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.

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. 

Friday Find: Happy 4th of July!

It's almost 4th of July, so let's throw a party! Check out some of our favorite inspiration (from Pinterest, of course!) to get you ready for the long weekend!

Friday Find: #FashionByMayhem

In case you haven't heard, paper dresses are the new must have! Just kidding, but this cute little girl from the Cincinnati area and her mom are really taking paper fashion to the next level! Just take a look for yourself...

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Fashion by Mayhem was introduced after Mayhem and her mom, Angie Keiser, started creating their own dress-up clothes for playtime. Now, #FashionByMayhem is trending on Instagram and all over the internet.

 

We first found out about this duo here, but be sure to check out their website to learn more about this fashionable toddler. 





Friday Find; How to...

Yes, we know Opening Day was a little over a month ago but we are still obsessing over our Opening Day Viewing Party! The flowers, the food, the décor, EVERYTHING was great! And as our treat to you, we wanted to show you how to create your very own Pinterest-inspired baseball center pieces. Batter up!

• It all starts with an empty, square vase. The Flowerman donated these vases to us and we couldn't be more appreciative! The vases we used were 5x5 but feel free to make them as big (or small) as you'd like.

• Fill the vase halfway with peanuts. These can be found at your local Sam's Club or Walmart.

• Cut a portion of turf into a square to fit your vase. While you may be able to buy turf at Home Depot, we purchased ours from a past bride and groom! They used the display (pictured below) for their escort cards arrangement. We love staying connected with The Center's previous brides and grooms and buying this turf from them was a great way to catch up. Thanks, Alex and Tom!

• You can then use a hot glue gun or masking tape to place a ribbon in between the peanuts and the beginning of the turf. This hides where the peanuts stop and where the turf begins.

• Lastly, place a baseball on top of the turf and there you have it! A home run for the baseball-loving bride!

Kentucky Derby

In case you didn't know, it's Derby Weekend! We couldn't be more excited at The Center and wanted to share some ideas for your Kentucky Derby party!

Appetizers - Kentucky Hot Brown Bites

 They are to die for! Find the recipe here.

Cocktails - The Mint Julep

Mint Juleps are a MUST for your Derby Party and are super easy! All you need is:

2 cups sugar

2 cups water

Sprigs of fresh mint

Crushed ice

Early Times Kentucky Whisky

Derby fashion

Derby Décor

Vendor Spotlight; Milk & Honey

This week we are proud to turn the spotlight on a new rental company in town; let us introduce you to (drumroll please) Milk & Honey Event Styling & Rentals!

 

Branching off from Cincy Event Planning, Julie Schmidt decided it was time to create a company that focuses on offering a broader selection of rental items; thus welcoming Milk & Honey into the wedding world. However, this isn’t your ordinary rental company; Milk & Honey specializes in providing vintage and antique items.

“From photographers who want to rent a piece for a photo shoot to brides who want to have vintage china for guests, we can accommodate all of those needs,” Julie explained.

 

 

With a large range of items, including glassware, china, décor pieces, statement furniture and so on, Milk & Honey understands that it may be hard for some to pick out and visualize what pieces will be needed for their entire event. Since not everyone has the interior decorating gene, Julie and the staff of Milk & Honey will work with you to be your designer insight. 

“We’ll create visual inspiration boards to share with your team of vendors and help you select the perfect décor pieces to [send] your event over the top,” Julie said. “We can also come to your event and style/set up the items you have selected along with your own personal pieces or other rental items.”

In fact, the Milk & Honey interior creative geniuses have already provided The Center with a couple of pieces including their vintage pub chairs, which were displayed in our venue during a beer tasting event. Julie also stated that M&H's plates and serving pieces would provide The Center with "visual interest to create a show stopping display" for those dessert tables. Keep that in mind, future brides of The Center!

If, after raiding the Milk & Honey closet, you still don’t feel like you have the perfect piece for your perfect event, don’t fret; the M&H staff will start to do the searching for you. Julie explained that by letting the Milk & Honey team hunt down pieces the bride wants, it helps the bride find items that work with her event minus the hassle of figuring out what she’s going to do with the pieces afterwards.

