Kathy Piech-Lukas interview with ABC 22 / Fox 45 about the Royal Wedding

Click below to view our insight about the royal wedding!
Dayton's News Source :: Top Stories - Local Parties For the Royal Wedding



Your Dream Day hosted a viewing party of the royal wedding at the Dayton Wedding Connection beginning at 5 a.m. this past Friday. Our friends at Party Pleasers had the royal wedding playing on a projection screen all day long. I was there from 4 a.m. until noon and spoke with the local television media about the big event. One of the most fascinating things for me was how social media impacted this event. I began tweeting at 5 a.m. and it was amazing to get the opinions and insight from bridal industry leaders immediately, to get the information about the designers and reactions immediately.

The biggest things on twitter that morning:
(1) Mixed reviews about the size of her bouquet and the amount of flowers used at the wedding ceremony. Many industry professionals thought she used too few flowers and that her bouquet was too small. Me -- I thought it was tastefully done. Kate's goal was to have the feeling of an English garden. I thought the use of trees and the subtle use of the lily of the valley was just regal. Less is more.
(2) LOVED the Mother of the Bride coat dresses -- they looked stunning on the mothers and not matronly. I hope this trend is here for a while!
(3) LOVED both of Kate's dresses. The strapless dress is finally not the style anymore. It's lace! I loved the reception dress and the jacket that went with it.
(4) LOVED that the couple wrote their own prayer for the ceremony. Although the two did look a little bored during the ceremony sermon. Lots of tweeters said that, not just me.
(5) Loved the wedding reception cake. Just stunning!

I also wish more Americans wore hats. It was so much fun just watching all of the guests and the creations for their heads. It is expected that a lady in England will wear a hat to a black tie and formal occasion. Maybe this will start rubbing off in America??

Tips for spot cleaning your wedding dress

Our friends at the Wedding Gown Preservation Company posted this wonderful blog about spot cleaning of your wedding dress. This is a summary of those tips. Very useful tips!

Before treating an entire gown, always test an area in an inconspicuous part of the wedding gown first. If in doubt consult a wedding gown preservation and cleaning specialist.

Blot: Blot is the key word. Like your wedding day makeup, make sure to blot your stain with a moist (not wet) sponge or cotton ball. Putting a towel underneath the stain while you blot will absorb part of the stain and prevent other parts of your gown from being stained. Blot your stains dry.

I always keep Shout Wipes (not a Tide Stick, which has bleach in it), Goo Be Gone and Dawn washing detergent in my emergency kit. Shout wipes get out the majority of stains. Goo Be Gone gets out the things Shout wipes don’t, like tar, grease and oil. (The last two are the reason why I still carry Dawn – that and to wash down dirty chairs if I need to for the ceremony.)

For tricky stains like red wine, apply club soda or white wine with a sponge to the stained area. Then dab the stained area with a mixture of cool water and ammonia. Always gently blot dry the area. For lipstick, the best to spot clean lipstick is to use a mixture of 3 tbsp. alcohol and 3 drops of baby shampoo. It is important to remove the lipstick stain as soon as you find it. Perspiration stains are acid based and as time goes by they become alkaline stains. We suggest using a two part cleaning process to remove these stains. Add one tablespoon of vinegar to a half a cup of water. Blot the stained area with a cheese cloth or cotton ball, dry, and then use a mixture of alcohol and baby shampoo going over the same area. Always rinse using a blotting method to remove alcohol and shampoo solution. One method used to clean blood stains is one part hydrogen peroxide to 9 parts water. Make sure you remove solution with warm water blotting afterwards with a clean towel to dry.

One thing every bride should expect -- you will have what I call "ring around the bottom" -- the bottom of your dress, about 1/2" all the way around, will be brown and dirty. That's normal and gown preservation companies and dry cleaners expect that. Don't worry about pretreating those.

Facebook & Twitter contest with Things Remembered

Your Dream Day is having a contest during the month this May in partnership with one of the nation's largest engraving and specialty gift companies, Things Remembered.

We are asking about some"thing" you "remember" .... when or how did you know that your fiance or spouse was "the one?" Tell your story by friending us and posting your response on Your Dream Day's Facebook Wall or tagging Your Dream Day on Twitter or follow on Twitter @yourdreamday during the month of May. The best entry will be judged by Your Dream Day and the corporate headquarters of Things Remembered, located in Cleveland. The winner will receive this beautiful toasting set, cake serving set and commemorative ornament plus personalized engraving from Things Remembered, a $150 value.



