Vera Wang

NEW YORK - Rudolph W. Giuliani, the former mayor of New York, and Judith Nathan exchanged vows on the lawn of Gracie Mansion yesterday evening to the strains of "Ave Maria," sung by Ronan Tynan, the Irish tenor. Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg presided over the wedding, an occasion rife with the theatrical flourishes dear to the couple, both opera lovers. Bloomberg, arriving with his companion, Diana Taylor, said before the ceremony that he was not nervous. "I don't have to do a lot," he said.

Ring it up. The hottest fashion accessory for the holidays may be worn by your dinner napkins. Napkins never looked so stylish, dressed up with rings that sate myriad tastes. On the Neiman Marcus Web site alone there are 27 different ring styles from which to choose, and just about every retailer from Target to Crate and Barrel is stocking these baubles of metal, crystal, beaded glass, horn, feathers, velvet, paper and even rattan. From skinny bands to wide cuffs that look like wrist bangles, napkin rings can be bold or understated.

The ceremonies that mark the transitions in our lives are set apart by the effort and care we take to print them in memory. At a wedding, every blossom and leaf that will grace the tables is considered. Music is selected from strains that will forever evoke the moment. Food and drink are lavished upon the well-wishers in a spirit of generosity that will long be remembered.The bride may choose to outshine the decorations and flowers, or to keep her look as simple and quiet as the language of her centuries-old marriage vows.

It began the way many great relationships do - almost by accident. Jamie Lee Curtis spied a Pamela Dennis crystal-studded gown she liked on a store rack and wore it to the Cannes Film Festival several years ago. The rave fashion reviews attracted other stars. Ellen DeGeneres picked a Pamela Dennis tapestry pantsuit for the Emmys, and Kate Winslet squeezed into a black lace dress for the Golden Globes."I couldn't buy all the press they gave me," Dennis says. "People are in awe of Hollywood."

The Olympic torch will glow in a white-out at the '94 Winter Games tomorrow. Not content with record-breaking snowfall and drifts, the planners in Lillehammer, Norway, will pass out 47,000 white ponchos to spectators at the opening ceremonies. The idea is to blend the crowd into a white snowscape so the eyes and cameras of the world focus on the athletes.Camera crews and team officials, who need more movement, will be outfitted by the Norwegian military in 2,000 rented camouflage pants and jackets.

Baltimore artist Allyson Smith was furious when President Bush declared his support for a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage earlier this year. A lesbian mom who's been with her partner, Nancy Langer, for more than 20 years, Smith quickly vented her frustration on canvas, creating a stark and provocative image of gay brides with guns. The picture, Banned from marrying (they took up arms), is now on display - along with several other paintings by Smith - as part of an exhibit of student work at the Meyerhoff Gallery at the Maryland Institute College of Art. The show runs through Sunday.

Miss Sarah Rust Foley, Midland, VA, and Mr. Connor Griffin Barhight, son of Mr. & Mrs. George Scott Barhight, of Lutherville, MD, were united in marriage at the Warrenton Presbyterian Church in Warrenton, VA on July 31, 2004 at 5PM. Pastor Carl R. Schmahl officiated the double-ring ceremony. The bride is the granddaughter of Mr. & Mrs. Wilbur W. Burton, Calverton, VA, and Mrs. William S. Foley, Warrenton, and the late Mr. Foley. The groom is the grandson of Mr. & Mrs. Ray F. Barhight, Great Cacapon, WV, and Mr. & Mrs. Denver H. Knapp, of Salisbury, MD. Escorted by her father, and given in marriage by her parents, the bride wor a ball gown of ivory silk organza, designed by Vera Wang, An empire band of champagne micro-bead ribbon ending with a champagne silk grosgrain bow and streamers accented the bodice.

Here are just a few of the tried and true veteran designers we know will have a major impact with their spring collections during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. BCBG Max Azria (showcasing Thursday, Sept. 6) BCBG Max Azria's fall line was inspired by a Polaroid photograph taken in 1978 in St. Tropez by Helmut Newton. Max Azria calls the collection's inspiration "fearless. " Nicole Miller (showcasing Friday, Sept. 7): With Angelina Jolie, Beyonce and Gabrielle Union regularly rocking her looks, Nicole Miller is a favorite of the famous and fashion critics.

ACTRESSES GET ALL THE BREAKS. If they follow the winds of fashion when getting dressed in the morning, they're congratulated for being so on-trend. If they break away from the trendy and do something different, they're avant-garde. Nowhere was that more obvious than at last week's Academy Awards. Gown after gorgeous gown on the red carpet either exemplified a trend or went against the grain -- and, for the most part, it all looked fabulous. "I thought it was in very good taste, fashion-wise, this Oscar season," says Avril Graham, executive fashion and beauty editor for Harper's Bazaar.

Three cheers for old school glamour. The lush fabrics, the classic tailoring. The jewels, the makeup, the hair! When celebrities find a way to bring back old Hollywood, and make it their own, it reminds us why we love to star-gaze in the first place. On the red carpet of last week's Academy Awards, actors and actresses combined style and beauty and grace, each in his or her own way. Elegance and romance ruled the night, but there were other trends that emerged. "The mermaid hemline was very in," said celebrity stylist Phillip Bloch, "very fitted all the way down and then flared out."