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Any American can get a note from the White House congratulating them on getting married, but for most people, getting married at the White House isn’t a reality.

There have been White House weddings—17 in all, according to the White House Historical Association—but they’ve mostly been confined to members of the president’s family or, in two cases, people close to the president.

First Daughter Nellie Grant had “the first really grand White House wedding,” writes the Association, on this day in 1874. President Ulysses S. Grant and his wife redecorated the East Room especially for the wedding ceremony, writes the Association, adding gold leaf accents and replacing chandeliers from the Andrew Jackson years. Big sections of the House were turned over to preparations for the wedding, the Association writes, and the decorations ranged from a big wedding bell made of pink roses to red-white-and-blue bunting.

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At Grant’s wedding breakfast, held in the State Dining Room, the impressive menu included such delicacies as “aspic of beef tongue” and “Wedding Cake iced with Doves, Roses and Wedding Bells,” according to another Association piece. “The wedding breakfast menu was printed in gold on white satin and given to guests as souvenirs of the occasion,” writes the Association.

By all accounts, it was a beautiful day, but though the bride carried a bouquet with the word “love” on a flag in it, the marriage didn’t last. Grant’s controversial husband who she’d fallen in love with while sailing the ocean, “became an alcoholic,” writes the Association, “and Nellie left him, taking their four children with her.”

“It was the first wedding to be held in the White House in thirty years, since President Tyler married Julia Gardiner,” writes Edwin S. Grosvenor for American Heritage. Grant’s famous nuptials were “perhaps the most celebrated nuptials of the nineteenth century,” he writes. The White House weddings of later First Daughters, like President Theodore Roosevelt’s daughter Alice, were big news.

It isn’t just the daughters or sons of the president who have gotten married there:

The first White House wedding was the wedding of Lucy Payne Washington, who was the sister of Dolley Madison. In the 1812 ceremony, which was probably held in the Blue Room according to the White House Historical Association, Washington married Thomas Todd, a Supreme Court Justice.

The most recent wedding at the White House was the 1994 wedding of Anthony Rodham, First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton’s brother. He married Nicole Boxer in the Rose Garden, before a black-tie wedding dinner was held in the State Dining Room. It was the first since Tricia Nixon, the daughter of President Richard Nixon, got married in the Rose Garden in 1971. Nixon’s wedding to Edward Finch Cox was highly publicized, and she appeared in her wedding dress in Time magazine not once, but twice.

White House weddings in general stopped being much less common in the second half of the twentieth century: after three happened in the 1910s, the next wedding was that of Harry Hopkins—President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s assistant and one of only two non-Presidential family members to get married at the White House—got married in FDR’s study in 1942.

There are a lot of reasons to have a wedding at the White House if you can, former social secretary to Jacqueline Kennedy Letitia Baldridge told Sheryl Stolberg for The New York Times. World-class catering and staff are at your fingertips, along with the White House’s own florist and social secretary to handle all the decorating and inviting.

But there’s one good reason not to: privacy. “Historically,” Stolberg writes, “such affairs have been feel-good occasions for the country and the commander in chief, casting presidents in the sympathetic role of father.” But there are times when the First Family, or its relatives, just want to fly under the radar.

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The idea of getting cold feet before your wedding may feel like something that only happens in movies. But that’s not the truth. Brides get cold feet more often than they’ll admit, whether it’s because their nerves are messing with their heart or their heart is trying to scream at them to say, “What the heck are you about to do?”

So if you are wondering if your relationship is ready for marriage, here are five red flags to check for that’ll leave you with a bad case of cold feet on your wedding day.

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1. There’s zero trust

If you are finding yourself double checking your partner’s every move, making sure they are telling the truth about who, what, where, why, and when, then maybe it’s time to run for the hills. You may not realize it now, but you are in a relationship that’s causing you a ton of stress and anxiety. Imagine on your wedding day wondering whether or not yourhusband or wife-to-be is telling the truth about something? You’ll drive yourself crazy.

2. The future isn’t planned

You may be dating someone who makes life seem a bit more fun, but when things start to get real, it’s worth questioning whether or not that person will stick around. If neither of you have chatted about future plans together (kids, place to live, etc.) then rushing toward the aisle with them may give you a last-minute panic attack when you realize an unplanned future freaks you out.

3. Someone can’t quit their ex

Can’t seem to quit stalking your ex’s social media profiles? You may be clinging on to old love and find yourself as a runaway bride on your wedding day.

