Home is where the heart is. Since your heart is in love, why wouldn’t your celebration of love be at home, too?
For many Northwest Ohio born and raised brides and grooms, home is where they return to get married. Not only does it follow tradition that a man marries a woman in her hometown, but it is also economical and less stressful. As a wedding coordinator, and one-time Toledo bride myself, let me give you a little insight on why staying local or returning to your hometown is the best option for your nuptial celebration.
Oh ya, babe, we’ve got it. We are creative, innovative and cutting edge. You have to be in order to be successful in this business. And believe me, we are successful. We can prove it with our many “Real Weddings” featured in The Knot magazine.
The entire state of Illinois’ wedding professionals are bundled into one resource page on TheKnot.com. But Ohio is the heartland, and not just geographically. Ohio is packed full of wedding professionals, so much that its resource page is divided, with Toledo having its own section. And while not all vendors are listed, they still grace the pages of national publications like The Knot, Grace Ormande’s Wedding Style, Ultimate Bride, and Brides magazines. But I am pleased to say, Toledo has finally put out a guide with top notch Northwest Ohio professionals. And if you are reading this article today, you are holding it.
With social and professional avenues of Internet and print media, we can be inspired and inspire others with creative ideas and trends. Not only are we innovative with our ideas,         but our clients are as well. It’s you, the brides and grooms, who tell us your story and share your love to inspire us to create a one-of-a-kind event. Toledo is not the kind of town that offers a cookie-cutter wedding. There are very few venues in town that will force you into a one-stop-shopping deal. Instead, we refer you to the cream of the crop.
When you hire a local wedding professional, they know you expect a certain level of quality and value. Well-seasoned pros will want a flawless event just as much as you do and wouldn’t steer you to anything less. Therefore ask for professional and client referrals.
Call around to former brides and their mothers and you will quickly notice a network of who’s who in Toledo weddings.
Not only do we know who to refer you to, but we also know where to go. Take your wedding photography for example. If you bring in an “outside” (meaning not from Northwest Ohio) wedding photographer, it will take them some time to get familiar with not just the ceremony and reception venue but also your offsite photo shoots.
It will actually entail more of your time as the client to instruct them on where to go, how to get there and the look you require. Additionally, some venues such as the Toledo Museum of Art require certain qualifications. Because of its investment in fine art and one-of-a-kind valuables, florists and photographers must be pre-approved and provide a certain level of insurance.
If we don’t have it, we can get it. Toledo is a suburb of Detroit and just a drive from Chicago. Specialty products are a truckload away. If we don’t have the goods, we bring them to you without the resale hike paid in larger cities.
As a coordinator, I know that last minute changes and unexpected details arise, but I am confident that my solution is either a local phone call away or a 20-minute drive. If I need extra linen, or notice that a rental was damaged, its replacement is just around the corner.
Just because wedding professionals fees are less than one from a larger metropolis doesn’t mean you are selling yourself short on a great product. Professionals from this area attend the same conferences, learning workshops and use the same equipment as professionals in larger cities.
Aside from hiring local professionals, let’s fast forward to the week of your wedding. Where are you staying? How did you get there? How did your family get there, let alone your guests?
If you get married outside your hometown you are incurring additional expenses in travel and accommodations for not only yourselves, but for your family and guests as well. Money spent here could have been used toward the specialty linens you favored, the imported orchids, or luxurious honeymoon suite.
As they say, bloom where you are planted. Why not let your wedding blossom into a beautiful celebration right here in Northwest Ohio?

Brittany Craig is the principal event designer and coordinator for Crowning Celebrations. She specializes in wedding and social celebrations. Follow her Eventista blog at www.crowningcelebrations.blogspot.com.

