Elea and Scott 5-4-13

Elea and Scott were a pleasure to work with as they planned their intimate and elegant event. Both the ceremony and reception were held in The Center, with family and friends playing a major role in the couple's big day, helping with photography, music and the groom's sister even officiated the ceremony! Photography courtesy of Mikki Schaffner.

 

The Bride and Bridesmaids pictured above walking across the skywalk toward The Center

The room set for the ceremony beneath The Center's dome ceiling.

The programs for the ceremony - simple, classic, and beautiful!

 The Ceremony

 

 

Before the Reception

 

 

Getting Ready



One of the first brides to use The Center's new Powder Room. We love these images and the different angles used to capture expressions in the mirrors!

Bride and Groom

The Reception

 

Bridal Suite Unveiled

The Center underwent its third phase of renovations in March and we are beyond excited to offer the newly upgraded rooms to all of our clients.

The Bridal Suite

 Capacity: 6
Rental Fee: $500

This newly renovated suite offers a luxurious space for Brides to prepare for their wedding ceremony or enjoy a few moments of solitude before the reception. The three sided mirror and decorative wedding gown display system provide the perfect staging areas for pictures. The Center's Bridal Suite features a buffet, vanity, and comfortable seating. Located just steps away from our main ballroom, it is the perfect spot for last minute touches prior to the cermony or reception.
 

 

The Reception Room

Capacity: 23

Rental Fee: $200

 

This previously unfinished side room has been transformed and enhanced with upgraded lighting, a floating ceiling, and a newly refinished floor. This space connects to both the dome area and ballroom and can serve as an extension of the cocktail hour space or a buffet area.  

 

 

The Powder Room

Capacity: 5

Included in base rental

 

The women's restroom has been extended with the addition of the Powder Room. The lighting, modern mirrors and contemporary furniture, come together to give guests a sophisticated and elegant area to rest and refresh themselves during any event. 

 

Photography provided by Corey Stevens Photography. Website coming soon! Twitter: @coreystevens88

It's A Sign!

We had an exciting day yesterday with the installation of The Center's sign on the outside of the Mercantile Building at 115 East Fifth Street! Check out the pictures below for shots of the outdoor facade, before, during and after!

Before: A view from outside of The Center.

We transitioned from Bengals Season to Reds Season with a new banner, and the wiring for the new backlit lettering on the outside of the building was installed.

April 10th, the letters, lift, and installers arrived!

Installation in Progress!

After: There you have it! Our new Sign!!!!!

A Brief History

 

Prior to serving as an event venue, the space now called The Center, was home to the Contemporary Arts Center. The Mercantile Building, in which The Center is located, was designed by Chicago architect Harry Weese and opened in 1970. Weese is known primarily for his work designing many of the Metro stations in Washington, D.C.

DC Metro Station, Designed by The Center's Architect - Harry Weese

 

The main entrance, when the Contemporary Arts Center was in the space.

 

The Contemporaty Arts Center relocated to its free-standing building, the Lois & Richard Rosenthal Center for Contemporary Art on Sixth and Walnut in 2003 (contemporaryartscenter.org).

 

The Lois & Richard Rosenthal Center for Contemporary Art

 

The Center opened for its first event on October 1st, 2011. The space has undergone three phases of renovations over the past two years to improve the overall quality and functionality for events. We are very pleased to see the space utilized in a new, exciting way and are looking forward to sharing the most recent upgrades with you on our blog soon!

Opening Day Parade 2013

A little cooler this year than last, but Reds fans came out in great numbers for the 2013 Reds Opening Day Parade. Once again, we were able to watch from The Center's window overlooking Fountain Square! Scroll down to see what we were able to see from the west side of the Ballroom!  

 

George Foster, the Grand Marshal of the 2013 parade

Bronson Arroyo

The Vintage Reds making their way down Fifth Street

Cincinnati Circus performers

Mayor Mark Mallory

Special thanks to Corey Stevens for providing us with some great shots (much better than our cell phone images above) of the parade as well! You can find Corey on Twitter @coreystevens88

Too cute!

 

Frisch's! You have seen the new Great American Ballpark menu, right?

This space could be yours for Opening Day 2014!

The view of Fifth Street from the east side of the Ballroom. What a pretty day!

 

We'd also like to give a special shout out to our friends at ArtWorks who participated in this year's parade! It looked like everyone was having fun!