Interview with Devan Sipher, author of The Wedding Beat

We were sent a copy of The Wedding Beat by Devan Sipher.  

Sipher,  a writer of the New York Times “Vows” column, Sipher will sweep readers of their feet with his smart and charming debut romantic comedy where he explores a thirty-something New Yorker’s quest to find his soulmate with humor, intelligence and heart. The Wedding Beat, Gavin Greene works as the wedding columnist for the Pultizer Prize-winning newspaper, The Paper.  He is surrounded by lavish wedding celebrations, romance, and the promise of everlasting love, and yet he still can't find himself a girlfriend, let alone a bride.  Where is the nice girl that he (along with his daft but well meaning parents) dreams of? When he finds and then loses the woman of his dreams at the same New Year's Eve party, Gavin knows it's time to get serious.  Armed with questionable lessons from his brother (a serial monogamist) and coaching from a gung-ho dating guru (whose wedding he happens to be covering), Gavin is following a new set of rules, and the surprising chain of events that follow lead to something he never could have predicted.

We interviewed Sipher.  We are as CW, and Sipher is DS.

Connecting Women: What inspired The Wedding Beat?

Devan Sipher: For five years, I was a single guy writing the Vows wedding column at The New York Times.  (“Always the wedding columnist, never the groom.”)  It occurred to me that my life would seem far more amusing to someone who wasn’t living it. 

CW:  What kind of research was conducted to write The Wedding Beat?

DS: Most of my research was the years I spent writing about thousands of weddings.  But I also immersed myself in the world of romantic comedies, reading books and renting videos.  Helen Fielding’s Bridget Jones’s Diary was my bible.

CW:  What are some themes that can be found in The Wedding Beat?

DS: Late in the book, the protagonist, Gavin Greene, says “Everything in life is a choice, and I’m choosing to be happy.”  Happiness is a choice.  That’s what I learned from my time interviewing brides and grooms, and it’s what I consider the central theme of the novel.

CW: What is your favorite scene?  

DS: The quote I just mentioned is one of my favorites as is the scene it comes from.  Gavin takes a romantic leap of faith and finally confesses his feelings to the woman he loves.  He just happens to choose a painfully (and comically) inappropriate time and place. 

CW:  I can see The Wedding Beat turned into a romantic comedy.  Have you thought of turning your book into a movie?

DS: I’d love to see it end up on a movie or television screen.  I’m keeping my fingers crossed.

CW:  What other projects do you have in the works?

DS: I have a two-book deal, and the next book is also a romantic comedy. I’m not supposed to say a lot about it, but I can tell you that it’s about two people who make a lot of wrong turns on the way to finding each other.  The tagline is “Sometimes love at first sight can take a lifetime.”

CW: Anything else you would like to add.

DS: One of the other things I learned writing about weddings is that men can be every bit as romantic as women – and just as comically confused.  My goal was to share that with readers and to write the best beach book possible – lots of laughs and lots of heart.  I’m hoping I succeeded.

Connect with Devan Sipher online at:

http://www.devansipher.com/

http://www.facebook.com/DevanSipher

https://twitter.com/#!/devansipher

Guest Post: Getting a New Years Eve Sitter

Here's what to do if you can or can't find a babysitter for New Years Eve.

by

Amanda Dundess, Contributor Care.com

When Gina Linss and her husband Alex were invited to a New Year's Eve party last year, they were pretty excited. "It was going to be a really fun party, like the kind we used to go to before having kids," says Linss. But then the couple realized they had a problem that they never encountered in those pre-kids days: No sitter. "All of our babysitters had plans of their own," says Linss. "Even my mother-in-law wanted to go out with her friends."

It's a common problem on this festive night. New Year's Eve is one of the hardest nights to find a sitter, and those who do usually command a premium for working. But having a hum-drum evening at home isn't the answer, says Carol J. Bruess, co-author of What Happy Parents Do. "New Years Eve is a great excuse to have a special time with your spouse," she says. "With a little extra effort and some creativity, your New Year's can be as fun-filled as it was before you had kids." Not sure what to do? Just follow these expert ideas:

Find a new sitter. Okay, so your favorite college sitter has left for December break. But a slew of college kids have just returned to their hometown (aka your hometown), and are likely looking for some holiday cash. Create a new babysitting job post as far in advance as possible and be specific about how late you think you'll stay out -- if you need your z's, you might be home in time for your social sitter to go out too!

Celebrate family-style: If you can't ditch the kids, include them in your plans, says Chelsea Gladden, co-founder of the BreezyMama.com blog. This San Diego-based mom of four has a "New York New Years" celebration with her kids by watching the ball drop on television at 9 p.m. her time. "Then it's off to bed for the kids, and a little champagne toast and some alone time for me and my husband," she says. If you're already on east coast time, Google "London ball drop" and you'll easily find news organizations showing the British festivities at the even more child-friendly hour of 6 p.m. eastern time.

