Events and Wedding News in Goa

Chelsea Clinton Weds Marc Mezvinsky In Summer Wedding Of The Year

2010-08-14T23:34:00.000+05:30

The biggest wedding of the summer this year was not that of a celebrity actor or starlet. It was the wedding of the only daughter of a former president and a Secretary of State. It was a wedding that was for most Americans the closest thing to a royal wedding. Chelsea Clinton, the only daughter of former president of the United States Bill Clinton and his wife the current Secretary of State Hilary clinton, was married to her long time boyfriend Marc Mezvinsky.

The wedding set the tone for opulence at an eyepopping $3 million dollars eclipsing monetarily just about every other major celebrity summer wedding. The closest wedding in glitz to that of the new Mr. and Mrs. Mezvinsky was the wedding of Carrie Underwood and Marc Fisher and that wedding in all even with all the trimmings only cost $500,000.

Chelsea Clinton’s familiy upheld the trend of keeping the ceremony private. Not only was security on the details of the wedding on the Secret Service level, the guest list purposely excluded most celebrities and even the current President of the United States, Barack Obama. The wedding was kept to only the people the bride new personally and kept to a modest 400 or so guests.

The bride was married to her long time boyfriend Hedge Fund manager Marc Mezvinsky. The two have known each other since they were kids and even went to college together at Stanford. Mr Mezvinski himself is also from a political family with both of his parents having served in political offices.

The couple was wedded in a touching interfaith ceremonyl. Mr. Mezvinski is Jewish while Ms. Clinton’s family is Methodist. The wedding had both a rabbi and a minister preside over the wedding ceremony. The couple wed on the famous Astor Courts estate. It is a historical landmark built for John Jacob Astor a member of one of the richest families in American history. The couple opted foran outdoor ceremony on the lawns of the estate and exchanged rings under a gazebo.

Ms. Clinton was stunning in her Vera Wang princess style wedding gown. Speculation was rife on the designer and many were betting that Ms. Clinton would follow the lead of her mother and wear Oscar de la Renta. The dress was designed with a voluminous underskirt of tulle draped with a sleeveless silk over dress. To top off the dress the dress was belted with a real diamond studded belt adding to the overall regal look of the gown.

The wedding reception menu was largely vegan in respect to the bride but the couple gave as wedding favors wine weddding favor bags that inclued bottles of local wine and other wine accessories. All in all the wedding lived up to much of the hype to become one of the most memorable of the year.

The Bridal Entourage and their Role (The Maid Of Honour)

2009-08-16T20:36:00.005+05:30

Image by Jami Dwyer via Flickr

Dear Couples,

How are the preperations going on for your Wedding? Write in and let me know if there is anything that you need my help in.
This Blog is on the role of the Maid of Honour - I hope that this will throw some light in what her role is at your Wedding.

The Maid of Honour:

The maid of honour is usually a close friend or family member that the bride chooses. Originally, bridesmaids were dressed similarly to the bride, including the veil, in order to confuse evil spirits so the bridal couple would not be plagued on their wedding day.

Today, the modern maid of honour serves to provide support and assistance to the bride needs both in the tasks preparing for the wedding as well as in emotional support.

The Maid of honuour will:

Attend all pre-wedding parties
address invitations and announcements
Throw the bridal shower (party before the wedding where gifts are given to the bride and groom for their new life together)
Help the bride shop for any going away clothes
Keep the brides maids updated on any and all appointments
Responsible for the Flower Girl (if any)
Arranges with florist for rose petals to shower on the couple
Assist the Bride and bridesmaids in getting ready
Co-ordinate with the Best Man on the flowers to give the various females
Assist the bride with her train in processional and reception line
Hold the bride’s wedding bouquet
Carry the grooms ring for the bride
Witness and sign the marriage certificate (optional)
Help the bride change out of the dress when she is ready
See the bridal couple off with the Best Man
See to the care of the wedding dress according to the bride’s wishes after the wedding.

The Maid of Honour will help the bride’s day be as carefree and as stress free as possible. She, the mother of the bride, the bridesmaids and the wedding planner are all working together for the bride’s benefit. The MOH will also oversee the bridesmaids and make sure that they co-ordinate and keep their appointments in all pre-wedding beauty, hair and fittings.

Next times Blog will be on the role of the Bridesmaids, grooms men / ushers, ring bearer, flower girl.

As usual do email or comment on this Blog or let me know if you have any specific requirement in how to plan your wedding.

