Seems like a bit of an odd day to get married - February 29th - but certainly unique! This wonderful couple, Chris & Bill, chose to rent a lovely house at Wintergreen Resort (about 25 miles SW of Charlottesville) for the weekend and have their ceremony in front of the fireplace with just their closest family in attendance.

This was a first for me but seems like a great idea... a relaxing way to get away for a few days and enjoy the company of your nearest and dearest with lots to do right nearby: skiing & snowboarding, spa services, swimming, hiking, great restaurants and more plus lovely views and time to relax together... sounds good to me!

Chris and Bill found their rental through the very nice folks at Rentals at Wintergreen They were so patient with me when I called for driving directions directions!

Just for fun, I looked up a few facts about Leap Day on Wikipedia... here's what I found:
February 29 is a date that occurs only every four years, in years evenly divisible by 4, such as 1988, 1996, 2008 or 2016 (with the exception of century years not divisible by 400, such as 1900) for the Gregorian calendar, which is most widely used in the world today. These are called leap years, and February 29 is the 60th day of the Gregorian calendar in such a year, with 306 days remaining until the end of that year. February 29 is also known as bissextile day or Leap Day.

Although the modern calendar counts a year as 365 days, a complete revolution around the sun takes approximately 365 days and 6 hours. Every four years, an extra twenty-four hours have accumulated, so one extra day is added to that calendar to keep the count coordinated with the sun's apparent position.

I wonder if Chris and Bill will celebrate their anniversaries on Feb. 29th or March 1st in the years to come.

Everyday I hear from the couples I work with what a daunting and time-consuming task wedding planning can be. The many details, choices and decisions can be overwhelming. If you are feeling this way you might consider getting some help and the first person that comes to mind for me is Jennifer Carroll.

I’ve had the privilege of working with Jennifer and her wonderful staff on several weddings and am looking forward to those we will be doing together in the coming season. Jenn is a complete professional with years of experience and a true gift for creating strikingly beautiful, unique and memorable wedding experiences for the couples she works with. In my capacity as Wedding Minister she unfailingly makes my job a complete joy, working closely with me so that the rehearsal and ceremony come off without a hitch. A real plus is that she has a wonderful sense of humor which is so important!

My words can not do justice to Jenn’s magic so please visit her website so that you can see the many wonderful photos of weddings that she has planned as well as detailed information about her services and products.

Jennifer offers many levels of service to couples… everything from her Complete Wedding Planning package (Peony) all the way to Day-Of (Hydrangea) and A la Carte services.

If you're just not sure that hiring a wedding planner is right for you her FAQ page may be helpful in deciding... but if you're considering this option at all my best recommendation is that you simply pick up the phone and give her a call, you'll be glad you did. You can reach Jennifer at 434-823-7607.

With Valentine's Day coming up tomorrow I thought I'd share some great articles and resources I've come across on how to make more conscious choices in your giving.

This year I received my Valentine's Day surprise a little early: On Monday an envelope arrived addressed to my husband. It said "Thank you for Adopting a Manatee"... it was a give-away and, of course, I couldn't wait 'til Thursday to open it. Sure enough my funny and thoughtful honey had adopted a Manatee for me for Valentine's Day. I guess he has finally figured out that I'm just not a flowers and chocolates kind of girl! If you want to know more about this wonderful Valentine's Day option visit the Save the Manatee website. In addition to info. and a photo of my new adoptee, "Howie", I got 2 very sweet little plush manatees to remind me of my new status as adoptive manatee mom.

So... back to the resources I have for you...

• Have a Heart: How to have a Valentine's Day with a Conscience
• Valentine's Day Gift Guide: giving greener love
• Have a Green Valentine's Day
• Red is Out, Go Green this Valentine' Day
• Love me, Love the Earth

I wish you a peaceful, loving and green day of love!

Although Stonefire Station in Barboursville (about 15 miles North of Charlottesville) has been holding events for a couple of years now this past Sunday was my first wedding there. Stonefire Station is a unique venue in the area as far as I know. It was built specifically for events of all kinds and was, obviously, designed taking into consideration what would be needed to accommodate every kind of gathering. In a way this venue is something of a blank slate that could probably be decorated to just about any imaginable style or taste from extremely formal to completely relaxed and informal. Their website provides all the details, floorplans and lots of photos of the venue.

