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; 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!

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. 

• Bridal Bootcamps
• Offered through The Knot in 12 DVDs with 8 workouts on each 
• Offered locally in gyms, like at Blushing Brides Bootcamp in Cincinnati

• 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! 

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.

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!

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.

One-stop Wedding Shop

While stepping into our 15,000 square-foot, hardwood-floors, blank-walls venue, one may get a bit overwhelmed; there’s a lot of ground to cover! To utilize this space, most brides envision their reception taking place in our Ballroom, with a cocktail hour in our Dome Room. However, this isn't the only set-up option available. We want brides to remember that The Center can host your ceremony as well! By providing you with a number of different ceremony set-up possibilities, we're hoping to show how you can transform our space into a one-stop ceremony & reception shop! 

*Note* These drawings are not to scale! Although, I am impressed with my Paint skills.*

First up, the Dome Room:

 

 

Just to clarify, the blue dots are chairs and the black square is where the bridge and groom will say "I Do." This set up can be used if you would like to have a smaller, more intimate wedding. The smaller size of the Dome Room makes a ceremony really personal. One past bride (shown above) brought in a riser for her and her groom to stand on so her guests could get a better view of her perfect day. She was then able to enter through The Center's main double doors for her grand entrance.

Utilizing the Dome Room in this way allows the bride to fit more guests comfortably. This is for those who still want an intimate ceremony, yet invited more guests. The bride will then be able to enter from one of our side rooms to walk down the aisle.

Now, the Ballroom:

For the bride who wants to incorporate downtown Cincinnati into her wedding ceremony, walking down the aisle toward our huge window that looks out to Fountain Square would be the perfect place for you! If you're not so much a fan of the city, but want your ceremony to be overflowing with natural light; then use a floral arrangement to block the city view (shown above) and call it a day! 

Or have your bride and groom be The Center of attention by having your ceremony right smack dap in the middle of the Ballroom. By draping off a section of the space, you are able to have a portion of your reception room already set and ready to go! That way, all you have to do after the ceremony is escort your guests to the Dome Room for cocktail hour and have your event planner move everything out from behind the draping to flip the space into a gorgeous reception venue!

Like what you're seeing? Call 513-824-7274 or email us at info@mcacenterllc.com to schedule a tour today!

 

Friday Find

We have been obsessing over past bachelorette Desiree Hartsock's engagement party all week! Her party was overflowing with elegance, with a dash of rustic charm.  As our treat to you, we decided to put together a couple of our favorite pieces from the night! You're welcome, reality TV lovers!

 

 

 

How awesome would these vintage furniture pieces look in The Center?? It would really bring our ballroom to life! We have our fingers crossed that Des will choose The Center for her reception (After much time spent stalking her blog, we discovered her parent's live in Ohio, so it could happen!)

This extravagant event was put on by Capstory. See the rest of the pictures by visiting Desiree Hartsock's blog!

Added Note* Desiree favorited the tweet we posted about this! No, I am currently not screenshotting it and sending it to all my friends. ;)

Pictures credited to Desiree Hartock's blog and Carla Ten Eyck Photography.

The Date to Say "I Do"

Do you envision walking down the aisle next to a garden bed filled with freshly bloomed flowers? Or taking pictures in front of a large Christmas tree? Or how about having pumpkins placed as centerpieces at your reception? Whatever your dream wedding consists of, we’re going to bet the time of year you have this extravagant affair is going to affect most of the wedding decisions. In planning a wedding, timing is everything, which is why we wanted to offer some tips to brides deciding on the perfect day to say "I do."   

Dora Manual, Owner of Viva Bella Events, was kind enough to give us advice on how brides should go about picking their wedding date. Viva Bella Events, meaning “beautiful life”, is a boutique event planning company. “We specialize in weddings and corporate events, and believe in bringing our client’s vision to life while making each guest feel celebrated and valued,” Dora told us. "We strive to make each detail of a wedding meaningful!"
 

As the founder of this highly-established company, whose staff specializes in providing each client with best-in-class, personal service, we have no doubt that the helping hand Dora extends out to brides is a useful one.

She started our interview off by saying what makes a wedding so unique is each bride having different personal tastes and hopes for her dream day. However, these hopes and dreams may lead to some restrictions when it comes to picking her date.  

“If a bride really has her heart set on an outdoor wedding where she walks down an aisle among the trees to meet the man of her dreams, there are obvious weather considerations for picking a date (not January!),” Dora explained. Along with the weather, a bride may base her wedding around a particular season and wants her big event to reflect the feelings and colors of that time of year, Dora mentioned. "If a bride is picturing a wedding overflowing with flowers, she could be a Spring bride!"

