Lake Erie Lifestyle January 2017

LAKE

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10 ANNI

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LifeStyle JANUARY 2017

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year

PLUS: » Erie photographer shows us the world of nature

My daughter held her wedding at The Schoolhouse recently and we were so happy with the entire experience. The venue is just lovely and so unique! We used both the upstairs as the “church” and the Swan Tavern for a little gathering after the wedding. The staff was WONDERFUL. They helped us with a multitude of issues and gave us great ideas, suggestions, and advice. I would highly recommend this venue to anyone who wants to create something unique for their special event!! It’s definitely a one-of-a-kind venue!! ~ Sherrie Mueller

» Buffalo reinvents itself with an eye to its past

© Aaron DeWalt Photography

love SCHOOLED IN

Preparing for a wedding?

Here’s your guide

NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES

814.474.1897

6610 West Lake Rd. Fairview, PA

www.1897events.net

© Ste ttep eephanie i Gan G ska Photogra rap phy hy hy

5Star: Unique, Charming & Vintage Style We had our wedding celebration in this fabulous schoolhouse. Everything was wonderful. The staff made our night magical and as close to effortless as possible.

They got every detail just right and allowed us to just enjoy the party and the venue.

Everyone ended up outside in the new courtyard area and it was a night we will never forget, in a venue that we will visit often. ~ Danielle M. Bartone A gorgeous place to hold any event!! Beautifully renovated and remodeled!

6610 West Lake Rd. Fairview, PA

Tavern Hours: Thursday & Friday, 5pm-11pm

~ Laura L. Breathtakingly beautiful! ~ Mikki B.

814.474.1897

www w.1897event

“Come as a neighbor, leave as a friend.”

Perfect Venue for Ceremonies, Showers, Receptions and Intimate Weddings.

NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES

*Accommodates up to 120 guests.

© Amy Skarzenski Photography

Booking all types of events. Call for details. © M. Donohue Photography © M. Donohue Photography

814.474.1897 www.1897events.net

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JANUARY 2017 // LAKE ERIE LIFESTYLE |5

Contents

weddings

Weddings

JANUARY ‘17

VOLUME 10 ISSUE 3

14 EXPERIENCE COMES HOME Living through the year of The Wedding means joys, lessons, mistakes. Here's what the experience taught.

20 SELL YOUR WEDDING WARES Regional bridal flea markets bring in the bucks and give brides-to-be a new venue to find what they need and want.

24 DESSERT TABLES TAKE THE CAKE Cakes take backseat to cookies, candy and other edibles, both sweet and salty.

28 BRIDAL GIFTS What do you give your loved one on that special day?

30 GROOM GIFTS Commemorate the day with a present that lasts.

32 VINTAGE MEMORIES It's OK to hold on to your dress, but sometimes passing it along means memories for others.

35 GUY STYLE Tuxes are no longer the only option for the groom and his family, friends.

36 LOCAL WINE, CRAFT BREWS SAY 'I DO' Your wedding reception can play host to the best of the region's beverages.

Celebrate with the bride groom Pulling off a wedding is no easy task. Find some help with the details in this special edition so that you can focus on what's important: the moment and the marriage that will follow.

40 BRIDAL PLANNER Several months into the planning, a bride-to-be has advice on how to stay sane, breathe, enjoy.

46 BRIGHT IDEAS Couples find replacements for the standard unity candles that they can keep enjoying through the years.

In every issue 12 MEMORIES The first January issue of Lake Erie LifeStyle was dedicated to philanthropy.

50 TAKE IT OUTSIDE Outdoor venues welcome guests.

Arts & Entertainment

71 ON SCENE Festive trees and beautiful ballet highlighted the holiday season.

LAKE

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ANNIVERSARY

54 PHOTO FINISH Award-winning Fairview photographer shares her favorites.

year

60 BUFFALO RISES The city on the lake to our north is in renaissance. How are they doing it?

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JANUARY

the many couples to marry at a former Fairview schoolhouse. Find out how to pick your wedding venue.

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/AMY SKARZENSKI

2017

PLUS:

On the cover 19 Luke and Nicole Silvas were among

Escape

LifeStyle » Erie pho tograph er shows us the worl d of nature » Buffalo rein itself with vents an eye to its past

love SCHOOL

ED IN Preparing for a wedding?

Here’s you r guide

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From the editor

January ‘17

Wedding in the family This is our seventh bridal issue, and this time, it's personal. I was mother of the bride for Kelly Eckert and Nick Carmosino's wedding.

As emotional as it all was, I hardly shed a tear on the day of the wedding. That's because I wept openly for hours during the rehearsal.

Honestly, I should have been medicated. Those tears are tough to explain. They were happy tears, but every corny song I ever heard was stuck in my head, and "Where are you going, my little one ... " seemed to be stuck on replay.

Memories of my daughter at every age were on fast-forward in my head as we prepared for her to walk down the aisle in rehearsal. I'm crying right now thinking about it.

Now, seeing all the pictures from that day makes me smile through the tears. And one old picture of Kelly and Nick is telling. It was from years ago, but the look in their eyes is all love. When you see your child with that look, you just know. And all the photos and videos that follow say the same thing. How nice it is when your kids find the right person. I need to stop being sappy here because my mascara is running, so let's move onto the great stuff our writers found.

Every year we work on this issue, I am touched by the clever ideas that bridal parties incorporate into ceremonies and receptions.

Formal and traditional may still be a part of some weddings, but new, refreshing ideas

LAKE

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LifeStyle

JANUARY 2017

NICHE PUBLICATIONS EDITOR Brenda Martin brenda.martin@timesnews.com EDITOR Pam Parker pam.parker@timesnews.com CONTRIBUTING DESIGNER/WEB DESIGN Magazine design by Center for News & Design Web design by Ben Smith, Dave Super and Paul Szymczuk

highlight a lot of stories. You're going to find some unique suggestions in this month's issue.

And you'll find some old-school fun, too.

And finally, the Eckerts and Parkers are connected to another wonderful family. This blended family of 8 has increased to 14, including grandkids. It's been a great pleasure getting to know all of the Carmosinos. We look forward to many more family gatherings.

Cheers to love.

PHOTOGRAPHERS Jack Hanrahan ADVERTISING Lynn Dietz, multi-media sales supervisor lynn.dietz@timesnews.com 814-870-1664 CONTACT US 205 W. 12th St., Erie, PA 16534 www.lakeerielifestyle.com ALL CONTENT, INCLUDING THE DESIGN, ART, PHOTOS AND EDITORIAL CONTENT © 2016, ERIE TIMES-NEWS. NO PORTION OF THIS MAGAZINE MAY

Pam Parker editor

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BE COPIED OR REPRINTED WITHOUT THE EXPRESS WRITTEN PERMISSION OF THE PUBLISHER.

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Contributors

January ‘17

“There is no more lovely, friendly, and charming relationship, communion or company than a good marriage.”

– M A R T I N LU T H E R

Karen Beardsley interviews brides and grooms who celebrated their unions with symbols in sand, glass, crosses and trees. She is the manager of media relations at UPMC. page 46

Pam Parker shares memories from Lake Erie LifeStyle's January 2008 issue and recalls lessons learned from her daughter's wedding in August along with experience at a bridal flea market. Parker is the editor of Lake Erie LifeStyle, Her Times and House to Home. pages 12, 14, 20

JoLayne Green finds unique gifts for brides, grooms or anyone you love. She is a former reporter and current freelance writer who writes weekly for Community Voice. page 28

Brian Sheridan meets Ellen Anon, a local photographer who has won national and international awards for her work. Sheridan is a lecturer and communications department chair at Mercyhurst University. page 54

Marissa Orbanek travels to Buffalo and shares her visit along with giving readers tips on the latest trends in outdoor wedding venues, cakes, flea markets and more. She is the manager of public relations at the General McLane School District. pages 20, 24, 50, 60

Joan C. Harvey Wheeler offers some thoughts on what to do with a wedding dress decades after she wore it and packed it away. Wheeler is retired and living in Erie. page 32

Steve Orbanek tells readers some creative ideas and easy ways to use local wines and craft beers for weddings and parties. He also delivers the latest fashions for men in weddings and some terrific finds on gifts for spouses for the big day. Or anytime. Orbanek is a marketing communications consultant at Penn State Behrend. pages 30, 35, 36

Sarah Stemen, recently engaged, offers brides ideas she has learned on how to stay calm and enjoy the planning process. She is the internet reporter at the Erie Times-News and a frequent mommy blogger on the Her Times blog. page 40

Coming in February: Heartfelt health. Learn more about healthy ways to improve your lifestyle in the January 30 edition of Lake Erie LifeStyle.

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Memories

First January issue from 2008 visited philanthropy

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ong before bridal stories became the norm in January, the 2008 issue of Lake Erie LifeStyle highlighted philanthropy in the Erie region with Mike Batchelor from the Erie Community Foundation sharing how giving had changed and increased. Stories told readers how to donate their homes to nonprofits. Master gardeners and locally owned garden centers shared their bounty of vegetables with the Second Harvest Foodbank.

On the fun side, Ellicottville Brewing Co. owners shared news that craft beers would increase in price because hops were more expensive. In another story, the musical group Tennessee Backporch shared its 28-year history — add another eight years to that this year.

And history was on its way as an article reminded readers that digital television was on its way to replacing analog in 2009. LEL

One of the stories in the first January issue of Lake E i Lif St l was an iinterview t i ith the th Erie LifeStyle with group Tennessee Backporch.

The first first January issue of Lake Erie LifeStyle in 2008 featured a story on philanthropy.

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Wedding

Nick and Kelly Carmosino shared a kiss in front of a family vehicle at the Watson-Curtze Mansion.

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Wedding

A daughter’s wedding:

what we learned 2016 was the year of the big family wedding. Here are the hurdles, the mistakes, the traditions, the joys of helping a daughter get hitched.

By Pam Parker

pam.parker@timesnews.com Photos Contributed by Katie Mihalik

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Wedding

Kelly Carmosino had a unique pedicure before she got married in August.

For more than a year, we were part of a wonderful whirlwind of events that culminated in Kelly Eckert and Nick Carmosino’s wedding day on August 13 with the ceremony at the Watson-Curtze Mansion and the reception at the Warner Theatre. Here’s what we learned from start to finish with the #Herecomethecarms wedding extravaganza.

Planning Long before the venues had been selected, we met with vendors in the Erie area, and it took a lot of planning because the bride and groom live in Pittsburgh, and the groom’s parents, Nick and Mary Jo Carmosino, live in Cresson, Pennsylvania, not far from Altoona.

In fact, almost all of the bridal party lived anywhere but Erie, and most of the guests were from out of town.

Everyone we met with told us something valuable. “Choose what is most important to you, and splurge on that,” said caterer Marty Pituch of the Concourse of Union Station.

This came in really handy because you can splurge on incidentals like napkins, chair covers, chargers, centerpieces, cake, music and favors. And none of that includes the booze or food. Or clothes. Or venue rental.

