Millennials Don’t Hate Marriage!

Posted January 30, 2015 by Rabbi Lebow & filed under Atlanta Weddings.

There has been much debate regarding whether or not marriage is as important to millennials as it has been to past generations, and a new study is only adding fuel to that fire. Last year, the Pew Research Center surveyed Americans across the country, asking whether or not they were single and how important marriage was to each of them. The results showed that the number of unmarried people is higher than it’s ever been. Going along with those findings, the results indicated that people viewed marriage as increasingly less important. But does that mean the institution of marriage is in trouble? Not so fast.

There are several reasons that could account for these results, many of which the researchers point out themselves. The average age that people choose to get married is on the rise, and many people are choosing to live together and have children before they even think about tying the knot. But that doesn’t mean they won’t eventually just get married, just the common order of doing things is getting swapped around.

Essentially, millennials don’t think marriage is essential to any society, but that doesn’t mean they are against or won’t eventually get married themselves. In fact, another survey shows that more than 70% of high school students still think having a good marriage is very important. Some people think that millennials are simply choosing marriage less often, or at least not right away, for financial reasons. Another factor to consider is that millennials are less likely to judge whether or not something like marriage is an important decision, because they are more open to a wide range of lifestyles. Their lack of interest in passing judgment on marriage could make it seem like they are against it, when it’s really the opposite.

So, it’s safe to say marriage isn’t going anywhere. The only thing changing is people’s perception of it. Society is becoming more diverse, which is a good thing for everyone.

Source: http://www.uscatholic.org/articles/201501/does-marriage-matter-millennial-generation-29650

The Top Three Things Your Wedding Video Should Include

Posted January 20, 2015 by Rabbi Lebow & filed under Atlanta Weddings.

Planning your wedding and reception is a full-time job that can have huge returns for yourself, your partner, and your family and friends. The wedding is sure to be an emotional, life-changing moment and the reception is guaranteed to be a party that no one is going to forget soon. However, having a way to relive the day at the height of its glory is absolutely paramount. So we’ve put together a list of the top three things your wedding video should include so as to assure you don’t lose a moment of it!

First, make sure your videographer gets the personal vows on film. Adrenaline is running so high during the ceremony that it can be easy to remember only snippets of what was said to each other. Whether your vows are self-written or quotes borrowed from others, being able to relive that moment is a huge part of the wedding video.

Next, it’s not just what was going on, but what was said. Having fantastic audio makes a wedding video. Speeches, first dances, toasts, and candid banter between guests should all be highlights in your video. Make sure the audio tech and your DJ or band is working together so that nothing gets lost in translation on film.

Finally, pick a videographer who can find the character in your wedding. Whether it’s the mother-of-the-bride crying during the exchanging of the rings or the best man cracking up at an inopportune moment during toasts, be sure to catch it. Yes, your wedding is about the two people exchanging vows, but it’s also about remembering those candid moments from your family and friends. Catch not only the actions, but also the reactions.

And for an officiant that brings out the character of everyone involved, contact Rabbi Lebow at Atlanta Jewish & Interfaith Weddings today!

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/leila-khalil/5-things-your-wedding-vid_b_6305900.html

Choosing a Budget for Your Wedding

Posted January 19, 2015 by Rabbi Lebow & filed under Atlanta Weddings.

Your wedding day is one of the most important days of your life and most couples plan accordingly. Choosing a budget for the wedding always comes with a lot of advice from planners, friends, family, and anyone you’re showing rings too. But there’s a lot of false information out there so we put together a few urban myths regarding cutting wedding costs to take into account before planning your day.

One of the most pervasive myths is that Friday receptions cost less than Saturday receptions. This probably comes from venues offering specials like a minimum budget of $10,000 on Friday versus $15,000 for Saturday nights. However, take into account how many guests you’re planning on inviting. If the cost of food and beverages is about $100 a head, inviting 150 guests will cost you as much both nights. For real budgeters, hosting a brunch or lunch reception is much more cost effective than dinners for everyone.

