| When Mindy and Jon Gray were pulling together Tuesday’s fundraiser for the Basser Center for BRCA, Mr. Gray asked his wife that the attire be kept casual.
No one likes dressing up for events, thought Mr. Gray, the global head of real estate at the Blackstone Group. So when save the dates went out, invitations that might normally read “black tie” or “festive dress,” instead read “chic attire, jeans desired.”
“People didn’t believe us,” said Ms. Gray, who wore a sparkly fur vest with her jeans. “They kept emailing asking, ‘Are you sure we can wear jeans?’ And we kept writing back, ‘We mean it.’”
In the spring of 2012, with a donation of $25 million, the Grays founded the Basser Center at their alma mater, the University of Pennsylvania, in honor of Ms. Gray’s sister, Faith Basser, who died of ovarian cancer. The Basser Center focuses on BRCA gene mutation-related cancers.
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At first the Grays expected their event to be small—maybe 300 friends. But it grew and grew to 1,100 people, including Robin Roberts, Abby Elliott of “Odd Mom Out,” Libby and Dan Goldring, Martha Stewart, Bill and Karen Ackman, Jonathan Marc Sherman and Alexandra Shiva, Darcy Miller and Andrew Nussbaum, William and Karen Berlind, Kate and Andy Spade, and songwriter Kara DioGuardi who was applauded when she spoke about her prophylactic mastectomy.
“I never thought I’d get cheers for doing that,” Ms. DioGuardi admitted.
This was a relatively young crowd and there was much more schmoozing between courses and at program breaks than you normally see at Cipriani Wall Street. Clearly the relaxed attire created a more comfortable, less stuffy atmosphere.
“And everyone in New York is here,” said Mr. Sherman, as he surveyed the packed ballroom and mezzanine.
“The cause resonated with a lot of people,” said Ms. Gray, who had to move cocktail hour across the street to the Museum of American Finance to fit the demand.
“It’s crazy, the response has been incredible,” added her husband, who was wearing a pair of Rag & Bone jeans. “It blew away every expectation.”
The evening’s title “Unzip Your Genes” and its dress code seemed to resonate with the crowd.
“I’m wearing white jeans,” said Ms. Stewart.
“If my mother knew I was wearing jeans to an event she’d be horrified,” said Ms. Gray in a speech. “But if she knew what these jeans meant, she’d kvell.”
Rag & Bone helped brand special jeans for women with the geometric Basser Center logo and sold three different kinds at a table at Cipriani as a fundraising tool for the evening.
The venue was also denim-ed out. Napkins were made of denim; candles were wrapped in them. The backdrop of the stage was a denim print with a three-dimensional zipper pull and teeth attached, designed at David Stark’s studio, made of painted, sculptural wood pieces. And hanging from the ceiling was a huge pair of jeans made of printed translucent fabric, suitable, perhaps for a giant or an extremely, extremely tall Glamazon, one with 30-foot long legs.
The evening’s entertainment included a performance by the Brooklyn band American Authors, as well as an improvised hip-hop song about Mr. and Ms. Gray and the Basser Center by members of Freestyle Love Supreme.
“I want to hire them for my daughter’s birthday party,” said Andy Spade about the comedy troupe.
Ms. Gray said she expected to turn this event into an annual, or at least, biannual occasion.
“We have to,” she said. “There’s just so much exciting energy around it.” Besides, pulling it together was enjoyable, she added. “It was not ever hard,” she explained. “It was fun.”
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| Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair! Beyonce\'s daughter Blue Ivy looks like a little princess wearing fairy tale inspired Halloween costume
She has already been seen rocking a lavish Halloween costume alongside her mother.
But being Beyonce\'s daughter, it stands to reason Blue Ivy would have two different outfits for Halloween.
The three-year-old tot, as well as wearing a gold and black dress to a party with her parents and some intricate eye-make-up, went for a more childlike choice with her other costume.
Beyonce posted a shot of her daughter on her website on Monday, with the little girl wearing a pink and purple dress and wig, featuring cascading long plaits.
It appeared she was dressed as Rapunzel.
In the cute shot, she could be seen walking through what looked like a garden.
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Her long tresses were half undone, and a tiara of some sort could be seen in her hair.
The little girls outfit featured puffed sleeves, and shades of pink, white lace and lilac.
She seemed to be staring intently at the floor.
