Operation Open Arms Capt. John “Giddy-up” Bunch -noted wedding planner these days- arranged the wedding, but it was the way many businesses on Fort Myers Beach and around Lee County came together to provide free services to make the wedding extra special and complete.

Besides Pink Shell, several other businesses poured out their hearts and services by lining up in a “call of duty” to contribute to the cause. The local Marine, who has served two tours already overseas, will be deploying for a third tour to Afghanistan in April.

Bunch said all businesses that participated in this event received an Operation Open Arms Special Medallion for their significant contributions to the charitable organization.

Here is a list of the free contributions that the bride and groom received during and after the military wedding:

n Pink Shell donated their beach property, chairs and archway for the wedding ceremony set-up. Dony Lubig, Pink Shell’s wedding planner for this particular occasion, said: “We want to say thank you for his service to our country. We want to make sure they have a beautiful service.”;

n Libbey’s Flowers provided the bouquet and a boutonnire for the bride and groom. Owners Muffy and Greg Sander said: “We feel like we can contribute something because it is in support of our troops.”;

n Fort Myers Photographer Valarie Hoffman of Valarie Hoffman Photography took photos at the wedding and the reception, processed a variety of prints for the bride and groom, created a slide show that will be set to music and supplied an email link so that the bride’s overseas family (which is unable to attend the wedding) can view website photos of the special evening. (The bride did have three cousins drive over from the east coast of Florida. One cousin served as her father and gave her away at the ceremony.);

n Beach Musician Steve Farst played acoustic guitar songs during the processional and recessional parts of the wedding. Farst said: “We are always presented with information about wanting to support the troops and to take direct actions with the military. This is one of those chances and a great way to support in a direct way.”

n Limousine Driver Nestor Barreiro of 1st Class Limousine in Fort Myers took the newlyweds from Pink Shell to Parrot Key Caribbean Grill then to Tween Waters Resort on Captiva Island.;

n While at Parrot Key, the couple and eight other guests enjoyed a reception dinner for 10 people after the wedding.;

n Navy veteran Chuck Wininger picked up the wedding cake from Extreme Cake Shop in Fort Myers and delivered it to Parrot Key. He also presented the OOA medallions to the businesses at the reception.;

n ‘tween Waters Inn offered two nights of accommodations;

n Silver Sands Resort on Fort Myers Beach provided a one-night stay after the Captiva portion of the honeymoon. Owner Andrea Groves said: “The military is very important to me and my heart. The least we can do is provide them a nice wedding and honeymoon for all their service.”

The local Marine is the son of a retired Lt. Army Colonel who served in the Gulf War. His wife said she was fighting back tears after the chain of offerings continued to grow.

“The outpouring patriotism and support from this community for an active military person that they do not even know is truly, truly amazing. It’s a true testament of this Lee County community and these businesses,” she said. “I just made one phone call, and I couldn’t believe how quickly people just stepped up to the plate. Donating their time and talent, as little as they think it might be, is amazing for someone who is putting his life on the line for his country.”

The phone call to Lubig is what started the heartfelt outpouring.

“Once I connected with Dony, she kept calling me back to ask me if I had flowers and other needs,” she said. “It was overwhelming. I was constantly fighting back tears. He will have some great memories to take with him to inspire him to come back.”

For security reasons, the names of the bride and groom and family members were not disclosed and the photo of the wedding was “skewed” as to not reveal identities.

According to its website, Operation Open Arms is a nationally acclaimed military outreach program which was founded in 2005 with a simple mission statement: “To provide US Servicemen/women visiting Southwest Florida or the Eastern Shore of Maryland every conceivable benefit during their two-week combat leave or return from any foreign duty station.”

OOA has been designated a 501(c)(3) charity by the IRS and all donations are tax deductible. It provides extraordinary benefits such as free limo service, lodging, restaurants, fishing charters, golf, tennis, bowling, kayaking, biking, emergency dental care, and other health care.

Bunch, who served in the Marine Corps, noted the self-administering program is “facing serious challenges” during these tough economical times. If interested in contributing, go to www.operationopenarms.com.

