the hiring:
jacqui and i have been in contact for over a year and a half with her being an awesome cake baker. i was honored she asked me to day of coordinate for her wedding – especially because i know she’s precise about her planning as she explained here

the planning:
jacqui is miss planner extraordinaire. i told her i hadn’t seen a bride more organized since… myself! every box of decor was clearly marked and labeled. she had running lists of to-do’s and need dones. i was happy to help with the timeline and flow of the day, but otherwise, this girl had it handled!

the results:
rehearsal
the rehearsal was fun and casual. we went through the line up and processional and recessional once. afterwards, everyone just enjoyed each other’s company and related the excitement! as i stood in for their pastor, i wasn’t able to get many rehearsal photos until afterwards.


i’m pretty excited eh?

jacqui’s nephew decides no more bottle, he’s ready for the rehearsal dinner!

ceremony
my day started very early with jacqui and her maids. i got there before they did and went to the set up along with the excellent staff at hillbrook. it was a fun relaxed morning with every lady checking out the 1,000 cranes that were hung in the pavilion area. i loved that they had all morning with their stylist to get ready and enjoy themselves. later in the afternoon, erik and his men arrived, also marveled at the cranes and got ready for the “first look” and pre-ceremony formals with the bridal party. the rest of the day was free to enjoy!

reaction shot! eeeeeeeeeee!

the teahouse

fan programs hung on chairs

first look time

oh hey rob, told you i’d blog you

after a break in waiting, it was ceremony time!

reception

paper crane place cards

table decor

each place setting got its own lucky bamboo shoot favor.

jacqui made the centerpieces and they had beta fishies in them!

and they were prepared for their guests to take them home with “care instructions”, a little bag of fish food and press and seal for the top of the vase.

head table

bar menu

and the best detail for last… the cake!

we all loved to see the baker cut her cake!

toasts followed the cake: first best man and brother of the groom:

then maid of honor and bestie of the bride.

after dinner, john and andrew from the dj crew filled the dance floor…

…while guests also could enjoy the rad booth photobooth with the fullest prop box i’ve ever seen!

on my way out i caught a photo of the super cute big balloon jacqui and erik used in their pre-ceremony photo shoot that was re-purposed as a sign marker.

the notables:
favorite planning moment: the excitement of the morning was so fun. it was so rewarding to see jacqui pleased with the execution of her plans and how well everything came together as we set up. even though i really didn’t have to rush, i wanted to set things up quickly so jacqui and erik could see all the loveliness! these two are so in love with each other and the two of them came out in every plan they made. it was really a great day to be a part of.
unique detail: an ancient japanese legend promises that anyone who folds a thousand origami cranes will be granted a wish by a crane. jacqui hand-folded each and every crane herself and she and her bridal party strung them to hang all over the pavilion. they were coupled with dozens of paper lanterns that were also hung around the pavilion.
biggest challenge: jacqui had these gorgeous cherry blossom branches that were to go on hillbrook’s teahouse. it was a little tricky to keep them up there without showing any string/supplies.
sources: jacqui did all of her own flowers since she wanted cherry blossoms and they’re not in season and are quite delicate when they are.
fun fact: jacqui made the cakes for three of my previous brides and grooms: tara & cj, maureen & adam, and lauren & mike.
bucking tradition: in order to see the cherry blossoms bloom, j&e went on their honeymoon to japan at the end of march. you can read all about their amazing trip on their travel blog “cherry blossoms are awesomes.”

jacqui & erik… one thousand congratulations. i’m sad to finish this blog! it’s an end of an era for your wedding to be done. it was beautiful!

previous posts:
heidzillas introduces cmykakes
viva la rock (and roll hall of fame)

be SURE to check out the oh-so-jacqui & erik-pro photos by rad productions

the hiring:
in late february, i got an email from cheryl who explained to me she already had a wedding planner.  the planner had been canceling meetings, not following through with deliverables on deadline or at all, and sounded all around unprofessional. i did not ask who it was, as it was none of my business but instead sought out ways to  help remedy her planning situation in less than 10 weeks. within one meeting, we devised a new decor plan, and started the final details planning for me to day of coordinate.

the planning:
i provided decor planning to supplement what had already been planned between cheryl and her florist, blooms and linen rentals l’nique. my task was to figure out how to incorporate orange and gold accents to the already orange-crushed filled room. i developed guest book table, cake table and candy buffet accents, the escort card set up, a custom card box, table numbers, bathroom baskets, painted aisle runner and a few other miscellaneous items.

