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.

Blossoms & Blooms; Flowers for the Wedding

Oh no! Your bridesmaids are carrying the flower that represents jealousy, the corsage on your mom's wrist gives off the connotation of danger and your future hubby is wearing a flower that means grief?! Stop right there! With a little help from Kaitlyn Farmer of Oberer's Flowers, we are about to provide some blooming advice on the haves and have nots of wedding flowers.

First, a little bit about the business that helped make this post possible. As Oberer's Flowers continues to grow, after 92 years in the biz, this company has a lot of flower power to share. Not only do they know what the flower trends are in Cincinnati, but they also have shops in 5 other locations, including Columbus, Louisville, and Carmel, Indiana. Whether you're the bride looking to create your own DIY pieces, or you need more of a helping hand, Oberer's is there every step of the way to make sure your blooms are rocking at the reception!

And this season, according to Kaitlyn, the rocking trends include the colors choices of blush, peach, mint green, or Tiffany blue. We have already seen so many of these colors in The Center. From Allison & Robert's (spoiler alert: you will get to see more pictures from this gorgeous wedding in an upcoming Real Weddings post! Make sure to keep an eye out for it!) to Emily and Chris's, we definitely know why these colors are trending. They make The Center look awesome!

Photograph by Amanda Donaho Photography. 

While these colors may be in full bloom, the types of flowers used in the ceremony and reception also make a statement. According to The Knot 's Complete Guide to Weddings; different flowers have different meanings. For example, Baby's Breath means "innocence," Anemone means "expectation" and Calla Lily means "magnificent beauty." Take a look of some other meanings behind flowers that are in season right as we speak!

• Carnation -- pink means "boldness," red means "love" and white means "talent"
• Chrysanthemum -- "wealth," "abundance" and "truth"
• Lily of the valley -- "happiness"
• Orchid -- "love" and "beauty"
• Rose -- red means "I love you", white means "I am worthy of you"

If meanings behind flowers are important to you, then be sure to stay away from these Negative Nancy's:

•  Lavender -- "distrust"
• Yellow Rose -- "jealousy"
• Marigold -- "grief"
• Raspberry -- "remorse" 
• Striped Carnation -- "refusal"

Although flowers each mean something different, don't let that sway your judgment. If yellow roses are your favorite flowers just because they're pretty, then by all means who cares what the meaning is and go for the rose! In Kaitlyn's words, "My best advice for choosing flowers is to go with what you want and not what other people are telling [you] to get."

Now one of the obvious ways to use flowers in the ceremony is with the bridal bouquet, but how else can you incorporate flowers into your walk down the aisle? "For the ceremony, we are seeing a lot of petals for the aisle way," Kaitlyn confessed. "Alter pieces for the Church, vases on columns in front of a gazebo or arch piece, [and] chair or pew clusters of flowers are huge right now!" Kaitlyn went on to say that garlands are also super popular right now when placed on gazebos.

Moving away from the ceremony and into the reception, there are so many center piece arrangements to choose from. Tall, small, square or round are just a few options. Kaitlyn recommends using elevated pieces for venues with tall ceilings (cough, cough The Center). She also states that using 2-3 different types of centerpieces help create definition in the room. The more tables you have, the more centerpieces you should think of using. 

"Oh jeez," is what you're probably thinking; more arrangements mean more money. Don't worry; Oberer's Flowers can make anyone's budget work, "from $200-20,000," Kaitlyn confirmed!

Want to learn more about what would look good on your big day? Contact Kaitlyn at Oberer's Flowers at weddings.oberers@gmail.com or call 513-333-7435 to get your questions answered today!

Or didn't get enough flower meanings? Check out this article from The Knot to decipher the messages your wedding flowers bring.

Pictures provided by Oberer's Flowers. 

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. 

Vendor Spotlight; Capstory

You may remember a certain past Bachelorette's engagement party we were obsessed with a few weeks back. After tweeting, blogging and instagraming about this extravagant affair, we were approached by the company who put it all together.