“To provide this outstanding level of service to US Troops, OOA must be sustained by tax deductible donations and new sponsors (more restaurants/ hotels/ condos/ fishing guides/ parasailing). It should be clear no one associated with Operation Open Arms enjoys a salary or benefits,” said Bunch.

Bunch still takes pride in setting up weddings for military personnel.

“Planning this wedding has been an honor. US Troops on their combat leave have one favorite destination: Fort Myers Beach,” said Bunch. “The Silver Sands Resort was the first resort to offer free lodging to Our Troops. Andrea and Tom have extended a level of kindness that can only be described as truly extraordinary. The same applies to Diamondhead Resort, The Pink Shell and, of course, Salty Sams/Parrot Key.”

The local Marine’s family is appreciative of the effort put forth by Bunch and OOA.

“Capt. John Bunch is the best wedding planner. He should win some sort of award,” said the groom’s stepmother. “He’s kind of a one-man band. We give money to other agencies whose folks get paid a salary. John does this for free.”

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From Konnie Kara

I woke up today after a barrage of unhealthy nightmares. The first was that I ran away from my wedding; the second was that I was on a honeymoon cruise boat that had started sinking while Vinnie and I were still on it, a la Titanic. I’ve been having a lot of these dreams recently.  

The nice thing is that when I wake up there is always a reassuring, loving text from Vinnie. I call him, we chat for about half an hour. I try desperately not to talk weddings – but that is hard now, much of our conversation revolves around ‘have you called so-and-so?’ or ‘have you put the order in?’ or ‘why is such-and-such being so bleeding meddlesome?’ Now we’ve decided to do wedding talk via email – I find it much healthier and as we take care of business that way it frees up time to talk about our normal lives on the phone. We haven’t seen each other for a week which has been testing because all I want is a hug! My phone is permanently glued to my ear.

What was great about today was discussing henna patterns with my henna artist. She said I should go for something with a more Arabic design influence as opposed to Indian (which is more intricate) because I have a lot of floral motifs on my Indian Sari. I love henna, but never get it done apart from at other people’s wedding and even then I only have a small strip of art work on my palm. This time I’m having the full works, although not all the way up my arm as is the current trend because I don’t really enjoy the smell and also I’ve got a rather skimpy honeymoon wardrobe which doesn’t match the Indian henna look! I’ve also upgraded the flowers for the reception today and gone in for a nicely decorated top table – this has eaten into the budget so I’ve shifted expenses so that Vinnie has to find good supermarket offers on litre bottles of spirits. I think he and both dads have been making a habit of popping into Asda, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Morrison’s every lunch time to check if the gin, vodka, rum, whisky and brandy are on offer.

The house smells of pot pourri too as I’ve taken to drying all the flowers from the registry wedding in the hallway (which is very airy and light and, most importantly, dry.) The Indian invites I have not got involved in at all and have left that task entirely up to both mums. My mother spends her evenings glued to the phone to my aunts, making plans, lists and sub-lists of items they need for the wedding ceremony – while writing invites and sealing invites. She has asked my sister not to get married for a long time because she needs five years to get over the mammoth affair my wedding has turned into.

I have left the wedding ceremony details up to her really and am concentrating on getting the reception finalised. She’s also organising the menu for the pre-wedding party with my aunt and cousin. I can’t wait for that meal – it’s going to be awesome.

Love Konnie xxx

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From Konnie Kara

I woke up today after a barrage of unhealthy nightmares. The first was that I ran away from my wedding; the second was that I was on a honeymoon cruise boat that had started sinking while Vinnie and I were still on it, a la Titanic. I’ve been having a lot of these dreams recently.  

The nice thing is that when I wake up there is always a reassuring, loving text from Vinnie. I call him, we chat for about half an hour. I try desperately not to talk weddings – but that is hard now, much of our conversation revolves around ‘have you called so-and-so?’ or ‘have you put the order in?’ or ‘why is such-and-such being so bleeding meddlesome?’ Now we’ve decided to do wedding talk via email – I find it much healthier and as we take care of business that way it frees up time to talk about our normal lives on the phone. We haven’t seen each other for a week which has been testing because all I want is a hug! My phone is permanently glued to my ear.

