Hannah Ciabo, age 19 and daughter of Australian swimming champion Tracy
Wickham (pictured at left), was married to her soul mate on October 1, 2007. 
It was the 3-year cancer fighter’s dying wish to marry her fiancé, Tom O’Driscoll, age 20, before passing peacefully 3 hours later.  The bedside wedding was performed by a Catholic minister at Wesley Hospital in Brisbane, and was attended by 20 friends and family. “She knew what was going on, she gazed into his eyes and the love they had for each other was incredible,” says Wickham.  “Tom is the most special person … they were meant to meet. They were meant to get cancer and they were meant to meet because he was her soul mate and vice versa.”  The two met 1 year earlier while both were receiving treatment for cancer.  Both went into remission shortly after, but Hannah’s came back rapidly.  Despite all of this, the couple would not let death interfere with their love.

A funeral/wedding reception will be held this Sunday at 2pm in the chapel of All Hallows School in Brisbane.  Her family and friends are determined to make this a celebration of her life and of the love she shared with Tom during the last year of her life.  It is going to be a beautiful ceremony.

None of us know how long we have on this earth, so if you find love, thank God and hold to it tight. The perfect wedding and reception is more than about elegant wedding favors or bridesmaids gifts even though those are great. It’s all about true love  

Many people have a dying wish, and for a woman dying of stomach cancer in New Zealand, her last wish was to get married to her fiancee. Most couples in the planning stages of their nuptials are now looking for fall wedding favors or other wedding favor ideas for their receptionl, but this bitter sweet love story reminds us all of how fragile and precious life is.

Tieing the knot is more than just another ceremony, it is a major milestone in a person’s life, and the big day deserves a special amount of attention. This couple, Evelyn and Howard Harris, had made all the plans, but the night before the scheduled event, the bride had to be taken to the hospital because of the stomach cancer she was diagnosed with months before.

Doctors told her she only has months to live, and they weren’t sure she would make it through the night she was brought in, so an importu wedding with borrowed flowers from the hospital, a few witnesses, and a pastor was put together to unite the couple in holy matrimony. The groom was quoted as saying, “When we got to the end of the ceremony, she opened her eyes and smiled. She turned to me and said ‘I wasn’t going anywhere’. It was quite amazing” The next day, she became well enough to be released and the happy couple went ahead with the scheduled ceremony in front of all their guests. Talk about an inspiring love story.  

Stories like this prove that love conquers all no matter what other people think. Sixty years ago Heinz and June Fellbrich tied the knot…while he was still in a British POW camp. Heinz was a Nazi soldier that was captured by Bristish troops in France.

June said that when she first saw Heinz through the fence at his POW camp, she thoght he was “absolutely gorgeous”. There wedding was in August of 1947 and June, who was only 19 at the time, was vilified by her friends family and countrymen. Since they were the first British-German couple to get married, and so soon after the war, people would often walk up to her in the street and spit on or punch her. After getting married, Heinz would tunnel under the fence at night to see her, and would get caught. He said that he was punished with solitary confinement, but that it was all worth it just to spend time with her.

This month is their diamond anniversary, which proves that no matter where you come from or what other people think and say, the power of love is far stronger. There are many special couples like this one, that have found the secret to a long and happy marriage and true love. For those planning a wedding, people like these two are a great inspiration. Also, if you happen to be arranging a special anniversary for a long-time married couple, like a golden anniversary party, be sure to get some love themed favors for all the guests to celebrate the pair’s true love.

Last Friday, the famous singer/song writer Usher and his fiancee Tameka Foster finally tied the knot after calling off the first ceremony. The reason why the first one was cancelled was not because of anyone getting cold feet, but the pregnant bride to be had to go to the hospital reportedly because of stress. Fortunately, Usher said that his wife and baby are fine.

The bride and groom exchanged their vows in a re-planned private ceremony in Atlanta. The 28-year-old groom described the event as being “quaint and intimate”. The couple announced in June that they are expecting their first little one, and the newlywed bride has three children from a previous marriage, so she and Usher now have a big, happy family.

Many couples hope to have a quiet and personal ceremony, and one way to complement the small circle of guests at the reception is with a personalized wedding favor for each one. If your reception or pre-wedding party is an intimate gathering of family and friends, they would probably also appreciate a practical wedding favor that they can use later on.

Basketball sensation Yao Ming got married this past Monday, August 6th to his long time sweetheart, Ye Li. Li is a member of China’s women basketball team. The couple held the strongly guarded ceremony in their hometown of Shanghai at the fancy Pudong Shangri-Li Hotel for 70 guests consisting only of friends and family.

None of Yao Ming’s teammates or coaches were invited, and journalists were not allowed to take any pictures of the nuptials. They were, however, each given a cute little unique wedding favor of a little pink bear holding a chocolate treat. The photo at right was taken in the days leading up to the wedding, and the it’s said that the bridal gown worn by Li is not the one she wore for the ceremony; only the guests got to see that.

After the three hour ceremony and reception, the bride and groom got a chance to unwind on a luxurious boat ride down the Huanpu river. This couple has been in love for a long time, and a touching ceremony like this would be perfect complemented with a heart wedding favor for each guest.

