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Tiffany Williams and Dwayne Salandy long put off tying the knot. The couple, who met seven years ago, are extremely busy (finishing graduate school and opening a dojo, respectively), and they considered a traditional wedding (and the stress inherent in planning one) daunting. So last Thursday, Ms. Williams and Mr. Salandy got hitched at a pop-up wedding.

The event, produced by the startup PopBliss (“The new way to say I Do”), was among the first of its kind. For $5,000 each, the couples received a completely pre-planned nuptial at a secret location. A bus picked up clients and their guests at Yotel, then transported them to a mystery venue—in this case the 210-foot Hornblower Infinity yacht.

The fee—a bargain compared to the average Manhattan wedding which costs more than $76,000, according to The Knot—included every single thing needed for a ceremony and reception, except the dress, tuxedo and rings. The only catch: five other couples and their guests take the plunge at the same time.

It’s something like a Vegas chapel for millennials.

For $5,000, the couples got an all-inclusive yacht wedding.(Photo: Kesha Lambert Photography)

The concept appealed to the newly named Ms. Salandy. “I liked that…I just show up and get whisked away.”

Valerie Nome, who happens to be an event planner for Bauer Publishing, and her now-husband Jon Yarger, only heard about PopBliss a few weeks ago. “There would have been no way for us to plan something on this scale. So when the opportunity arose, we thought it screamed us,” she said.

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Following a “mocktail” hour while docked at Pier 40 on West Houston Street, an interfaith minister prompted the grooms to step out from behind a curtain onto a red carpet strewn with rose petals. The brides, who hid behind a curtain on the opposite side of the room, followed suit. One by one, the couples walked toward each other, meeting on a stage where they took turns exchanging vows and rings. Shortly after a synchronized “you may now kiss the bride”—Mazel Tovs—there was a group first dance, cookie-cutter cake cutting and a simultaneous bouquet toss.

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The Conservative movement’s leadership must drop its ban on Conservative rabbis officiating at interfaith weddings — before it’s too late.

The Rabbinical Assembly’s unequivocal rule is that a Conservative rabbi may not officiate at an intermarriage. But after 42 years as an active rabbi, during which I abided by that prohibition, I now believe it is no longer in the best interests of Conservative Judaism or the Jewish community.

Reality has overtaken us. Sixty percent of Jews who wed marry someone from another faith. The Conservative movement’s prohibition is ineffective as policy if our goal is to reduce intermarriage. It is counterproductive if we are trying to influence Jewish souls and bring them closer to the Jewish community. It needs to be modified if we are to serve our congregants faithfully.

We all want a strong future for our Jewish community. Intermarriage, the argument goes, weakens that future. But that’s not necessarily so.

In most cases of intermarriage, Jewish partners are not abandoning Judaism or rejecting their heritage, family, congregation or people. They just want to marry the people they love.

Often they want a “Jewish wedding,” which is why they want the officiant to be a rabbi, preferably one with whom they have a relationship. That is why they are so hurt when we refuse.

As they plan their interfaith ceremony, they learn more about the elements of a Jewish wedding. They typically choose to have achuppah, blessings over wine, seven marriage blessings, a ketubah and the breaking of the glass. They include these elements not to please their parents but for themselves. They often express surprise at how important these rituals turn out to be for them.

We do not know which interfaith couples will raise their children as Jews. We do not know which of their children — whether their parents raise them as Jews or not — will want to claim their Jewish identity. The landmark 2013 Pew Research Center study of U.S. Jewry found that among millennials, 61 percent of those born to intermarried couples consider themselves Jewish.

We need to recognize that even when two Jews marry, there is no guarantee that their children will be dedicated Jews.

Some argue that if Conservative rabbis officiate at intermarriages, it will further lower Jewish standards and encourage intermarriage.

This is nonsense. It is delusional to think that a rabbi’s refusal to officiate will change any couple’s mind about whether to wed. Who would forgo a life with their beloved just because their beloved rabbi can’t be at their wedding ceremony?

The Conservative movement has approached intermarriage with ambivalence. Rabbis must refuse to be part of intermarriage ceremonies (we’re not even supposed to attend such ceremonies, though many of us do), but after the wedding we open our arms to the newly married couple and invite them to become part of our community.

