Can I just say WOW!!!  We are soooo excited to be coordinating a wedding at this spectacular location, and for quite a wonderful couple as well! 

I went to view the site for the first time the other day and was just blown away.  New sites, and especially a site such as this really get you pumped!  This location just opened last year after extensive repair and remodeling.  Boy did they do a great job.  You can learn more about this facility at www.green-acres.org.  I have had the pleasure of traveling to Europe several times and you really do feel like you just got off a plane and landed there!  One of my favorite features is the Moat!

We are also very excited to be coordinating a ceremony and reception this weekend down at the Hilton Netherland, in one of my favorite rooms in Cincinnati, the Continental room.  It is going to be just beautiful!!!  Looking forward to assisting you Kat and Wes!  You have been just amazing to work with!

is all it takes, and something I like to create in the weddings I work on. I learned this from Preston Bailey when he came to speak at an event in Cincinnati. I was on the committee, and getting to meet him in person was such a great experience. We don’t all have budgets that he has to work with, obviously, but that is why he mentioned to focus on one element that will have your guests talking about it for some time to come. It is so fun to try and brainstorm with our clients and get a real vision of what they are dreaming about. Sometimes it just takes a little talking and reviewing other photos to dream up something wonderful together. Here is the link to Preston’s blog that I thought was right on topic www.prestonbailey.blogspot.com the tabletop garden entry. Hope you like it!

On Preston’s most recent blog entry he speaks of just this idea. Having one wonderful focal point can really make a difference, and a wonderful impact. So, if you don’t have a huge budget try to have one unique idea that really stands out and that will set your event apart!  Pictured below, one of my favorites from last year is we grew a special grass that we would use to hold the escort cards, which were made out of a natural paper cut into the shape of a leaf. The calligrapher did all the writing and we had an amazing centerpiece to set it off. The guests just loved picking their leaf and actually thought it was fun to be on a stick. Also, the foyer/entrance to the reception was made into a garden setting with specialty lighting and a lot of plants and flowers to finish off the look. So, no matter what your budget you can usually create a little something special! Enjoy, and happy planning!

~ Dawn

I have to say… I am finally recovered from the amazing wedding we were so blessed to be a part of this past weekend!! It was at the Schuster Center in Dayton, and it was just beautiful. What a neat place. I cannot wait to see the professional pictures, but for your viewing pleasure we have a couple that my associate took for me. Thanks Kirstyn!! This was such an amazing couple/family. I am truly going to miss working with them. We really came up with a unique design for the centerpieces, and then from there, they let me create an assigned seating card display on my own. I really wanted to mimic the shape of the centerpiece, and I think we achieved that. It was a lot of work, as Kirstyn knows placing all the champagne bottles in perfect order… I usually like to have one unique focal point that gives the guests something to remember, and I had so much fun creating this display! I hope you all like it.

After all is said and done, the hours upon hours of planning and hard work the week/day of the wedding, the numerous compliments from guests, family members, and the bride and groom make it ALL worth it!!! I especially love the fact that one of the bridesmaids that is having a wedding in a couple months, wasn’t considering a planner for the day of her wedding, and she said after everything she saw we did, she needs to have one! It is just so hard to put into words everything we do the week of the wedding. She commented how the bride was so relaxed and didn’t worry about a thing, and that is how she wants to be on her wedding day!!! What a great comment!

Enjoy the photos until we get the professional ones!! Have a great weekend, and thanks for visiting!!

~ Dawn

This is the escort card table display from a distance.  A lot of work, but what a wow factor when guests went to get their seating assignments!

This is the close up of the escort cards.  Yes, carnations were placed as a backdrop all the way around.  I think it turned out just beautifully!

All our visions really came together!  The natural light from the wall of windows was really spectacular and really showed off the beautiful color palate we chose.

Hello everyone…
I just haven’t had a chance to update my blog much, but i am truly going to make it a priority. We have some wonderful weddings coming up this year and I hope to be able to post pictures and stories soon thereafter.

This particular wedding reception was at Ault Park. The weather couldn’t have been more perfect (but very windy), you really have to be very careful of that wind up there!! We are familiar, so we know what to plan for. Always a good idea if you are considering an outdoor event to check everything out a couple times before the wedding day. Mother nature is always very kind!
With the beautiful day, the couple started out by seeing each other for the first time at fountain square, and what fun, the whole bridal party could watch from the windows of the hotel and view the spectacle. As I was assisting the bride down to see her groom for the first time, all the little girls were saying look at the princess (and that she was). It was soooo wonderful for them both. Great photo opportunities too!