After we visited four venues, I dreamed about gold chargers — something we were not going to buy or rent. But buy we did. And we borrowed them. They were worth every penny. Kelly made all of her own centerpieces.

The bride and groom’s dads handled painting duties and some assembly, so DIY was a big part of this wedding. “Deciding on what I was willing to spend money on was the hardest part. I created a decoration budget in the very beginning of planning and stuck to it. I knew

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I wanted to save money on centerpieces and decided to make my own using fake flowers rather than splurge for a florist,” she said.

The cake was not a priority, but a dessert table was. Cupcakes, cookies and mountains of Pittsburgh Popcorn Co. popcorn were winners. Not a kernel was left. “Having a small decorative wedding cake that a friend made on our dessert table with sheet cakes being cut and served in the kitchen saved us tons of money, and guests raved about our cake,” Kelly said.

Theme Hit the “that was easy” button here. Kelly said the Warner Theatre offered an Art Deco/ Great Gatsby/Roaring 20s theme that was gold, glamour and glitz. It required very little in the way of decorations.

Wedding Ceremony It started as an outdoor ceremony, but Mother Nature had other ideas. Up until about 10 minutes before go-time, we didn’t need a backup plan. Then a storm moved in and soaked the beautiful outdoor venue at the Watson-Curtze Mansion. The entire staff raced to move chairs indoors while guests milled around inside. The groom and his party waited in the third-floor ballroom, and the bride and her gang waited out the storm in the carriage house. “Nick and I both wished we would have had a more concrete backup plan for the indoor ceremony and actually practiced it at our rehearsal. This would have saved a lot of stress when we had to move the ceremony inside at the last minute,” the bride said.

Photos and videos The main message here would be “take your time.”

“We thought having less of a gap in between the wedding and the reception would be great for our guests, but it was hard for us to get all of the family pictures and group pictures of our bridal party with such limited time. We ended up with very limited pictures of the whole bridal party,” the groom said.

Get a videographer. “I was really on the fence about whether or not I wanted to spend the money on a videographer, but multiple brides had told me that it was either their biggest regret not getting one, or that their wedding video was one of their favorite memories. We found the most reasonably priced videographer that we could since we didn’t care as much about special effects/editing as we did about having a video memory to watch in the future. We’ve already watched it multiple times and shared it with family and friends. It’s brought us lots of laughter and happy tears,” Kelly said.

Out of town tips Most of the guests were from out of town, so a lot of communication was by text, email and phone. Nick’s parents, Nick and Mary Jo Carmosino had to cope with a lot of logistics and keep tabs on family who had reserved rooms. Mary Jo worked well in advance and

reminded family members to make sure they had rooms. “I also made a few room reservations under my name for people who were late to reserve rooms. I kept in touch with Kelly, who had reserved blocks of rooms, to see what relatives/friends needed to be reminded,” Mary Jo Carmosino said.

With so many people coming into town, Kelly supplied a list of places to eat and visit, and Mary Jo forwarded the information to family members via text.

For the rehearsal dinner, we made it easy for everyone and held it at the WatsonCurtze Mansion, site of the rehearsal and wedding. The Carmosinos arrived Thursday before the wedding, but Mary Jo said she wished they had arrived another day earlier.

“There are more things to do than you think for the rehearsal dinner and other events.

Kelly was great at keeping us informed. The wedding was the best,” she said.

Gift to love When you think about what to ask for, be choosy but not too choosy. “Things on our registry that we love like our knife set and pots and pans were very expensive ($300$400). At first we hesitated to register for them because they were so expensive, but groups of friends/family often go in together on big gifts,” Kelly said.

Creative relatives also presented the newlyweds with unique gifts. “Some gifts touched our hearts. The most thoughtful would be the paintings of our ceremony and reception venues that Nick’s Aunt Lugene painted for us, and the ring my parents gave me,” Kelly said.

Long before Kelly got married, I had offered her the engagement ring diamond that her late father had given me decades ago. We never found the right setting, but a ring my husband Kim and I had given her a few years ago proved to be perfect. “Using the diamond from my father — since he couldn’t be there for my wedding day — it was nice to have something from him there,” she said.

TOP: Kelly and Nick Carmosino jump over the broom during their wedding at the WatsonCurtze Mansion.

Clever caterers Folks from the Warner and the caterers were on duty Friday morning — the day before the wedding. They told us to drop everything

BOTTOM: The Warner Theatre was the reception venue for the Eckert-Carmosino wedding.

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Wedding off and spend the day having fun. Again, some of the best advice. We had plenty to do, but none of it included setting up tables and decorating the Warner.

Finances Kelly had a budget, and we stuck to it.

The Carmosinos, the bride and groom and my husband and I had committed specific amounts to the budget, and we even came in under budget on some things. One was the catering bill. Another was the florist. We only purchased bouquets.

Caution: When you have a lot of people involved in paying for things over an extended period of time with deposits, payments and final bills, it can get confusing. And you could be dealing with multiple people at all of your vendors. Make sure you document everything.

Tradition Not all traditions bear repeating, but some are just plain fun, and others tug at heart strings. When my husband Kim and I got married 13 years ago, we had wanted a small simple ceremony. In fact Kim teased that we were just going to “jump over the broom.”

Well, family got involved and more than 100 people later, it was far from simple, but we did jump over the broom. And Kelly and Nick used the same broom. Officiant Karen D. Fischer read the history behind the broom as symbolism — sweeping out the old, and sweeping in the new, and she added Kelly’s favorite part about whomever jumps highest gets to rule the roost. Some might say it was a photo finish at the Carmosino wedding, but the new Mrs. Carmosino said she clearly swept it on this one.

Coulda shoulda woulda We tried to stay local on everything we could. Local meant Pittsburgh vendors, Altoona area vendors and Erie vendors. For the most part, it worked, and we had a lot of respect for people who advised us they couldn’t deliver exactly what we wanted on time and suggested other vendors. Remember nearly everyone involved in this wedding

lived out of town.

Go to bridal flea markets before you invest in everything. “After selling all of my wedding stuff at the wedding flea market, I wish I would have gone to one when I was planning. I could have probably saved even more money,” Kelly said.

Final advice Enjoy every minute. It goes so fast. We still can’t believe it’s over. We all loved #Herecomethecarms. LEL

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TOP: From left, Kathryn Tremel, Angela Carmosino, Kristina Repko, Kelle Schutz, Kelly Carmosino, Kristina Morgan, Caitlin Tssario, Whitney Weber and Niki McBride shared a moment in the drawing room of the WatsonCurtze Mansion.

BOTTOM: From left, Ryan Eckert, Kevin Bush, Michael Rhodes, Tom Wrenn, Nick Carmosino, Josh Cicero, Alex McCarthy, Matt Spangler and Howie Eckert wait for the wedding to begin in the third-floor ballroom of the Watson-Curtze Mansion.

SP ONSOR E D CONTE NT

The Schoolhouse, 6610 West Lake Road, offers a unique venue for events. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Good questions help make wedding receptions successful

By JoLayne Green Contributing writer

Wedding receptions are no longer the cookie cutter affairs they once were. Instead, they are as unique as each couple hosting them.

Like any good marriage, though, the key to a successful reception is good communication, starting with the bride and groom and continuing to the venue staff.

A couple can get excited about planning, but never tell each other what they want. “What are we envisioning for our day?” is the key question brides and grooms need to ask each other, says Gail Root, who along with her husband, Eric, owns The Schoolhouse and Swan Tavern in Fairview, a former schoolhouse dating back to 1897.

They renovated it into a historic venue that can hold up to 120 guests for sit-down dinners, weddings, receptions and events.

Communicating in advance ensures the couple won’t get to a potential venue, look at each other, and realize they don’t even know what they want. “The more clear they can be with each other about it, the better choice they can make in their venue,” Root says. Key decisions can determine what kind of venue is best. Guest list count, style of reception and menu are most important.

“The type of meal they chose is going to

dictate how many people they can accommodate,” Root says, explaining food stations, buffet and plated dinners each require different amounts of space. Also, style of reception matters, whether it’s a traditional reception with a toast and dancing or an informal station-style reception with no agenda, or the myriad of other styles.

Budget rules the decisions as well.

Decide what aspect of the reception is most important, then figure out how many people you can accommodate. Root says there are several other questions brides and grooms should ask themselves: • How many guests are expected?

• What day and time will it be?

• Will the ceremony be in the same location?

• What type of meal?

• Formal or informal?

• Do you want extras like a photo booth?

• Do you want a bar and what type?

Once those are settled, ask the potential venue vendor: • What is the maximum number it can hold?

• Is there music available or space for a DJ, or • Is there Wi-Fi? • Will it prepare a proposal with full

estimated costs in writing?

• Are referrals available?

• Can I personalize and decorate?

• Is food available on site or do I need a caterer? Can I choose my caterer?

• Is table service, serving staff, cleanup, cake cutting included?

• Are there other events being held that could pose conflicts?

• Can a cake be brought in from an outside baker?

• What are menu and bar options?

• Do the flowers/decor envisioned fit the venue?

• In general, does the vendor seem excited about your event and do they seem accommodating, and are they listening?

Once all these questions are answered and decisions made, it is time to sit back and enjoy. “Now that you’ve chosen each vendor you think is best, leave it in their hands. Have fun and enjoy your day! Whatever is going to happen that day is going to be perfect,” Root says.

BROUGHT TO YOU BY 1897 Events and The Schoolhouse at Manchester Farms and Swan Tavern 6610 W Lake Rd. Fairview, PA 16415 (814) 474-1897 www.1897events.net

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Wedding

When it’s over, sell your theme Flea markets have become a popular spot to unload your used wedding items Story by Marissa Orbanek

L

ess than two years ago, Breanna Adams organized Erie’s first Wedding Flea Market. With her own wedding items lingering around her house, she wanted to fill a local need with an event that seemed to be emerging regionally.

Now, the trend to decorate weddings with flea market finds continues as Erie’s Wedding Flea Market prepares for its fourth event this March.

“We are really thankful for the people that keep supporting us, whether they come out to sell or shop,” Adams, of Erie, said. “It’s pretty neat to see the people that previously came out to shop are now coming to sell.”

Wedding flea markets seems to be a staying trend with increasing support. Both Erie and Pittsburgh’s wedding flea markets have changed venues because they have outgrown previous spaces.

These events provide local outlets for couples to sell their wedding items directly to future brides and grooms. Many of the products and items for sale, Adams said, are homemade from do-it-yourself couples. “Everyone has such different creativity and it’s really neat to see the differences between centerpieces and decorations.

Nothing is standard anymore, and seeing that creativity in each person’s wedding is one of my favorite things,” Adams said.

Couples can find an array of items that add personal touches to the big day, including centerpieces, card boxes, lanterns, table numbers.

Since Jodi Colella and Bethaney Lentz started the Pittsburgh Wedding Flea Market in 2015, Colella said some themes sell better than others. “Rustic and vintage still seem to be on the top of the list,” Colella said.

“Burlap items, plain and painted mason jars, wooden crates, skeleton keys, lace, signs made with chalkboard. We are also seeing signs and backdrops made from recycled pallets and reclaimed wood. One of the most popular items are cut wooden slabs for centerpieces and cake stands.”