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But those we push away on Saturday night are not so ready to come back on Sunday morning. It is not easy to get over the initial sting of rejection and the stigma of the ambivalent way we view their marriage.

For a decade or so before my retirement from the pulpit in 2014, I increasingly felt uncomfortable sending young people for whom I had been their lifelong rabbi and our congregation their lifelong place of worship to a rabbi they did not know to perform the most sacred ceremony of their life just because their beloved was not Jewish. I felt I was abandoning them.

The issue became personal after I retired. My stepdaughter became engaged to someone who is not Jewish. Initially, I thought I would approach one of my Reform colleagues to do the ceremony. But the couple wanted me to marry them, not a stranger. We talked about it. They wanted the ceremony to be as Jewish as possible. The religious symbolism would be exclusively Jewish, and I would be the only clergy officiating.

So I agreed. Looking back, I can’t believe I even gave it a second thought. Since then, I have agreed to do similar ceremonies for people dear to me, out of a sense of friendship, loyalty and love. In each case, I have been impressed by the sincerity of the couples and their desire to make their wedding both a personal and Jewish statement. I have been touched by their gratitude for my presence as a rabbi, blessing their most emotionally intimate moment in life and affirming the promise of their place in the Jewish community.

We can no longer stand on the sidelines, piously refusing to involve ourselves in intermarriage ceremonies. If we extend ourselves with acceptance, if we affirm the legitimacy of the loving choices people make by agreeing to be part of their ceremonies, more couples would be inclined to seek the spiritual fulfillment that comes from Jewish commitment.

At the very least, a superfluous impediment to couples’ involvement in our Conservative Jewish houses of worship would be removed.

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Rabbi Seymour Rosenbloom retired recently after 36 years as spiritual leader of Congregation Adath Jeshurun in Elkins Park, Pa. He is now the president of the Jewish Social Policy Action Network. Courtesy of JTA.

Being surrounded by beautiful lakes and islands makes the Kingston area ideal for a wedding. While there are numerous excellent venues surrounding ygk, today’s guide is all about wedding venues located in Kingston proper. From hotels and banquet halls to outdoor facilities and restaurants, Kingston has a huge array of options to offer couples planning their big day.

Hotels

Ambassador Hotel and Conference Centre (1550 Princess St.): This resort and conference centre offers banquet halls to host your reception as well as a complimentary whirlpool room for the happy couple.

Delta Kingston Waterfront Hotel (1 Johnson St.): The ballroom of this waterfront hotel overlooks Lake Ontario. All weddings are catered AquaTerra.

Four Points By Sheraton (285 Kingston St. E.): This downtown hotel offers two ballrooms to choose from and is currently offering bonus Starpoints for wedding bookings which can be used towards other Sheraton stays.

Holiday Inn Kingston Waterfront (2 Princess St.): Their flexible function space can accommodate any size wedding up to 300 people. Despite being located in a busy part of downtown, The Holiday Inn also offers a closed in space for outdoor weddings.

Marriott Residence Inn (7 Earl St.): Located right on the water, this hotel offers Battery Park as a potential spot for a lakeside ceremony. The ballroom can accommodate up to 250 guests.

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Restaurants

Driftwood Restaurant (1753 Hwy 2): The Driftwood’s upstairs banquet facility seats up to 100 people and has a wrap around porch that overlooks The St. Lawrence. The restaurant caters onsite has a private bar for events. Keep in mind, the restaurant is seasonal and is only open from May-October.

Fort Henry (1 Fort Henry Dr.): There are many options for weddings up on the hill. Have your ceremony on the grassy hillside overlooking Lake Ontario or in a tent at the Discovery Centre. Receptions can be held in the Fort Henry restaurant with cocktails on the parade square or in the Discovery Centre as well.

Minos Village Restaurant (2762 Princess St.): Lovers of Greek food will enjoy this well-known restaurant and banquet hall located in Kingston’s west end.

The River Mill Restaurant (2 Cataraqui St.): This locally owned and operated restaurant is located on the river and touts a rooftop garden and a focus on food sourced from the Kingston area.

