A Nice Day for a (Royal) White Wedding

It was a white wedding for Prince William and his new bride, Her Royal Highness Princess William, a/k/a Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, affectionately known to all simply as "Kate." Kate's sister and maid of honor, Pippa Middleton wore white, as did the flower girls, and all carried white bouquets similar to the royal bride's.
Kate Middleton's Wedding Gown was designed by Sara Burton for Alexander McQueen. The gown has a modest plunging neckline and long lace sleeves, reminiscent of the gown worn by Grace Kelly to her marriage of Prince Rainer III, Prince of Monaco in 1956. When one marries in Westminster Abbey, strapless simply will not do! According to the Royal website, the lace applique on the bodice and skirt was hand-made by the Royal School of Needlework, based at the Hampton Court Palace. Individual hand-crafted lace flowers were hand-cut and -sewn onto the ivory silk tulle gown.
Prince William, dressed in his red Irish Guards uniform (he holds the rank of lieutenant) escorted his blushing bride out of Westminster Abbey to the cheering crowd lining the route to the royal reception at the Palace.
Kate's "halo" tiara was made by Cartier in 1936 and presented to Princess Elizabeth (now Queen Elizabeth II) by her mother on the occasion of her 18th birthday. A simple sheer white veil made of the finest tulle covered Kate's face for most of the ceremony, until she and Prince William were pronounced "husband and wife together."
The royal wedding bouquet consisted of myrtle, symbolizing love; lily-of-the-valley, symbolizing "You've made my life complete," sweetness and gaiety; white hyacinth, symbolizing loveliness and "I'll pray for you;" and sweet William, which aptly describes Kate's prince: Gallantry, finesse and perfection!
Everyone knows about Kate's engagement ring, which was also Diana's engagement ring. After Diana's death, the ring reportedly came into the possession of Prince Harry. Harry decided that the ring should be on the finger of the future queen of England, and turned it over to Prince William. In a "cloak and dagger" operation worthy of James Bond, William retrieved the 18-carat oval sapphire ring from the royal safe (with Harry's blessing, of course!). Before leaving on the trip to Kenya during which he proposed to Kate, William carried the ring around in his backpack for three weeks in Africa before he finally popped the question!
According to news sources, William stated, "I literally would not let it go. Everywhere I went, I was keeping ahold of it because I knew, this thing, if it disappeared, I'd be in a lot of trouble."
Kate's very simple, plain gold wedding band is made of Welsh gold from the Clogau Goldmine at Bantdoo in Wales, the source for royal rings since the 1920's. It was given to Prince William by the Queen herself for Kate to wear-- evidence that the Queen heartily approves of William's new bride!

Kate once again chose to step out in a Sarah Burton-designed Alexander McQueen creation for the royal wedding reception. This time she chose a white strapless satin gazar gown with a circle skirt and diamante-embroidered detailing around the waist. She topped it off with a white angora bolero cardigan. This time around, Kate left the diamond tiara behind and let her hair down a little, while William and Harry changed out of their royal regalia and into suits and ties.


British cake designer Fiona Cairns worked five weeks to create the royal couple's 8-tiered confectionary masterpiece. The wedding cake, made of traditional fruitcake, was covered in cream and white icing and decorated with nearly 900 delicate sugar paste flowers. Architectural details of the reception room were reflected in the detail work on the 4th tier: roses, acorns, ivy leaves, apple blossoms and bridal rose.
Note the exquisite attention to detail reflected in the Scottish thistle, bridal roses, apple blossoms and daffodil!
William and Kate share a kiss or two on the palace balcony with flower girls and the cheering crowds below looking on in approval!
Meet the Inlaws: From left, Britain's Prince Philip, Kate's mother, Carole Middleton, Britain's Queen Elizabeth II (and William's grandmother), and William's stepmother, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall.
William (in the driver's seat--this is England, remember!) and Kate take off with new titles in an old Aston Martin owned by Dad (Prince Charles) bedecked with balloons and streamers, one more "new" royal tradition William and Kate can call their own.

Welcome to My Blog!

