sentinelwedding
TRANSCRIPT
WEDDINGextravaganza
SEPTEMBER 12, 2014
GETTING HITCHEDON A HIKE
u
SENTINEL’SSHOW ATTHE STROHON SEPT. 14
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2
along the HIKE,
they got HITCHED
By EMILY GORDONSentinel Staff Writer
For many hikers, it’s the journey — not the destination — that makes a trip special.
As avid hikers and world travelers, Jesse and Larina Ascunce found a way to incor-porate their journey as a cou-ple and their love of the out-doors in their wedding last summer by exchanging vows before a small cairn.
Cairns, piles of rocks mark-
ing a trail or notable site, have been used for thousands of years by different peoples around the world.
“Cairns show your way on a trail,” Jesse Ascunce said. “We took that concept with pieces of our lives to show how we got to where we are today.”
The couple’s cairn consisted of rocks from the Maumee river, where the Bowling Green native used to fish; Colorado Springs, Colo., where Larina Ascunce was raised; Rockford, Illinois, where her grandpar-
ents live; Colorado’s “fourteen-ers” mountains, named for their peaks exceeding 14,000 feet, and Iceland, the couple’s favor-ite place to visit, said Jo Ascunce, mother of the groom.
“He called us and said, ‘I know it sounds weird, but I need a flat rock from the river,’” she said. “We got nine and laid them out on the driveway, took a picture and had him decide which he wanted. Now, they have the cairn in their family room forever.”
The cairn acted as the icing on the cake of the couple’s nature filled “open-air” ceremo-ny in a meadow at Woods Walk, Crested Butte, Colorado.
With Mount Crested Butte serving as the backdrop, the bride, wearing a white, knee-length sundress with an orange sash and wildflowers in her hair, walked down the stone-lined aisle to “There She Goes” by the La’s, strummed by her husband-to-be on the mando-lin.
Couple’s open-air ceremony in Colorado centered around creativity ... and cairns
Photos provided
Bride Larina Ascunce flies a red kite at her unusual wedding reception.
(See JOURNEY on 17)
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Larina and Jesse Ascunce had an unusual wedding ceremony in Crested Butte, Colo. Here, they are shown after they exchanged their written vows and read them silently. The cairn-representative stones brought by family members from various parts of the country created the “altar” (below).
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DREAM.
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Traditional Wedding Location
A large clearing nestled in the lower level of the gardens can accommodate 300 guests. The gardens and lakes create a gorgeous backdrop. The stroll through the Japanese Garden to the congregation seating area is not only a beautiful journey, but a calming experience for guests.
Japanese Garden
The lush greens, reflecting pool, and splashes of color in the area provide a serene and peaceful backdrop. The water features - the sound which in Japanese culture signifies the mystic passage of time, and statuary add peace and beauty.
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A room with a view. Enjoy the beauty of the gardens from indoors. The Veh Conference Center is the perfect setting for an intimate wedding reception for up to 90 guests. The space features a spacious deck for additional seating and is perfect for bar service.
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The 17 acre garden estate of Schedel Arboretum & Gardens is the perfect location for a dream outdoor wedding, with six beautifully
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To arrange a tour call 419.862.3182 x 117 or schedel-gardens.org
SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT
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By MARIE THOMASSentinel Education Editor
Businesses return each year to the Sentinel-Tribune’s Wedding Extravaganza because of the professionalism dis-played, the array of vendors and the success they find talk-ing to prospective brides.
This year’s extravaganza is at a new site, the Stroh Center at Bowling Green State University, on Sept. 14 from noon to 4 p.m.
At the time of this maga-zine’s deadline, 36 vendors had signed on for the event, but at least 55 are planned.
Previous extravaganzas
were held in Pemberville and at Woodland Mall in Bowling Green, but the Stroh offers a larger layout to allow conversa-tions between vendors and guests, said Betty Kahlenberg, advertising director at the Sentinel.
It also will allow a T-shape runway which will be used by gown and tuxedo vendors to show off the latest fashions.
Kahlenberg said the bigger venue offers easy access off Interstate 75, free parking and space for larger vendor dis-plays.
“We’re stepping up our game,” she said about moving to the new site. “We hope the vendors appreciate it.”
Holding a wedding show in
Sentinel’s bridal show will strut into the Stroh
Shane Hughes/Sentinel-Tribune
Julie Dewolf (left) and Amanda Vandercoy look at various cakes at the Mary Poppins Cake Factory display during last year’s Sentinel-Tribune Bridal Fair. The show, set for Sept. 14, is moving to the Stroh Center on the Bowling Green State University campus. Over 50 vendors, including Mary Poppins Cake Factory, are expected to attend.
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— SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT —
Nazareth Hall is a banquet and wedding
facility that used to be a Catholic Military
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Anniversary parties, School events,
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the fall rather than in the spring, like many other sites do, “gives (brides) an opportu-nity to see what’s new for spring,” Kahlenberg said.
And the extravaganza can give people looking to plan a family reunion or anniversary party ideas as well, with floral shops on hand, rental halls, caterers and direct sales com-panies.
Mary Kay consultant Jeanette Stein, of Pemberville, has attended all extravagan-zas held by the Sentinel, at least seven in all.
She said she will be offering a drawing for a free consulta-tion plus gift certificate give-aways. The big winner will get a pampering basket and a free party.