Some of the vintage items they see include old suitcases, typewriters and marquee lights.

For princess-themed weddings, Colella has seen Cinderella carriages, long pretty veils and a touch of silver bling. One of their newlyweds, she said, even had a handmade castle that she made out of styrofoam that was more than 6 feet tall.

“We are lucky in the fact that we have had over 110 newlyweds selling at each of our three events this year, so it has offered a wide

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Wedding

Rustic items are among the popular sales at the Pittsburgh Wedding Flea Market. JODI COLELLA/CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

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Wedding

ABOVE: Patrons line up hours before the Pittsburgh Wedding Flea Market begins.

JODI COLELLA/CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

LEFT: Rustic themed wedding items are popular at bridal flea markets. BREANNA ADAMS/CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

variety for all shoppers,” Colella said. “We really believe that there is practically something for everyone. “ Brittany Eckman has been to two of the flea markets in Erie. She first attended after learning about the event through Facebook. “I wasn’t sure if we would find anything we liked or needed. But, there is something for everyone,” said Eckman, who said they saved

at least $500. “There are tons of styles, colors and themes that make it almost impossible to waste your time if you’re attending this event.”

Eckman, of Erie, bought chair covers and sashes, card boxes, signs, centerpiece items and a bride robe.

Sellers can arrange their centerpieces or decorations they way they were at their

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wedding to help brides-to-be get a better idea of how it will look. They can also bring photos. So in addition to the finds, Eckman also found inspiration for her centerpieces.

“We actually got the idea of what we will do off of the centerpiece that the seller had set up,” said Eckman, who gets married this June and will be returning to the Erie Flea Market in the fall as a seller.

If you are selling: • Prepare and plan in advance. “We email them a checklist of sorts such as how to display their items, provide photos of the event space, make suggestions of what to bring day of, etc.,” Colella said.

Wedding

Bridal flea market - we did it!

• Price your items fairly and be willing to work with shoppers in pricing. “Shoppers are coming for a deal and don’t expect to pay full or above store prices,” Colella said.

• Make sure all of your things are labeled.

• Set up a display of what the items looked like at your wedding or bring in photos so buyers can see how it looked.

• Be willing to tell someone how you made something. “If you have five of an item, but they need 10, this helps them create more based on what you are offering,” Adams said.

If you’re shopping: With hundreds of shoppers at these events, here’s some advice on how to make the most of your day: • Have an idea of what you want.

• Realize that while it’s called a flea market, they are still wedding items so it can cost more than garage sale prices, Adams said.

• Bring cash and bags.

• Learn about up-to-date information through the event’s Facebook page.

• Come early to get in line. Lines form hours in advance.

“Once the event starts, and as time goes, the selection will start to decrease and some newlyweds can sell out rather quickly,” said Colella, who added that lines form at least two hours in advance.

“For the first one, we got there about 45 minutes early, and there had to have been about 200 people in front of us in line,” Eckman said. “For the second one, we were first in line and got to scope out what sellers were bringing in before they opened. Once they opened, we already had a pretty good idea of what we saw that we liked, and could go get the items as soon as we came in.”

Above all, have fun.

“This can make for a really fun day,” Adams said. “So grab some bridesmaids or bring your parents and soon-to-be-husband and make a fun, afternoon of it.” LEL

By Pam Parker pam.parker@timesnews.com

Sold out!

In 57 minutes, my daughter, Kelly Carmosino, and I sold a pickup truck full of all her wedding decorations, centerpieces, and more — right down to a bushel basket that held popcorn and the silver popcorn scoops. The Monroeville event brought in more than $600 — not even close to the purchase price, but it was better than nothing. Kelly plunked down $30 for the table to display all of her wares.

Buyers at these events pay $1 to $5 for entry.

How do you work it?

The October Monroeville event started at 10 a.m. and ended at 1 p.m. We showed up at 8 a.m. to set up, and people were already in line.

Be prepared to sell. This is not the time to be shy. If you're not good at sales, get someone who is. When all we had left were 12 floral arrangements, anybody who touched them got a deal. "$20 for all of them," I said. They were gone.

Don't start high and plan to go low after the first hour. The biggest crowds are there when the doors open, and the herd thins in a hurry.

No one is going to return to see if you marked things down. Many of us were out the door before the event ended. And remember, you have to take all that stuff with you if you don't sell it.

Bring a lot of cash to make change, and bags or boxes to help people take things home. We had to wait for folks to return with dollies to take their purchases to their vehicles.

not their wedding storage units. Unpopular and dated color schemes had few takers, and dresses appeared to be a tough sell. While there were plenty of places to try on wedding and bridesmaid dresses, most of the folks who were selling still had them when we left. We don't want to discourage anyone, but ask the vendors for some advice on this. LEL

WHERE TO GO Looking for a bridal flea market? Check a city near you. It's worth the time and money to visit.

Upcoming Flea Markets Recycled Wedding Boutique Akron Sunday, February 5, 2017, 1-4 p.m.

John S. Knight Center, 77 E Mill St, Akron, Ohio www.recycledweddingboutique.net Recycled Wedding Boutique Cleveland Sunday, March 6, noon-4 p.m., Hub 55, 1361 E. 55th St., Cleveland 330-294-0199 For more information, visit info@oakandhoneyevents.com or www.recycledweddingboutique.net Pittsburgh Wedding Flea Market Saturday, March 13, 10 a.m.

Court Time Sports Center in Elizabeth, Pa. It is attached to the Sunset Room.

For more information, visit www.facebook. com/PittsburghWeddingFleaMarket or www. pittsburghweddingfleamarket.com.

What sells?

People shop for themes. If you have hot items that all brides want, you'll sell them in a hurry. Chalkboards for table numbers, centerpieces and other items sell fast. Biggest seller?

Gold chargers— for under dinner plates. If we'd have had 1,000 of them, we would have sold them. Everyone wanted them.

What doesn't sell?

This is not a garage sale. It looked like some folks were cleaning out their houses,

May 21, September 30 Monroeville Convention Center, South Hall www.facebook.com/PittsburghWeddingFleaMarket or www. pittsburghweddingfleamarket.com Erie's Second Wedding Flea Market March 19, noon-4 p.m.

VIP Ticketholders (limited sales): $5/person, shop from noon-1 p.m.

General Admission (sale at door): $2/person, shop from 1-3 p.m.

Bel-Aire Clarion Hotel

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LET THEM EAT MORE THAN CAKE Dessert tables take over the cake plate

Story by Marissa Orbanek

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eddings are becoming more personalized to the bride and groom — and sometimes, the traditional tiered wedding cake isn’t

part of that.

So if you don’t want to serve wedding cake — then don’t do it.

Whether it’s pie, doughnuts, ice cream, cupcakes, s’mores, an assortment of pastries and even bread — yes, bread — couples are now getting creative and breaking the common rules to make the day their own.

“Couples are always looking for new,

affordable and unique ways to showcase their personalities into their weddings and their choice of desserts is just one more way to explore options,” said certified professional wedding planner Karen Fischer.

Slippery Rock University graduates Shannon Duff and Eric Mastriano, for example, replaced their bridal cake with a bread cake.

“Both my husband and I aren't big cake fans and we both love bread. [So] I was like, why can't this be possible?” Shannon said.

After some research, they discovered that bread cakes are a Ukrainian tradition known as Korovai. They were able to order one from

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a woman in Utah who bakes them and mails them from her home. Although Shannon and Eric did have cake for guests, they also had a bagel bar at the end of the night so guests could experience their love for bread.

Sarah Chapp, owner and head cake artist of Confections of a Cake Lover, said that cupcakes have been — and still are — a big trend.

But they are starting to see more cupcake requests for a dessert bar. Couples still cut into a small cake, but they also have several dozen cupcakes with an assortment of other desserts that can include cookies, cake pops and even candy.

Wedding “Some people do it to save money, some do it for a fun and interesting way to try and reach different taste buds that exist within their wedding guests,” Chapp said.

Icing on the Lake’s Heidi Fette said they are seeing an equal mix of requests, as well. When it’s not a cake, Fette said they see requests for sugar cookies, French Macarons, Petit Fours, cakepops and cupcakes.

“I think the type of reception also lends to what kind of desserts to have,” said Fette, who added that some are even given as favors. “Does the bride want their guests to serve themselves at a dessert bar? Or does the bride want the guests to be served.

Does the bride want every guest to have one item or many items?

There are so many things to consider. That is why we like to set up wedding consultations.”

Cake pops and cupcakes can be presented in cake tiers, as well, so they still look as tall and grandiose as a traditional wedding cake.

Some couples even continue their wedding theme into dessert. For example, Chapp said that those with a rustic theme for their wedding have provided wood slabs for

A new trend in cakes is the naked cake. It has less frosting, fresh flowers and looks more nautral. ICING ON THE LAKE/CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

different tiers.

One of the newest presentations to cupcakes is through Bloom Displays, a centerpiece that includes an injection mold device that serves as a cuplike holder for pastries like cupcakes, muffins, doughnuts. The plastic piece can include a Mason jar for display.

Bloom Displays is a product created by local baker Margaret Gocal and developed by TechTank, a startup accelerator in Erie.

“We help businesses and products get started where people didn’t think they had any chance of starting on their own,” said TechTank’s Ryan Raines.

“We take what could be a napkin sketch of some random product or business idea and start to form that into the real thing.”

Gocal has been baking for more than 21 years and came up with this idea just two years ago when she was working on a bridal gown pull-apart cupcake cake.

“I had extra cupcakes left over and was trying to figure out what to do with them. I was trying to arrange them to look like a bouquet and ended up making them in a triangle. Everyone was

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Wedding 10 wedding cake alternatives 1. Mini bundt cakes 2. Pie tower/pies in a jar 3. Rum cake tower 4. Donut tower 5. Tiers of cheese 6. S’mores 7. Pastries and tarts 8. Sundae bar 9. Macaroon cake 10. Whoopie pies

happy with what I did, but it bothered me. I wanted to do something totally different. I tried Styrofoam, Dixie cups and even toothpicks, but I couldn’t get them to stay or take it the next level that I needed.”

Enter TechTank, who was able to engineer and manufacture the design to Gocal’s vision.

“It was an out-of-body experience to have a dream come true,” Gocal said.

The product helps the desserts become a two-for-one — something sweet for guests that actually serves as a beautiful centerpiece for tables.

“People spend hundreds of dollars on flowers so it saves the couple money and then guests can serve themselves at the table,” Gocal said.

Gocal runs Aphilla’s Bakery & Cakery, which will have a place in the

near future. For more information or to purchase the item, visit bloomdisplays. com.

Although alternatives for the wedding cake are trendy now, the tradition isn’t completely gone.

“Make no mistake, the traditional wedding cake is still considered the highlight of the reception, but with the additional twist on the ‘Groom's Cake’ tradition,” Fischer said.

The Groom's cake is a gift from the bride to the groom that reflects his personality and interests.

Fette agreed.

“We still do a lot of wedding cakes.

