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Every year on a Thursday afternoon in August, The Saratoga Fashion Show gets underway inside the At the Rail Pavilion tent and delivers on its promise of ‘world class fashion for a world class cause’.

In it’s 17th year, the party has grown from a modest event to an all out extravaganza, with nearly 60 models walking the 20-foot runway showcasing pieces from THEIA and Don O’Neill, Daniel Mozzes, Donna Hercules, Kim Vanyo, Karen Sewell, Christine A. Moore, Lisa Battaglia and more. Along with a fabulous committee and volunteers, there is one woman behind it all, passionately raising money for recipient Ronald McDonald House Charities year after year, Natalie Sillery of Saratoga Trunk. Natalie prepares for the show for weeks and is up at 3 a.m. the morning of, making sure every last detail of the day is seen to, with 60 models getting ready in back and a sold out crowd of over 500 in the front of the house. All the while managing to look like she just stepped off the runway herself, this year stunning in a deep purple THEIA dress, paired with an exquisite hat created for Natalie by Christine A. Moore.

Rick Partyka described Natalie after the event as having ‘conducted a stunning symphony of love and charity’ and we couldn’t agree more.

Guests arrived to tables covered in goodies, including olive oil from DZ Restaurants and Nancy Bambara, champagne from Patty Novo and Crush and Cask, Saratoga Season’s and Saratoga Social Magazines and drawings from children staying at the Ronald McDonald house. Walt Adams kicked off the festivities to a crowd that included Honorary Chairs Heather and Gerard Wise, who win for best looking chairpersons of the summer, Heather radiant in a one shoulder printed dress and pink fascinator and Gerard looking very Clark Kent in a suit and glasses. They were joined by a sold out crowd that included Mary Gavin, Julie Bonacio, Amy Sutton, Margie Rotchford, Patty Riggi, Beth Smith, Michele Riggi, Mara King, Laura Crisafulli and Christine Marchesiello.

picture: peach bridesmaid dressesAll over the Pavilion and on the models this year were little pops of purple, as feathers in the girls hair as they walked the runway or tied around a decoration at a table. It was a beautiful and fitting tribute to Carole Moreau, whose love and exuberance could be felt all day and a thank you to Dr. Mark Moreau for his presence at the luncheon, overwhelmingly appreciated in a room full of devoted ‘Carole-Heads’.

The symphony of love kept playing and hit probably its highest note of the day, when Natalie opened the show with little Chase, the epitome of brave in his batman outfit, being lead by Peyton, hair swept to the side in a magical braid down the runway. Despite all the designers, models and fabulous fashion, this event never seems to lose its focus from the reason attendees are really there, to support the house that love built.

The Ronald McDonald House of Albany is called home by over 550 families a year while their child receives treatment in an area hospital and less than 30 percent of those families can afford the suggested donation per night. However, because of the support of event’s such as this one, Ronald McDonald House never has to turn anyone away due to their inability to pay.

One after one, Natalie’s trunkettes waltzed down the runway, with her little Trunkettina’s leading the procession, including the adorable Sophie whose mother Trina Lucas marveled at her little girl’s grown up confidence, having come a long way from her first reluctant runway appearance years ago.

Designer Donna Hercules’ Collection D’Alli was being modeled by the little girls, including beautiful Posey with her mom Catherine Hover and Alice Dalton carrying stuffed animal Daisy before we were on to some seriously grown up, show-stopping dresses. Some of the women the crowd has come to adore were back modeling this year including Christianne Smith who always owns the runway, Heather Straughter, Amy Raimo, Elaine SIllery, Cassandra Partyka, Melissa Brumley, Circular Manor beauty Michele Funiciello, Rebecca Beers and the always gorgeous Zoe Alexander.

Watching from backstage were Saratoga darlings Don O’Neill with Evelyn Anastos, whose talent and generosity are seemingly endless.

All day long, the exceptional Lisa Miller was capturing the moments on and off the runway, snappging hundreds of photographs which can be found on her website Studio Di Luce so guests nor models will have to wonder what they missed.

We caught up with Heather and Gerard Wise after the event who were thrilled with the outcome saying ‘We couldn’t be more pleased with today’s event and could not have done it without the support of an incredible committee, group of volunteers and the wonderful Natalie Sillery who all put their heart and soul into making this a successful day for Ronald McDonald House Charities.

