St. Patrick’s Cathedral is legendary not only because of its impressive, Gothic revival structure and liturgical opulence but also because of what it represented to the generations of Irish immigrants and their descendants in New York City who faced ethnic and religious discrimination in the US during the 19th century…

Over the past month, I’ve been diving into George Monger’s encyclopedic Wedding Customs of the World, which collates information about hundreds of practices that make up wedding traditions. My goal is to consider what the historical origins, development, and contemporary uses of particular customs tell us about their original contexts…

Soon after we shared the news of our engagement with family and friends, my sister started plotting a surprise for us, a surprise that came with a story. When she died, my grandmother, my father’s mother, left behind a really extraordinary collection of jewelry. My parents were tasked with appraising…

how to pick a reading for your wedding — One of my favorite aspects of designing a wedding ceremony is identifying and integrating texts. There’s no rule that a couple has to include any readings, but they can enhance the experience of a ceremony by providing a glimpse into a couple’s relationship, their values, and the world they want…

A few months ago, my husband and I watched Funny Face. Oh, you haven’t seen it? If you can get past the 30 year age difference between Fred Astaire and Audrey Hepburn, though it’s too often forgotten, it’s one of the best flicks of the century. Funny Face is a…

As a Virgo, I appreciate a good checklist. When it comes to organizing and preparing an event, I love a color-coded spreadsheet even more, but there’s magic in any pithy roster that breaks a complex idea (like a multipronged, emotionally laden, and culturally significant event…for example, a wedding) down into…

It’s been a rough couple of weeks. As if the last three years haven’t been enough, in one term (and largely in the last weeks), the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) issued, as the New York Times described it, “far-reaching decisions that will transform American life.” They overturned…

diva | noun; late 19th century origin, via Italian from latin, literally ‘goddess’ a famous female opera singer a famous female singer of popular music a self-important person who is temperamental and difficult to please (typically used of a woman) Thanks, Oxford, but you missed an essential piece of the…

“Can we just get married already? I’m kidding. I want pageantry that takes months and months to plan.” David Rose, Schitt’s Creek The final episodes of Schitt’s Creek [spoiler alert] wrap up the story by giving each member of the Rose family a big transition and happy ending. Johnny and…