Post-wedding True Brides {Eric + Jami}

I am FINALLY back to do a Post-wedding True Brides Post about Myself and Eric, hope you're ready!!!

October 8th, 2011 was our special day, but not only to just us, both of our parents as well. Eric and I got married on the day our parents celebrated their anniversaries as well, this year happened to be 24 years of marriage for them :)

Describe your wedding ceremony:

The wedding ceremony was beautiful, I couldn't have asked for anything better! I told my dad he had to make sure I wouldn't cry walking down the aisle, well, he failed at that, ha. I started bawling as soon as I walked into the church and because I was crying and get nervous around a lot of people, I started walking really fast and it wasn't until I came upon the alter, ALL of my bridesmaids mouthed "SLOOOW DOWN" :) haha--Later on, I asked dad why he didn't slow me down, he said, "I was just following you" :)

Eric looked handsome as ever, I felt like a princess--it was perfect!! 

The wedding ceremony was HUGE!!

Describe your wedding reception:

Fun filled, with lots of guests!! Eric and I invited around 750 people and I'm going to say that nearly 600 people were there, if not more because of a few drop in's, here and there.... it was huge, but wonderful! I didn't get to speak to all my guests, so I will apologize now, but there was so much going on! My favorite part of the reception was the Candy and Cookies Table--it was a HUGE hit and nearly 80% of it was gone within 20 minutes of the DJ announcing it was open. My dad, sister, Sarah, and Tyler's speech all made me cry (I realized during all of this, I am a big sissy on the inside, ha). Eric and I's first dance was to Staind's "All I Want" and we danced like there was no one in the room, it was beautiful!  Eric and I also danced with both of our parents to celebrate all of our special days!!

What was the most special part of your wedding day?

I can't just pick out one---but here are the top 3.

1) Becoming Mrs. Jesse--when the wedding bands were on and the "I do's" were said!!!

2) Hearing all the cheers when Eric and I walked into the reception to "Jesse's Girl" by Rick Springfield. 

3) Heath singing "You Raise Me Up" by Josh Groban--My friend Heath was in a bad car accident back in March and doctors told us that he wasn't going to make it. I had already asked Heath in January to sing at my wedding, so I refused to ask anyone else until I was CERTAIN he was able to sing at least one song at my wedding (like I had planned since high school). We all prayed like crazy and a miracle happened---seven months later, he was singing a song at my wedding!! 

What was the most stressful part about your wedding day?

In all honesty--I was stressed before the wedding and after the wedding (trying to figure out where we were going to put everything, ha) but the day of my wedding--I wasn't stressed at all!! (At least, I don't remember--ha--you might have to ask my sister on that one)!

Don't you just LOVE my purple shoes? Because I TOTALLY did!!

Who was your favorite wedding vendor and why?

 That's a hard question--because I loved them all!! My photographer was amazing and her dad did a WONDERFUL job!!! My mother made a beautiful cake!!! My sister kicked some serious wedding planning butt!! And the caterer, my food was DELICIOUS!!

Did you plan a honeymoon and if so, where?

Eric and I went to Costa Rica for our honeymoon! I told him that if he didn't do anything for the wedding, that was fine, but he had to pick our honeymoon--and he did!! It was absolutely gorgeous there! Everything was so green! The only downfall was it rained every day---not all day, but every day. 

*** Anything else you would like to share about your wedding day?
This day will never happen again, so make it wonderful and cherish it. Don't get all "bridezilla" when one little thing goes wrong, chance are it went wrong to show you that your wedding day is still going to be amazing, even if it's not perfect because it's YOUR day, the day you get married to your perfect someone!

I had THE BEST looking wedding party around!

All Images by Montography

Baci Designs | Jami + Eric's Wedding {Defiance, Ohio}

October 8th, 2011 was the best day in my life.