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“I’ve known a couple of photographers who have turned down LGBT clients for their religious views, who then, in turn became my clients,” says photographer Lisa Otto. “So refuse away, because I have absolutely no problem. I don’t care who you love, what type of house you live in, what your religion is. As far as I’m concerned, if you’re in love, I’ll put you in front of my camera.”

For the Palm Harbor, Florida-based Otto, who specializes in wedding photography, sexual orientation isn’t a factor in determining whether she shoots a wedding. In fact, word-of-mouth recommendations from satisfied same-sex customers have helped fuel her business.

So far, Otto has not received any negative feedback for her decision to photograph same-sex weddings. She also hasn’t received any negative reviews or comments on her Facebook page, and no one has ever confronted her face-to-face.

“We do a lot of gay weddings,” says Meghan DeAngelis Lorenzetti. “And they are some of my favorites because they seem happier and more excited to be able to marry.

But that doesn’t mean there’s not a risk weighing in on a potentially controversial issue. Earlier this year, a bakery in Longwood, Fla., came under fire for refusing to make a cake bearing the phrase, “We do not support gay marriage.” Word got out and the business started receiving threatening phone calls from opponents of marriage equality.

Meanwhile, bakers in Colorado and Oregon — both states with nondiscrimination ordinances that include sexual orientation — have argued that their religious beliefs should allow them to refuse to make wedding cakes for same-sex couples.

With these disagreements in mind, federal lawmakers are now taking the debate out of the kitchens and floral shops and into the halls of Congress by introducing two bills that appear to be diametrically opposed. The First Amendment Defense Act would prevent the government from taking retaliatory action against people or businesses who act in accordance with their beliefs that marriage is the union of one man and one woman, and that sexual activity should be reserved for marriage. The Equality Act, meanwhile, would amend the Civil Rights Act to include nondiscrimination protections for sexual orientation and gender identity.

Because of the potentially controversial nature of these bills, many businesses avoid taking a position. Of more than 40 bakeries, florists or photographers from the states of Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, North Carolina and Florida — all of which currently lack LGBT nondiscrimination protections — contacted by Metro Weekly, only four would comment on the record.

As a small business owner working in the wedding industry, Lisa Otto has no problem expressing her point of view. She acknowledges that others may feel differently, but believes that refusing to serve the LGBT community eventually hurts a business’s bottom line.

“When you put that stigma on yourself, as far as not being willing to serve everyone, bad news spreads a whole lot faster than good news,” Otto says. “And I think they do eventually hurt themselves…. If I open a business, I have to serve everybody.”

Otto’s view is shared by the Human Rights Campaign, which is currently pushing for passage of the Equality Act.

“If you open your business to the public, you should serve the public on a non-discriminatory basis,” says David Stacy, director of government relations for HRC. “So if you are providing wedding cakes, for example, and you are selling wedding cakes at your bakery, there’s no reason in the world that you should be able to say ‘I’m going to sell wedding cakes to couples whose weddings I agree with, and I’m not going to sell wedding cakes to couples whose weddings I don’t agree with.’”

“I say freedom should prevail here,” says Ryan T. Anderson. “There are plenty of other options for your honeymoon.”

Stacy notes that the number of conflicts between LGBT advocates and religious business owners are small in number, despite the amount of press they get, adding that the more prominent cases have become “cause celebres” for the anti-LGBT movement to latch onto while opposing equality.

“If your religious beliefs are such that you just cannot interact with LGBT people and treat them equally when you’re engaged in commerce, perhaps you should find a different job,” he says.

Ryan T. Anderson, a fellow with the Heritage Foundation, opposes the Equality Act, believing that any conflicts between business owners and potential clients are better resolved on the local — rather than federal — level.

“Most of these decisions are going to be better resolved if we allow experimentation with different policies to figure out what works best for all parties involved,” Anderson says. “If there’s a bed and breakfast somewhere run by conservative evangelicals or Orthodox Jews, and they have a problem renting out the honeymoon suite to a same-sex couple, I say freedom should prevail here. There are plenty of other options for your honeymoon. We don’t need the federal government telling a small bed-and-breakfast that they can’t engage in this.”

picture: cheap wedding dresses onlineAnderson is skeptical of the idea that most major corporations would engage in arbitrary discrimination against LGBT people, noting that doing so would likely not be in its economic interest. But Anderson also says that there should be exceptions for smaller businesses.