“It is worth it,” she said about participating in the show. “I must say, through the Sentinel, the results have been really good.”
“It’s a top-notch show,” said Dennis Hilgeman, co-owner of Mary Poppins Cake Factory in Woodville.
“We do very well” at the show. “We easily pick up 15 weddings at the show,” he said.
Mary Poppins provides cus-tom cakes, and duplicates a lot of Food Network styles.
Custom flavors include a
chocolate truffle cake and an Italian Cassata white cake with rum in the batter. Raspberry lemonade, key lime and root beer float are other flavors offered.
On the cover: J.D. Pooley took this photo of a model at Personal D’Signs BBG Bridal in Fremont (see page 10). Cover design by Kristen Norman.This edition was edited by Debbie Rogers.
Shane Hughes/Sentinel-Tribune
Vicki Knott and her daughters Sarah (left) and Beth look at the display by Downtown Deco during the 2013 Sentinel-Tribune Bridal Fair. Below, Jewelry from Waddington Jewelers on display.
(See FAIR on 7)
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UPCOMING BRIDAL SHOWSWedding Extravaganza 2014Sunday, September 14, 2014 • 12-4 p.m.Stroh Center - Campus of BGSU, Bowling Green
419-352-4611 sent-trib.com
�e PinnacleSunday, January 18, 2015 • 12-4 p.m.1772 Indian Wood Circle, Maumee
419-346-9885 w-dreams.net
Nazareth HallSunday, October 19, 2014 • 12-4 p.m.21211 W. River Rd., Grand Rapds
419-832-2900 nazarethhall.com Free
Sauder VillageSunday, March 8, 2015 • 12-4 p.m.22611 Ohio Rt. 2, Archbold
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Superbowl of All Bridal Shows - Stranahan Great HallJan. 10 & 11, 20154645 Heatherdowns Blvd., Toledo
419-893-5888 $8 advance; $10 door
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#etiquette?Some tips on when to tweet, share and tag while at a wedding
By PETER KUEBECKSentinel Staff Writer
Social media is making the wheels of modern commu-nication turn even faster. Comments, status updates, photos and video can be sent to friends — and strangers — worldwide with the simple tap of a touchscreen.
But what happens when social media collides up with ancient traditions like wed-dings? What are the rules?
Should you tweet a photo of the bride as she’s walking down the aisle? What about selfies at the event? Can you send invi-tations to weddings or show-ers via Facebook? How about Instagramming a shot of the food at the reception?
A Google search of the topic yields more than 15.7 million hits, with articles from numer-ous media outlets offering “dos” and “don’ts.” Even Martha Stewart has waded into the topic.
An article on the Huffington
Post advises that brides “keep the wedding dress under wraps (and offline)” and to “let people know your social media wish-es” for the event.
“Ask permission before you share,” the piece admonishes wedding guests.
A Headline News piece on the subject quoted one wed-ding expert as saying that “hir-ing a social media pro for your wedding... is ‘the way of the future.’”
And the overall consensus seems to be that brides should tell their families in person about their engagements
before making it “Facebook official.”
Locally, the trend seems to be that modern brides are embracing social media, rather than trying to squelch it.
“I think that especially the younger brides, that’s just sort of their way of life, where everything goes up and it’s not a big deal,” said Kelly Heuss, of Puttin’ On The Glitz in down-town Perrysburg.
Megan Thomas, an event coordinator at Nazareth Hall in Grand Rapids, said “a lot of our
(See ETIQUETTE on 21)
Illustration by J.D. Pooley/Sentinel-Tribune
Popular social media sites like Instagram allow users to use hashtags to share their photos.
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“We do all kinds of stuff,” Hilgeman said. “People come up with an idea and I can do that.”
The shop also had a CAD program that will show cou-ples a computer mock up of their cake, so there are no sur-prises on the day of the event.
At the show, he and wife Jackie Kennedy will have a Cinderella cake, a chocolate fountain and other treats.
Another returning vendor is Moonlight and Paradise Vacations in Gibsonburg.
“I’ve gained clients that I have kept,” said owner Lisa Damschroder.
She said she gets enough bookings each year to keep coming back. This year she will offer a drawing for a Coach travel bag.
“I want them to know that I intend to give them best value for their vacation dollars and connect them to the best des-tination that will be suit what they’re looking for,” Damschroder said.
She specializes in Caribbean escapes, specifically Sandals Resorts.
“I want to make sure they have a location where they can make beautiful memories.”
Schedel Arboretum and Gardens will be new this year.
Veronica Sheets, event coor-dinator, agreed that the venue will be a huge draw.
She estimated 25 percent of visitors to the Elmore garden are from Bowling Green, and
the site hosts quite a few Bowling Green weddings.
She will have on displays some wedding photos taken at
the site.“I hope to book a few new
ceremonies, receptions, show-ers or rehearsal dinners.”
Fair
Photo provided
One of the vendors at this year’s Sentinel-Tribune Bridal Fair will be Schedel Arboretum and Gardens. They will have photos and information about the popular wedding site in Elmore.