4. You were never truly committed

Maybe your relationship feels like it’s heading toward something serious but deep down inside of you, you don’t want it to be anything serious. If you’re just moving through the motions and relationship milestones, it’s likely you’ll find yourself with cold feet before the wedding, finally admitting this is not what you want.

5. Nobody is eager to plan the wedding

Sure, you’re engaged, but now what? If no one has made a decision on when and where to have the wedding for a year or two after the engagement, it may be a giant sign that neither of you are eager for the next step of marriage.

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Summary

The ‘Indian Fantasy’ is what I call the thesis suggesting that gold will enter a long-term bull market based on Indian demand.

The Indian gold market is isolated, over-regulated, and the factors people assume to be at play are not playing out as expected.

Over the short term, at least, I expect no positive impact on gold prices because of Indian physical demand.

Physical Gold and the SPDR Gold ETF (NYSEARCA:GLD).

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There is a familiar narrative in the gold community. It suggests Indian demand will lead to a long-term rally for gold as the country grows in wealth and purchasing power.

I call this theory the ‘Indian Fantasy’

The Indian fantasy is plausible because, even as a relatively poor developing nation, India consumed 668 tons of gold, a third of global demand, in of 2015. One can assume that as the country’s wealth increases, so will its consumption – leading to a doubling or even quadrupling of demand for physical gold.

In this article, I want to explore why this fantasy is not playing at in the short-term.

Background

India’s per capita GDP is currently 1,498.87 USD; this is compared to 6,807,43 USD and 14,611,70 USD for China and Russia respectively. Unlike the other two BRIC nations, however, India has high population growth and its GDP is growing at a lightning-fast 5% annually.

India is one of the oldest civilizations in the world, and gold has played as an important role in the cultural practices of the subcontinent.

The Indian Wedding Season and the holiday of Diwali are critical points in the Indian physical gold market. Demand is usually decided by the number of weddings occurring in the fourth quarter and the agricultural yield of the year; the later of which is determined by the quality of the monsoon rains.

India has had the best July in decades regarding monsoon rainfall. August and September were also strong.

A third of Indian gold demand, translating to one sixth of worldwide demand, comes from relatively poor rural farmers. According to Reuters, there is a correlation between gold buying and the strength of the Indian harvest, which in turn correlates to the strength of the monsoon.

The monsoon has been strong this year, and this suggests the physical gold market should be healthy. However, the Indian fantasy may not be the Indian reality

The Problem

The Indian gold industry is struggling despite headwinds from a strong monsoon and low prices. The problem is oversupply and weak demand; government policy has compounded the issue.

India does not produce much gold domestically, and its government does not allow exports of the metal. The introduction of new regulations seem to have also added to the glut in supply.

For most of the year, gold was cheaper in the isolated Indian market than the international spot price. At the time of the U.K’s ‘Brexit’ vote, the gap between Indian prices and global prices grew to as much as $100 per ounce.

Gitanjali Group (NSE: GITANJALI), chairman Mehul Choksi, states quote:

Gold prices are weak because of – disruptions like mandatory requirement of PAN card for transaction above 2 lakh Rupees.”

Presenting a Permanent Account Number (PAN) for tax reporting and tracking was made mandatory for all purchases over Rs 200,000 (currently equivalent to US$3,000) on New Year’s Day 2016.

This, arguably poor, government policy is also leading to black market activities. Quote:

Over the last 4 days alone, the authorities have seized almost 1 kilo of gold near the Bangladesh border, around 2 kilos inside a scooter in Siliguri, also in West Bengal, plus twelve 10-gram gold bars inside a bag at Mumbai Airport, and 1.3kg of gold inside the body cavities of a passenger landing at Hyderabad from Oman.

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Conclusion

I believe the long-term bullish case for gold in India is a fantasy as long as the Indian government over-regulates the market. Even regardless of regulation, the ‘Indian Fantasy’ theory seems suspicious.

The Indian gold market has had two major headwinds: lower than global prices + a strong monsoon and the results have been lackluster so far. Monsoon rains are not translating to significantly higher gold purchases as they may have done in the past.

It does not look like Indian gold demand will make up for dollar strength, the risk of interest rate hikes, and weak commodity market; factors that are currently pushing the price of gold downward.

Disclosure: I/we have no positions in any stocks mentioned, and no plans to initiate any positions within the next 72 hours.

I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

Additional disclosure: No position in gold ETFs, but long-term physical holdings.

Weddings for Less comes back to Valdosta after a five-year hiatus.

Weddings for Less is a budget decorating service.

Originally started in 2002, owner Linda Peeks had to quit working on Weddings for Less because of illness in 2010, she said.

