Wedding guide

Y T I C s g n i d d e W

Some things last forever

Fall Wedding feature 2013

Quarterly guide where local brides share their weddings, tips and favorite vendors with our readers.

Keri & Jason

From wedding dress to wedding cake and everything in-between, we walk through one perfect day with

AUGUST 17, 2013 St. Rose Church

The Gown Shop I can’t recommend Stacy Fork and The Gown Shop enough. Located in Ann

Arbor, The Gown Shop has a vast selection of beautiful gowns from exclusive designers. I originally thought I would be trying on at least 50 dresses, but I found my dream gown after six! Stacy was able to communicate with me and figure out exactly what I liked. I knew when tears came to her eyes after I put on my gown that this was the one. I left The Gown Shop wishing that every bride could have the same experience that I did. My bridesmaids came with me to help pick out accessories, and I loved that they were able to be a part of the experience. My dress was a dream come true, and I have Stacy to thank for that. See display ad page 31

THE REGISTRY

Sheffield Road

I was so excited to register at Sheffield Road—I had been eyeing the “Vietri, Incanto White” dinnerware ever since shopping there for a friends wedding. I also fell in love with the timeless Beatriz Ball solid silver frames, which I can’t wait to fill with my wedding photos. I loved the frames so much that I ended up buying one for each of my bridesmaids!

See display ad page 36

www.toledocitypaper.com

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Belle Amour Bridal They provided the dresses for the bridesmaids and flower girls—all Bill Levkoff Chiffon dresses, but the bridesmaids picked different styles that were flattering to each of them.

They were all the same color, Petal Pink. See display ad page 36 Cont. on pg. 30

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Bridal Makeup by Natalie.

Nobody in the area does makeup quite like Natalie Pohercki. She is one of the few local make-up artists who uses the airbrush technique “It should look natural,” she said, “like your everyday self with enhancements of your features.” One of Jason’s biggest fears was that my makeup would be overdone and that he wouldn’t be able to recognize me.

Bridal Makeup by Natalie assured me that this wouldn’t be the case.

I looked like myself, just smoother and bolder, which made the groom very happy. See display ad page 32

Soto Loft & Signature Spa

This was an ideal place to start the morning—we had a center table in the salon where the bridesmaids could snack on bagels and sip on mimosas.

They managed to get 7 bridesmaids, my mom and myself all done in just an hour and a half. Soto had all hands on deck that morning. Senior Stylist Mary Wilson, who created my updo, did a fantastic job. I didn’t want something puffy and prom-esque. She really nailed the style I envisioned for me and my bridesmaids. See display ad page 36

Showcase Video Productions

Having a videographer record my wedding was a top priority from the start.

The ability to see the day through the eyes of a guest is something that can’t be captured any other way. Aaron and his team are great because they have multiple package options to choose from. See display ad page 30

In Bloom Flowers and Gifts My budget for flowers was relatively small and I didn’t want a ton of flowers

everywhere, just simple touches that would look graceful and elegant. I received a great recommendation to use In Bloom. They are creative and think outside the box—which is exactly what I wanted! I showed Kendra a few images of the floral style that I liked, and told her I wanted the flowers to look like they were fresh-picked from the garden. She had great ideas on how to incorporate that into the centerpieces while considering my budget and preferences. See display ad page 33

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Considering Lilies

Kim is one of the most experienced photographers in the area, and she came highly recommended by other wedding professionals. After looking at samples of her work, I knew that she was the one who I wanted to capture our day. She makes her clients feel comfortable, talks over plans in advance and takes phenomenal pictures. Kim doesn’t charge by the hour, which was a relief considering my wedding started at 11am and ended at 11pm. She always reassured us, “I’m yours for the day, just tell me where to be and when.” Jamie, a second photographer working with Kim, was amazing as well. See display ad page 36

THE CAKE

Eston’s

We knew that Eston’s would be doing our cake right from the get-go. My husband isn’t even a “cake guy”—and he devoured the samples I brought home to him.

We loved every flavor, but finally narrowed it to three (key lime, lemon-berry and white). I recommend trying every flavor—you won’t be disappointed! Not only do they taste amazing, but they look picture perfect too. I wanted fresh flowers as a topper, and they worked directly with my florist to iron out the details for me.

The cake tasted amazing and they were a pleasure to work with.

See display ad page 35

Decorative Sound

DJ’s do more than just play music—they are primary hosts of your reception.

Michael Baginski of Decorative Sound did an outstanding job in all aspects of the night. He even asked me ahead of time what my bridesmaids’ dress color was, because he wanted to match their dresses with his tie and pocket square.

He brought a great vibe and energy with his personality, and the dance floor was packed! Jason and I are big dancers, so it was great that we were able to do a lot of visiting with our guests without having to leave the dance floor.

