Father of Bride Sells 'Amazing' Treasure to Pay for Daughter's Pricey Wedding

woensdag 4 september 2013

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AppId is over the quota
by Maressa Brown 9 hours ago

Whether you've experienced it firsthand recently or have drawn conclusions from reality shows like Four Weddings and Say Yes to the Dress, you'd have to be living under a rock to not know that weddings are crazy expensive these days! So expensive, in fact, that some people are resorting to selling precious antiques and other valuable possessions just to get their vendors paid! Well, at least that's the route one father of a Cleveland bride took recently.  

Richard Schaen, whose daughter Jane is getting married in two weeks, was worried about the cost of the wedding. But then he remembered he has amassed a rather valuable comic book collection over the years. One rare find: A copy of Amazing Spider-Man No. 1, which he bought for 12 cents in 1963. He decided to list it for sale online and ended up nabbing $7,900 for it. Nice!

Turns out that if it had been in even better condition, he may have gotten up to four times that amount! Damn, coulda meant even MORE guests/flowers/hours of open bar! Ha. But no, in all seriousness, Schaen was elated, and told the Cleveland Plain Dealer:

I gave my daughter a promissory note for the money with a picture of the Spider-Man comic, which we can use to pay for a big part of the catering for her reception.

Awesome! SO sweet. But at the same time -- ouch ... I guess Schaen didn't seem too emotionally attached to the comic book, but what a statement his sale makes about a typical wedding's price tag. Note how he said "a big part of the CATERING for her reception." Not even all of the catering. And just the catering. That's not even taking into consideration any venue charges, the decor/flowers, hair/makeup, photographers, videographers, photo booth (or maybe slow motion booth!), wedding rings, honeymoon, officiant fee, ughhh.

More from The Stir: Rude Bride Throws Fit Over $100 Gift in Horrible Message to Wedding Guest

Sure, Jane Schaen could have passed on a wedding with that particular price tag, but maybe she and her fiance wanted to include their whole family. And when it comes to a wedding of a certain style, size, and in a particular location (like the east coast or a bigger city), you quickly learn some things simply cost what they cost. Then it's easy to find yourself feeling like you're stuck between a rock and a hard place. But Richard Schaen sure showed us the best fix for that: Be resourceful, start digging, and you may find buried treasure to trade in for wedding cash!

What do you think about what this father of the bride did for his daughter?

Image via Joelk75/Flickr

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Maressa Brown

has enjoyed reporting and writing for a variety of entertainment and women's magazines and websites. More often than not, you'll find her blogging, hitting the gym, reading, researching something on her iPhone, laughing, chatting at an above-"normal" volume, or getting her caffeine fix.

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Paralyzed Bride Keeps Her Promise and Walks Down Aisle on Her Wedding Day (VIDEO)

zaterdag 17 augustus 2013

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AppId is over the quota
by Emily Abbate Yesterday at 4:00 PM

There are so many things a bride looks forward to on her wedding day. Those pre-shindig photos with her bridesmaids, getting treated like a queen in the wedding suite, and the first taste of wedding cake -- for starters. But the biggest, greatest moment of all? That walk down the aisle to her future husband. That almost didn't happen for Stevie Beale.

Seven years ago at age 17, Beale was involved in a car accident that paralyzed her from the waist down. It was at a therapy center in Michigan where she met her future husband Jared VanAusdale, a friend of another patient there. This past weekend, after months of intense physical therapy and practice, Stevie walked down the aisle with the help of a walker to meet him at the altar.

Yeah, I got a little choked up too.

It's a beautiful story, one that proves the intense power of love. Stevie told Today that her fiance was the number one reason why she was able to walk down that aisle. After encouraging her through therapy sessions multiple times a week, she looked to him for comfort when it felt like her goal was impossible. In the end, Stevie wanted to prove to herself that with the right kind of attitude and intense determination, she could do even the hardest task she set her mind to. And she did.

Stevie's husband summed up her efforts perfectly: "She could've felt sorry for herself," said VanAusdale. "Instead she grabbed that situation by the horns, turned a negative into a positive, and helped so many people along the way."

Watch Stevie walk down the aisle, here:

How awesome is this?

Image via -Jerome-/Flickr

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Bride Who Has Dress Stolen on Wedding Day Is Saved by 911 Call

donderdag 15 augustus 2013

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AppId is over the quota
by Kiri Blakeley 2 hours ago

Your wedding day should be one of the most special in your entire life. So when it starts off with your wedding dress being stolen, things are not looking up. That's exactly what happened to a Washington state bride, who was loading up her car to prepare for the big event when she put her bridal gown inside, and then turned to go back into her house. When she came out again, her precious dress was gone. The hysterical bride called 911. And it turned out to be the best call she ever made. If your faith in humanity is wavering, read this story and it will be renewed.

The 911 operator who picked up the bride's call was a woman named Candice (who doesn't reveal her last name). She did what a 911 operator is trained to do -- she took down the woman's information, the details about the theft, and alerted police.

But something was niggling the back of her mind. She asked the bride-to-be when her wedding was scheduled. Says Candice:

When she said "today," my heart broke in two for her.

Yep, the poor woman had the misfortune of getting her bridal dress stolen on the morning of the day of her wedding. But her fortune was about to take an incredible turn.