For some brides, planning their wedding becomes more than a job or hobby, but something of an obsession. They take it on with full force, emotionally and mentally. So after the ‘I Dos’ have been said, the rice has been tossed, the cake cut and the pictures taken, what is she to do?
About one in 10 women are diagnosed with the “post-wedding blues” or post-wedding depression.
“Post-wedding blues is a normal emotional state for brides,” said Toledo clinical psychologist Marina Lung. “This is not due to the marriage itself but rather a feeling of loss of all the excitement, energy and focus in the wedding preparation and planning process. Often, the wedding takes on a life of its own.”
The joy and excitement of a wedding engagement is contagious and oftentimes brides will find their friends getting married, too. Back-to-back weddings can create an ulterior competition. So when the focus leaves them and is on to the next wedding and the next bride, they are left with a feeling of emptiness.
“Brides have been the star among family and friends for the past year and now it is difficult to adjust to no longer being the focus of attention,” Lung said.
The extinguished spotlight can also leave a bride with more time on her hands than she knows what to do with. In preparation for their wedding, brides often tackle and manage a long list of wedding particulars, fine tuning all the little details. Therefore little time is spent to themselves.
“Brides may feel bored and disappointed in social events because nothing can compare to the emotional high they’ve been on for so long, releasing ‘feel good’ chemicals in their brain called endorphins,” Lung said. “It can take several weeks or months to adjust to lowering these chemicals.”
So what is a bride to do if she is feeling the post-wedding blues? Here are a few suggestions:
Write yourself a note. As you sit down to compose thank you notes for your wedding gifts, think of the gift of marriage. Sure Aunt Sally’s crystal vase is one to cherish, but so is finding the man of your dreams and settling into a life together. So, count up your gifts and be sure to include all the blessings your marriage has bestowed on both of you. When you are feeling low, read your note to remind yourself how fortunate you are.
Pick up the remote. Go to your DVR settings and stop recording all the bridal shows on your to-do list. Next, go to your magazine stack and recycle or donate your wedding magazines. Continue around your house and tidy up wedding paraphernalia and accessories. Most likely, you’ve surrounded yourself with all things wedding. You need to give yourself a little break.
Refocus your energies to something just as productive and satisfying. Take a pottery or cooking class, join a book club or fitness center. Get out there and make new friends and expand your horizons. Better yet, pick something you and your new husband can do together. Start a hobby that the two of you can share throughout your lifetime together.
Like they say, ‘Happy Life, Happy Wife’. So, get out there and enjoy your married life!

Brittany Craig is the principal event designer and coordinator for Crowning Celebrations. She specializes in wedding and social celebrations. Follow her Eventista blog at www.crowningcelebrations.blogspot.com.

Toledo Free Press Star will give away a special bridal prize package worth more than $14,000.
The package coincides with Filene’s Basement Running of the Brides in Cleveland on Aug. 27. The daylong sale offers brides designer gowns, some worth thousands of dollars, at a fraction of the cost.

Craig

“Given the economy, this is a great deal to get a designer dress for free,” said Brittany Craig, wedding designer and coordinator for Crowning Celebrations. “It’s a good bonding trip for a bride and her bridal party.”
One winner will receive a stay at the Cleveland Marriot East, across from Filene’s Basement, and a gift certificate to purchase a dress at the Running of the Brides. The winner will also receive breakfast for two at the River City Grille in Cleveland.

In addition, the winner will receive free bridal makeup and hair from David Broadway Salon & Spa; a free bridal bouquet from Bumble Floral & Gifts; free bridal consultations from Crowning Celebrations; a free engagement photo session with Decisive Moment Photojournalism; a complimentary $200 cake from Cherry Lane Cakes; and chair covers from Meredith Party Rentals.
The Blarney Bullpen will offer a complimentary location for the Bride’s Choice of a rehearsal dinner, couple’s shower, day-after brunch and present opening or a reception based on the wedding party size.

The winner will also receive a “Wedding Gamesake,” a personalized game that friends and family create for the bride and groom to play.
“These are little luxuries that a bride may skimp on to save money. This package allows the bride to feel pampered and have the wedding day of her dreams,” Craig said.
To enter, visit www.facebook.com/toledofreepress and write 100 words about your wedding proposal.

The effects of the BP oil disaster are spilling over into the wedding industry of the Florida panhandle. Some wedding businesses are reporting as many as 60 percent of their weddings being canceled.
“By this time last year, I booked half of my weddings. Now, I don’t have any booked for next year. Brides are too scared,” said wedding coordinator Shelby Peaden of Shelby Peaden Events based in Fort Walton Beach, Fla. “I used to receive 30-40 inquiries a month. I haven’t received any.”
Fulfilling a bride’s dreams and desires is how many wedding professionals along Florida’s west coast make their living.
But the oil spill is causing them to re-think their future on the Gulf.
“One of my florists lost $60,000 in cancelations. I know photographers who have considered moving to the East Coast or another state and starting over. But that is very hard to do for a coordinator,” Peaden said.
Wedding professionals are reaching out. Natural disaster clauses are a standard for Florida wedding professionals who are used to dealing with hurricanes. But the BP oil spill is man-made, which makes brides who cancel accountable for the balance.
So they are bringing in the pros with Florida’s largest legal law firms.
“We are trying to be compassionate toward our brides”, Peaden said. “We will have to make a claim to BP to get our money back.”
Back at home, the beaches of Ohio’s Lake Erie Coastal Trail offer refuge to a bride’s destination dream. Locations such as Maumee Bay State Park, Catawba Island and Headlands Beach State Park offer natural beaches and spectacular sunsets.
Maumee Bay Resort, which has recently received many last-minute bookings, is seeing increased business resulting from the tragedy down South.
“We just booked an August bride who was looking forward to going to Florida, but didn’t want to chance it,” said Sara Sander, event sales manager for Maumee Bay Lodge.
The proof is in the picture. You don’t need to go far for sun-setting splendor.
“Create the destination feel by choosing a site where you can all stay together and be a family”, said Kim Koluch of Considering Lilies Photography. “Having that togetherness [is more important] rather than where you are. You can’t fake that. A beach isn’t going to make that happen.”
But for brides holding strong to their plans, there are many websites that update beach conditions daily.
“There are still many places that are untouched,” Peaden said. “We know what it looks like today, but we don’t know about tomorrow.”