Cheers,

Lester Melo

Weddings and Dreams - GOA

Part 3 - The Best Man

2009-08-06T21:35:00.006+05:30

Greetings dear couples,

This Blog will be your Check list for your Best Man. The Best Man is typically the best friend or brother who stands up with the groom as a show of support for the Wedding. In many ways the best man will do for the groom what the maid of honour will do for the Bride. So, choose your best man wisely.

The Best Man's Check List

• Hold the Priests Fee and pay him privately after the Ceremony (i.e if this has not already been paid for before)
• Verify that the Groom has completed all the Marriage Registration formalities prior

Image by madamn flick! via Flickr

to the Nuptials and if needed to carry the copy of the Marriage Registration
• Help the Groom dress for the ceremony
• Responsible for the Brides ring before the exchange
• Look after the Ring Bearer – especially after the rings have been strapped to the ring holder / pillow and with the young ring bearer
• Coordinate necessary transport for the groom to the church
• Responsible for the Bridal bouquet before arrival at the Church
• Hand over the Bridal Bouquet to the Bride as she arrives at the Church. (lift her veil and a peck on her cheek is customary)
• In charge of keeping the ushers in line and on time
• Arrange the Stag party.
• Might be required to make a speech at the Reception.
• Will act as host at the reception prior to the couples arrival
• Will ensure the Groom suit is laundered after the Wedding.
• Sign the marriage certificate as Witness (Optional)
• Send flowers to the honeymoon suite to greet bride and groom on arrival.
• Work with the maid of honour to coordinate any joint parties.

The Best Man now has his work chalked out for him. So surprise him with this Check list.

Next Week look forward to giving your Maid of Honour her check list.

Do keep the comments coming..

Your friendly Wedding Planner

Lester Melo

Weddings and Dreams - GOA

Bridal Entourage Roll PART II (THE GROOM)

2009-07-29T20:32:00.007+05:30

My last Blog was on the Brides roll for her Wedding preparations, this time it’s the Grooms Turn to get his check list on things that he needs to get done, so please print this out.

Image by George Eastman House via Flickr

I would like to specify that it goes without saying that planning your Wedding is the first enduring task a couple may have together which will then follow by making a great marriage. Which means you need to work on it and ensure that every aspect goes as per how you have always dreamed it would be.

Planning your wedding together will test all the love and compassion that you share for each other. There will be differences in opinion, raised tempers and everything good and bad that life could throw at you. So being prepared and organised is something that will help you make planning your Wedding Fun, which is what it should be.

Several of the responsibilities that I gave last time for the Bride are common to the Groom, and a lot needs to be done together and some independently.

The Groom’s Responsibilities
Choose a Best Man
Choose Ushers
Wedding Day and Time
Hire a Wedding Planner
Select Ceremony and reception locations
Photograph
Caterer
Select Music for your Ceremony / Reception (Band / DJ)
Draft up a guest list
Book attire and Grooms Men outfits
Shop for rings
Work on post marital living arrangements
Marriage Licence
Write a speech
Write a toast to the brides family
Pick gifts for the Bride and groomsmen
Manage the tickets for the Honeymoon

The list above is only a fraction what the Bride and Groom will have to ‘do’. There will be engagement parties, bridal shower and stag parties amongst other things.

My next Blog will be on a check list for the Best Man.

To stay posted with all my Blogs so that you do not miss anything, you may click the RSS Feed or subscribe button on the page.

Watch out for the roles of the Maid of Honour and I also have check lists for the Brides Mother and Grooms Mother, but will only post it if I get some comments from you that you would like to know more.

Until next time… Remember enjoy the experience of planning your Wedding !

Lester Melo

Weddings and Dreams - GOA
Destination Beach Weddings in Goa

The Bridal Entourage and their Roles (The Bride)

2009-07-23T23:02:00.006+05:30

Have you ever noticed that at a lot of weddings that most in the Bridal Party don’t really know what role they have to play? And I am not talking about the Bride and Groom here as their role is the

Image via Wikipedia

most obvious but I would like to address the role of the rest of the Entourage.

How many of you know what the traditional role of the Maid of Honour OR the Best Man are? – Well, for those of you who don’t know, then please read or forward the next few Blogs to a Bride to be.

In this first part of a series of Blogs on the “The Bridal Entourage and their Roles” I would like to start with some helpful and some obvious pointers for the Bride.

The Bride

A bride is defined as: “The female participant in a wedding ceremony. The term bride comes

Image by Extra Medium via Flickr

the Teutonic word for a cook. One or more bridesmaids or maids of honour typically attend her. Her male partner is the bridegroom or the groom”

On the surface, it sounds very simple. Yet for the bride, the process can be anything but simple. Typically the bride leads in the wedding preparations. While the groom will be involved in aspects of the wedding planning, it is often the bride who plays a major role.