Allison and Tim's wedding was held indoors at Stonefire Station although it is clear that a warmer-weather event would be able to take advantage of the lovely Southwestern-style outdoor patio areas all along one side of the building. Their wedding also was unique in that there was a complete power outage due to high winds so this made everything (music, food, etc.) an extra challenge for everyone. Nevertheless, everyone kept a very positive attitude and had a wonderful time in the candlelit ballroom.

Tim and Allison made their wedding extremely child-friendly as you can see from this photo of the tables they provided in the midst of the ballroom for their youngest friends and family.

Contact Stonefire Station at (540) 832-0089 for more information.

When I arrived at last Sunday's Bridal Faire I was happy to see one of my favorite photographers, Allegra, had a booth. Over the last couple of years I've had the privilege of finding myself at several weddings that Allegra was shooting and getting to know her a bit has been a joy.

I encourage you to visit Allegra's website to see her beautiful pictures and learn more about her interesting background and extensive experience.

These photos are from 2 weddings that I performed and Allegra photographed just this past fall, one at the Clifton Inn in October and the other at the UVA Chapel in December (see my post) Allegra was kind enough to send me most of these photos and there are one or two I snatched off of her blog (she said I could) to show you how incredibly talented she is. You can contact Allegra at 434-384-0138. Enjoy!

Maliha Creations
Anita of Maliha Creations brought a sampling of her incredible cakes to the Bridal Show this past Sunday. I quite literally couldn't take my eyes off of them! I think of myself as a relatively creative (crafty) person but, honestly, I can't even fathom how she makes these spectacular creations. And guess what? They're not only beautiful their delicious... so to my way of thinking that makes them perfect!

The other bonus you get from Anita is her warm personality and beautiful smile... so, if you are in the market for a wedding cake, a groom's cake... or a cake for any other occasion I would not hesitate to invite you to contact Anita. Oh, and be sure to look at her website too because there is a gallery of photos of cakes she has created and, my favorite part is her "About" page where she divulges her inspiration for her work.

Anita's homepage says "if you can dream it, we can create it," and you know, I don't think that's even the slightest exaggeration!

Contact Anita at: 434-973-3183 or anita@malihacreations.com

I hope that you were able to make it to the Bridal Style Show at Farmington Country Club this past Sunday (27th) but if you weren't I will be doing a series of posts to highlight some of the many wonderful vendors that were there. As always, Susan Sorbello, the brains and talent behind this yearly event, did an incredible job producing a truly high quality event. I encourage you to visit her wonderful shop: West Main Bridal and Couture at 500 West Main St., Charlottesville 22902 or call her at (434)979-5683. Since bridal fashion is not my area of expertise I hope to have Susan provide me with some useful information about the wonderful dresses and designers that you will find at her shop and share that info. with you here on the blog a little further down the road. Thanks Susan, and staff, for another wonderful annual show!

The annual Bridal Style Show will take place this weekend at Farmington Country Club. Susan Sorbello of West Main Bridal & Couture does an excellent job of gathering a great number of quality vendors together for this show. If you register ahead of time admission is free. Enjoy!

In case you haven't seen it yet the January UNIONS wedding supplement is tucked inside this weeks edition of our weekly Cville on the stands now... It's a great source of resources and information for your Charlottesville area wedding planning so please be sure to pick up a copy.

This UNIONS issue has articles and advice on: winter wedding planning, prenuptial agreements, dress shopping and eco-wedding resources to name a few. There's even a little article called "Get me to the church on... Tuesday" that profiles my very own Weekday Wedding Company (shameless plug :-)).

Even if you're wedding is a long way off be sure to grab a copy of UNIONS, it's an invaluable resource and will make your life easier!

I want to share this great article posted today at www.readexpress.com. It has lots of great resources and ideas for planning a green wedding from Express, a free daily newspaper published by the Washington Post. This wonderful story tells of couples in the DC area who have addressed just about every aspect of wedding planning to find ways of making their big days more environmentally friendly without compromising quality and elegance.

This article addresses everything from invitations and dress-shopping to food, flowers and transportation. Although some of the resources are specific to the DC area the ideas and inspiration for an eco-friendly wedding are well worth the read. Enjoy!