The ceremony went off without a hitch and it was off to the reception. Beautiful specialty lighting, along with live entertainment, and amazing food, the reception was a wonderful success! Later in the evening, it did get a little cold, so some of the guests really needed us to take action to warm them up. SO, we proceeded to move the entire side wall of the tent completely around to accommodate their comfort. I have never received so many hugs from the guests! We certainly were the “ring leaders” that night, and we were so happy to be able to allow the bride and her family enjoy a perfect night!! The hugs, thank yous, and many positive comments from the evening fill my cup, if you will, and remind me why I spend 13 hours on a wedding day without stopping and hardly ever sitting!! We love what we do, and I think that is why we continue to be successful! I hope our clients can see that in our performance on their wedding days!

One of the comments from this particular bride was, THANK YOU SO MUCH! Everything turned out absolutely perfect that day- pretty amazing! My mom and I couldn’t have enjoyed things nearly as much if we didn’t have you there to help. You are awesome! Again, makes it all worth it!!!
Thanks for reading and hopefully I will have some wonderful photos posted next week!

We were so excited to randomly happen upon this recognition! We work very hard to keep the reputation of our company in great standings and to make sure that our clients are taken care of to the Best of our ability!!! Thanks for the vote…

The vendors for your Cincinnati wedding planner have been selected based on the number of awards they have received, their overall popularity with customers, customer service, quality of product or service, and their reputation in the community.

If your wedding is in the calendar year of 2008, I am sure you are about to hit the ground running! If you are feeling a little overwhelmed, it may be a good idea to talk to a professional wedding planner. Most planners do offer hourly consultation which can be a real help in calming nerves.

I just had a mother of the bride come in to meet with me four days before the wedding and said I just want an hour or two of your time to make sure we have everything under control. This was for a destination wedding, so I am sure she was feeling the pressure. Sometimes that is all it takes to calm those nerves, she was so relieved when the meeting was over.

Planning a wedding is a very fun and exciting time, but yet it can be very overwhelming. We wish you all the best and happy planning!

Hello to all you readers… We finally have a blog and this will be my first entry, and what a fun one to write about! This had to be the “biggest” wedding of the year for Cincinnati, and we were so honored to have been a part of it. I enjoyed working with Britney, Caleb, and Mr. Ruby very much. They are a great family!

We certainly went through some challenges, mostly time constraints as we planned this entire wedding in about 5 months all together, but it came about with flying colors! Speaking of colors, Britney wanted to use varying shades of purples and green at the reception, but all white for the ceremony. Kevin Ford of Ford Ellington certainly listened to her requests and delivered an amazing product. Below, you can take a look at the directors cut of their wedding film, created by Bambino Productions. I have to say, this was a vendor that was very important to Caleb, and this was his number one choice, and they did an amazing job! Enjoy the video and you can read more below…

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It was Caleb’s desire to surprise Britney at the ceremony with hundreds of white flowers and candles everywhere, and that he did. When Britney saw the amazing site, she was in awe. That is just the type of man Caleb is, very thoughtful!
Their ceremony went off without a hitch, even with 12 flower girls and ring bearers involved. A few key children helped make this happen, like Tricia Macke’s daughter, Piper, who definitely helped keep the younger girls focused. But they were so adorable.

After the wedding at the Verdin Bell, guests were off to an hors d’oeuvres hour in the Continental Room at the Hilton Netherland Plaza downtown. After enjoying live music and a full sushi bar made to order, guests were escorted into the Hall of Mirrors.

The guests were greated by an amazing display created for their escort cards and an beautiful entrance into the Hall of Mirrors. Once into the room, each table had a server standing by to greet them with champagne, a true touch of Ruby elegance! After a unique dinner of short ribs and jumbo shrimp, it was time to cut into the one of a kind wedding cake created by Maribelle and Ford Ellington Florist. What a team, and what a product they produced. You can see photos of it in our photo section under this wedding.

After the cake was cut and all ceremonial traditions were through, out came Mr. Ruby to sing, “I Loved Her First” to his only daughter, Britney. What a touching moment. Then, with no further ado, all at once every server came out to their table with Derby hats and sunglasses for all the guests to adorn while they were being entertained by the Blues Brothers from Las Vegas.

What a night and what a dream come true for Britney and Caleb. There were too many wonderful little touches to mention, but enjoy the video and the photos that we have to share, you can find them to the left on the home page under rave reviews. I hope they can inspire some magical ideas for your own wedding day. If not, give us a call, and we will assist you in creating those magical moments unique to your special day!

We are happy to announce that we are featured in the current, 2008 winter issue of Cincinnati Wedding, for the wedding of Britney Ruby to Caleb Miller. If you would like to read the article in full here is the link! Enjoy…

http://www.cincinnatimagazinewedding.com/weddings/article.aspx?id=19972