May2015

NUPTIALS
by Rachel Silver Cohen
Universally speaking,
a wedding
signifies one of
the most momentous
occasions for all
engaged couples. It
would seem logical
the first of many steps
in the planning process
would be saving
an actual calendar
date to get hitched.
Choosing what will
ultimately be the anniversary
of “until death
do us part” requires
some serious thought.
Doesn’t it?
For instance, some
overly romantic
couples look to
share their date with
Cupid as they have
their hearts set on
a Valentine’s Day
wedding, while others
want to signify kicking
off their new marriage
with the fresh start of a
new year so they attempt to coordinate
a wedding date around the ball dropping
in New York City’s Times Square.
If you’re having a
destination wedding,
perhaps it’s best to
choose a date over a
holiday weekend so
guests get to enjoy
an extra night or two
away without having
to miss a day of work.
On the flip side, what if selecting a date
over a holiday weekend comes with
increased financial implications relative
to airfare and hotel accommodations?
According to Amy Hoodack, catering
sales manager at Farmer’s Table and
The Best Day to Say ‘I Do’
the Wyndham Hotel in Boca Raton,
“The brides I work with are typically
more interested in the time of year. The
season they want to be married in is
more important rather than a special
date on the calendar. They usually only
have a specific month in mind. Some
couples choose a date based on budget
and best value. In Florida, the summer
months prove to offer the biggest bang
for your buck.”
Jennifer Cohen, an event design
specialist at Xquisite Events in Delray
Beach, agrees. “Rarely do I get inquiries
from brides who want a numeric
or kitschy date. My brides are more
focused on good weather and what
makes the most sense for their guests
should travel be involved.”
However, there are some couples that
are absolutely adamant about saving a
specific date to memorialize their union.
Nicole Piatkowski, catering assistant at
the Wyndham Boca,
is a perfect example
of choosing a date for
sentimental reasons.
“I got married on
January 16, 2015, at
the courthouse due to
a death in the family.
It wasn’t until a year
later on our exact
one-year anniversary,
January 16, 2016, that
we actually celebrated
with a traditional wedding.”
Things happen
in mysterious ways
because as fate would
have it, the evening of
their party happened
to fall on a Saturday.
Sara Lowell, a
Parkland resident,
celebrity planner,
and owner of Sara
Renee Events, who
was featured this past
December on The
Meredith Vieira Show,
has seen and heard it all. “I recall brides
and grooms who tried to coincide their
wedding dates with the very hobbies
which brought them together as a
couple in the first place. They picked
meaningful dates around comic book
conventions, Renaissance festivals, and
even concert tour schedules of their
favorite musicians. Conversely, I’ve also
been privy to some very superstitious
couples who passed on certain dates
due to the lunar cycles of the moon,
Halloween’s Mischief Night, Friday the
Thirteenth, and Y2K paranoia.”
When it comes to picking or passing on
certain wedding dates, it all boils down
to the personalities of each couple. It’s
a classic case of different strokes for
different folks or in this case, perhaps it
should be more appropriately phrased,
different dates for different mates of
different fates! P
20
MAY 2016