She opened in Florida about a year ago and recently received her business license to operate in Valdosta.

Peek was first introduced to decorating when her grandmother taught her and her sisters how to arrange flowers and she “loved it.”

For her, getting back into business is “therapeutic” after getting over her illness.

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“This is like a healing process,” she said. “I love doing it. I love working with flowers and people and I love sewing.”

She works with residents who want help decorating for their weddings and need ideas that are within their budgets, she said.

She sets up four tables based on what customers want, but if the customer does not like any of the four tables, she will remake the tables for a second visit, she said.

Peek is also willing to work with pictures residents have of weddings they have seen online.

“Any picture they bring me or something they see online, I can do it,” she said. “If there is something I cannot do, I have other florists I can work with.”

Along with table decorations, Peek does the flower arrangements for the bride, groom, flower girls, the reception area and the chapel.

If residents are unsure of what they want, Peek said she will help them design the wedding, but ultimately, “it’s however the bride and groom want everything,” she said.

While she works with residents to get the wedding they want, she helps them understand budget restraints and helps them plan their weddings around tat.

“I’m working with people’s budgets,” she’s said. “If they want something for $1,500, I’ll show them what they can get, but if they want more, I show them how much extra it will cost.”

Peek said she knows how to make a nice wedding without spending too much money.

“You can get a lot done and make it beautiful, it just depends on what you want,” she said.

She is also willing to sew brides’ and bridesmaids’ dresses.

“They can bring me a pattern and I make it and style it the way they want me to,” she said.

It takes about two weeks to make one dress.

She can also hem tuxedos.

Because she has been decorating weddings for so long, Peek has an idea of what types of weddings people like.

“Some weddings are elegant and others use paper plates and plasticware,” she said.

She said she prefers a more “elegant look.”

She furnishes table cloths, chair covers, flatware, dinnerware and stemware, she said.

Peek keeps enough material to prepare for an event for 200 people, but can have more materials in about four days. She has several sets in different colors.

Along with weddings she does pastor events, sweet sixteens, bridal showers, birthdays and other events.

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The definition of marriage in America has dramatically evolved in recent years, particularly in the wake of last year’s Supreme Court ruling that gay marriage is a nationwide right.

To keep up with the times, the magazine Modern Luxury Brides is changing its name to Modern Luxury Weddings in an effort to be more inclusive of same-sex marriages.

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“We have always been committed to equality, so we chose to rebrand our wedding‐ focused magazine to appeal to the newly engaged couples of today’s society,” said Michael Dickey, chief executive of Modern Luxury Media. “Today, weddings and marriages aren’t just for brides. They’re for anyone who wants to celebrate love.”

The semiannual magazine publishes nine regionally-focused editions, which are heavily made up of advertisements for local wedding industry businesses, like florists, bakers, venues and retailers. The name change will go into effect for all editions with the December issue.

Mr. Dickey said the decision to rebrand came as the company prepared to expand its wedding-themed title into Washington, D.C., and Scottsdale, Ariz., earlier this year.

“Our advertisers and readers were talking about this. They said, ‘Brides is great, but it could be more inclusive and be more reflective of what is happening in today’s society,’ and we agreed 100%,” he said.

In all, privately-held Modern Luxury Media publishes 67 magazines in 20 markets, like Modern Luxury Interiors, Manhattan, the Atlantan and Men’s Book. Mr. Dickey said the weddings titles—which have been produced for about decade in places like Chicago, Atlanta, Houston and Miami—bring in about 10% of the company’s overall revenue.

While the magazine is available on newsstands and by subscription, it is mostly distributed free via direct mail to registered couples and targeted placement in wedding-related locations.

One of the series’ bigger titles, Modern Luxury Brides California, reported circulation of 103,000 copies in December 2015, according to the Alliance for Audited Media. Other regional titles average circulation of about 50,000 copies per issue, the company said.

Wedding magazines is a hotly-contested space. Condé Nast’s bimonthly Brides reported an average circulation of 319,000 in June. Martha Stewart Weddings, a quarterly, reported that month an average circulation of 211,000.

Modern Luxury Media was acquired by the Atlanta-based Dickey Publishing Inc. in 2010. The Dickey family also co-founded Cumulus Media, the second largest radio broadcaster in the U.S., with 451 stations in 90 markets.

Source: www.sheindressau.com

For some people, the law may not be the most pleasant thing – some might only really think about it when they’re in trouble. But the law also has the power to bring profound happiness.