Blue Ivy rocked another Halloween outfit when she was out with her parents for the big night itself in what some would say was a very sophisticated garb.
She watched the entertainment in New York\'s Soho, and had her hair up in a fountain ponytail, with glamorous eyeliner and stuck on glitter with jewels.
Her parents Beyonce and JayZ were dressed in outfits inspired by Coming To America\'s Queen Aoleon of Zamunda and Prince Akeem Joffer.
The 34-year-old pop diva looked effortlessly chic as always in a green-patterned mini-dress fastened with a leopard-print belt and stilettos.
The 7/11 hitmaker completed her colourful costume - selected by stylist Ty Hunter - with a yellow-patterned turban and ornate beaded necklace.
Meanwhile, the 45-year-old rap mogul was on point in his sleek Prince Akeem Joffer (Eddie Murphy) tuxedo complete with real leopard-skin stole.
The family enjoyed the Halloween parade before Beyonce and Jay-Z took their daughter home and then went out to continue their night at a party with some friends.
Also read: chiffon bridesmaid dresses |
| Techies by profession, Joseph P and Anna, for instance, decided to tie the knot at a popular beach in Kerala, inspired by a few of their friends, who exchanged vows amid sea and sand. As more couples are picking beaches as their wedding venue, we surf the trend...
When bankers Aparna and Arun Menon decided to get married last May , they wanted it to be a peaceful occasion sans tension and hence chose Kovalam beach as the ideal spot. "Nothing could be more beautiful than the beach with its soft and natural light, and the music of the waves. We didn\'t have to care about any interior decoration," Arun says. He adds, "Many of our guests said that they also felt like being on a holiday, as the brief ceremony was followed with live guitar and light snacks. It was great to know that it was a relaxing affair for them too."
Joseph, who got charmed by a beach wedding he attended, says, "As compared to the usual hustle and bustle of a traditional wedding, where family members run around trying to impress truck-loads of relatives and friends and couple tire themselves out from numerous customs and mindless photo sessions, beach weddings offer a relaxed, special atmosphere. At the least, you can avoid comparisons, as weddings by the seaside are still not common enough in our country ."
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Smitha Jose, a wedding planner, explains, "When you invite guests for a beach wedding, expectations are already set in their minds that `it\'s going to be different\'. That in itself saves you from all the nasty comparisons that are common in our weddings. Moreover, beaches have always been serving as relaxation points, why not bank on their calming effect when you exchange vows which is for a lifetime?"
VARIETY IN DISHES, THE SPICE OF BEACH WEDDINGS
Beach weddings are a perfect excuse to try out some different food, breaking away from the heavy wedding menu and elaborate buffet routine. Techie Nixon, who flew down from Dubai recently to marry his girlfriend on a beach, says, "We had tapioca - fish curry combo as the main item on the menu, with a few seafood dishes made by local women.The taste was matchless and it felt like a house party ." Endorsing his view is wedding planner Smita H , who says that the guests prefer mostly light, local snacks or delicacies at beach weddings.At the same time, those looking for luxurious and elaborate wedding spreads also have the choice of conducting the ceremonies at the private beaches of hotels, where there are options to conduct the function on a large scale as well.
FILMI QUOTIENT, NOSTALGIA...
Nixon quotes the `filmi quotient\' and nostalgia as the top attractions of beach weddings. "I grew up abroad, but used to watch Hindi movies and had a nostal gic connect with the natural beauty of India. My beach we d d i n g served as the perfect means of enjoying a few movie-like moments, which I can savour for a lifetime," he says. says.
Wedding planner Arabind Chandrasekhar explains, "The wedding sequences in movies involving beaches, especially with a European aura to it, often inspire couples to go for a beach wedding. Sometimes, performances and cultural shows are also incorporated to make the proceedings colourful."
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| Dianna Wilk once dreamed of working in forensics, a friend says, and went to NAIT for a year with that in mind.
Now she is dead, and a police forensics team and a pathologist will have to determine how she died and whether she was the victim of a homicide.
"How could someone hurt someone who was so beautiful?" asks April Pinder, who was Wilk\'s best friend for 21 years.
"She was such a kind, loving person. She would never do anything to hurt anyone. She didn\'t gossip, she never backstabbed. What you saw is what you got with Dianna. She was so loyal. I don\'t know why someone would do this to her. I have no idea."