Clubs and Halls

Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts (390 King St. W.): This beautiful venue has floor to ceiling windows that overlook Lake Ontario and can accommodate up to 180 guests. All catering, bar, linens, tables, chairs and other amenities provided by Queen’s Event Services.

Kingston 1000 Island Cruises (1 Brock St.): Whether your wedding is big or small, you can plan your big day aboard any of their 3 vessels. They will help you plan everything from the meal and entertainment to florists and photographers. They also run Kingston’s red trolleys, which are available for private charter and are an excellent way to transport your wedding party and guests.

Kingston Banquet and Conference Centre (33 Benson St.): This conference centre is catered by ygk Chef/Restaurateur Clark Day and has many rooms that can host parties of all sizes from 5-550.

Kingston District Shrine Club (3260 Princess St.): The Shriners’ banquet hall seats up to 146 people. Outside food/caterers can be brought in but the onsite bar is run by the facility.

Kingston Yacht Club (1 Maitland St.): The Yacht Club has been a landmark on the Kingston shoreline since 1896. This waterfront venue can accommodate parties of 20-120 guests and will create custom menus. No membership necessary.

Our Lady of Fatima Hall (588 Division St.): This north end hall is attached to Our Lady of Fatima Parish and is wheelchair accessible, has an onsite commercial kitchen and bar and can accommodate up to 398 people.

Portuguese Cultural Centre (959 Division St.): They have very little web presence but this club located in Kingston’s north end offers a large banquet hall and catering and can be reached by phone at 613-544-5732.

Queen’s Ban Righ Hall (10 Bader Ln.): Ban Righ Hall offers a wedding package that includes catering, bar, linens, accommodations and more. The historic venue can seat anywhere from 100-400 guests.

Renaissance Event Venue (285 Queen St.): Built in 1837, Renaissance is located in Kingston’s oldest surviving church structure. The upstairs is an elegant room with 20 foot ceilings, stained glass windows, antique chandeliers and seats up to 180. The lower salon offers a more contemporary feel and can seat up to 120.

The Donald Gordon Centre (421 Union St. W.): This Queen’s run facility can accommodate events with anywhere from 60-120 guests. The historic venue offers courtyard gardens and onsite accommodations. All catering, bar, linens, tables, chairs and other amenities provided by Queen’s Event Services.

The Harbour Restaurant (53 Yonge St.): This popular venue offers picturesque views of the Kingston Harbour and can accommodate parties as small as 25 and as big as 300. The in-house catering offers options to suit any budget and no additional charges are required for linens and bartending.

The Italo Canadian Club of Kingston (1174 Italia Lane): This club serves authentic Italian fare and their ballroom can accommodate up to 350 people.

The Senior Staff Officers’ Mess (Point Frederick): This lovely French style building is located on the campus of The Royal Military College on the south side of the peninsula. Guests can enjoy views of King’s Bay, Fort Henry and Wolfe Island. The main dining room can seat 150 people and is open to the public.

The Tett Centre for Creativity and Learning (370 King St. W.): The Malting Tower at The Tett offers views of Lake Ontario, a gas fireplace, a catering kitchen and seating for 110 people. Couples are responsible for obtaining a Special Occasion Permit to serve alcohol and outside catering needs to be brought in.

The University Club (168 Stuart St.): The University Club at Queen’s is a large house built up on a hill overlooking Lake Ontario. It’s many rooms and patio can accommodate parties of various sizes. Non members must seek sponsorship from a current member to book an event.

The Vimy Officers’ Mess (1 Princess Royale Ave.): The Vimy Officers’ Mess offers breathtaking views of The St. Lawrence River and Wolfe Island. There is a lounge, an upper and lower bar and the dining room with walk out patio that can seat approximately 125 guests. Ceremonies can take place on the lawn over-looking the river.

Zorba’s Banquet Facility (1474 Bath Rd.): This west end hall offers a variety of packages including sit down or buffet style dinners, accommodations for special food requests such as Halal and the Candle Light Package that serves an hors d’oeuvres and snack table menu for late evening weddings.