Meet Capstory, a photography company that allows guests to send in pictures taken throughout the bride and groom's wedding process via text. These pictures are then stored in a capsule, which are later edited and polished to create a post-wedding slideshow and a photo keepsake book. One of the coolest things about Capstory? These pictures submitted by friends and family can be projected on a live slideshow at the reception!

In the words of Capstory, "every guests' perspectives of your love story will be captured and submitted." And in the words of our BFF, Des, "When your maid-of-honor snaps photos of you getting ready, laughing, crying, hugging family, and enjoying your special day, you will want to see those moments."

We had the chance to sit down and talk with Dustin Studer, Co-Founder of this growing company, to find out more about what Capstory does and how it worked it's way to Desiree Hartsock. Check out our Q&A sesh!

Tell us a little bit about Capstory. How did the idea for this company come about?

Capstory started after we heard over and over the stories of brides wishing they had more photos from their wedding and, especially, all the events and moments leading up to that day. We've built a simple-to-use way for family, friends and guests to submit all their photos into one private place for other guests and the couple to enjoy. We like to think of it as capturing the story behind the story. We love working with pro photographers to get all the candids that they may miss and to collect the unique perspectives of loved ones.

What types of services/packages do you offer brides?

Currently, we offer one all-inclusive package for brides ($495). This package includes: a private webpage where guest content is uploaded, professional retouching of the best 120 images, 2 keepsake photo books and a video slideshow recapping the events of the wedding journey. Most exciting for brides, we include a live stream option in the capsule -- any computer hooked up to a projector or TV at the reception will show guest photos being sent in real-time! Interested brides can contact us for custom package pricing if they would like to vary these options.

What sets this company apart from any other type of photography/Photo booth company?
Capstory is based off of text-messaging, we are not another smart phone app. When your guests arrive at your wedding celebration, there is nothing for them to sign up for, nothing for them to download. As long as they know how to send a text message on their phone, they can easily share their pictures into your capsule's unique texting address (the private webpage where your pictures end up). Capstory is an excellent compliment to professional photography allowing couples to get photos from those events when the photographer isn't around (rehearsal dinner, bridal showers, dress fittings, cake tastings, etc.). This way they can capture the entire wedding journey, not just the photos from the one day.

So far, what has been your favorite part about working weddings?
The best part of working weddings is knowing that Capstory gets to enhance such a special day of our clients' lives. Our brides love Capstory, and getting to hear that feedback of how awesome this was at their event keeps us coming back to work every morning.

Any additional information you'd like our readers to know about your company?
Aside from our mentions in People Magazine and from ABC's Bachelorette, we're proud that brides can ask any of our past clients and get a great feeling for what Capstory adds to the wedding experience. If brides have any questions about Capstory, they can contact our team at "hello@capstory.em". We're excited to work together with The Center to host and remember some amazing weddings to come!

Thanks, Dustin. We're excited too! To learn more visit their website at www.capstory.comhttp://www.capstory.me/, call them at 614-416-8010, or email them at hello@capstory.me.

Photos provided by Carla Ten Eyck.

Blossoms and Blooms

Spring is in the air! And with this so are weddings, receptions, and flowers! Now that wedding season is in full bloom, we are taking the time to address some important flower tips for deciding on a bridal bouquet. To help with these tips, we spoke with Robin Buop, owner of Inspired Floral Design.

Robin started as a professional florist when she was only 16 years old. Growing up working with her mother in the garden, Robin discovered the "certain sense of happiness" flowers bring to a room. "There is definitely a passion shared among our team, we love what we do and our events reflect the love. It is like Christmas morning excitement to open the boxes of hydrangeas from Holland, orchids from Thailand, or the gorgeous blooms that are California grown," Robin said.

To reflect her and her team's passion for flowers, Inspired Floral works to design a style that portrays their client's personality. "Inspired Foral Design is best known for a natural, textured, organic style in the Cincinnati/Northern KY area." Not only do they specialize in flowers, but Inspired Floral also works with brides to create the overall atmospheric feel.

But let's get back to the bread and butter of this post, bouquet flowers. Depending on the time of the year, the flowers for your bouquet may vary. In The Queen City, according to Robin, spring's warmer temperatures bring to bloom forsythia, quince, almond, pear, peach and apple blossoms, along with tulips, daffodils, lilacs, hyacinth, ranunculus and Robin's personal favorites sweet peas, anemones and peonies.

