Monday, November 15, 1999
Y2K-I-DO: Couples ring in millennium with wedding bells
BY REON CARTER
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Kicking off the New Year and a new life together means double the party and double the fun for couples planning millennium celebration weddings.
Party-pooping purists will continue to carp that the new millennium, or the 21st century, doesn't begin until Jan. 1, 2001, but popular sentiment is to celebrate the arrival of 2000 and bid farewell to the 1900s with a bang.
“New Year's Eve and New Year's Day have always been popular for weddings,” says Beverly Clark, bridal expert and author of Weddings: A Celebration (Wilshire Publications' $60) and Planning A Wedding To Remember (Wilshire Publications; $18.95). “Adding the millennium aspect just makes it extra special. There will be even more couples getting married, not just on New Year's Eve or New Year's Day, but during the entire year 2000.”
While the crunch for bridal-related services and venues isn't more frenzied than usual in the Tristate, Ms. Clark says couples in other regions have not been so lucky.
“Site directors are planning multiple ceremonies at the same time to accommodate sheer numbers,” Ms. Clark says. “Locations, caterers and musicians are so overbooked already (that) couples who ordinarily would never dream of having their nuptials on any day other than the weekend — Saturday or Sunday — are having to be married midweek.”
In its January/February issue due on newsstands Nov. 23, Bridal Guide magazine is forecasting additional millennium trends from weddings shown live on the Internet for relatives who can't attend to virtual gown shopping for harried brides to be.
“The overall theme that I think will become even more prominent during the next millennium is that brides and grooms are tailoring their ceremonies to reflect more of their personalities, cultures and heritages,” says Diane Forden, Bridal Guide's editor-in-chief. “They will be looking for more ways to distinguish their events from what everyone else is doing.”
Despite millennium hoopla, most couples will keep their ceremonies simple and elegant. The popular millennium wedding colors, for example, are silver/platinum and white.
“The ideas have been pretty low key,” says Gerard J. Monaghan, president of the Association of Bridal Consultants, a New Milford, Conn.-based trade organization with 2,300 members in 31 countries. “I thought there would be more people planning over-the-top things, like couples descending from makeshift space ships, but so far that hasn't been the case.”
The Tristate will have its share of millennium weddings, too. The Enquirer asked readers to let us know if they planned New Year's nuptials. Here's a look at some of the couples who responded and what they're wedding plans are:
• Felise Baldwin, 28, North College Hill, and Kenneth Walker, 32, Fairfax, Va.
Been together: Six months. “We met May 1, 1999, during the Kentucky Derby festivities in Kenny's hometown of Louisville and were engaged by May 31,” Ms. Baldwin says.
Wedding plans: They'll wed at Lincoln Heights Missionary Baptist Church in Woodlawn New Year's Eve. The wedding colors will be silver and gold. The reception will be at the Grove in Springfield Township.
“Instead of an ordinary wedding reception, we have incorporated several events to give our reception the feel of a New Year's Eve party,” Ms. Baldwin says. “We have organized Best Dresser, Best Singer and Best Dancer of the millennium contests.”
The couple will give away prizes, such as calendars, T-shirts and engraved champagne glasses with 01-01-00 printed on them.
Why they picked the date: “We are most thankful that during a time of so many new beginnings we are able to celebrate the most important beginning of all, our covenant with one another and our covenant with God,” Ms. Baldwin says.
• Pam Schwier, 27, and Rob Annis, 29, of Delhi Township.
Been together: Nine years. The two met at a high school prom party in May 1990. They've been engaged since Valentine's Day 1995.
Wedding plans: They'll wed at the Chapel of Love in Gatlinburg, Tenn., on New Year's Eve.
“Gatlinburg is one of our favorite places to visit,” says Ms. Schwier. “We love the mountains. We thought it would be the perfect place to celebrate our marriage and the millennium all in one.”
They plan to celebrate with family and friends at a party upon their return.