Campsites and Parks

Little Cataraqui Creek Conservation Area (Perth Rd., K0H 1M0): This natural setting just before the outskirts of town has 2 rooms, one with a fireplace and large windows overlooking the lake and forest which is ideal for a ceremony or dinner and another room that is great for setting up a dance. Little Cat also offers a wrap around porch set in the forest and a kitchen for outside catering.

Myles Acres (1560 Abbey Dawn Rd.): This venue located on the countryside of Kingston east is surrounded by beautiful scenery. Myles Acres deals with a variety of outside caterers allowing for plenty of choice from outdoor BBQs to sit down meals. Ceremonies can be held outdoors or in their newly renovated club house.

Newlands Pavilion (MacDonald Park, at the foot of Barrie St.): This lovely little gazebo is an ideal spot for a small ceremony on the water and can be booked through the City of Kingston.

Rideau Acres (1014 Cunningham Rd.): The banquet hall at this popular campground has room for up to 350 guests. They cater their events but also offer the services of Bert’s Catering. The grounds have many well maintained areas for a ceremony, including a rustic gazebo tucked in amongst the trees.

1000 Island Cruises (Crawford Dock): Get married on the lake with RMC, Wolfe Island and Fort Henry in the background. 1000 Island Cruises offers three boats to choose from and can help set up all aspects of your day from florists to dinner and entertainment. They also offer Kingston’s red trolleys to rent to transport your wedding party for the day.

Golf Courses

Cataraqui Golf and Country Club (961 King St. W.): Even their website is members only so one can only assume that membership or sponsorship is required when booking a wedding. Ceremonies can be held on the grass by the clubhouse or up on the balcony.

Colonnade Golf Course (2789 Woodburn Rd.): Colonnade offers space both indoors and out for a wedding ceremony. All catering is done onsite and the banquet hall can seat up to 450 guests.

Glen Lawrence Golf Club (2022 Hwy 2): This golf club has room for 100 guests in their banquet hall and 200 guests on the patio. Food services range from outdoor barbeques to formal sit down dinners.

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It looks like these two have officially closed the deal! Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles star, Josh Altman, said “I do” to longtime love Heather Bilyeu in a lavish Aspen, Colorado, wedding over the weekend. And it looks like these spared no expense when it came to their marriage ceremony details, including hanging crystal and antler chandeliers, hundreds of gorgeous flowers and more.

After putting their million-dollar style to the test over the weekend in an extravagant wedding ceremony at the St. Regis Aspen Resort in Aspen, Colorado, these two real estate experts can officially say they are off the market, Us Weekly reports. The Bravo series newlyweds chose the traditional route when it came to tying the knot under an opulent Jewish chuppah, which was dramatically embellished with budding white flowers and branches. The ceremony, which took place in front of 82 friends and family, seamlessly accentuated the rustic features of the breathtaking mountain backdrop.

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“Aspen Mountain is the backdrop of the ceremony,” Bilyeu, who donned a stunning custom Nektaria wedding dress for the occasion (complete with over 6,500 hand sewn pearls and beads), told Us Weekly. “We really wanted to….have our décor work with that and showcase the mountain and play up the rustic Aspen vibes.”

Thanks to the clever wedding hashtag #altmanatthealtar, the couple and their lucky guests showcased the ceremony’s gorgeous décor on Instagram, featuring numerous shots of the extravagant altar, which was surrounded by a slew of “rustic chic” elements, including frosted green accents and hanging crystal and antler chandeliers. The couple’s flower designer Aspen Branch featured a catalogue of various angles of the stunning chuppah made of natural wood beams and flowers.

Another popular social media moment included several photos capturing the stunning bride’s detailed corset gown. Bilyeu posted a snapshot of her gown’s detailed train and elegant veil, with a caption that included a sweet shout out to her new husband. “Words can’t describe how happy I am to be married to my best friend,” wrote the bride. “This was an incredible 4 day celebration with friends, family and my now husband @thejoshaltman. Thank you for making me the happiest girl in the world baby. I love you – Mrs. Altman.”