During the summer, locally grown flowers are a must have. These include zinnia, celosia, foliage, rosemary and verbena.

As the leaves change, so do the flowers. The fall is perfect for warmer tones. "The beautiful ever changing hydrangeas from the West Coast and Holland pair beautifully with scabiosa pods, wheat, grasses, euphorbia, sunflowers, blue thistle, or kale," Robin mentioned.

Lastly, the winter brings amaryllis, ilex berries, tulips, white astrantia, orchids and dusty miller to name a few.

The weather isn't the only factor that comes into play when deciding on bouquets, a bride's wedding-day theme also influences the floral decisions. Robin told us that for the classic romance or vintage bride, it is best to combine soft ruffled flowers such as roses, peonies, hydrangeas or ranunculus highlighted by foliage. It also may include a high-petal count, a layering of floral or soft foliage. A vintage look can also be pulled off by using muted colors and soft textures.

For the urban bride, Robin says, "textures of berries, pods, and succulents softened with dahlias, mokara orchids herbs or foliage" will give off the metropolitan charm.

"The newest change in bridal flowers in the comeback of beautiful lush foliage's -- scented geranium, maidenhair and button ferns, Solomon's seal, grasses -- personally, I am elated," Robin exclaimed! "I love the framing characteristic foliage's offer to floral blooms along with a natural draping they bring to designs."

One of the last factors when deciding on your blooms is the size and shape of the bride's dress. Robin emphasized that the flowers should compliment the dress and not overwhelm the "intricate detail and style of the bridal gown" or the bride's figure. The bride's dress and bouquet are the most photographed elements of the day, aside from the bride and groom of course. So you must make sure the two go together.

Take a look at The Knot's Bouquet Glossary Guide shown below to determine what type of bouquet shape goes best with your bridal gown.

To learn more about Inspired Floral Design contact them at info@inspiredfloral.com or call them 513-370-7372.

Pictures provided by Inspired Floral Design, 1326 Studios, Nathan Peel Photography, and Loft 3 Studios.

Come on; Ask Away!

Now that we’ve shown you how you can utilize The Center as both your ceremony and reception venue, we’re here to advise what types of questions you should ask us! Deciding on a venue is one of the first wedding steps that’s going to set the tone for the rest of your planning and décor.  If you decide on a space that has flower-patterned carpet and pink walls, chances are you’re going to have to find decorations that match with this venue’s color scheme. Or if your venue has blank walls and hardwood floors, you can let your imagination run wild and choose the décor that best represents you and your groom as a couple (hint, hint).

With the venue being such an important decision (in our eyes, anyways), we decided to let you in on a couple questions you should ask that often get overlooked! We are basing these questions off of The Knot’s “Complete Guide to Weddings.” This is a 434-page book that lets you in on everything you need to know about weddings and a book we eat, sleep, and live by.

• While this first question is a bit more obvious, it's one of the most important ones to ask: is your date available? If you have one date in mind that you absolutely HAVE to get married on then you need to first ask if that date is open.
• One major question, that is important to us, is asking about the insurance policy. We require a Certificate of Insurance from every outside vendor working on our space. This acts as additional protection towards the bride and groom. While  insurance and legal structure isn't typically on the mind of every bride, it is something one should address!

 

• Always be sure to ask your ceremony venue about setting a time for your rehearsal. Often times, this wedding event gets overlooked and leaves the bride and groom in a panic when just weeks before their wedding they realize they haven't set a rehearsal time with their venue.
• The Knot also suggests asking the venue if there is a private room where the bride and groom can get away from all the hustle and bustle of their reception. With the entire spotlight on you all day, it's nice to have a place to go to and relax, even if it's for just a few minutes!

 

• Where can guests park? The Center is in the heart of Downtown Cincinnati, which many may think could cause parking problems. Don't fret! We have a number of guest-friendly suggestions for parking and we would be more than happy to recommend them to you!
• Are you able to hang décor from the walls/ceilings? While looking for your venue, you might not take into consideration the physical requirements of the décor you've been dreaming of.  Always be sure to ask us about any décor you would like in the space.