So far police have released little information about the case. All the public has been told is that Wilk and Daniel Fullerton, who were both 28, were found dead last Friday evening in a car parked on a quiet residential street.
Homicide detectives have taken the lead on the case, and autopsies have been scheduled for Tuesday.
For now, friends and family have questions but few answers.
"It just does not make sense," Pinder said. "So I really, really hope the police can find something."
The body of Dianna Wilk, 28, was found last Friday in a car parked on a quiet residential street in southwest Edmonton.
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Pinder and Wilk were born three days apart, and met when they were seven.
"We were attached at the hip," Pinder said.
Parents moved away 2 weeks ago
Wilk was the youngest of three girls in her family. Her parents raised their daughters in Edmonton, Pinder said, and moved to Ontario only two weeks ago.
Pinder said her own family moved out to St. Albert when she was in Grade 5, and she told her parents they\'d ruined her life by taking her away from her best friend.
The two stayed close. When Wilk turned 16, her parents bought her a Ford Ranger. She\'d drive out to St. Albert and pick up her best pal, and they\'d head to the mall to go shopping, or somewhere to chase boys.
After high school, Wilk went to NAIT and hoped to one day get a job as a forensic scientist, her friend said.
She took a break from school after the first year, but never ended up going back.
Pinder said she remembers her friend as kind, bubbly and charismatic, a great dancer, a young woman who spoke Polish at home with her family, who loved dogs and babies and was always positive and full of life.
"Today is actually my two-year wedding anniversary," Pinder said. "It\'s crazy to think, two years ago we were just sitting at my wedding, laughing, not a care in the world. Who would have thought that this is what would have happened, you know?"
Police responded to an emergency call at 7:39 p.m. on Friday. When officers reached the scene at 173rd Street and 11th Avenue, they found Wilk and Fullerton dead in the front seat of a car.
Police have asked anyone who may have seen or heard something that evening to come forward.
"I really hope that they find the person who did this," Pinder said. "We all just want answers. I haven\'t been able to sleep. I want to know who did this to her. And why."
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| Did you know Kalamkari, the design which we all are raving about today, got its name only in the 1950s though the weaving tradition had existed in the country for hundreds of years? As Delhi-based textile designer and historian Mayank Mansingh Kaul enlightens us, it is just an example to stress the importance of acknowledging history to understand the origins of contemporary designs and the people who have been instrumental in bringing about such changes in the field in the last few decades.
Kaul, who was in the city to give a talk on ‘Contemporary Histories: Indian Textiles since 1947’ at Apparao Galleries on Sunday said the major drawback in the study of textile designing has been a dearth of documented literature on its history. “When I went to study in the National Institute of Design, we read books on the history of textiles a hundred years ago. There was nothing about the recent happenings that have shaped the industry of today,” he says.
Kaul switched from being a textile designer to a textile historian and opined that contemporary history should be a staple for budding designers to facilitate innovation. “In a way, it would stop the trend of ‘reinventing the wheel’ or the ‘copy paste culture’, which are a fallout of ignorance of history,” he adds.
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Talking about the changes that occurred in textile designing in India since independence and the people who brought several reforms, he says there has been a wide shift from the use of khadi in the 1930s and 1940s to today.
“Gandhi brought khadi to the fore in the 40s, while the 50s brought international influences like Art Deco to India. Polyester was introduced in the 60s, leading to big mills. The 70s saw the hippy culture. The next decade saw ethnic revival and people wanted to go back to their zardosis and Co-optex. It was also a time when NGOs linked crafts to livelihood. The Indian economy opened up in the 90s and the fashion industry boomed. There was also a lot of dialogue on how we have been inspired by the West,” he sums up.
Because of the changes, the markets expanded and everything co-exists today. “We have people buying Italian suits that cost Rs 1 lakh a metre to fabrics with block printing and ikat to designer wear from the houses of Sabyasachi Mukherjee and Tarun Tahliani. Handloom weaving has also seen a boom in the past decade. There was a time when households in the North East and Uttaranchal produced handlooms only for their domestic use. But today, they produce handlooms for trade, which in turn gives them a source of livelihood,” he says.
Kaul says the biggest achievement so far has been the Indian designers’ desire to stay rooted to the craft tradition of the country. “The word artisanal has been one of the biggest trends for the last few seasons. Brands like Gucci and Chanel are now drawing inspiration from Indian designs and producing their embroidery in India,” he says.
