The Center: May 2014

Saturday, May 31, 2014

Friday (or Saturday?!) Find: Best. Proposal. Ever.

Best. Proposal. Ever.

Not only did Jack Hyer know he was going to marry his now-fiance, Rebecca, after their first date (swoon), he also spent four years creating the perfect proposal video. While traveling through 28 countries, he video taped himself singing the song "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" by The Proclaimers to, literally, proclaim his love. In case you were wondering if it could get any more precious, it can. After Rebecca watches the video, Jack says to her "I've been on many adventures. I've traveled on elephant, on camel back, hiked to the lowest point on the earth and I've gotten to see some of the highest. But the best adventure I've had is loving Becca." We can't take the cuteness!

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Wedding Day Survival Kit

To kick off wedding season at The Center, we're sharing a helpful tip to make sure your wedding day goes off without a hitch. Bridesmaids, listen up! With the emotions of the big day and the forgetfulness of those lovely groomsmen, the wedding day survival kit will most likely fall under your responsibility. We are here to help with the planning so you won't forget a thing.

http://swatchbookweddings.com/21-items-wedding-day-emergency-kit

Additional Suggestions:

Chalk (to cover up any last minute smudges or smears on your wedding dress)
Corsage pins
Dental floss/toothpicks
Extra earring backs
Ponytail holder
Hem tape/double sided tape
Matches/lighter
Tweezers
Cell phone charger
Comb/brush
Cash (because you never know)
Linen handkerchief
Makeup (for touch-ups)
Nail file
Perfume
Tampons/sanitary napkins
Mouthwash
Superglue
Razors
Dental Floss
Chapstick./Lipgloss
Baby Powder
Q-Tips
Hand sanitizer
Baby wipes
Clean & Clear Oil Absorbing Sheets
Pens/Markers for the guestbook
Wedding day timeline and list of emergency contacts

What are some of the essentials for your wedding day survival kit?

Friday, May 16, 2014

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...

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.

Thursday, May 15, 2014

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.

Friday, May 9, 2014

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!

Monday, May 5, 2014

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

With two events under our belt from this past weekend, we are in the partying mood! And what better way to express our party mood than by providing you with some great Cinco de Mayo event ideas? Once again, we thank one of our favorite wedding sources, Pinterest!