But the cakes people tend to want are ones that aren’t as elaborate and tend to be more natural looking,” Fette said.

“The Naked Cake is becoming very popular. It has less frosting and usually has fresh flowers or fruit placed on the cake to give it a more natural look.

They are very pretty — a cake doesn’t need to be very elegant to be nice.”

No matter what you decide, Capp reminds couples to be creative.

“If you want a traditional cake, that’s great. It’s your wedding day, make it special to you and be creative,” Capp said. “We love that challenge of doing something different and unique.

Make whatever you decide a reflection of you as a couple.” LEL

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TOP: Dessert tables are popular trends at wedding receptions and often include cake, cookies, cupcakes and other desserts that guests can eat at the reception and take home. KATIE MIHALAK/CONTRIBUTED PHOTO BOTTOM: Cupcakes that look like flowers are among the latest alternatives to wedding cakes. BLOOM DISPLAYS/ CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

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Wedding

Unique gifts for your spouse A simple flower, a piece of jewelry, a keepsake that holds the day and the marriage in your heart.

Story By JoLayne Green | Photo By Katie Mihalik

Y A necklace is a popular gift for the bride.

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ou’ve picked your bride, come up with a creative proposal, chosen the engagement ring and wedding attire, and now it is time for one more selection — a gift for your spouseto-be. When it comes to gifts from the groom, one can go myriad ways, so here are some ideas to get you started and done quickly — flowers, jewelry a personal memento.

Flowers are a traditional, beautiful and always pleasing choice. “The most popular thing to do is send your bride a dozen roses at the salon,” says Melissa Roberts, wedding specialist at Allburn Florist in Erie. Roberts suggests a color other than red, such as lavender or pink. Not to leave the groom out, Roberts adds, “I have seen grooms brought to tears by the bride having one perfect rose with a card sent to the groom as they are entering the church.”

Jewelry is another popular option with a wide variety of choices. Traditionally, a strand of pearls is given, says Jessica Metzler, who is a sales associate certified by the Gemological Institute of America with Dempsey and Baxter Celebration Jewelers in Erie. A single pearl on a chain is a modern take on the tradition. Other options are marriage symbol jewelry, which the store carries

Wedding

in all price points. “Those are really cool. Basically it’s two interlocking circles,” she says.

One piece of advice is to shop at the same store where the engagement ring and wedding bands were chosen. Sometimes, a bride can leave a wish card to give the groom a starting point. “We’re kind of a small, family-owned business, so a lot of times we’ve gotten to know the couple,” she says.

“So you have a little idea of her personality.”

Additional ideas are items that can be worn with the wedding dress, or just other occasions if the bride is wearing heirloom jewelry instead, such as diamond stud earrings or a bracelet.

One trend is a bar necklace, which can be personalized. A unique idea is to engrave the latitude and longitude of the place you met or the wedding location. Another option might be engraving special words or scripture or an initial necklace.

“We’re definitely in the me generation. Everyone wants something that is personal to them,” she says. A personal and custom memento is another way to go, again from the traditional to the quirky.

Not just for the bride Gifts for the groom can include a watch or other piece of jewelry. Mementos such as a frame or engraved heart jewelry box for her ring stand the test of time.

One newer creative idea is a double-sided frame that opens and has the invitation copy engraved on one side. Gifts don’t have to be pricey, though, when they strike just the right note of being just right for the couple.

A web search of ideas turned up the unique idea on Pinterest of the groom writing a note on the bottom of the bride’s shoe, although you are on your own on as to how to get the shoe if you want it to be a surprise. Sometimes, quirky is perfect.

You just have to let your imagination fly.

“My favorite gift ever was a surfboard, yes delivered to the groom’s suite the morning of the wedding. It’s something the couple does together, surf,” Roberts says. “So I will say the most meaningful gift is the gift that no one else would think to give your only soulmate.” LEL

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PERSONALIZE

your gift Suggestions for the bride from the groom

Story By Steve Orbanek Photos By Marissa Orbanek

I

f you want to give a memorable gift to your spouse, try something personalized. With websites like Etsy and Pinterest, there have never been so many options out there. Here are five ideas to keep in mind when it comes to finding the perfect gift.

Met, Engaged and Married Frame $50, available from LoveStruckCreations on etsy.com

What better way to show how much you love your spouse than by sharing your love story?

Quite literally, in fact. Each Met, Engaged and Married Frame is custom made and uses a map to showcase exactly where a couple — you guessed it — met, got engaged and got married.

It’s especially perfect for couples who might have met in college or come from completely different areas.

TOP: Met, Engaged and Married Frames offer a novel gift for brides or grooms.

BOTOM: A hanger will be the last thing your spouse sees before she gets dressed. Make it memorable.

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Weddings Personalized Latitude Longitude Necklace

Personalized Wedding Vow Book

$29.50, available from GracefullyMadeStudio on etsy.com

$20 (for two), available from paperpunched on etsy. com

For the married folks out there, how many times have you thought back to your wedding and said, “I wish I could go back to that moment?” This necklace won’t exactly accomplish that task, but it will help you remember exactly where you were at that moment.

So if you’re taking the time to be really creative and writing your own wedding vows, you want to be sure to keep those vows in a safe place, right? These personalized wedding vow books offer just the opportunity to do that, and they make for a great keepsake. You will only ever need to open up this book to get that.

Customized Wine Bottles Personalized Wedding Hanger $18.99, available from HangingWithTheBride on etsy.com

This is a perfect way to help make the big day even more special. The name or phrase can contain up to 14 characters, so there’s typically ample room for a short love message. Plus, the wedding date is able to be engraved right into the wooden hanger. The hanger is just another way to help build excitement as it can be used to hang the dress, meaning it’s the last thing she’ll look at right before she gets dressed and ready to walk down the aisle.

Available at almost all of the Lake Erie Wine Country wineries

Who does not love wine? Plus, this is an opportunity to have some fun. One particular example that’s been used before is the “Toast the First Collection.”

Essentially, you purchase a collection of different, customized wine bottles. Each bottle is labeled with something different like, “Toast Your First Valentine’s Day,” “Toast Your First Visit From the In-Laws,” or “Toast Your First Anniversary.” Wine is always a great gift, but this is a great way to give it out while being both fun and sentimental at the same time. LEL

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Weddings

Joan C. Harvey Wheeler gave away her 1957 wedding dress with a letter telling the next bride who would wear it about the love and happiness she experienced wearing the dress. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

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Weddings

What to do with your dress What should you do with your wedding dress? Some folks keep them to renew vows. Others hope loved one will wear them, but at some point, giving the gown away is often what happens. Here's one readerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s story of how she recently parted with her dress.

Story By Joan C. Harvey Wheeler

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hether a marriage lasts seventy plus years or far less, most every woman remembers her wedding dress. Some of my friends have remade their special dresses into baptismal outfits, but I had neither daughters nor granddaughters to do that for. So, for nearly 58 years, The Wedding Dress and Veil were stored in a large box. However, upon learning of my intention to give the Priscilla of Boston dress away, my friend e-mailed me that members of her family intend to renew their vows this April and perhaps either they or another family member could wear the dress sometime. I agreed to give the dress away and mail it to her to become the keeper of The Wedding Dress. She also requested that I include a letter about the dress and how I felt the day I wore it. This is my letter.

As most brides and grooms should know, it is NOT the dress, nor flowers, nor an ornate ceremony that make a marriage. Rather, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s two people honoring their vows with genuine love, commitment, respect and kindness towards each other. The story of this Wedding Dress began in 1957 with receipt of a very modest engagement ring that led to a wedding a year later. The church I attended from childhood was reserved for the ceremony and a private hall reserved for the reception

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that followed.

At my request, my mother often accompanied me on my quest to find the most important dress I felt I would ever own. After trying on various wedding gowns, I settled on a simple long dress made of an organza fabric with a soft, barely perceptible blush pink underskirt. I brought up the subject of that dress not being "pure white," but mother, understanding how much I favored the color pink, said: “That’s okay; it’s very pretty.” So, the organza dress and veil were put in lay-away at Halle’s Department store, Erie, Pennsylvania. However, as we walked outside the store, mother said to me, “I don’t think you feel strongly about that being your special dress; there is still enough time to find another one, so keep on looking.” And, keep on looking is what I did.

Many lunch hours, I would walk to other stores, and look at bridal dress arrivals. On one of those lunch hours I went into Trasks’ Bridal Salon and saw "The Wedding Dress." It had recently been unpacked and was on a hanger. This silk dress had simple lines with splashes of Alencon lace. Of course, I asked the bridal consultant if I could try it on and, afterwards, asked if she would hold it for me — for five dollars — all the money I had in my purse that day.

She answered yes, but if I wanted it held beyond 9 p.m., I would need to put down a larger sum of money.

I was so excited that after work and supper, I drove mother down to Trasks so she, too, could see the dress. The same sales lady helped me into it again and fastened the twenty inches of silk hoops around fortyseven small buttons that ran from the neckline back to below the waist.

The dress fit perfectly! As I walked into the viewing room and stepped

upon a round platform to "model" the dress for mother, she looked at me and said, “Yes, that Wedding Dress is you!” The organza dress was cancelled.

The day of the wedding, my sister, Mary, looked at me and said, “…that dress is so beautiful.” Did I feel like a princess in that dress? Absolutely not; a princess is mostly mythical but this was a real day in my real life; a time to enjoy and remember every moment. In that just "right for me" dress, I felt very special indeed – pretty, feminine, confident, looking ahead to the future and ready to make one of the most important commitments in life. Dad drove mother and me to the church; whereas my sister’s husband, Ed, drove the bridesmaids, Mary, Lois and Jane. My headpiece veil was put in place by one of mother’s elderly friends, a lady who knew me since birth and who, four years earlier, did the same honor for my sister. After the mothers were escorted down the aisle, we girls and my dad stood in the church annex and listened while the organist, soloist, and a violinist supplied the music.

Two ushers unrolled the white carpet, and just as I stepped toward the church aisle, the florist handed me my flower – one long stemmed red rose. As I held Dad’s arm and we walked down the aisle together, he mentioned being afraid of stepping on my dress; but he did just fine. After the ceremony, and at the reception, to keep the train from being stepped on, Mother and I went into a side room where she adjusted the under strings that lifted the court train off the floor. On that day the Wedding Dress not only greeted friends and family but also danced and danced. It was worn by a happy, radiant bride. When it was time to leave the reception, I said goodbye

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to my mother, but became teary eyed when I said goodbye to Dad; hugged, and then thanked him for everything. My dad has always been my hero.

A few years after the ceremony in the Wedding Dress, a blessing arrived in the form of a son born four days before Christmas. And, just as the Wedding Dress was found at the right moment, Douglas’ birth timing could not have been better; he arrived between university semesters.

I’m considered a "youthful" late 70s senior now. My hair is snow white and I no longer wear a size 6. The Lord gives us gifts such as a wedding dress for "special celebration moments." The moment had arrived to give this lovely gown away. As I gently lifted the dress out of the original box and touched the fabric once again, I realized how fortunate I was to have found such an exquisite dress and to have had a wonderful family and friends to be there with me when I wore it those many years ago.

