Wedding Planning Certification Course Offered at Edison College

Fort Myers, Fla., August 21, 2008 – The Wedding Planning Institute is offering a Wedding Planning Certification course on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6-8 p.m. starting Aug. 26 at Edison College Lee Campus, where students will have the opportunity to become Certified Wedding Planners in only ten weeks.

The Center for Professional Development at Edison College has partnered with the Wedding Planning Institute, the nationally recognized industry leader in providing certification and training for wedding professionals, to offer the Wedding Planning Certification course for students looking to break into an exciting and profitable wedding planning career.

Karen Scott, proud owner of the Bridal Antique Boutique and Elegant Weddings, will provide textbook and real life experience instruction drawing on years of planning events. Full of enthusiasm and energy, Ms. Scott brings today’s wedding industry to life in the classroom with easy to understand practical lessons and examples.

Students may also have the opportunity to gain hands on experience at real weddings, meet with local vendors, and participate in class trips to tour venue sites and facilities.

Ms. Scott is eager to teach the Wedding Planning Institute’s certification course, as it will “give students a better idea of what to expect in real life in a fun and hands-on way, not just a classroom perspective.” She adds, “It’s going to be real stories, real people.”

Edison College’s Center for Professional Development offers courses for credit and non-credit programs designed to provide high quality education opportunities to members of the community.

The Wedding Planning Institute is a division of Lovegevity, Inc®, a national event planning agency whose mission is to present busy couples with the best resources and tools to help plan their wedding and strengthen their marriage through relationship education.

To enroll in Edison College’s upcoming class, contact Wendy Thompson at 239-489-9235.

DeGeneres and de Rossi Wedding Transcends Controversy

On Saturday, August 16, 2008, America’s favorite television personality, Ellen DeGeneres married her long-time partner, actress Portia de Rossi, in an intimate ceremony at their Los Angeles home. Their wedding, the most celebrated same-sex union in California since the landmark state Supreme Court ruling that guaranteed gay and lesbian couples the same fundamental “right to marry” as other citizens, was attended by nineteen guests, including the couple’s mothers and several Hollywood celebrities.

Eleven years after proclaiming her sexual orientation to the world, DeGeneres and her new spouse are gracing an upcoming People Magazine cover detailing their highly anticipated ceremony. "What can I say? I'm the luckiest girl in the world," says DeGeneres. "She's officially off the market. No one else gets her. And now she'll cook and clean for me."

The plans for their dream wedding, after announcing their intentions once the gay marriage ban was overturned, were “very stressful” and “crazy” and initially included a Presidential Family venue offer as well as a customized celebrity wedding song proposal.

According to The Wedding Report, Inc., upwards of 50,000 previously banned couples are beginning to generate over $1.5 billion for the California wedding industry. Because of the influx of business, state and wedding industry businesses have been gearing up with training and services designed especially for the emerging new market.

Four years after Massachusetts became the first state to allow legal same-sex marriage; California has followed the same pattern of large numbers of gay and lesbian couples tying the knot in the first year. Although California does not have a residency requirement for marriage, same-sex couples marrying in the Golden State and returning to their resident states are not guaranteed their unions, and subsequent rights, will be upheld.

Currently, a large, but declining, majority of states have adopted the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) language defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman. While many states have also voted for constitutional amendments banning same-sex marriages, gay and lesbian rights advocates point to the California and Massachusetts rulings, favorable polling and similar legislation in other states, and the proclamation by Governor David Patterson that New York State will recognize legal same-sex marriages from other states and countries as a reason for optimism and renewed civil rights activism.

Among the first same-sex couples to announce wedding plans, Emmy-winning talk show host and comedian DeGeneres and former “Ally McBeal” star de Rossi set the tone for open discussion and planning of a high-profile celebrity lesbian dream wedding. Some opponents of same-sex marriage have even decried the lack of controversy in mainstream media reporting of the high profile nuptials.

On November 4, 2008, one of the potential roadblocks predicted for California’s gay marriage ruling will be decided by voters in the form of Proposition 8. Originally summarized by state Attorney General Jerry Brown as “Amends the California Constitution to provide that only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized” in the state, the wording has since been changed to “Eliminates the right of same-sex couples to marry.” In a closely contested battle between both sides of the same-sex marriage issue, many believe the change in language will tip the balance toward defeat for the amendment.

