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!

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!

Literally, our mouths are watering right now

Can you say cutest sweetheart table ever??

This hanging decor would look ay-ay-ay-incredible in The Center.

If you haven't had enough of Cinco de Mayo wedding ideas, take a look at this blog, where the majority of these festive photos came from!

Happy Easter!

To celebrate Easter, we skimmed through Pinterest to find some great wedding inspiration. Take a look at this post filled with pastel colors, candy eggs and bunnies!

Reds Opening Day!

Happy (two days after) Red's Opening Day! While the Cincinnati Reds kicked off another season, we kicked off an Opening Day Viewing Party for business executives and professionals. Everywhere you turned in The Center you could find baseballs, turf and of course, the color red! With help from some amazing vendors, we were able to hit a homerun with this event! Take a look at some of our décor, food, and flowers for a little baseball-loving wedding inspiration, along with learning about the different services each of our contributing vendors donated!


McHale's Events and Catering

McHale's provided a delicious ballpark meal! Including the ever-so-famous coney dogs, meatballs, sandwiches, veggies and fruit! This type of food really gave off a ballpark atmosphere.

Entertainment Unlimited Events

Entertainment Unlimited provided the spandex backdrop. If you are having a smaller reception and are feeling a bit overwhelmed with how to decorate our large, blank canvas space, this type of backdrop really catches guests' eyes and easily fills our space.

All Occasions Event Rental

 

All Occasions provided the red/chevron linens and white Milano chairs and bar stools. By ordering a larger linen with a table runner, you are able to create a unique cocktail table arrangement. The chevron pattern also makes a great décor statement for those quirky brides.


A Day to Remember Wedding and Event Rental

This red leather couch and white side tables belong to A Day to Remember. Along with the red couch, this wedding and events rental company also contributed the white lounge furniture, which we spread throughout the ballroom, and the wooden bar. Completed with our dome light turned red, The Center had the perfect Opening Day touch.

The Flowerman

Taking a closer look at the center pieces, you can see The Flowerman's personal touches. What is so great about The Flowerman is that the bride and the bridal party can walk into the warehouse and create their own bouquets and flower arrangements for their big day. We think these pieces rounded out the Cincinnati Reds theme perfectly!

Tres Belle Cakes

Along with McHale's, Tres Belle Cakes provided these delicious desserts! What better way to celebrate baseball than with cupcakes, cake pops, and cookies?!

While this is not décor, flowers, or food, take a look at our view from our window! It was the perfect spot to watch the parade go by!

 

We would like to thank these vendors, along with Simply Events  and Pottinger Photography for helping us make this event a success. We could not have done it without the team of these great vendors!

 

Pictures provided by Pottinger Photography. Check out their blog post to see more pictures from this Opening Day Event.

 

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Top O' The Morning (or afternoon) to Ya! To celebrate this holiday, we are providing you with some St. Paddy's Day wedding facts you might not be too familiar with!

• Unless it falls on a Saturday, St. Patrick's Day is considered the luckiest day of the year to get married. According to Irish proverb, Saturday is the worst day of the week to get married.
• The traditional Irish bride wore a blue wedding dress instead of white. Blue was a symbol of purity in ancient times. As odd as it may seem, it is considered bad luck for the bride to wear green, as it is thought to entice the fairies.
• It was common for Irish brides to wear their hair in braids, with a ribbon or lace woven through the hairdo. Braided hair is an ancient Irish symbol of feminine power and luck.

• The Claddagh Ring is the traditional Irish wedding ring. It is a heart held by two hands with the heart topped by a crown. The hands represent faith, the crown symbolizes honor and the heart signifies love.
• Taking matter into her own hands, St. Bridget proposed to St. Patrick after complaining that girls were tired of waiting for marriage proposals from men, according to legend.

• The phrase "tying the knot" comes from an Ireland Celtic tradition, in which a man and women hold the hands of the other and wind a ribbon over the top of wrist and under the other, creating the infinity symbol.
• Giving a bell as a wedding gift is an Irish traditional that says the chime of the bell keeps evil spirits away and remind the married couple of their wedding vows. Today, many Irish brides will pass out bells to guests for them to ring when the bride and groom are "tying the knot".

Sources: http://www.yourtango.com/2013177601/things-you-didnt-know-about-st-patricks-day
http://greenweddingshoes.com/a-mythical-tune-irish-wedding-traditions/
Pictures provided by: www.Pinterest.com
http://greenweddingshoes.com/a-mythical-tune-irish-wedding-traditions/

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.