“When someone does think that sexual orientation and gender identity matters for the mission of their institution or because of their moral and religious views, I don’t see why we can’t tolerate them, why we can’t be a pluralistic society that says that a 70-year-old evangelical grandmother has a right to say ‘I don’t do flowers for a same-sex wedding,’” says Anderson, citing a case where a florist in Washington State ran afoul of a state’s nondiscrimination law. “I don’t know if we need a federal law that would coerce everyone on this.”

There appears to be at least anecdotal evidence that being LGBT-friendly is good for business. The wedding-related business owners who responded to Metro Weekly said they promote a welcoming atmosphere at their stores.

“I treat everything the same,” says Kimberly McDonald of Simply Desserts, a bakery in Fairfax County, Va., noting that she’s catered a same-sex wedding and has an equal employment policy.

“We do a lot of gay weddings,” says Meghan DeAngelis Lorenzetti, CEO of Kendall’s Cakes, in Falls Church, Va. “And they are actually some of my favorites because they just seem happier and more excited to be able to marry. I honestly don’t follow politics that much, but I think everyone should have the same ability to do what they want. If you want to get married, you should get married.”

Mishele McKissack, of Decadent Designs Bakery in Charlotte, N.C., believes “if you’re a small business, then you’re open to everything and everybody. We love all of our customers, and treat everybody equally…. I’m not in favor of any legislation that would allow somebody to not provide their service to somebody for their personal choices. I don’t think that’s anybody’s business.”

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The Ohio Board of Professional Conduct has issued a scorched-earth policy against state judges who decide to stop performing all wedding ceremonies because they believe marriage is defined only as one man and one woman and cannot, in good conscience, conduct a ceremony joining together in marriage any other combination of people, including same-sex couples.

This is not only quite startling, it is overly harsh. Ohio law allows some judges and a number of other individuals to conduct wedding ceremonies. This is a discretionary, permissive authority the law grants judges. It is not one of their required duties. The law does not require judges to perform every wedding ceremony some couple might ask them to perform and the judges can decide not to perform wedding ceremonies. At least that is what the law says, but you would not know it by reading theopinion that the board issued on August 7.

The opinion states in its first paragraph

that [a] judge may not decline to perform all marriages in order to avoid marrying same-sex couples based on his or her personal, moral, or religious beliefs.

This emphatic rule eliminates what seems like one of many reasonable, sensible accommodations for judges who hold to the sincere belief that marriage is defined only as one man and one woman. No accommodation possible. Perform all weddings, or else.

It is bizarre to say that judges show unethical bias if they choose not to do something state law says is merely discretionary and not one of their mandatory or essential duties. The board’s opinion buries the fact that, under Ohio law, conducting wedding ceremonies is a permissive power of judges, because to admit that would severely weaken the board’s extreme opinion.

Second, according to the US Supreme Court, government has a First Amendment “duty to accommodate” people with sincere religious beliefs. Other accommodations the government could or must grant to those with sincere beliefs about marriage may exist, but certainly, accommodating a believer’s conscience by allowing him or her to stop performing all weddings is eminently reasonable. The board’s opinion gives absolutely no accommodation of any kind to a judge who cannot in good conscience perform a totally nonessential act that many other judges, clergy persons and others legally qualified to perform marriage ceremonies would do.

picture: wedding dresses for the beachThird, the board glosses over the fact that we are talking about a judge presiding over a ceremony. It would be bad enough if the opinion required judges to participate in a ceremony they disapproved of. Here, the board goes one step further into unconstitutional coercion by compelling unwilling judges to perform a ceremony they cannot condone because of their beliefs. Ohio law could not require a judge to recite the Pledge of Allegiance against his will. Certainly, Ohio law could not constitutionally require a judge to attend a religious ceremony, or even a secular ceremony, when attendance would violate the judge’s beliefs. Yes, judges are governmental officials, but they do not lose all of their rights to freedom of thought and belief.