the results:
as some of you have heard, my beloved mother in law passed away april 23. her funeral was the same day as cheryl’s wedding, so i was unable to serve as her day of coordinator. i always have a plan b, and a colleague took over and did a great job. cheryl even noted, she thought it was me as we have such similar styles! i loved that. here are a few photos of the actual set up, including two styles of centerpieces. please note: my point and shoot digital camera hated capturing orange and gold, so the colors weren’t so saturated in person:

the notables:
favorite planning moment: we laughed so much. i’ve never laughed so much with a bride about the actual planning process. cheryl was so easy going about planning and had great taste.
something old/new/borrowed/blue: cheryl’s grandmother had a habit of sharing handkerchiefs. cheryl had a basket full of them for guests when they entered the ceremony site.
unique detail: c&d chose indian scrolls for their programs, complete with gold tassels!
biggest challenge: utilizing the color orange without going too fall-themed nor halloween looking was difficult at times. the gold help to make the orange color more elegant.
sources: pat catan’s had some great sales on votives and frames that worked out well. i found the bathroom baskets while personal shopping at marc’s.
fun fact: cheryl was the eldest bride i’ve worked for.

my first task was to set up photo table numbers that molly had made with their engagement photos, and based on the idea she saw here on heidzillas!

next up was making a several pounds of candy and 10 glass jars into a wonderful candy buffet table… before:

and after! molly found “p” monogram stickers to seal the clear treat bags. i made a mock up for guests to get an idea of how it worked. my favorite candy were the little gummy penguins she bought in tribute to michael’s education at youngstown state university.

while i finished up the candy buffet, the staff from clarencedale cake were setting up the main cake, which was positioned on the center of the dance floor.

the cake with the tiers and the shavings all in place.

then the black ribbon was added…

and finally, the cake all ready for cutting!

molly also surprised michael with a grooms cake that looked like his three favorite books.  pre-set up:

the finished stack o’ books.

and the “sweet” corner of the room!

meanwhile, the band members of 56 daze from toledo, were turning this nook of the art museum into their stage.

the lights were positioned, but the band had to lose their normal laser and fog machines because of the valuable art work all around.

almost ready…

and the band all set up during sound check.

finally, the set list went into place and they were ready to rock. (which they did.)

when i arrived, molly and her family had already set up the chair covers and linens which they had mail ordered from beyond elegance in iowa. the company was the ONLY one either of us could find to fit the unique shape of chairs the museum provided.

the staff at antones banquet center worked on the silver…

…and the napkins…

… and the glasses…

…and the dishes…

then some dressing and butter were placed and voila!

a finished room ready for guests and food.

the museum balcony made for a great view of the entire room.

it also was where the cocktail hour was held, complete with the bar in the midst of one of the main galleries.

the escort card table faced the bar outside the gallery and was complete with wedding photos from both molly and michael’s parents and grandparents.

on the opposite side of the bar area were several high tops for guests’ convenience as well as…

some seating for cocktail hour.

not far was dave from shutterbooth, who i got to work with at my first wedding of 2009! hey, a trend already. dave, i hope to see you again for our first weddings of 2011!

once it appeared that the set up was going flawlessly and the other vendors knew their places, i headed over to the church. but first, i snapped the view of the entrance of the art museum…

inside, a family friend had made the bouts and bridesmaids pomanders,

as well as the bride’s bouquet.

there were a few things to tend to with the groom, his men, bride, her maids and their moms so this is where the camera got tucked away. after sending molly down the aisle with a quick veil and train fluff, i was able to take a ceremony shot before i headed back over to the art museum.

after a bit more museum double checking, i headed back over to the ceremony. molly and michael were spending their first moments at husband and wife getting some get church shots with banks photography.

work it molly!

thanks molly & michael! (missing michael in this photo below…) i had such a blast helping you with your reception set up and ceremony and pre-reception coordination! you two were the best couple ever to start the year off right! enjoy italy!! i can’t wait to hear about all you saw… and ate there!

previous post
molly & michael – vendor preview

coming up next
moly & michael – part 2: the bride’s testimonial

what i really like about this fold is that it draws your guests’ eyes to the center of the table with all napkins pointing straight towards your centerpiece decor. it’s also condusive to favor cards, place cards or other stationery or favors to be placed right on top to be noticed and then not be lost amongst the decor, salt and pepper shakers, plates of butter, creamer containers, etc.

