Saturday 25 August 2007

"Pink Products", new U.K website - for gay and lesbian Wedding couples

Posted by Olivier lalin -
Pink Products, the online wedding store created specifically for gay and lesbian couples wishing to tie the knot.
I just think it is a great resource for interesting wedding ideas. Everyone is entitled to show their love and commitment to each other regardless of their sexuality.

So what's different about this store, well if your looking for favours, balloons, cameras and more then its all there. But if your looking for something a little different, unique and maybe even exclusive then Pink Products is confident you will find it there.




SOURCE

Traditional French Wedding: CROQUEMBOUCHE CAKES!

Posted by Olivier -
Another French wedding tradition is the Croquembouche cake- Literally meaning “crack in one’s mouth” a croquembouche is a traditional French wedding cake consisting of puffs of choux pastry filled with a vanilla creme patissiere, held together with a delicious cobweb of caramel. Hum, I am hungry .... Although traditionally decorated with sugared almonds, most couples prefer the more delicate decoration of tiny fresh flowers, fine curls of ribbon, and of course, a web of spun sugar.
Spun sugar does not last well on wet and humid days, and turns into shiny droplets of caramel. Spiralled ribbons can achieve a similar effect to spun sugar and can produce a spectacular effect by using two or more colours. This croquembouche’s upright shape is suitable for smaller weddings.


This croquembouche can be displayed with a generous drizzle of dark chocolate and perhaps strawberries around the base, or chocolate glaze can be supplied ready for pouring instead of the traditional cutting of the cake.

SOURCE

Letter From Paris - Weddings

Posted by Olivier Lalin -
Here is a little insight at a French wedding and More ! Taken from a really Cool Book... It is Called - French Toast - It's a lighthearted look at French manners and mores. Writes Leslie Caron: French Toast includes the most delightful barbs at France's subtle but deep-rooted codes of behaviour

Letter From Paris -
Weddings
By Harriet Welty-Rochefort
Paris Kiosque - September 1999 - Volume 6, Number 9
Copyright (c) 1999 Harriet Welty-Rochefort

"...Summer in Paris is wedding season. Invited to several, we only made it to one, the wedding of a cousin "a la mode de Bretagne" (a French saying for an unrelated cousin). The bride was, in fact, the niece of my brother-in-law and we were excited to attend because we had been hearing about the wedding for almost a year. Held in the small Norman village of the groom's family, this wedding was going to be worth everyone's time, turning out to be a three-day affair, first of all the wedding ceremony and the reception for the out of town and older set of guests and then two more days of partying for the young people.

The Norman town we stayed in looked like it was straight out of Madame Bovary, complete with a mill and a stone bridge, half-timbered houses, pretty little gardens and a manor house.

The wedding ceremonies took place in a small seventeenth century church in a nearby village. The bride was ravishing, the groom handsome, the respective parents puffed with pride, the priest young. Probably one of the funniest moments of the ceremony was when the priest warned us that a certain Biblical passage that the bride had chosen to be read "should be viewed in the context of the times in which it was written". This of course got everyone's curiosity up. What on earth could he be referring to? Although we had been forewarned, a collective gasp of astonishment and a few chuckles arose from the congregation when the reader got to the part saying that the happiest husband is the one who has a woman who keeps quiet. You could almost read people's minds and see a question mark looming over their collective heads: why would the bride, a successful lawyer and a femme de t=EAte, as the French say - have chosen such a passage? She's probably the last person in the world who would "keep quiet". Wishful thinking on her part? Or, and this thought only occurred to me afterward, perhaps the groom chose it and didn't tell her! Hardly likely...

But on to more important things: food. The reception was held in a beautiful chateau and the dinner, which began at 10 p. m. and went on well into the night and early morning, consisted of (and here is the actual menu for you):

Fete de Salades Composées et Crudités Juliment Dressées
Savoureuse Charcutailles de Pays
Assiettée de Saumon Tranché et de Poissons en Terrine
Trou Normand
Canard en Magrets Sauce Vinaigrée de Framboises Fraiches Et sa Garniture de Petites Pommes Duchesse sur lit de Champignons en Fricassée et Tomate Provencale
Salade Verdoyante
Fromages de nos Terroirs Assortis
Ronde Variée de Saveurs Sucrées en Bouche
Café et son Pousse-café
Soupe Tardive à l'Oignon


I have to say that I missed the onion soup which was served to those who stayed until six in the morning. As for the "trou normand", it is a miraculous little trick the Normans have invented so that you can go all the way through a meal of several courses without suffering indigestion. The trou normand is calvados ice cream with calvados poured over it. Something about the cold and the alcohol makes it so that your stomach gets a break in the digestive process and can start all over again. I can guarantee you that I am the queen of the sensitive stomach and that this trou normand WORKS, even on me. Fantastique!