Vendors at the Sentinel-Tr i b u n e’s We d d i n g Extravaganza include:
Encore BridalIt WorksSchedel ArboretumShowcase VideoTravel ConnectionsMary KayThe Toledo ZooMary Poppins Cake FactoryPampered ChefKent and Stephanie
PhotographyKlotz FloralPop Culture PopcornBBB BridalMichelle Rachael EventsJava SensationsRhythm and BloomNazareth HallAmerican Commodore
TuxedoBride Guide Northwest
OhioStone Ridge Golf ClubLa Boutique NostalgieConnie Duglin Specialty
Linen and Chair Cover RentalsPremiere DesignsMoonlight and Paradise
VacationsC. Sterling JewelersBuggy Whip BakeryElegant Music (harp)Modern WoodmenWestern and Southern LifeQuaint Wedding StationeryJamberry NailsHoliday Inn ExpressPure RomanceEverdry Water ProofingHilton Garden InnCherry Lane Cakes
Check out these vendors at the Wedding Extravaganza
(Continued from 5)
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By ALEX ASPACHERSentinel Staff Writer
Venues spread across Wood County give those plan-ning a wedding a range of options close to home.
The 18th green at Stone Ridge boasts a picturesque ceremony setting, and the ballroom makes for a good party afterward.
The rolling hills and green fairways of the course also cre-ate a great backdrop for wed-ding photos.
There’s a flow between the ballroom, the outdoor patio and the space next to the final green where ceremonies are often conducted.
“If they want to have cere-mony here, they’re looking to
go outside. They don’t want to be inside,” said Kara Higdon, catering sales director.
Guests can gather around or observe the exchange of vows from the overlooking patio, a popular choice for some elderly guests, and oth-ers when summer tempera-tures are particularly hot.
Once, Higdon recalled, a creative couple incorporated the golf course itself into their ceremony. Music played out-doors as the bridal party entered in golf carts down the path along No. 18.
Parties often move up to the patio for a cocktail hour and appetizers after the cere-mony. The ballroom indoors seats 230 people while leaving the dance floor open, and a large bay of doors and win
Outdoor ‘I do’s’Couples search out greens and
grottos for their ceremonies
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dows keeps views of the golf course and the southern sky intact.
Stone Ridge offers all-inclu-sive packages, but they’re cus-tomizable and just about any-thing a couple doesn’t like can be replaced or taken out. The club doesn’t do wedding cakes, but those who book there can have their cake cut for free, Higdon said.
“Once we talk to them about it and tell them everything that’s included, they see it as a positive because they know what price range they’re look-ing at per person,” Higdon said. “We just kind of roll it all into one.”
Couples who book their wedding at the golf club also enjoy a pair of free golf pass-es.
A service many couples find helpful is an on-site wedding coordinator at Stone Ridge.
“We keep all their details organized for them,” Higdon said, mentioning music, special requests and other details, such as food allergies. “We take all those specific notes and really customize it to their reception.
“We’re not trying to put any-one into a cookie cutter. It’s their day.”
To inquire about Stone Ridge, call 419-354-2535.
A green vista is also at the focus of weddings held at Bowling Green Country Club.
“There’s a lot of windows, so there’s a good view of the course,” said Jeff Szabo, food and beverage manager.
Organizers provide table-cloths and napkins and will customize the bar selection to stay within a particular price range. Szabo said the country club is a nice, affordable option for a few local weddings each year.
The club’s banquet hall can seat up to 130, and seating is also available on the patio. The club restaurant caters events, with appetizers and several buffet menus and customiz-able options available, allow-ing couples to mix and match.
Indoors, there is one large room and a lounge, which is opened to combine the two during receptions.
“I think it’s just a cozy room for a smaller wedding,” Szabo said.
For more information, call the country club at 419-352-3100.
Nazareth Hall has come a long way since 1927, being transformed from a Catholic boys school to one of Wood County’s upscale wedding and event venues.
It’s been such since 1991 and continues to offer couples an upscale bridal experience soaked in throwback style.
“It definitely has the same kind of feeling when you walk in the doors,” said Megan Thomas, an event coordinator at Nazareth Hall.
“Couples just like the fact that it’s so unique, something that they never realized was in their backyard.”
There are stunning spaces both indoors and out on the 37-acre grounds. A nondenom-inational chapel can seat 220, and a neutral pallet allows for many different color themes of flowers and decorations.
Overall, there are four ball
Photos by Enoch Wu/Sentinel-Tribune
After an outdoor ceremony in the grotto (previous page), Jeremy England and Karleen Young had their reception indoors at Nazareth Hall on Aug. 1. The Grand Rapids facility was formerly a Catholic boys school.
(See VENUES on 21)
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By EMILY GORDONSentinel Staff Writer
Though it’s been three years since the world watched Prince William and Kate Middleton marry, the bride’s Alexander McQueen wedding
dress is still influencing bridal gown trends.
Certain looks echoing that of the Duchess of Cambridge, such as a lace bodice, sleeves and a full-length skirt are pop-ular amongst today’s brides, said Lee Welling, owner of
Fit for a queenKate and lace rule the latest looks in gowns
Photos by J.D. Pooley/Sentinel-Tribune
Kristin Osborne models a Jasmine dress sold by Personal D’Signs BBG Bridal in Fremont. Popular styles include lace, vintage, a ball-gown look — and anything similar to Kate Middleton’s dress from three years ago.
(See GOWNS on 13)
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Kristen Kollman models a Pebble Alfred Angelo bridesmaid dress sold by Personal D’Signs BBG Bridal in Fremont. Some brides are choosing bridesmaid dresses for a fraction of the cost. At right, Kollman models another Jasmine wedding dress.