 

• You should also ask what is included in the rental fee. Make sure you have a clear understanding, prior to booking your venue, of what the venue provides and what you will need to rent from other vendors. Along with this question, you should ask how set up and tear down time works. This is often a confusing matter and we want to make sure everyone, including outside vendors you are working with, are all on the same page!
• One question that is crucial to making a reception happen is how is the alcohol going to be provided? All alcohol must be purchased through The Center on a per bottle charge. This often cuts down your alcohol cost since you do not include those who won't drink in the guest count!

Want The Center to provide detailed answers for these questions? Call us at 513-824-7274 or email us info@mcacenterllc.com. We would love to have you in for a tour!

It's All About the Invites

We've talked venues, guests lists, wedding dates and more! Now it's time to invite your family and friends to take part in this celebration! We sat down with Dirty Helen Paper Company to get all the details on save-the-dates and wedding invitations. Check out what they had to say!

The Center: Tell us a little bit about Dirty Helen Paper Company.

DHP: DHP is a custom stationery house that specializes in wedding. We create invitations, programs, thank yous, etc. all to fit your personality and your day. Imagination is the only limit! Every custom piece is designed and produced in-house using digital printing, foil, letterpress, or embossing, so the budget is customizable as well.

The Center: As more and more wedding planning is taking place online, have you seen an increase in brides asking for electronic versions of their save-the-dates or invitations to send out via email?

DHP: So far this has been uncommon in our experience. There is still something celebratory, formal, and exciting about sending paper goods through the mail. (Think about the emotion of receiving a card or invite in the mailbox - it's fun, pleasant, and heartwarming!) We do see lots of other parties or events, like showers or rehearsal dinners, with digital invitations, but brides are still choosing to invest in paper goods to welcome guests to their wedding day.

The Center: What should a bride include with her save-the-dates and invitations?

DHP: Save-the-Dates have very few standardized requirements. They are a great opportunity for expressing the personality of the couple in a fun or meaningful way. The purpose of a Save-the-Date is to give guests advanced awareness of your upcoming event so that they can plan vacation, travel, and general availability, so be sure to include the wedding date and location. Often brides include the URL to their wedding website for more information. For wedding invitations, there are formal etiquette traditions, but the rigidity has relaxed significantly over the last 10 years. It is now totally appropriate to be casual, goofy, witty, or formal and traditional in the invitation wording and style, but the basic information remains the same. Include who is inviting guests to the celebration, the date, time, and location, and instructions for how guests are asked to RSVP. Some brides include parking, accommodations, wedding website, and reception information. It still is not considered polite to include information about registries or gifts in the invitation, but that information can be placed on the wedding website.

The Center: What advice do you have for brides when creating/sending out their save-the-dates and invitations?

DHP: Before you meet with your vendor, take some time to research what you love. Check Pinterest or your favorite blogs to get an idea of what attracts you, and be sure to share that inspiration with your vendor. At your vendor meetings, bring only the people with you who will either contribute to your decision or support what you want - don't bring the whole wedding party. Also, proofread very carefully. At DHP we provide final proofs before production and use that time to be sure everything is perfect!



The Center: You briefly touched on etiquette for wedding invitations and save-the-dates, but do you have further invitation etiquette to share with brides?

DHP: Yes! No zip codes, spell out times and numbers, attire suggestions...and many more. We most often see brides get tripped up with the etiquette of addressing the envelopes. Don't be overwhelmed; we'll help you with that!

What is the most popular font type/paper choice brides are choosing these days?

DHP: Handwritten or calligraphy-style fonts are very popular. We see a lot of brides utilizing letterpress and sticking with a very simple, elegant, typography based design. Theme weddings are also on the rise, which we love! This year we've designed for a steampunk wedding, a katamari wedding, an Alice in Wonderland wedding, and more. A theme is a great way to express yourself and give inspiration to all the wedding choices you make (from décor to food, venue, and of course, printed goods!)

The Center: Thanks! Any final tips you'd like our readers to know about Dirty Helen Paper Co. or save-the-dates/invitations?