Backyard weddings and weddings in public park’s offer a free venue. However, they don’t include catering, restrooms, decorations, or seating for the ceremony. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Many venues offer huge discounts and package deals, so be sure to crunch the numbers for everything, not just the space before making your decision.

Choosing groomsmen and bridesmaids can be a great way to get your guests involved in the wedding. However, the size of your wedding party drastically impacts the budget for the wedding. Remember that hair and makeup for each bridesmaid ups the price by at least $100. Small things like centerpieces and runners for the head table at the reception can also increase depending on how large your wedding party is.

In order to keep your budget for the wedding in order, use a free online wedding calculator. There are dozens to choose from to keep yourself on track. And for an officiant that perfectly marries professionalism and that personal touch, contact Atlanta Jewish & Interfaith Weddings today!

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tracie-domino/everything-you-ever-knew-_b_6320790.html

Planning Your Wedding in 2015

Posted January 5, 2015 by Rabbi Lebow & filed under Atlanta Weddings.

No matter how large or small your wedding will be, you will likely spend months planning it, if not longer. However, once the ceremony is over, the reception is finished, and all of your friends and family have returned home, it’s time for you and your newly wedded spouse to take a vacation. While most of your effort may go in to planning the wedding, taking some time to think about your honeymoon well in advance is always a good idea. Follow these tips to get the most out of the first vacation of your married life.

There are many reasons why you should plan ahead. Not only will you be able to secure lower rates for flights if you plan on traveling across the country or overseas, but you can weigh your options and find the right place for your honeymoon. You and your spouse may think you want to go to one particular destination, but after reading more about it change your mind completely. Making these decisions early on will give you the extra time you need to be able to do some research.

Knowing your budget is also essential. You don’t want to return home from your honeymoon and find you’re in debt. Make a simple budget that covers the major expenses, including travel, lodging, and meals so you have a rough idea of how much you will be spending. Of course, being spontaneous can be fun, so you don’t want to kill the mood by having every single hour of your week planned out in advance.

Other things you should figure out in advance is what dates you will be gone, the locations of some of the major sights you want to visit, and whether or not your trip will require a visa. For more tips about honeymoons, and of course weddings, keep checking back with our blog!

True Love Is Hard to Find and Even Harder to Keep

Posted November 20, 2014 by Rabbi Lebow & filed under Atlanta Weddings.

It is easy to fall in love. It’s even easy to be in love. It is, however, very hard to keep love and to grow in it. But as with most hard things, it is very much so an endeavor worthy of effort. Margaret Paul, Ph.D. of the Huffington Post has shared a few of her thoughts on how to keep and grow love in the long term. We, in turn, would like to share some of those with you.

Paul’s idea is that love flows between open hearts. At the beginning, our hearts are wide open to new experiences and shared perspectives with our partners. As we grow together, we often react to romantic relationships by starting to narrow the passages into our hearts. It follows that if both partners strive toward the same goal, keeping that passage wide and clear, love will not only last, but blossom.

Behaviors that can cause a closing of that line in our partner’s are often rooted in control, be it overt or covert. Overt controls include anger, criticism, defensiveness, righteousness, and violence. Covert controls include withdrawal, lying, resistance, and denial, among others. Controlling behaviors are an attempt to change the other person, rather than ourselves, which diminishes love in an unwillingness to open ourselves up.

The best way to fight behaviors like this is to replace them, as often as possible, with behaviors that reflect prioritizing loving yourself and giving love to your partner over getting love (which is really what controlling behaviors are all about). Being honest and authentic, without blame or judgment, is a huge part of positively interacting with your partner. That also means taking responsibility for your own feelings of worth, joy, anger, pain, and security is a priority, rather than leaning on your partner to provide those things.