I got to plan my own wedding with the help of my talented sister, Amanda. As most of you may know, Eric and I's wedding date was not only special to us, but to both of our parents as well. October 8th was Russ & Deb Jesse's and Tom & Jane Guilford's anniversary as well. When Eric and I got engaged, Eric called the K of C Hall in Defiance to see if October 8th was open..and IT WAS!!! We knew it was fate :) 

Eric and I wanted to incorporate the special date into our wedding, well little did I know Grandma Shirley put Amanda in charge of getting a custom rosary made for me (Leaping with Faith did an amazing job!) and on the back of my cross there was Eric and I's wedding date and our parents!! It was perfect!!!! I also wanted to incorporate my grandfathers into our wedding because they both meant a lot to me and are no longer with us. I found a gorgeous vintage locket and put a picture of them in it. The rosary and locket hung from my bouquet and was close to my heart!!

Our photographer, Montana of Montography fromWauseon, Ohio did a fabulous job capturing special moments on our big day. One thing Eric and I knew we wanted were pictures having to do with baseball. Eric lives for summer AND fall playing ball at the park and I live to watch my husband do something he loves!! Eric gathered up his grandpa's old glove and an old ball bat to take with us on our wedding day (only in Northwest Ohio would that happen, ha). However, the props made for awesome pictures!!

I can't forget about my wonderful bridesmaids and groomsmen!!! They were super easy to pick and absolutely wonderful people to be part of our wedding!!! 

Eric and I couldn't been any more pleased with how the day went, everything was perfect :) 

Post-wedding True Brides {Kyle + Katy}

Does everyone remember Katy and Kyle from their engagement picture shoot AND their True Bride post, yes....they have already been featured on our blog TWICE and they are back for a THIRD time with a Post-wedding True Brides post!!!

Mr. Kyle and Mrs. Katy Richards were married on December 31st, 2011 at St. Peter Lutheran Church in Florida, Ohio!

Mr. & Mrs. Richards :)

Describe your wedding ceremony:
Our wedding ceremony followed the traditional Lutheran wedding ceremony. It was simple, but sweet.  We hadn't wanted anything more than that. 

First Dance as Husband and Wife

Describe your wedding reception:
Our wedding reception actually had two parts. We held the dinner in the church's hall immediately after the ceremony. That part included the dinner, speeches, and traditional things such as first dances, etc. Then, the second part was held at Okolona Tavern where we had a closed private party and danced the night away... oh, and counted down to midnight for New Year's :) We did it this way in an effort to save money, since we were able to rent the church hall for next to nothing!

What was the most special part of your wedding day?
The most special part was marrying my best friend and being able to celebrate with our closest friends and family.

What was the most stressful part about your wedding day?
The most stressful part, honestly, was getting everything set up and ready the night before. I had about a three hour window to get everything set up before the wedding rehearsal started! Needless to say I had a few small “bridezilla” moments. Haha.

The Bride

Who was your favorite wedding vendor and why?
We didn't have very many vendors since Kyle and I did a lot of the things ourselves. Really the only vendor we had was the caterer, which was D & J Catering Service out of Wauseon. They were fantastic! We had ordered the BBQ meal (I know, what you are thinking... BBQ and a white dress?! Is she crazy?! haha) and the food was awesome!

Did you plan a honeymoon and if so, where?
Since Kyle had just started a new full-time job, he didn't have much vacation time, so we actually haven't taken a full-fledged honeymoon yet (insert sad face here), but we did get away for a night of relaxation by staying at Belamere Suites in Perrysburg.  

A tender/silly moment during the vows after Kyle tried to put the ring on Katy's right hand!!

*** Anything else you would like to share about your wedding day?
Looking back on it, though I was glad I was able to share the day with close friends and family, I feel like I would have been just as content running away and eloping. I see current brides-to-be who have friends and family members planning and stressing and I would love to shake them and tell them “Listen, it doesn't matter what color chair you sit in at the reception, you won't remember those silly details anyways!”

The Bridal Party

All pictures done by a friend of the couple, Ashley Wright. 

True Brides {Matt + Carrie}

June seems to be the month of weddings :) 

I am here to introduce another True Bride, Carrie and her fiance, Matt. They are getting married on June 30th at St. Isidore (Marysdale) with the reception to follow at the K of C in Bryan, Ohio. Their fun spring wedding colors are watermelon and tangerine. 

Engagement Questions

What was one of the first things (wedding-wise) you did when you got engaged?

Reserved the Hall, so we knew what the date would be.

Did you know the engagement was coming or were you surprised?

I knew it was coming. We had talked about it.

