Writing your thank-you notes should start right after any engagement party you may have. If people are kind enough to give you a gift, a lovely handwritten note (on a fold-over note card, written in black ink) is a priority—a priority you should carry all through the bridal shower, cocktail parties, rehearsal dinner and wedding events.

This summer, think of your backyard as the next decorating frontier. Use designer-quality furniture, rugs, lighting and charming decorative accents for stunning results.

Creating good by giving back is a gift to yourself, local financial advisers say. But before making a major donation to support your favorite cause, heed the following pieces of advice to avoid scams, maximize that gift and leave a lasting legacy of philanthropy. 

A wedding is one of the happiest days in people’s lives. But at a recent reception, tragedy struck. That's when Dr. Pedro Suarez sprang into action after a fellow guest’s pacemaker failed, causing her heart to stop beating. The local health professional’s medical skills and rapid response saved her life. 

Caroline Kennedy will be in town next Wednesday, April 3, for the ninth annual Family Read Night at St. Louis County Library headquarters to discuss her new book.

Becca Edwards & Peter Jordan

Fans of  CRUSHED RED URBAN BAKE & CHOP SHOP, which opened last year in Clayton, soon will have two new locations to get their fix: The eatery is scheduled to open its second space in May at 140 S. Kirkwood Road in Kirkwood; while a third location should bow at 313 N. Euclid Ave. in the CWE later this summer, if all goes according to plan.

An intercontinental love story, Sara Elyse Badler and Thomas William Greaney met at a Mexican bar in Shanghai, China. Both were working in Shanghai as English teachers. Thomas was struck from the start and knew early on that he would spend his life with Sara. “It was pretty easy, actually,” he recalls. After two years spent in Shanghai, they moved to New York together in 2010, where Thomas proposed with a ring hidden inside a vintage Pucci bag that Sara had been eyeing.

When separation threatened a tight-knit pair of abused and neglected young siblings, a court-appointed special advocate (CASA) stepped in to give them a voice. “Their sibling bond was so strong that the CASA fought for them to stay together, and a family did end up adopting them together,” says Voices for Children CEO Jan Huneke, recalling her first experience leading the life-changing organization. “This had a huge impact on them as children and adults.”

We applaud this year’s GRAND CENTER INC. Visionary Awards honorees, who are being recognized for their commitment to the arts in St. Louis. They are: CAROL VOSS (Major Contributor to the Arts), ANDREA PURNELL (Emerging Artist), LYNN RUBRIGHT (Outstanding Arts Educator), LYDIA RUFFIN (Successful Working Artist), AGNES WILCOX (Outstanding Arts Professional) and JOANNE KOHN (Lifetime Achievement). The awards ceremony will be held Monday, May 13, from 5:45 to 8:30 p.m. at The Sheldon. Tickets, which include admission, pre-event cocktails and a dessert reception, will go on sale April 5. Visit grandcenter.org for more information.

On the Cover

Stephanie Barton Mitchell & Con Curran Coulter II

Alice McGee Coulter and Jonathan Robert Benner met in middle school, and their young love blossomed through the years. Jon popped the question at a party Alice planned to celebrate his graduation from business school, in front of all their friends and family.

Congratulations to Villa Duchesne senior Sarah Sutherlin, who has been selected as one of Missouri’s top youth volunteers of 2013.

Mention a transatlantic cruise and thoughts come to mind of Champagne and caviar, white-gloved service and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

For the second year, in a tight competition with less than 20 votes separating the top two churches, St. Paul's Catholic Church, Fenton, beat out St. Dominic Savio, Affton, to win Friendship Village Sunset Hills' Fourth Annual Quilting Competition. Several hundred voted in the week's competition and display of quilts from area churches at Fountain View, the freestanding assisted-living community at Friendship Village Sunset Hills. Pictured: Erlinda Madridondo, Ruth Finder, Donna Robinson and Mary Haukap (kneeling) proudly display their winning quilt.

Story: Mrs. Sorken, title character in the first skit, greets the audience to inform us about protocol and purpose behind the experience of attending the theater. She’s lost her notes, so she relies upon her somewhat scattered memory to give us a quick history about theater, drama and ancient Greeks, and how closely Dramamine is tied to drama. Who knew?

When Mark Cusumano walks through the dining room of Kemoll’s, he often pauses under a portrait of his grandmother, Doris. Eighty-six years ago, Doris and Joe Kemoll opened a restaurant that would become one of St. Louis’ most renowned fine dining establishments, and Cusumano understands the importance of carrying on his grandparents’ legacy. “Whenever I walk by, I can’t help but think, How am I doing, Grandma?”

Katie Marie Corey and Daniel Robert DiLeo

Cristina Grace Wetterau and Andrew John Orchulli

Everyone I talk to—or every site I visit online—predicts one word when it comes to wedding dresses for spring 2013: lace.

The hoopla surrounding the upcoming presidential inauguration will most likely dominate the headlines in the coming days. But with the deluge of the 24-hour news cycle, I suspect even the most avid political junkie would experience coverage fatigue sooner rather than later.