After more than a year of thoughtful long-distance planning this beautiful couple were married this past weekend at the UVA Chapel after which their guests were shuttled over to Alumni Hall for a warm and welcoming cocktail hour and reception. Anyone could tell that everything chosen for this ceremony and reception was given a great deal of consideration as the choices were all elegant and unique. Everything from the garland of flowers arching over the chapel doors to the fun and unique wheatgrass table decoration at the reception was truly lovely and special.

Their ceremony too was filled with special elements... everything from the 3 movie-quote readings at the very beginning of the ceremony (my favorite was from Love Actually... the one that begins, "whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think of the arrivals gate at the airport...") to a poem that Christine had broken up into sections that she and Jeff said back and forth to each other as part of their vows. Lots of tears and laughter... what could be better?!?!

This was my first wedding reception at the Alumni Hall and I was actually surprised at how cozy and intimate this large place felt. The two large fireplaces and lots of wonderful UVA memorabilia and photos that grace the halls certainly added to the warm feeling.

Congratulations Christine and Jeff... I wish you a happy and prosperous life together... thank you for the honor of marrying you!

I'm not sure I could ... but I do know for a fact that it can be done... I saw it with my own eyes just this past weekend. And I'm not talking about a little elopement on the courthouse steps no sireee... I'm talking about a real wedding: chapel, flowers, rehearsal and rehearsal dinner, live music, customized ceremony (yes, that was my part, thank you very much :-) ) including dearest friends and family and a lovely reception. Think I'm kidding?

But seriously... this amazing couple, Suzanne and Bob, live in Florida and have 5 sons between them from prior marriages. Bob went to school in Charlottesville and practiced medicine here back in the 80's so, on January 3 when some friends put the idea in his head that he and Suzanne could have their wedding at the UVA Chapel that was it! The wheels began to turn, they called the Boar's Head Inn, booked the Chapel, contacted me and everything fell into place for their wedding on the 12th. The best part was their 50 wonderful guests and 5 sons who wouldn't have missed it for anything. The loving and heartfelt toasts at their rehearsal dinner even had me and my husband in tears and we'd only met them for the first time that day!

Suzanne commented to me several times that she simply couldn't believe how easily and flawlessly everything fell into place for their plans, certainly it was meant to be. Alice Dalton at the Boar's Head worked quickly and efficiently behind the scenes to be sure things went off without a hitch, and they did... thank you Alice!

So, just in case you don't want to spend a year in the planning you now know for sure that a wedding on short notice can be done.

With Valentines' Day on the horizon I thought that this bit of info. as to the origins of this day from The History Channel would be fun to share: Every February, across the country, candy, flowers, and gifts are exchanged between loved ones, all in the name of St. Valentine. But who is this mysterious saint and why do we celebrate this holiday? The history of Valentine's Day -- and its patron saint -- is shrouded in mystery. But we do know that February has long been a month of romance. St. Valentine's Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition. So, who was Saint Valentine and how did he become associated with this ancient rite? Today, the Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred.

One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men -- his crop of potential soldiers. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine's actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death.

Other stories suggest that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons where they were often beaten and tortured.

According to one legend, Valentine actually sent the first 'valentine' greeting himself. While in prison, it is believed that Valentine fell in love with a young girl -- who may have been his jailor's daughter -- who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter, which he signed 'From your Valentine,' an expression that is still in use today. Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the stories certainly emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic, and, most importantly, romantic figure. It's no surprise that by the Middle Ages, Valentine was one of the most popular saints in England and France.

Visit the History Channel website for expanded info.

Sunday, January 27, 2008 - 2-5:30 PM
The annual Bridal Style Show will be presented by West Main Bridal & Couture at Farmington Country Club here in Charlottesville later this month. I attended last year and it was a lot of fun: great local vendors, a fashion show and yummy treats to sample.

If you register ahead of time admission is free or pay $3 at the door. For further information call: 434-979-5683 or 434-249-6060.

See you at the show!

Happy New Year!

If you've found your way to this Blog and are planning a wedding in the Charlottesville area I hope that you will find some useful information here. If you don't seem to find what you are looking for, however, it would be very helpful to me if you would let me know what would be useful to you and what kind of info. you'd like to see here. It's a work in progress and knowing what you need would be a big help.