Brittany Craig is the principal event designer and coordinator for Crowning Celebrations. She specializes in wedding and social celebrations. Follow her Eventista blog at www.crowningcelebrations.blogspot.com.

From graduation celebrations, Independence Day festivities, pool parties and luaus to family reunions and anniversary and birthday parties, there are many reasons to host a backyard party this summer. Here are some ideas your guests are sure to enjoy and remember.

• Announce it! Stir up excitement for a party friends will surely anticipate with festive invitations. Check out the stock at Fiddle Stix Boutique or Paula Brown Shop. Both shops carry print-at-home options and offer printing services.
• There’s nothing like standing in the hot summer sun to kill a good party, especially in those cute shoes we ladies wear! Be sure to have plenty of seating by creating groupings throughout your patio or backyard. Venture out from the typical chairs and tables by adding cushions or pillows to garden walls, or lay down brightly colored blankets and oversized pillows.
• As the sun sets, be sure to set the mood with candles. Position them along walkways, garden borders and patio tables. Place candles in canning jars and wrap wire around the neck to loop them onto branches. You can find some chic classics at garage or rummage sales. For a little color, hang lanterns in various shapes and sizes.
• Run clotheslines in patterns above your patio or pool. For a safe and easy way, drop LED lights in the lanterns before guests arrive. They’ll last all night!
• Accentuate your colorful garden and landscape. Coordinate your décor and highlight your blooming bed of flowers with colorful pillows, glassware and linens. Or if you are more streamlined and manicured, accent with modern, contemporary touches, monochromatic schemes and milk glassware.
• Bring the garden to the table with fresh bouquets. Or buy cut blooms in similar garden colors to accent the house and patio tables.
• Nothing says summer like good ol’ fashion barbecue. Jazz it up with a tapas-style menu. Serve smaller portions that are one or two bites. It will cut down on your silverware so guests can munch and mingle. Create stations inside the kitchen and out on the patio. This allows you to control temperature sensitive items so they don’t sit too long in the sun.
• Mix it up! Premix two specialty drinks, ready in pitchers for easy serving. Chill wines, beers, sodas and waters in large metal tins, or thrifty buckets. Station them throughout the yard and in the shade.
• Keep plenty of ice on standby for both chilling drinks and serving.
• For large parties, rent an ice cooler from a local party supplier, like Meredith Party Rentals. You’ll even have room for ice cream!
• Now, shake it! An iPod and some mixed CDs are always a good standby, but why not feature something special like a steel drum band or Spanish guitarist? Invite local artists to come for a few hours and treat your guests to something truly entertaining.
• You’ve set the mood with your lighting, music, décor, scrumptious menu and thirst-quenching drinks, but don’t forget to add a few “toys”. Simple lawn games like Cornhole, and lawn checkers make for a good time. Take it one step further and bring your entertainment council outdoors! Project your game on a screen or large white sheet. When the sun goes down, you could be bowling in your back yard or hitting golf balls!
• Keep unwanted guests away by having plenty of bug repellent with sprays, torches or candles. I recommend Swan Creek Candle Company’s lemon-grass fragrance. It’s a pleasant scent you can use indoors or out that repels bugs and mosquitoes.
• Check the facilities. If your party is large and you are on a septic tank, schedule pre-party maintenance.
• Stock-up on plenty of toilet paper and add a few flowers or candles.
• Plan out your menu and serving ware. Some items can be prepared and cooked the day before.
• Organize by creating a checklist and recruit friends and family for help.
• Come party day, all you have to do is finishing touches and pour yourself a cocktail!

Brittany Craig is the principle event designer and coordinator for Crowning Celebrations. She specializes in wedding and social celebrations. Follow her Eventista blog at www.crowningcelebrations.blogspot.com/.

