Johnny Gonzales The Wedding Ceremony Cocktail Hour Reception Guitarist

I hope you spend a warm and cozy Christmas listening to my album of standard and eclectic renditions of the season. Blending fiery acoustic guitar solos and introspective arrangements, your next Christmas party will  be an event to remember. You can stream and download your favorite Christmas songs at iTunes . You can also purchase the entire CD from Amazon .  There's also an original composition called "Heaves Glorious King" that encompasses the holidays. Yes. Jesus is the reason for the season. Be safe and have fun this holiday.  Merry Christmas!    

Autumn fingers pull me inward from the day, Cooled between shadows there we can play, Green blades of pillows, Quilted patches of leaves, The sun swathes in clear blue, There wedded love amongst Autumnal trees.

The daughter of a Chechen oil oligarch has got married in a stunning £240,000 wedding dress. Student Elina Bazhaeva, 21, married entrepreneur Bek Ali Khan Mamakaev, 25, in the city-state of Monaco in a showstopping glittery wedding dress and a huge train. The eye-catching ensemble was made by Lebanese fashion designer Zuhair Murad and cost 20 million roubles (£242,000).  Read more: Daily Mail

The most exciting thing about a wedding is probably the white wedding gown chosen by the bride. It should fit perfectly and she should look extravagant in it. But what if the traditional wedding gown is replaced by a painting? Body painting of the wedding dress is the new ‘in’ thing for this wedding season. Instead of buying expensive gowns and spending so much time in every boutique, it is easier, less expensive and super creative to get married in a body painting wedding dress. Read more from sooziQ

Most newlyweds are prepared for their first home to be a bit, well, small. But Christoph Kaiser and Shauna Thibault, from Phoenix, Arizona, are taking things to the extreme, calling a 366-square-foot grain silo home. That's right—the newlyweds live in one of those metal cylinders meant for bulk grain storage. Read more from Country Living  

Lincoln, Neb. — LAST summer I attended more than a dozen wedding receptions without ever leaving the comfort of my bathroom. This was not by choice. In the aftermath of my divorce, I moved to Lincoln, Neb., with the idea of “starting over” in my head. Of course this required renting a fantastic apartment that had nothing in common with the suburban house my ex-husband and I had just put on the market. Read more from the New York Times  

Going to a wedding this weekend? Ed Sheeran will probably be there. (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)   By: Randall Roberts   With marriage season in full swing, the streaming service Spotify has revealed an analysis of wedding-themed playlists, and it turns out we’ve been doing a lot of thinking out loud during our first dances. Specifically, according to global music streaming leader Spotify, the young British folkie Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud” is the most popular song to accompany brides and fathers on the dance floor. Based on an analysis of playlists, the hit, about Sheeran’s undying devotion to a soulmate long after “my hair's all but gone and my memory fades/ And the crowds don't remember my name,” eclipsed the second most popular song, Etta James’ perennial favorite “At Last.” Read more from LA Times

When it gets to the point that your Instagram feed has turned into one long stream of white lace dresses and clever hashtags, and you’re beginning to lose track of which weddings you still have on your calendar this year, it’s easy to feel a little over it with this whole “wedding season” business. The folks at Reformation must be well aware of the ennui, since they’ve timed the launch of their new, Fall 2016 bridal collection to provide a jolt of excitement right when it’s needed most. Read more: http://stylecaster.com/reformation-fall-2016-wedding-bridal-collection/#ixzz4E8HzfCS4

© Golf Kasey Petty missed the cut at the U.S. Women's Open, but then was proposed to. Kasey Petty made her pro debut at the U.S. Women's Open, and it didn't go as well as she would have liked. Or perhaps it did. Petty, a recent University of Findlay graduate, made her first major appearance this week at Cordevalle in California, but missed the cut after carding 81-83 in her first two rounds. But on Friday, she didn't have much time to be upset. Jacob Miller, her boyfriend, swing coach and an assistant golf coach at Findlay, proposed to Petty right after her round. Read more from MSN  

Have your wedding shoes ready to dance? All your summer holidays were spent in dance classes. Joining these classes used to be the only agenda that you and your girls during the vacations. You loved these classes so much that you did not hesitate to cancel a trip to your relative's house because you did not want to miss a session. Read more from iDiva

From Good Housekeeping here are some great 4th of July Decorating Ideas for your special event this weekend. Whetehr wedding or just a small hang out with a few friends these ideas will be dynamite for the 4th, 2016. See more from MSN Lifestyle

