Guide to prenuptual agreements

A prenuptial agreement, antenuptial agreement, or premarital agreement, commonly abbreviated to prenup or prenupt, is a contract entered into prior to marriage or civil union by the people intending to marry. Usually a prenup provides for division of property and spousal support in the event of a divorce.

In theory, prenuptial agreements set out before marriage how the wealth and assets of both parties will be split in the event that the relationship goes pear-shaped further down the line.

Many countries, including Canada (Quebec), France, Italy, and Germany, have matrimonial regimes, in addition to, or some cases, in lieu of prenuptial agreements.

As of 2007, England and Wales do not enforce prenuptial agreements, but agreements may be upheld at the judge’s discretion. These countries also do not have a provision for marital regimes.  But this is all changing.  There has been a “sea change”

The Crossley case  in the UK now highlights the fact that premarital agreements are being recognised in the English courts and, if properly constituted, are difficult to wriggle out of.  In the past prenups were perhaps entered into in the hope, rather than belief, that they would be binding. Now they offer real protection.

Courts “are looking closely at prenuptial agreements and want good reasons — such as children or significant changes in a person’s circumstances — to depart from them”.

So who should go for a prenup? They are suitable for a wide range of people, including:-

• second-time rounders, in their forties and fifties, who want to provide fully for children of the first marriage and protect their own assets (sometimes against gold-digging former husbands when they meet someone wealthy)
• professionals, young City entrepreneurs in their twenties making money through work, skill and some luck 
• business men and women used to binding agreements in their working lives
• international clients used to prenups in their home jurisdiction
• gay and lesbian clients who may have cohabited for years and now enter civil partnerships
• and those not necessarily “mega-wealthy” who favours “self-determination” and taking control of how financial issues might be resolved on divorce.

Lord Justice Thorpe, giving judgment in the Crossley case, suggested that it was time to look at legislation to make them enforeceable in law, given the lack of a marital property regime in England as found on the Continent. 

With hundreds of millions of dollars at stake, Hollywood stars are not inclined to risk it all on what might be a very short and misguided marriage followed by a very expensive divorce.

Catherine Zeta Jones and Michael Douglas; Liz Taylor and Larry Fortensky, Jane Fonda and Ted Turner are just a few of the A-list couples who have demanded prenuptial contracts.

Of course it is not only Hollywood stars who need to think about prenuptial contracts – Paul McCartney and Heather Mills famously signed no prenuptial agreement and rumours are rife that this acrimonious split could potentially see Ms Mills walk away with over £100m from a court settlement.

In January 2008, the wedding of a billionaire’s daughter was called off at the last minute because of a change to the prenuptial agreement.

Miss Fisher, 28, is the lawyer-daughter of American hotel tycoon Jeff Fisher.  Mr Bailer, 33, is a Wall Street trader, wealthy in his own right, but not in the same league as Mr Fisher who last year sold his Innkeepers hotel chain for nearly £1 billion.  They had been dating for three years and engaged for 18 months.

The bride and groom along with 300 guests were left in limbo as the society wedding of the season ground to a halt.  In the end, the two families ended up having separate parties in adjoining hotels to ‘celebrate’ the wedding that never happened.

Late in the evening, the bride, Alexandra Fisher, put in a brief, tearful appearance among her family, dressed in black.  Meanwhile, the groom, Josh Bailer, glumly nursed a drink with his best man and his 80 guests.

Three days before the wedding, the couple happily signed a prenuptial contract in which it was agreed that if the marriage failed, both sides would walk away with no alimony payments.

But on the wedding day, Mr Bailer’s father, Joe, said Mr Fisher demanded that Josh sign a last-minute amendment agreeing to pay Alexandra alimony, no matter how much she inherits from her dad.

Joe Bailer, 65, said: “We’re middle-class people with middle-class values. We came to Palm Beach for what was supposed to be the best day in the lives of two human beings, and ended up with two full days of crass negotiations for a prenuptial agreement.

“It was like a business transaction. That attitude is foreign to us. There was such urgency on Fisher’s part, it bordered on desperation.”