If you think a bank is going to give you a loan for your wedding, then don’t let Uncle Sam’s door hit you on the way out! Planning and celebrating should be within everyone’s means. From little change purses to bulging wallets, there’s an appropriate way to celebrate your union.

For many brides and grooms, a lavish wedding reception is just not in the budget right now. Maybe a down-payment on your first home or paying off student loans is taking financial priority. Well, if you are one of many who are nodding their head – I’ve got the wedding reception for you!

There are five types of wedding receptions: the morning brunch, an afternoon luncheon, a cocktail party, a formal dinner and a champagne and cake soirée. A champagne and cake reception is short and sweet. It’s the perfect accompaniment to a 2:00 o’clock wedding reception – the most common time for a Toledo wedding.

A garden, park or historical venue, preferably at the site of the ceremony or nearby is best for hosting the event. Include “champagne and cake reception to follow” on your invitation.

Pass champagne and ask your bridal party and family members to toast you in good fortune. Afterwards cut cake, a tradition that represents togetherness and a mutual commitment to provide for one another. How appropriate – You’ve already committed to starting your union budget savvy!

Book your ceremony music and photographer a few hours longer to accompany the reception.

Limit your bar to just champagne and non-alcoholic beverages, or add dessert wines as well. If you have a sweet tooth, include other confection favorites. The typical timeframe for this gathering is fairly short. No more than 2 hours. Anything longer and your bar bill will be just as smashed as your sloshed guests!

Afterwards, you can whisk off to your honeymoon, or an intimate dinner with immediately family.

You can read more at Brittany’s Blog: http://www.crowningcelebrations.blogspot.com/

As we Irish say, ‘Marriages are all happy. Its having breakfast together that causes all the trouble!’

The Irish have a wealth of traditional practices and proverbs for love and marriage. In honor of Saint Patrick’s Day, I am happy to share a few that will surely bring ‘laughing eyes and fire in the belly’.

In County Donegal, there’s a proverb. When a man wanted to marry a girl, he he’d throw his cap into her house. If the cap was thrown back out, it meant she wasn’t interested. If only it were that simple!

Often wonder where wedding bells came from? It’s a Celtic tradition to receive a bell as a wedding gift. When a disagreement takes place between a husband and wife, the man rings the bell to declare truce. Never outwit an Irish lass!

‘Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue and a sixpence for your shoe.’ Something old is to signify family; something new is to bring good luck. Something burrowed is the symbol of friendship and in Ireland, blue is the color of luck. The sixpence coin is to bring you financial good fortune in your marriage. In fact, coins are used quite often in an Irish Marriage ceremony. After the exchange of rings, the groom gives his bride a silver coin as a token of all he possesses. It symbolizes his willingness to share all he has with his bride. Today, we call that the MasterCard!

What do rain, an old shoe and a torn dress have to do with the bride? Well they are all symbols of good fortune! Wedding day rain will shower the bride and groom with many blessings. As they leave Church, an old shoe thrown over the bride’s head brings good luck. And its always lucky if the bride’s wedding dress is accidentally torn. All these can make for a disgruntled bride. There’s nothing like unleashing the inner bridezilla to bring a little Irish luck on wedding day!

“May the dreams you hold dearest, be those which come true.” Traditionally a fruitcake, slices of the groom’s cake were wrapped in tissue displaying the names of single men. They were then boxed for the single ladies to take home and “dream upon’ under the pillow. Today the tradition is popular in the south, often in a rich chocolate flavor, laced with Irish liquor.

And an Irish wedding wouldn’t be complete with out a good toast. So here’s one to all our Star brides and grooms:

Here’s to lying, cheating, stealing, and drinking.

If you lie, may you lie together.

If you cheat, may you cheat the devil.

If you steal, may you steal each other’s hearts.

And if you drink, may we all drink to your happiness.

Slante!

You can catch more Irish Wedding Traditions at Brittany’s Blog: http://www.crowningcelebrations.blogspot.com/

Millions watched. And Millions were drenched.

If you caught last Monday’s “The Bachelor: Jason and Molly’s Wedding” on ABC, you know what I am talking about.

Extensive hours of event and floral design, the trendiest rentals and fabrics, not to mention TV camera equipment and lighting, even the $45,000 designer Monique Lhuiller gown and Manolo Blahnik shoes were saturated in pouring down rain.

But this could have all been avoided with proper planning. As an event coordinator, it’s my job to assess the conditions of an event, right down to the weather. And that’s when the back-up plan comes into play.

