New York Times Wedding Announcement

We couldn’t believe that the New York Times picked up our announcement! It was printed the morning after the wedding. 

How did we do it? As the Italians say with a shrug, “Boh!” (Who knows!) We emailed our information about six weeks before it was due and were surprised to receive a call from someone at the paper the week before the wedding. She opened with, “First, I want to congratulate you on your upcoming nuptials. Second, and perhaps more importantly, I want to congratulate you on being chosen by The New York Times.”

She confirmed every detail of our lives by speaking to us, our families, our bosses and even the editors at literary magazines where I said I’d been published. When she asked me for details on the literary magazines, she said, “You can’t be a poet if you aren’t published.” 

This was serious business.

I had thought that only people like the characters on Sex and the City would be “chosen.” As a civilian, I was inspired to submit our announcement because my dear friend Rasheea Williams, now Rasheea Hall, had submitted in 2005. Her lovely wedding announcement can be read here. I later learned that our friends Rick and Lisa had also been in the famous Styles section after their gorgeous wedding in Richmond, Va.

We weren’t 100% sure that the announcement would run, so we tried not to tell everyone that someone from the Times had called. The evening after the wedding, my husband (I love an excuse to write that) saw a Google alert for his name and The New York Times pop up on his Iphone.

Most newspaper announcement require payment to print announcements. We only submitted to newspapers that would run the announcement for free, The New York Times and the Italian Tribune. Sorry, Star Ledger.

Read Full Post »

Proposal Season? (Or, Love and The New York Times)

Wedding experts say that at least a third of all proposals occur over the holidays. That’s a lot of proposals.

 

I wonder how they will happen and how the couples met.

 

Who doesn’t enjoy reading love stories? It can be embarrassing, though, to read them in a fashion magazine filled with makeup and wedding diet tips. We need to keep up our guise of being well-read, educated folks, right?

 

That’s where the New York Times and the Styles section fits in. From the Modern Love column to the Weddings and Celebrations,everything is well-written and gives you that love story fix. And better yet, you can keep up appearances by reading up on these stories in the liberal Times.

 

While we might not want to admit it, I imagine most of us would love to be featured in the Weddings and Celebrations column. A picture of you and your beloved and a snippet about the wedding… what could be better? Here is the list of rules and regulations. I fear that the key might be certain connections to schools, businesses and the media, but… you never know. It has been open to same sex couples for some time and perhaps it will be opened up to less connected folks in the future, too.

 

Recently, there was a great article about traditions and customs from various cultures. You might find that interesting and it may help you to better plan or attend an upcoming wedding.

 

Advice:

Check out the Sunday Style’s Section of The New York Times. Maybe you’ll see someone you know under the Weddings and Celebrations.

 

Where do you get your fix of love stories? You are welcome to post your suggestions under Comments.

 

Read Full Post »