L'Heure exquise by Reynaldo Hahn

I love pretty much everything that Argentine Reynaldo Hahn has composed but my favorite, and perhaps his most famous composition, is L'Heure exquise. Our cantor, Megan Dearie, will sing this remarkable song when we light the unity candle in our wedding ceremony. Enjoy!

Ceremony Readings

Jack and I decided pretty early on that we would have a Catholic ceremony without the nuptial mass. Since Jack (and a good portion of our guests) are not Catholic we thought it would be best to avoid the mass and not make our guests feel excluded. This made things a little easier to plan but picking the readings and gospel still proved to be difficult for us. I don't think I'm alone here; most would agree that choosing the readings can be tedious at best. There is so much to choose from and it really is a boon to the couple if they have a patient and understanding priest who can guide them in making their choices. Typically two to three readings are done with one reading from the Old Testament and one from the New Testament. So without further ado.... we finally picked out our ceremony readings! With our priests blessing we choose our first reading from the Old Testament and our second reading is an excerpt that really means allot to us. Are there any special readings that you will or have incorporated into your ceremony?

1st Reading: Song of Solomon 8:6-7

Place me like a seal over your heart,
like a seal on your arm;
for love is as strong as death,
its jealousy unyielding as the grave.
It burns like blazing fire,
like a mighty flame.

Many waters cannot quench love;
rivers cannot wash it away.
If one were to give
all the wealth of his house for love,
it would be utterly scorned.

2nd Reading: Excerpt from "Captain Corelli's Mandolin" by Louis de Bernieres

Love is a temporary madness; it erupts like volcanoes and then subsides. And when it subsides you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether your roots have so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is. Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the promulgation of eternal passion. That is just being in love, which any fool can do. Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away, and this is both an art and a fortunate accident. Those that truly love have roots that grow towards each other underground, and when all the pretty blossoms have fallen from their branches, they find that they are one tree and not two.

Picture Perfect

$100,000 dollar celebrity weddings and picture perfect Martha Stewart real wedding spreads don't faze me or make me feel less of a bride/person. It's a standard that's completely foreign to me so I enjoy the visuals and try to incorporate any ideas I get from these "standards of perfection". Then I make them imperfectly suited to us:) But everytime I run across the bridal beauty countdowns in my monthly Barnes & Noble wedding magazine perusal I freak out. I get anxious and my palms start to sweat. According to these countdowns, I am months behind. Months. Is my freak out really necessary?

According to the bridal industry it is. But after thinking it through rationally my beauty routine shouldn't change because I'm getting married, it should change for the sake of improvement. Heck- anyone has room to improve, even the model above. The only place I really lag behind is keeping up with my facials and manicures (I had a traumatic facial in college) but my basic upkeep is pretty good. In fact, I wanted to share some products I use frequently that have worked wonders:

Hair: I live and swear by Kerastase Paris Nutritive line. I started using it before it came to the States and it instantly smooths and nourishes my dry, thick hair. If you want to keep your locks shiny I also recommend using a Mason Pearson brush- they last forever (if properly taken care of).

Body: I'm addicted to the Sugar Bodycare at Fresh. The scrub will leave your skin insanely soft and polished and the oil does an amazing job at keeping my skin moisturized. I sometimes prefer using an oil instead of lotion/creme to avoid feeling "sticky". Basic shea butter from the grocery store also keeps my skin moisturized during the cold Chicago winter months.

Skin: To date nothing has moisturized by face better than the Estee Lauder Comfort Creme. I use it at night before bed (when I remember to use it) and it keeps my skin baby soft. I'm a little less liberal with it during the summer. To avoid the dreaded pimple I also keep a stash of Dermalogica products on hand.

Teeth: Crest white strips and a good tooth cleaning! Whitestrips work without having to spend $500 getting your teeth whitened and then having to deal with super sensitive teeth afterwards. Although I hate visiting the dentist I love the feel of having squeaky clean teeth afterwards.

My New Perkier Self

Well I think I've had a spiritual epiphany. I have risen from the ashes as a big, bold and beautiful phoenix. Ladies (and gents).....I got myself a pair of new bewbies.

No, no- I did not get implants. Nothing as drastic as that. Instead of going under the knife I went under the tape measure. After going through life for almost 30 years wearing ill-fitting torture contraptions I just had enough. I finally got myself measured properly at a bra fitting and it was worth the embarrassment of having to strip in front of a complete stranger and have the little ladies analyzed (this is coming from someone that doesn't even like changing in locker rooms). Lo and behold I went up a full cup and bra size. Not until I tried on the bras in my new size did I believe it possible. No more bra pinching or horrible back and armpit fat rolls. I actually look thinner and my breasts perkier. They now stand at attention and salute. In a word I feel glorious.

I can't recommend a proper bra fitting enough. Please, please make the effort and get yourself fitted. You'll feel like a new woman! Case in point: as I left the store I felt like Mary Tyler Moore when she tosses her hat in the air.... instead I threw my old bra in the trash and never looked back.

(Ladies in Chicago: Check out Intimacy, The Bra Fit Specialists)