Most brides and grooms don’t have to worry about having a flurry of press at their big day, but most people don’t play for the Houston Rockets. Still, every couple wants their wedding and reception to be an intimate time for the whole family and friends, and one way to accomplish that is by giving memorable keepsakes to the guests like wedding favors that are personalized. This will make every guest, whether they are the maid of honor or just a friend, feel special and appreciated for all the support as you and your groom start a new married life together.

I know that many brides out there are looking for a cute little gift for their guests to take home from the wedding shower or the reception, and here’s one that can work well for both. In fact, this Victorian Chair Tealight Place Card Holder will work great for any party.

My first thought is that these little favors would go great with a garden themed wedding or party. For example, if the wedding shower or bachelorette party is going to be held outdoors in some place like a park or garden, then these little keepsakes will be perfect at the tables. Garden wedding favors can be difficult to choose because every bride wants the gift to be elegant and matching the theme.

If your looking for a simple wedding shower favor or and elegant wedding favor for your distinguished and stylized decor, the victorian design of these placecard holders makes it a tasteful and appropriate souvenir to give to all your family and friends that have come to support you and your groom.

There’s an old saying that love is blind, and I know for a fact that it is, but can the same be said of society? Of course not. There are far too many racist attitudes alive and well the world over.

Last month, college football star Ian Johnson and his cheerleader fiancee Chrissy Popadics tied the knot. It was a celebrated union for most, but there were many slanderous voices and horrible racist threats leading up to the wedding and even since for the poor couple. One would like to think that we as human beings have moved beyond all of that ugliness, but it seems as if ignorance and blind hatred have a way of perpetuating themselves.

Aside from the ugly incidences, the groom’s proposal was quite the fairy tale. The Boise State running back scored the winning points for his team in the Fiesta Bowl and then dramatically proposed to the love of his life on national television. Johnson said that he had to hire security for their wedding, which was Saturday, July 28th. It was a traditional church ceremony, and afterwards the couple jumped over a broomstick. This is an old African tradition, symbolizing the bride and groom jumping into a new life together.

If you’re also a traditional kind of bride, then you can have the classic bridal shower from the start with elegant and classy wedding shower favors. Another kind of gift for your guests that will add a traditional feel are silver plated wedding favors. 

Laila Ali, daughter of legendary boxer Muhammad Ali (pictured together at right), got married is a sensational wedding on Sunday in Los Angeles. She tied the knot with the retired NFL receiver Curtis Conway, who has played for Chicago, San Diego and the New York Jets.

Muhammad Ali, now 65 years old, attended the wedding and is still the most celebrated athlete in the world. Laila is an amazing boxer, with a 24 -0 record and 21 knockouts. Witnesses say she looked like a knockout bride herself in a champagne colored wedding gown in front of the 200 guests.  

Conway is 36 and Ali is 29 , and they first met two years ago at a party in the groom’s home. He proposed in November. Celebrity weddings are always fun to follow, mainly because it’s great to see all the fancy decor and planning that goes into it.

It’s possible, however for the average couple to feel like a famous bride and groom with simple decoration choices like flowers and the color scheme of the bridemaids’ dresses. You can also combine the theme of the ceremony with the reception through your choice of elegant wedding favors. You can also have wonderful wedding shower favors to kick off all the ceremonies on the right foot for your visiting family and friends.

It’s one of the biggest wedding fears for all brides and grooms…getting cold feet on your big day. After all the money and planning has been put into decorations, location and personalized wedding favors for all the guests at the reception, that last thing you want is to have to call it off. Ever since the movie Runaway Bride came out and then actual runaway brides popped up on the news all over the country, many grooms have been sweating bullets as they stand at the altar waiting for their future wife to walk down the aisle. I remember the few terrifying moments that I stood waiting for my bride. I thought for a brief moment that she was having second thoughts, but it just turned out to be a dress malfuntion. There are many things that a bride has to worry about other than her bridesmaids gifts.

There are several things that a couple can do to decrease the chances of one of them making a mad dash on the wedding day. First, premarital counseling can be very helpful to clarify if and why a man and woman actually want to get married. I think it’s great that many churhes actually require the counseling before they perform the ceremony. Secondly, the bride and groom should talk to a lot of marriage veterans and learn from their wisdom. By seeing how a successful marriage works, a couple will increase their own chances and will calm their fears for tying the knot.   

Omar bin Laden, son of the infamous terrorist leader, Osama bin Laden, was recently wed to Jane Felix-Browne, a 51-year old grandmother from England that has been married five times before. Omar is only 27, so there has been a flurry of media attention over the union.

Of course, Omar is outraged. Jane’s new name is Zaina Bint Mohamad Al-Sabah. Omar bin Laden has been quoted as saying that polygamy is not unusual in his culture and that his first wife agreed to the second marriage. Zaina said that her husband left his father’s social circle in Afghanistan when he was 19 because he didn’t want to fight and die young. It sounds like he made the right choice.

Of all the ”celebrity weddings” I’ve read about, this one is the most unique. I realize that polygamy is part of Arabic culture, but I don’t understand why bin Laden is so surprised at the media attention. His father is a wanted terrorist that’s killed thousands of people, of course his life is going to be under a microscope.

If you’re looking to travel somewhere exotic like the middle east for your nuptials, then perhaps some destination favors are in order. Or, you could just go for some wine wedding favors at your reception to get the party started without traveling halfway around the world.