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Photos by J.D. Pooley/Sentinel-Tribune
Kristin Osborne models a high-low design by Alfred Angelo and sold by Personal D’Signs BBG Bridal in Fremont. This type of dress can be ideal for a barn wedding, which is popular in the Wood County area.
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Encore Bridal in Bowling Green.
“There’s always going to be that princess bride that wants to be done from head to toe,” she said.
But brides-to-be haven’t fully committed to the Duchess’ look, preferring to pick and choose elements that fit their vision of the perfect wedding gown.
“She went low key, and peo-ple weren’t ready to go that low key,” Welling said.
However, the lace look, whether it’s full coverage or sheer, straight across the front of the dress from one shoulder to the other, or “tattoos” with interesting designs on the back of the dress, is on trend, she said.
It’s also a great material for brides-to-be who like a vintage or “Gatsby” look, said Barbara Moran of Personal D’Signs – BBG Bridal in Fremont.
“What a lot of designers are doing right now is creating a gown in a taupe or ivory lace with a soft colored lining of pastel colors like rose blush, champagne, mint green and grey,” Moran said.
“It’s a way to step out of the box and get into color without veering too far from tradition.”
Brides have also been using color by wearing a sash that matches the color her brides-maids are wearing, she said.
Another way brides-to-be can go just outside of tradition is to wear a gown with a detachable skirt.
This way, they can achieve the “Cinderella or ball gown look” for the ceremony and
shed it for a more fun, relaxed look in a knee-length skirt for the reception.
“It’s like having two gowns in one,” she said.
For those see themselves more as cowgirls than prin-cesses, the “high-low” trend where the dress is shorter in the front than in the back in order to show off the bride’s cowboy boots, is very popular, Welling said.
“Barn weddings are a real trend, especially in this area,” she said.
“It’s such a cute, fresh look.”
However, there are certain bridal styles that are timeless, such as buttons, corset backs and pearl, crystal, bead and rhinestone embellishments.
“If it sparkles, it’s here,” Welling said.
“Most women want to stay with pretty classic looks so when they look at their wed-ding pictures in 20 years they don’t wonder ‘what was I think-ing?’”
Budget-conscious brides, especially those who are mar-rying for the second time, can still find gowns that are classic, on trend, or a little of both for a lower price by purchasing a bridesmaid gown instead of a wedding gown.
A lot of Moran’s customers have chosen bridesmaid gowns that are in the same color or style as a wedding dress for $180 to $250 rather than pay thousands for a wedding gown, Moran said.
“Some bridesmaids dresses are very appropriate as wed-ding gowns, especially second time brides who don’t want all the foo foo,” she said.
The dresses can be just as customized as a wedding dress in terms of length, sleeves, color and lace coverage and type.
“You can still get today’s
style and today’s fabric in a quality gown for less,” Moran said. “Here, we don’t discuss brand names. It’s the design on your body. It’s what styles look best on you.”
“ Most women want to stay with pretty classic looks so when they look at their wedding
pictures in 20 years they don’t wonder ‘what was I thinking?’”
— Barbara Moranowner of Personal D’Signs - BBG Bridal in Fremont
Gowns
(Continued from 10)
Kristin Osborne models a strapless Fit and Flare Jasmine wedding dress with the veil by Bel Aire. The look is sold by Personal D’Signs BBG Bridal in Fremont. Certain styles, such as buttons, corset backs and embellishments, are timeless.
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By BILL RYANSentinel Staff Writer
Amateur photogra-phers with digital cameras and cell phones are everywhere — including weddings.
With all these lenses and phones pointed at the bride and groom, there are countless photo opportunities available on that special day.
Despite the availability of relatives and friends with cam-eras, a professional photogra-pher is still a vital asset to cap-ture the day with images.
“Photographers invest a lot of money into their craft and equipment. A good camera
doesn’t make a good photog-rapher, but a good photogra-pher can produce incredible images with a good camera,” said Stephanie Keck, who oper-ates Kent and Stephanie Photography.
Bill Smith of Photo Smith, Wayne, agrees.
“Where friends may be able to take a digital camera and provide a CD, a professional provides much more for the couple,” Smith said. “We have to do things that an amateur or average person cannot do.”
Smith has been in business for 28 years and takes pride in his ability to help the couple coordinate their day. “This is our livelihood, it’s not just walk-
ing around and taking shots.”He notes the importance of
timing, studio lights and find-ing unusual locations at the venue so as to be able to use window lights or other assets at the site.
“If my day goes good photo-graphically, then their day will have had to be great,” Smith said.
Smith also said the profes-sional that’s been around for some time looks at more detail.
“I look at the clothing, the hair and the jewelry to make sure we get it right. A lot of people rely on photoshop and other tools, I shoot it the way I used to do it,” Smith said.
He says the most recent trend, perhaps related to the proliferation of cell phone cam-eras is a desire for the candid shots to be included.
“The candid stuff is what people are liking,” Smith said.
Keck also noted the need to pay attention to details.
“Weddings are simply a day full of small moments,” she said.
Like most professionals the Kecks and Smith all began with photography being a hobby.
Keck added, “You are not just paying for their time and products, you are paying for their experience.”