The lace is now a slight ivory shade, making the detail prettier than ever. The dress has been passed on with trust that the youthful women who wear the dress and veil will feel confident in their appearance and walk regally, joyfully and gracefully with those they love. Let there be joy in their heart, radiance in their face and, MAY THE WEDDING DRESS DANCE AGAIN. And again!

On March 14, the dress traveled to Alabama with this prayer: God please bless whoever wears this dress or veil; that they and their spouse will take their marriage vows seriously and be loyal, loving and kind to each other. If it be your will, bless them with good children and grandchildren. Amen. LEL

Wedding W H AT TO W E A R :

Menswear becomes less formal Renting the tux? Many opting out and buying less formal clothing for men.

Story by Steve Orbanek

F

orget everything you think you know about traditional men’s wedding party attire.

Today’s reality is that it no longer exists.

“The trend for men is to go more casual. We’re seeing more suits, and everything is more casual,” said Karen Fischer, the western Pennsylvania local networking representative of the Association of Bridal Consultants and the owner and CEO of Ambassador Events LLC. That often means actually buying a suit as opposed to renting one. It’s more affordable than you might think.

“Spending $100 to borrow a natty and ruffled powder-blue tuxedo was a relatively easy decision when buying one cost close to four figures. But the spread between renting and buying has never been slimmer,” wrote Kyle Stock in a 2015 www.bloomberg. com article discussing the trend.

Today, suits, sometimes even tuxedos, can be purchased for just a couple hundred dollars. “(Suits) feel more comfortable, and they usually fit better,” Fischer said.

That does not mean that the tuxedo is completely going away.

But it certainly has some tough competition. “It’s either weddings are very formal now where they’re still wearing tuxedos, or they’re more casual and they’re wearing

suits. There’s no in-between now,” said Denise McCarthy, a bridal consultant at Erie’s Bridal Elegance.

In addition to the trend of couples choosing to purchase suits, Fischer has noticed an overall movement toward casual men’s wedding fashion.

“Out of the 23 weddings that I did this year, I would say that 10 or 11 of them were more casual wear.

I saw everything from Hawaiian shirts, khakis, slacks and shortsleeve shirts,” Fischer said.

The national statistics support that as well. According to the www.TheKnot.com, 6 percent of all weddings last year were held on farms. That’s double the number from five years earlier.

In some instances, couples are now also opting to focus on just a color scheme, instead of the actual outfits. So, for example, the groom might just instruct his groomsmen to purchase a suit, shirt or tie that reflects that scheme.

Regardless of how formal or informal a wedding may be, a color scheme remains one consistency across the board. Men are even finding news ways to emphasize it.

For instance, socks have really grown in popularity over the past couple years.

“Socks are a huge thing now.

You’ll see lots of different pattern socks,” McCarthy said.

The majority of these trends can be attributed to the growth of

TOP: Many grooms are moving away from tuxes and into less formal wedding attire. THINKSTOCK BOTTOM: Cool socks are among the many things bridal parties add to their outfits. KATIE MIHALAK/CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

social media sites like Pinterest or wedding websites like The Knot.

For Fischer though, who has been planning weddings for more than 35 years, it’s a significant departure from where wedding fashion was, even 10 years ago.

“I think the generation itself is more laid back, and they want more of a fun atmosphere,” Fischer said. “Again, you’ll get the occasional very formal weddings, but it really depends on what the couple wants.” LEL

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Wedding

Wedding thirstquenchers Keep it local with beers and wines from the region Story by Steve Orbanek

L

ocally, both the beer and wine scenes are thriving.

Lake Erie Wine Country has 24 wineries. The Lake Erie Ale Trail includes 11 craft breweries. There is a real push behind the #DrinkLocal movement, and with so many options available, it’s easy to see why.

That push is also making its way into the local wedding scene. Several local wineries are willing to work directly with couples to supply wine for their big days.

In most cases, the wine can be directly ordered from the winery, but some wedding ven•••ues will choose to handle that. Some wineries, including the three Mazza wineries (Mazza Vineyards, South Shore Wine Company and Mazza Chautauqua Cellars), even offer quantity discounts up to 20 percent.

“There’s a big movement toward going local, in regard to both beer and wine for reception cocktails,” said Jenny Sholtis, general manager at Penn Shore Winery and

Vineyards.

Also, many wineries (the Mazza locations, Presque Isle Wine Cellars, Penn Shore Winery at Vineyards, Liberty Winery and Merritt Winery) offer the opportunity for couples to customize their wine labels.

Couples often choose to have labels created that include their photos. They make for ideal favors to be given out at the wedding. Most of the wineries are also willing to host private wine tasting sessions with the couple before the wedding. It’s hard to beat a cake tasting, but this has the potential to do just that.

A listing of the Lake Erie Wine Country wineries and contact information is available at www.lakeeriewinecountry.org.

Getting Local Beer for the Big Day Local Lake Erie Ale Trail beer also continues to become a part in local weddings.

“For off-site weddings, we have done countless events where the bride or groom or

FACING PAGE FROM TOP TO BOTTOM: Local craft beer lovers Robb and Denise McCarthy used local craft beers as a theme for their wedding. They got engaged at Voodoo Brewery in Meadville. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

SIPS AND SOUPS • Sundays in January, 12 to 5 p.m.

• Niagara Wine Trail • Every Sunday in January, wineries across the Niagara Wine Trail will pair select wines with different soups.

Visit niagarawinetrail.org for the list of wineries and pairings.

BARE THE BARRELS! • January 13-16 • Lake Erie Wine Country • To help prepare for new releases, 23 wineries across Lake Erie Wine Country are clearing the tanks and barrels.

Discounted prices and specials will be offered. For a list of specials, visit www.lakeeriewinecountry.org.

SNOWMAN BUILDING CONTEST AND BALACLAVA IPA RELEASE • Saturday, January 14, 2 p.m.

• Lavery Brewing Company • Celebrate winter by enjoying some local craft beer and building a snowman. The winner of best snowman will receive several prizes. Also, Lavery Brewing Company will be releasing its new Balaclava IPA. Visitors will also be able to enjoy their beer and food outside while they make a snowman.

SOUPIN’ SUNDAYS • Sundays in January, beginning January 15; 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• 21 Brix Winery • Beginning January 15, 21 Brix Winery will again start holding Soupin’ Sundays and will serve up two different varieties of soup every Sunday. A vegetarian option will also be offered.

Bowls of soup are $6 and glasses of wine and pints of local craft beer will be available. Guests can also enjoy board games while they eat, and for the first event, Sean Patrick McGraw will performing a solo acoustic music set from 12 to 3 p.m.

Craft beer bottles were used as decorations, and beer was given away as favors. Every table was named after a craft brewery at Robb and Denise McCarthy’s wedding. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

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Wedding venue will purchase a keg directly from us. We also rent dispensing equipment for whenever its needed,” said Matteo Rachocki, CEO of operations at Voodoo Brewing Company.

Voodoo Brewing Company, Lavery Brewing Company, the Brewerie at Union Station and Southern Tier Brewing Company are just some of the regional breweries willing to work with couples to ensure that the taps are flowing. Venues and couples can also work directly with area distributors to get their supplies.

Of course, there are some potential benefits that come from working directly with the breweries.

“Our prices are the same as distributors, but there is always a chance we’ll have a larger selection to choose from,” PHOTO BY PAUL GIBBENS

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Wedding said Nathan Arnone, brand manager for Southern Tier Brewing Company.

While local craft beer continues to pop up at area weddings, its presence has arguably never been larger than it was on October 22 at Erieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Masonic Temple. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the day that local craft beer lovers Denise and Robb McCarthy tied the knot. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We were tossing the idea around of what do we want to do for the wedding. Because we were both born and raised here in Erie, it was very important for us to promote local, so we decided that our whole wedding would have a local craft beer theme,â&#x20AC;? Denise McCarthy said.

To say the least. The invitations that went out to guests included information on local breweries that they should visit while in town. Hops were included in bouquets, craft beer bottles were used as table decorations,

beer was given away as favors and every table was named after a craft brewery.

The couple served four different Lake Erie Ale Trail brews at the wedding: Laveryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Dulachan, Blue Canoeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Heavy Kevy, Voodooâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Love Child and the Brewerie's Uncle Jackson's Blonde Ale. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s apropos for the couple, who actually got engaged at Voodoo Brewery in Meadville. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our wedding was based on promoting craft beer to our guests. As a thank you for attending, all of our guests actually went home with either a bottle of Dulachan or a bottle of Love Child,â&#x20AC;? Denise McCarthy said.

While the McCarthy example might be extreme, it does serve as an illustration of a greater theme: the movement toward local craft beer and wine in on the rise, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not slowing down anytime soon. LEL Wine bottles, casks and customized labels can become favors or special gifts for the bridal party and guests. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

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Wedding

tips to make wedding planning a breeze Wedding planning can be stressful. Here's how to make it simpler and more relaxing.

Josh Grabski, 31, proposed to Sarah Stemen, 27, in Higgins Beach, Maine, in August.

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Wedding Story by Sarah Stemen Photos Contributed

T

he last five months have been the most exciting, and maybe the most stressful, months of my life.

I'm in the midst of planning a wedding. My fiancee, Josh, proposed in August in Higgins Beach, Maine, in front of his family and mine during a family vacation.

After what was the most perfect proposal, I felt I had some high expectations for the wedding.

The pressure is on. The first thing anyone asks about when they greet me is how planning is going. Two of my friends are also deep in the valleys of planning their winter and fall weddings, and they gave me some very

useful pointers and tips that really helped my struggle to plan the perfect event.

In hopes of being helpful and encouraging for the frustrated or stressed-out bride, I will share them with you:

1. Decide what's most important to you first.

Think about your big day and decide what you think is most important and make a priority list. What do you want guests to remember? Killer entertainment? A gorgeous venue? Delicious appetizers? Beautiful centerpieces and floral arrangements?

Whatever it is, think of all the big costs of a wedding and rate what's important. If your groom is involved in planning, have him do

the same.

This way, when it's time to stick to your budget, you know exactly where you want to shave costs first. For example, a dress isn't that important to me, but it's one of the biggest expenses in one of my friend's wedding budget, because it's extremely important to her.

2. Compromise.

This was a big one for Josh and me. My dream wedding involved a lot of glitz and glam and his involved a more rustic feel (he's a farmer, so this makes sense). I continue to offer up the more elaborate and embellished decor and he continues to pick natural-looking options.

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Wedding

This was a point of contention at first because everything I liked, he hated and vice versa. So we met in the middle with a "rustic glam" kind of feel, if there is such a thing.

We're having the wedding reception in the barn and some of the centerpieces and decorations are gold and shiny.

3. Set a budget and be cutthroat.

If you want a wedding with 300 guests but you have a wedding budget that can't accommodate that, you're going to have to make some important decisions.

I am not cutthroat — at all. I'm wishywashy on decisions most of the time and that's where I struggled. I could see option A and I could see option B both working for my wedding.

