This loving, lyrical poem from Faraaz Kazi would make for romantic modern wedding vows. The winner of the 2013 National Debut Youth Fiction Award and also the recipient of the YCOF National Excellence award in Creative Writing apart from being the first Indian author to win the coveted ‘Best Debut (Romance)’ title at the international Goodreads choice awards, Faraaz Kazi has been tagged as the 'Nicholas Sparks of India’ by many and is rated amongst the top male romance writers in the country.
The Skies Bend By Faraaz Kazi
The skies bend, the time stops, the lanes move and the fires dance, It can mean only one thing that I am with you. You are enigmatic yet so beautiful that I have lost my sense, You are as immaculate as the unadulterated morning dew And your beauty leaves me in a mystified trance. I do not foresee what you and I will be But I promise to be with you till the rocks keep meeting the sea.
We're introducing a new series: poetry for your wedding ceremony readings, wedding vows and love letters you might be handing to one another on your wedding day or honeymoon. Our first selection is from the Chilean poet Pablo Neruda, whose sensual and exquisite lines romance us with almost tangible forces.
Every day you play with the light of the universe. Subtle visitor, you arrive in the flower and the water. You are more than this white head that I hold tightly as a cluster of fruit, every day, between my hands.
You are like nobody since I love you. Let me spread you out among yellow garlands. Who writes your name in letters of smoke among the stars of the south? Oh let me remember you as you were before you existed.
Suddenly the wind howls and bangs at my shut window. The sky is a net crammed with shadowy fish. Here all the winds let go sooner or later, all of them. The rain takes off her clothes.
The birds go by, fleeing. The wind. The wind. I can contend only against the power of men. The storm whirls dark leaves and turns loose all the boats that were moored last night to the sky.
You are here. Oh, you do not run away. You will answer me to the last cry. Cling to me as though you were frightened. Even so, at one time a strange shadow ran through your eyes.
Now, now too, little one, you bring me honeysuckle, and even your breasts smell of it. While the sad wind goes slaughtering butterflies I love you, and my happiness bites the plum of your mouth.
How you must have suffered getting accustomed to me, my savage, solitary soul, my name that sends them all running. So many times we have seen the morning star burn, kissing our eyes, and over our heads the gray light unwind in turning fans.
My words rained over you, stroking you. A long time I have loved the sunned mother-of-pearl of your body. I go so far as to think that you own the universe. I will bring you happy flowers from the mountains, bluebells, dark hazels, and rustic baskets of kisses. I want to do with you what spring does with the cherry trees.
Last week, Atlanta Gay Weddings, Atlanta’s first print wedding guide dedicated to the LGBT community, was launched at a stellar red-carpet launch party held at Opera Nightclub, a popular hot spot for Atlanta partygoers and a coveted wedding venue, to boot.
Guests oohed and aahed over floral arrangements by Adaptation Floral Design, sipped on Blue Press and Fuzzy Navel Crush (it was a huge hit at the party, see recipe below) cocktails from Van Gogh Vodka, nibbled on scrumptious bites from Sun in my Belly, danced to the beats by DJ Yvonne Monet, posed for photos by LeahandMark.com, and chatted the night away with Atlanta’s most fun and fabulous social community.
We also raised money for Freedom to Marry, a national organization working toward achieving marriage equality in every state, especially the key four states with marriage-equality referendums on ballots in November: Maine, Maryland, Washington and Minnesota.
To view the digital version of Atlanta Gay Weddings, click here.
FUZZY NAVEL CRUSH
Ingredients: 2 oz Van Gogh Cool Peach Vodka Splash orange juice Splash soda water
Instructions: Generous pours of all three ingredients above. Add all ingredients to a tall glass filled with crushed ice.
Ladies, I know this isn’t something we often talk about in public, but I am doing it anyway. One of my friend’s sister unexpectedly started her period on her wedding day last weekend, and it wasn’t pretty. My friend happened to notice the blood seeping through the back of the bride's wedding dress during the couple’s first dance. This would be a nightmare for many of us on our wedding day.
Here’s the thing about Aunt Flo. Even if you are so regular you could bet money on the day you will start every month, she can sneak up and trick you when you’re stressed out, which, hello, who isn’t stressed at some point or another when planning their wedding?
When my friend spotted the growing stain, she immediately panicked. She scanned the room of onlookers and almost every guest had their eyes keenly set on the newlyweds’ faces. She waited for her sister to finish dancing with her new husband, and then went in for the assist. But before she got there, her sister sat down. Not what you want when you’re trying to save the dress from being further stained! She quickened her step, but not so much to cause any alarm. She whispered in her sister’s ear to come with her to the restroom.
This story has a happy ending: My friend was able to completely erase the blood stain on her sister’s silk chiffon J. Crew wedding gown with one single generic stain wipe found in her tiny bridal emergency kit that she also purchased from J. Crew, but is made by Ms. & Mrs. and sold around the web for $13.
Moral of this story: Don’t forget your wedding-day survival kit. You never know when you might get a snag or start your period. And of course, make sure you or one of your close friends carries a few tampons or pads just in case.
I'm swooning over this vintage 18k white-gold, diamond engagement ring on Turtle Love Co. It practically breathes family heirloom, so it's perfect for those who didn't have such a gem passed down in their families, but wish they had. It was created in the 1950s, and retails for $1,460.
It features an exquisite cluster of diamonds in a round 18k white gold setting that really maximizes sparkle and shine. The central brilliant-cut diamond is a small .12ct, with color I and clarity VS1, and it is surrounded by six brilliant-cut diamonds that equal .08ct. The filigree design adds an enchanting floral flair.
In Bloom