Fourth, it seems odd if not outrageous that this opinion suddenly decrees that it is unethical for Ohio judges to decline to do something that was not legally permitted in their state until two months ago. Same-sex couples could not legally marry in Ohio until the US Supreme Court handed down the Obergefell decision in late June (the decision mandating same-sex marriage nationwide), so judges up until earlier this summer never had to confront this conflict between their permissive authority to conduct wedding ceremonies and their personal belief that marriage is defined only as one man and one woman. But now, according to the board, a judge’s decision to decline to conduct any wedding ceremonies at all indicates unlawful bias or prejudice.

A judge who takes the position that he or she will discontinue performing all marriages, in order to avoid marrying same-sex couples based on his or her personal, moral or religious beliefs, may be interpreted as manifesting an improper bias or prejudice toward a particular class. The judge’s decision also may raise reasonable questions about his or her impartiality in legal proceedings where sexual orientation is at issue and consequently would require disqualification under Jud. Cond. R. 2.11.

Again, it would seem that a reasonable way to accommodate the personal beliefs of the judge would be for him or her to choose to stop performing all weddings. Yet this is not enough for the board because, in its reasoning, the judge would be manifesting bias against same-sex couples that would call into question his or her neutrality in presiding over cases involving those couples. The board then chooses an inflammatory example of domestic battery to make its questionable point:

Even if a judge decides not to perform any marriages, but does so only after Obergefell, the judge may face the prospect of disqualification in matters where the sexual orientation of the parties is at issue. For example, if a judge who has declined to perform same-sex marriages is later assigned to hear a misdemeanor domestic violence charge involving a same-sex couple, the judge’s ability to follow the law and impartially apply the domestic violence laws could reasonably be questioned.

This outrageous example is difficult to understand, although the obvious smear is easy to grasp. If spouse A from a same-sex couple legally married in Ohio hits spouse B, the judge’s duty is to preside over a proceeding to determine whether spouse A is guilty of domestic battery and then punish the perpetrator. Hitting other people is wrong and criminal, regardless the aggressor’s marital status. I would be very surprised if a judge with the most conservative views on marriage possible would do anything other than give the accused a fair trial, and, if found guilty, impose appropriate punishment on spouse A. It would make no sense for a judge to rule: “spouse A, I am finding you not guilty of the crime of striking your partner because you are in a same-sex marriage.”

Similarly, in other legal cases, like breach of contract or a tort brought by a same-sex couple, it is difficult to imagine a judge ruling that a same-sex couple does not get damages from someone who breaches their contract or smashes into their car, because they are in a same-sex marriage. To assume such a judge has bias, with no evidence other than the fact he or she declined to preside at same-sex wedding ceremonies, unfairly slanders members of the judiciary with reasonable views and convictions about marriage.

And I doubt the board would apply its expansive rule to other beliefs. A judge may publicly state that his vegan beliefs mean he will never step into a restaurant serving meat or that he will attend football games only where the Cleveland Browns play, or that he will only send his children to a public school. That does not mean the judge could not decide cases involving people who eat steaks, or who root for the Pittsburgh Steelers, or who place their children in private schools. Those people would lack even a legitimate concern about receiving impartial justice from that judge, absent something specific that shows actual bias that will affect how the judge conducts the case.

The board’s opinion has the feel of a decree by a state church trying to root out heretics straying from the new ascendant orthodoxy on marriage. The voters of Ohio and its lawmakers, and even its state judges, should not allow this coercive opinion by the Board of Professional Conduct to remain.

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North Yorkshire brand Charlotte Lucy’s designs are inspired by the moors. Heather Dixon talks to founder Charlotte Hazell.

As Charlotte Hazell works into the small hours in the bedroom-turned-workshop at her home in Norton, meticulously sewing her latest one-off designs, her thoughts often turn to family. “I come from a family of people involved in textiles in one form or another,” she says. “My grandfather worked in a tailor’s shop in Leeds as a pattern cutter and my gran was a seamstress. My mum and her mum were also good sewers and I remember as a child watching them make curtains and repair clothes. As we were growing up my sister Beth and I were always making things.”

That creative seam has now blossomed into a thriving home-based business for Charlotte, who recently launched her Capsule Collection 2015 at the Great Yorkshire Show.

Her award-winning trademark is understated style with an individual twist. Her creations are one-off, hand-tailored pieces, inspired by the colours of the Yorkshire countryside, which will, she says, survive fickle popular trends and work for almost any occasion.