"Paint it Black" by the Rolling Stones was No. 1 on the Billboard pop chart 50 years ago today. In the mid-60s, bands like the Stones and the Beatles were looking to expand their musical horizons with new instruments. For this song Brian Jones learned to play the sitar, an instrument with about 20 strings that is heard primarily in Indian classical music. This is the first song featuring a sitar to top the U.S. pop chart. Seattle remembers here

Sir Paul McCartney was born on June 18, 1942 so today he is celebrating his 74th birthday. McCartney, also known as Macca among his fans, might still be best known for his work with The Beatles, but it’s not like he hasn’t kept busy in the past 46 years since the Fab Four broke up. He has become one of the most prolific songwriters of our time and is officially considered the most successful songwriter of all time by the Guinness Book of World Records. McCartney is one of the best pop songwriters and performers of his generation. He might not be your favorite Beatle, but fans of his work know that there’s usually at least one gem on every one of his albums. To help you sort out the good from the bad, I’ve picked the best ones you need to listen to on his birthday, along with some personal favorites you might have missed. Read  more here 

Romance, who loves to nod and sing, With drowsy head and folded wing, Among the green leaves as they shake Far down within some shadowy lake, To me a painted paroquet Hath been- a most familiar bird- Taught me my alphabet to say- To lisp my very earliest word While in the wild wood I did lie, A child- with a most knowing eye. Of late, eternal Condor years So shake the very Heaven on high With tumult as they thunder by, I have no time for idle cares Through gazing on the unquiet sky. And when an hour with calmer wings Its down upon my spirit flings- That little time with lyre and rhyme To while away- forbidden things! My heart would feel to be a crime Unless it trembled with the strings. Edgar Allan Poe ...

By Allison Ward The Columbus Dispatch  •  Friday June 17, 2016 11:36 AM The work of Keith “Von” Hasenbalg offered a pleasant distraction for guests in the buffet line at a recent wedding reception. And they were essentially watching paint dry. From behind his easel, the “live event artist” captured a single scene — the cake cutting — in acrylic hues. “Originally, I thought, ‘Why would people want to watch this?’ ” said Hasenbalg, a Northwest Side resident. Read more from The Columbus Dispatch

  Becca and Hugo Bumgardner, both of them Baker firefighters, had rather a big day on Saturday. (Photo courtesy of Becca Bumgardner) Posted: Jun 15, 2016 7:58 AM CST Updated: Jun 15, 2016 8:03 AM CST MONTANA By Ed Kemmick - Last Best News   BAKER, MONTANA - Hugo and Becca Bumgardner were wed Saturday evening in Marmarth, N.D., 15 miles east of their home in Baker. Like nine or 10 people on hand for the wedding, Hugo and Becca are members of the Baker Rural Fire Department. At the reception afterward, right after dinner, numerous pagers started going off, alerting them to one of the biggest disasters in the history of Baker. “We had just finished eating,” Becca said, “and thank goodness we got through the meal, because we were up pretty much all through the night.” Read more from KPAX.COM Missoula & Western Montana  

For the Flag is a celebration of liberty in love for country, love for the freedom to love, the love of preserving marriage, the love for self-protection, the love for standing on principle and the love for faith. Today, Flag Day here in America, remember .  Just remember the moments of your love bannered by the cost and courage of our founding fathers. In relation to wedding. it is a perfect match. Here are some ideas to celebrate Flag Day for your wedding. Perhaps today you are already getting married and I say CONGRATULATIONS! For others, here are my suggestions: Number 1. The wedding and the love for country could easily be as simple as a donation at the ceremony or afterwards to your favorite U.S. historical foundation or museum. Or it can incorporate the colors of red, white and blue in your wedding. Number 2. The wedding and the love for the freedom to love speaks of independence. This independence can be chronicled with the couples favorite literature or perh...

By Christine Dobbyn Tuesday, June 07, 2016 08:40PM HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Katie Sherborne is an attorney by day and a self-proclaimed nerd. "I was always a nerd, growing up, today," said Sherborne. At night you can often find her dressed up, and we're not talking about a cocktail dress. "I love sci-fi and outer space," said Sherborne. So when the new Burke Baker Planetarium at the Museum of Natural Science announced a contest for the first wedding under the stars, she entered her story. Katie said "the stars" have always been a part of her world since her father was a pioneer in the NASA Space Program. Read more from Houston ABC13