She said the couple shoots approximately 30 weddings a
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year and that has provided quite a bit of experience over the last three years in their Fremont business.
Not only do both of them shoot each wedding, they also bring an assistant to manage the small details to allow them to focus on the bride and groom, and “get the best pos-sible shots.”
Keck added, “We are both very hands-on in helping our brides plan out the timeline of the day. We want their day to be very smooth.
Another aspect of photog-raphy is videography, which Showcase Video and Photo (VSP), based out of Perrysburg, specializes.
Aaron Baginski began VSP, along with his wife, Janelle, in 2000 as a videographer. Still photography has recently been added to their services in the last few years.
Like the still photographers, Baginski says he provides total
coverage of the day, from the bride getting ready at the salon and other events happening
before the ceremony right through the reception and all its events.
“We’re just giving our cou-ples something they can look back upon and remember and
appreciate from their special day,” Baginski said.
Baginski also echoed the comments of Smith and Keck calling their fees “an invest-
This photo by Aaron Baginski of Showcase Video and Photo features a wed-ding that was held in Michigan City, Ind. The company is based in Perrysburg.
Photo provided
Kent and Stephanie Keck say having a profes-sional photographer is a must for weddings.
(See PHOTOS on 19)
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Photos provided
The couple arrives at the outdoor reception. Below, Jesse Ascunce’s dad, Raul, checks out the guest-book — driftwood, river stones and markers.
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“I love seeing the joy you see in those kids. Actually mak-ing it official ... this is such an exciting time in their lives,” said Raul Ascunce, father of the groom.
While the wedding was beautiful, it was a far cry from the traditional church wedding their daughter had, Jo Ascunce said.
“Jesse doesn’t do anything normal. He’s always been very creative,” she said.
The wedding was very laid back, with no dress code, atten-dants or professional photog-rapher and was organized by the couple themselves instead of a wedding planner.
The reception lacked a bar-tender, a DJ, a caterer and even a guestbook.
Instead, the couple relied on photographs taken by guests, Spotify playlists to dance to, and a brick oven pizza place to deliver dinner. Guests mixed their drinks themselves at the bar.
Guests wrote well wishes to the couple on pieces of river rock and driftwood that they now keep in their home.
By deciding not to have a wedding rehearsal, instead taking guests to the top of Mount Crested Butte for a toast, a lot could have gone wrong, Larina Ascunce said.
“But it went better than any one of us could have expected,” she said. “It all came together nicely.”
The couple swapped wed-ding cake for a pie buffet, had a photo booth with props from their house, like dish washing gloves and Halloween cos-tumes and flew kites with their 65 guests.
“Our mission was to get guests to enjoy themselves and be adventurous, not just
come for the wedding,” Jesse Ascunce said.
Another goal of their unusu-al wedding was to keep the cost as low as possible while also letting their personalities shine through, he said.
The couple exchanged vows on paper and read them silent-ly in front of the cairn during the ceremony.
“We all sat there thinking, ‘What does it say, what does it say?’” Raul Ascunce said. But it makes sense. It’s a very per-sonal thing.”
For those interested in plan-ning a one-of-a-kind wedding,
a couple needs to brainstorm and develop interesting ideas, Larina Ascunce said.
Given his proposal, a swim in a cave in Mexico that revealed an engagement ring in a Ziplock bag, interesting ideas seem to come to her hus-band easily, she said.
“I really was just determined to not get a giant conference room. There are other ways to plan a wedding,” Jesse Ascunce said.
“You don’t have to do it the way it was at the last wedding you went to. Stick to what rep-resents you.”
17
Journey(Continued from 2)
Photo provided
The groom played a mandolin as an opening to the ceremony and his bride’s entrance. Jesse and Larina Ascunce were married last summer in Crested Butte, Colo.
“ I really was just determined not to get a giant conference room. There are other
ways to plan a wedding.’”— groom Jesse Ascunce
17
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Weddings are steeped in tradition — no matter whom you are or where you live. But what if you’re not interested in wearing the same dress your mother did, getting married in the same location your sister did or wearing something blue?
Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Plenty of brides search for ways to make their special day unique. Here are some ways to put a own special spin on this classic tradition.
• A guest book you’ll use. Signing the guest book is a common tradition at most weddings; you’ve probably signed a few in your lifetime. After the wedding is over, how-ever, this priceless keepsake often disappears into a box never to be seen again. Break from tradition by creating a guest book you’ll actually use.
Take a trip to the book store with your partner and browse coffee table books. Once you
find one that interests both of you, claim it as your guest book. Wedding guests can sign their names in the margins and afterward you’ll have a perma-nent, functional guest book to display for visitors and friends.
• Dance under the stars. Don’t rent the same ballroom as all of your friends. Host your reception outdoors. You can rent a dance floor from a local rental facility and trained tech-nicians will arrive to set it up easily. You’ll dance on a tradi-tional wood floor while looking up at the stars - what could be more original than that? Don’t forget to rent a tent so that weather doesn’t dampen the mood.
• Treasure the memories. Get your guests involved in the event by placing blank cards and pens at each seat location. Ask your guests to write about their favorite memory of you and/or your spouse. Collect all of these cards and turn them into a scrapbook for a trea-sured keepsake.