After hanging up the phone, Candice turned to her supervisor and asked a question that no one had ever heard in the emergency call center before:

Can I offer her my dress? All through the call I was thinking, "I have a dress ... "

Candice and her husband, Brandon, had been married 18 months prior to the call. Her dress was sitting in her parents' attic. She knew there was a greater need for it right now.

After getting the go-ahead from her boss, Candice called the police who were responding to the bride's theft. She told them to ask the bride if she wanted use of her dress. After sending a picture of the dress via cellphone, the bride gratefully accepted. She even thought that Candice's dress would fit her -- quite a coincidence considering that Candice is very tall!

There was just one problem. The dress was in her parents' home and her parents were out of town.

Several calls later, Candice (who couldn't leave work) was able to coordinate getting the key to her parents' house -- which involved both her husband and her brother. All of the stars aligned in a crazy way -- Candice's husband wasn't even supposed to be around that morning, but he'd stayed home from a scheduled trip because he wasn't feeling well. Says Candice:

Brandon drove the dress to the fiance's house and dropped [the dress] off. The woman told me she'd get it back to me, and I said, "No hurry."

The wedding went off without a hitch, and Candice got another message from the bride thanking her for use of the dress.

Now what are the odds that these two would make this kind of connection? It was the fates, I tell you. The wedding gods. The bridal fairies. Obvs the woman and her fiance were meant to get married that day. Says Candice:

God does awesome things, and this woman, whose wedding day might have been ruined, had her special day after all.

Oh, but Candice, I think you had something to do with making her day special, too.

Have you ever had a wedding day scare? Have you ever had a stranger go out of her way for you?

Image via nerissa's ring/Flickr

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Kevin Federline's Bride Victoria Prince Married Him in a Dress Fit for Britney Spears

woensdag 14 augustus 2013

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AppId is over the quota
by Mary Fischer 3 hours ago

Her marriage to Kevin Federline came as quite a surprise last weekend, and now photos of Victoria Prince's wedding gown have been released. It's very Las Vegas, to say the least.

With a sweetheart neckline, tons of beading on the bodice, and a skirt of lace and tulle complete with a floral print -- this thing has Sin City wedding written all over it. You know, like something Britney Spears would pick out. (Eye roll.)

As someone who prefers very simple wedding dresses with little to no embellishment or detail, the gown certainly isn't something I would've chosen or even envisioned for my big day.

But still, she really did look beautiful. Considering Victoria married K-Fed, her attire is surprisingly clean-cut versus what you'd expect from his bride.

No offense to Kev, but he's got a bit of the bad boy thing going on, and somehow I picture him marrying someone in a skimpy, possibly leather mini-dress instead of a full-length gown. Even Victoria's hair is very traditional, pulled back into a simple updo and worn with a mid-length veil.

But you know what was really, really sweet about her wedding style? Victoria and Kevin's daughter, Jordan Kay, wore a little dress that had similar detail to her mom's, which is beyond adorable.

It's obvious that Kevin and Victoria were over-the-moon to finally make things official by getting hitched. They are clearly very much in love and ready to take this big step in their lives together.

I guess it really doesn't matter what Victoria wore -- because the smile on her face was the most beautiful part of her ensemble for sure.

What do you think of Victoria's wedding dress?

Image via Splash

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mary Fischer

is the writer behind The Mommyologist, and the mom of a future famous comedian. Her current loves include cosmopolitans, reality TV, and shoes that don't pinch her feet.

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New Bride Killed in Venice Beach Boardwalk Rampage Never Got to Say Goodbye to Her Husband (VIDEO)

maandag 5 augustus 2013

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AppId is over the quota
by Kiri Blakeley 1 hour ago

People are still in shock over what happened in Venice Beach, California over the weekend. A man drove up onto the famed Los Angeles boardwalk and began plowing down people with his car. And it doesn't look like an accident. Witnesses say it appeared the man was aiming directly for people and was intent on killing them. One woman was killed; 11 others were injured. The man, Nathan Campbell, has been arrested and charged with murder.

Newlywed Alice Gruppioni, 32, should have been having one of the best days of her life. And until Campbell entered it, she was. Alice and her husband, Christian Casadei, were on their honeymoon. The pair live in Italy. One minute, the pair were strolling on the promenade, enjoying the beautiful, sunny day, and the next, Alice was dead.

This is so heartbreaking. Christian is still in disbelief that his new wife is gone. He reportedly said:

We were walking, we were happy, we were on our honeymoon and everything, and suddenly everything changed. I still can't believe it, and I don't even remember exactly what happened. It's all very confusing.

Imagine beginning your new life with your new husband, and then, in a flash, it's over. For no reason. The couple were only married two weeks ago and sunny Los Angeles was their dream honeymoon destination.

Christian reportedly told an Italian news agency:

It's a tragedy. There's nothing more to say.

Pictures of the attractive pair on Facebook show them smiling and happy at their wedding. No doubt they were planning many more years of love, travel, and togetherness. Maybe children.

And now Christian will plan a funeral instead.

A reason for the driver's carnage hasn't yet been released -- if there is one. But it's pretty telling that he ran from the scene despite absolutely seeing the death and mayhem he had just caused. It's inconceivable that someone would want to do this on purpose. But as we know from Sandy Hook Elementary and many other tragedies, the inconceivable does happen.

You just don't expect it to happen on your honeymoon.

What do you think happened?

Image via Sweet California Photography/Flickr

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