From a backyard soiree to the grandest of galas, all events planned outdoors need an alternative location or “plan B” for bad weather. If I could spin the reel back and give Molly & Jason a do-over, I would have brought in re-enforcements with a clear-top, ClearSpan tent.

“ClearSpan” says it all: these tents don’t have any interior support columns to interfere with the camera’s angles, which means there are no large tent poles inside the tent to get in the way of stages, tables, and equipment. ClearSpan tents are made of aluminum and are designed to withhold in severe wind conditions, like we saw on TV. Additionally, a clear-top on a ClearSpan allows natural light to shine through and creates a feeling of openness so that guest do not feel enclosed and can enjoy their natural surroundings. Along with ClearSpan tents, I also recommend Frame Tents that also allow the option of a clear-top.

If a tent is not in your budget, then find the nearest structure. This could be your home, a park building or shelter, a convention center or hall. Make sure the space can accommodate all your guests and any equipment. Check on power supply and facilities. If these are not accessible or applicable, include portable supplies and rentals in your back-up plan. No one wants a sewage backup to be a stinky memory of wedding day!

Next, keep your eye on the weather and decide when to put plan B into action. I recommend you give yourself at least 2 days out from your event. This will allow you to contact all your vendors and move forward accordingly. Everyone has to be on the same page to make it happen!

But I have to hand it to Molly and Jason. Despite the harsh winds, blown-over décor, pouring down rain, and bone-chilling weather, they never stopped smiling. Molly was a graceful bride and did not falter over wet hair, runny make-up and a drenched gown. She and Jason celebrated what’s truly important: love and happiness.

Expect the unexpected. Plan for the unexpected. You will be pleasantly prepared and ready to party!

Brittany is the principle Event Designer and Coordinator for Crowning Celebrations. She specializes in wedding and social celebrations. You can follow her blog at www.crowningcelebrations.blogspot.com.

The goal is to save money. Let’s face it, you’re worth it. Your sanity is worth it to you, your fiancé, and all others involved in your wedding (including your wedding planner). The last thing anyone wants is a Bridezilla fashioned from some crazed, thrifty, penny-pinching, coupon clipping wacko. So its important to evaluate your DIY projects and determine if the time involved is really saving you anything.
Save here, splurge there. DIY projects allow you to indulge in the details you wouldn’t normally be able to afford if you didn’t cut costs along the line. When planning your wedding determine what’s important to you and your fiancé. And then ask yourself, “If I can cut back in one area, will this afford me my dream?” Although we saved money, this allowed for us to splurge in other aspects. I was able to purchase the William Arthur invites that I wanted, because I knew that I would be making the programs,” said formeer client Julia Burrow.
Set a budget and do your homework. List the components, along with prices, necessary to complete your project. Then give it a test run. Create a sample for yourself. Sometimes all the little things can add up to more than you planned. A girl can shop! So check online and in the newspapers for sales, coupons and wholesale prices.
Bring in the recruits, a.k.a. bridesmaids, moms and aunts. They are not called “maids of the Bride” for nothing! If they are available and able, ask them to help you tie, assemble, sort, stack, letter or organize. Every little bit helps.
“Financially it saved us a great deal of money but more importantly it was such a special bonding time for a daughter and mother to spend together preparing for a wedding,” said former client Frances Ehrmin.
DIY projects also make for great bonding experiences between brides and their soon-to-be in-laws. So don’t be afraid to call his mom, too, for some added help.
“One of my favorite memories was attending a calligraphy class with my mother and mother-in-law-to-be to learn calligraphy for the invites,” Burrow said.
Stick with what you know and what you are good at. Don’t set out to learn a new craft or hobby. You will only fall short with disappointment. If you like to bake, then make something sweet for your guests, or put together a homemade candy bar for the wedding. If you like to scrapbook and are crafty with stationery, then create your own programs, menus, place cards or table numbers.
Limit the number of projects. I am sorry to tell you this, but you can’t do it all. Nope. So start with a list. Put them in order of importance. Give yourself a deadline. And if you cannot get them done in time, make arrangements to outsource. And don’t start your projects two weeks before your wedding! Typically, couples are engaged for 18 months. Pace yourself. You should be frosting your face with a nice facial cream the night before your wedding —not your cupcakes!
“Everything was more work than I originally imagined, but it all was worth the time and effort because I felt like I had a role in every step of my wedding,” Burrow said.
Remember: it’s DIY: Do It Yourself. NOT DYI: Drive Yourself Insane!

Brittany Craig is the principle event designer and coordinator for Crowning Celebrations. She specializes in wedding and social celebrations. You can follow her blog at http://www.crowningcelebrations.blogspot.com/.