DHP: Stay as relaxed as possible during your planning season - it's a special and unique time! If you can identify specific stressors, cut them out. At DHP we want you to receive an excellent product as well as a happy experience!

Learn more about Dirty Helen Paper Company by contacting them at info@dirtyhelenpaper.com or (513) 330-6481.

Pictures provided by Dirty Helen Paper Company.

Food for Thought; Elegant Fare

Every Friday, we have decided to post a "Food for Thought' segment, where we introduce a local caterer or baker asking them to share their story and some wedding insights to our readers. This week we are taking readers on an Elegant escape as they read about one of the classiest catering companies in town, Elegant Fare.

We call this catering company “classy” because they have catered to a number of higher-end, upper-class celebrities and heads of states, including Elton John, the Dahli Lama, and US Presidents and Vice Presidents. We feel honored to have even interviewed this catering team! Let us introduce you to Nigel Chalkley, Chief Operating Officer of Elegant Fare.

Nigel explained that Elegant Fare started off as a company offering frozen dinners to businesses over 30 years ago. Today, Elegant Fare has grown into a business which caters one of the largest sporting events in the state of Ohio, the Western & Southern US Open Tennis Tournament. In 2013, this event had 185,000 attendees.

Working large sporting events isn’t the only service Elegant Fare has to offer. This company also caters towards brides’ food and planning needs. “Elegant Fare offers so much more than just the catering & services, we walk the bride through the whole process from initial contact, menu development, a tasting at our commissary with tour of kitchen and culinary departments if requested,” Nigel explained. “We have strong relationships with many of the finest events specialists and vendors in the industry from florists to limo services. We are always available to spend time with our brides to discuss their options all the way through to their event. Our knowledgeable sales associate from conception to execution of the event will be there to make sure every detail goes as planned so we can always exceed the client’s expectations.”

That’s not all! What also makes this company so unique is the fact that all staff members are hired and trained by in-house management to ensure quality. That’s right; they don’t use a temp agency for their staff!

After winning multiple awards over the years, including Best Caterer and Best Service, it’s no surprise that Elegant Fare treats its brides like queens.

 

However, every queen needs some advice every now and then and Nigel is here to offer it! “Go with what makes YOU happy,” he suggested while discussing reception food. “Select the food around your ethnicity, your theme or your personal tastes. Don’t worry too much about every other individual guest, they are there because they love you and will always have a great time and [will] enjoy what you selected for them.”

Want your guests to rave about your reception food for years to come? Contact Elegant Fare at 513-552-1340 or stop by and visit them at 2575 Commerce Blvd. in Cincinnati.

Pictures provided by Elegant Fare's Facebook.

Food for Thought; Jeff Thomas Catering

Every Friday, we have decided to post a "Food for Thought' segment, where we introduce a local caterer or baker asking them to share their story and some wedding insights to our readers. Our last "FFT" post we let Daveed's NEXT Restaurant & Catering have the mic as they provided us with a brief description of their company. This week we decided to take the same approach and gave Jeff Thomas Catering a chance to provide  us with a little snippet of why Jeff Thomas is the Man! Take a look to see what Jeff Thomas Catering had to say about their extraordinary catering company!

"Enjoying 29 years of service to the Greater Cincinnati Area, we pride ourselves with the knowledge of world cuisine and the ability to customize menus to fit our client’s needs.  Whether it is 'farm to table' with fresh local ingredients to international flair, we rise to the occasion with innovative presentation and execution.
 We acquire this knowledge by 'forcing' Jeff to travel the world experiencing world cuisine from Indian, to Vietnamese, to Thai, to the Rjjstafel of Amsterdam.  Food is our passion. Creating memorable occasions for our clients is our mission.

Under the guidance of Chef Steve Waddell, Steve is assisted by two Sous Chefs, Scotty’s forte being world cuisine including world street food and Ali, a practicing Vegan, brings vegetarian and Vegan to a whole new level.  Our Pastry Chef, Megan joins us from the The Hamptons in New York and knows world pastries from her east coast experiences.

