A Second Chance at Love

bride3_102116043238There’s so much to love about the wedding of New Jersey couple Millie Taylor-Morrison and Harold Morrison.

For starters, they have the most Notebook-esque award-winning love story ever!   Millie, an 86-year-old proud mother and grandmother, was married to her first husband for 41 years before he died in 1992. Years later, she reconnected with Harold, 85, who was actually a guest at her first wedding in 1952.

 “I used to sing in the choir and Harold attended my church,” Millie tells PEOPLE. “I would be standing with the other choir members, waiting to walk out and he would come over and kiss me on the cheek before sitting down for the service.”

“Then when I got married [to my first husband], the whole church was invited and Harold was there,” she told People Magazine.

When Harold became sick, Millie and other church members would visit him at his house and she offered to drive him back and forth to services.

When he got better, they continued to see each other. Eight years later, he became sick again to the point where he couldn’t live alone.

“I asked him if he wanted to live with me instead of a nursing home,” Millie says. “And he said, ‘Definitely.’ ”

When Harold recovered a year later, the couple set a wedding date for earlier this month and tied the knot in front of 200 close friends and loved ones at Zion Hill Baptist Church in Newark, New Jersey.

And she was the textbook definition of a glowing bride – carrying a bursting bouquet of what looks like lilies, roses, and baby’s breath; and wearing an off-the shoulder purple custom-made gown that she designed herself.  Ms. Millie approached the designer of the dress, Marco Hall, with a sketch of the dress in hand and when she stood in front of the mirror for the first time, she “couldn’t believe it,” she says. “It was exactly what I wanted. I felt so wonderful.”

[And THAT ladies and gentlemen, is how a bride is supposed to feel in her dress and on her wedding day!!]

When asked about her life as a newlywed, Ms. Millie says she’s happier than ever, proving that there’s someone out there for all of us and that no ONE is ever too old to fall head over heels, in love.

Check out all of the photos that she’s made public on Facebook from the elegant affair with her beautiful family!

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Pollen-Proofing Your Wedding Day

Photo credit: mediabride.com

I don’t know about you but my allergy symptoms usually start around March, last until mid April, and are unforgivable.  I spend most spring days alternating between sneezing until I’m winded and blowing my nose just to relieve the sinus pressure building on my brain.  And I’m not alone – it’s estimated that some 14 million people also suffer the same runny,  watery, itchy, scratchy, pressurized existence that I do and fall and spring  – the peak allergy seasons – show them no mercy.  If you’re one of those people and are planning your wedding, be it set for any time of the year, the following are some tips to minimize the possibility of your nose interfering with your “I do’s”:

Okay, no-brainer here but your biggest allergy trigger will come from your wedding flowers.  It’s not so much the fragrance of a flower that makes us sneeze but rather the pollen.  Large, brightly colored flowers such as roses, daffodils or daisies have large pollens that are too heavy to be airborne and therefore, less likely to cause allergies. Here are a few wedding flowers that you can use for your wedding that have low pollen. Other low pollen flowers that would be suitable for bridal bouquets, bridegroom boutonnieres, and other floral embellishments, include:

  • Spray Roses – Tiny roses with less than 10 tiny heads on each stem. They grow in a huge variety of different colors and have a light fragrance.
  • Begonias – An odorless evergreen flower that can come in a variety of colors, including pink, yellow, red, orange, white, and a rose color.
  •  Camellias – A pollen free flower that has a very light fragrance and grows naturally in shades of white, red, or pink.
  •  Orchids – A beautifully radiant and durably versatile flower that grows in over 25,000 species; all of which are edible.

Other floral alternatives include using dried or silk flowers or perhaps, a brooch bouquet but if you are a traditional bride and real flowers are a must, I’ve read tips that suggest using the freshest flowers available help minimize the amount of pollen that is released.

Yet, in anticipating all potential allergy triggers, couples should think “beyond the bouquet”.   If the wedding or reception is to be held on a lawn, I’d suggest that the lawn be mowed two to three days ahead of time by a really good mower with an even better grass catcher.  Other nasal symptoms can be caused by everyday non-allergic triggers in the environment — such as hairspray, smoke, perfume, strong odors.  No, this doesn’t mean that couples should avoid topping off their look with a good scent but you may want to limit just how much, especially if it’s a new scent and you aren’t sure how you’ll react to it.

When it comes to allergies and weddings the best plans don’t always account for and stand up to mother nature – ragweed can be a you know what – so you’ll want to make sure that your wedding emergency kit includes moisturized tissues and a no-dose allergy medication just in case all precautionary measures fail .  Drink plenty of water to keep the toxins, uh, “flowing”.  Rinse and repeat.

Are you an allergy sufferer who planning their big day?  What precautionary measures are you taking to avoid the “A-choo” when its time to say “I Do!” ?