A soon-to-be-Mrs. also has to decide how high the venue is on her “need” list. If you have a particular venue in mind and only want to celebrate your wedding in this specific facility, then you may have to be a bit more flexible when it comes to what day your wedding can fall on. “It really comes down to personal preference, the availability of venues and of course, what is in a bride’s dream,” Dora exclaimed!

Ceremony held in The Center

 

The timing of holidays also plays a major role in deciding on the date. If you choose to have your wedding on a national holiday, then you may have to be prepared for some bumps and bruises during your wedding planning process.  Not only could travel plans for guests be difficult around the holidays, but your wedding will forever be connected to the implication behind that holiday. This could either be a good or bad thing for brides. “Holidays are for celebrating, so it’s up to the couple if they want to always associate the wedding with the meaning behind a specific holiday,” the Viva Bella owner explained.

While it is not too common for a wedding date to have a deeper meaning behind it, Dora mentioned that “from time to time, a sentimental date works out and brides are able to plan the celebration around a meaningful anniversary. I have had a bride who did get married on her grandparent’s and parent’s anniversary.” All together now, “Aweeee!” “If there is a particular date that you have your heart set on, the bride should start planning ASAP!”

Another thing to consider when picking the date is if your local sports team is playing that day. “We’ve seen receptions where everyone was so distracted by getting score updates that they didn’t fully engage in celebrating the newlyweds,” Dora mentioned. Although, we do have to admit, it is pretty cool to have your reception in The Center on a night the Reds are playing, since you can watch the game from our window on the big screen located in Fountain Square.

While there are some restrictions when deciding on a date, most of the time this step in the planning process can be the least stressful one to take! There are so many dates to choose from (365 days to be exact!). This even includes weekdays, as Friday night weddings are becoming increasingly more popular and have one major perk. “Having your wedding on a weekday could be significantly less expensive for the Bride and Groom and their guests,” Dora pointed out.

Another way to save some money is to have your wedding in the winter, as dates in January and February tend to be less expensive since they are not in the height of wedding season (May through October).

Whatever date you choose to make, Dora mentioned that it’s important to collaborate with your family members to make sure the most important people to you can be by your side. No matter if your wedding is in the summer, fall, winter, or spring, if you hire event coordinators, such as the Viva Bella team, you can bet your big day will happen just the way you envisioned it, “or even better,” Dora chimed in!

Learn more about how Dora and Viva Bella Events strives to make your event an "inspiring and engaging experience that no one will soon forget" by contacting Viva Bella Events at 513-871-0077 or email them info@vivabellaevents.com.

Pictures provided by Viva Bella Events.

Congratulations, Alana!

Another staff member of The Center is engaged!! Congratulations, Alana! I (Laura) could not be more excited to get to watch, not only one, but two of my coworkers plan their weddings! We wish Alana and her now fiancé, Kyle, the very best! Take a look at these pictures (and video!) from their big proposal.

 

 

 

 

 

Kyle sang "I Wanna Grow Old With You" by Adam Sandler to pop the question, how cute!
 

 

Here we go to the Bridal Expo!

Get ready, Cincinnati Brides; The Center is going to be showcasing our work at the Bridal Expo on February 9^th! This event, hosted by Claiborne Productions, is taking place in the Grand Ballroom on the second floor of the Horseshoe Casino.  Among the midst of caterers, photographers, rental companies and more; The Center's staff will be there to help you through the process of booking the perfect venue for your big day!

We spoke with Tracy Claiborne, Owner of Claiborne Productions, to get the deets on what brides can expect walking into this wedding wonderland. But before we get into the nitty-gritty detail, she explained what Claiborne Productions is all about.

Having produced Bridal Expos in Dayton, Cincinnati and Columbus for the past 12 years, Tracy exclaimed that “’Bridal Shows’ are our business!” While many bridal shows are put on about once a year by a wedding professional hoping to promote their own business, Claiborne Productions focuses on showcasing a variety of vendors so that couples can engage and interact with every type of wedding expert to find the ones that best fit their needs. And in eleven days, Tracy and the rest of the Claiborne Productions team, will welcome brides of Cincinnati to attend an 11am– 4 pm wedding extraordinaire featuring over 80 of the area’s best wedding professionals including photographers, videographers, DJs, caterers, reception sites (Like us!), gown stores, tuxedo stores, invitation companies, cake designers, florists and much, much more!

Tracy filled us in on what a new bride-to-be can expect when entering through the Casino’s doors. After parking in the Casino’s Garage (for free we might add!), purchasing a ticket and picking up a Program Index listing all the companies present by category, brides are able to walk through the room and talk to each vendor. “It is a great place to see their products, taste samples, get ideas and actually meet the owners of these companies,” Tracy said.

Tracy then gave us some surprising advice when approaching each vendor. She said for brides to not solely focus on the price! Instead put the dollar sign dilemma on the back burner for a little and take into consideration each vendor’s personality and how you can see yourself working with them.