• Prepare a menu that is all you. Chocolate fountains are now commonplace. Don’t despair, though, because there are plenty of edible snack options. If you’re getting mar-
ried in the blistering heat, rent a snow cone machine to offer your guests some sweet relief. If you and your spouse are big movie buffs or your wedding has a Hollywood theme, rent a popcorn machine to complete the look. And for the bride who’s still a kid at heart, noth-ing captures that better than renting an authentic cotton candy machine.
• Find the color that suits you. Maybe wearing something blue doesn’t suit you, but per-haps you’re not too wild about black and white either. At many venues, though, these colors are the only choices you have when it comes to tablecloths and napkins. Remember, you don’t have to settle; you can provide your own materials by renting them. This opens up a color palette of limitless options. If you are planning a fall wedding, look for napkins that reflect the colors of the leaves. Did you meet in col-lege? Choose linens in your school’s colors. Give your wed-ding a look no one will expect.
Keep the tradition, but be uniquely you. To learn more about renting, visit RentalHQ.com.
(Courtesy of Brandpoint)
18
Make your big day as different as you areSome ways to make your wedding day d i f f e r e n t : dance out-side, rent a p o p c o r n machine, or use linen col-ors from your college.
Brandpoint photo
18
19
ment on the quality of the work.”
Depending on the person hired for the wedding, couples can get a wide array of images provided. With almost all peo-ple in the trade, couples can customize the services to meet their needs by working with the professional.
Baginski’s main product is what he calls a “fusion pack-age” which incorporates both video and video together.
The still photos are incorpo-rated into the video provided. He says incorporating the stills enhances the product and “helps evoke that emotion.”
His packages start at $1,495 and go up as high as $5,000.
Smith mainly provides tradi-tional photo albums. If a cou-ple books the wedding, the engagement session is provid-ed free.
Booking with Smith will cost the couple a minimum of
$1,200 and will go up accord-ing to the needs and desires of the couple
“There are so many possi-bilities on making albums and templates,” he said.
All of his photos are printed at a professional lab which he says enhances the quality. He offers high quality albums from Italy as well as a variety of papers including a metallic paper, which is a glossy variety with some depth to it.
Keck also said their booking prices also include an engage-ment session.
She said the engagement photos are often very popular with the couples as it depicts them in more natural settings. Thus the pictures are better suited to decorate their homes.
As a bonus, she says the engagement session allows the couple to become familiar with their photographers and vice versa.
“It allows us to create a rap-
port with them. We can also get a feel for how comfortable they are and adjust ourselves to their style,” Keck said.
In addition to the add-ons of albums, Keck says they can offer wall art, acrylics and met-als to name a few.
Their base price is $2,200 and goes up based on the cus-tomization done by the couple.
They did have one couple who added enough items to boost the cost to $4,500 but she called that an anomaly.
While they can provide albums, their business auto-matically provides what is called a PASS gallery. This option gives the couple a link, what Keck describes as a “Virtual gallery of their imag-es.”
She said the couple can then download, print and share. There is also a free mobile app where they can download the images to their phone to share on social media outlets. The link remains accessible for 10 years.
———
Kent and Stephanie Photography
e-mail. [email protected]
Website www.kentand-stephanie.com
Photo Smithwww.photosmithinc.com
VSPshowcasevideophoto.com
Photos(Continued from 15)
An example of Bill Smith’s wedding work.
19
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20
By SARAH WOLFEAssociated Press
Glynis Abapo knew just what she wanted her dream wedding cake to be: simple. Three or four tiers. A rich, white confection with white peonies and peony petals cascading down the middle.
The problem? The hand-made sugar flowers cost a for-tune.
Abapo found her answer in plastic flowers — specifically, the quirky yet elegant creations crafted by Tennessee artist
Lauren Karnitz from materials that most people throw away: milk jugs, detergent bottles, straws, wires, medicine bottles, even sucker wrappers.
The flowers were relatively affordable, says Abapo, 31, of Atlanta. And eco-friendly.
“And it was just beautiful and just what I wanted,” she says.
Karnitz, a 42-year-old oil painter, has been crafting roses, peonies, magnolias, sunflowers and other hybrid creations out of recycled materials for nearly two years. She stumbled into the wedding flower business as
an experiment, but since work-ing with Abapo, Karnitz has filled orders for cake flowers, bouquets, corsages and bou-tonnieres from about a dozen brides.
“‘Can I have that?’ is now my signature phrase,” Karnitz says, laughing. “Meaning, can I have that peculiar piece of plastic you are about to toss?”
Most of her clients are eco-conscious brides who like the idea of reusing materials for their flowers.
Other green-minded brides are making or buying alterna-tive flowers made from fabric, paper, even old brooches. Martha Stewart magazine has a tutorial on making paper flowers, while websites like The Blue Petyl offer dozens of com-binations of brooches, buttons, pearls and more, from about $100 to $500.
Bridal designer Princess Lasertron sells a felted flower kit for bridal bouquets for $140.
Traditional wedding flowers — everything from table cen-terpieces to the bride’s bou-quet — typically run $2,000 to $2,500 — 8 percent to 10 per-cent of the average $25,000 affair, according to The Knot.
Like any other wedding flo-rist, Karnitz consults with brides beforehand to get a feel for their wedding theme and size,
Flowers bloom of recycled stuff
AP Photo/Lauren Karnitz Studio, ––Bert Henry
A Yellow Blooming Peonies Cake is shown. Brides are choosing plas-tic recycled flowers that are affordable and eco-friendly for cakes, bou-quets, corsages and bou-tonnieres.
