wedding dress blog

With only days to go until Valentine’s Day on Saturday, Feb. 14, Cupid is gearing up.

And believe it or not, there’s still time to schedule a wedding, vows renewal or commitment ceremony for that day.

Provided you have a bona fide marriage license in your possession by Sunday, Feb. 8, Dave and Bonnie Flom stand ready to help make your nuptial dreams come true.

“We’ve been helping friends with their weddings and we decided to take it farther,” said Dave, a Twin Cities native who is an independent consultant specializing in design engineering, auto custom building and repair, custom aquatics and animal curation.

The couple, Minnetonka residents who were married on Valentine’s Day in 2004, has started a Golden Valley-based company called Binding Weddings to help people get married, renew their vows or hold a commitment or union ceremony.

“When we had our own wedding five years ago, it was hard to come up with a site,” Dave said. “We didn’t want a giant ceremony. We wanted it to be easy, simple and nice. We found a guy on the Internet who helped us, and we had it outside at the Walker Art Center.”

And yes, it was snowing on their wedding day, said Bonnie, a native of northern Minnesota who works in computer medical billing.

The couple has performed four ceremonies so far, and are preparing for a few more in the coming months.

“We’re having a lot of fun with it,” Dave said.

While not an ordained minister, Dave has credentials that permit him to conduct the ceremonies.

Their wedding site at 8459 10th Ave. N., Golden Valley, features a wedding archway and bridal walkway. A guitarist is available to provide live music.

“Some of our friends got so excited about this they helped us decorate our mini chapel for Valentine’s Day,” Dave said.

The Floms will book ceremonies all day on Saturday, Feb. 14, which also is their own fifth wedding anniversary.

According to the company’s website, the Golden Valley wedding site accommodates up to 75 people. Their “most trendy” wedding ceremony costs $350 for up to 15 people, including the bride and groom.

“It’s simple, but still memorable,” Bonnie said.

In addition to the ceremony, couples will be served wedding cake and receive a top cake with their names on it to take home and save for their first anniversary.

The bride will receive flowers, and a bridal veil is available for use. The groom will receive a boutonniere.

The new couple also will receive a union candle and toast from the Floms.

Ten days after the ceremony, the couple will receive their signed marriage license and a copy of their ceremony on DVD.

More information: 612-790-6000 or www.bindingweddings.com.

Comment on this story at our website, www.mnsun.com.

We know how hard you worked to make everything perfect. What flowers did you choose? What did your dress look like? What did the bridesmaids’ dresses look like? What style of tuxedo did he choose? How did you decorate your tables? Where did you two tie the knot? We’re interested in those details and many more.

To tell us about your wedding, write in care of WEDDINGS by e-mail to living@thecalifornian.com or by mail to The Salinas Californian, P.O. Box 81091, Salinas, CA, or deliver your letter in person to our office at 123 W. Alisal St., Salinas.

Please respond no later than Wednesday, Feb. 11. Be sure to include 5-10 high-resolution photographs (200 dpi or higher) and a daytime phone number so we can contact you.

Grooms are doing more than just standing at the end of the aisle nowadays.

Many are taking part in the intricate planning of the perfect wedding.

It’s something Pat Moore, an organizer of With This Ring Bridal Gala, has seen more and more of over the years.

“When I was getting married, the mom and the bride did a lot of the stuff. A lot of the couples today pay for a lot of their weddings, so they are interested in working on it together,” Moore said.

With This Ring Bridal Gala, held at Westerner Park Sunday, gave them plenty of ideas to choose from.

Red Deer resident Megan Thomson was there with her mother Joanne Thomson, of Sundre, and fiancé Tim French. He was lured to the event with the promise of food and was satisfied after getting to sample some of the offerings.

“Those cupcakes were excellent,” he said.

The three had just gotten to see the first fashion show of the day, which featured gowns, tuxedos, jewelry, hair and table arrangements.

Thomson said it was nice to see all of the different ideas at the show, which will help her decide on the dress she would like.

French said he would be happiest wearing jeans and a T-shirt to his wedding, but since that isn’t allowed he’ll wear a tuxedo.

This year, there were more than 60 exhibitors and organizers hoped around 1,500 would attend the gala, which is in its fifth year.

Moore said the economy could affect how people plan their weddings this year, with couples trying to cutback.

“There are still going to be lots of brides with that Cinderella budget,” Moore said. “They plan on it being that once in a lifetime event so it’s got to be perfect.”

Bride-to-be Jacquie Henderson, 26, of Penhold, was there with her sister and aunt. She was trying to find the perfect dress.

Her fiancé is a welder and with the economy the way that it is she is finding ways to be more economical with her wedding. As she is booking things she has asked how she can save money.

Others don’t want to cutback on their special day.

Vanessa Dunning, 22, who will be getting married in October, was there with her friends and other brides-to-be Michelle Gillis, 22, and Cassandra Dunning, 20. Michelle’s younger sister Melissa was also there helping the women.

Vanessa said the economy won’t change things for her wedding. “It doesn’t change my plans. It’s your day, you want what you want,” she said. She will be heading to Newfoundland, where her fiancé is from, to get married. She wants a princess dress.