Incidentally, this looks like a ten course meal but in fact was"only" seven, as the first three items on the menu were served as a cold buffet and the trou normand doesn't count as a course. However, coffee does, as it is always served separately in France, a tradition I particularly like.

By the time we were dipping our spoons into the cold trou normand, the fete was starting to heat up. A waiter had broken a few sherbet dishes, my tablemates had moved on from a discussion on the Americans and religion to the sublime art of the late French singer Georges Brassens (who is a real French artist but unfortunately absolutely untranslatable). "His songs reflect a simple humanity", commented one guest (and I swear we weren't drunk). The music got louder with each course and people who felt they'd been at the table too long headed to the dance floor to let off some steam.

At eleven pm we were just finishing the trou normand and were moving on to the canard (course number two, or three, depending on how we're counting). The conversation at our table moved to the French writer George Sand, bullfights in Dax and in Spain, Americans and guns, the death penalty in the U.S. (the French have abolished it)...and for some reason, religion again.

All of this wining and dining and dancing of course was going on amid a cloud of smoke that anywhere else in the world would have brought out a fire brigade. I have never seen people who smoke as much as the French (and there are nations who smoke much more, for example, the Greeks beat the French on this by a long shot). Not only were there cigarettes but at one point my tablemate pulled out a long lethal looking CIGAR and I knew it was the end. But since I have lived in France long enough, I have learned tolerance and so not to spoil the fun, I didn't ask anyone to stop -- and besides there were so many people smoking I couldn't stop them all even if I wanted to! So my eyes smarted and my lungs blackened and I thought: it's just one evening. I'll survive. And yes, in SPITE of the smoke, it was a lovely evening indeed.

Then there was our "Chinese" wedding, one we weren't invited to but which we witnessed a part of one Sunday as we sat in a Chinese restaurant in Belleville in the northeast of Paris, an area composed of many different ethnic groups. It is so ethnic in fact that I actually spied a "kosher Chinese" takeout place, the first I'd ever seen in France. But back to our wedding: there we were, six of us, sitting in the vast restaurant calmly eating our nems and spring rolls and savoring our soup when all of a sudden the Lohengrin wedding march broke out as loud as could be. We turned our heads and what did we see? A lovely young Chinese couple in full wedding dress, followed by a procession of assorted friends and relatives. As they rather self-consciously but proudly marched past our table and through the restaurant, all the diners looked up from their food with big smiles on their faces and broke into spontaneous clapping. Hey, it's not every day you go for Sunday lunch and happen upon a wedding party! And then...back to our nems!

All of this brought me back memories of my own wedding which took place in Paris on a wonderfully cool morning in November 1973. We were married in a civil service by the Mayor of the Fifth Arrondissement, Jean Tiberi, who is now the Mayor of Paris - and deeply involved in a political scandal - nothing to do with us! Afterward we repaired to Le Coupe Chou, one of Paris's oldest and most romantic restaurants, where we had reserved a table for our French and American families. The lunch was spent translating to the two families, neither of which understood a word of what the other was saying. But, as they say, fun was had by all. Our marriage has lasted. I'm not so sure how long Tiberi's political career will!..."

French Toast is published in the U.S. by St. Martin's Press.

Friday 24 August 2007

Nikon D3 for Wedding Photographer

Posted by Olivier Lalin -

I am a Nikon photographer. I moved to Digital three years ago. Have been using a couple of D2x which has been the High end Nikon digital tool for a year now! And I have just been told that Nikon is releasing a D3 with a full chip now competing with the Canon mark3 that just came out as well. I am kind of exiting at the news. Have been online reading the latest news from Nikon, ect ...

One little comment though: This new gadget cost $ 5,000
It is proven to efficiently work for 300 000 Clicks. Now considering that one can shoot at 11 frame second: Lets say that one might shoot continually at 11 frames second
Correct me if I am wrong but well that would make:

300000/11)=27272,727 seconds Life spam
or (27272/60)=454,545 minutes life spam
or (454.545/60)=7,57 hours !

Ouhhhaa That would make it my new very expensive Tool !! Thanks Nikon
"more info on the D3 here"


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photographe © Olivier Lalin © photographer

Luxury Boats for intimate Wedding on the Seine

Posted by Olivier Lalin -

Enjoy a reception-cruise on
the most beautiful place in Paris; the Seine.


I am shooting a very intimate wedding in a few days on a Luxury Boat named "the Cashemire". I used to shoot for boating magazines and photographed "La Nioulargue" in St Tropez a couple of years in a row.
I have a fascination for "Rivas" and Classic sail boats. So when I found out I was going to photograph a very intimate wedding on a luxury boat on the river seine, I was actually quite exited!

