How to Avoid "Conflict" or "Blood" Diamonds

Weddings On Wheels (@WedOnWheels) has shared a Tweet with you: "WedOnWheels: Avoid conflict diamonds. Beautiful CZ wedding ring sets available in my Avon online store! http://youravon.com/dkalinowski

Cubic zirconias are a smart way to avoid buying "blood" diamonds, which support the conflict in Africa.  Several of the ring sets are crafted in sterling silver, a precious metal.
To view the selection of rings, click on the link in the above Tweet, select Shop My Store and type "wedding rings" in the Search box.

You do not need to live near me to purchase Avon products from my online store.   All items can be direct shipped to anywhere in the US.  Free shipping on orders over $30.00!

Prison Weddings

Over the last two years, I've had the opportunity to officiate weddings at a NJ Federal Prison near my home.  Prison weddings can be difficult to set up, but I find them worth the effort.  The couples I've married in prison are very appreciative of my services. 

For one reason or another, the chaplains at all the Federal and State Prisons in NJ decline to perform inmate weddings.  This means the inmate and his fiancee must locate an officiant or minister on the outside who is willing to go into the prison and perform the wedding for them. Lots of paperwork must be completed by the inmate, his bride-to-be, and the officiant/minister. Background checks of the officiant and the witnesses are conducted by the prison and all parties involved in the ceremony must be added to the inmate's visitation list for the wedding day.  The prison also imposes further restrictions on photography at the ceremony, wedding attire for the bride and what type of wedding band the groom may receive.

Obtaining the NJ Marriage License can also be difficult and costly for the couple. Most NJ Registrars refuse to come into the prison to take the inmate's marriage license application.  They insist the inmate be brought to their office.  The inmate and his fiancee must bear the cost of paying guards to transport him to the Registrar's office.  At present, the cost for the guards and transport is nearly $500.00.  The cost of the NJ Marriage License is $28.00.     

Once all the hurdles have been cleared and all the hoops jumped through, the prison will set the wedding date for the couple.  On the day of the wedding, all parties involved (officiant, bride, witnesses/guests) assemble at the prison, sign in and complete a screening procedure (metal detector and filling out a questionnaire).  Then all are led into the room where the wedding ceremony will take place.  Sometimes there is more than one ceremony taking place on the particular date/time.

I like to make my prison wedding ceremonies personal and special.  The wedding may be taking place in grim surroundings, but it is still the couple's wedding day!  When they hire me to do their wedding, I ask if they would like a religious or non-religious ceremony.  Would they like any special readings?  Will they be writing their own vows to read to each other?  At the conclusion of the ceremony, I present the bride with a bound booklet of the entire ceremony script and a keepsake Certificate of Marriage.  (I'm not permitted to hand anything to the inmate during the visit for the wedding, so all items must be given to the bride.)  Then the witnesses and I sign the Marriage License and I file it with the local Registrar.

Here is a photo of a wedding I officiated at FCI Fairton in NJ.

If you would like to book me to officiate a prison wedding for you and your someone special, please click this link:
http://www.weddingsonwheels.org/request_for_availabilityprice_quote






 

 

Wedding Ring Tip

Want to save a bundle on your wedding bands?  Instead of purchasing expensive 18K gold or platinum wedding bands, opt for more reasonably priced, and much more durable, tungsten wedding bands.  Tungsten is the hardest metal on the planet, so your rings will look as good on your 50th wedding anniversary as they did on your wedding day!  

http://www.jvljewelry.com/About_Our_Product_a/143.htm

Tungsten wedding rings come in a variety of modern styles.  Here are some of my favorites:

http://www.jvljewelry.com/category_s/22.htm

Sponsored Weddings

Here's a novel and practical way to cut $$$ off your wedding costs.  Have a sponsored wedding!