Wedding Questions

One thing you were worried about when planning your wedding?

Forgetting one of the little things near the wedding day.

What was the easiest vendor to book?

They were all pretty easy. We have friends helping.

What was the hardest vendor to book?

The Caterer

How was wedding dress shopping?

Good! I went with my matron of honor to just look. While sending pictures to my mom we got her approval and ordered the dress.

What’s been the most stressful part about the wedding?

Getting all the loose ends finished.

What’s been the best part about the wedding?

Spending more time with family and friends.

Was choosing your wedding party hard or easy?

Easy.

Have things gotten any easier as the wedding day approaches?

Yes and No. All the big things have been done, but I still keep finding little things I need to finish up.

A big congratulations to Matt and Carrie!!

True Brides {Eric + Lindsie}

Another True Brides Feature for you!!

I met Lindsie during college and she is such an amazing lady, I am so happy that she has found Eric to complete her life. Lindsie and Eric will be getting married on June 16th, 2012 in Jackson, Michigan. Their gorgeous wedding colors are pink, coral, and champagne. 

Engagement Questions

What was one of the first things (wedding-wise) you did when you got engaged?

Started to decide the size of wedding we wanted; whether it was 50 people or 200. Then we started deciding the guest list.

Did you know the engagement was coming or were you surprised?

I knew it was coming, I just didn’t know when or what was going to happen. I was still very surprised though!

Wedding Questions
One thing you were worried about when planning your wedding?

We were worried most about whether or not this was the right way for us to get married. We had debated about getting married very simply with just immediate family then taking a nice vacation, but we decided to have a “normal” wedding so our families could be a part of it. We didn’t want to regret either decision, so that is what we were most worried about.

What was the easiest vendor to book?

The easiest vendor for me to book was the location of the reception. I think it was just meant to be because it all fell into place seamlessly.

What was the hardest vendor to book?

The hardest vendor to book was the photographer. To me, the pictures are extremely important. I had a really hard time deciding which one I wanted that would be available and fit in my price range. Our engagement is only 6 months, so finding someone that would be free in that short amount of time posed a big challenge. Our first photographer, which we had booked and were only a week away from engagement pictures, found out she was having twins and couldn’t do our wedding… So, we had to scramble to find another in a VERY short amount of time. Thankfully, we found one.

Is there anything special that has been done for your wedding?

There hasn’t been anything done special for our wedding, but what is special about our wedding is that it will be joining together a family, not just husband and wife. Eric has two little girls, so from that we will be making our family official on our wedding day. The girls are so excited. We wanted to be able to show them our love and to show them how important they are to us. They will have special details throughout the entire wedding. We made the invitation wording from their point of view and the ceremony will include them as well.

How was wedding dress shopping?

Wedding dress shopping was fun and nerve racking at the same time. It is kind of a lot of pressure because you are looking for the dress that is perhaps the most important dress of your life. You want your husband to find you drop dead gorgeous in it yet you want to keep the dream that you’ve had in your head since you were a little girl. I invited my grandma, mom, mother-in-law to be, and a bridesmaid. All eyes were on me. I tried on the first one and it felt VERY weird to be in a wedding dress. But the more I kept trying on, the more I loved the first one. I purchased the first wedding dress I ever tried on! J

What’s been the most stressful part about the wedding?

The most stressful part has been all of the meetings and such throughout the work-week and weekends. We are very busy as it is, with 2 kids, work, and many other things, so trying to fit in meetings and picking up things for the wedding has been very stressful. Also, trying to make other people happy; all the way from who we chose to invite (people will always have something to say about that) to making our parents happy and involved in the process.

What’s been the best part about the wedding?

The best part is knowing that I get to spend forever with the man I am marrying. The actual wedding day is exciting, getting dressed up and having fun with friends and family, yet I am most excited for every single day after that. I look forward to the routines, waking up to my husband every day, snuggles with the girls, and for every single memory that I will be making.

Was choosing your wedding party hard or easy?

Hard. I wanted to pick people that have known me the longest and been most influential in my life AND who have supported us as a couple. Trying to choose those people and not hurt any of my other friend’s feelings was hard.

Have things gotten any easier as the wedding day approaches?