So when and how did you know? Tell us this May!

The Knot Best of Weddings Pick 2011 for Your Dream Day!

A huge thank you to our happy clients who voted for us for "The Knot Best of Weddings 2011!" I got the official word today from Karrie, my sales rep for The Knot. What a wonderful surprise and honor! A huge thank you to all my staff (the dreamgirls) for doing such an amazing job! The Knot will officially be announcing this and other Cincinnati / Dayton area winners on Friday.

Steph and Clinton -- St. Peter in Chains Cathedral and Hyatt Regency Cincinnati

Steph and Clinton are such a fun-loving couple! When we first met, we hit it off instantly. Steph, a native of Canada, first met Clinton in Daytona. Wait -- I'll let this video tell you. The couple filmed this the week of the wedding and played it for their before their introduction into the reception. Compliments of Steve Zugelter of Studio Z.

For their event design, we wanted to blend Steph's Canadian heritage with Clinton's American style; their love for motorcycles; and an elegant, vintage yet modern feel with her orange, gold, and fall colors. This is what emerged!

The bride had custom jewelry designed by Debra Moreland is Paris.

Their daughter, Mila, was the cutest flower girl ever!!

St. Peter in Chains is a breathtaking venue for a wedding ceremony.


Out front of St. Peter in Chains



Florals designed by Fassler Florist

I love Jacalyn from JMM's rustic style! Very Vogue editorial!

Steph is ALL about her Chanel Shades!!

Koozies are a wedding reception tradition with Steph and Clinton's family and friends. These ones were placed at the bar after the introduction video was played.

The Hyatt Regency Cincinnati was decked out in oranges and golds. Chargers, flatware, napkin rings compliments of All Occasions Rentals. Linens compliments of Connie Duglin. Wood chivari chairs compliments of Finch Rental.

Before dinner, prayer was spoken in both American English and Steph's native Indian language.

Gorgeous shot of downtown!

In addition to the forementioned vendors, a huge thanks to Patricia's Weddings and Custom Cakes; Motortoys Limousine , Five Dot Design, and Hey Mr. DJ!. The day after the event, Steph and her family and friends went to the Bengals game together for a fun-filled day and left for their honeymoon to Jamaica soon afterwards! Best wishes!

Quick Tip: for your bustle

The bustle (like your DJ) can make or break the enjoyment of your wedding reception. Make sure that you bring someone (your maid or matron of honor, your mother, your planner) with you to your final fitting. Have the seamstress walk through with you and this person how to assemble the bustle. Let your guest practice several times before you leave and take a photo of the bustled dress before you leave. That person can either do the bustle or serve as a manager to the people that do.

As a planner, I can usually figure out the bustle -- but-- it helps us a lot if someone else has seen it done. Most dress bustles have either three hooks on top of the dress or the bustle ties underneath (french). A seamstress that I use a lot, Karen, has shown me a lot of tricks the past two years with regard to the way a final bustle should look. I've used those tools a lot at wedding receptions where we have in fact figured out the seamstress's intended bustle -- but adding these additional fastenings with pins make the dress look better and make the bride feel more at ease during her reception.

The most dramatic bustles I've encountered? One required the bride to sit on the floor while three of us tied the 35 bustle ties underneath the dress. The worst one ever had a combination of hooks, an under the dress tying layer and an over the dress tying layer -- we had a total of seven people (3 of my staff, a catering manager, a florist and two of her friends) look at this bustle the night of the reception and none of us could figure it out. I felt so bad for the bride that night. Since that wedding, I have told all my brides that they must follow paragraph one of this blog. Since then, we've not had this issue of no one being able to figure out the bustle for the blushing bride.

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!

Las Vegas: Great vacation and destination wedding spot!

Last week, I took a MUCH MUCH needed vacation to Las Vegas with my husband. This was my first trip to the Nevada desert and I had a fabulous time. Jim loves to research our vacation spots on Trip Advisor, and we never take a trip anywhere without checking this website first.

We stayed at The Signature at MGM Grand on the Penthouse 37th Floor in a Junior Suite, which we were able to check into at the airport. (That was very convenient.) The bed was so comfortable and the room had a fabulous view of the strip. It also had a small kitchenette, and we purchased light breakfast food, frozen pizzas, mac & cheese, bread and lunch meat, soda and lemonade the day we arrived at CVS. We saved about $300 just doing this instead of eating out for breakfast and lunch all week. The private pool and hot tub was very quiet (unlike the adjoining MGM Grand, which was louder and had a lazy river ride) and the concierge service took care of arranging all the details for the shows we saw during our stay. However, guests of The Premier are allowed to use any of the amenities, like the lazy river ride and larger pool, discount tickets to shows, etc. at the MGM Grand if they choose to.

