Even when I was a hip-hop DJ I always kept it classy.
The motto is always 'flashy but classy.' You've got to be original
and stand out from the crowd and take some chances.
But you've always got to keep it classy.  
~ Mayer Hawthorne

 The disc jockey is an icon that parallels the history of recorded music. One of my favorite music history tidbits is that the Grammy Awards are named for the gramophone, which was invented in 1887. DJs date back at least to the 1930s but rose to radio fame in the 1950s and '60s and disco fame in the 1970s.

DJs are a popular choice for wedding receptions because they are less expensive than hiring a live band and can offer a wider selection of music. The DJ also can offer an entertaining personality and for that reason often doubles as the master of ceremonies (MC) at weddings.

Guests bring good luck with them. ~ Kurdish Proverb

A warm greeting complete with a dazzling smile, eyes that are lit up and a friendly handshake -- and where appropriate a hug or quick squeeze -- can lift peoples' spirits and make them feel welcome, wanted and deeply appreciated. No less a greeting -- along with a heartfelt "thank you for attending" -- should be extended to each and every wedding guest by the bride and groom, the parents and other family members of the wedding couple. No guest who has spent time, effort and funds to get to the wedding should be overlooked or ignored by the bride and groom and their families.

The custom of the bride standing to the left of the groom
at the altar came about during the Middle Ages, when
the groom had to have his right - or fighting - hand free
to fend off those who would try to prevent the marriage
ceremony from proceeding.

As legend has it, the medieval groom frequently had to defend his bride right up to the exchanging of vows from those who would try to prevent the marriage. To do so, he had to have his right arm, which held his sword or other weapon, ready for battle. Those who would try to stop the wedding ranged from jealous suitors to enraged fathers. Thus, the bride would stand to the left of her groom so that his right arm was free and unencumbered. This also is believed to be where the tradition of the "best man" came into being; he was the groom's backup to help fight off intruders to the wedding ceremony; back then, however, this person was chosen first and foremost because he was the best swordsman!

In Medieval times, to protect their wedding dresses from being ripped
to shreds by lady guests who thought that obtaining
a piece of the bride's ensemble would bring them good luck,
brides began tossing their bouquets as a distraction
while they ran for it.

 Superstition -- the belief that by taking a certain action one can bring about good luck or ward off back luck -- has existed throughout the millennia, prompting the performance of some strange rituals. Weddings have always been especially rife with superstitions. Some seem charming, but many have dark beginnings. Last week I wrote about the "Old, New, Borrowed and Blue" good fortune symbols based on folklore, and this week I'm happy to present -- or expand on -- some additional mythology:

Something Olde, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue,
And A Silver Sixpence in your Shoe
~ English Poem from the Late Victorian Era 

A pleasant dilemma many brides face is finding something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue, a custom that dates back to the late British Victorian Era (1837-1901, from the year Queen Victoria was crowned to her death). American brides dropped the sixpence custom, but have delighted in the other four. To help brides-to-be determine the items to choose for each category, here are the meanings of each:

Just a slight pause - be back next week! Until then, Jeanne

Today I solemnly vow to give myself to you in marriage To have and to hold you from this day forward, For better, for worse, For richer, for poorer, In sickness and in health, To love and to cherish, As long as we both shall live. Without a doubt, the most solemn and enthralling part of … Continue reading The Wedding Series – Exchanging Vows

(Arthur) Penn’s preference for preproduction rehearsal,
as well as certain other structural aspects of the work,
helped people get to know each other quickly.
~ A Film Director’s Approach to Managing Creativity,
by Eileen Morley and Andrew Silver,
Harvard Business Review, March 1977

The wedding rehearsal provides both an opportunity for the entire wedding party to become better acquainted and structure to the wedding ceremony, and prepares all to perform their roles and understand how they fit into the overall picture. This is an exciting gathering because like a dress rehearsal before opening night there is a sense that this is really happening and there is an exhilarating spirit of anticipation of what will be for the bride and groom an experience -- and performance -- of a lifetime.