Even though it is unpleasant to contemplate, funerals and memorials are actually an “event”. One that is filled with sadness, anger, confusion, stress, pressure, tension and many other outpourings of grief. Why is it considered an “event” in my eyes? Because funerals and memorial services frequently have people invited to attend. Often, even, people show up unexpectedly to show their respects after learning about or reading a death notice in the news or obituaries. There are many details which require direction and management.

“A planner well-versed and used to working in the world of GLBT weddings would have seen these pitfalls coming. They should would have their own list of fully-vetted vendors that aren’t going to care what a couple’s orientation is…”

When one is courting and inviting gay and lesbian couples as clients, it isn’t enough to simply be “welcoming” or “gay friendly”. Vendors cannot be lazy.

Hours ago, President Obama indicated his support for the “Respect for Marriage Act” (RFMA; H.R. 1116)

This bill would repeal the 1996 Defense of Marriage act (DOMA) and would provide substantive benefits to couples, federally, while not placing demands on peripheral agencies, such as churches, states or municipalities to be cajoled into doing anything that would be considered injurious to their laws, codes or beliefs.

According to Wikipedia:

Text of the Bill

H.R. 3567 amends Section 7 of title 1 in the United States Code to read:

(a) For the purposes of any Federal law in which marital status is a factor, an individual shall be considered married if that individual’s marriage is valid in the State where the marriage was entered into or, in the case of a marriage entered into outside any State, if the marriage is valid in the place where entered into and the marriage could have been entered into in a State.(b) In this section, the term `State’ means a State, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or any other territory or possession of the United States.^[5]

The matter goes before the Senate Judiciary Committee tomorrow.

READ MORE at the current.com site, for the breaking news written of by their staff writer.

Notes:

Please be aware that the forms on the DOH website, at the time of this posting, have not yet been altered to include designations other than “Bride & Groom”. We will keep you posted once the forms have been corrected.

All our best wishes, joy and congratulations to the family!

We’ve DONE it!

This is a remarkable moment in all of our lives!  Under the law, we are no longer second class citizens.  Congratulations and thank you for all your hard work!

New York’s bill A8520-2011, passed this day: Relates to the ability to marry; amends a chapter of the laws of 2011, as proposed in legislative bill number A. 8354, in relation to the statutory construction of such chapter.

I have just been given authorization to make the following contribution to the community to herald this triumph, celebrate this new equality and give back to the family in direct balance with rewarding you for your grace, diligence and how hard you’ve fought to achieve this hard won victory.  Even in the midst of horrible rancor and and bigotry.

savvyplanners.com does not “discount” our offerings, much like other luxury brands.   We are America’s oldest, GLBTQI-specific wedding and event firm in history.  We have been here in the trenches since 2003/04, protecting and defending the honor, significance and gravitas of GLBT events.

This gesture and incentive is our way of immediately standing up, out and proud, of all your hard work. We are so proud of you, our legislators and our representatives.  The victory belongs to all those unstoppable volunteers, protesters, phone bank workers, lobbyists,  supporters and allies, who worked tirelessly to bring about marriage equality for us all, under the law.

For the next six weeks, beginning on Monday, June 27, 2011, since it’s in the SIXTH month when we achieved marriage equality, any New York State couples (limited to only 10 couples seeking to marry this year),  I am now permitted to offer our first company-wide, sanctioned discount, ever, for our luxury wedding and event planning expertise.  This will NOT be permitted in New York again, but we are so PROUD of this moment in time, we wish to give back!!

Not only that, a full twenty percent (20%) of the design and coordination fee paid to the company will be irrevocably deposited, verified and immediately placed in escrow for giving to those in need via my charity, The Marcinho Savant Foundation, as a personal sacrifice on my part to congratulate you all and help others at the same time!  If your favorite charity is not presently supported by my foundation, arrangements will be made for your desired charity to receive the donation instead.

Some of you may have seen me featured as one, of only three, wedding design and planning experts serving New York in “Next Magazine’s New York Gay Wedding Guide” (2011).