It's easy once you start planning to start stretching your budget, because, let's face

it, weddings aren't cheap. You have to be realistic with what matters most to you and go from there.

The guest list may have to exclude some people if you can't afford all your friends and family. The beautiful 3-piece adorned centerpieces may have to be transformed into simpler and plainer arrangements.

Here's the thing — if you did No. 1 and you know what you want, it'll be relatively easy to make these cuts. If you don't care about a 5-tier wedding cake, get Giant Eagle sheet cakes for your guests and have them make you a simple 2-tier cake to cut into.

4. Decide if you want to DIY. This is huge. It seems that everyone is a "DIY bride" nowadays, meaning you make most of the centerpieces and decor and you don't hire anyone to do any of it for you.

While this seems like a great idea up front,

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think about whether you want or can commit that much time into being a "DIY bride."

One of my girlfriends got married at the Sheraton Bayfront Hotel a few years back and when I asked her about her wedding shortly after my engagement, she said the best thing she ever did was let the wedding coordinator take care of all the details.

Some brides want to have command over every single aspect of their wedding and have a "DIY" vision for their wedding. Along those lines, if you do "DIY," there are also new wedding flea markets popping up in the Erie, Pittsburgh and Cleveland areas that you can hit up. There are also Facebook groups where brides post their decor and you can pick and choose what you want.

5. Make a timeline.

Some of the stress will melt away when you realize how much time you have before the big

Wedding

day and if you plan out what is left to do.

If you're planning an event for 200 people, that's no small feat. There's a lot going on.

If you make monthly goals and list what you want to accomplish, it helps immensely.

One of the bridal magazines I bought had a year-long bridal to-do list that I've been abiding by. One of my girlfriends bought a book that was a wedding planning guide book, of which there are hundreds online.

6. Rely on others for help.

Delegation is your best friend. A woman can become a "bridezilla" if she tries to micromanage all the details of her day and doesn't delegate. You'll lose your mind doing that.

Josh Grabski, 31, proposes to Sarah Stemen, 27, in Higgins Beach, Maine, in August.

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Wedding Call on family, friends, bridesmaids and groomsmen. You don't have to delegate the big things, but the menial, time-consuming and boring tasks are ones to dish out. For instance, one of the girls who is getting married next year was telling me her fatherin-law is going to be spray painting all of her centerpiece vases gold. She showed him pictures of exactly what she wanted and then drove all the vases over in boxes for him to spray. Not only that, but rely on others for opinions. You'll drive yourself bonkers looking at two different (yet very similar) fabric swatches or deciding between textures. Most of the time, the best advice the groom offers is "it looks nice," so you're steering the ship for your wedding.Â

Sarah Stemen is in the midst of planning her wedding.

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Wedding 7. Enjoy it.

One of my girlfriends who got married Nov. 5 said she missed planning for the wedding after the event.

She told me she wished she would have enjoyed it more. In a weird way, it's fun to plan (not necessarily to write the checks), but she's right.

Can it be stressful? Absolutely. But if you embrace your time spent planning and really think about what it's all about — planning to vow the rest of your life and spend the rest of your life with one person — you know that it's special and meaningful.

Try to look forward to your time spent planning and really make it a special time. LEL

Josh Grabski, 31, and Sarah Stemen, 27, are planning their upcoming wedding.

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Wedding

Unity ceremonies go beyond candles When couples - and sometimes their children - unite as a family, honoring that joining can take on different forms.

Joan and Rodney Buchanan chose a unity cross to celebrate their marriage.

Story by Karen Beardsley Photos contributed

L

ighting a unity candle was often a tradition in Christian weddings for decades, but the unity ceremony has been adapted to fit the personalities of the bride and groom. Candles may be familiar to most of us, but in Europe, the symbolic padlock ceremony is popular as many couples go to public areas to place padlocks around a fence or another item.

The key is then tossed into the nearest river.

Couples who have incorporated the tradition here may use any type of padlock that can even be etched with their names. The lock is placed on a special frame or an iron tree and locked, while the key is attached to a helium balloon and let go.

The Apache have a unity custom that involves pouring colored sand into a bowl.

Pam and Greg Prylinski, M.D., of Erie, were married in May at ReaLife Assembly of God. The bride and groom each have three children and they wanted the ceremony to represent the union of their families. They chose a variation of the Apache custom to involve all six of the children. Each one, including the bride and groom, had a different color of sand in their own vase on which their initial was painted.

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Wedding

Greg and Pam Prylinski chose to blend layes of colored sand to mark the creation of their blended family during their ceremony.

From the oldest to the youngest, all eight of them poured their sand into a larger decorative glass block with the words “together we make a family” on it. Pam Prylinski said it is currently displayed on a bookshelf in their home.

A glass sculpture is part of the decor in the home of Elena and Josh Chiesa, of Erie, who were married in August at the Ambassador Conference Center. It is made of glass

crystals that had been blended together at their wedding ceremony to signify their union. “I’m all about doing something different,” said Elena Chiesa. “We selected four glass crystal colors from the Unity in Glass website, and we combined the crystals during our ceremony.”

After they returned the combined glass crystals to the company following the wedding, an artist created glass art with them.

The finished art was shipped back to them. In addition to the sculpture, they had Christmas ornaments created as well with some of the remaining crystals from the wedding.

Joan and Rodney Buchanan, of Erie, got married in late July. They, too, wanted something other than a unity candle to represent their commitment. “We wanted a keepsake that would become part of our house,” Joan said. “We wanted to incorporate God and

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Wedding

This is the unity glass creation that Elena and Josh Chiesa received after they had combined glass crystals at their unity ceremony. They sent the combined glass to the Unity in Glass company and received the piece of art along with ornaments.

Elena and Josh Chiesa blended glass crystals together that were later combined into a piece of art.

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Wedding

Joan and Rodney Buchanan chose a unity cross to celebrate their marriage.

our faith into the ceremony especially because it did not take place in a church.”

They chose a unique Unity Cross which celebrates the joining of the two of them as one and which has a prominent place in their home to remind them of their wedding day. “Rodney placed the outer cross in the wood base, and I placed the sculpted cross inside the outer cross. Together we used three silver pegs to lock the cross together,” Joan Buchanan said.

During a special blessing at their reception, Katie and Tim Shafer, who were married in August, 2014, planted a flowering plum tree with dirt from both of their parents’ homes.

Ironically, both of their parents have a flowering plum tree on their properties, and Katie and Tim took dirt from each of their yards and poured it into the pot where the young tree was placed.

The tree was blessed as they poured the dirt together. “We chose a unity tree because often times when people go the traditional route of a candle, it gets put into a box and placed on the top shelf of a closet after the wedding,” Katie said.

“We wanted this special reminder of the promise we made to each other and our families. The tree is planted in our yard where we’ve been able to watch it grow.”

Other couples have used two bouquets of flowers, such as roses, that each mother brings down the aisle and places in a separate vase. During the ceremony, the bride and groom pluck a single stem from their family's bouquet and place the two stems together in a smaller vase. Wine can also be used.

Parents of the bride and groom each pour wine into a special cup, all take a sip, and then the bride and groom each pour some wine into another vessel and sip from that as a couple.

Finding alternatives to popular wedding traditions has been rewarding for the married couples as they begin their lives together. LEL

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Wedding

How to find an outdoor venue

By Marissa Orbanek Contributing writer

T

here’s something about outdoor venues.

Weddings and other celebrations take place at wineries, on beaches, on farmland, at schoolhouses, in vineyards or in open gardens. Outdoor settings attract bridal parties and guests to natural settings to say, “I do.” Or to celebrate life events.

At the Presque Isle Lighthouse, event rentals are a new idea, and Executive Director Michael Sullivan says the venue is popular.

“We have events scheduled for 2017, and we had a quite a few in 2016,” he said. “The evening events are just beautiful.”

The historic venue offers pricing from $200 for one hour to $500 for three hours. Jon and Aubry DeMarco held their rehearsal dinner at the Lighthouse with 100 people in attendance.

“Jon and I couldn’t have picked a better backdrop than the beautiful Lake Erie sunset to celebrate our rehearsal. We are grateful to all who made it possible. The Presque Isle Lighthouse made for a picture perfect evening, surrounded by friends and family; a blessing to share as we prepared for marriage,” Aubry DeMarco said.

Kevin Daughrity, owner of Quincy Cellars, is a master at outdoor weddings — starting his 10th year. The company’s Ripley, New York, location has a covered deck and spacious pavilion. With more than 45 weddings per year, the venue offers outdoor and indoor ideas. What’s the key to success?

“I would say you have to have a backup plan for the wedding,” he said. “We can make it happen rain or shine.”

Presque Isle State Park also hosts dozens of weddings per year at Beaches 1, 9, Sunset Point and the East Pier. The fee is $25, and

Bob and Jamie Sharpe chose Whispering Trees Manor for their wedding. JESSICA HUSTED PHOTOGRAPY/CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

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Wedding pavilions are available at an additional cost.

The popular setting does abide by all rules that cover the park, and alcoholic beverages are not permitted.

Like many outdoor venues, Whispering Trees Manor in Edinboro, which was known previously as Isabell’s Painted Gardens, specializes in weddings, reunions, corporate outings, showers and special events. “I love trees, and we have over 200 apple trees here.

I love the old, carriage house,” owner Ed Abdallah said.

Waterford’s Bob and Jamie Sharpe chose the setting for their wedding in 2015. “I wanted a place outdoors that didn’t need a lot of additional decoration, some place simple, but pretty,” Jamie Sharpe said. “It was one of the easiest decisions of the whole wedding planning process. I fell in love with the place (Whispering Trees Manor) before we even finished looking at it all.”

The acreage includes a covered pedestrian bridge, a Southern-plantation-style carriage

Bob and Jamie Sharpe chose Whispering Trees Manor for their wedding. JESSICA HUSTED PHOTOGRAPY/CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

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Wedding

Whispering Trees Manor is a popular outdoor venue. PHOTOGRAPHS

BY JULIE/CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

The Presque Isle Lighthouse at Presque Isle State Park is available for rental for weddings and various events.

FILE PHOTO/JACK HANRAHAN

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house that now serves as a bridal changing suite and two guest rooms, an Amish-built, 40-by60-foot covered pavilion with adjoining deck, a meadow and fire pits. Stones and flowers border the property and rustic tables, shutters and doors with pillars and arches occupy the property — and there are even three alpacas.

A big wooden heart hangs between two trees, a chandelier hangs in the pavilion, an arbor is placed behind the bridal table and an antique tub sits outside by a constructed bar. “There’s just so much detail already there you don’t need a lot

Wedding of extra decoration,” Jamie Sharpe said.

Cambridge Springs-based photographer Julie Petrick, who owns and operates Photographs by Julie, says unusual elements are what makes an outdoor venue unique. Petrick has been photographing weddings for 21 years, capturing up to 42 weddings a year in Erie, Malibu, Florida and the Carolinas.

“There are so many interesting elements through the entire space that makes it so exciting to shoot there,” Petrick said. “They have developed something really special.”

