Wedding of the Year

If you live in New York or follow the society pages, then you'll know how obsessed everyone has been over the photos of Lauren Davis's recent wedding to Andres Santo Domingo in Colombia. Well, the wait is over. Vogue has published the exclusive photos by Arthur Elgot in the new March 2008 issue. It was a lavish affair and her couture dress designed by Olivier Theyskens and embroidered by Lesage was magnificent. It was certainly fun to peak at how the other half lives.

Also in the same issue was a small article congratulating Thelma Golden, the director and chief curator of the Studio Museum in Harlem and designer Duro Olowu on their recent nuptuals. The two quietly tied the knot at City Hall with Ms. Golden wearing a dress designed for her by Olowu which to me sounded so romantic. Sometimes the simplest things are the sweetest.

Ms. Davis registered for her wedding at Charlotte Moss which impressed me since the shop is chock full of one of a kind and classic gift ideas. I'm also pretty sure she doesn't need anything from Crate and Barrel. But it got me thinking about gift registries and how most of the ones I've seen depress me. I honestly don't know if I will register when the time comes. I will probably have everything I need by them and I don't particulary think I want to remember my special day with a toaster. It's not very romantic.

I have many lovely artsy and creative friends who I would love to see surprise me by creating their own special gift. How about a vintage book inscribed with lovely sentiments or a poem which will remind me of them every time I open it. Or pillows made from fabric that they specially designed and inside which are sewn special wishes for the couple. Maybe someone whose hobby is pottery could make a vase and imprint the wedding date on the bottom. (I don't know if I know anyone who throws pots so maybe someone should start taking classes now.) If someone's not creative they could pick up a special gift on a trip and write a note explaining why they chose it and the meaning behind it. You get the idea.

The moral of my story is that the next time you are invited to a wedding, I hope you will think outside the box and chose a gift from the heart and not the registry. I also hope that brides who receive gifts off of their registries will appreciate the thoughtful gesture because no one needs another toaster...especially since they shouldn't be eating carbs anyway!