What was great about today was discussing henna patterns with my henna artist. She said I should go for something with a more Arabic design influence as opposed to Indian (which is more intricate) because I have a lot of floral motifs on my Indian Sari. I love henna, but never get it done apart from at other people’s wedding and even then I only have a small strip of art work on my palm. This time I’m having the full works, although not all the way up my arm as is the current trend because I don’t really enjoy the smell and also I’ve got a rather skimpy honeymoon wardrobe which doesn’t match the Indian henna look! I’ve also upgraded the flowers for the reception today and gone in for a nicely decorated top table – this has eaten into the budget so I’ve shifted expenses so that Vinnie has to find good supermarket offers on litre bottles of spirits. I think he and both dads have been making a habit of popping into Asda, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Morrison’s every lunch time to check if the gin, vodka, rum, whisky and brandy are on offer.

The house smells of pot pourri too as I’ve taken to drying all the flowers from the registry wedding in the hallway (which is very airy and light and, most importantly, dry.) The Indian invites I have not got involved in at all and have left that task entirely up to both mums. My mother spends her evenings glued to the phone to my aunts, making plans, lists and sub-lists of items they need for the wedding ceremony – while writing invites and sealing invites. She has asked my sister not to get married for a long time because she needs five years to get over the mammoth affair my wedding has turned into.

I have left the wedding ceremony details up to her really and am concentrating on getting the reception finalised. She’s also organising the menu for the pre-wedding party with my aunt and cousin. I can’t wait for that meal – it’s going to be awesome.

Love Konnie xxx

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By Eoin English

Friday, February 04, 2011

LOVE was in the air in Cork City Hall yesterday at the launch of a special competition which will see the historic building host its first civil wedding ceremony.

Lord Mayor Cllr Michael O’Connell also announced that a host of sponsors have come on board to cover a range of aspects, including the reception, to ensure that it will be unforgettable day for one lucky couple and their friends.

He has now invited people to write to him stating why they should win his Win Your Wedding competition.

It has been two years since the city council approved the use of City Hall as a venue for civil wedding ceremonies.

“I have made it a policy to open up City Hall to the public as much as possible during my term of office,” Mr O’Connell said. “This is a fantastic opportunity for one lucky couple to not only make history, but to have many of the associated costs of their wedding covered by the generous sponsorship of Cork’s business community.”

The prize, which will see the couple tying the knot in the Lord Mayor’s office, also includes: a wedding day lunch for up to 50 people in the Ambassador Hotel; free limousine service for the bridal party courtesy of Abbey Limousine services; hairdressing services for the bridal party courtesy of Jessica Cogan stylist; make-up services for the bridal party courtesy Aileen Lane; a champagne breakfast for the groom’s party at Nash 19; a bridal bouquet and buttonholes for the groom’s party from Fab Flowers; dress suit hire for the groom’s party from Black Tie; and jewellery for the mothers of the bride and groom from Orla Murphy Jewellery.

But the prize, which is worth several thousand euro, also includes one year’s free house insurance from Alan O’Leary Insurance, a €500 voucher for Brown Thomas, a €200 voucher for the Moderne, a €200 voucher for Keane’s Jewellers, and a €200 travel voucher from Bernard Hayes Travel.

Couples planning to have a civil wedding ceremony before June 22 can request an application form from the Lord Mayor’s office at City Hall on Anglesea Street, fill it out and return it before 5pm on Wednesday, February 23, to be in with a chance of winning their dream big day.

The judging panel includes Caroline Counihan from Brown Thomas, Claire Nash from Nash 19, Claire Killeen from the Ambassador Hotel, and Deirdre O’Reilly from the Evening Echo.

This appeared in the printed version of the Irish Examiner Friday, February 04, 2011

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Calcutta News.Net
Wednesday 10th November, 2010 (IANS)

The ‘Bigg Boss’ house turned into a beautiful wedding venue as TV actors Sara Khan and Ali Merchant tied the knot on the reality show Wednesday night. But doubts over its authenticity linger.

The couple, who had been dating for the past three years, was pronounced husband and wife in a simple Muslim wedding ceremony on the reality show.