This Blog was created to provide useful resources, ideas and advice for couples who are in the process of planning their weddings and having your suggestions and requests would be much appreciated.

Feel free to either submit a Comment to this post or e-mail me directly anytime at revclaire@sacredgroundceremonies.com

I wish you all a Joyful and Peaceful 2008!

So many choices to make! ... starting with your "Save the Date" card, then invitations and envelopes, announcements, programs and place cards. In making your paper choices here are some things to look for:
1. recycled, handmade, or plantable papers processed chlorine-free and printed with vegetable- or soy-based inks
2. tree-free paper made out of hemp, banana stalks, bamboo, kenaf, or organic cotton
3. a printer who will use paper with a high percentage of post-consumer recycled content
papers that aren't metallic or plastic-coated, characteristics that make them hard to recycle
4. opportunities to reduce paper use, like sending a postcard (instead of multi-enveloped notes) for your save-the-date, or using online invitations and a wedding blog to let people know about the bachelor/ette parties, rehearsal dinner, and gift registry

Here are a couple paper/invitation companies you might like to look at: Twisted Limb Paperworks and Green Field Paper Company. Also, be sure to ask at local stationary and party invitation shops for green options... hopefully by now they're offering some. It's always great to keep things local when you can. Thanks for taking steps to have a greener wedding!

Charlottesville is a great place to get married in a hot air balloon. I've had the privilege of performing two balloon weddings in my career and loved every minute of them both. The entire process is fun: from determining if the conditions are right, figuring out where the balloon should take off from and then unpacking them, filling them with warmed air to floating away into the sky... seeing Central Virginia from that vantage point is an absolutely spectacular experience.

Some couples choose to have their wedding with the balloon tethered but both of the couples that I've gone up with have chosen to enjoy a wonderful balloon ride and landing (another adventure!).

Holding a ceremony in a hot air balloon has a couple of unique challenges the biggest of which is simply the roar of the burner that keeps the balloon aloft requires that we pause every so often throughout so that everyone can hear what's being said.

Here in the Charlottesville area I've worked with Liana and Jim, both FAA licensed pilots, at the Blue Ridge Balloon Company. Give them a call at 434-589-6213 to discuss the possibilities for your wedding. It will be a wonderful adventure!

Visit the Earth Friendly Weddings Blog for great information and resources!

Jennifer, this blog's owner, lives in Atlanta, GA She has created a truly beautiful and incredibly useful resource for couples who want to have a wedding that takes the planet's well being into account.

Jennifer's blog focuses on green resources which she defines as, "... products that are recycled, reused, handmade, natural, organic, or fairly traded". I encourage you to take some time to read this blog... you'll discover wonderful ways to have a greener event!

I know that I wrote about the UVA Chapel just about a month ago but it's a place I find myself pretty regularly so thought I'd pop it in here again.

There were a couple of unique things about this experience in the Chapel. First, it was almost filled... the largest group I've done a wedding for in this particular location. A really wonderful group... so happy for Bryan and Nadine!

Secondly, and I hope that you can see it in these photos but the wedding was held at about 2 PM and the light in the Chapel on this particular day was absolutely spectacular, a bit other-worldly actually! At the end of the ceremony when Nadine and Bryan walked up the aisle together the light that poured down from the stained glass windows and through her veil was just one of the most beautiful wedding picture-perfect moments I've ever seen. I have to remember to ask Allegra for a copy of one of the photos so that I can post it here for you later.

If you would like more details on the Chapel and how to go about reserving it for your wedding please look back on my November 4, 2007 post and you'll find that info. Have a great day!

Today is Thanksgiving and I have been trying to decide how to express my gratefulness for so much love and abundance in my life and in the lives of those I am closest to. Feeling unable to come up with the right words I have decided to share with you a wonderful video narrated by one of my very favorite people on earth: Brother David Steindl-Rast. If you are not aware of Brother David I invite you to google him and learn about his life and work... you will be deeply moved by this man's journey.

For today, however, I invite you to watch this inspiring video and listen to Brother David's lovely words. Enjoy!

With Love and Gratitude,
Claire