While a Jeff Thomas Catering experience is not inexpensive, we strive to bring as much creativity to our client’s experience as the budget will allow.  Sometimes this may be achieved by our very competitive floral and rental pricing.  As you know, it’s all about the bottom line in getting the experience you want and deserve. Being able to assist in these areas many times helps our clients upgrade the culinary experience to their desirable taste level. "

Now we're starting to talk wedding! Keep reading to find out what types of services Jeff Thomas Catering provides to brides when planning their perfect day.

 

"When planning the perfect wedding, we look at many aspects and consider your day a theatrical production.  We assist and advise with the floor plan, the timeline, other vendor recommendations and more.  But most importantly, we strive to set your wedding apart from all the others you are experiencing with creative menu items and presentation."

What types of "creative menu items" is the Jeff Thomas team talking about, however?

"If we were to site a few of our favorite’s ideas and signatures, one would be our salad wrapped in grilled zucchini and layered.  This architectural visual maintains the chill of the salad and holds the dressing in the condiments so the lettuce does not wilt.  It is also a much better visual to come to the table with a pre-plated salad than a typical banquet salad.  For fall and winter weddings we often suggest a cornbread crusted soup like roasted corn chowder served with a side salad. We bake the bowls and seal the top with cornbread keeping them piping hot at the table for a good 45 minutes. And once again, your guests come to the table with a surprise.  It’s just something different from all the rest!

Probably our favorite main course is a dinner prepared in parchment paper.  Cooking with parchment seals the juices and locks in the flavor.  Everyone gets a hot meal and fast!  We once served a party of 900 this main course in 19 minutes! The show of this execution is all on the front of house and a thrill to watch.

Very few of our weddings use buffet style any more.  It’s primarily seated or stations. If stations, is your preference, we have recreated the execution of this concept.  Early years of stations saw salads station, pasta or mashed potato bars and carving. Yawn! Yawn!  Now, our staff works from back stations and pre-plate mini meals on cocktail plates or martini glasses.  Often there is also a wine, beer or cocktail pairing at the station.  It’s much more sophisticated and you spend more time at your table than at the station as we can plate the meals on behalf of your guests.

Whether seated, buffet or stations, we suggest a pre-set salad and/or soup.  This allows time for all of the necessary ceremonial components to unfold.  During this course, we suggest everything happen from the bridal intro, to the blessing, father of the bride welcome and depending on the size, the toast.  All of this should happen before the main course or station’s open.

Also, when possible, we like to serve the cake as a course by painting a full size plates with crème Anglaise and raspberry hearts and with seasonal fruit garnish. Again, this is just something different than every other reception you attend.  It feels more like a special dessert instead of 'here’s your cake.'

Another thing to keep in mind is once the cake is cut and the first dance sequence unfolds, we are servicing your guests with cake and coffee service. At this point, many of your guests have started to celebrate…. by dancing of course!  We offer a complementary coffee station with whipped cream, shaved chocolate and caramel sauce.  In the spring and summer we also offer iced Caramel latte.  In the autumn, we switch to an offering of hot cider."

These types of services allows the bride to turn her wedding day into an out-of-the-ordinary, unique, classic wedding experience. Jeff Thomas Catering provides services you didn't even know a catering company could offer! Not only do we, at The Center, appreciate all the hard work they put in with brides, they also are accustomed to flipping our space from a ceremony to a reception area in minutes!

 "The Center is one of our more favorite venues.  We are quite used to 'flipping' the reception room from ceremony to dinner.  The open cocktail reception area makes it easy for both guests and staff as we recreate the room for a whole new experience.  They also spoil us with a very equipped kitchen facility that ensures hot meals for all guests.  Just remember that at The Center, you don’t have to settle for typical wedding food. A memorable experience is part of the package."

Thanks for all the info, Jeff Thomas Catering! We always enjoy working with this wonderful company and staff!

To learn more about Jeff Thomas Catering and the services they offer, contact them at events@jeffthomascatering.com or call them at 859-291-0286.