Yachts de Paris has plenty of information for the yacht-loving couples:
"So what about the Cashemire; a yacht completely designed by Yachts de Paris, luxury is all around : Baccarat glassware and candle holders, velvet upholstered armchairs, a roof that opens, forward and rear decks, gangways… give in to the charms of the Cachemire.
With a length of 24 meters, it accommodates from 2 to 12 people ; Cachemire is the only boat on the Seine where you can have lunch or dinner outside, to 12 people.


With its teak decks, acajou wood, copper fittings, uniformed crew and elegant dining, Yachts de Paris offers a unique setting in which to share extraordinary moments with your guests."

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photographe © Olivier Lalin © photographer

Wednesday 22 August 2007

Want to get married in France?

Posted by Olivier Lalin -

Getting Married in France.
If you've been doing your research as a foreign couple wanting to get married in France there are many governmental technicalities that arise, that most people just can't get around, either because of time, efforts or money involved.


The biggest is that at least one of the marrying partners has to be in France for at least 40 days (continuous) before the wedding.
So you cant just hop on a plane and get married the next day or even the next week. Making it impossible to simply elope to France. A marriage here takes planning in advance.

Then the second biggest issue is that in France you have to get married at the City Hall first, then you can have the normal tradition religious wedding ceremony elsewhere afterwards.

And then, you will need to have “ Publications of Banns” at the Town Hall (Mairie).

As the British Embassy, France notes “Most Mairies take approximately 4 –6 weeks to process an application. Requirements will vary for each Mairie, therefore, it is essential that you first meet with them in order to determine their exact documentary requirements and terms of validity (documents may need to be issued less than 3 months prior to date of marriage or publication of banns)”

By this point you might be thinking, “what a drag!” and “we can’t possibly do all of that”
What to Do to Make your Dream Wedding Come True.
Don’t be in despair there are still ways to still have your “wedding” cake and eat it too, in France!

What to Do
I suggest you get a civil marriage done in your home country, which basically eliminates all the obstacles listed above, which is comparatively a less tedious task in most countries. Then you can have the wedding ceremony here in France.

Olivier Lalin Weddings Paris office is based in the heart of Paris with over a decade worth of experience shooting elegant destination weddings the Packages Include:

1. Engagement and Pre-wedding Photography
I’ve been taking pre-weeding portraits as a part of my wedding package for years and it’s certainly a pleasure to be able to do it in the “City of Lights”. Not only is the ambiance romantic but the images capture the pre-nuptial bliss amidst some of the most beautiful backdrop to be found anywhere: La Seine, Tulleries Garden, Eiffel Tower or simply your favorite place here in Paris.
You can view Pre-wedding portraits shots in Paris here





2. Wedding Photography
Having your wedding day taken care of by a wedding planner, especially when you are so far away might be essential. So in addition to the glamorous photo package, we’ll help you fine-tune the details of your wedding day.
You can view Wedding Photography here


+classic+wedding+photo,Black+white+classic+wedding+photo,+le+plazza+Hotel


For more detailed information on our packages available please contact us:
weddinglight@mac.com

Embassy Information:
US nationals see ...
UK nationals see...

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photographe © Olivier Lalin © photographer

Friday 10 August 2007

Reinaldo Alvarez Couture, Paris

Posted by Olivier Lalin -
reinaldo alvarez, couture, Paris, Wedding dress, Olivier Lalin, photographer
reinaldo alvarez, couture, Paris, Wedding dress, Olivier Lalin, photographer

Paris Couture Boutique of Reinaldo alvarez.He occupies a space which resembles him-luminous and square, strict and soft. His boutique at the hear of"le Marais" is made of rigorous simplicity, almost severe where all manierism is absent.But as soon as the word "classicism" comes to mind, a detail in a blink of an eye denies it. This is called humor.



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photographe © Olivier Lalin © photographer
view site at Olivier Lalin weddings

Friday 3 August 2007

Max Chaoul Couture, Paris

Posted by Olivier Lalin -



Max Chaoul is the head of his own young and dynamic company, producing work of the highest quality for sale within France and in foreign countries.
As Max Chaoul's company enters its 10th year, his work is enjoying increasing demand from international clients. Over the past few years, his serene approach has helped to develop his company within the world of bridal fashion, and this development has gone hand-in-hand with growth in awareness of the Max Chaoul line.
The original Max Chaoul boutique is located in Lyons, France. Additional boutiques are located throughout Europe and the United States, including locations in Paris, Marseilles, London, New York and Beverly Hills.


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photographe © Olivier Lalin © photographer
view site at weddinglight.com