So before you get married get up to date legal advice from a specialist family lawyer.  Get it all sorted and nailed down before last minute stress sets in. 

Most foreign couples getting married in France need to have a civil ceremony in their home country first and then their religious ceremony in France as the legal requirements for a civil wedding in France are exhaustive – 6 months (not 40 days as it was before thank you Sarkosy) residency requirement with proof of address and they now check it too.  Most guests at a french destination wedding do not even know that the ceremony is not a civil ceremony.  Sorting out a  pre-nup agreement before you leave home does not detract from a fairytale wedding in France.  If you are not mega wealthy you way want to consider a french wedding package at a romantic castle that will not break the bank.

chocolate wedding cake inspiration

Chocolate Themed wedding

With the rise in popularity of themed weddings such as Renaissance/Medieval, fantasy, 70s, disco, beach, and fairytale weddings, among many others, weddings with a theme centered on chocolates are becoming common nowadays.

If you are having a french wedding you will have a fabulous choice of amazing chocolate desserts by expereienced chocolatiers. The french love chocolate. 

The great thing about a chocolate wedding theme is that it encompasses colour and taste and smell. 

Chocolate fountains are all the rage at weddings.  A chocolate fountain is a great conversation piece and a delight to all of the senses.   Before you get all excited about your chocolate theme and chocolate fountain check that your wedding venue allows them.  Because of health and safety considerations lots of venues have not prohibited them.  You can have one at our french wedding castle venue.

A variety of foods can be dipped into it to instantly augment your favorite fruits, cakes, snacks and whatever else you would like.   The fountain causes your event to have a mellow but lovely sweet aroma that will entice you and your guests to use and admire it. Then wedding favors with chocolates came next and eventually paved the path for modern wedding cakes to be designed and baked in new ways.   If you are having a french wedding you can select a croquembouche filled with chocolate custard as one of your chocolate deserts.

Chocolate is synonymous with romance.

Nowadays, the chocolate flavor does not stop at the wedding cake and wedding favors.

Things to consider are: 

• The wedding clothes that you, your spouse-to-be and entourage will be wearing. This includes the color that should follow the chocolate theme. You can choose from a lot of chocolate shades and you even have an option to have a chocolate theme mixed with cream, mint or strawberry.  The hot color scheme seems to be blue and chocolate. Some called it Tiffany Blue, others teal and even more referred to robin’s egg blue. Any way you cut it, the trend is definitely in.

We often browse the web for ideas, and the color scheme of chocolate and blue has hit mainstream.

If you’re looking for a different twist on your wedding day, perhaps this story may be for you.

Ian Stuart, the winner of Best Bridal designer 2004-2007 created an amazing looking wedding dress is made of white chocolate, and described as “cute, burlesque, contemporary, fashionable and 1950’s” – We describe it as “Tasty looking, with potential to melt, leaving a semi naked bride on a hot summer’s day”.  The creators both  agree that the dress should only be worn for a short while.

The collaboration between Rococo and Ian Stuart fits, because you have two different high profile brands, both cutting edge and both willing to try something new!

Technically brilliant, the dress looks fantastic, and being created by two parties at the pinnacle of their games, makes it a fascinating achievment.

• The design and color of flowers for your bouquet and decorations in the wedding venue and reception. You’ll have to find a flower shop or a flower shop that has chocolate colored flowers such as the delphiniums kissed by chocolate, hemerocallis Ed Murray, lilium asiatic landini, and the penumbra, Sherry Baby (Chocolate Orchid), black barlows, chocolate cosmos, dahlia-chocolate sundae, dahlia karma chocolate , among many others.

• It is easy to incorporate chocolate into all of your menu. You can consider foie gras with dark chocoalate, duck with chocolate sauce, chocolate-dusted scallops with vanilla butter sauce, chicken mole (chicken recipe with chocolate sauce), seared pork tenderloin with cocoa spice rub, and grilled New York strip with chocolate merlot sauce, among many others.

• A chocolate fountain will definitely be a hit for your chocolate-themed wedding. There are also a great variety of premium imported chocolates available, oftentimes available in most chocolate varieties. There are a variety of styles to choose from for your chocolate fountain.