Despite Indian designs and craft being celebrated on a global platform, Kaul rues it has relegated the position of the Indian artisan. “Earlier, if you wore a sari, the design was conceived by a weaver. But today, it’s the fashion designer who takes the cake! Though the artisan does the weaving, he/she has little say in how the final product is sold and perceived,” he avers but also sounds hopeful of the young designers, who “seem ethical and believe in fair trade while the customer has become more aware. A lot of designers are sourcing their goods from traditional craftsmen and in many brands, the name of the artisan is also mentioned.”
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| Disclaimer: I hate wearing jeans. I also don’t have a boyfriend. However, I promise that I am not just being bitter when I say that I dislike the new trend in denim of “boyfriend jeans” for women.
Sharing clothing with someone you are dating is intimate. It implies shared property ownership, or at the very least, the promise that you will see that person again before laundry day. Maybe it is something you wear to remind you of your partner throughout the day, or maybe it has been borrowed after spending the night; either way, this romantic exchange of clothing is something that the fashion industry has decided to cash in on. The benefit is that these jeans — and all the associations that come along with them — can be purchased without the prerequisite of an actual boyfriend.
So what exactly is the issue with this trend? Jeans cycle through fads faster than our wardrobes can keep up, meaning that this style isn’t guaranteed to stick around. Other trends such as bellbottoms or boot cuts were perfectly innocuous, so why should we care about this one in particular?
The reason is the gender dynamics that have been explicitly incorporated into your clothing. Since these pants are not marketed as “men’s slouchy jeans for women” but as “boyfriend” jeans, they assume certain things about their audience, primarily that they are heterosexual. The sharing of clothing is also not reciprocal. I have never seen a “girlfriend jean” for men, or any other form of female clothing designed for boyfriends, meaning that the denim industry is only comfortable with cross-dressing when it can’t in any way be construed as emasculation or in any way disturb the gender binary.
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These jeans also dictate what your relationship should look like. The design leads us to believe that girlfriends are supposed to be physically smaller — both shorter and skinnier — than their boyfriends. The jeans are intended to be baggy with a rolled up cuff, since your imaginary boyfriend ought to physically outstrip you. Standing at five foot ten, I promise you that none of my previous boyfriends’ jeans would have fit me at all, let alone in an artistically baggy fashion. I can’t help but feel I’m somehow the “wrong” size when these jeans are just a small part of a larger message to women that we are supposed to shrink ourselves to fit into our interpersonal relationships.
Perhaps more concerning about the boyfriend jean is its function as a sartorial “no homo.” As of late, women’s fashion trends have been embracing what were previously seen as men’s styles. By labelling a jean as a “boyfriend” cut, you allay the fears of the heterosexual female shopper worried about venturing into “butch” territory. Worried that people might assume you are gay based on your pant selection? Don’t worry, your jeans are just as heterosexual as you are!
In keeping with traditional gender dynamics and inequalities, it should not shock you that your boyfriend jeans can cost you more than your actual boyfriend’s jeans. The cheapest pair on the Levi’s website clocked in at 98 dollars, while the male counterpart cost ten bucks less. (I for one resent the fact that men’s jeans were not only cheaper, but also free of stylized holes.) While this may not seem like much, when every piece of clothing that you are buying is around ten percent more expensive, it starts to add up.
It’s not news that the fashion industry has its problems, but while there has been a push in the past decade for the industry to do away with some of the more blatant issues, the banal ones remain. Do I think abolishing this style of jean will singlehandedly bring about gender equality? Not at all. But do I think this fashion trend is symptomatic of larger issues to do with heteronormativity and body expectations? Absolutely. Break out the ice cream and Netflix, because it is time for us to dump our boyfriend jeans.
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| InStyle held its inaugural InStyle Awards Monday night at The Gettty Center in Los Angeles, bestowing awards on Nicolas Ghesqui�re, actors Gwyneth Paltrow, Zoe Kravitz and Ansel Elgort, and stylist Kate Young, makeup artist Charlotte Tilbury and hairstylist Serge Normant. Such an assemblage called for equally high-profile presenters, hence Julia Roberts, Kate Hudson, Selena Gomez, Kim Kardashianand Michelle Williams were called in for duty.
