Happily Busy and Blessed

Dear Friends:
I can not believe it is the middle of the month of June. This year has already been filled with so many wonderful weddings. I have really enjoyed creating weddings for many great couples in lots of beautiful places.

Early March brought me to Malozzi's for the first wedding I have ever done there.
I was impressed with the food and the staff. As always, I enjoyed the sounds of Grand Central Station playing for both ceremony and reception. Danielle and Ed, the bride and groom, are two of the nicest people you would ever want to meet. I also enjoyed meeting their families, who surrounded them with tons of love.

Later in March, I was excited to officiate for Heather and Chris at the Saratoga Racing Museum. Heather and Chris are a stunning couple and I know their future has awesome odds for coming in a "winner". Chris and Heather had a really inventive Wedding newsletter for guests to read while they waited for the ceremony to begin. What a great job Chris did writing it! At Chris and Heather's reception I enjoyed celebrating Amy and Bill, who would soon marry in May. Actually, Amy recommended me to Heather and Chris. Thanks Amy!

The same day Carla and Rob married on their 25th anniversary of dating. What a super couple! They really know how to enjoy the journey and not just run to the destination. Funny, they are not running but I shared with them a love of Toy Italian Greyhounds. They have two greyhounds and I have one (greyhounds are runners).

The pristine grounds of the Mohawk River Country Club was the setting for a Spring wedding for Joleen and Garry. The owner, Raphel and his staff are always first rate and this wedding was no exception to that statement. I would have to say that Garry and Joleen were pretty snazzy as well.

In April, it was dazzling to officiate for Dennis and Margaret at the Canfield Casino. Dennis and Margaret are two people I am proud to know and their long awaited joy is well deserved by both of them.

In May, I was back at the noteworthy Glen Sanders to officiate for Amy and Bill. Amy is CJ Dufort's (Creative Weddings) gorgeous daughter. It was my honor to do Amy's sister's wedding at Hall of Springs a few years ago. So an added delight was being able to see Liz and Mike's new daughter at Aunt Amy's wedding. Amy and Bill are a couple that had "a friendship that caught on fire". Their union will be good for them and for humanity because they are just two of the kindest and best people.

Later May, brought me to the Desmond with one ceremony at noon for Kleigh and Joe, who joined together because they knew they had found their life's future in each other right after they talked to each other for the first time. Later that day, I created a special ceremony for Nicole and Gregory at Emma Willard. Nicole and Greg are a really cute couple and they have great smiles to share with each other. I was impressed at how fortunate they were to have Nicole's Mom as the master visionary for the day and Nicole's Aunt who found a very creative way around not being able to throw rice or petals at Emma Willard. After Emma Willard, Nicole and Greg and all the guests returned to the Desmond to celebrate and party the night away in the wonderful style that is all the Desmond's.

River Stone Manor, which gets more and more breathtaking year after year was the location for a Memorial Day wedding for Janet and Harry. Talk about two people who will cherish, respect and care for each other - that describes Jan and Harry! It was great to visit with their guests, some of whom (the Kosinski Family) were at my own wedding! This was an extra joy for the day.

June blew in delight because I was able to do two ceremonies for amazing couples at the Museum of Dance in Saratoga. The first was for Donna and Joe. Donna and Joe have an sweet kisses and a sweet love story. I never saw so many of the guests at any wedding sharing so much heartfelt joy at a couple finding each other. I felt this joy and will treasure my part in this celebration of marriage. Indeed, as well, I cherish my new friendship with Donna and Joe. I am happy to report that my Italian during the ceremony got the nod of approval from both the Italian and Sicilian guests.

The following week, Lisa and Griffith married under the Chuppah at the Dance Museum. Their ceremony honored both Christian and Jewish traditions. Lisa and Griffith poured their hearts into working with me to create a ceremony that showcased their unique and touching history of love. The couple and the guests loved the results.

I want to shout our a big hello, to old Mercy high school friends, Donna and Geena, cousins of Griffith, our groom! It was nice to see you both and hopefully we will happily meet again before more than 20 years goes by.

This week, joy is in abundance. I wrote three ceremonies: one for Sheila and Aaron (Sheila is the daughter of Peter, who I joined to Mary in marriage last year at SARGOs in Saratoga). Rev. Chuck will officiate that ceremony bringing the love from both of us.

I am also officiating for Aaron and Meghan. Aaron is now my Cutco cutlery representative. It is surprising how many people have satisfied Cutco Cutlery stories. Well now I have joined these customers with my own Cutco!

Aaron's fiance is Meghan. She is studying to be a doctor. What a long and wonderful romance this couple has had and what a happy ending marriage is to all their good years of dating.

Last, but definitely not least, Ann and Michael will marry this weekend. Michael was actually at a wedding I did for his friends, Rick and Jenna. Now Rick and Jenna will stand up for Michael and Ann. Best of all for me, I get a new couple to love and get to see one of my former couples that I love. I am so happy that Michael and Ann chose me to be part of their beginning as husband and wife. They will also be my first couple to have me tell the story of the sacredness of beer, according to Catholic tradition.

Happily busy and blessed,
Victoria