here’s a look at what the 9 weddings’ tables looked like with the draped napkins:

jillian & kevin – part 3: reception

tara & cj – part 2: reception details

maria & phil – part 3: reception

liz & zach – part 2: reception

katy & rodney – part 1: wedding

meghan & cameron – part 3: reception

amber & zach – part 2: reception

jessica & brandon – part 3: reception

traci & chuck – part 3: reception

what’s your favorite napkin fold?

previous posts:
in the numbers: 2009 season (25)

(c) rad photography

i love this idea! aren’t these lovely? it was especially perfect for a venue like the downtown cleveland historical courthouse. kudos lauren and scott! and thanks for sharing!

so here’s a reader response question for you: she added the word “cards” to the bow so that guests don’t mistake the card box for a nicely wrapped gift. should she keep it, change it to “thank you” or not add anything at all? other thoughts?

great job traci!

the pavillion is rather awesome since all of the walls are windows that let in some great natural light. thank goodness it was a nice sunshine-y day! i loved the strung lights too.

facing the back was the kitchen and bar and restrooms. sarah rented pipe and drapes to give ahern catering a space to work.

the buffet was set up in the center where dancing would take place post meal.

the 14 person bridal party was set at a u-shaped head table in the center of the room. i was rather proud of my hand-draping of unfinished satin that was left over from the runners. it turned out quite well for being semi-makeshift.

while sarah did all of the floral centerpieces herself, hosanna designs did the bouquets and bouts.

sarah put together these branch + orchid + hanging lantern tall centerpieces. they were really classy looking with the gold easel table numbers.

 the other half of centerpieces were hydrangeas and roses, again arranged by sarah.

a little blue food coloring in water + votives close to the square vases made for a lovely reflection.

sarah also designed menus that tucked in each napkin, along with photobooth photo sleeves (behind the menu) that were the favors.

 guests found their place via the large seating chart. also shown is the lazy susan=style photo card box at the gift table.

byrequest musicservices was the dj for the night and also assisted the bride and groom with playing a slide show of photos.

 cupcakes were made by the bride’s friends and family. guests could choose from chocolate with white frosting, white with white frosting (and blue flowers) or pumpkin with cream cheese frosting!

for favors, sarah and matt hired shutterbooth photo booth services. i finally got to meet brian legree when he set it up after many online conversations about past and potential clients of ours.

guests took photos and pasted them in scrapbooks literally as soon as they were walking in the door to the reception!

 here’s me with the new mr. & mrs.! congrats you two — great job planning! i loved setting up all of your little touches. have the BEST time in hawaii. can’t wait to see your trash the dress shoot in kauai!

previous post:
vendor preview – sarah & matt

3d4tzg89xi

one wall of windows had a view of these planes, and the other framed cleveland hopkins international airport.

tables and chair covers were ivory with wine colored chair sashes and black napkins, a way jen wanted to tie in the wedding colors.

the cake was by “what’s for dessert?” each tier had a layer of vanilla and a layer of chocolate cake. fresh tendrils did the cake topper and petals. the flower colors were autumn and vintage-inspired.

there were two kinds of centerpieces. several tables had tall ones with hanging votives and flowers tied onto antique bronze (the color, not the age of) branches.

detail in the tall centerpieces:

the other half of tables had lower floral-only centerpieces. one travel and antique touch was the table numbers which i handmade utilizing typewriter font numbers and vintage postcards that were found on ebay. each one had a cleveland scene. many were actually written on and postmarked! the oldest one we found was postmarked 1906. they were the neatest things to read – especially to see what downtown cleveland buildings looked like or were named generations ago.

the card box was a vintage suit case that was my husband’s grandfather’s. jen and i were on the hunt for vintage luggage when i found four great pieces that i didn’t know were in my basement!

the other three suit cases were utilized to display the escort cards.

the lids were lined with the vintage post cards before the…

… luggage tag style escort cards were placed in. (i was honored to be seated with jen and brian’s parents. i felt more like a guest all evening than the planner!) as you’ll note – everything was in typewriter font because…

in lieu of a traditional guest book, jen was able to hunt down a classic smith corona typewriter. trimmed typewriter paper was placed near by and guests had a BLAST typing in special notes to the bride and groom. it was perfectly placed in front of blown up world war ii newspaper stories that were on the 100th bomb group’s walls, and also tied in the fact that jen and brian actually met while working for a newspaper!