Hi, I'm Susan Ohanneson, wedding coordinator and owner of Red Letter Weddings and Events in Bakersfield, California. Welcome to my blog! For most of my life I've been a closet wedding junkie-- even as a little girl, my sister and I designed bridal gowns for our paper dolls, and my friends and I played dress-up, planning and enacting mock weddings. My senior project in Home-Ec was to (guess what?!) plan a wedding, and it was one of the most awesome homework assignments I remember from high school!  And I still love weddings!  Every one of them is different and unique as the bridal couple themselves, and I just love it when two people seal their vows of love and commitment with a happy wedding celebration, surrounded by loving, supportive family and friends.

I began my professional career in academic medicine in New York City, my work invariably involving event planning in one way or the other-- fundraisers, gala events, departmental parties, and on the side, giving showers and coordinating weddings for my friends. In the early 80's I found myself owner of a Manhattan nightclub, Foibles and immediately began booking nightly entertainment and auditioning singers and comedians for our weekly Friday night "Best Of" shows. Soon after becoming established, some of my patrons sought my help in planning their weddings and private events, using Foibles as the venue. At the time it was all in a day's work-- a lot of fun, but I never seriously considered planning weddings for a living.

After Foibles, I landed a plum position with a high-profile Manhattan physician and philanthropist as her office manager and personal assistant, and spent ten years being mentored by this wonderful woman in the rarefied air of world-class art, antiques and high fashion...and we managed to see patients three days a week! Again, I was involved in planning social events, only this time the guests were listed in the Social Register and included people you read about in magazines like The New Yorker, Forbes or Vanity Fair. I took classes at NYU in Hospital Administration and transitioned into medical management consulting for major New York metropolitan hospitals before deciding to move back to Bakersfield, meaning to retire to a quiet country life. Again, I never considered bridal coordination as a career even though I spent my free time wandering the Chelsea flower market, Manhattan florists and museums, always drawn to anything "wedding."

Wait a minute---Bakersfield? That's one heck of a "lateral" move there, girl! Yeah, but I'm from Shafter and a farmer's daughter, so it makes sense...at least to me! Home is where the heart is, and I missed my family...I sure didn't come back for the climate! I hungered for the wide open spaces after 24 years of the concrete jungle, 16 floors above 2nd Avenue, breathing gritty, grimy exhaust fumes at rush hour coming in through my bedroom window.

For the past five years I have been an altar guild member, first at St. Paul's Episcopal Church and then became altar guild director at Grace Episcopal Church about three years ago, building a guild in an entirely new church. Soon after, I was appointed Diocesan Altar Guild Director of the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin, where my task was to re-organize and reconstitute the guild, overseeing every Episcopal parish guild within it. I am starting my second term under our new bishop, Chet Talton. And yet again-- it's a position that entails event planning on both parish and diocesan levels, not to mention overseeing all worship preparation the altar guild does at Grace.

About a year ago some friends and I were sitting around pitching ideas, playing "what if," and we agreed that it would be a great idea to begin preparing for weddings at Grace Episcopal Church, so I began researching the prospect. As it turned out, we shelved the idea, at least temporarily...but I kept feeding my secret old wedding "fix" by making my nightly forays into the Wonderful World of Weddings on the Internet. With a lot of  wonderful support and encouragement from family and friends, I am now fulfilling my lifelong passion of coordinating weddings--as well as "regular" events!

When all is said and done, my most important goal is to provide excellent personal service tailored to the needs and wishes of each bridal couple so you may have what I like to call a Red Letter Day-- a day that is completely yours; one of the most joyous, memorable, important, special days of your lives!

All the best,
Susan

Six Reasons Why It's a Good Idea to Hire a Wedding Planner

Reason 1: Hiring a wedding planner is a good idea for the bride who doesn't have the time to devote at least 12 hours a week to plan the wedding herself.

Planning a wedding takes a lot of time and effort, especially when you work or go to school full-time. Brides often try to plan their weddings and make arrangements during the work day, thinking nobody will notice, but they do, and it's not the good kind of attention you want! Red Letter Weddings has a wedding package to suit your style and budget. We give you a selection of vendors in each category and then let you make the final decision, saving you countless hours of time and stress on the job.

Reason 2: Hiring a wedding planner is a good idea for the bride who plans on inviting a large number of guests.