The MGM Grand also has a wedding chapel. I stopped in to see what it costs to get married in Las Vegas at the F0rever Grand at MGM. For $800, you can get a wedding chapel for up to 70 guests; a photographer that will sell you 12 photos; a minister; pre-recorded music; one bouquet; one boutonniere; and a limo ride to city hall to buy your marriage license. Packages go up to $5,000. Rooms at the MGM start at $169 per night. Including flight, you'd be looking at a minimum of $1200 to elope to Las Vegas.

While in Vegas, we saw two live shows: The Crazy Horse Paris, which was very tastefully done for a cabaret show, and "O" Cirque du Soleil's resident show at Bellagio. This show was absolutely amazing. This video from You Tube shows the 1.5 million gallon tank that was in the theater (yes, a THEATER!) and used during the performance. It was worth every penny! We also did a Nielsen review and focus group of the new NBC show, Mike and Molly, which premieres on network TV in a few weeks.

And of course, I went to the casinos. I did pretty well at the blackjack tables but not so well at the slot machines. But it was all in good fun. Overall, a long overdue break. Planning weddings is fun, but we've been very busy planning some amazing weddings this summer and my poor body needed some R&R!

Not just a new marriage but a new family

When one of the persons getting married has children, whether from a previous marriage or otherwise, you're not just marrying the person you love. You're also creating a new family. In my opinion, it's important that the children understand not only what is going on (what marriage means), but how it will impact them after the wedding day is done. If you are required to attend pre-marital counseling, you may want to consider having one special session with the couple and the children as well. The children will be a part of that day's new union as well. There are lots of small, subtle, yet meaningful ways to incorporate children into a ceremony.

A wedding this past June had custom M&Ms. The groom has two sons from a previous marriage and so they incorporate all four of their names into the sayings on the M&Ms. Cool idea! They said things like 'We said "I Do," 'Love You,' 'Love is Sweet,' 'Forever Friends,' 'Our New Family,' and 'Just Married.' Here's a coupon where you can buy 3 or more bags of custom printed M&Ms and get one free, Gotta love free stuff!



Another way is a Unity Pendant. At this particular wedding, the pendant was blessed by the priest during the actual service and the bride and groom placed it around her son's neck.



The Unity Sand Ceremony is a great way to show the blending of a new family through the use of different colors. At this wedding we coordinated last October, the bride, groom, and 3 children (2 his, 1 hers) created a new piece that now hangs proudly on their mantel.

Got Wedding Stuff Charity Event for Lupus Foundation

It's not too late to donate to the silent auction, Got Wedding Stuff, this coming Thursday, September 24 from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Savannah Center. Cost is $5 per person and the fee will be deducted from any items you purchase from the auction that evening. Our first annual event is being held in conjunction with the Wedding Mafia's Bridal Event that evening. Visit the website for more details about donated auction items and other details! http://www.gotweddingstuff.com

Why Lupus? Lupus is an autoimmune disease that primarily impacts women and onsets (in general) between ages 28 and 35 -- the same age when many women are getting married! I was diagnosed with lupus six months after my own wedding. Lupus has had a great impact on my life, and it took many years to get me on a balanced regimine of medications so that I can lead a normal life. This charity is near and dear to my heart -- I am a survivor. This event is a way to help brides find a great bargain while helping to provide funding for research and helping lupus patients throughout the State of Ohio.

Bid on lightly used wedding items, such as centerpieces, attire, favors, treasure chests, gift boxes, fabrics, wedding accessories and gift certificates toward services for your upcoming wedding! Items donated by past brides and Cincinnati area wedding vendors! All proceeds to benefit the Lupus Foundation of America. Admission into the silent auction is $5 donation per person. Should someone win an item in the silent auction, this $5 donation will be deducted from the winner's total at checkout. This event will be held at the same time as the Wedding Mafia's bridal event.

