Renaissance Gothic Themed Halloween Wedding for Melissa and Greg at Dayton Art Institute

Greg and Melissa had one of the most creative wedding days I've ever had the pleasure of doing yet! The couple wanted to have a wedding that reflected their passion for the renaissance period and "Lord of the Rings," with a twist of Gothic and black for their Halloween Day wedding. We put our heads together and the result was this classy, true-to-the-period wedding at the Dayton Art Institute that was enjoyed by all!

Greg wore a period jacket with buttons while the bride wore a custom made black velvet gown and custom made veil. The seamstress, Johnna Brough, has sewn and designed costumes for the Ohio Renaissance Festival for years.

The bridesmaids were no exception and also wore custom-made burgundy period dresses.
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All of the ladies carried red magic roses complemented with black feathers and tendrills, made by the talented Cady Vance. The ladies look like rock stars (or renaissance stars?) thanks to the talents of Nancy from Brideface.

Programs and guest invitations were in a Gothic font and sealed with a wax sealed crest emblem.
A hand ceremony was performed by Persephanie, a member of the Wicca community

The bridal ceremony was complemented by the talented music of Rose Trio.

Melissa's favorite pose of the day

The Gothic Cloister of the Dayton Art Institute was uplit with red lighting on the pillars and a red rose pattern on the dance floor by Party Pleasers.

Silver chargers, red napkins with silver holders complemented the black crinkled linens and black chair covers tied with silver sashes. Rentals were provided by Finch Rental and Prime Time Party Rental.The cake was the only white thing at this event. In true Melissa and Greg fashion, the Ele Cake Company wedding cake was cut to Billy Idol's "White Wedding."

Tables were adorned with white and black feather centerpieces, or immersed red magic roses, that were illuminated with internal vase lighting and candles. Each table was named after something from "Lord of the Rings" and in a Gothic-style frame and font.

Halloween would not have been complete without a candy bar. This was served during the same time as cocktail hour and the candy was gone before dinner. (Tip to brides to be -- serve your candy bar after dinner has been cleared!)

Photographer Daniel Michael could not resist getting in the electronic lift to get this ariel shot! It shows the dance floor, pinspot and column uplighting, done by Party Pleasers, who also DJ the reception. Elegant Fare catered the delicious food.

A great shot of the lighting detail on the dance floor and the shape of the Gothic cloister room

Congratulations to Greg and Melissa on an amazing wedding day! Here is to a lifetime of happiness and centuries thereafter!

Got Wedding Stuff -- 2/17/2010

Yesterday, I met with Pam Vitale at Country Club of the North to discuss the details for the next "Got Wedding Stuff" event, which will be held at CCN on 2/17/2010 from 5 to 9 p.m.

We anticipate roughly 100 vendors will be exhibiting at the bridal cocktail, so you can chat with them and learn more about their services. The event will feel like a wedding cocktail reception. A fashion show will showcase the latest and greatest in bridal attire. A silent auction, which will be loaded with generous gift certificates from local wedding vendors off their services, and lightly used wedding items such as dresses, jewelry, shoes, centerpieces, favors, unity candles, guest books, garters, and other accessories, will be at the event for all brides. (At the last event, more than $50,000 worth of items were donated! A bride won a $1000 brand new wedding dress for $50!) We're also planning to have other games and activities, such as a dollar dance with a local celebrity, to add fun to the festivities.

Cost will be $5 per person and includes one drink ticket for those over the age of 21. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Lupus Foundation and all brides will certainly benefit from the fabulous deals at the auction! Lightly used wedding items and gift certificates may be pledged on the website and dropped off on 2/16 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and on 2/17 by 3 p.m. All donations to the silent auction are tax deductible. (Gift certificates only may be dropped off to Your Dream Day before 12/31 for a 2009 tax donation.) We'll get the items up as they are pledged and dropped off, so check the site regularly in the weeks and days leading up to the event. We encourage brides with lightly used items left from their own weddings to donate them to this event!

This event will be presented in sponsorship with Your Dream Day, Country Club of the North, Finch Rental and Party Pleasers. (We are still tying down the details for the fashion show, and PSAs with the local television media. Radio ads will start running in February.) If you are a vendor and interested in exhibiting or donating to the event, please call me and we'll get you signed up.

Catholic Wedding at St. Susanna's and Manor House Reception in Mason, Ohio

Bobby and Tiffany were one of the best couples ever! Tiffany became more than just a client, but a friend. I saw so much of myself in her. We are both Xavier grads (go muskies!), both have type A personalities, and just had a ball planning this wedding with her mom.

The couple incorporated some really neat things into their wedding to truly make it their own. For example, Tiffany works at the Cincinnati Zoo, so greeting guests at the wedding reception at Manor House were real live animals from the Zoo! Tiffany also made custom table numbers which had photos of the two of them at each age (example, table 5 had photos of them at age 5). Tiffany's mom also made custom antique door knob table holders for the table numbers. Her florist also incorporated jeweled butterflies into each of the centerpieces, serving as a memory to those who couldn't be there to celebrate the day. Their guests were entertained by a photo booth -- one copy of the photo went to the guests and one went into a guest book for the bride and groom. During the ceremony, Tiffany's son, Conner, was presented with a Unity Pendant to symbolize that he too was becoming part of the new marriage union.

To view a trailer video from the wedding here, click here

My funniest story of the day? When Tiffany and Bobby celebrated their first moment outside at her mother's estate, her son and the flower girl decided to wrestle with a 100 pound dog. The dog didn't like that too much and the little girl's flower dress ripped at the waist and the ring bearer got a cut that was bleeding (and mixing with his tears) all down his face! Needless to say, we got everything fixed before the bride got back and she didn't know until later that day.

Making the day possible were Images by Daniel Michael Photography, Forever Wedding Video, Manor House, Savannah Nite, Patricias Weddings and Custom Cakes, Say Cheese Photo Booths, Party Pleasers (DJ and Lighting), Fassler Florist, The Scarlet Envelope and Jags for the rehearsal dinner.

And the future for this adorable couple? A baby girl, expected this fall. Congrats!