organized by myself, Phil and Sally, and the guests didn’t know a thing. We wanted a helicopter because we thought is was a bit different but rang around loads of places trying to find somewhere for it to land.”

...And you thought your dress was enough!

It doesn’t surprise us when celebs pull such stunts—Backstreet Boy Howie Dorough and his bride Leigh Boniello arrived at their wedding reception by helicopter in December of 2007—but what about the rest of us? Would you ever arrive by helicopter?

—Josey Miller

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Lost Luggage: Wedding Dress Missing After Flight

If you were traveling with your wedding dress, would you check it or carry it on? A bride named Jenn chose to check her wedding dress—and she hasn’t seen it since. The bride was flying from Pennsylvania, where she lives, to North Carolina, where she grew up and where her wedding would take place seven days later. But she says her dress was stolen from her bag:

”When I picked up the bag, I nearly fell over because I expected it to be about 25 pounds heavier than it was. I opened the bag in front of the desk agents and inside was the ripped open garment bag, complete with broken zipper, and a broken hanger. There was no dress.”

Jenn’s mom talked her out of panic mode, and they found a dress and had it altered in time. But it wasn’t “her” dress—not to mention the additional $1,000 it cost to buy “her” dress and have it altered in the first place. So what should she do now? What would you do in her shoes?

—Josey Miller

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photo: courtesy of Piccione Bridal

Are Sponsored Weddings a DO or a DON'T?

Okay, let's back up for a moment here. Remember last year when Virginia bride-to-be Kelly Gray made national headlines when she auctioned off a bridesmaid spot in her wedding on eBay in order to earn cash to pay for the wedding? Well, if you'll recall, Dr Pepper (yes, the beverage brand!) won the auction and opted to skip the whole matching dress and shoes thing and just go for sponsoring her wedding instead -- donating a shocking 10,000 bucks to her cause.

Gray claimed back then that all this fuss was really about making sure she could afford her "dream wedding". Not that I wasn't happy for her, but I was on the fence about whether or not securing funds for the ultimate wedding was worth essentially selling your big day to the highest bidder. And now that the wedding has taken place (this past weekend at the Virginia Beach National Golf Club), and I've read all about the (Dr Pepper maroon) details, I must say I've jumped off that fence and I’m convinced it’s not worth it -- here's why:

Her "fairytale wedding" was apparently more about the soda than their love. The bride wore a white dress with Dr Pepper maroon red flowers on the bodice and a veil lined with the same color. The bridesmaids wore Dr Pepper maroon apple red gowns, too.

At their reception, where a Dr Pepper public relations specialist was on hand, Snapple Apple drinks (also made by the company) were given out as favors, and guests enjoyed photo opps in front of an ice sculpture of a vintage Dr Pepper bottle. Gray, admittedly told local papers that the whole thing was a little "weird", but she went on to thank "Diet Dr Pepper for her dream wedding." And the branding fun didn't stop there. When Gray and her groom, Karl Gau, rode off into the sunset, their "Just Married" sign was also sponsored by the company.

I'd also like to point out that even though Gary's wedding made big news over the weekend, you'll find twice as many Google search results for "Dr Pepper Wedding" and "Dr Pepper Bride" than for "Kelly Gray wedding". Now that you're up to speed ladies, answer me this: Wouldn't you feel a little overshadowed by something like this? It is, after all, 100 percent your day! I'm glad she was able to splurge on wedding details she wouldn't have been able to afford otherwise, but at what cost? Would you allow a company to sponsor your wedding? Sound off!

Shaky Beau Drops Ring off Brooklyn Bridge During Fumbled Proposal

We usually use this column to highlight the antics of brides around the country who become national news, but the honor for biggest slip-up this week goes to a groom-to-be. New Yorker, Don Walling, put in a valiant effort to set up a sweet proposal for his girlfriend Gina Pellicani on the pedestrian walkway of the Brooklyn Bridge today, but things so did not go as planned.

With his family members eagerly watching and his sister-in-law taping the whole thing (lucky for us!) Walling got down on one knee to propose to his lady love, then accidentally dropped the bling through the boards of the walkway down into the traffic below.

I laughed out loud when I watched this video of the incident. It might be awful of me but please take a peek at his utterly dumbfounded face when he realizes what he's done, and then you try not to laugh! Anyway, don't fret, all ended well. Walling jumped down to the lanes below and, with a little help from his family up above, was able to retrieve the ring.

NBC New York reports that Walling's friends have been calling ever since the story broke, telling Pellicani to be sure he doesn't hold their first child, “just in case”. (Guilty chuckles -- hey they said it, not me!) Walling plans to re-propose after the ring is repaired. Hopefully he chooses somewhere indoors with a carpeted floor next time. One thing is certain, he and his girlfriend will remember this day forever.

Drunk Driving Lands Bride Behind Bars

Occasionally a bride takes it upon herself to provide us with a shining example of what NOT to do on your wedding day. Texas bride Jade Puckett happens to have that not-so-great honor this week. Not to go all Mean Girls here but this she has committed a major wedding etiquette issue, so let me recap what happened for you:

After a full night of celebrating at their reception newlyweds Jade and Billy Puckett left the party around midnight and were driving to their honeymoon suite at a local hotel when they were pulled over. The duo was obviously tipsy and Billy was charged with driving while intoxicated. Here’s the kicker, Jade was in the clear until she became “belligerent” with the officer, after mouthing-off she was charged with public intoxication. Um, hello! Blame the sass on the booze if you must, but please, everyone knows not to argue with a cop!

While awaiting a hearing with a justice of the peace Jade was put into a cell with 15-20 women and was not allowed to change her clothes. She claims that while she was in the cell, male guards kept bringing other jailers and guards to have a look at her. While this is certainly not kind behavior you have to admit a bride in full wedding attire behind bars is a spectacle.

What can we learn from Mrs. Pluckett’s mistake? If you are serving alcohol, hire transportation for your reception night! If your budget won’t allow for a limo or party bus, call a local cab service or commission a sober member of the wedding party, a guest, or even the pastor to take you to your hotel. We know after all that toasting and celebrating it may seem as though everyone is half in the glass and driving yourself is the best option, but no ma’am, that’s not the way! If worse comes to desperate grab a member of the catering crew or custodial staff at the venue and slip them a $20 for a lift!

Mrs. Pluckett is said to be mortified that a photo of her in her wedding dress in a courtroom (probably won't see that one in the wedding album!) is making its way around the internet. Understandably, so, but better in a courtroom than a hospital bed, no? Don’t let yourself be the subject of our next post, ladies. Live it up on your big night but plan on having transportation available when the party ends.