Why they picked the date: “We've been engaged a long time,” Ms. Schwier says. “We thought it would be a cool time to start our lives together as husband and wife.”
• Ann Wilson and Ross Jensen, both 62, of Colerain Township.
Been together: As a couple for a year, but they've known each other for 30 years. They became engaged July 5.
Wedding plans: They'll wed at Turner's Hall in Mount Healthy on New Year's Day. The reception will follow at the same location.
“It will be a traditional celebration,” Ms. Wilson says. “And a family affair. Granddaughters will be the flower girls and one grandson will be the ring bearer and another older one will be the disc jockey.”
Why they picked the date: “It didn't really matter to me,” Mr. Jensen says. “But I think she picked New Year's Day instead of New Year's Eve for tax purposes.”
• Elaine Kallmeyer, 33, Crescent Springs, and Edward Oestreicher, 39, Delhi Township.
Been together: Four years. They met at Southwestern College of Business in Crestview Hills.
“I was a teacher and she was a student, but she wasn't one of my students,” Mr. Oestreicher says.
Wedding plans: They'll wed at the American Legion Hall in Florence at midnight. The following festivities will include karaoke and a big screen television to watch the celebration on Times Square in New York.
Why they picked the date: “We thought it was the best way to combine celebrations for three big events: our wedding, the millennium, my 40th birthday, which is New Year's Day,” says Mr. Oestreicher.
• Donna Balanger, 45, Hamilton, and Sean L. Hogan, 44, of Newark, Nottinghamshire, England.
Been together: She “met” him online in a Yahoo! chat room last November. He traveled to Cincinnati in January to visit.
“I met him at the airport and we were so comfortable with each other,” Ms. Balanger says. Two weeks after he returned to England, he proposed online. When he came back to visit in May, he presented the engagement ring to make it official. He will return to the United States to stay just in time for Thanksgiving.
Wedding plans:They'll wed at a marriage minister's home on New Year's Day. They plan to have a quiet dinner with family and friends afterward.
Why they picked the date: “It was Sean's idea,” Ms. Balanger says.“We just thought it would be memorable day and memorable way to celebrate both big events.”
• Leslie Roberts, 48, and Bob Payne, 62, both West Chester.
Been together: Five years. They met at work.
Wedding plans: They'll wed in a ceremony at Faith Community United Methodist Church in West Chester on New Year's Eve. The reception will be at the home of friends.
“The festivities will include champagne, bells to ring and a hot tub,” says Ms. Roberts. “Of course, all the guests won't be able to get in there all at once.”
Why they picked the date: “We had no particular date in mind. We just knew we wanted to get married. A friend suggested this New Year's Eve and we decided it sounded extra special and festive.”
• Kerri Blaylock, 26, and Robb Beachler, 27, both Eaton, Ohio.
Been together: 41/2 years. Met at a friend's Halloween party.
Wedding plans: They'll wed at Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church in Hamilton on New Year's Eve. The reception will follow at Meadowbrook Inn in Ross. They will make the reception similar to a New Year's Eve party with party hats, horns and a big balloon drop.
Why they picked the date: “We thought it would be a fun time for family and friends to be together on such a special New Years Eve,” says Ms. Blaylock.
Mr. Beachler adds, “It will also be easy to remember all future anniversaries.”
• Angela Esposito, 24, and Ken Groves, 31, both Western Hills.
Been together: Two years. They were introduced by friends and have been engaged since January.
They will: Wed at Westside Baptist in Price Hill New Year's Eve.
“Those attending the ceremony will wear party hats,” Ms. Esposito says. A New Year's Eve party will follow at St. Christopher in Delhi Township.
“We didn't plan the celebration afterwards as a wedding reception, but as a New Year's Eve party,” she says. “We rented a bubble blower and will have a big balloon drop.”
Why they picked the date: “We can have family and friends around us for the wedding and the New Year,” Ms. Esposito says.
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