Charlotte, 28, the daughter of former jockey Richard Barker, aka “Dickie Mint”, established her own clothing label, Charlotte Lucy, in 2010. It followed top grade results in textiles at GCSE level and a four-year fashion design course at York College, when she won the M&S Dress Design Competition and, on graduation, the Merchant Taylors Award 2008 for her collection fortuitously called Beginner’s Luck.

“I loved every aspect of the course, from fashion history to technical details,” she says. “I like taking a garment from conception to completion, challenging myself to make things work.”

Charlotte was “too much of a home bird” to consider moving away, so she took a variety of day jobs, including waitressing, delivery driving and debt collecting, so she could fund her true passion and develop the ideas which would lead to the launch of her own design label.

picture: knee length wedding dresses“I try things out on the sewing machine to understand how they will work best. There’s a lot of trial and error,” says Charlotte, who spends every spare weekend and evening cutting patterns and hand-making her elegant garments. “I started out making bespoke occasionwear but now I make ready-to-wear garments aimed at clients who want something timeless and classic.”

Based on a work ethic reminiscent of The Elves and the Shoemaker, whereby she would sell one item to fund the next two, Charlotte gradually made enough to launch her first collection for spring/summer 2012.

“I wanted to test the water,” she says. “It was a big learning curve because I realised I couldn’t create enough, or earn enough, to do it seasonally, so I decided to launch one collection a year focusing on a few key pieces. These are not led by trends. I would like to think that they will still be relevant in 10 or 20 years from now.’

Charlotte is slowly but surely building up a loyal following of customers who value her commitment to quality and individuality.

“The brand has one aim,” she says. “To produce beautiful clothes which are the building blocks of any girl’s wardrobe. It is not a mass manufactured label – I create staple pieces and use luxurious fabrics such as silk crepe, soft cottons, linens and rich wool, alongside clean details. I realise it could take a long time to become properly established, but I’m prepared to let it evolve at its own pace,” adds Charlotte. “I don’t want to be a one-hit wonder.”

This year’s collection includes coats, skirts, a silk T-shirt and a handful of dresses, priced at between £100 and £500. Charlotte refers to them as investment pieces which transcend the seasons, each item taking at least a week to turn round.

She runs her design business alongside part-time work with the Nine to Eleven interiors shop in Malton, but life is likely to become even busier for Charlotte from October when she and her husband Wayne, a joiner, are expecting their first baby.

“I have big ambitions in the long term but my family and family life keep me grounded,” she says. “I have to be realistic and take it one step at a time.’

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Justin Theroux is enjoying admiring his wedding band.

The 44-year-old actor tied the knot with Jennifer Aniston at the beginning of this month, in a secret ceremony at their Los Angeles home.

picture: long bridesmaid dresses ukAfter an almost three-year engagement the couple have remained fairly quiet about their new marital status, but Justin couldn’t help gushing about how his ring makes him feel.

“It does feel different,” he smiled to People when asked how he’s finding being Jennifer’s husband. “I’m very happy. It’s nice to be able to look down and see a new piece of jewellery on my finger.”

The loved-up pair honeymooned in Bora Bora and when Justin returned to work on his TV series The Leftovers in Austin, he was greeted with a “big cheer” from the cast and crew.

Series two of the hit programme is set to air later this year, with the handsome star stepping back into the shoes of troubled cop Kevin Garvey.

Fans will see a change of scenery coming up, as the story shifts to a small town in Texas.

“[It's where] something miraculous occurred,” Justin teased. “It’s a town that’s literally bordered by a fence. For my character and his insta-family, it’s a fresh start. But it boxes them in – in a weird and wonderful way.”

Joining him are his original co-stars including Liv Tyler, Amy Brenneman and Christopher Eccleston, with Justin describing their dynamic on set as family-like.

“When the work has to be done, the work has to be done, but if you don’t keep it a little light at times, everyone’s going to be miserable,” he added. “It’s not a space you want to live in when a camera isn’t rolling.”

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A wedding is a special day for both bride and groom, as they become one unit. The suggestions here can help any wedding run smoothly. Planning the right way will give you decades of great memories

One of the most vital things that you will have to do is to stick to your budget when you are getting married. You will have a lot of temptation to spend a great deal of money , but will have to understand your financial restrictions to avoid getting into a hole.