If passed, Proposition 8 would add a single line to the state Constitution between the Equal Protection clause and nondiscrimination in business and the professions section that reads, “Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.” This would overturn the high court’s ruling and again ban gay and lesbian marriages in the state.

As the election nears, opponents and proponents of gay marriage have raised millions of dollars to support or defeat Proposition 8. Even this year’s Presidential candidates have weighed in on the subject. Joan Hollinger, a law professor at the University of California, Berkeley, believes that should the initiative proposed by ProtectMarriage.com pass, “Constitutional scholars agree that the amendment cannot be effective retroactively, so anyone married before November would be protected."

That may be good news for DeGeneres and de Rossi, as well as the thousands of other same-sex couples who have exercised their Constitutional right to marriage since June. Civil rights groups such as Equality California are working to ensure the hopes and dreams of millions of other citizens continue to be protected.

One World, One Dream, Much Planning By Ana Torres

Beginning this week, Beijing will host the 2008 Olympic Summer Games. Of the 125 million tourists that will visit the Chinese capitol city this year, about 7 million will be present at the athletic events. The rest of the world will watch from home as the world’s athletes compete. But, how does this massive event come together?

“The scope of the Olympics is staggering, with so many moving parts that it would make even the most experienced event planner start wheezing with anxiety,” wrote Elizabeth Millard in Baseline Magazine. Event planners are crucial to arranging all aspects of the Games, including everything from transportation and accommodations to VIP seating and catered meals.

When an event planner has received the proper education, including business, sales, and public relations strategies, planning an event as detailed and expansive as the 29th Olympics becomes possible. The Wedding Planning Institute, while specializing in weddings, teaches industry essentials such as planning, budgeting, vendor contracts, and signature event production. WPI’s A6 Event Production (Anticipation, Arrival, Atmosphere, Appetite, Amusement, and Appreciation) teaches the six aspects of planning any size event through premeditating the guest experience.

Anticipation
Invitations, announcements, and parties generate anticipation for a wedding ceremony. For the Olympics, tickets, advertisements, and other forms of media titillation are used to stir the imagination of millions. This year’s Olympic theme, “One World, One Dream” has inundated worldwide media since soon after the 28th Olympics four years ago.

Arrival
The arrival experience includes accommodations and transportation, as well as making guests feel welcome. A major priority for athletes at the Olympics is making sure they are provided safe and timely transportation. The Olympic Village is greeting all guests with a welcome letter from the head of the village, Chen Zhili. Mr. Zhili understands that details such as these make participants feel comfortable and happy to be a part of the big event.

Atmosphere
Atmosphere encompasses the five senses of sight, smell, taste, touch, and sound. Beijing is working diligently to create the best atmosphere possible for the world and its athletes. The city wants to be perceived as modern, healthy, and capable of hosting such an extraordinary event. To that end, they have begun a beautification campaign, which includes planting trees and flowers as well as instituting measures against the heavy smog that usually lingers over the city.

To insure the city is aromatically pleasing, steps have been taken to remove or reduce problems that have long plagued residents. The sense of smell can create powerful memories and associations with an event and city officials are working diligently to make those memories positive.

Appetite
Beijing has taken measures to ensure athletes and visitors that its food is safe to eat. At the Olympic Village, one hundred foreign and twenty-three hundred Chinese chefs and waiters will offer an around-the-clock catering service. However, due to safety concerns and perceived cultural differences, some athletes are opting to hire personal caterers.

Amusement
Elaborate plans have been made to present the world with extraordinary sights and sounds to surround the spectacle of athletic competition. From the venues to the opening and closing ceremonies, no expense or preparation has been spared to create Beijing’s vision of a spectacular Olympic Games.

Appreciation
In order to depoliticize the Games and show their appreciation for the opportunity to showcase their country, Beijing’s residents have embarked on the largest “Olympic Education” campaign in history. Despite recent questions regarding Internet access for visiting athletes and press, the host city is touting a wide selection of amenities for journalists, competitors, and spectators.

The fundamentals of event planning do not change with the size of the event. The skills and resources needed to plan a dream wedding are congruent with those used to plan events as prodigious as the Olympic Games. Certified Wedding Planner graduates of the Wedding Planning Institute are trained experts in the essentials of wedding and event planning for today’s demanding world.