A sponsored wedding is when you are able to find wedding vendors who will offer you their products or services at a reduced rate in exchange for a bit of advertising at your wedding.  The advertising need not be tacky.  It can be as simple as any of the following:

    •    A list of sponsors on the back of your wedding program
    •    An insert card of sponsors in your wedding invitation
    •    A small sign in front of the cake table or DJ stand at your reception
    •    A vendor's logo on the back of matchbooks or cocktail napkins
    •    Business cards of vendors discretely placed on the guest book table

So how do you arrange for vendors to sponsor your wedding?  You have to ask!  Approach potential vendors with the idea of possible discounts or free services in exchange for free advertising on your wedding day.  Both you and the vendors will reap the benefits.  You will receive a reduced cost or free product or service and the vendor can generate more business via the free advertising!  Celebrities do this all the time.  Remember Star Jones' wedding?  She had lots of sponsors on board and had an extravagant affair for very little money.  If she can do it, you can too!

If you would like us to be a sponsor for your wedding, please contact us to request details:

http://www.weddingsonwheels.org/request_for_availabilityprice_quote

The Royal Engagement Ring

Everyone is abuzz about the upcoming Royal Wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton.  The most popular topic seems to be the engagement ring, which belonged to William's mother, Princess Diana.  It's a stunning 18 carat oval blue sapphire surrounded by diamonds.  A ring truly fit for a princess!

Since the holiday season is one of the most popular times to get engaged (1/4 of all engagements take place between Thanksgiving and Christmas), and so many women are clamoring for a ring like the one Prince William gave to Kate, I decided to do a little research to help those men who would like to get a similar ring for their lady but don't want to pay a king's ransom for it.  Here are links to two of the best looking Princess Diana replica rings I have found.  And guys, neither of them will break your budget!

The first one is from QVC (the shopping channel):

http://www.qvc.com/qic/qvcapp.aspx/view.2/app.detail/params.cm_scid.WISH.item.J157073

(Be sure to watch the video to see just how large and gorgeous this ring is!)

The second replica ring is from Emitations:

http://www.emitations.com/neelam.html#

This ring looks to be a bit smaller and costs a little more money than the QVC ring, but it is every bit as elegant.

Holiday Weddings

Many couples like to get married on a holiday (Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years).  These are times when family and friends come together to celebrate and share.  What better time for a wedding!

Most holiday weddings are small, intimate affairs held in the couple's home.  Family and friends are already gathered there for the holiday celebration, so you have a "captive audience," so to speak. All you need is a minister or officiant willing to come into you home on a holiday to perform the ceremony and sign the marriage license.

If you are in the NJ, PA, DE area and want to have a holiday wedding, Weddings On Wheels has mobile wedding officiants/ministers available to perform your holiday wedding ceremony.  And there is no additional fee for the officiant to perform your ceremony on the holiday!  Our officiants work 24/7, 365 days a year!

So, go ahead!  Give your sweetie the ultimate holiday gift by marrying him or her during this holiday season.  We can help you arrange it.   

http://www.weddingsonwheels.org

NJ Civil Unions

Civil unions (same-gender marriages) have been legal in NJ since the end of February 2007, yet there are still misconceptions about them.  I'd like to address a few of them:

1. First of all, civil unions are not the same thing as a civil ceremony.  I've had several heterosexual couples call me and request a civil union, when what they really wanted was a civil (non-religious) ceremony.  NJ civil unions are for same-gender couples only.

2. The same-gender couple does not need to reside in NJ in order to have a NJ civil union.  I've officiated civil unions for couples who traveled to NJ from PA, NY, LA and FL, just so they could say that their union was legally recognized somewhere, even if it wouldn't be recognized when they returned to their home state.  That legal piece of paper (the civil union license) is very important to some couples.

3. Just because it's called a civil union, doesn't mean the couple can only have a civil (non-religious) ceremony.  There are many ministers in NJ who will gladly perform a religious civil union ceremony for a same-gender couple.  However, ministers are not obligated by law to perform NJ civil unions.  If same-gender marriage conflicts with the minister's religious beliefs, he/she may may refuse to perform the ceremony for you.  NJ mayors and judges, being civil servants, must perform BOTH civil unions (same-gender marriages) AND heterosexual marriages or perform NEITHER, according to a ruling by the NJ State Attorney General.  They are not allowed to pick and choose by performing one and not the other. 

For more information, please visit: http://www.weddingsonwheels.org/nj_civil_union_services