However, rumours are abuzz that the two are already married. In an interview to a news channel, the bride’s parents revealed that Sara and Ali had married in 2008.

‘Both Sara and Ali already got married two years ago Nov 10. Ali’s parents had asked us to stay mum about it as their career was on stake,’ Sara’s mother told Aaj Tak news channel.

‘We were not invited for the wedding,’ Sara’s father added.

Previous episodes of ‘Bigg Boss’, aired on Colors, had shown Sara tearing pictures of Ali, saying the relationship was going through a turbulent phase.

So was all this just an elaborate gimmick for television ratings?

Reports say Ali and Sara have been paid around Rs.50 lakh for their ‘television wedding’.

True or not, the ceremony was a colourful affair.

While Sara wore a red and green wedding outfit with kundan embroidery, Ali wore a sherwani embellished with gold threads. The outfits were designed by Vikram Phadnis.

The mandap, where ceremony took place, was decorated with motiyaa (Jasmine flowers).

All the ‘Bigg Boss’ inmates were decked up in traditional outfits. While Shweta Tiwari, Dolly Bindra, Veena Malik and Aanchal Kumar dazzled in sarees, Ashmit Patel, Hrishant Goswami and Mano Tiwari donned traditional kurta pyjamas.

Also present were Ali’s parents Ashik Abbas Merchant and Salma, and Sara’s uncle Irshad Hussain Khan.

‘I am very happy. I never expected that their wedding will be so grand. They are lucky to get this opportunity,’ said Irshad.

‘Sara’s parents couldn’t make it to the marriage as her paternal grandmother expired. This had to be done in ‘Bigg Boss’ house, so they didn’t inform her about the demise,’ he added.

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Cool Events • NY, NJ and CT • Wedding Dresses & Style

Charity wedding gown sale

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Wedding Dresses & Style

Would you design your wedding gown?

Photo: Don Freeman

This week in the forum, user Kat101 is thinking about designing her wedding gown.

“I have been into fashion design for awhile and I found a dress that I love but I want to change it around a bit and kind of create my own…[Is] designing my own dress and having it made is a good idea?”

Del3 advises: “My only caution would be that if you haven’t designed a gown before you may want to talk to some of your fellow designers who do gowns to get their advice and tips.”

Classydame offers another tip: “The only thing is, if you are planning to have someone sew it instead of sewing it yourself, DO YOUR RESEARCH. DO NOT hire someone without seeing examples of their previous work either in person or in pictures.”

Would you design your wedding gown? Do you have any advice for Kat101?

Click here to continue the discussion in the forum or click here to view all forum topics.

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Bridesmaids • Wedding Dresses & Style

Brand new fashion for brides and bridesmaids!

Courtesy of Quail Bridal

It’s always so exciting to see a new perspective in the bridal gown/bridesmaid dress world, and the launch of Quail Bridal is no exception. Designer Michelle Nguyen Williams has created some really gorgeous gowns with a French, fashion-forward feel, as well as short “Cake Cutting Dresses” that would also work well for rehearsal dinners, bachelorette parties, and the like. I’m really a huge fan of her bridesmaid dresses, especially the grey number pictured above—I love that it’s actually a top and a skirt, which makes the look even more wearable after the wedding. The top would be great under a blazer, and the skirt could basically be worn with anything. Quail Bridal dresses can be purchased through their website, their studio in Long Beach, California, and at Lovely Bride in New York. —Kim Forrest

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Featured Engagement Session by Hilary Mercer Photography

Typically, we don’t publish engagement sessions, but this one was too good to pass up! This artsy couple, who will wed on June 11, 2011 at the North Carolina Museum of Art, took it outside and clearly had lots of fun!

I love how many totally unique, different “looks” this fab photographer was able to capture. The vibe- casual, low-key, and free spirited- was consistent throughout, but somehow, each photo tells a story of its own. And the shots of the bride’s gorgeous cushion cut diamond engagement ring… to. die. for!!

Helpful Links
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Photo: Hilary Mercery Photography

Photo: Hilary Mercery Photography

Photo: Hilary Mercery Photography

Photo: Hilary Mercery Photography

Photo: Hilary Mercery Photography

Photo: Hilary Mercery Photography

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