By Arianne Brown, KSL.com Contributor   |  Posted Jun 9th, 2016 @ 9:11am WOODLAND HILLS — Toilet paper is one of life’s necessities, but it serves another purpose for one Utah woman. She uses it to make beautiful wedding dresses. Judy Henry, a 68-year-old grandmother from Woodland Hills, is a top 10 finalist out of 1,500 entrants nationwide for the annual Toilet Paper Wedding Dress Contest Presented By Cheap Chic Weddings and Charmin Toilet Paper. Henry said she has been sewing since she was old enough to tether a sewing machine. She has also been using toilet paper, including tearing out pages of old Sears or Penneys catalogs to use as toilet paper in an outhouse in her backyard farm in southern Utah, for many years as well. So, when the link for the contest popped up on her computer last summer, she said she just couldn’t get the idea out of her head. Read more from Utah KSL.com  

  TWIN FALLS • Vampire romance, country chic or a Hawaiian beach. While Pinterest and other social media have driven the rustic and shabby-chic themes for the area’s top wedding trends, business owners say, couples are finding ways to make their big day truly their own. “They’re choosing things that reflect their own personalities,” said Tacie Wright, owner and photographer at T Wright Photography. Bride-to-be Jayleen Ichokowan is originally from Hawaii and wanted to incorporate her origins into her rustic theme. She plans an evening wedding at the Risk Barn in Jerome, with beach and country related décor, much of which is rented. “That way, you don’t have to deal with it later,” Ichokowan said. She’ll be making wine bottle torches herself — an idea she discovered on Pinterest. Some business owners say Pinterest and wedding-themed television shows have surpassed the traditional wedding magazine in popularity for brides seeking ideas. ...

email Expand Photo: Courtesy of Desmond & Dempsey  It all started, Molly Goddard explained over coffee earlier this month, when she was looking for a way to stop getting in trouble. The petite, upbeat blonde had been filching her beau’s shirts to wear to bed—and breakfast, and out to brunch, and beyond—and he was starting to feel the strain on his wardrobe. He bought her silk pajamas to wear instead, and they were exquisite—but maybe too much so. They felt too precious to actually, you know, wear. Enter Desmond & Dempsey , the duo’s joint passion project and the company soon to be known for filling the hole in your wardrobe that you never knew existed: incredibly cute cotton pa...

Charyn Pfeuffer, Justine Goodman 17 hrs ago Want to have the wedding of your dreams without going into major debt? With proper planning, it’s totally possible. Yes, we know many of you have been planning this event in your head for years. Okay, maybe since childhood. But there are ways to get what you want without letting the budget get way out of hand. (Booze is great, but three signature cocktails isn’t really necessary.) Here’s what to do: Prioritise your needs versus wants, make a plan — and stick to it. At the end of the day, what matters most is that you’re happy and relaxed, not thinking about bills. These 50 helpful money-saving wedding tips will help you stretch your big-day budget. MSN has done an outstanding job on this article and you can read more here .

  Coco Rocha and Roberto Bolle stage a scene from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet . Photographed by Annie Leibovitz, Vogue , December 2008   June 3, 2016 2:06 pm by Madeleine Luckel   In William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night , the jester named Feste wisely notes, “I say, there is no darkness but ignorance.”    All too true, and what better way to celebrate the 400th anniversary year of the bard’s death—and the longer lit days of summer—than by acquiring more knowledge on his life and works?    From historical sites in England to events on either side of the Atlantic, let your upcoming vacation, or weekend getaways, be directed by his brilliant and beautifully written words. Below, a guide for the poetically inclined, and Shakespeareans at heart.  Read more from Vogue

Vows By VINCENT M. MALLOZZI JUNE 3, 2016     Cecily Koppuzha’s parents were introduced to Lionel Sotomayor in October 2008, when he tried to contact them by cellphone from a Boston hospital. “Hi, this is Lionel, I’m a student at M.I.T. and I’m calling to tell you that Cecily was in an ice skating accident,” Mr. Sotomayor said nervously before his call was lost to poor reception. That call, made from the emergency room, marked the beginning of a painfully secret relationship forged by Ms. Koppuzha and Mr. Sotomayor, 18-year-old fellow Floridians and freshman classmates at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Read more from the New York Times

Posted: 06/02/16, 2:57 PM EDT | Updated: 21 secs ago # Comments   Weddings are expensive. So Consumer Reports asked experts – planners, bridal industry insiders and newlyweds – for their best strategies on how to keep a lid on costs. • Rent a gown. Designer gowns, used and new, are available for a fraction of their original price. • Buy a used gown or designer sample. Local thrift stores, including Goodwill, are sources. Read more here

For me, the most romantic way to get married was to elope. I didn't always feel this way. A decade ago, when I was engaged for the first time at 23, I spent a stressful year diligently planning what was supposed to be the most important day of my life. During that year, I often fantasized about running off to elope instead, but I couldn't dare stray from doing it "right." I ended up having a proper wedding with dozens of guests, the requisite toasts and a white tiered cake. Read more from Bazaar