Jayne Kacer, associate dean for student affairs and administration at Chapman’s Dale E. Fowler School of Law, is proving what a positive force the law can be through perhaps its most joyous deployment – marriage. Kacer recently wrapped up officiating her seventh wedding, all of which have had Fowler alumni on at least one side of the aisle.

Ordained before the first wedding she officiated in 2010, Kacer has performed the rites at all seven of her weddings for free. It’s not remotely about financial gain for her, it’s a labor of love – and seeing the impact she’s able to have as her former students enter an exciting new chapter of their lives is a richer bounty than she could ever hope for.

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“To have them ask to be part of one of the most important days of their lives, that’s incredibly rewarding,” Kacer said. “It’s very special – it’s also very nerve-racking, because I do know them, and it’s personal. It’s not just a job where I go and do someone’s wedding. I know these people, I’ve spent three years with them. In many instances, I’ve met their future spouses well in advance of their wedding. … I want their special day to be perfect. I want their ceremony to be everything they dream of and hope for.”

To help the ceremony be everything the betrothed could hope for, Kacer often works ahead of time with couples to find out anything about them that she may not already know. Things like how they met and what they value in one another are important to consider when preparing the vows.

Some couples prepare their own vows, some look online or revise samples that Kacer provides – others, like Lauren Shaw and Kevin Grochow, grace Kacer with the chance to pen the most important part of their big day. The couple, both Fowler alumni, met at law school and thought it would be appropriate to weave a Supreme Court ruling (specifically Obergefell v. Hodges, the recent decision on same-sex marriage) into the language of their vows. They left the exact wording up to Kacer, and the result was splendid enough to bring Shaw to tears.

As it turns out, the legal ingredients for a proper wedding aren’t too demanding, Kacer explained. For the most part, the California Family Code simply demands that the couple vow that they’re entering the relationship with the intent to stay married, Kacer says. The code doesn’t ask for specific vows or really anything else – meaning marriage can be highly customizable.

Kacer works with this legal flexibility to tailor weddings to whatever the couple should want – do they want a parent to give them away or not and other such elements. In one case, Kacer was officiating a wedding where the bride was Jewish and the husband a Christian. The ceremony mixed in elements of both religions, including the traditional Jewish breaking of the glass.

Now with seven officiated weddings to her name, Kacer says that everything began thanks to her position as associate dean of students. In that role, she spends three years working with students and getting to know them and then compounds that relationship through student events where she often meets her students’ intended. Once she officiated her first wedding, word of mouth took care of the rest.

Performing marriages is an unusual – yet oddly natural – evolution of Kacer’s role as associate dean of students. For example, several times through alumna Kandis Burns’ time at Fowler, Kacer counseled her on the wait for marriage equality. Years later – surprise, surprise – Kacer found herself officiating the marriage of Leah Summers and Burns, her wife (now Burns-Summers.) For many of these alumni, law school may be but a memory, but the bonds they forged with Kacer are still quite real.

“For me, it’s incredibly gratifying that after someone has graduated and they’re on the threshold of one of the most important days of their life, they ask you to be a part of it – even though for them, law school is over.”

***

A “Supreme” set of vows

What follows is an excerpt of the vows Jayne Kacer prepared for the marriage of Lauren Shaw and Kevin Grochow this pastin November. The wedding was the latest of seven weddings for Fowler alumni for whichKacer has officiated. Both alumni, Shaw and Grochow met at Fowler and requested that Kacer weave in language from the majority opinion by Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy for Obergefell v. Hodges into their wedding vows. It only seemed fitting for a pair thatwho met at law school. The result? Better than you could imagine!

Given how Kevin and Lauren first met and the nature of their chosen profession, I looked to the law for inspiration when looking for something to say about marriage.

A noted legal dictionary defines marriage as the legal union of a couple as spouses. The basic elements are (1) the parties’ legal ability to marry each other, (2) mutual consent of the parties, and (3) a marriage contract as required by law.

While this is marriage reduced to a law school Contracts outline, it does little to capture the essence of marriage.

A far more eloquent and true description of marriage is found in the United States Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, the case in which the Court found that marriage is a fundamental right that must be granted to all, regardless of sexual orientation.

Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote:

“No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice, and family. In forming a marital union, two people become something greater than they once were.”

Lauren, are you ready to become something greater than you are now, to accept the responsibilities of marriage, and to be a loving, faithful and helpful wife to Kevin in all the days of your life?

Kevin, are you ready to become something greater than you are now, to accept the responsibilities of marriage, and to be a loving, faithful and helpful husband to Lauren in all the days of your life?

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