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NORWOOD, Mass., April 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ — The Tiffany Ballroom at the Four Points by Sheraton Norwood, a popular local venue for weddings, has recently opened a new outdoor pavilion adjacent to its wedding ballroom, to provide couples with the option for having an elegant outdoor wedding ceremony. The new pavilion measures over 2,000 square feet, and includes beautiful landscaping, a fire pit, waterfall, and an integrated portable Bose sound system so wedding guests can hear every word of the ceremony.

Wedding ceremonies involve a lot of up front and complex planning; outdoor weddings in particular can be challenging due to unpredictable weather considerations. The new pavilion at The Tiffany Ballroom can accommodate a large tent, and couples can also gain additional peace of mind by booking a combination of the pavilion and the ballroom itself – so guests can celebrate indoors in the event that nature throws any curveballs on the big day.

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Outdoor Wedding Pavilion”The past ten years have seen a steady increase in the number of weddings hosted at The Tiffany Ballroom, due largely to our staff’s dedication to providing brides-to-be with wedding memories that will last a lifetime,” said Paul M. Dooley, Assistant General Manager, Sales & Marketing. “We look forward to having even more couples host their wedding ceremonies, with this new pavilion and the additional potential it brings. Outdoor weddings add even more fun into what has always been an enjoyable and time-honored tradition.”

About The Tiffany Ballroom at the Four Points by Sheraton Norwood

The spacious Tiffany Ballroom is the perfect venue for Weddings, Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, Corporate Functions, Class Reunions, Proms, Retirement Parties, and Fundraising Events. If you have an event you want to celebrate in style, The Tiffany Ballroom has the capacity and the capabilities to make your event both successful

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As with most Thursdays, a line of teen and 20-something dudes lined up in front of Supreme’s New York location this morning in hopes of scoring the skate brand’s new releases. What made today’s queue a bit different from most, though, was that unlike the typical fare the skate company–turned–lifestyle brand releases, this week’s drop includes a collaboration with one of the most famous metal bands of all time, Black Sabbath. Hockey jerseys come in Sabbath purple with the brand’s logo on the front, Ozzy Osbourne’s visage is splashed across a tee, and theBlack Sabbath album cover fills the back panel of a denim jacket.Highsnobiety.com was quick to point out that unlike the rest of the brand’s collabs, which have included partnerships with Thrasher, Undercover, and Vans, theirs with Black Sabbath is a bit off the mark. Their reasoning? Sabbath is about as far removed from skate culture as you can get. (It doesn’t help that Supreme’s official press release calls Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi, he of the plastic fingertips and mind-melting solo on “Symptom of the Universe,” “Tommy Iommi.” Oops!)

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It’s not too hard to put the pieces together, though—Supreme thrives on well-timed hype and Sabbath is on a farewell tour with Ozzy. The merchandise will prove to be a nice co-branded effort for both parties. And while these strange bedfellows are ruffling some feathers in the metal community—no one likes a poser in a “War Pigs” tee—Supreme is far from the first fashion label to co-opt metal iconography recently.

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You ever lose a case?” Those were the words Gladys Towles Root heard as she stared at her first client through prison bars. Two days before, they had met in her law offices, which were freshly painted and furnished in purple. There, she and Louis Osuna, a Filipino immigrant, had discussed American divorce proceedings. But that was two days ago. Now her client’s wife was dead.

“You went about it the hard way. It’s murder now. Murder, you know, can cost you your life.”

“Not if you good lady lawyer. You ever lose a case?”

“No,” Gladys answered. She’d never tried one, after all.

“Good. I tell all prisoners in jail about you.”[1]

While some may object to her characterization, that, verbatim, was how Root recalled the meeting that launched her 53-year legal career – one remarkable in its empathy for the underprivileged.

At trial, Osuna was ordered to serve only ten months for the lesser charge of manslaughter. Within his first month in prison, fifteen of his fellow inmates put Root on retainer.

Root, a young woman who first appeared in the Los Angeles society pages at age ten, had graduated from USC law school in 1929, the year before she took on Osuna’s case. She had studied law at the encouragement of her father, but upon graduation Root discovered most law firms unfriendly to female attorneys. In fact, not long before Root started her studies the Los Angeles Bar Association had decided to deny women membership on the grounds that “even though they had diplomas and certificates, they could never be ‘full-fledged lawyers.’”