Finally, both partners need to be committed to loving and learning. Mistakes, disagreements, outside strife, will happen. The trick is not falling into a lucky, mad love; it is prioritizing open communication and working through issues together in times of trial.

If you and your partner are ready to keep and grow in love, contact Rabbi Lebow of Atlanta Jewish & Interfaith Weddings today. We can’t wait to help you along on your journey.

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/08/wedding-traditions_n_5111948.html

Lighten the Mood a Bit

Posted November 13, 2014 by Rabbi Lebow & filed under Atlanta Weddings.

When it comes to weddings, most people take the ceremony very seriously and expect to save the fun for the reception. We’re here to tell you that doesn’t always have to be the case, and many couples are deciding to take a different approach. While the ceremony shouldn’t be taken lightly, there are a few things you and your guests can do to lighten the mood and have a little fun.

One idea is to have some untraditional readings. Instead of the same passages that have been read thousands of times, why not pick something that has some extra special meaning to you and your loved one? You could read a quote from a book both of you love, or a passage that has a special sentimental value to your relationship. This doesn’t mean you have to do away with reading religious text, but it can be a fun addition to the standard fare.

Another idea is to involve your guests in some way. While the ceremony is and should be all about you and your loved one, it can’t hurt to forget all of those friends and family who came to see you. For example, you could make everyone feel special by staging a group photo shoot at the end of the ceremony, rather than having everyone try to snap a picture from their seats.

You can also include your guests by having them pass around the rings before the ceremony. This allows everyone to see them up close before they find their permanent home on your fingers. More importantly, this can be seen as a blessing where everyone can wish you would before you are married.

These are just a few ideas you can use to include your guests, have some fun, and overall make your wedding an even more memorable experience. We are always eager to hear your own thoughts and wedding ideas, so let us know what you have in mind!

Finding the Right Wedding Officiant

Posted October 27, 2014 by Rabbi Lebow & filed under Atlanta Weddings.

There is one area about weddings that is so often over-looked but just as important when it comes to the planning stages of a wedding. Most people think of finding a wedding officiant as a given. There’s always someone out there who will marry two people together, or maybe your aunt’s great cousin happens to be certified for officiating weddings. But the process for picking the right wedding priest or rabbi goes a bit further than just expecting to find one. Because you may find one, but they may not be the right one! But what is the right kind of wedding official?

The first key to the right wedding official for you is to find someone you are comfortable with. When shopping around for any official from therapist to rabbi you need to be able to be comfortable with the person you find, and if you aren’t then you might want to look for someone else. Keeping the wedding officiant clued into what is going on and what you are looking for with your wedding is a good way to figure out which one might be right for you and how comfortable you are with them.

All it takes is talking about what kind of ceremony language you want to include in your wedding and what you want in your ceremony to determine rather quickly if you’ve found the right wedding officiant. Sometimes something as simple as changing the words of man and wife to husband and wife could be something a wedding official doesn’t want to do. Or you might find a wedding officiant that just wants to talk and they have speeches laid out in between vows that may not be something you want.

Of course, you don’t control everything with a wedding official. If you go to a Christian priest, you can’t always expect them to agree to the idea of saying a Hebrew prayer during the ceremony. Though it never hurts to ask if that is something you are looking for. Just remember to be respectful and you will be able to find the right wedding officiant for you.

Nevada’s First Same-Sex Married Couple?

Posted October 14, 2014 by Rabbi Lebow & filed under Atlanta Weddings.

The excitement around same-sex marriage exploded into full-blown celebrations as the California court of appeals struck down multiple same-sex marriage bans in one go, with the supreme court backing them up by letting laws stay in a few states that would prevent same-sex marriage from being removed as a possibility to the state. Overall the whirlwind resulted in a total of 35 states of the 50 that will have legal same-sex marriage.

Among the couples that jumped at the chance to finally get married were the Nevada State Senator, Kelvin Atkinson and his partner Sherwood Howard, who married on the courthouse steps, moments after getting their license and had the first same-sex wedding within Nevada.