Well, all of the big things are planned. But now it is time for little details and that tends to be more difficult. The big things are important, but the little details are what make the wedding day yours.

A big Congratulations to the Future Mr. and Mrs. Norman!!!

True Brides {Levi + Kelsey}

Our next True Brides post is from Kelsey and her fiancé, Levi! They will be getting married June 9th, 2012 at Saint Mary's Catholic Church in Defiance, Ohio with the reception following at Crystal Fountain Park in Sherwood. Their gorgeous spring colors are plum and sunflower yellow.

Engagement Questions

What was one of the first things (wedding wise) you did when you got engaged?

We picked the Date! We picked the day my parents got married, so it wasn’t a hard decision.

Did you know the engagement was coming or were you surprised?

I knew, but Levi didn’t know that I knew. He was very nervous and I had never seen that side of him before. It’s hard to hide something from someone that you’ve known for 7 years ;)

Image by Studio C

Wedding Questions

One thing you were worried about when planning your wedding?

At our reception hall, there is no air conditioning, so definitely something we worry about in the first week of June.

What was the easiest vendor to book?

The Florist, we went with Gabe from Wonsetler’s in Bryan and he definitely knows what he’s doing. I strongly recommend him!

What was the hardest vendor to book?

Surprisingly, the Photographer! My dad is a professional photographer so of course he wasn’t going to hire anyone to shoot his daughter’s wedding. After months he decided to have his assistant do the Ceremony but he’s determined to shoot the reception…we’ll see ;)

Is there anything special that has been done for your wedding?

A L'amour, in Chicago, actually sent me my dress so that we didn’t have to make another trip to Chicago to merely pick it up so that was a huge relief and very much appreciated. And it fit like a glove!

How was wedding dress shopping?

Amazing! My Mom and I went to Chicago to A L'amour. I thought it was a big cliché to KNOW it was your dress, but sure enough on 11-11-11 at 11:11 I KNEW this was the dress for me.

What’s been the most stressful part about the wedding?

Definitely getting all the Groomsmen clothes around, everyone but the fathers and one other groomsmen went in December to get fitted and I knew right then that leaving the fate of their attire to the hands of 3 irresponsible men was going to be stressful. Everyone else’s clothes came back in 2 weeks but 6 months later and lots of calling and forcing the others to order their clothes was so stressful!

What’s been the best part about the wedding?

Having a fiancé that wants to help out. Most men don’t care about their wedding and leaving all the responsibility to the woman can cause lots of stress, but Levi wanted to be involved and even took a couple days off work to mark some ‘to-dos’ off the list.

Was choosing your wedding party hard or easy?

The process was very difficult. Levi has SOOO many friends and I have just a few that are close enough to have stand up with me on the big day not to mention Levi’s 13 nieces and nephews to pick from for ring bearers and flower girls! But I think we picked the right bunch and we’re all really excited.

Have things gotten any easier as the wedding day approaches?

Honestly, I think the whole process was easy. I’ve known since I was 15 that I wanted to marry Levi, so at 15 I started picking out certain aspects about my wedding that I wanted. So when we got engaged I knew where to start and surprisingly everything has gone as planned! Knock on wood =)

*** Anything else you would like to share about your wedding?

We will be the first ones, aka ‘guinea pigs’ , at our reception site so we’re really excited about that!

Congrats to the soon to be Mr. and Mrs. Kuhn!!!!

True Brides {Dan + Laura}

True Bride, Laura, is here to tell us all about her wedding experience. I got the opportunity to know Laura through college and she is such a wonderful lady and I wish her so much happiness!! Laura and Dan are getting married May 26th, 2012 (TOMORROW!!) in Redford, Michigan. Their beautiful colors are pink and green!!

Engagement Questions

What was one of the first things (wedding-wise) you did when you got engaged?

The first thing we did was pick our bridal party and ask each person to be a part of our big day!

Did you know the engagement was coming or were you surprised?

I was very much surprised about the engagement, we had talked about it and he had said once he got his coaching check, well when we went out for our 2 year anniversary I knew he hadn’t been paid, or so I thought. He proposed in the parking lot of the restaurant after a romantic dinner.

The Lovely Dan and Laura

Wedding Questions

One thing you were worried about when planning your wedding?