“[The Bridal Expo is] a great place to compare vendors to see what one offers over another. For example, there will be several DJ’s; look at the packages, see what they include and also talk with the DJ [to] make sure you like his/her personality and trust that you can work with them. There will be several photographers; each photographer has their own style and artistic abilities. Look at their photos and see what style you prefer. Don’t just look at the price but see which one you think will best capture your wedding the way you want." 

If your mouth is running dry from talking to all the vendors, sit down, take a break and enjoy one of two fashion shows taking place throughout the day. The first show starts at 12:30pm with the other one starting at 2:30pm. Both of these shows will display the same items so if you missed the first one, you can attend the last one and not miss a beat! During these 30 minute fashion shows, you will get the chance to scope out wedding gowns and bridesmaids dresses.

What’s in it for the groom at this Expo, you may ask? During the fashion shows, there will be tuxedos displayed so your hubby can get some ideas of his wardrobe for the big day. Still not convinced he will be over-the-top excited to come? Tracy explained, during the first Bridal Expo hosted at the Horseshoe Casino (this is going to be their second show at this space), the groom, family and friends of the bride loved the venue. “Not only could they attend the Bridal Expo but they could go downstairs and gamble or catch lunch/dinner at one of the Casino Restaurants,” Tracy confessed. “We saw grooms and groomsmen hanging out at the Bridal Expo for a while and then [go] downstairs to try their luck on the Slots. It is a fun day for all and can make your planning easy.”

Now that you know this will be an event that offers something for everyone, purchase your tickets for $3 per person online at ohiobridalexpos.com or wait to purchase them at $8 per person at the event. Tracy reminded us that only cash and checks will be accepted at the door and you must 21 years of age to attend. So come stop by our booth and say hello! We can’t wait to see you there!

Pictures provided by Clairborne Productions and Ohio Bridal Expos Website .

The Center's Scoop: Why we Think Cincy is the Place to be!

“Tri-state County,” “Greater Cincinnati,” “Cincy,” “The Nasty Nati,” whatever you choose to call Cincinnati this is one of the greatest places on earth (in our opinions). Even if you’re an out-of-towner, you will feel at home in this city right on the river. There are great places to shop and eat, along with beautiful buildings to visit. Not a city-goer? The Kentucky atmosphere gives off that southern livin' feel, while Cincinnati offers acres of land away from the river.

Why are we suddenly becoming Cincy advocates, you may ask? We believe this is a great spot for you and your groom to celebrate your wedding day. As a newly engaged bride, some of the first decisions you have to make focus on where your ceremony and reception are going to be located, as explained in our previous post, “He Just Proposed, Now What?!".  So, we decided to sit down and ask ourselves, why would Cincinnati make a great wedding destination? Our answers were endless! Check it out!


Laura: Since I am a newby to Cincinnati, I was fascinated to learn how many historic buildings and brilliant architecture this city has to offer! One of the first landmarks I was introduced to when I made my across-Ohio move, from Akron to Cincinnati, was Fountain Square. On my first couple of days working here, I heard so many brides excite over how they can see the square from our building so of course I went home and Googled (I Google everything) to find out the history behind this space.  Did you know the square replaced a butcher's market and the fountain used to face east towards Europe, where much of the city's population originated from? (You can also see the fountain in the opening credits of "Ghost Adventures"- I didn't have to use Google to figure that one out!) In my opinion, this area is the perfect place to add a touch of history to a modern day wedding!  

Alyssa: The great thing about Cincinnati is that not only does it offer unique architecture, as Laura mentioned, but it is also offers your out-of-town guests plenty of entertainment. Out-of-town guests put a lot of effot (and expense) to share your big day with you, so it's your job to help make them feel welcome in your town. Cincinnati has a long list of "must-see" tourist attractions that you can share with your guests, but a few of our favorites include:

• Cincinnati Zoo - perfect for your out-of-town guests with children that may require some entertaining earlier in the day.
• Cincinnati Reds/Cincinnati Bengals - Of course the team depends on the time of year your wedding takes place, but a sporting event could be the perfect way for your sports loving guests to end their weekend away from home.
• Fountain Square - Not only is this a great place to capture wedding photos, it also offers a place for your guests to grab lunch, shop, or grab a few drinks before your wedding celebrations get started.
• The Banks - What better way to continue the party then designating a go-to bar at The Banks? For your guests that don't want to stop the party just yet, designate a bar to meet up at once your reception has ended. The Banks offers something for everyone, so we're sure you'll find just the right spot.

Tell your visitors about any free time they'll have, and make sure they are aware of Cincinnati's entertainment, like our list above. Having a wedding website makes this extremely easy to share with your guests ahead of time and gets them excited for their weekend away.