At first the senator was unsure if they would marry as soon as they were able to get the license, but it became clear after their wait for over 6 ½ years, they were finally able to go through with it. And that was after a great moment in which the senator proposed in front of hundreds when it was revealed on what the appeals court decision was.

All over the United States we are seeing people rejoice for further same-sex marriages that can take place once again. Unfortunately South Carolina does hold out despite the recent ban over-turning including them. They continue to wait until a Supreme Court decision is made on their ban case, which will stall things. But with the way things have gone with the Supreme Court so far, short of the court deciding they just don’t want to deal with a case and hold it off, they are likely to approve the strike-down of the ban.

It seems more of the nation is jumping on the chance to allow any couples to get married if they want to. Still, there are around fifteen left that have not dealt with this and it’s likely to only be a matter of time, especially as more cases are filed against the bans. Maybe America really is the land of the free.

Can an Expensive Wedding Negatively Impact the Relationship?

Posted October 6, 2014 by Rabbi Lebow & filed under Atlanta Weddings.

The media is constantly abuzz with celebrity news, and they love to talk about lavish wedding ceremonies in exotic locales. Too often, people hear about these stories and yearn for their own luxurious nuptials on the French Riviera or some other suitable locale. This is one reason why people feel so much pressure to put together a dream wedding.

In fact, spending big bucks on a massive ceremony and reception can actually negatively impact the relationship, which undermines the whole reason for the marriage ceremony in the first place. As this article published by The Wall Street Journal discusses, some leading economics researchers from universities here in our own city of Atlanta have weighed in on the situation.

Two professors from Emory University published a paper discussing the findings of a study in which they tracked wedding budgets and the records of the marriages that followed. On average, couples that spent more on their weddings got divorced more often than those who had a somewhat more austere ceremony.

Although the researchers define this as a correlation and haven’t found a direct link between expensive weddings and higher divorce rates, there are plenty of theories. When a large price tag for a wedding causes a financial strain on a relationship that can lead to undue stress and turbulence in the home. As the article points out, average wedding costs in the United States have skyrocketed while people aren’t earning much more from their salaries.

Planning a wedding that fits within a budget is not as hard as it sounds. Rabbi Lebow of Atlanta Jewish & Interfaith Weddings charges a reasonable rate for his wedding officiant services, and brings a great deal of fun energy to any nuptial ceremony. From traditional Jewish to interfaith to LGBT weddings, he can help a wide array of couples celebrate the tying of their marital bonds in front of their friends and families.

Private Love Finally Publically Official

Posted September 30, 2014 by Rabbi Lebow & filed under Atlanta Weddings.

Vivian Boyack and Nonie Dubes are just one of the many people in the world that just got married in 2014. The only difference is they had been waiting for over 72 years to be able to do it officially. Vivian and Nonie could not legally marry in Iowa until 2009, and it was only recently that they finally went through with it because of a friend that came to their home. They had never considered it before because they had to hide their relationship for so many years.

So they finally chose to go through with a wedding and make it public after 70 years of silence and having everyone around them believing they were just long-living roommates. It was a shock to some of their friends and family, but only because they hadn’t considered how the two women had felt about each other.

The wedding was complete with wedding dresses for the both of them, and vows exchanged, even while they were both in wheelchairs. But it is a wedding like this that just shows how powerful they can be and why they are so important for same-sex couples to have access to them just as much as anyone else. If you’ve spent over 70 years with someone, privately enjoying your love and life with them, shouldn’t you be able to choose to marry when you wanted?

And although these women had taken the next step and plunged into the world of marriage, they were quite adamant in saying that their relationship and life had been what it was so far, and even getting married wasn’t going to change that. Except that, now they can be public and open to their friends and family about their relationship and that is the kind of load off one’s shoulders that you truly can never replace.

Source: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2014/09/22/inspiration-nation-couple-marries-after-72-years/16062399/