Friday, June 20, 2014

Friday Find: Bridal Fitness

We all want to look stunning in wedding photos and with that new addition on your left ring finger, there's suddenly a little more motivation. So which workout is best for you? There are so many options these days like bootcamps, gyms, and even extreme workouts like Insanity and Crossfit. No one workout is best for everyone, so we've included some suggestions below:


  • Insanity
    • 10 workout DVDs focusing on plyometrics, interval training and core work. From Alyssa's personal experience, this workout works wonders. From Laura's personal two-week experience, she would much rather be sitting in front of the TV than running in front of the TV. 
  • Crossfit
    • high-intensity workouts, constantly changing functional movements. 
  • Pure Barre
    • 55 minute in class workouts focusing on sculpting and toning your muscles
  • 30 Day Challenges
    • daily workouts for a month with several selections for just one area of your body or a full beach body focus
Grab a friend (oh hey, bridesmaids!) and get your sweat on! Always remember to listen to your body and consider working with a trainer to prevent injury. Have a workout you love that isn't listed? Let us know by commenting below! 


Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Real Weddings; Cecilia & Ryan

One of our very first weddings to kick off the 2014 wedding season at The Center was Cecilia & Ryan's. We had the honor of being the venue for this beautiful couple's reception.

Cecilia and Ryan were able to make this day their very own by focusing on the details. Their caterer, Happy Valley Dim Sum & Asian Cuisine, flew in from Atlanta to serve delicious traditional cuisine, while engagement photos of Cecilia and Ryan were displayed throughout The Center, making it a truly personal environment. Not to mention, all of their wedding pictures turned out adorable!! and we mean ah-dora-ble! They were captured by Thomas Nguyen Photography.











And if you thought it couldn't get any more precious, it can. Take a look at their video montage created by Studio 213.





Some other vendors that helped make this magical day come to life:
We wish Cecilia and Ryan a long and happy marriage!



Friday, June 13, 2014

Friday Find: Capturing the Moment

We are betting a pretty penny that Lindsey Crouch and Tae Cho of Knoxville, Tennessee are ecstatic to have crossed paths with photographer, Heather Swanner. Swanner of Birmingham, Alabama was strolling the beach after finishing a photography session when she stumbled upon a huge moment in Lindsey and Tae's lives.

http://gma.yahoo.com/blogs/abc-blogs/photographer-captures-mystery-beach-proposal-uses-facebook-save-145314924--abc-news-lifestyle.html

Swanner witnessed Tae drop to his knee to propose to his girlfriend. After seeing their family hiding behind some bushes, hoping not to spoil the moment, Swanner decided to continue on without taking any further pictures.

After getting home and viewing the proofs, Swanner realized how great of a photo she had on her hands and turned to Facebook to find the two love birds. 589 likes and 386 shares later, the picture made it's way to Lindsey and Tae who could haven't been more excited to have a photo of this precious moment.


To read more about this lovely couple, click here. Congratulations to Lindsey and Tae!

Thursday, June 5, 2014

Blossoms & Blooms: Boutonniere Cheer

We're diving into boutonniere details in today's blog post. Guys we'll give you a hint...if you're looking for a "manly" boutonniere to add to the big day, you'll want to keep reading!


While grooms understand what centerpieces and dessert tables are, boutonnieres are one of the few things that leave grooms saying "huh?" Marti Heard of Marti's Floral Designs also understands that roses, peonies, and lilies aren't very macho. 

When discussing how to create a great boutonniere Marti starts off by saying, "I recognize that men typically hate flowers and the smaller the thing is, the better." So there you have it, to impress the husband-to-be, it may be a good idea to incorporate smaller flowers in the boutonniere. 

"A rose is a bit big and boring for my taste. I just try to put it in my head 'Would I wear this and is this too big that I will constantly be looking at it out of the side of my eyes?' Yes, you will typically find me walking around my shop wearing personal flowers or carrying a bouquet to try it out for size," Marti admits. This may be why Marti's Floral Designs received the Best of Cincinnati award this past year for boutonnieres. 

Not only does Cincinnati think she makes awesome boutonnieres, but the groomsmen appreciate all the thought she puts into this tiny floral arrangement as well. "One of the best compliments ever was from a groomsman commenting on how 'manly' my boutonnieres were."

So how does she make them so manly? "Most of the time, the flowers I gravitate towards are ranunculus, succulents, craspidia, berries, and textural greens. You also have to take into account flowers that are going to stand up a bit longer. The boutonnieres have a long day ahead of them and I try to encourage ordering two for the major wedding players of the day like the groom," Marti explained. "They typically start pictures earlier in the day and they are pooped out by the time of the wedding. I try to remind people that they are flowers and flowers have a shelf life." 



Pictures provided by Mike Bresnen Photography
The groom isn't the only man of the house who gets to put a flower on his jacket. Groomsmen, fathers, grandfathers, ushers and ring bearers also get the privileged of showing off their flower pride. 

While men don't usually have a choice to skip the boutonnieres, unless they prefer to do a pocket square instead; the options for corsages are endless. Opposite from the boutonnieres, corsages incorporate large flowers in similar sizing to a rose. They can also include textured greens and berries. What's currently in style for the mothers are small posies to carry. "Let's be honest, corsages and wrislets get in the way of a beautiful dress or fabulous jewelry," Marti admitted.  

For grandmothers and other elders (including the readers, soloists, and officiant), however, stick with a traditional corsage, as this is what they're used to. "It really is a tradition," Marti said. "It marks their importance." 


From one extreme to another, the flower girl tradition of dropping rose petals from a basket is going out of style. According to Marti, many brides are now choosing pomander balls, a floral crown, or one of Marti's specialties, the purse corsage. "It is basically a flower that can be placed on any purse." This tends to be a popular choice, not only with flower girls, but with mothers and grandmothers as well.

Surprisingly, when Marti asks if a individual would like to wear flowers, most people say no. Having alternatives for corsages is a great way to bring uniqueness to the wedding, while keeping with traditional wedding flowers. 

Contact Marti's Floral Designs to get more great tips and tricks for manly boutonnieres and corsage alternatives at 513-238-2677 or email martisfloraldesign@gmail.com.

Pictures provided by Marti's Floral Designs.