• Chocolate Coloured Decorations – Because brown coordinates so perfectly with many colors—pink, turquoise, melon, lavender—it’s a great color to work with the chocolate theme for your wedding reception.  Chocolate and tiffany blue is very popular right now.

• One of the last things to consider can be the wedding accessories, decor, and favors. Ensure the design, colour and overall outcomes of your wedding accessories embrace the chocolate theme too.

Favors are easier to plan about because there are a lot of chocolate-inspired wedding favors to choose from. These include chocolate bars decorated with wedding themes such as those available from Hersheys line of chocolate wedding favors.

Chocolate wedding favors are a great option. They can be eaten or saved as desired, and almost everyone is at least marginally fond of chocolate. Almost everyone can appreciate fine chocolate treats and those who do not usually have a reason, such as a food allergy, that the couple will be aware of and able to substitute something else for those individuals.

Chocolate wedding cakes are nothing like traditional wedding cakes. Traditional wedding cakes have always had white icing on the outside, and usually filled with a traditional white or ‘fruitcake’ recipe. Chocolate wedding favors are always a lovely addition to the reception tables. Chocolate wedding favors have been used by traditional weddings to thank and appreciate guest’s support. This idea started with upper class people, who are wealthy enough to have elegant gifts to give for their guests.

Planning for a gourmet chocolate themed wedding will be fun and experiencing it will be quite exciting and a different experience which will definitely be the talk of the town and a great memory to share with your future children and grandchildren.

A french wedding is a great opportunity to showcase a chocolate wedding theme.

Canon in D like you have never heard it before

Choosing proper wedding music can be a difficult task.  There are many types of music to choose for your wedding.

The music you select to precede, underscore and follow your wedding ceremony is perhaps the most immediate and effective way you can create the mood or establish the tone for your event. 

Many couples select music that will enhance a special theme that they have chosen for their wedding such as Baroque, New Age, Classical, Jazz, 1920s etc.    Often chateau wedding brides chose baroque music and sometimes to carry the theme through they have the musicians dress in baroque costume.  It is a very nice touch and incredibly romantic. 

Brides who are marrying for the second time or more often select a less formal musical selection.  The music you choose can, depending on the formality of your wedding, be an additional means of expressing your feelings for each other.

If you are like most people the wedding music that will be used during your marriage ceremony is very important to you – but you may not have a clue how to go about selecting your wedding songs!

An important factor in choosing your wedding music is the setting for your ceremony. The music you choose will be determined by the nature of your event (religious or civil; formal or casual), your own musical tastes, the attitude of your officiator and the abilities of your musicians.

If your ceremony will not be in a religious setting, you can choose just about any kind of music you like — although you will want to stay within the bounds of good taste! Popular songs can date very quickly.  So ask yourself: Will the music I choose from my wedding today be the memory I want in the years to come?

On the other hand, if your ceremony will be in a church or synagogue, or conducted by a clergy person at another location, you will probably need to stay within guidelines set by the clergy person or the church. Some churches limit music choices, so before you start choosing music, check with your clergy about any restrictions that may be in place.  Most religious denominations consider a wedding ceremony to be a form of worship service.

For this reason, churches generally do not allow “secular” music (non-religious popular music) during a wedding. Some will allow secular music while the guests are being seated, but not during the ceremony itself. Check with the church where your wedding will be held for its specific guidelines.

We recommend before you begin searching for the best wedding musicians to first develop a storyboard of any wedding music that you feel will capture the right mood of each step of your wedding as it happens, and make a list of those songs you want to play during each phase of the wedding.

You may want to conside instrumental-only music for your wedding ceremony? Your choices here may include the church organist or pianist, a string quartet, a harpist, or other instrumentalists.

A string quartet is a popular choice for larger weddings, and with good reason. The great attaction of a quartet is that they have a very wide repertoire ranging from classical to jazz and, requiring no electricity, can easily be moved from place to place – useful if the weather turns!  For something different you could ask for them to be dressed in baroque costume which would be stunning if you are hiring a heritage property like a wedding chateau.