Understand that all who are supporting you and helping with your wedding are doing it out of love, as you should show them respect and appreciate what they are doing for you. Do not become a “bridezilla”, as this can alienate a lot of people and put a damper on the days leading up to your wedding.

When planning for your wedding, the time of day could greatly affect your cost. If you are having an evening wedding, you will have to serve dinner which costs more than serving your guests lunch. If you serve alcohol, more people will drink heavily in the evening than they would at lunch time.

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When thinking about wedding jewelry, consider borrowing your jewelry instead of buying it. Your friends and family may have great jewelry pieces that they will be willing to let you use free of charge. If you use someones jewelry instead of buying new, the jewelry will also hold sentimental value.

On the day of the wedding, make sure that you show your parents and the parents of your future husband or wife a lot of attention. This is their big day too, as they are finally getting to see the child they love so much get married after many years of waiting.

If you are having an outdoor wedding, check your wind speeds for that day. A windy day can ruin an outdoor wedding if not planned for. If it is going to be windy, avoid hairstyles that will be greatly affected by wind. You should also keep in mind that some tents are not designed to handle very windy conditions.

One of the things that you can do to show the support that you have for your church is to get your priest to do your wedding. This will make things feel personal on the day of your nuptial, especially if you are a devout Catholic and have a strong bond with the leader of your church.

Get properly fitted underwear for your wedding. A comfortable and supportive bra will not only ease the pressure on your back and shoulders, but also adjust your shape to give you a flattering look. Find a good lingerie store in your area who will fit you and order you the correct undergarments.

Sometimes a good wedding tip is to keep it simple! The more detailed and extravagant the more expensive. Sure it is the best moment of your life, but perhaps that money could be better spent on a house, or even the most amazing vacation ever which we colloquially call a honeymoon.

Between your ceremony and your reception there can be a long down-time for your guests. If they can’t be seated at their tables right away, choose a venue that has a bar or lounge available for them to hang out in while they wait for the guests of honor to arrive.

By using the suggestions here, your wedding will be an event to remember that everyone enjoys. This special day is worth a little extra time to make sure everything is perfect. The groom and bride deserve to have their dream wedding.

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The mysterious death of a 29-year-old lady, Kemi Arobieke, who reportedly died while on a visit to a former Senior Special Assistant to Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola, Bode Olugbore, is certainly raising serious dust as the family of the deceased are up in arms, demanding that the man tell them how she died.

Reports have it that the lady who was an event planner in Lagos, was deep in the midst of planning for her wedding in November but lost her life while visiting her man friend on Saturday, August 8, after she left Lagos to Osogbo, the Osun State capital on Thursday to spend the weekend with Olugbore.

Her family however got a call on Sunday, August 9, that Arobieke had died in an accident but by the time they got to Osogbo, they realised that she was actually electrocuted in her lover boy’s apartment and her corpse had been deposited in a mortuary.

But the family are crying foul, believing that their sister must have been murdered because there were tell-tale signs that could lend credence to that assertion.

picture: chiffon bridesmaid dresses ukA relative of deceased, however said the family would not take the explanation that she was electrocuted as being bandied by the police, believing that she must have been murdered.

The family source also said that the late Kemi had known Olugbore for about four years, but the family initially did not know about their relationship.

“My sister travelled to Osogbo and she was supposed to return to Lagos on Saturday, but we got a call from the police that she was involved in an accident and it was very serious.

When we got to Osogbo, the police prevented us from seeing her, but told us that she had been electrocuted by an electric fan, but it is unbelievable.

We were made to understand that she was electrocuted in the apartment by a standing fan. That is very hard for me to understand. The police showed us the fan, and it seemed to be working fine.

It was not burnt. The socket was not burnt. So, it is suspicious that she was electrocuted. The current in a fan is not enough to kill except one has direct contact with a live wire. The marks on her body suggested something contrary.

Right now, everyone is waiting for answers from the autopsy. We know that the man has been arrested by the police.”

Another family member took to social media to post this:

“I write this with a heavy heart the demise of my immediate younger sister, Kemi Arobieke who was murdered. On Thursday 6th of August, my sister left for Osogbo to see Bode Olugbore, the State Special Adviser to Governor Aregbesola, without telling anyone only for us to get a call on the 8th, Saturday, that she had died in an accident in Osogbo.