As the guest list grows, the logistics become tricky. Coming up with a suitable ceremony and reception venue that will comfortably hold everyone and choosing bridal attire that the bride and her attendants will all be happy with almost requires the skill of a magician! And then there's the budget: Each name added to the guest list increases the cost of the wedding. At Red Letter Weddings and Events we have the skills and familiarity (and the software) needed to make management of things such as budget, seating charts, guest lists and RSVP tracking a breeze. We know how to get the most bang out of your bridal buck and make your wedding look like a million bucks!

Reason 3: Hiring a wedding planner is a good idea for brides who are hosting their wedding somewhere other than a full-service venue.

Hosting a wedding in an unusual place such as at home, in a park or almond orchard makes your big day special and unique. But these types of events come with a special set of issues and logistics and really should not be planned without the help of a professional wedding planner. Depending on the venue, several items need to be brought in--tents, tables, chairs, dance floor, portable toilets, lighting (and sometimes generators!), caterers...the list goes on and on. Other considerations are parking, special permits, and setup space for vendors as well as expert coordination so your cake will be there and set up in time for the reception and your guests will not be caught out in the rain or sitting around for hours awaiting dinner. At Red Letter Weddings and Events, we are prepared to address all of these concerns and issues.

Reason 4: Hiring a wedding planner is a good idea for bridal couples who have complicated relationships with friends and family and feel overwhelmed by the prospect of a "sticky situation."

Not everyone comes from a conventional Ozzie-and-Harriet nuclear family--there is often more than one set of parents for the bride and/or groom, children from prior marriages, and exes to deal with. During a wedding, tension can be high; a seemingly innocuous incident can turn into a full-blown magilla. Things can get very complicated very quickly. This is enough to make anyone a nervous wreck! Where should everyone sit? Who will walk the bride down the aisle? How can we incorporate our children into our wedding to make it meaningful for our newly blended family? How can we turn a family member's seeming apathy into enthusiasm? At Red Letter Weddings and Events, we take your concerns seriously and help you find solutions to ensure that your Big Day goes without a hitch and you'll have the confidence and peace of mind in knowing you've done The Right Thing. We also guide you and your wedding party through the often daunting ins and outs of social and wedding etiquette so you will breeze through your wedding day with grace and elegance.

Reason 5: Hiring a wedding planner is a good idea if the bride or member of her wedding party has special needs in order to participate in the wedding.

We love working with bridal couples with special needs, respecting the fact that every person is a special, unique individual and it is never impossible to have the wedding of your dreams! We will work with you in achieving a perfect wedding with your special requirements and comfort in mind, whether it be planning a special dietary menu, selecting ADA-compatible venues, making sure a guest will have a place to privately lie down and rest if needed, or coming up with appropriately beautiful, well-fitting bridal attire. Our goal at Red Letter Weddings and Events is for you to have a red letter day that will stand out in your memory as one of the best times of your life.

Reason 6: Hiring a wedding planner is a good idea for brides who are planning their weddings in six months or less.

On average, it takes over a year to plan a wedding, but many times this kind of wait is just not possible or desirable. Maybe your spouse-to-be is being deployed, or you've taken that new job across the country and want to be married surrounded by family and friends before moving. For whatever reason, in short-term wedding planning, time is of the essence; availability of venues and vendors is a big concern, and you may not be able to negotiate best prices or dates with service providers. So what do you do when you don't have a lot of time, don't want to elope, and still want a beautiful wedding? Call Red Letter Weddings and Events! We have a working relationship with and shortlist of awesome vendors, can quickly determine who is still available and take it from there-- saving you a considerable amount of time, money, energy--not to mention anxiety!

Reason 7: Hiring a wedding planner is a good idea for the bride who doesn't have a lot of help to plan and organize the wedding.

You may be new in town, your family may live far away, or everyone you know has a full-time job. Planning your own wedding is difficult enough, but worse is putting yourself in the position of a drill-sergeant bride, with one eye on your groom and guests and the other on the clock and vendors! I personally made this mistake once upon a time and believe me, it was no fun. I was no fun. I was so busy managing my own wedding and reception that I hardly remember anything romantic about it! At Red Letter Weddings and Events, we take the work and worry out of wedding coordination so you can simply revel in being the the bride. You can relax, have a great time and focus on enjoying your perfectly gorgeous, expertly executed wedding, your guests, your family, and most importantly, your new spouse!