Arrange a babysitting swap: Dying to go out for New Year's but happy to celebrate Valentine's Day on a different date? Ask a friend if she wants to watch your kids on the 31^st and you'll take hers on February 14^th, says Gladden. Get creative - you can also offer up three nights of babysitting in exchange for this big one. For friends who don't mind a New Year's in, it may be worth the trade.

Throw a party for neighborhood kids: No, we don't mean a kegger. But you may find some teenage friends who are willing to babysit together. Arrange to go out with a few friends, leaving all your kids together at one house. Your kids are happy because they're with their friends, the sitters are happy to hang out together, and you're out with your friends - it's a win-win-win situation.

Throw a huge slumber party. The problem with getting together with another family is that you still have to head home early to get the kids to bed, usually well before midnight. "Renting a house with friends lets you keep the party going long after the kids have to go to sleep," says Gladden. "Or, designate one house the 'slumber party' house and let everyone spend the night." If you can hire a sitter to put them all to bed, even better.

Ultimately, that's what Alex and Gina Linss did. "We were invited, along with another family, to a friend's summer house on the Jersey shore," says Gina. "The kids had a blast having a huge sleepover, and we got to hang out and celebrate after they were all asleep." While it wasn't the night they had originally envisioned, it wound up being a lot of fun. "We were so bummed at first to not being going out," says Alex. "But this ended up being our favorite New Year's celebration, and we already made plans to go back this year."

New Years Eve Safety Tips

New Year’s Eve is a great time to let loose and have fun, but unfortunately, criminals are out there waiting for an opportunity to take advantage.

To help you stay safe this New Year’s Eve, Marcia Peot, full time police officer and Chief Safety Officer at StreetSafe, offers the following safety reminders:

Ø      Don’t let your guard down.  Holidays, including New Year’s Eve, are not an excuse to throw caution to the wind.  Be careful not to leave your drink unattended and don’t become intoxicated.

Ø      Stay in groups or use the buddy system – you are more likely to become a target if you are alone.  Select a place to meet should you get separated, and check that your buddy got home safely at the end of the night.

Ø      Have a plan for how you will get home.  Don’t find yourself stranded!

Ø      Don’t use the festive atmosphere as an excuse to do something you wouldn’t normally do or put yourself in an unsafe situation.

Ø      While out, be careful what you post online.  Don’t alert others that you are not at home.

Ø      The beaten path is the better path.  Don’t take short cuts and familiarize yourself with the area before heading out.

Ø      Take extra precautions.

 StreetSafe is a new mobile personal security system that uses your smart phone’s GPS technology to instantly connect to help before a situation turns into an emergency. Street Safe’s “Walk with Me” service offers a live connection to a professional Safety Advisor to keep you safe when walking in unfamiliar or threatening surroundings and instant access to 911 if needed.

New Year's Eve 2011 Headliners Ball

WHEN: Saturday, Dec. 31, 2011, 8 p.m. to 2 a.m.
WHERE: Newseum, 555 Pennsylvania Ave., NW

The Newseum's Headliners Ball is big news for New Year's Eve. If you missed last year's bash, you won't want to be left out in the cold this New Year's Eve. The evening includes entertainment from Round Midnight, dance jams from DJ Scientific Beats and access to Newseum exhibits.

Tickets: $180 per person; after Dec. 1, $195 per person
Includes open bar (8 p.m. to 2 a.m.), light snacks and champagne toast at midnight.

For details and packages click here.

General public questions please call 202/292-6100.

Buzzed Driving IS Drunk Driving

Last year, more than 250 people died in alcohol-impaired driving crashes during the Christmas and New Year’s holiday periods.  This is simply a critical time to continue spreading the word.

Whether at a holiday party, a New Year’s Eve bash at a bar or reveling with friends, many of us will be on the road this holiday season. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Ad Council are reminding everyone that the best way to stay safe is to plan ahead and designate a sober driver before you head out for your festivities.

Below you will find tools that you can use.  Be sure to share these with your family and friends:

• Join Global Influence and Ad Council's Twitter Q&A on Thursday, December 9^th at 2 PM ET. Follow the hashtag #buzzeddriving to get safety tips and prevention advice from NHTSA experts. You can follow the chat here: http://tweetchat.com/room/buzzeddriving

•        Designated Driver Drink List — One of the most important things you can do before going out is designate a sober driver. If you’re throwing a party, make sure to offer non-alcoholic drinks for the sober drivers. We’ve compiled a Facebook tab with 50 non-alcoholic party drink recipes.

•        Alternative Ride Locator — We’ve created a Facebook tab with a list of nationwide alternative ride programs that can help keep your readers safe.

•        Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving website — You can sign a pledge not to drink and drive; play “Spot the Difference,” an interactive game that simulates the effects of buzzed driving; and watch a real-life video about how buzzed driving changed one woman’s life.

Related articles

• Drunk Driving Carries Frightening Consequences, Washington Attorney Reminds Halloween Party Goers (prweb.com)
• Ad Council's "Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving" Campaign to Be Featured in Mobile TV Showcase (eon.businesswire.com)