 

Know your Style

Now that we’ve discussed how to decide on a wedding budget, who to invite to the wedding events and what day your wedding should fall on, it is time to move on to the next step of wedding planning; deciding on the theme/style of your wedding! Or in our case, "The What" of your wedding (as described in our previous post, "He Just Proposed; Now What?!")

 

With a million different linens and rental décor out there, it’s almost necessary for a bride to choose on a general "feel" of her wedding and reception. In our previous post “Friday Find” we showed you  pictures from the past bachelorette’s engagement party and immediately you get the vibe that her party was a rustic, elegant affair.  If you want your guests to walk into The Center and say “Wow! This screams Victorian Vintage!” or “It feels like I’m on a tropical island!” then you must decide on a theme!

However, keep in mind that “themes” aren’t for everyone, and it’s completely OK if you’re the bride that mix and matches a whole bunch of different ideas (these tend to be the most colorful weddings)!

We talked through a couple of different wedding style ideas with Kristen Mueller, Event Consultant of All Occasions Event Rental, to get a grasp of what types of rental items are available to brides.

These Swarovski crystal chandeliers are one of
Kristen's favorite rental items!

All Occasions Event Rental features a broad array of rental items and décor, “including tableware, tables, chairs, tenting and the largest selection of specialty linens in the area,” making it a one-stop shop for the theme-loving bride.  

 “At All Occasions, we pride ourselves on staying ahead of the trends – constantly updating our product inventory and design ideas – through frequent buying trips, our extensive connections in the rental community, membership in professional organizations and continuing professional education,” Kristen explained.

 To prove this rental company stays up-to-date on the latest wedding haps, we asked Kristen to recommend pieces that would look great for a rustic and vineyard wedding theme, a modern/contemporary wedding theme, and an elegant/glamorous wedding. Her recommendations were nothing short of amazing!

Rustic & Vineyard Wedding

"We have an amazing variety of items to choose from that are unique to All Occasions such as: our vineyard tables, chairs and stools, custom-made authentic barn wood light fixtures, bars and screens, wooden benches and barrel bars. For the tabletop, we have the perfect accents including our light blue, green or white fleur de lis china, burlap linens and runners, brown metal lanterns and jute and linen flower napkin rings - to name a few."

 

 

Modern/Contemporary Wedding

"Our sleek white or black milano chairs and stools, as well as our clear mirage chairs would be great seating options. We also carry a wide variety of linens such as our Metallic Chevron as well as many more. The Schott Zwiesel crystal glassware and Tivoli flatware would accent the table handsomely."

 

Elegant/Glamorous Wedding

"Our chiavari chairs come in a range of finishes complete with a padded cushion that comes in a variety of colors. Our crystal silver & gold napkin rings and luxurious satin napkins and linens add that special detail to the table. Damask overlays in a variety of colors, including our new blush and champagne option or our shimmering overlays like the Navy Blue Sprinkle Sequins add a layer of decadence to any table. Complete with a set of our Elegance china, cut-crystal glassware and silver-plated Vanessa flatware would make a table set for royalty."

 

 

No matter what theme/style you decide on, All Occasions is sure to have something to fit your taste! Which brings up a very important matter -- don't feel pressured by Pinterest or wedding blogs to have an over-the-top, extravagant wedding theme, instead focus on a style that is representative of your own taste and personality, as Kristen advised.

If you want to have a very simple wedding, then have a simple wedding! If you want to have each table linen be a different color of the rainbow, then go for it! It's not about what the hottest trend is, it's about what you feel comfortable with. "A wedding is an extension of the couple," Kristen added.

And you're sure to feel comfortable working with All Occasions Event Rental. All Occasions is nationally recognized as having the highest number of Certified Event Rental Professionals (CERP) of any rental company in the United States and Canada, "with nearly 100 percent of our event consultant and service staff earning this designation or working towards earning it. Plus, a large majority of our consultant and service team members have 5 years or more in the event rental business. All this translates to top-notch service for you," Kirsten exclaimed! Wow! Now this is a rental company that knows their stuff!

Are one of these wedding styles tickling your fancy? Contact All Occasions to learn what else they have to offer for your perfectly themed day. Call them at 513-563-0600 or stop in their showroom located at 10629 Reading Road Cincinnati, OH.