“There are many, many wedding and event professionals in New York.  Some are even experts.  Nothing will make me happier than to stand with my brothers and sisters, as a member of this family, and assure your event will champion your vision and exceed your dreams.” – Marcinho Savant

Contact us by clicking our contact page.   Or eMail me personally.

We have overcome!

UPDATE: NY MARRIAGE REQUIREMENT DATA

” width=”13″ height=”13″ />	MARRIAGE INFORMATION FOR SAME-SEX COUPLES
” width=”13″ height=”13″ />	Submit Your Applications Online

UPDATE:  To serve you better, our Lexington Avenue office is up and ready to schedule appointments!  The NYC number is: 646.688.4461.

I’ll apologize, in advance, for the rant:

The Fairy-Wedding-Father™

An OP/ED by Marcinho Savant,

The Fairy-Wedding-Father™

Now all of our vendors know how highly I respect them and how much I treasure our relationship, because without them, I am not able to assure my clients’ joy and amazement on their day!

But at this moment, I’m outraged at the, seemingly increasing, lack of concern and professionalism I’ve encountered of late!  Today’s affront comes out of an attempt to book a, last-minute, event rental order of  $1,000 or less for a private soiree at a client’s home tomorrow.

Yesterday afternoon, I called ******** party rentals for linens, table runners, Roll-top Chafing trays, tables and chairs for a client’s event for +/-70 guests.  I requested delivery for this morning, if possible.

The person who answered the phone had all the finesse and business style of a Mannequin.  She was terse, bored, disinterested and more concerned that it was almost quitting time.  The sales person I was connected to was equally rushed, ill-exposed, incapable of claiming ownership of the requests and utterly paralyzed when it came to thinking outside the box to make something difficult, something achievable in the circumstances.

She made blind procedural demands “I can’t do this or that because…”, instead of devising a way to overcome the challenges. She acted as though ******* was doing me a FAVOR by filling the order.  When I told her I was unable to provide, at the moment, the client signature she demanded prior to releasing the order— I even offered her a reason for my inability to immediately comply.  ”The client is unavailable to sign or fax anything right now, because she is hosting foreign dignitaries at a Tea in NYC at the moment.”  She giggled as though the entire concept of high-end clients, their particular situations or realities was as silly as “The Loch Ness Monster” or “Beetlejuice”!!  Is tea with high-level politicos FUNNY???  Inconceivable?  Really?  really.

Even forgiving her lack of exposure to anything other that the “norm” of her day-to-day, she clearly didn’t believe my explanation, nor did she have the slightest inkling how to conquer and overcome an unusual situation.  She showed zero initiative and zero concern.

All that said, vendors have the nerve to complain that they are not making any money?  Really??  Well HERRRRRRRE’S yer SIIIIIIGN!”  Here are just a few ideas one might consider implementing when working in customer service:

1. FORGET that ‘no’ is a word you’re EVER allowed to use… before even TRYING to be of help.  You couldn’t even reach out to a supervisor to ASK if rule 98457 could be bent a tiny bit to help me help my (and by extension, YOUR) client?
2. Recognize that when you’re contacted by a go-between like myself, we’re representing the needs of a client, but get a HUGE vote, because they trust us, in to whom their money goes.
3. Bear in mind that your behavior toward me as a go-between, reflects on your entire operation.  If you’re ineffectual and disinterested with ME (???), how on Earth will you treat my client?  Not going to risk subjecting my client to that sort of surly disinterest on the day-of.
4. Remember that yours is not the only “game in town” and that you still have to WORK to earn a job.  There is no free-lunch on earth, but rest assured, the vendors that are EATING, are the ones providing exceptional, innovative and accommodating customer service and finding ways of “feeding’ themselves by making it work! Whatever it (the challenge) is.