Following six months of searching for work with no luck, she opened her own practice. The success of her first case led Root to take on more and more people other lawyers had turned away – either because their cases were unsavory or because they came from the lower rungs of the social ladder. She began to make a living defending the defenseless. Soon, a phrase began echoing through the streets of Los Angeles. Upon an arrest, men and women were known to shout, “Get me Gladys!”

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In many states, including California, lawyers were banned from traditional advertising methods until 1977. So how did Root get her message out? She was known for her sensational courtroom attire. A fellow attorney remembered that in the trial of Frank Sinatra Jr.’s kidnappers, “she arrived one day wearing a low-cut fuchsia sheath, fuchsia shoes, a fuchsia hat and hair dyed to match. The whole scheme changed to a deep purple – a favorite color – the next day. She conceded later that the quick-change artistry on her hair was achieved with such aids as Easter egg dye and Mercurochrome,”[2] a bright green antiseptic. Enormous hats and jewelry were a constant. Apart from being great advertising, her costumes were also a trial tactic – they took the jury’s attention off the heinous crimes of which the defendants were often accused. It is more difficult to consider the realities of rape and murder when confronted with peacock feathers and egg-sized earrings.

And indeed, her tactic worked. Although many of Root’s clients were convicted, their sentences were largely reduced or suspended – a success in the eyes of many criminal defense attorneys. Root was something of a machine, handling 1,600 cases per year and averaging 75 court appearances per month. She pioneered new methods of collecting evidence, becoming one of the first prominent attorneys in Los Angeles to rely on private investigators for evidence. In one instance she consulted an astrologer. Her performative style also helped win cases. Once Root even had a grandfather clock wheeled into the courtroom, so the jury could hear the hypnotic tick and how it had persuaded her unstable client to hear the words, “Kill…Kill…Kill!”

Root’s annual gross income ran into the high six-figures by 1964. Her clients paid large fees if they could afford it. If they could not, her services were secured with deeds on their property, with livestock, and even, on one occasion, with hot goods from the very burglary over which the case was being heard.

Root’s proudest cases, in her own words, were those which helped her clients overcome miscegenation laws. She represented at least two white/Filipino couples who wanted to get married. The then-standing California law, written in 1905, the same year Root was born, read “All marriages of white persons with Negroes, Mongolians, or mulattoes are illegal and void.” Root won both cases, but she did so by arguing about the specific bloodlines of each client, rather than challenging the law itself. In doing so she won the case for her clients but lost the opportunity for the ruling to hold lasting legal precedent.

Root, however, was less concerned with legal precedent than she was with the lives her clients would lead. She worked in criminal law until old age, and would not give it up, “one-hundred percent because I love people. They are screwy and heart-rending. I always try to help, but I can’t always do much.”[3] Try she did, making a half-century-long legal career by taking the side of those with nowhere left to turn. Further reflecting on her life, Root remembered the words of her father, all those years ago, encouraging her towards her vocation. “Gladys, you ought to be on stage – not the theater, but life’s real stage: the courtroom.”[4] In 1982 she made her exit from life’s stage on the courtroom floor. Defending two brothers in Pomona accused of sodomy and rape, she succumbed to a heart attack. She was wearing an entirely gold outfit.

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SAN ANTONIO — The San Antonio Spurs set the NBA record with their 38th straight home victory to open the season and matched the highest win total in franchise history.

And none of them cared.

Manu Ginobili scored 20 points and the Spurs beat the injury-depleted New Orleans Pelicans 100-92 on Wednesday night to win their 47th straight home game overall dating to last season.

“It doesn’t mean anything,” San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich said. “Absolutely nothing. Maybe a cup of coffee, maybe.”

That’s more than the rest of the Spurs would expect.

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“It doesn’t matter to me,” San Antonio point guard Tony Parker said. “No. Championship (is all that matters).”

San Antonio topped the 37-0 start by the Chicago Bulls during their record 72-victory season in 1995-96. Golden State (67-7) has an existing 36-game home winning streak to open the season, giving the Warriors a chance to end up with the record or match it.