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Uppercase Design I took a lot of ideas from Pinterest, which was

one of the details that greatly interested Jason. Kelly sat down with us to figure out each of our likes and dislikes. She came up with a custom design incorporating each of our tastes and the styles that we both loved. She was also able to tie in the theme with our programs, tables numbers and escort cards—it all turned out beautifully. See display ad page 35

Bee for the Day

I had so many concerns before my day. Will everything go as planned? Did I remember to tell the vendors everything? I was a big ball of nerves, until I handed the day over to the Bees to take care of it. I wouldn’t call myself high maintenance, but planning a wedding and making sure it all goes as planned is a full time job. But I already have a full time job. They spoke with all my vendors to ensure that everyone was on the same page. Upon arrival at the reception we discovered that the backdrop was made with the wrong color linens. Without missing a beat, Heather called the decorator back to the hall and insisted that she swap out the pink backdrop with the white one we had requested. See display ad page 37

www.toledocitypaper.com

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Glass City Lovers

Marissa & Michael celebrated their hand-crafted day at the elegant Toledo Club

JUNE 8, 2013 St. Patrick’s Historic Church

Wendy Kromer Confections & Academy CAKE

from Sandusky, Ohio. Not only does Wendy have amazing baking skills but her attention to detail made our wedding cake perfect. I sent Wendy pictures of the lace detail of my dress as well as the crystal work.

This helped with her inspiration and she developed a seven-tier cake that was an absolute masterpiece!

Wendy also made the chocolates for my bridal shower favors. She personalized them with our monogram and all of my Philadelphia friends thought the chocolate was to die for. See display ad page 36

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Michael and I met in 2005 while attending Villanova University. We were friendly but did not have a close relationship. Then in 2007, a mutual friend of ours thought we would make a good couple and decided to set us up while at a party. We’ve been together ever since!

Michael proposed September 20, 2011 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. I went to Gallup Park under the impression that I was going to meet a friend after work. When I arrived at the park, I walked straight to the bathroom to change out of my work clothes without even noticing that Michael was standing around the corner.

I even said to my friend, “Tomorrow is our 4 year anniversary, and I don’t think Michael will be proposing anytime soon”. Little did I know, Michael was standing outside and heard my comment.

Once I walked out of the bathroom I saw Michael standing on the Huron River boat dock that was covered in rose petals. He took me by the hand as we walked onto the dock where he got on one knee and asked me to be his wife.

NEXT WEDDING ISSUE

January 15 We’re always looking for beautiful, unusual and elegant weddings to feature. Get you photos, and a little back story written then contact us! keris@adamsstreetpublishing.com www.toledocitypaper.com

CANDY BAR

Tout Sweet

We had a candy bar set up for our guests as a favor. The display was breathtaking and the candy was divine.

We still have wedding guests asking about the candy and where they can get more.

DRESS

Kleinfeld Bridal My dress was a Pnina Tornai. The dress was all Chantilly

lace with a sweetheart neckline and dropped waist that was embellished with Swarovski crystals. My headpiece was made of matching crystals.

The whole experience was amazing and I felt like a princess throughout the fitting. I went with my parents, as I wanted them to experience the moment with me. After we picked out my dress, we went to The Plaza Hotel where we had champagne and celebrated saying ‘yes’ to the dress!

After my dress came in, my mom and I traveled back to Kleinfeld on three separate occasions for my fittings. The alterations department was just as fantastic as the consultants that helped me pick out my dress. I would highly recommend this experience to any bride to be.

www.toledocitypaper.com

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RECEPTION ,

The Toledo Club The Toledo Club is timeless and stunning, an excellent venue for an elegant wedding. The food, cocktail

hour and service were fantastic. I was extremely pleased with how they accommodated us for our event. See display ad page 35

FLORIST

Keith Brooks

transformed our ceremony and reception into magical spaces. He helped us coordinate our colors to ensure everything matched perfectly. He can make a dream into a reality when it comes to design.

of Uppercase Designs

KELLY HENRY Our wedding was so coordinated because of Kelly’s design work.

I cannot name everything she helped with, but I know we had over 25 personalized items. Her special touches included our invitations, programs, and a huge number of monogrammed items. Kelly pays an enormous amount of attention to detail and wanted everything to be perfect for us. Her flexibility and talent helped make our wedding so memorable.

See display ad page 35

PHOTOS

GRAND LUBELL

Grand Lubell did our photography for our engagement photos, rehearsal dinner, wedding day photos, and the photo booth at our reception. Our outdoor engagement photos were beautiful and the photo booth at our reception was a huge hit!

See display ad page 36

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modern lifestyle photography

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visit MARYWYAR.COM October 09 • October 24

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WEDDING COORDINATOR, BRITTANY CRAIG

Crowning Celebrations There are not enough words to describe how absolutely amazing Brit-

tany Craig and her crew are. Our wedding would not have been as detailed, personalized, and as magical without the talent and dedication to perfection of Crowning Celebrations. Brittany was able to provide us with suggestions for vendors and helped us stay organized.

With Michael and I living in New Jersey and my parents living in Northern Michigan, Brittany was able to meet with all of our vendors. Without Brittany, I know our wedding would not have been as perfect as it was.

www.toledocitypaper.com

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