Finding a hall to have the reception at that would be affordable.

What was the easiest vendor to book?

The church

What was the hardest vendor to book?

Probably the photographer. I wanted to find someone I was comfortable with and someone who takes great pictures. I love the photographer we picked and I can’t wait to see her pictures of our wedding.

How was wedding dress shopping?

Wedding dress shopping was fun! I went out 3 times and found my dress at the shop I was just going to for fun because they gave me an envelope at a bridal show when I made an appointment with them. In the envelope was prizes, one of which could’ve been a free dress. I didn’t get the free dress but I got $150 dollars off the dress that I ended up falling in love with it.

What’s been the most stressful part about the wedding?

The guest list! We both have huge extended families that were hard to cut down.

What’s been the best part about the wedding?

Planning all the little details! I love weddings and have had a blast planning mine!

Was choosing your wedding party hard or easy?

Choosing the wedding party was really easy. I have my best friend from college, Jordan, as my Matron of Honor, my best friend from high school as my maid of honor and my 2 little sisters as bridesmaids. Dan is having his old high school football coach and good friend as his Best Man, his brother, and 2 other good friends as groomsmen. Our flower girl is our Best Man's little girl, Ayla. Our ring bearer is Dan’s nephew Ryan and we have 2 Junior bridesmaids, my cousin, Katie, and his niece, Hailey.

I also have my good friend, Ashley, as my right hand woman and wedding coordinator, she has been a God send!

Have things gotten any easier as the wedding day approaches?

Things have been pretty easy all throughout the process! I have a really awesome support group and lots of helping hands.

Congratulations, Dan and Laura - we wish you all the best for tomorrow!!

Post-wedding True Brides {Fred + Meghan}

Mr. and Mrs. Fred Mathews are back to answer some post wedding questions for us!

The Bridal Party

Describe your wedding ceremony:

It was very classic and elegant.  Fall-themed colored.

Describe your wedding reception:

It was very energetic and rustic looking!

What was the most special part of your wedding day?  

Right before walking down the aisle :o)

The Beautiful Couple!!

What was the most stressful part about your wedding day?  

Getting all the gifts together at the end of the reception.

Who was your favorite wedding vendor and why?

  Big Ear Entertainment with Nick Duve because he is a close friend and made the reception amazing!

Did you plan a honeymoon and if so, where? 

  We did not plan one yet… might go to California!

Anything else you would like to share about your wedding day?

  We coordinated our first dance to the song "Shake It" by Metro Station and after we led with Tim McGraw's "My Best Friend".  It was amazing!

The Bridal Party

A BIG CONGRATS to Mr. and Mrs. Fred Mathews!!!

All Images by Mandy Coy Photography

True Brides {Kyle + Katy}

Remember the Beautiful Engagement Pictures for Mr. and Mrs. Kyle Richards? Well, Katy is back to give us a True Bride Report!

Katy and Kyle are getting married on New Years Eve at St. Peter Lutheran Church in Napoleon, Ohio. (I think it's so romantic to get married on a fun holiday such as New Years Eve!! What better way to ring in the new year!). Their gorgeous winter colors are red, black, and white. 

Engagement Picture Taken By Mirage Graphics and Designs. 

Engagement Questions

What was one of the first things (wedding wise) you did when you got engaged?

 True to my nature, the first thing I did was stress over the small details. Of course, come to find out although the details are important, it isn’t necessary to stress out over every small one, such as favors.

Did you know the engagement was coming or were you surprised?

 I had known he had the ring, but had no idea the engagement was going to come so soon! I thought he would wait until my birthday (in March), but he surprised me Jan. 22, 2011 with a proposal at Stoney Ridge Winery in Bryan, Ohio.

The Night Katy and Kyle got engaged at Stoney Ridge Winery (Which is an amazing place, I might add, ha).

Wedding Questions

One thing you were worried about when planning your wedding?

 Money. The biggest thing was money because, aside from some gracious help with food and beverages from our parents, we paid for the wedding ourselves, which isn’t easy on a tight budget! But I think we will be able to pull it off thanks to some creative DIY J

What was the easiest vendor to book?

