Choosing the Dress

Pinterest is just great, isn't it? If you're planning a wedding, you've probably pinned dream dress after dream dress, dog-eared pages in wedding magazines, and maybe even set foot in a boutique or two. But how do you find the dress that's right for you? The length, the style, the waist, the cut... Here is a guide from B for Bel to give you a starting point to begin your search!

 



The Center Photo Shoot

A huge Thank You! to Nancy Dawson with BrideFace and Patrick Clark with Shelby Street Photography for helping update our look on www.thecentercincinnati.com. (The new headshots will be published soon, along with recent reviews and more images from our fantastic events!) Here is your sneak peak!

 



Sam, Alana, and Shannon in front of The Center

Shannon

Alana

Sam

Alana, Shannon and Sam

The Event Coordinators strike a "Charlie's Angels" pose

Gin Sling

Sure, we could have selected a drink with a cheesy, romantic name like Cupid's Cocktail for Valentine's Day, but sometimes looks are important too. The Gin Sling has color, layers, and a fun cherry garnish. It's the perfect drink to share in celebration of February 14th!

Gin Sling

Source: Huffington Post

 

Ingredients:

4-5 ice cubes

1/2 lemon, juiced

1 measure cherry brandy

3 measures gin

soda water

cherries, to decorate

 

Directions:

Put the ice cubes into a cocktail shaker. Pour the lemon juice, cherry brandy and gin over the ice and shake until a frost forms. Pour, without straining, into a hurricane glass and top with soda water.

Decorate with chrries, if liked, and serve with two straws.

The Love Songs We Love

This is not your typical Top 36 List. This is a collaborative effort brought to you by The Center's Event Coordinators. Below, you will find a list of (and links to) the songs that make us swoon... or sing outloud in our cars. No judging! The songs are color coded by Event Coordinator - can you guess whose list belongs to who?

Still the One (1976) - Orleans

I Think I Love You (1970) - Partridge Family

My Heart Will Go On (1998) - Celine Dion

Halo (2008) - Beyonce

Kiss Me (1999) - Six Pence None the Richer

Head Over Feet (1996) - Alanis Morissette

True Colors (1986) - Cyndi Lauper

Ain't No Mountain High Enough (1967) - Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell

Wonderful Tonight (1978) - Eric Clapton

Iris (1998) - Goo Goo Dolls

Chasing Cars (2006) - Snow Patrol

Your Song (1970) - Elton John

Breathe (1999) - Faith Hill

Can't Help Falling in Love (1961) - Elvis Presley

I Will Always Love You (1992) - Whitney Houston

God Only Knows (1966) - The Beach Boys

The Book of Love (1999) - The Magnetic Fields

Unchained Melody (1955) - Righteous Brothers

Fields of Gold (1993) - Sting

Heaven (1985) - Bryan Adams

Have a Little Faith in Me (1987) - John Hiatt

Everything I Do (I Do it for You) (1991) - Bryan Adams

Faithfully (1983) - Journey

I Could Not Ask for More (1999) - Edwin McCain

Amazed (1999) - Lonestar

A Love Song (1973) - Jimmy Buffett

Wonderwall (1995) - Oasis

Whatta Man (1993) - Salt N Peppa

Friday I'm in Love (1992) - The Cure

I Swear (1994) - All 4 One

I Don't Want to Miss a Thing (1998) - Aerosmith

I'll Make Love to You (1994) - Boys 2 Men

All My Life (1997) - KC & JoJo

Bring it on Home (2005) - Little Big Town

Signed, Sealed, Delivered (1992) - Stevie Wonder

Safe and Sound (2011) - Capital Cities

Dandy Shandy

The Dandy Shandy - a fun and easy winter cocktail! And it certainly doesn't hurt that it's fun to say too!

 

Dandy Shandy

Source: Better Homes and Gardens

 

 

Ingredients:

4 Ounces of Good Quality Dark Stout or Porter Beer (or nonalcoholic beer)

4 Ounces of Chilled Ginger Ale or Ginger Beer

 

Directions:

Place dark stout in a serving glass and top with ginger ale.

 

What's in a Name?



"What's in a Name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." - William Shakespeare

 



Keeping your last name? Hyphenating? Changing your last name? Assuming an all new identity? The last option may be a little extreme, and would certainly involve a lot more work than we are going to cover in this blog post, but if you are considering changing your last name after tying the knot, here's what you need to know!

You need your marriage license, before you change your name. Click Here for details on how to get your license. Your license will either be mailed to you or you can call the clerk's office where it was filed. (The Knot)

Fill out an application for a new Social Security card (you can do this by visiting the Social Security website).

Change your Driver's License. Your local DMV can help you with this, but you will need to have your old license, your marriage license, and your NEW Social Security card with you.

After you've done these official things - you'll also need to inform the following organizations/people of your name change:

- Bank Accounts
- Passport Office (This update may take 4-6 weeks, so keep that in mind if you're planning to travel)
- Employers/Payroll
- Facebook (You know it's not official until you've done that!)
- Electric and other utilities
- Schools/Alumni Associations
- Credit Cards
- Doctors' Offices
- Mortgage Company
- Voter Registration
- Investment Accounts
- Attorney (for legal documents)

Harbaugh Bloody Sunday

In preparation for Super Bowl Sunday, we bring you the Harbaugh Bloody Sunday. We will also take this convenient opportunity to remind you that The Center is available for events of all kinds, and briefly switch to the upcoming baseball season to point out that we have an amazing view of the Reds Opening Day Parade: Click Here. (As you well know, advertising is a large part of Super Bowl Sunday, so consider that a warm-up for shameless plugs.)

Back to football, shall we? Brothers Jim and John Harbaugh will face off in an unprecedented match as the coaches of opposing teams. Only one will walk off the field a winner. Cue the dramatic music and make sure you have a good two hours to prepare this signature drink for your party!

Harbaugh Bloody Sunday

Source: About.com Cocktails

 

 

Ingredients:

4 ounces Jalapeno-Infused Camarena Silver Tequila

(Make this by steeping a sliced fresh jalapeno pepper in 1 cup of Camarena Silver Tequila for two hours, and then remove the slices by straining the mixture. The peppers will add flavor to the tequila quickly so feel free to shorten the amount of time the peppers steep according to taste preferences.)

3 ounces fresh-squeezed blood orange juice

1 ounce fresh lime juice

2 ounces Cointreau orange liqueur

Blood orange peel for garnish

 

Directions:

Combine the jalapeno-infused tequila, blood orange juice, lime juice, and cointreau in a cocktail shaker.

Fill the shaker with ice, shake, and strain into a glass.

Garnish with the blood orange peel.