The police asked us to come immediately that it was tragic. We got to Osogbo in the night but was told to wait for the DPO the next morning. We got the shocker on Sunday that my beloved sister was electrocuted. We went to the mortuary where we discovered that she was not electrocuted but murdered.

Autopsy and Postmortem was to be carried out at LAUTECH. My fear is that the result has been tampered with in their favor. Bode Olugbore who is married with 3 kids, has not told us the family what really happened to our sister, who was planning her wedding in November.”

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A new survey has uncovered the amount Britons pay to see friends and family tie the knot, with men being hit particularly hard in the wallet

Photo Source: wedding dresses uk　　Crashing a wedding is the cheap way to enjoy an expensive passtime Photo: The Wedding Crashers

46 CommentsA new study has confirmed what many of us have known for a long time: that weddings leaves a sizeable hole in the wallet of each and every guest.

The total average cost associated with attending a wedding – including expenditure on a wedding gift, personal grooming, and even preparing the car – was calculated at just under £170. According to the survey, the average male wedding guest shells out £166.36, while women pay six pounds more.

Men appear to be particularly susceptible to the social competition of weddings, with one in four admitting that they feel under pressure to appear more successful and happy than they actually are.

The survey of 1,000 adults, conducted by the Post Office gift card One4all, found that 32pc of men admitted to spending three hours or more preparing for a wedding, and that they increasingly view the ceremonies and receptions as places to show off their achievements – or even attract new romantic partners.

• What to wear to a wedding: the ‘I dos’ and don’t s

Almost half of the men said they felt inadequate when compared with other guests, and therefore compensated by spending the same amount as women on grooming, clothes and gifts for the occasion.

The grooming treatments are perhaps the most extravagant expenditures, with men matching female beauty costs by indulging in spray tans, professional shaves and even waxing treatments before somebody else’s big day. These bids to impress other guests even extend past personal appearance, with one in two men confessing that they have their car thoroughly washed before a wedding. 7 per cent even said they have hired a car because they were embarrassed about the vehicle they owned.

Whilst women spend an average of £40 on a wedding gift, men ten to splash out considerably more, spending approximately £56 on the happy couple. It is suggested that this may stem from man’s innate fear of appearing ‘stingy’ or ‘tight’, especially when surrounded by old friends or family.

　　Hugh Grant in Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994) Photo: Gramercy Pictures

Aoife Davey, Group Marketing Manager at One4all, said: “The research has uncovered some interesting findings, especially surrounding men and the time, money and effort they’re investing when it comes to being a wedding guest.

“In particular, the fact that 42pc of men see weddings as an opportunity to meet new people compared to 34pc of women is fascinating. It would appear that men are becoming more gregarious, and willing to put themselves out there socially. As with high school or college reunions, there’s always a sense of competition at weddings when it comes to sharing achievements or success stories.”

Ms Davey’s observation that men see weddings “as an opportunity to meet new people” is supported by the statistics. Seemingly inspired by the amorous atmosphere, weddings have become a playground for eligible British bachelors.

One in five men said they attended these events with the express intention of meeting a new partner, while one in four confessed to having kissed or slept with someone they’d met at a wedding.

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However, men do not simply use these occasions as hunting grounds for hookups, as one in every ten men has gone on to marry someone they met during the course of another couple’s big day.

“It’s understandable that men may feel inadequate or feel the need to appear more successful in front of family and friends, hence the lengths they are going to when it comes down to their appearance and generosity.

“All of this combined makes for a totally modern male wedding guest”.

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Researchers at the Maryland Historical Society in Baltimore are searching for our region’s history in fashion relics of the past.

For decades, vests, coats, dresses, shoes, and other wearable items sat in boxes lined with tissue paper. The acidic packing materials do no favors to the costume collection.

It doesn’t help that the collection’s current storage space, the historic Enoch Pratt House on West Monument Street, isn’t climate controlled. Over the years, some of the costumes began to split.

Chief Curator Alexandra Deutsch says it will take three to five years to clean, document, and rehouse the entire collection — between 10,000 and 12,000 single pieces — in a new storage facility, designed just for textiles.

picture: vintage inspired wedding dressesDiscovering what’s already in the collection

This summer, the conservation team began to transfer costumes over to the new storage area, which is outfitted with large tables for measuring, examining and cleaning the clothing. MDHS is raising funds to keep the conservation project going.