The Bride’s Responsibilities:
Agree on a budget
Announce the engagement
Choose a Wedding day and time
Hire a wedding planner
Select a maid of honour
Select bridesmaids
Plan with the wedding planner
Select ceremony and reception locations
Select photographer/videographer/Master of ceremony
Select caterer
Select music

Image via Wikipedia

Draft up the guest list
Decide on a theme
Decide on an attire
Decide on Wedding invitations
Send out Wedding Invitations
Shop for Wedding rings
Consider Honeymoon locations

Now, if you are thinking that there is a lot on this list that the Groom also has to do, then you are right. A number of those decisions will be jointly made. However, they are all a part of the wedding pre-planning and the bride usually takes the lead unless the female member of the family is doing so..

The bride does not have to do all of this alone. The maid of Honour’s primary role is to assist the bride in the wedding planning. We will discuss the role of the Maid of Honour (MOH) in a future blog.

Please look out for my next Blog which will go into the role of the Groom and his responsibilities besides just showing up to say “I do”

Until next time, signing off, your friendly Wedding Planner..

Lester Melo

(P.S please leave your comments so that I know I am on the right track in giving you info that actually helps you)

Weddings and Dreams - GOA

http://www.melotours.com/Yourweddingplanner.htm

Getting legally married in Goa? (Marriage Formalities for a Foreign National)

2009-07-06T06:39:00.008+05:30

Image via Wikipedia

Greetings from Goa !

There are a lot of different versions out on the World Wide Web of the formalities for a foreign national to be married in Goa. Since we have organised destination beach weddings and marriage registrations in Goa for hundreds of couples over the years, I thought of sharing the facts with you.:

a) What are the Documents Required:

Note: Points 1, 4, 5, 6, 7 original documents need to be legalized by your Foreign & Commonwealth Office, london. (contact details on next page)

1. Original birth certificate (Both need to be above 21 years of age)
2. Passport
3. Return Airline Tickets
4. If single No Impediment Certificate from the General Registrar Office (form 238) or a search record that shows that there has been no record of any previous marriage. (ask for format)
5. If divorced The Original Decree Absolute (min. 1 year gap is required)
6. In case of a widow/ widower a death certificate is required and any pervious marriage certificate.
7. If one of the party has changed their names by deed polls, proof is required. This must be stamped and signed by the solicitor.
8. If one of the party is adopted, the adoption certificate is required.
9. Details of at least 2 foreign witness and 2 local witnesses

b) How long do we need to be in Goa before we can get Married

By law any one party needs to be in Goa for a period not less than 15 days to start the marriage process. Then again after filing the intent to marriage at the Registrar office we have to give another 15 days notice period. However a legal team makes a representation to the Public Prosecutor to waive off this further 15 days notice by submitting copies of your departure tickets and dates.
In short - We will start your first date in court in the second week of your holiday and complete the final registration into the third week of your holiday. Which means that you need to book a 21 night Holiday in Goa��

Further details of frequently asked questions available on this site: http://www.melotours.com/QandA.htm

One can also download a brochure with details and costs from the Weddings and Dreams site. www.weddingsanddreams.in and download the "Marriage Registration Only" brochure.

I do hope that this information will be useful to you.

Sun Set Beach Weddings - Goa (by Certified Wedding Planner Lester Melo): "weddings"

Regular News Blog for Events and Weddings in Goa

2009-07-04T08:23:00.010+05:30

With all the Facebook groups out there each marketing their own events and wedding news in and for Goa , i

Image via Wikipedia

thought of creating a one stop forum for all the relevant news on upcoming events and wedding related news as a regular Blog for users in Goa and around the world.
This will be the first time that i start something like this and am sure that in time this will become a popular place for Internet Savy people to stay connected with what is going on in Goa.

My intention is to cover the weekly events, any new performer/ vendor OR event / wedding related Goa News that I feel may be of interest to you.

If you have a product, upcoming event or wedding service in Goa that you would like to me to add in my Blog

Image by Umm Papoose via Flickr

please mail me.

I look forward to your feedback and support.

Lester Melo

Weddings and Dreams - GOA

Events and Wedding News in Goa

Chelsea Clinton Weds Marc Mezvinsky In Summer Wedding Of The Year

Source of this article:

http://www.lestermelo.com

http://www.weddingsanddreams.in

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The Bridal Entourage and their Role (The Maid Of Honour)

Part 3 - The Best Man

Bridal Entourage Roll PART II (THE GROOM)

The Bridal Entourage and their Roles (The Bride)

Getting legally married in Goa? (Marriage Formalities for a Foreign National)

Regular News Blog for Events and Weddings in Goa