You may be allowed to select some pieces for the prelude, one piece for the processional where the bridal party enters, another for the bride’s processional, and another for the recessional.

Prelude:
This is the music played while the guests are being seated and  sets the mood as people arrive, and is usually soft background music.

Processional:
The processional music is played while the wedding party and bride walk down the aisle.  If the wedding party is large, some brides opt to have 2 pieces–one for the wedding party, and one for the entrance of the bride (such as the traditional ‘Here Comes the Bride’). The first notes of the processional music announce the arrival of the Bride and for the guests to stand! Music for the entrance of the Bridesmaids is usually more formal, and presented at a higher volume than the pre-ceremony music.

The best processionals are pieces that can be performed at a even walking tempo and that can be easily ended at various points during the performance.  This allows for different sized wedding parties,  the length of the distance they have to travel, and the speed at which they walk.

Here is a tip.Try the processional music out at home.  Measure the distance from the back of the aisle to the altar and practice walking the length with the music playing.  This way you will know if your selected song is a bit too short or way too long.  You don’t want to find yourself standing at the altar waiting and waiting for the number to finish any more than you want to have the music run out while the bridesmaids are still making their entrance.

Some of the most famous of wedding repertoire include such pieces as Canon in D by Johann Pachelbel and Mendelssohn’s Wedding March, Handel’s joyful Arrival of the Queen of Sheba.  These all sounds great on the harp, or a string quartet or violin and cello duet and can be easily tailored any length necessary. They are gently flowing.

Here Comes the Bride by Wagner is a traditional wedding march best used for the entrance of the bride only.  Its mood is majestic.

Wedding March by Mendelssohn is the another traditional wedding march.  It also works on the harp and can be used solely as the bride’s music. It is majestic and grand.

Processional by McDonald As its name implies, this piece was specifically written to be played as a processional and is an upbeat and joyous processional.

Others couples prefer to choose popular music that is meaningful to them. You can walk down the aisle to your favorite song if permitted by your church – you don’t have to include a march as your wedding processional. 

Recessional:
The recessional music is played as the bride and groom, wedding party, and wedding officiate walk back out down the aisle.  The music is usually upbeat and celebratory, and does not have to be very long.  It is often accompanied with the ringing of church bells or chimes.

Mendelssohn’s Wedding March and Processional by McDonald also work fantastically as recessionals and not just as processionals.  Recessionals give the ceremony that traditional feel.

You may also have solos during your wedding ceremony.  The musical version of the Lord’s Prayer by Albert Hay Malotte can take the place of the congregation reciting the prayer aloud, and can be played solo or as a duet with a singer.  Ava Maria is a popular choice when signing the register.

Postlude music is a nice touch if the wedding couple are meeting the guests in a reception line as they leave the church.

Now you have selected what you would like played at your ceremony you need to find the musician/musicians.

Consider:

- their familiarity with the church, chapel and their music protocol and also that at your selected wedding venue,  or wedding chateau .  If they have never played their before do not be too concerned as all of this can be established with a site visit and a phone call or two.

- what will they wear?  Elegant suits for the gentlemen and long gowns are the traditional attire and make them pleasing to the eye as the music is to the ear.

- can you have a recording of their music to sample their style. Some quartets may even provide you with a CD of your chosen wedding music, giving you a wonderful keepsake that can act as a personalized wedding favor or help you relive those romantic special moments.

- how loud will the music be.  It should be loud enough to be heard, whilst not being so loud as to intrude upon the conversation of your guests. The “right” choice will depend on your own taste and the number of guests.

- ask for references. First hand knowledge of how an ensemble, looked, played and behaved is the best way to guarantee that your choice is the right one

- ask about their price and how many hours that entails

- ask if you will be charged travelling and their valet parking

- ask about cancellation policy

After the ceremony it is nice to have music continuing for cocktails and canapes and for the wedding dinner. 

Another option for entertainment is to have a live band perform at the wedding. Depending on your place of venue you may need permission for this so be sure to check this out in advance.

Trying to please all will be hard because not everyone shares the same taste in music thus leaving you in an awkward situation.