Real Weddings: Ashley and BJ

In honor of Ashley and BJ's one year anniversary, which took place a few weeks ago, we have decided to use them as the couple of choice for our #RealWeddings post. We hope Ashley and BJ continue to enjoy married life and we will continue to enjoy these fabulous photos taken by Shelby Street Photography.

Vendors:

• Epitome Bartending
• Prime Time Party Rental
• The Flowerman
• Vertigo Catering
• Afterhours Entertainment DJ

Vendor Spotlight; Little Brown Dog

As you may know, every so often we interview local vendors to learn more about their company and the different services they can bring to both bridal and corporate clients alike. Well hold onto your hats because this Vendor Spotlight is about to blow you away!

Instead of providing us the answers to our questions via the traditional route (a Word document), Little Brown Dog decided to go above and beyond. Rather than explaining to us what they do, they decided to show us. And in return, we're going to show you!

Getting to know LBD from Little Brown Dog Productions on Vimeo.

Recognize this crew? They put together our previous couple, Lindsey & Matt's, wedding highlight video! To refresh your memory, we included it below. Enjoy!



Lindsey + Matt [FEATURE] 6.7.14 from Little Brown Dog Productions on Vimeo.

Want to learn more about this videography team? Visit their website here or email them at littlebrowndogproductions@gmail.com.

Friday Find: Must Reads for the Newly Engaged

When two out of three in your office are engaged there is a lot of wedding talk happening. Especially when you already work in the world of weddings! Our staff put together some of our top picks for newly engaged couples to help you not only get started on your wedding planning but also to make sure you start your marriage off on the right foot. Check out our list below!

• The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman
  
  
  
   

• The Knot Complete Guide To Weddings

• Emily Post's Wedding Etiquette

• The Knot Book of Wedding Lists

• Williams-Sonoma Bride & Groom Cookbook

• 101 Conversation Starters for Couples by Gary Chapman

And just for the groom because we would never leave him out...

• The Groom's Instruction Manual: How to Survive and Possibly Even Enjoy the Most Bewildering Ceremony Known to Man (Owner's and Instruction Manual)

• The Knot Guide for the Groom

What are some of your favorite wedding and marriage books? 

Friday Find: Wedding Live Caster

Are you a military couple? Planning a destination wedding? Or simply have several loved ones that can't make it to your big day? If so, we may have the perfect solution...

Live Wedding Caster allows you to share your big day with wedding guests that can't make it to the wedding. How? By live streaming your wedding onto a unique website that is only available for your guests, thanks to their password-only login!

Live Wedding Caster offers several packages to meet every bride's budget and wish list. DIY brides, there's even a package for you! Want to learn more? Check them out here or watch the video below.

Vendor Spotlight; TapSnap

With so many different photo booth options out there, how does a bride decide on just one?? Well, look no further. TapSnap is the hottest photo booth on the market for one particular reason, it's actually not a photo booth at all.

"TapSnap came about as a reinvention of the traditional photo booth," Bud Lehman, TapSnap 1086 Franchise Owner, said when describing this one-of-a-kind crowd pleaser. In other words, say goodbye to the "booth" in photo booth. TapSnap is an interactive, open-air design. With the choice of providing a green screen as a backdrop or not, TapSnap comes with a 42" touch-screen kiosk, allowing guests to actually draw on the image, change the background and add digital props to their pictures. Along with being able to modify your picture, TapSnap allows you to share it to social media accounts instantly. Simply tap, snap and share!

Bud explained the common wedding package includes, "One interactive TapSnap kiosk, access to standard digital props, wedding announcement/logo on each photo, unlimited lab quality prints, real-time photo sharing by email, Facebook or Twitter, wedding Facebook album shared on bride/groom's Facebook page, online gallery of all photos and a Phototainment Specialist (attendant)."

But the fun isn't just for brides, corporate and social events can take advantage of this photo experience as well. TapSnap is able to display company logos and have the green screen portray a background to further promote the event. Whether you're located in Ireland, Mexico and maybe even Puerto Rico, TapSnap is available in seven different time zones!

"One add-on that really sets the event apart is SnapCast. Our brand new SnapCast service streams photos live from the TapSnap system onto TV's and projection screens set up at your event. Promote your event hashtag to see guest pics from Instagram and Twitter too," Bud announced.

So why is it time to get rid of the old booth, and bring in the new? "TapSnap fits in with any event decor, takes up minimal space, and the open-air design makes it simple to take a picture of one guest or an entire family, while other guests have fun watching the action and sometimes, help create the final picture."