The Warriors and Spurs play twice in the coming two weeks, facing off on each other’s home court with their home streaks possibly on the line.

The Spurs are 63-12, matching the franchise record for victories set in 2005-06.

“If you’re going to go undefeated at home, you’ve got to be a team that has championship potential,” New Orleans coach Alvin Gentry said. “Obviously, (the Spurs) have championship potential. They’ve proven that over the last 15 years.”

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Following the 2008 economic recession, few people were in the market for a boat — let alone a second or third boat — even in Greenwich, where a certain level of affluence was never lost.

So, rather than continue competing for business that didn’t exist, area boat dealers banded together to form the Greenwich Boat Show. Eight years later, the show has more than doubled in size as the recreational boating industry has recovered and the economy improved.

“It started out really local because so many businesses were affected by the financial crisis,” said Karen Piscitelli, director of marketing for the Greenwich Boat Show. “They came together and that’s how the boat show started. Since then it’s still the original group and it just keeps growing.”

Set to take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, rain or shine, at the Greenwich Water Club, the eighth annual Greenwich Boat Show will welcome 19 regional boat dealers, as well as one land dealer — Manhattan Motor Cars, Lamborghini.

The boat show is free and open to the public, and will once again offer the show’s signature free sea trials as the only in-water boat show in the area. Piscitelli said the sea trials (which are just like test driving a car) were a part of the original boat show, and have been a key component to the show’s ongoing popularity and success. The trials give prospective boat buyers the opportunity to test out multiple boats on the open waters of Long Island Sound — and with 110 boats representing 43 brands, they have a lot to choose from. Featured boats range from fishing vessels to luxury yachts.

More Information

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For more information on the Greenwich Boat Show, visit www.greenwichboatshow.com, or contact Karen Piscitelli at 203-661-4033 or kpiscitelli@greenwichwaterclub.com.“Going back to the original roots of the show, the whole idea was you take the boats head to head and test drive them,” Piscitelli said. “This is the only show where we encourage you to test drive multiple boats … and they like to drive boats hard. You actually want to be able to drive it in the worst of circumstances; if it’s rainy and it’s windy you want to know how it handles before you buy it.”

Piscitelli said the show does take place earlier than most other boat shows due to the sea trials, which wouldn’t be possible once the recreational boating season gets started in April.

“We actually have it so early that you can actually have a sea trial, get a good deal, get that boat show price and get it in time to enjoy it for the season,” Piscitelli said. “With the later shows, you often won’t even get it until the next season.”

Depending on the weather, Piscitelli said the show is expected to draw anywhere from 800 to 1,400 attendees, including serious boat enthusiasts and first-time buyers alike. The not-for-profit show is also one of the most affordable in the country for boat dealers, costing just $3,500 for registration compared to more than $30,000 for bigger shows. As a result of the laid-back nature and affordability of the event, Piscitelli said she’s already started a waiting list for dealers looking to get into the 2017 show.

“It just keeps getting bigger, which is a really good thing,” Piscitelli said. “I’ve been here all eight years, and it’s nice to be a part of something that’s grown so much.”

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Normally, wedding gowns are made with chiffon, tulle, silk, and lace. In addition to being beautiful, the delicate fabrics are generally lightweight and fluid, which lend well to walking down an aisle, kissing, and dancing. But Diesel has offered untraditional brides an alternative: denim.

For the opening of two new stores in Tokyo, Japan, designer Nicola Formichetti created white denim dresses and jean tuxedos for a fake marriage between models. But these creations are nothing like Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears’ iconic blue jean red carpet styles. Instead, the outfits are actually quite elegant, albeit a little on the heavy side.

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The bride and groom walking down the aisle. (Photo: Courtesy)More

One of the looks has been crafted in a completely conventional silhouette — strapless with a tight bodice billowing out at the waist into a voluminous skirt — despite its uncommon material. The piece, paired with a matching fascinator, is embellished with 3D-printed flowers in white and light blue denim.

A denim wedding dress would certainly be for the trend-bucking bride. But those wanting even more avant-garde, Diesel also produced a mini denim dress.

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