footnotes*
Wedding industry experts say their business boom starts in late November, continues through New Year’s, subsides a bit during January and then finishes with a flourish in February near Valentine’s Day.
* In ancient Christian times when chastity was thought the ultimate state of virtuousness, marriage was considered a slightly preferable alternative to lascivious behavior. Concerning the weaknesses of the flesh, Paul in I Corinthians 7:9 writes, “But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn.”
* Carolyn Baer of Cheers Catering in Northridge, (818) 772-0233, says the latest trend among her clients is for smaller, but more formal and fancy, weddings--rich, but tasteful. Sit-down dinners, elegant linens, beautiful crystal and lots of candles--on tables, walkways, in trees, hanging or just about anywhere.
* Internet Web sites such as www.weddingchannel.com, www.ourbeginning.com, and weddings3.della.com offer a variety of services and information. Other sites offer info on having your wedding in Hawaii, the Virgin Islands, New Zealand, Wales or at Disney World, to mention just a few locations. The Wedding Time Countdown Clock, available for $24.95 through www.countdowntime.com, will tell you right down to the second how much time remains until your wedding day.
* Mark Vadon, CEO of www.bluenile.com, an online diamond store, says most of his customers are men who feel intimidated buying engagement rings or any kind of jewelry. Blue Nile accommodates its clients by providing them with as much information as possible and offering a huge selection with more than 10,000 diamonds to choose from. They even offer an online ring sizer.