Williams flew to L.A. to honor her pal Ghesqui�re, whom she called “the best date I’ve had in years.” Said Williams, “It helps so much to be with someone you genuinely want to be near and talk to. It just adds a component of reality and friendship.” “We’ve been hanging out quite a bit over the years,” Ghesqui�re added. The designer was able to spend four days in L.A. on the heels of a trip to Brazil, where Louis Vuitton will stage its resort show in Rio. Next, he heads to Japan for a design inspiration trip. “I never dreamed it would be possible to have such a wonderful time doing what I love most, fashion,” he said.
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Roberts also didn’t hesitate to pen a speech from the heart for Normant. “He’s not my hairdresser friend, he’s my sit-on-the-couch-and-eat-takeout-and-watch-YouTube-videos friend. Miss Gay Nicaragua — it never gets old — in case anyone is bored later,” she said.
Kravitz, who admitted to nerves before accepting her Breakthrough Award, said it was a comfort to have mom Lisa Bonet present it. “There’s a lot of pressure when you are being recognized for fashion, so for me the answer was to be as minimal as I could be. It’s not about being the loudest in the room, it’s about feeling comfortable and sexy and representing who you are,” she said of her Calvin Klein Collection slipdress.
Gomez echoed the sentiment while giving credit to her stylist Young. “There’s pressure for my generation to feel like sexy is tight and cutouts and all these trends. Kate would present these pieces that I would never think to wear and never think that I’d feel sexy in, but [she] allowed me to take chances that I wouldn’t have before.”
Kardashian, on the other hand, took no chances with her look and showed up in another white, belly-hugging number that was inexplicably flattering. “If I wasn’t doing what I do now, I’d be a makeup artist,” she said, before handing Tilbury her award.
Never one to shy away from airing her opinion, Paltrow summed up the evening by saying, “Well done. Usually these things are a tacky clusterf–k but this is amazingly gorgeous and elegant.”
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| It was a brilliant wedding. An outdoor event planned for mid-September, when so much can go wrong, but nothing did. The weather was at its Fall best. Even the ceremony, was illuminated by the sensuous slant of the autumn light.
As the couple spoke their vows, a great blue heron glided onto the pond beyond, amidst a coppery glow that matched the weather vane on the cupola, a present from groom to his bride atop the house they had so recently built together. And as the couple, now wed, turned to face family and friends, the assembled guests stood and applauded, sharing a collective joy and “feeling the love.”
And relief. All those thousands of pre-wedding details were done with just enough time to spare. It was a grand tribute to the bride and groom — to their planning and organizational skills, their thoughtful devotion to one another and also, one has to note, to their many volunteers. Hardly anything was out-sourced: Labor, tents, materials, flowers, food, hair-do’s, food, photography, music, set-up, clean up and more, no doubt more. A local caterer created his menu to use local farm-raised chickens and pigs. Friends offered up their elk and venison for the potluck. The official wedding photographer, imported from Greenfield, took over 1200 photos, all artfully edited. The groom’s father forested birch for the Hoopah,the sacred altar, which the groom and his team built the day before. A trusted family friend, a temporary justice of the peace, presided over a ceremony that wove together the traditional and the personal. The musicians, who really got the guests dancing, might be familiar to anyone attending first Fridays at the French King Restaurant. Sunflowers, bouquets and the petals strewn by the flower children were all grown and arranged by local hands. Meanwhile, just the Sunday before, an assembled team scooped fiddleheads, gathered in the spring by the couple, and pickled by the couple’s stepmother, into tiny glass jars, with special designer labels and fancy calico caps to make up the wedding souvenirs. (Martha Stuart, don’t even try to take credit.) And the sister of the groom painted an original Ketubah, the traditional Jewish marriage contract as well as beautiful slate markers.
And still there was more sweat equity and last minute errands to run keeping family, extended family and good neighbors from idling. Did I mention that what went up also came down — tents, tables, chairs and the left-overs, all done in record time as the couple sped off on their honeymoon, towing their fully packed pop-up tent.
As the mother-of-the-bride I was witness and a frequent consultant to this wedding phenomena. Actually, consultant might be a misnomer. “What do you think about … ?” my dear daughter would begin, more telling than asking. And as it turned out, we did not need the job lots of umbrellas, I had proposed. And ice cream sundaes, instead of a wedding cake, was an inspired choice; the bouncy house was genius despite my “reservations.”