So, as a result of the treatment and lack of care I received, I chose to go with another supplier.  They were BUSY, but pleasant, concerned, willing, helpful, accommodating, out-of-the-box solution-finding TEAMMATES, who were CLEARLY all about making it work!  Period.  They aren’t “hungry”.

Something to ponder:  The only person who is ANGRY as a guest at a buffet, before whom ALL the world’s fineries are laid (such as an order that is waiting to be fulfilled), is the idiot who REFUSES to pick up the fork and EAT!

Some vendors need to remember to pick up the FORK!  Find a way to make the “impossible” … POSSIBLE.  We can’t do it without each other, can we?  We each thrive because of one another.  Some of you are expecting to “thrive” without doing your share.  So please, either, come to practice, run your laps, come to the game, do your best… or get off the FIELD!  There’s work to be found out there in this business!  Perhaps it’s that you aren’t working as though you’re hungry?

I guess we’re still here because our customers KNOW that we’re not just going to spend THEIR money just ANYWHERE with just ANYONE!!

The rant has ended.  The Peace of the Tribe be with you!

Go with ColiDaviSamiPresto CowiTuterGoldberailey! Ahh-men.

Savant has selected, in no particular order, the following charities to support.
Marriage Equality, USA Inc.
Marriage Equality, NY, Inc.
Freedom to Marry, INC.
Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, Inc.
Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, Inc. (SDLN)
KEY WEST BOTANICAL GARDEN SOCIETY INC
National Multiple Sclerosis Society
SISTERS NETWORK of Central NJ
Goldman Philanthropic Partnerships (Destroy Autism Now)
AMERICAN DIABETES ASSOCIATION INC
JUVENILE DIABETES RESEARCH FOUNDATION INTERNATIONAL
The Foundation for Aids Research
ELTON JOHN AIDS FOUNDATION INC
ANTIOCH BAPTIST CHURCH
Reef Relief, Inc.
Feeding America
ALZHEIMERS ASSOCIATION
Services & Advocacy for GLBT Elders (SAGE)

Op-Ed by Marcinho Savant:

“There’s a Storm Gathering!”

Really!?  After the histrionic, poorly cloaked in insincere concern, and portrayed by ACTORS, television Ad Campaign, one of the pivotal figures in the National Organization for Marriage (NOM) has righteously flown the proverbial coop!

Asserting a growing bond of humanity against those he sought to oppress as a member of NOM, he has had a change of heart that allowed him to think of the GLBTI couples as ‘human’ and not deserving of the rhetorical, dogmatic assault on civil liberties.

To Mr. Louis Marinelli I say, “Thank you for realizing that we’re not that different, Sir.  I suspect we BOTH just want to live and love without outside intervention into our personal liberties.   There is NO GRAY AREA in Equality!   I thank you for recognizing that.  I’d like to buy you a cocktail sometime (“No Homo”— WAIT… BIG Homo!  WHAT!?  Well I AM! But Mr. Marinelli has NOTHING to fear!).

It is a rare and extraordinary man who recognizes and seeks to correct a wrongdoing. I salute your candor, bravery and logical empathy.  May you be eternally blessed!

-Marcinho Savant

HERE’S THE SCOOP!  GRATEFUL H/T AT @hrc

via Human Rights Campaign ( @hrc ) By Dan Rafter

Louis Marinelli, a key strategist for the National Organization for Marriage, has undergone what he calls a “transition” from being an ardent opponent of the LGBT community and marriage equalityspecifically to supporting civil marriage between LGBT couples. Jeremy Hooper of Good As You broke the story earlier today.

Marinelli oversaw NOM’s online social media properties and actually drove the bus during NOM’s Summer 2010 bus tour. It was that tour, he tells Hooper, that began making him into an equality supporter. “The lesbian and gay people whom I made a profession out of opposing became real people for me almost instantly. For the first time I had empathy for them and remember asking myself what I was doing.”

READ THE STORY?

I know none of us like to talk about filthy lucre (isn’t it stressful enough to discuss the wedding budget?), but a major part of married life is navigating financial togetherness.