  Haha, in reality, none of our vendors were exactly easy to book seeing as how nothing was going to work out for our original date of Sept. 8, 2012, which was a big reason we moved the wedding up!

What was the hardest vendor to book?

 See above haha

  

Is there anything special that has been done for your wedding?

With us moving up the date so drastically, the most special thing that’s been done for our wedding is having our amazing wedding party be so willing to do whatever it takes to still be involved on such short notice!

  

How was wedding dress shopping?

 Easy peasy! I went with one of my bridesmaids the weekend after Kyle proposed to “look” at dresses, thinking I would just get an idea of what I liked and then do the serious shopping later. Well, I wound up finding a dress I absolutely loved that day and bought it then and there! (Insert shameless plug for Bridal Elegance in Defiance here. Lol)

  

What’s been the most stressful part about the wedding?

 What was most stressful was not having anything work out for our original date as planned and having to adjust our date.

What’s been the best part about the wedding? 

The love and support that we have received from so many people. The whole planning process has been crazy, but so many people have offered to help and have offered advice that its very heart-warming.

Was choosing your wedding party hard or easy? 

That part was pretty easy for us since Kyle and I both have really close sets of friends.

 Have things gotten any easier as the wedding day approaches? 

It isn’t as if things have gotten difficult, but it definitely feels like we’re racing a clock to get things finished in time while both of us work two jobs!

I can't wait to see all the wonderful pictures from their December wedding. Be on the look out for Kyle and Katy to share there post wedding experience with us :) 

Congrats to the Future Mr. and Mrs. Kyle Richards!!

Post-wedding True Brides {Tiffany + Derek}

Remember True Brides Derek + Tiffany?
If not--I URGE you to go check out the previous post :)  We're incredibly excited to have our second True Brides Feature back to answer some fun post-wedding questions!

Derek and Tiffany got married on 9-10-11 in Albion, Michigan, Derek better remember that wedding date--right Tiffany?  :)

Remember how Derek wrote and sang a song to Tiffany and that's how he proposed, well no worries, Derek broke out his guitar again for the wedding. This is what Tiffany had to say about that, "Derek surprised me in the middle of our wedding service by playing his guitar and singing “Your Guardian Angel” by Red Jumpsuit Apparatus.  It was beautiful!"

Now to the Questions :) 

Describe your wedding ceremony:  
Our wedding ceremony was definitely “us.”  There was a lot of love and laughter that everyone shared. We both have a love of music and we both were able to bring a piece of ourselves into the service. Derek’s father, David Cornwell, and our own pastor, Andy Merritt, officiated our wedding.   Good friends of ours, Chip Mezo and Jaime Merritt sang a Glee rendition of “Faithfully.”  As they got to the choral “ahhhs”, my theatre friends slowly stood up and their voices echoed in the chapel, blending beautifully behind Chip and Jaime’s.


Overall, the wedding was short, sweet and full of life.  It was OUR wedding and I wouldn’t have had it any other way. 

Describe your wedding reception:  
Our wedding reception was the part of the day that is fuzzy to me.  Upon arriving at the reception hall, the food was ready and waiting for us, along with nearly 300 of our family and friends.  What little food I ate was absolutely delicious.  We had a lot of kids at our reception, so Derek and I were thrilled when our DJ, Matt, had glow-sticks ready for the “kids' toss” before the garter/bouquet toss. 

What was the most special part of your wedding day? 
Since Derek and I did a “first look,” I believe that moment is the most special.  All the stress, any missed photo opportunities didn't matter once I saw his face.  That’s what our wedding day was about… joining together two individuals to become one.  Nothing else mattered when he turned around and saw me for the first time that day. 

What was the most stressful part about your wedding day? 
 Getting our photos done before the wedding ended up being the most stressful.  My parents were running late, and I didn't go with the flow as much as I should have.  I ended up sacrificing some photo opportunities in exchange for having the special moment of my mom helping me put on my dress.  As sad as I was at first, now, I wouldn’t change it for the world.  My mom is my best friend and I would rather have that authentic special moment between her and I over anything else. 

Who was your favorite wedding vendor and why?
 I think our favorite vendor was unanimous  -  Metts Photo went above and beyond my expectations for our photographs.  They were there at every step of our day, capturing the little things that I would have otherwise overlooked.  The way Karina and Michael work together was seamless.  Husband and wife teams are the best! 