And her green bridesmaid dresses, well, we both agreed, it was sensational.
But as MOB, I did take on one last minute, but significant job. “Mom, would you decorate the porta potties?”
“Really? Porta potties? Me?” In truth, I have never been a big fan of these outdoor facilities. Given the option, I’d use the woods, and yes I know that the technology has improved, witness the luxurious comfort station set up at the Green River Fest.
I could only hope my potties, would be the newer ones. So I headed off to a dollar store, purchased colorful doo-dads, sparkly trim, superhero hand wipes and lotions.
I also got thick beer mugs intended as vases. I would cut hydrangeas from home and set each one up with flowers. And then satisfied, I rested. On the day of, I set forth with my shopping bags and cut flowers. These portable toilets were clearly your more basic potties, without shelves or room to spare, so how was I to arrange the finery? Then I noticed a small curvature jutting out on one wall. It had a small lip with a blue disk that wasn’t doing diddly-squat as far as I could tell. So there I put the sparkles and lotions, the doo-dads and batman wipes.
On the floor, I set up the vase with hydrangea. Inspected, approved and closed the door. Later, it turned out, but perhaps you suspected, I had decorated the urinals.
Which may not have been a bad thing.
Billowing tents, solemn vows, a euphoric couple, rejoicing guests, feasting and dancing and of course, well-appointed Porta-potties. It was a perfect down home wedding.
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| Every wedding has a story. It usually isn’t told in the design of the dress or the Pinterest perfect decorations. The story lies beneath all the careful planning and the high expectations of the day. They are the simple moments, the quiet corners, the small gestures, and the hilarious goofs that aren’t disclosed in the perfectly staged wedding photos. These are the stories we tell and retell over family dinners. We laugh and even shed a few tears over these anecdotes. They complete our total wedding narratives.
I have three siblings, and we were all married within four years. Each event had its own saga. My brother Jeff’s ceremony ran almost a half an hour late because the ring bearer was stuck in traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge. Before my brother Bruce’s wedding, the groomsmen went AWOL. They were soon discovered returning from a local fall festival where they had headed to the beer tent for a quick drink. My sister Ann’s ceremony was very short. As she walked down the aisle, she asked her husband Mike, “Was that too short?” He responded, “It’s too late now!” I will never forget the quiet moment I had with my father at the back of the church before he walked me down the aisle during my first wedding. He just patted my hand and smiled. As we made our way toward the front of the church, he waved and pointed at everyone in the pews. It was definitely his moment.
When I asked a few friends to share their own wedding stories, I was touched and surprised at their responses.
“As I was walking down the aisle with my father I was terribly nervous and wondering if I was doing the right thing. Then I saw my husband-to-be and he winked at me. I knew all was good.” -Karen E.
“During my first wedding I took my husband as “my wife.” My sister (maid of honor) and I couldn’t stop laughing. Should have known that marriage wouldn’t last.” -Sue Y.
“I remember trying on wedding dresses with my mom. When I came out in one and saw her crying, I knew that was the dress. It was two hundred and fifty dollars, including the veil! That might buy a sleeve today.” -Kerry C.
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“The entire process from planning to the reception was contentious. Attempting to blend two large Greek families and all that entails in itself is a nightmare. Egos galore! Different customs for one particular area of Greece and the Deep South created too much drama for this bride-to-be. I wish I could say “love” prevailed. Or maybe it is love in the form of respect and commitment. I have no idea. But we’re still here. And he still is the first voice I want to hear in the morning.” -Evelyn S.
“This Jewish bride and my groom (who still refers to himself as an ex-Catholic) picked an Unitarian minister, but she was late to the rehearsal and the actual wedding day. My brother-in-law, a psychologist, thought her excuse was lame and offered to fire her. She said she was late on the day of the wedding because she was visiting a dying man in the hospital. I would have loved to have given her a lie detector test on the spot, but my brother-in-law said to her they have phones in the hospital to which she said nothing. So our backup was an engineer who worked at NASA, a family friend licensed to marry couples. So the joke of the day was we fired the minister and hired an astronaut. All true.” -Peg M.
“We ran down the aisle so fast the photographer actually stopped us so he could get the photo. We had a snowstorm, and my husband’s fraternity brothers drank two kegs and offered to buy more so they could keep partying.” -Diane A.