“We’re just right now going through a process of discovery,” Deutsch says.

“There is a lot left to go,” Registrar Allison Tolman says. “This is the first time that we’ve attempted doing this, so it’s kind of putting our toe in the water, and we’ve been lucky to have interns who were very productive and really intelligent.”

With measuring tape, pen, paper, and a very gentle vacuum in gloved hands, a team of interns does much of the discovering. On Aug. 12, each of the three young women will deliver a public presentation on their findings at MDHS.

They’ve spent the last three months digging through degraded boxes, cataloguing more than 300 objects.

They uncovered wool swimming costumes, military uniforms, fancy dresses, and even underwear. Intern Emily Bach plans to talk about some of the quirky undergarments they’ve found, such as an 1850’s maternity corset.

These days, most moms-to-be wouldn’t think of cinching their baby bump. Bach says this practice often resulted — sometimes intentionally — in miscarriage.

“The main purpose was to actually hide the pregnancy and allow a woman to still have the financial freedom of working or not having to go into bedrest, so it helped give them a few extra weeks or months,” she says.

Other fashion choices came with unhealthy consequences. Intern Lidia Plaza will lecture about the explosion of color that accompanied the development of synthetic dyes. She thinks a few garments in the collection got their bright, emerald hue from “arsenic green.”

“It was one of the first color-fast dyes, which made it very popular in the 19th century,” she says. “A lot of people wore it, and it was also used in wall paper and in toys and candy, and as well as in clothes. Unfortunately, as the name suggests, it contained arsenic.”

Plaza will also talk about a popular shade of purple that caused the “mauve measles.”

“A lot of women developed rashes by wearing these clothes too close to their skin, but they remained popular,” she says. “People loved these colors!”

Lots of history in old objects

Intern Anna-Maria Hand says that throughout this process, she and the other interns didn’t know what they’d pull out of the next box. Her favorite discovery was a beautiful blue gown that came from a prominent Maryland family, the Ridgelys.

“I remember Lidia and I kind of were ‘saving it’ because we saw the quality of fabric when we opened the box,” she says.

It wasn’t just high-quality; it was pristine. For a dress from the 1860′s, that was unusual. Deutsch says the “Ridgeley dress” is a great example of finding clues in clothing.

“It literally looked almost unworn, and then you realize, well because of her husband’s death, this electric blue gown, she stopped wearing because she was in mourning and she didn’t remarry, so you begin to get at a history you might not otherwise find,” she says.

“We were able to date it, so it was really nice to be able to state the provenance of that particular garment,” Hand, a Maryland native, says.

Tolman says it’s interesting to see how much history can be found in the folds of a single object.

“When you look at a dress and you can see hems moved, brought in, brought out, then you can see that this person grew or this person had a younger sister who got to wear the same dress,” she says, “and you can see how things were altered, not only for size, but also because some things go out of style or they need to change the silhouette, but they love the fabric.”

Deutsch says she looks forward to rotating out the outfits on display, showcasing her team’s hard work and the society’s costume holdings, which she says date back to at least 1740. There are women’s, men’s and children’s costumes, including a girl’s dress featuring a handmade lining crafted from numerous pieces of fabric.

There’s also a well-known, whimsical dress by French designer Hubert de Givenchy.

“We have one of the gowns that was worn by the Duchess of Windsor, this ivory, organza gown by Givenchy that has been embroidered with a silk thread, with monkeys that are [in] a band,” Deutsch says. One monkey plays a flute, while another bangs on a hand-stitched drum in this 1950s wearable tribute to 18th century porcelain monkey bands.

Deutsch says Wallis Simpson wore the unique dress once, before giving it to a relative who immediately gifted it to MDHS.

This is the stuff of fashion, and Maryland, history. Deutsch says in the 1980’s, when the museum’s retired housekeeper Enoliah Williams organized, packed and stored the collection in Pratt House, it seemed like a good decision.

“When the costume was originally housed there, the Pratt House was where a lot of our collection was housed,” she says. “But also, the standards of how collections were stored were very different, and the understanding about what objects really need for their own longevity, which is a regulated climate with the proper amounts of humidity, that wasn’t really understood to the extent it is now.”

She says a consistent climate, and keeping the collection in acid-free boxes, will help prevent further damage.

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