Sharpe agrees. “Oh, the lights, though!

They have lights throughout the property and in the trees. There’s a gorgeous wooden fence that lines the area where guests sit during the ceremony. They already have lights wrapped around that and they hang vases of flowers to coincide with your theme along the rails of the fence.”

The pavilion holds 250 people, the adjoining deck will accommodate another 100, and the tent allows for up to 500 people total at Whispering Trees Manor. “We give couples

the venue for the entire day, it’s really unusual to have everything in one spot — and we are secluded so that’s another benefit,” Abdallah said. The venue rental starts at $3,500. The carriage house can be rented overnight for an additional fee.

Outdoor venues you might want to see Presque Isle Lighthouse www.presqueislelighthouse.org 833-3604

Prepare for rain Jamie Sharpe added that bridal parties need to have a backup plan in case of weather.

“Don’t assume the weather is going to work out for you. Have a Plan B, and be willing to deal with being cold and wet,” she said. She moved her ceremony under a pavilion, and she also bought lap blankets and put them out in baskets for the guests.

“It was freezing on my wedding day,” she said. “My biggest advice, though, is not to sweat the small stuff. If the weather does turn against you, just remember, lighting for pictures is better on an overcast day, and you’re getting married! At the end of the day that’s all that matters.” LEL

Presque Isle State Park Beaches 1, 9, Sunset Point and the East Pier www.presqueisle.org 833-7424 Quincy Cellars 10606 Route 20 www.quincycellars.com Ripley, New York 716.736.2021 Whispering Trees Manor 11851 Eureka Road www.whisperingtreesmanor.com Cheryl Mason at 916-727-9708

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Arts & Entertainment

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Arts & Entertainment

SING THE LIGHT Award-winning photographer with an eye for nature searches for the beautiful and the cool

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Arts & Entertainment Story By Brian R. Sheridan Photos By Ellen Anon

P

hotographers are obsessed with light.

They need it like peanut butter needs jelly. If it isn’t produced by nature, photographers set up large stands with high-wattage lights to artificially create it. George Eastman, who popularized picture taking with the American masses, even said ”Embrace light. Admire it.

Love it. But above all, know light. Know it for all you are worth, and you will know the key to photography.”

Chasing the light has become a passion for award-winning wildlife photographer Ellen Anon. It has taken her to remote places where sunbeams land on nature that has been untouched by humans. She returns with incredible stories and even more amazing photographs from locations like Svalbard, a Norwegian archipelago between mainland Norway and the North Pole where the Northern Lights are visible during the daytime.

“The auroras at night are just overwhelming,” Anon says. “When the sky lights up and dances all around you, it’s just breathtaking.”

Anon says she has become addicted to these remote places after a sunrise photo shoot with a polar bear.

“We had one incredible morning where we had a couple of polar bears on the ice, the sun was just rising and it backlit their breath. So, it looked like they were breathing fire. It was the most amazing thing to see,” she says.

Anon takes none of these experiences for granted. In fact, she leads trips with novice photographers so they can also capture these beautiful moments. Anon offers them instruction on location.

“I love that moment when people ‘get it’ — when things click and they’re able to take their images farther. It’s a thrill to watch students thrive and grow, ” she says.

Anon came to professional photography late in her career. She earned a doctoral degree in clinical psychology and had been teaching and Nature photographer Ellen Anon at her home in Fairview Township. JACK HANRAHAN/ERIE TIMES-NEWS ON PREVIOUS PAGE: Aurora Borealis was one of the many shots Ellen Anon took in Iceland, and it was an award winner. ELLEN ANON/CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

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Arts & Entertainment counseling for many years at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, and the Ecclesia Center, a consultation center for Catholic priests and nuns.

A broken foot in the mid-1990s put her in a wheelchair, which gave her a few months to revive her interest in photography. Anon says she began taking photos around the age of 4 after she received a Brownie camera as a gift.

However, she never thought of it as more than just a hobby. In fact, her husband, Jack Anon, M.D., demonstrated more of an interest in photography while they were dating.

“We were walking along the streets in Clifton (a Cincinnati neighborhood) and (Jack saw) these reflections of scarves in a store window. He took a picture of it. And I have never even looked at reflections before, much less reflections in a window. And the picture was amazing and I loved it. He’s always been into it,” she says.

The study of photography also saved her from the darkness that can overtake an active person who’s now sidelined because of injury.

“Being a mother and working and running nonstop, and all of a sudden I was in a wheelchair. I was like, ‘Okay, how do I not get depressed right now,’” she says.

Once out of the wheelchair, Anon began taking photography courses from noted photographers like Arthur Morris. Morris recognized Anon’s talent and asked her to coteach workshops. The experience built both her skills and confidence behind the camera.

It also offered an alternative since work at the Ecclesia Center began declining as the diocese reduced services. Anon faced a choice about her future and photography offered her a new direction. Thankfully, Anon says, the transition between careers was a slow one.

There wasn’t a day she said, “After tomorrow I won’t be a psychologist anymore.” She isn’t sure she could have given up her career that easily, but her reputation in photographic circles continued growing as magazines published her work.

A Toronto-based photographer, Peter Burian, also helped develop Anon’s photography career by involving her with writing projects about the technical side of taking TOP: A polar bear on an iceberg stands out among Ellen Anon’s many award-winning photos.

BOTTOM: Ellen Anon finds beauty in nature all over the world. This polar bear photo is among her many favorites.

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Arts & Entertainment

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: -Ellen Anon captures a snowstorm at Presque Isle State Park.

-Ellen Anon captures the beauty of fall in her backyard.

-Sunset over Lake Erie is captured by Ellen Anon.

-This black sand beach with iceberg was a winner of the WPY, a selection of 100 images from more than 40,000 photographers around the world.

-This broken window with ice crystals was an award winner for Ellen Anon.

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Arts & Entertainment

pictures. Her name soon p graced the covers of g several “how-to” books, se including her own series, in “Photoshop for Nature “P Photographers: A WorkPh shop in a Book.” Anon sh co-wrote another book co series with her son Josh. ser Much to Anon’s surM prise, Apple also came pris calling. The tech giant call wanted her help with their wan photography app “Aperpho ture.” She became an Apple VIP Pro Photographer and an Apple Certified Trainer for Aperture. Aperture is appropriate because that is the name for the hole in the camera though which light travels.

For Anon, one of the brightest spots of her photographic career has been the UK’s Natural History Museum recognition in the

Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition. A 2015 finalist, her entry titled “Angel Wings” was chosen from more than 42,000 entries. Anon had photographed light shining through ice crystals that had accumulated on a window with a broken seal in her sunroom.

She had submitted other photographs taken “from the North Pole to the South Pole,” but says “the image that made it into the contest is the image from my broken window.”

Anon admits that through photography she has improved her attention to life. Before, the light through the ice on her window would have been seen more as a problem than an opportunity. Photography has, as she admits, “seeped into her life and took over.” It opened her eyes to her environment and her life in ways different from her work as a clinical psychologist.

“Without photography I would never be able to tell you how beautiful life is right now.

And I think 99 percent of the people you walk

by on the street would not comment to you on that the light, or a cloud, is beautiful. But photography taught me to tune into that,” Anon says.

In turn, Anon wants to share that with others either through the images she captures or teaching students to find the light in nature.

“A lot of my photography is not conservation oriented or documentary. A lot of it is, ‘Hey, this is beautiful; this is cool,’” she says.

LEL

www.ellenanon.com TO SEE HER WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR IMAGE, VISIT : www.nhm.ac.uk/visit/wpy/gallery/2015/ images/details/4968/angel-wings.html

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Escapes

BUFFALO

REVIVAL

SPURS REVISITS

The city on the lakeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s industrial roots are being used to breathe new life back into a rust-belt icon

By Marissa Orbanek | Contributing writer

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Escapes

Buffalo, New York Skyway bridge leading into downtown Buffalo.

THINKSTOCK

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Escapes

R

evival and rebirth.

Those are the two words now commonly associated with the Buffalo Niagara region. Job growth. Increased homes sales.

Growth in annual pay scales. Countless new businesses. This is an area that is reinventing itself.

But as this blue-collar city makes its resurgence, it’s finding ways to not only preserve its history, but ways to include its history as part of its rebuilding.

“Whatever your impressions of Buffalo might have been, this place no longer gives that impression,” said Buffalo architect and developer Doug Swift. “There’s a lot to see and do, there’s a lot to be part of and there’s a lot of attractions to bring people together.”

Within the last couple of years alone, nearly 20 breweries and distilleries have opened throughout the Buffalo region. Among these new establishments are Big Ditch Brewing Company, Resurgence Brewing Company and Riverworks Brewery, all of which are helping breathe life into former sites.

A former Verizon fleet maintenance facility at Ellicott and Huron streets in downtown Buffalo is now home to Big Ditch Brewing Company. Matt Kahn and Corey Catalano came up with the idea for Big Ditch Brewing Company in 2011. With the addition of Wes Froebel, a previous co-owner of other breweries, the trio’s pursuit of a building to house their brewery intersected with Iskalo Development Corp.’s redevelopment of this site.

“When we saw the space, we saw the garage with built-in floor drains and the high ceiling, we looked at each other and said, ‘This is a brewery,’” Kahn said. “Being downtown itself and a mile from Buffalo Niagara’s medical campus, we looked at it as a heavy investment for the region — and one that already had a great infrastructure.”

Big Ditch opened for business in October of Stained glass windows accent the window seat in a hallway at InnBuffalo.

MARISSA ORBANEK/CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

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Escapes

2014, and its Tap Room opened in the summer of 2015. Just this past April, Big Ditch won the F.X. Matt Memorial Cup for Best Craft Brewery in New York from the TAP Festival in Hunter, N.Y. It also won the silver medal in the strong IPA category with Deep Cut. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I remember looking at this building before taking and committing to it. I parked across the street and looking at it and thought, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s gray, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not much to look at, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not much around it, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s really nothing here.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Now, there are a lot of nice new restaurants and this area has really grown. People are walking around all of the time,â&#x20AC;? Kahn said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If we hadn't been here, these other places still would have moved here. But we added to the neighborhood, for sure.â&#x20AC;?

On the other side of town, another brewery made a similar move. An old warehouse is now the home of Resurgence Brewing Company. Owner Jeff Ware purchased this site

of the former Sterling Engine Co. on Niagara Street in the West Side of Buffalo in 2013. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He saw potential in the neighborhood, a former industrial corridor on the cusp of revitalization,â&#x20AC;? said Lizz Schumer, the marketing manager for Resurgence Brewing Company. â&#x20AC;&#x153;(This site) was selected as somewhere where the brewery could be not only a destination, but a real formative part of the neighborhood, where we could dig into the area and help breathe life back into it. (We decided) to renovate an older building and help keep these beautiful old industrial spaces alive, rather than build completely new, and the former Sterling Engine Co. was the perfect space.â&#x20AC;?

Resurgence Brewing Co. officially opened its doors in June 2014 after investing $1 million in renovations. Now, it proudly brews beer that focuses on unique flavors and classic styles. The brewery even includes Buffaloâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

staples within in its beer, from the Loganberry Wit to a Sponge Candy Stout.