( If you haven't checked out Metts Photo yet, you should! This is the second recommendation from them--head to the website and check out their beautiful photography :)

Did you plan a honeymoon and if so, where? 
 We planned a small weekend get away to South Haven, that ended up turning into a day trip to Chicago.  We have to post pone our honeymoon due to the timing of the wedding with school, but we do have plans next fall to take a trip. 

 Anything else you would like to share about your wedding day?

We would just love to thank all our friends, family, and professionals who came together to make our day as remarkable as it was.  We couldn't have made it half as nice without all of you!  Thank you!!  Also, a big thank you to Jami and Baci  for the opportunity to share our wedding day bliss!

{All Images by Metts Photo}


Baci wants to say a HUGE thanks to Tiffany for sharing her and Derek's wonderful wedding memories with us!!! Congrats to Mr. and Mrs. Cornwell!!!

Katie's Lake Bridal Shower | 05.14.11 {Willoughby, Ohio}

I'm so excited to share this beautiful "Sweet and Spicy" Bridal Shower with you today!!!  I, along with the mother and sisters of the groom, threw this little soiree for one of my best friends and college roommate, Katie, in May earlier this year.

The sweet pink, fiery red and spicy orange themed shower was held at Olivor Twist in Willoughby, Ohio.  Guests were invited on baci designed white linen with red backing invitations requesting guests wear pink, red or orange attire to the event.  Each guest was asked to bring a sweet or spicy recipe with them to the shower on the provided card.

When guests arrived at the venue, they were asked to choose their name tag slogan - "I'm a little sweet. . ." or "I'm a little spicy. . ."!  They were greeted by tables draped with white linens, carnation centerpieces in red vases, pocket fold red linen napkins with baci designed menus placed inside and tasty Spiked Pink Sherbet Punch {recipe below}.

After dinner, guests were directed to the dessert display.  All the tasty treats were made by family members or the hostesses - they ranged from spiced carmel truffles to choco-berry tartlets, seriously yummy!!  Gifts for the shower games were in various shades of shower colors and included some of our favorite kitchen spices :o)  The favors were a perfect combination of sweet and spicy with a pink rock candy sucker and spicy jalepeno pistachios!

Spiked Pink Sherbet Punch

Recipe Originally by Paula Dean on The Food Network

(Printer-friendly Link)

2 quarts sherbet (Any flavor will do - we used raspberry to go with the color scheme, but I generally use lime)
2 liters ginger ale
1 (46-ounce) can pineapple juice
Lemon slices
Lime slices
Maraschino cherries

1)  In a punch bowl, add 2 quarts of lime sherbet. Then add ginger ale and pineapple juice.
2)  Decorate with lemon and lime slices and some maraschino cherries.

Jesse + Laurinda's Invitation Suite Featured on Valley & Co. Blog

Jesse and Laurinda's Fall Invitation Suite was featured (Again!  This has by far been our most popular suite ever - yay!!) on Valley & Co.'s Blog today - a huge thank you to Nick and Aleah for featuring our work on their amazing and always inspiring blog!

In case you missed it, Jesse and Laurinda's stationery suite was also featured in Valley & Co.'s Autumn EGlossy last month. . . AND I was listed on the Contributor's Page BESIDE PRESTON BAILEY!!  Such an incredible feeling :o)  Find our work on pages 62 and 63!

Open publication - Free publishing - More cocktails

Post-Wedding True Brides {Amanda + Luke}

Remember our couple Amanda and Luke Thorne from the very first True Brides Feature that got married on June 4th?

Well, Amanda is back to fill us in on the "Post Wedding" information :)

Image by Metts Photo

Describe your wedding ceremony: 

Our wedding ceremony was performed by our good friend’s dad, Dave Cornwell.  Mr. Cornwell loves life and people and was able to make Luke and I laugh, as well as the guests.  He also knows when to be serious and honor the importance of us standing before God becoming man and wife.  We had so many comments on how great the ceremony was and Luke and I couldn’t agree more.