Take note, brides, add a simple message, a fancy frame, or use your and your hubby's monogram on the picture to make it an easy and quick wedding favor.

If you don't believe Bud, then believe us! The Center girls (and Alana's Fiance) tried out TapSnap at a previous ISES Cincinnati event and let me tell you, it was hard getting us away from the camera.

While our favorite part about this photo experience was definitely thinking of clever ways to pose with the digital props and booth-free space, Bud prefers the dinosaur digital props and backgrounds. "It is simply amazing some of the poses and messages guests come up with while in the clutches of a dinosaur," Bud confessed. We can only imagine what The Center staff would have come up with that night, and we think the whole ISES group would have to agree.

Thanks TapSnap for teaching us a different type of photo booth fun. You can learn more about TapSnap by visiting their website at www.tapsnap.net. Or contact Bud, who provides services in Cincinnati, Dayton, Northern Kentucky, Louisville and the surrounding areas. He can be reached at budl@tapsnap.net or 513-917-2726.

Pictures provided by TapSnap.

Friday Find; Married at First Sight

Picture from Entertainment Wallpaper

Yes, this is a real show and yes, I watched every minute of it. On Tuesday, July 8 at 9pm, I took part in watching one of the most ridiculously awkward, yet entertaining shows ever. I'm talking, when an individual marries a complete stranger.

Picture from New York Post

The new reality TV show, Married at First Sight, is about singles who are looking for love. Sounds typical, right? Wrong... so very, very wrong. In this scientific matchmaking experiment, six contestants undergo intense interview processes with several relationship experts; including a sexologist, spiritualist, psychologist and sociologist.

By the singles creating an online portfolio, allowing the experts to conduct field visits at their homes, and spending hours at a time filling out a questionnaire (no kidding, one contestant spent six hours filling this thing out), the experts hope to narrow down the 625 potential matches into three perfect couples.

But get this, the first time they meet their other half is when they are walking down the aisle. Yes, they all agreed to legally marry their scientific match the very first time they meet them. Disaster? Maybe. Trainwreck? Possibly. Great TV? Absolutely!

Since we all know our obsession with The Bachelor, we are just going to throw in that one of the contestants is a Bachelor alum, Jamie Otis.

Picture from The Knot

Of course Jamie's match doesn't know it's her until she's walking down a rose-petal walkway in a big, white gown. The contestants don't even know their partner's name until the day they say I do! Once married, the show follows them for the first four weeks of living together as newlyweds; it is then when the couple has to decide if they are going to remain married or if they are going to get a divorce.



Mad you missed the first episode? You can read the recap here. Although I missed this past week's episode (don't worry I TiVoed it), I can only imagine it was just as odd and entertaining as the last! Don't miss the third episode of the series next Tuesday on FYI!

Real Weddings; Allison & Rob

One of the many things that makes The Center so special is we are able to be the venue for both the ceremony and the reception, meaning, we get to take part in the entire day! We love following the bride as she gets ready to walk down the aisle to when she departs with her new husband at the end of the night. By being there each step of the way, we feel as if we share a certain bond with the couple as we celebrate with them for the whole day.

Allison and Robert were one of these couples. We rejoiced as they exchanged rings and danced (behind the scenes, of course) as DJ Toad started the party. Their wedding was filled with gorgeous flowers and white draping that would make any guest stare in awe. Take a look at how they were able to turn The Center's blank canvas into their very own work of art.

Click Here to Watch Allison & Robert's Wedding Highlight Video

Vendors:
John Hinger, Quince & Quinn
Goodwin Lighting
DJ Toad
Cake Rack Bakery
Eat Well Celebrations and Feasts
Fyrefly Photography
True Artists Studios

Friday Find: Olivia Palermo's Wedding

It's official! Olivia Palermo and German model, Johannes Huebl finally tied the knot after over 6 years of dating! As expected, this couple put a unique twist on their nuptials...

Notice something a little different? Palermo ditched the traditional wedding dress in favor of three Carolina Herrera separates: a cream cashmere sweater, white shorts, and a sheer satin and silk tulle skirt. Wondering about her something blue? Don't worry! She was sure to tie in the same Manolo Blahnik pumps that Carrie Bradshaw married in at her civil ceremony for the Sex and the City movie, providing the necessary "something blue" for her big day.

Only a handful of family members and a couple friends attended the quiet ceremony in a Bedford, New York park. Later, they met in New York City for a party to celebrate becoming husband and wife. Of course, this was only "part one" of the Palermo/Huebl wedding. Rumor has it the couple is planning a second celebration later this year in St. Bart's, where Johannes proposed.