AP Photo/Lauren Karnitz Studio, Bert Henry
A White Glory with Leaves Corsage is shown.
(See RECYCLE on 24)
20
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rooms and nearly 100 rooms in total. Thomas noted that the chapel exists in much of its original condition, with the same pews, alters and stained-glass windows in place.
Meanwhile, an outdoor “grotto” is said to be a replica of a famous setting in Lourdes, France. Mediterranean coral stands near a brook, an area just a short walk across Nazareth Hall’s grounds, includ-ing a trip over a small scenic bridge.
“Here it’s kind of a one-stop shop for our couples who get married,” Thomas said of the wedding packages at Nazareth Hall. “Staff take care of set-up, so when they come, all they really need to bring is people like the photographer, DJ, baker and florist.
Nazareth Hall will host a free bridal show from noon until 4 p.m. Oct 19, “so couples can see the building as well as meet vendors in the area.”
For additional information, call 419-832-2900 or visit www.nazarethhall.com
Perrysburg’s Graystone Hall is a popular setting in the northern portion of Wood County.
It can comfortably accom-
modate up to 350 people with room for a dance floor and plenty of space between tables, or be tailored for smaller gath-erings.
“It’s a pretty open floor plan,” including a stage for the bridal party’s table, as well as a pro-jector screen and three TVs throughout the room that can display pictures and videos, said event manager Laura Spiess.
“It’s pretty much a very large rectangle room, and every point of the room has some-thing going on.”
The location on Hufford Road near Ohio 795 and the turnpike is easily accessible to out-of-town guests, and staff work with area hotels to set up shuttle service.
Graystone’s staff have con-tacts with a handful of pre-ferred regional catering com-panies sure to be able to whip up just about any requests, or couples can select their own. Organizers encourage interest-ed couples to visit the hall to envision for themselves how they can make the space their own.
Some renters love that Graystone Hall is made avail-able the day before, so bridal parties can do their own deco-rations, Spiess said.
“I like to call it a do-it-your-self hall. We provide the space, tables and chairs, and we set up the floor plan how they pre-
fer.”Contact Graystone Hall by
calling 419-874-5016 or visit-ing www.graystonehall.com
(Continued from 9)
Venues
brides do an Instagram hashtag so that if there are guests that take photos, they can see (the photos) also” and can collect and compile the images so they can see things “from a guest point of view”.
Some brides will even make a special sign to put at the bar listing the hashtag for the guests’ convenience, she said.
Brides will also try to secure RSVPs from straggling invitees via Facebook.
“A lot of people, those noti-fications will go right to their phone.”
As to whether social media could prove a spoiler on the
wedding day, “I know our brides don’t log into Facebook on their day” until later “in fear of seeing” some photos, said Thomas.
“I think a lot of the brides-maids understand that as they’re getting ready” that they shouldn’t post images of the bride in case the groom might see.
“I know a lot of bridesmaids
will take pictures of just them-selves” — not of the bride.
Heuss agreed brides she’s worked with will include a note in their invitations or put up a sign at the wedding to inform people how to post their pho-tos. Instagram is typically used, but other photo-sharing sites also make the rounds.
“Now everybody’s going to be taking picture and putting
them on Facebook anyway, and it just gives a nice way so that everybody is seeing them.”
Brides are also utilizing some other high-tech meth-ods, said Heuss. A few have incorporated RSVPing via Websites, or even using a Quick Response, or QR, code, a square barcode-like image that can be scanned by a cell phone cam-era, sending the user to a web-site “which is kind of fun.”
“I don’t know if (social media) is changing (weddings) so much, but it’s definitely becoming part of it,” said Heuss. “I know that even with people I know, there are pictures that are up almost immediately.”
Etiquette(Continued from 6) “ I don’t know if (social media) is changing
(weddings) so much, but it’s definitely becoming part of it.”
— Kelly HeussPuttin’ on the Glitz in Perrysburg
21
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22
By SARAH KAPLANWashington Post
WASHINGTON (AP) — The dramatic climax of Jennifer Miller and Michael Bennett’s wedding came not at “I do,” but a few phrases before.
Officiant Steven Gaudaen had just begun to ask, “Do you, Jennifer —?” when a pair of security guards cut through the crowd of spectators and waved the trio toward the door.
“You can’t do this in here,” one guard announced. “Y’all need to leave.”
Miller, Bennett and Gaudaen remained motionless in front of the African elephant in main entrance of the National Museum of Natural History. An onlooker called out, “Aww, let
POP goes the wedding
AP Photo/The Washington Post, Marvin Joseph
Steven Gaudaen marries Jennifer Miller and Michael Bennett with a pop-up wedding at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington. Pop-up weddings are a way to skip the trappings of traditional weddings while still preserving the romance of the day.
22
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them finish,” but the guards were insistent.
Gaudaen quickly pro-nounced the couple husband and wife, and the wedding party hurried out.
“This is going to go viral,” a guard muttered bitterly.
They finished the ceremony outside on the museum’s front steps. Miller and Bennett kissed, photographer Maggie Winters captured the moment, and with that, they were offi-cially married.