However, we believe you won't have any trouble finding a one-of-a- kind item for your event at Milk & Honey! Julie even had a hard time deciding which piece of furniture for rent was her favorite. She finally picked the chevron sideboard, which she described was a “labor of love," since she created this from a piece she found at an auction... but then she also added that she loved the blue sideboard with a floral arrangement created by Marti’s Floral Designs for a dessert table. We can't blame her for having a hard time deciding between the two, they're both beautiful items! “We’re constantly adding more pieces, so I’m sure if you asked me in a month, I’ll have another favorite,” Julie admitted.

With all these unique items available for rent, what is a bride to do!? Julie gave some final advice for brides who may be a bit intimidated and unsure when it comes to decorations. “If you can’t find what you are looking for, don’t give up. We can help you locate the perfect piece or give you ideas on how to bring your vision to life. Be true to yourself and don’t worry what ‘everyone else’ is doing.”

Great advice, Julie! Contact Julie and the rest of the Milk & Honey team to help you create something spectacular at (513)673-2300 or email them at info@milkandhoneyrentals.com.

Pictures provided by Milk & Honey Lookbook and Julie Schmidt.

Congratulations Meghann + Dustin! 08/10/2013

Congratulations to one of our wonderful couples on their recent wedding! Meghann and Dustin held their ceremony and reception at The Center on August 10^th , 2013. This DIY Bride and Groom really let their personality shine with all of the personal details they added to their wedding. Michelle with Blue Dahlia Events, helped pull all of the playful details together, showcasing the fun-loving couple.

 

Meghann put together the backdrop for their ceremony using different strands of fabric. The backdrop was also used to frame the doors of the reception hall once the ceremony was finished and a portion used for a photo booth backdrop.

 

One of our favorite features of this wedding was the custom-made wedding paper set. Guests were greeted with silhouettes of the couple on the seating chart. Matching table numbers and menu cards could be found throughout The Center.

Leading up to the special day, Meghann and her family collected brightly colored mismatched vases to showcase the cheery mix of flowers from Two Little Buds Florist. Yellow Chevron runners featured from Prime Time Party Rental, and festive string lights from Party Pleasers tied the playful event details together.

 

 

Guests enjoyed a delicious meal provided by McHale’s Catering and yummy Cake from Bonomini, as they danced the night away with tunes from Party Pleasers. A photobooth by Ohh Snap! allowed guests to  discover their creative sides while posing with friends and family. Jeff Hill Video and Luna+Lou captured the exciting day on video and film.

 

Thank you Meghann, Dustin and your families for keeping us laughing throughout the planning process. You two are truly a joy to be around and we wish you the best for years to come.

 

For more details on Meghann and Dustin’s big day, we’ve included a vendor list below and a link to our Facebook page.

 

 

Meghann and Dustin’s Vendors:

·         Wedding Coordinator: Blue Dahila Events

·         Venue: The Center

·         Photographer: Luna+Lou Weddings

·         Videographer: Jeff Hill Video

·         Florist: Two Little Buds

·         Catering: McHales

·         Baker: Bonomini

·         DJ: Party Pleasers

·         Rentals: Prime Time Rentals, All Occasions, Advantage Tent Rental

·         Photobooth: Ohh Snap!

·         Hair: Swayne on Main

·         Makeup: Brideface

 

Themed Wedding Inspiration - Whimsy

Looking for some decoration inspiration? Look no further! In honor of The Center's blank canvas space, we will be highlighting themes that would go over beautifully at our venue over the next week.

Whimsy

 

You are joyful and whimsical and you want everyone to share in your peace and happiness.

 

Picture this: The lights of Fountain Square are dancing outside of the ballroom window, while inside your guests delight in your bouquets of bright, mismatched florals, your table of petite sweets, and your lights twinkling in strings above the dance floor. The colors and lights play along the walls of the ballroom, while your guests enjoy a signature cocktail in the ambient dome room, below a dome lit with a gorgeous shade of your choosing.

 

 Wedding at The Center

 

Wedding at The Center 

 

Photography credit - Melissa Jill (Pinterest find) 

Image from 100layecake.com