“When my husband hugged his mom as we handed her a rose, the two of them embraced. They both sobbed. I honestly wondered if he would ever let go of his mom! Then, at the reception he kept wondering where I was since I was talking to everyone. Also, the reception locale said they had never gone through as many beer bottles in one night as we did at our reception!” -Karen M.
“My mother was in the midst of her struggle with Alzheimer’s when I was planning my wedding. She was still able to interact with us but didn’t always get the whole story. My sister Amy and my mom went with me as I tried on wedding dresses. As I paraded out of the dressing room to the wall of mirrors with my first dress (which I eventually purchased), I stood there in all my glory beaming as I was the bride! My mother said, “It’s a nice dress, but when do you think you will ever wear it again?” My sister and I looked at one another and burst out laughing. I said, “Oh boy, Mom, I hope I only ever wear this dress once. I’ve been married for fifteen years, still own the dress and still laugh at that story and miss my mom to the moon and back.”
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| TO emulate two of the greatest rock bands of all time, you might expect to have to live a fairly rock \'n\' roll lifestyle yourself.
But far from boozing or smashing up hotel rooms, John Barnett, lead singer of Purple Zeppelin, is more likely to be found relaxing with his cat George or keeping fit through karate or jiu jitsu.
Performing the legendary vocals and guitar riffs of Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple in one show, the band prefers to steer clear of the sort of wild parties that Zeppelin used to have when they owned Hammerwood Park, in East Grinstead.
While John admits they are the "least rock \'n\' roll band in the world" off stage, their onstage antics contain all the energy, musicality and showmanship which made their heroes the greats they are.
Speaking ahead of Purple Zeppelin\'s show at The Hawth next Thursday, John said: "I like to keep fit and martial arts keeps me grounded.
"That took the place of drinking about 20 years ago. There is no way I could do what I do if I was smoking and drinking on stage every night, and audiences these days wouldn\'t stand for it."
John is joined onstage by lead guitarist Mark Dawson, bass guitarist Mike Harlow and drummer Pete O\'Connell.
The decision to merge the two bands in one show was based on two things.
Its members originally formed a Deep Purple tribute act in the early 2000s, but because fans can still see the legendary rockers, albeit without original guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, their own audiences were modest.
Fans of Led Zeppelin don\'t have that same opportunity so by bringing them together, they could attract fans of both bands.
The second reason was simple – two members of the four-piece band are huge Deep Purple fans while the other two are Led Zeppelin devotees.
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While musical differences are often cited as the reason for rock bands splitting up, Purple Zeppelin\'s disagreements are actually one of the things which hold them together.
John, who sits very much in the Deep Purple camp, explained: "Every rehearsal we have, after about two hours I turn to [guitarist] Mark and say \'Ritchie Blackmore is better than Jimmy Page\' and that sets us off for 20 minutes, where we\'ll debate that. It\'s all very good natured.
"My brother played me Deep Purple when I was six and I was just amazed by Ian Gillan\'s voice."
Another reason combining the two bands works well is that both Gillan and Zeppelin\'s Robert Plant hit high notes, albeit that Plant\'s mid-range starts much higher than Gillan\'s.
It presents a vocal challenge for John but one he feels he is built for.
He joked: "My voice is tremendously high. A man of my age shouldn\'t be able to make a noise like that.
"All you can see when I sing is dogs covering their ears and bats flying into things."
For a man who sings some of the most famous and epic rock songs of all time, John took an unusual route in musical terms before settling on his current vocation.
His first performance was in Jesus Christ Superstar, in Gibraltar, where he grew up after moving there from Manchester.
He was later asked to DJ for British reggae group Aswad when they performed in Gibraltar, playing a drum \'n\' bass and ragga set - a world away from Smoke On The Water or Stairway To Heaven.
John said: "On stage and in the car it\'s all about rock music. But if I\'ve had a stressful day, I will do some deck therapy and get on the ones and twos (turntables)."
There certainly won\'t be any drum \'n\' bass when Purple Zeppelin perform and fans of both bands will get the full package without watching carbon copies of them.
"We don\'t pretend that we are Deep Purple or Led Zeppelin but we dress with a very strong suggestion of that era," added John.
"You will see Jimmy Page\'s dragon suit; you will see Jimmy Page\'s twin neck guitar; we have a very special violin bow solo which involves a lightsaber. We\'re in theatre. It\'s not a gig, it\'s a show."
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