They’d pulled the whole event off for $1,500, a small fraction of the nearly $30,000 that an average American wed-ding cost in 2013, according to the wedding-planning Web site the Knot. For that econo-mizing, the newlyweds have their wedding planners to thank. Or, to be more precise, their elopement planners.
It’s not a contradiction in terms, says Winters, who makes up one half of the duo that married Miller and Bennett. Elopement may call to mind a bold couple sneaking unen-cumbered to city hall. But what her company, PopWed Co., offers is something more along the lines of a DIY wedding. It’s a way to skip the trappings of traditional weddings — man-aging guest lists, renting a venue, worrying about wheth-er Uncle Frank will make one too many trips to the open bar — while still preserving the romance of the day. Gaudaen, who is a registered humanist officiant, conducts the ceremo-ny and organizes the paper-work, while Winters photo-graphs and takes care of aes-
thetics. The results have the same self-conscious whimsy as something you might find on Pinterest.
Winters and Gaudaen have also cornered an unexpected niche in the Washington wed-ding market: organizing same-sex weddings. About half of their clients are gay couples, many of whom come to D.C. from states where same-sex marriage isn’t legal.
Winters and Gaudaen grew up together in Arlington and have dated since high school. They had their first photogra-phy gig when they were 16.
By the time Winters finished college at the Corcoran College of Art and Design last spring, she and Gaudaen were shoot-ing ceremonies almost weekly. Many were big, traditional weddings that took place in hotel ballrooms, but every so often they found themselves photographing smaller events.
Winters remembers vividly the first time she’d shot this kind of wedding: a ceremony for two women who had come from Ohio with just 11 guests.
“This experience of not hav-ing a plan and not having a schedule ... I just loved it,” Winters said. “That’s the type of wedding experience that I chase as the most meaningful to me.”
After graduating, Winters began working full time at a
digital strategy agency, but she found she missed photogra-phy, and she especially missed weddings. She knew she wouldn’t have much time to shoot, but fitting in an hour-long pop-up ceremony or two seemed plausible. The only trouble would be finding cou-ples who wanted that kind of wedding.
It was Gaudaen who came up with a plan for launching the business. “Maggie is always coming up with the super fun ideas ... and she turns to me to figure out how to get it done,” Gaudaen said.
The two balance one anoth-er well. Gaudaen — a manage-ment student at George Mason University — is tall and reserved with a ministerial sense of composure. The petite Winters sports a shock of bright
pink hair and boundless ener-gy that puts newlywed couples at ease.
Her enthusiasm is especially handy when a ceremony doesn’t quite go according to plan. Though she and her cli-ents exchange emails to decide on a location, they never reserve spaces in advance and rarely meet before the wed-ding day. This minimalist approach can get dicey, as the security issue at the museum showed, but Winters feels it’s important to the ethos of a pop-up wedding.
“It’s just showing up and having a wedding wherever you want to have one,” she said.
For his part, Bennett was happy to be married in front of just a handful of guests — “I don’t like to be the center of attention,” he said, though he hadn’t quite anticipated the crowd of strangers that gath-ered at the museum.
“It turned out to be a little more than we expected,” he added.
“ It’s just showing up and having a wedding wherever you want to have one.’”
— Maggie Wintersco-owner of PopWed Co.
23
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and what they want.Then she gets to work at her
home in Knoxville using a trove of discarded junk. Slices of laundry detergent bottles become petals. Ribbon, electri-cal conduit and copper wire are transformed into stamens, pistils and stems.
“The blooms are all built petal by petal, working in the round, so all sides are consid-ered,” Karnitz says. “Each petal provides a surface for the next, and so on and so on.”
Her collection of recycled refuse comes from friends, family and even complete strangers familiar with her craft.
“It’s funny. Every time I go somewhere I get handed bags of things,” Karnitz says. “Like garbage bags of milk jugs or, here’s some little wires and stuff.”
It takes up to two hours to
make one corsage or bouton-niere, depending on the diffi-culty. Providing flowers for a cake can take anywhere from 20 to 30 hours.
Costs vary. Boutonnieres and corsages average $45 each, while cake flowers run anywhere from $150 to $450 per cake depending on cake size and design complexity.
Karnitz doesn’t dye or paint her flowers but keeps the col-ors of the recycled materials. Many of her designs burst with color, like bright yellow peony cake flowers made from cream and yellow milk jugs, or an azure blue corsage construct-ed with blue twist ties and accented by a tiny yellow bum-ble bee.
For fall weddings, she incor-porates an earthier, more neu-tral palate for creations like “pencil bloom” boutonnieres, small round blooms made from pencil shavings and tiny cut-up black straws anchored by a
swirl of red plastic from bottles in the middle.
Her Double Beige Bloom boutonniere — two small blos-soms of light brown crinkled ribbon, straws and plastic bot-tle shreds — is tied together with a sheer taffeta ribbon.
“I know anyone can create flowers from plastic materials, but Lauren’s come from very
good quality,” Abapo says. “They’re very unique and can catch anyone’s attention.”
One of the best things about recycled wedding flowers, according to Karnitz, is that they last much longer than real flowers and can be displayed for years afterward. “You can have them forever, this memen-to of your special day.”
Recycle(Continued from 20)
AP Photo/Lauren Karnitz Studio, Bert Henry
A Wild Flower Cake is shown.
24
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