Boxed Wholesale CEO Chieh Huang decided the company would reimburse employees up to $20,000 for wedding expenses. Marcel Graham, shown with his fiancee, Tara Aucoin, was the first employee to receive the benefit. (Boxed Wholesale)   Nick DeMarco runs a small biotech startup in Raleigh, N.C., that makes scientific instruments. But what got his company, Practichem , attention from CNBC's " Power Lunch ," the Huffington Post , Fortune and other media outlets last week wasn't the innovative products he's making. It was his promise to lease Tesla Model 3s to employees when they become available. Read more from the Washington Post

How do you take a wedding dress on a plane? What if you bought honeymoon tickets under your maiden name but now have a new surname? Such are the practical questions that arise when planning a destination wedding and honeymoon. For answers, you could try trawling online wedding boards where members have diamond ring avatars and plenty of opinions. But if you prefer not to take advice from handles like GlamBride4Ever or TheFutureMrsJones, here instead is the lowdown from United States Customs and Border Protection , the Transportation Security Administration , and major airlines. Read more from The New York Times

Yahoo Finance Canada - It's not just the father of the bride who'll be shelling out big bucks: everyone in the wedding party and guests are spending hundreds to attend someone's big day. When it comes to tying the knot, everyone knows that nuptials run up a hefty tab. In Canada, depending on which province you live in, the actual cost of a wedding can come in as low as a meager $300, since all you need is a basic license and someone to marry you. Everything else is technically extra. But oh, those extras… By the time you factor in extravagant venues, music, flowers, dresses, a honeymoon and the like, the average Canadian couple now spends just over $30,000 on their big day . Read more from Yahoo Finance

When it comes to planning a wedding, forget something old and something blue. This year, it’s all about the something new.  More couples are finding ways to incorporate the latest technologies into their wedding day.  “Some people may say that using technology during your wedding day may make it a little bit impersonal. I would argue the opposite,” said Samantha Murphy Kelly, the Deputy Tech Editor for Mashable. “If you’re using in subtle or certain ways you can actually make it much more personal.”  Read more from ABCNews

Couple has their wedding in the theme of Friday The 13th. To view their video of their wedding simply go here .

The department store takes bigger aim at the $60 billion industry Macy’s wants more shoppers to say “I do” to its wedding business. The department store chain is stepping up its nuptials game in the hopes of winning a bigger slice of the $60 billion U.S. wedding pie. Among other moves: Macy’s is adding higher-end bridal jewelry to its assortment and training its army of personal shoppers to advise anxious couples. Read more from Fortune.com http://fortune.com/2016/05/06/macys-weddings/  

My youngest son — the baby in our family — got married last weekend. Was I ready? Is any mother ever ready? My speech (Keep it short, Mom, I am warned) was written. My dress (Don’t go too fancy, Mom) had been altered. My hair (Please don’t go for the wild, curly look, Mom) had been colored and cut. My photo list (Mom, go easy on the amount of pictures you are requesting we take) was submitted. Along with who sits with whom. All was ready, except me. I was not ready to let go — to give this son to another woman and to share him with so many. Read more from the Huffington Post

Keats was correct in his epic poem Endymion; and for today's groom his promised love is easily  remembered and fashionable.   To this beginning of the wedding season all brides are a joy forever.   "A thing of beauty is a joy for ever: Its loveliness increases; it will never Pass into nothingness; but still will keep A bower quiet for us, and a sleep Full of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing. Therefore, on every morrow, are we wreathing A flowery band to bind us to the earth, Spite of despondence, of the inhuman dearth Of noble natures, of the gloomy days, Of all the unhealthy and o'er-darkened ways Made for our searching: yes, in spite of all, Some shape of beauty moves away the pall From our dark spirits. Such the sun, the moon, Trees old and young, sprouting a shady boon For simple sheep; and such are daffodils With the green world they live in; and clear rills That for themselves a cooling covert make ...