I also wanted to give the sanctuary a romantic feel. So we left the lights down low, except for where Luke and I were standing.  As we walked out, however, we wanted to have fun, so we played Kenny Chesney’s “She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy” and rode away in a tractor  =)

Image by Metts Photo

Describe your wedding reception: 

Our reception was laid back and fun.  We did the cutting of the cake and all the 1^st dances in the beginning so we could get to the fun part of everyone dancing and having a good time.  We had a late wedding so we only served appetizers and dessert for our foods.  Ice cream is my favorite food, so we had an ice cream bar with different toppings, a chocolate fountain, cookies, brownies and more.  It saved us a lot of money doing it that way and it was delicious!

What was the most special part of your wedding day? 

The most special part of the wedding was when the doors opened and I walked down the aisle to Luke with my dad on one side of me.  It is so symbolic of two families becoming one and two people creating a whole new life together.  Plus, it was the moment I had been dreaming of since we got engaged!

What was the most stressful part about your wedding day?  

There were a few stressful parts to the day:

1.  I was stressed out in the late afternoon, because after my girls and I got our hair done, we didn’t wait too long to get down to the church.  Well we were ready and waiting for the ceremony to start for about 3 hours.  That was way too long to be waiting!!  I had many crying moments because I was filled with emotion, and by the end I was just getting very antsy and impatient.

2.  Luke and I both got a bit stressed out when we entered out reception hall.  We didn’t have a wedding planner so the wedding part sat down and we didn’t know what to do from there.  It was a bit awkward.  Praise the good Lord we had hired Pro DJs, they took charge and ­saved the evening! 

3.  Luke’s most stressful part was that a lot of his family from out of town left to go back to the hotel before we arrived to the reception site.  It was very disappointing for him, but we had to remind ourselves that it wasn’t the time to worry about anything except for having a good evening.

Who was your favorite wedding vendor and why?  

Well we only had two wedding vendors and there is no way we could only pick one of them.  Michael, with Metts Photo, is wonderful and creative.  He does what he needs to do to get a great shot.  Plus, the pictures are those beautiful memories captured for you.  We definitely couldn’t have had our wedding with out Mett’s Photo.

The other vendor we had was Pro DJs.  At first we were going to try and do the music with an iPod and decided to relieve me of stress.  Best move we could have made!  Pro DJ’s went above and beyond!!  They carried my plate for me as I got dessert so I didn’t have to work or spill anything on my dress.  They got us drinks at the beginning of the reception and of course played great music that everyone had a great time dancing to.

Did you plan a honeymoon and if so, where? 

Yes!  We went to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.  It was exactly what we needed.  Time for just the two of us to relax and not think, plan, or do anything important!  I now understand why it is so important to take a honeymoon after you are married, you need it!

*** Anything else you would like to share about your wedding day?

So many brides say this, but it is so true.  Not everything is going to turn out just has you had planned it and definitely not how you dreamed it… unless you are a millionaire  ;)  Enjoy each moment and remind yourself to stay as relaxed as possible.  The most important thing is that you get to marry your best friend and nothing else really matters.

Try to send thank you cards out right away.  If you don’t, you start to forget what each person bought you or if you already sent a card to them, etc.  It’s best to get it done and out of your hair right away.

I couldn't be any happier for this lovely couple!!!! Congrats Mr. and Mrs. Thorne!!

Four Years!! {The Reception}

Since I wasn't able to finish posting our wedding photos yesterday, today we are officially bring the Amanda + Ilario Wedding show to an end today (insert sad face - I'd love reliving it all!!) with photos and details from our reception!  Enjoy!!

Our delicious (it was even still tasty on our one-year anniversary!) cake was baked by my grandmother and decorated by my mom who also made the chocolate Groom's Cake and the 10.27.2007 cupcakes!! Those adorable little peach cookies were made by my mother-in-law and the rest of the tasty desserts were made by our aunts.

Before the bouquet toss and garter throw we did a kid-friendly candy toss - it was a huge hit!!

These photos are hands down some of the funniest things I have EVER seen in my life - my bridesmaids wanted that bouquet, lol!!!

My Grandma was a dancin' machine that night - I love it!!  It makes me so happy to see everyone having fun on the dance floor :o)

Four years later, I still can't say thank you enough to our amazing photographers - Brandy J and Sticky of Brandy J Photography!!