An old industrial site and inactive grain elevator site is now an entertainment and events complex. Known as Riverworks, this $15 million addition features bars and restaurants, outdoor ice rinks, a performing arts space, a banquet facility, a space for trade shows, corporate events, and conventions, and â&#x20AC;&#x201D; you got it â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a brewery.

Two years ago, Swift and Pearl Street Grill & Brewery owner Earl Ketry had a vision to transform Buffaloâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s old grain silos into what might be the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest six-pack. Now, Swift said, they are nearing completion of an on-site brewery inside of those silos. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was so obviously a six-pack, there were even people who had already thought of it as a six-pack, so we sold the idea to Labatt and it made the perfect marketing tool and icon,â&#x20AC;? Swift said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s instantly recognizable

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Escapes

Riverworks Brew revived a former industrial site. MARISSA ORBANEK/CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

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and gave us immediate attention, so if you ever want to know where we are located, just follow the six-pack.”

There will be no indoor seating space, but one of the six silos will provide bar service with 50 different taps that will pump beer directly from the silos next door. Tables and chairs are available for seating outside of the silo, in a beer garden that is located in the ruins of the old grain silos.

“Earl and I wanted to figure out a way to use what was there, without taking down or destroying anything. We wanted to preserve this history, clean up the ruins and use what was left. The ruins are an iconic image that we think Riverworks is all about,” said Swift.

As a developer, Riverworks isn’t the first project in which Swift has reused an old site.

Swift turned an old warehouse into a luxury condominium (City Centre), a 1912 industrial building into a successful commercial space (The Root Building), a 19th century commercial row into restaurants and offices (Genesee Gateway). But this project, he said, is bolder and grander in many ways.

“It’s absolutely unique to have a brewery in an industrial building, inside of a grain silo, and a beer garden in the ruins,” Swift said.

“It’s very artistic and unique. Buffalo has a great and growing appreciation for history and

Escapes industrial heritage. This is very representative of that.”

Head brewer Chris Herr oversees the brewing operations at Pearl Street and the Pan-Am grill and breweries and plans to start brewing unique Riverworks brands. For now, beers that Herr brews at Pearl Street and the Pan Am will be available.

The project is expected to be largely complete by next summer, although seating is currently available and the silos will be operational for customers. Following completion of this project, Swift said he plans to embark on the next phase, which includes repurposing another set of silos into a climbing gym, ropes course and zip-lining.

Less than two miles away from Riverworks is now a business and entertainment district in the heart of the Larkinville neighborhood, Larkin Square. What’s now a site of modern work offices that overlook a huge front yard with stages for outdoor entertainment was once home to Larkin Soap Company warehouses.

The former Larkin Soap Company warehouses are now part of Larkin Square, a thriving area in Buffalo. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

“We loved the whole history of Buffalo and the beauty of buildings, so we are doing our best to bring us back,” said Leslie Zemsky, of Larkin Development Group and the Larkin Square Director of Fun. Zemsky said her husband purchased the property in 2002 to renovate the building into a commercial office space that would host a few other businesses. When they purchased an adjacent building, Zemsky said they started to look at what they could do to give

back to the city.

Now their front yard plays host to live music, Food Truck Tuesdays, cornhole tournaments, author series and other events, which are free and presented by Larkin corporate residents First Niagara and Independent Health.

Across the street from Larkin Square is Hydraulic Hearth, a restaurant and lively beer garden that serves brick-oven pizzas and beer in house of Community Beer Works.

Next up for Larkin Square includes Swan Street Diner, a restored vintage diner, which plans to open next to Hydraulic Hearth in 2017. The diner will incorporate local elements in its dinnerware by using some of the last items made by Buffalo China, which closed in 2004. After this project, Zemsky said they plan on bringing back to life a bowling alley that used to reside on the street.

Outside of breweries and entertainment, new hotels are sprouting from historic sites, as well. One of the most anticipated renovations remains the Richardson Olmsted

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Escapes

The Richardson Olmsted Complex, the former Buffalo State Asylum for the Insane, is now a mixeduse, multipurpose area for the Buffalo Architectural Center and Hotel Henry Urban Resort and Conference Center. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

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Escapes Complex, the former Buffalo State Asylum for the Insane. Within the renovations for this mixed-use, multipurpose civic campus of public and private activities will also include the first ever Buffalo Architectural Center and Hotel Henry Urban Resort and Conference Center. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The whole feeling in Buffalo is largely very positive and exciting and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the same for this project,â&#x20AC;? said Monica Pellegrino Faix, the executive director for the Richardson Olmsted Complex. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s taking the impossible and making it possible. People in Buffalo are pretty hearty in spirit and have a bogginess that is really paying off.â&#x20AC;?

According to Faix, the Architectural Center will have all of the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s architecture under one roof so tourists donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to travel all over the town to see why Buffalo architecture is so great. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It'll be one place to learn about it and see it, which will be a huge benefit to the cultural life,â&#x20AC;? Faix said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hotel Henry is going to be a

really great mix of honoring the history and making something new and contemporary.

This will be a hotel that is different from many, many others.â&#x20AC;? The Hotel Lafayette, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, is another example. Originally designed by Louise Bethune, the first female in the United States to be officially recognized as a professional architect by the American Institute of Architects, a 2012 rehabilitation project turned this structure around to a mix of banquet and restaurant space, a boutique hotel and apartments.  â&#x20AC;&#x153;The alternative would have been to tear it down and make it a parking lot. The alternative to me was unfathomable,â&#x20AC;? said Rocco Termini, developer of the Hotel Lafayette. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There was only one thing to do, and that was to restore it.â&#x20AC;?

Termini is from Buffalo and used to visit the hotel when the Pan American Grill was a jazz club. According to Termini, he realizes

how far the city has come when he sees the rehabilitation of the Hotel Lafayette. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My honest moment is every morning.

There's no building that cannot be restored.

People had given up on this building. But no matter how bad the building is, it can be restored and it makes a major influence on downtown.â&#x20AC;?

In Elmwood Village, the InnBuffalo is a nine-suite boutique hotel that was once the former home of industrialist Herbert H. Hewitt and then a rooming house for veterans.

When Ellen and Joe Lettieri purchased the home at an auction in November 2011, they spent close to $1 million to give it new life.

This included exposing the hidden woodwork, hand painted stenciling, and 22-karat gold leafing. They also worked with antique dealers to track down and identify bits and pieces of the house that were sold over the years to recreate the mansion as it once was. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are a preservation in progress. It's

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Escapes

Niagara Square in Buffalo is the site of a many festivials.

Taste of Buffalo draws nearly half a million guests in one weekend. TASTE OF BUFFALO BY TOPS/ CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

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Escapes WHY BUFFALO SUCCEEDS WITH ITS RENAISSANCE Historic tax credit program One of the reasons Buffalo has been able to tackle these projects has to do with the joint federal and state historic tax credit programs, administered by the National Park Service and State Historic Preservation Office. These government initiatives offer dual credits of up to 20 percent each â&#x20AC;&#x201D; for a total of 40 percent of the eligible project cost for the reuse of historic structures.

Other renovated sites Other sites in Buffalo not featured in this piece that have been reused for other purposes: The Foundry Suites, a former manufacturing plant and furniture warehouse turned into boutique hotel and banquet center: http:// foundrysuites.com The Mansion on Delaware Avenue, a former mansion turned into a boutique hotel: www. mansionondelaware.com The Curtiss Hotel (opening late 2016), a former downtown office building: http:// curtisshotel.com Former Waldorf Astoria Lunch Counter turned into a shoe store turned into a restaurant: Oshun, www.oshunseafood.com Five Points Bakery was built into a 115-year-old West Side structure on Brayton Street: www.fivepointsbakery.com Silo City, a group of empty grain elevators, has become a popular spot for events, and the Connecting Terminal grain elevator has a nightly light show on it: www.silo.city The market at Horsefeathers is a former antique warehouse: www.facebook.com/ WinterMarketAtHorsefeathers Buffalo Iron Works was an old industrial property in the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cobblestone District: www.buffalorising.com/2013/09/buffaloiron-works-forges-ahead-in-cobblestonedistrict Lafayette Presbyterian Church is now a stunning mixed-use facility combining residential, commercial, meeting and event space and a refreshed and renovated space for the church to continue its mission: www. lafayette-lofts.com

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Escapes ongoing,” Joe Lettieri said. “I jokingly refer to it as All the King’s Horses and All the King’s Men project. We want to put Humpty Dumpty back together.”

As they continue to restore and replicate as much of it as they can to its original state, Lettieri said they discover new things about the history of the house. A high-end antique dealer from Michigan, for example, just recently reached out to Lettieri to offer him the original woodwork and lighting that he had kept in a warehouse for himself.

“This whole project has taken us on a journey. It has really brought into focus, as a life-long Buffalonian, for me, what was going on in Buffalo at the turn of the century … when all these great minds, inventors, were coming to Niagara Falls and Buffalo, New York,” Lettieri said. “I used to consider myself a self-proclaimed Buffalo Ambassador. Now, it’s official and it’s a legacy piece for me that I get to share it and change peoples perception of this city.” LEL

TOP: Larkin Square, once home to Larkin Soap Company warehouses, is a thriving multi-use example of development in Buffalo. CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS BOTTOM: An old industrial site with inactive grain elevators is now known as Riverworks, where a $15 million addition features bars, outdoor ice rinks, a brewery and much more.

Swift and Pearl Street Grill & Brewery owner Earl Ketry transformed Buffalo old grain silos into what might be the worlds largest six-pack.

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On Scene

Festive fun at Festival of Trees If you missed the 32nd Annual Saint Vincent Festival of Trees, you missed about 100 decorated trees with clever themes and designs that lined the Grand Ballroom at the Bayfront Convention Center, along with trees that Girl Scouts decorated in the entrance hall. The event also featured childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s crafts, photo opportunities in sleighs and holiday cutouts, visits with reindeer and Santa and live music with performers from throughout the region.

Erie native Michele Bambauer, left, and her friend Lilly Baranski, of Erie, take photos of their favorite trees during the 32nd Annual Saint Vincent Festival of Trees at the Bayfront Convention Center in Erie. DAVE MUNCH/ERIE TIMES-NEWS

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On Scene

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Lake Erie Ballet Artistic Director Lesley Scalise, left, helps dancer Izabelly Possatto, 25, prepare for her role as the Sugar Plum Fairy in this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s production of â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Nutcracker.â&#x20AC;? GREG WOHLFORD/ERIE TIMES-NEWS

Audiences enjoyed "Nutcracker" performances throughout the area with Lake Erie Ballet and Erie Contemporary Ballet companies during the holiday season. Lake Erie Ballet celebrated its 58th season of the show with Artistic Director Lesley Bories-Scalise, who returned to LEB after her 2003 to 2008 career with LEB as dance instructor, executive director and artistic director.

The Erie Contemporary Ballet Theatre held its second annual "Nutcracker" with Sarah Purvis in her 14th year as artistic director.

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