Brides spend hundreds and even thousands of dollars on flowers for their weddings. Unfortunately, those flowers get trashed after the wedding and reception are over. Fortunately, a company has come up with a great solution to repurpose all those flowers, according to NBC Nightly News during its "Inspiring American" segment on Friday, May 6. A company called Repeat Roses is in business to give all flowers and not just roses a second chance to put smiles on recipients' faces. Repeat Roses was founded by a former event planner who owned a boutique wedding and event design company. Founder and CEO Jennifer Groves asks, "Why throw away beautiful flowers after the party is over?" Groves and her team repurpose leftover flowers and donate them to hospitals, nursing homes and other communities in need. Read more from the examiner.com

Gina Rivera Founder, Phenix Salon Suites    Wedding season is on the doorstep, close on the heels of prom season, and we’re seeing some of the same styles emerge for these two pinnacle hair events. These high-end celebrations are so interesting to track because they follow fashion trends and set new ones. What we’ve seen for proms and now for weddings is a looser look in hair. These are still formal events with the tuxedos and gowns, so the hair is still carefully finished. You won’t just pull up your hair on top in a gym bun. Nor will you go for the super tight curls that were popular in recent years. Read more from Huffpost  

In 2013, 30-year-old photographer Mihaela Noroc quit her job in Romania to backpack around the world full time. Since then, she has visited every continent except for Antarctica and a total of about 50 countries, photographing hundreds of women along the way for her project, dubbed  Atlas of Beauty . And she's still going. " More than ever, I think our world needs an Atlas of Beauty to show that diversity is something beautiful, not a reason for conflict," Noroc explains to Tech Insider. "I hope that the portraits from The Atlas of Beauty can challenge many misconceptions that exist around the world." Read  more from the Business Insider  

“I ask you to pass through life at my side—to be my second self, and best earthly companion.” —Rochester (Michael Fassbender (left) as Mr. Rochester and Mia Wasikowska (right) as Jane Eyre in the romantic drama JANE EYRE, a Focus Features release directed by Cary Fukunaga. Photo: Focus Features) “Reader, I married him.” It’s the most famous line from Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë’ s classic 1847 novel about the tumultuous romance between Jane, a young governess, and her mysterious employer, Edward Rochester . Read more from Lindsay Lowe at Parade

The rules of wedding etiquette are constantly changing, making it difficult for modern brides, grooms and guests to find up-to-date and correct information. That’s why we launched #MannersMondays , a series in which we ask our followers on Twitter and Facebook to submit their most burning etiquette-related questions. Then, with the help of our team of etiquette experts, we get you the right answers to your biggest Big Day dilemmas. Check out this week’s question below! “We’re having a small wedding. Some of my friends and extended family have made comments assuming they will be invited, although they are not on the guest list. Do I have to tell them that’s not the case? If so, how can I let them know without coming across as rude or hurting their feelings?” Read more from Huffington Weddings  

Vintage: Hollywood Curls If you're taking a step into the past for your wedding, don't let that stop with your hair. Take some inspiration from Hollywood starlets of the 40s to get shiny, vintage waves for the big day. Stunning and glamorous, this look never really went out of style and is a special alternative to your everyday curls. Plus, it works for any hair length, whether you're rocking a bob or long locks. Make it clear to your hairstylist that you want your tresses to be reminiscent of the 1940s. A crème gloss helps give your waves a smooth finish, and volumizing mousse will help pump up thin hair without weighing it down. See the other enchanting hairstyles for your wedding at Brides

-A grooms serenade to his bride -A brides serenade to her groom -A poem with musical accompaniment -A song-dedication -A pre-husband/wife choreographed courtship remembrance dance If you think the courtship is over after the wedding ceremony you are mistaken. Courtships in a marriage are forever. And what better way to start than during the Wedding Cocktail Hour. Love never dies; it gets louder. After all the wedding ceremony regalia there is nothing wrong with vocally proclaiming again ones love for each other. Hence a musical serenade by the groom to his bride or vice-versa is a fantastic idea. Pick your favorite song, the musical key you feel comfortable with and practice it a couple times and then you are ready to perform it. Remember, love never dies, it gets louder. And why not with a lyrical serenade to each other? If one person of the happy couple is not comfortable with singing then perhaps a poetic interlude with musical accompaniment, Thes...

The magical and the eternal is encapsulated at your next wedding event when you consider having one of these songs from Hammer of The Gods group Led Zeppelin. Comprised in the air of romance, heartbreak and found romance, foolish eternal love, songs in heaven and in the rain, love that should be and a great amount of love to share; these are your best wedding showstoppers either performed by the bride and groom themselves or their musical entertainers. 14..All My Love 13..Tangerine 12. In The Light 11. The Rain Song 10. The Wanton Song 9. I'm Gonna Crawl 8. Thank You 7. Fool in the Rain 6. Going to California 5. Kashmir 4. Out On The Tiles 3. Stairway to Heaven 2. What Is And What Should Never Be  1. Whole Lotta Love    Both Tucson, Arizona Wedding Officiant Michael Duane Caddell and I hope you consider one of these songs at your upcoming wedding . Did we miss one of your favorite Zeppelin love ro...