What are some thing you can donate? If you are a vendor, perhaps a gift certificate toward your services. Maybe your closet (whether you are a past bride or a wedding vendor) is full of items that have seen their day for you, but might be another bride's treasure. Regardless of what you donate, your donation is tax deductible. All proceeds raised that evening will benefit the Lupus Foundation of America.
Gift certificates for the auction may be donated between now and September 24 at 12 noon. Lots of large items may be dropped off at the Savannah Center on Wednesday, September 23 from 6 p.m to 9 p.m. and Thursday, September 24 from 9 a.m. to 12 noon only. No large or bulk items may be dropped off sooner or later than that timeframe.

Presented in partnership with Your Dream Day, The Wedding Mafia, Perfect Wedding Guide and Bride and Groom Planner. For more information or to contribute to the silent auction at this event, visit www.gotweddingstuff.com or contact Kathy Piech-Lukas at 513-241-2777 or kathy@Yourdreamday.com.

Event Schedule
5:00pm Doors Open for Got Wedding Stuff Silent Auction, hosted by Your Dream Day.
6:00pm Doors Open for Cocktail Party, hosted by the Wedding Mafia.
6:30pm Section 1 of Auction Closes
7:00pm Section 2 of Auction Closes
7:30pm Section 3 of Auction Closes
8:00pm Section 4 of Auction Closes
8:15pm Fashion Show begins. Fashion Show production by Kotsovo's Furs and Fine Apparel, Folchi's Formal Wear, Peppe Ramundo and Sons, DJ Butlers, Chenese Bean and Macy's Ecotage Salon and Day Spa.
8:45pm $15,000 Fashion Giveaway
Includes custom wedding bands, bridal gown and headpiece, manicures and pedicures, hair and makeup for the bridal party, 2 $1000 tuxedo vouchers, bridal party gifts and more. Must be present to win.
9:00 Winners to pick up Silent Auction Items

I hope to see you and your family at this event! In case you have items to donate to after January, the next "Got Wedding Stuff" event will be held this February in Dayton. More details to follow!

Dayton Bridal Connection Fair this Sunday from 12 to 5

Our office is located in the same building where this event is taking place!



Cost is $5 per person. Meet the Dreamgirls, along with 50+ wedding professionals, from the Dayton area! Visit www.dbcohio.com for more information. Lots of free giveaways!

Hawaiian Wedding, Ault Park

These photos are from Michelle and Dennis's wedding at Ault Park. They were the neatest couple to work with! The couple owns a recycling company in Cincinnati. Their dream was to take all of their friends and family to Hawaii, but logistically that wasn't going to be possible. So, we brought Hawaii to Cincinnati for them!

In creating the look for this wedding, we didn't want to fall into the trap of all the traditional Hawaiian / Lou-ou (is that how its spelled?) decor like grass skirts, lays, which are readily available but can come off looking cheap and tacky at a wedding. Using coconut cups, lighting, bamboo chairs and the colors of pink, orange, green and brown, two dozen tiki torches and tropical flowers, we created an elegant event that impressed Michelle, Dennis and her guests! Instead of a guest book, we had a plasterboard where guests could etch their names into the (permanant) sand or put their fingerprints in. Guests placed their gift cards upright in a container of sand instead of a box or a birdcage. Each guest was presented with a personalized coconut cup, and most guests filled those up with margaritas or wine from Vinkolet Winery, which is owned by their friends! Enjoy the photos (compliments of Images by Daniel Michael). A huge thanks to Ford Ellington, Village Pantry, DJ Toad, Brideface, Goodwin Lighting and Maribelle's for their services that day.

Happy Planning!! :-)

Sports lovers...literally!

Once again, the Buffalo Bills kicked a wide right field goal to lose the football game during Monday night football. So sad... Like the late Tim Russert, I have roots in Buffalo (where I was born and raised, and watched Buffalo lose four consecutive Superbowls!), attended college in Ohio, and (sort of) have a connection with politics. (My husband works in local government as a city manager.) Even though they lost tonight, the Bills still make me want to shout! :-)

Having lived in Ohio since 1996, I also enjoy watching live Cincinnati Reds and Bengals games. There is something about the crowd at a game. Speaking of which, did you know you can have your wedding at Duke Energy field, host your rehearsal dinner in a box, have your wedding photos taken at the Bengals Stadium, or get the Buckeye mascot to come to your reception? I have had die-hard Buckeye fans play the game during their wedding reception or (at least!) have the DJ announce the scores. You can have your wedding reception at the Cintas Center, a local country club or even on an ice rink. Most courses will let you have photos on the greens but some have restrictions with the ceremony. So many unique ways to bring the love of sports into your wedding! Now if only the groom could look like David Beckham...