The winner of last week's contest for a Friendship Bread kit is Erin, Entrant #3. Congratulations, Erin! Please send an e-mail to me at the address below my name.

Love is in the air -- and a new contest!

It's Spring and thoughts turn to love. With it getting warmer -- at least in my part of the country -- I thought of the old cliche today while I was (shudder) doing some Spring cleaning..

Weddings are a topic of conversation in my novella, One Child, that appears in An Amish Christmas. I love to help couples plan their weddings and save time and money. I've even had several books published on the subject. 

Amish weddings are different than those in the Englisch world. There are no rings, no flowers, no music, no white dresses and elaborate, expensive receptions or honeymoons out of the country. But what remains is the true essence of the wedding itself -- a gathering of family and friends there to witness the union of a man and a woman before God. The ceremony is simple and reverent. The bride's parents host the ceremony in their home and two meals are provided afterward. Since the Amish attend church services in the homes of their members, traveling every other week to another home in a rotational order, they have the physical space to accommodate a large gathering with benches brought in for seating for the ceremony and meals.

Weddings occur after the Fall harvest on Tuesdays and Thursdays and last much of the day. Celery is symbolic for weddings so sometimes, alert observers in the Amish community can guess that a wedding will be taking place when they see a big bed of the vegetable has been planted in the garden of the future bride's home. Roasht -- cut-up chicken and stuffing -- is traditionally served, along with an abundance of home-grown vegetables, side dishes, and yummy baked desserts including cake. Much socializing ensues.

Are you planning a wedding soon -- or know someone who is? This week, I'm featuring a contest to give away my latest wedding book, "101 Ways to Save Money on Your Wedding" (Adams Media). You can keep the book for yourself or give it away to a bride you know. Just enter the contest and I'll announce the winner next week. Thank you again to everyone who entered the Friendship Bread Kit contest last week and wrote such wonderful comments. The recipe will appear in An Amish Christmas. I hope you'll look for it. 

Have a lovely, loving Spring!

Barbara Cameron
barcameron1@prodigy.net