the bride and groom asked for good advice, words of wisdom, etc. i think this typewriter was the highlight of the reception and i saw many guests go back to write more messages. i had to chuckle because anytime the keys got stuck, or someone didn’t know how to use the typewriter, they asked the oldest person near them for assistance. it was definitely a role reversal in this world of high technology!

bridesmaid teri leaves a note:

another nod to the past was a family photo table, set up with the two pieces of vintage luggage found at a antique store in lakewood.

wedding photos of jen and brian’s parents were on display, as was a photo collage of jen and brian growing up and some recent photos of them together.

it wouldn’t be a heidzilla reception without some dancing shoes. the flip flop size tags were in the same shape as the luggage tag escort cards.

i didn’t mention this last week as it was a surprise to everyone – parents, bridal party and guests – but jen and brian hired red eye photobooths. you can see all of the fun had in the booth on the online gallery. the signage on the easel noted that instead of doing traditional favors, they had the photobooth and they also made a donation to the cleveland food bank in honor of guests.

i think this is my favorite photo of mine of the night – the bridesmaids displayed the photos they took in the booth.. all six of them squeezed in there! 

red eye photobooths was also able to use our typewriter font as well as a flourish that matched jen & brian’s invitations and programs.

the flash washed out the typing but i was holding little signs that read “congratulations!” “best wishes!” and “love heidzilla!!!!!”

the event was dj-ed by mike and andrew of the dj crew. it was the first time i had seen guests call for an encore because they wanted “ONE MORE SONG! ONE MORE SONG!” rather funny at 11:55 pm that night!

these two were so damn sweet together – no pun intended… and here are the cake cutting photos

CONGRATULATIONS JEN & BRIAN!!!!!!! i’ve really enjoyed working with you this year and will sincerely miss talking to you at least once a week. i hope you’re having a relaxing enjoyable honeymoon in punta cana!!!!!!!!!!!!! hey… send some postcards! maybe we can sell them on ebay in 100 years!

previous post
vendor preview – jen & brian
jen & brian – part 1: rehearsal & dinner
jen & brian – part 2: getting ready & ceremony

i was glad i was there so i could take some progression shots while she put the monogram-inspired cake together:

i swooned over the iridescent and also edible leaves that she placed last:

i added the “love is sweet” letters and the cake cutting set and voila!

while jacqui was working on her masterpiece, i was trying to figure out the best way to get all this glass to fit on this round table!

i was SUPER pleased with how awesome this candy buffet turned out!

guests LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVED the candy buffet. they were incredibly impressed with the selection as well as the *sweet* favor idea :::ba-dum-bump:::

nom.nom.nom.nom.nom!!!

now for the rest of the autumn-themed room decor:
in the entrance way was a long table with leaf-shaped escort cards:

as well as the jersey for guests who hadn’t signed it yet:

back inside, there was a four table bridal party set up. i love it when people shake up the design of the head tables. they were lined with leaf garland and red, gold and taupe glass candle votives that also had branches and leaves on them.

one corner featured the cake, the other this timeless punch bowl:

and finally, the rest of the room was several guest tables which included pumpkin-shaped candle holders and pillar candle table numbers, each featuring a special marriage-related word, sentiment and/or passage:

i didn’t get as many wonderful reception-event photos as i would have liked, but i did get this great action shot of andrew jordan catching the rowdy bridal party introductions! good form, andrew.

it was a very enjoyable reception with a very tasty dinner complete with a post-dinner slideshow that maureen’s mom put together with dozens of photos of maureen and adam growing up as well as ones once they were together. (thanks to ted from tko entertainment for the sound hook up on that one!) i was pumped to work with ted again, as i had just seen him two weeks earlier at meghan and cameron’s wedding! and any wedding with andrew and tom is bound to be fun, especially the few moments i overheard andrew explaining the wonder features of candy to the younger reception guests.

maureen and adam, i’m surely hoping you’re having a GRAND time in cabo. you’re only missing out on a lot of downpouring rain and the chill moving in, but i’m sure there will be more when you get back fabbbbbbulous job putting together this really gorgeous fall themed wedding that guests complimented all night long. i know you two will love each other for years to come, and i loved being a part of your day! congrats once more! <3

previous post:
maureen & adam – vendor preview
maureen & adam – part 1: ceremony

i had someone mention to me that my bows always looks the same and hang the right way, so i thought i’d do a really quick how-to tie a nice bow and show you jillian’s table numbers which match oh-so-lovely with her invitations and flip flop tags

first, make sure both strands are even or in this case, the right strand can be a tinge longer:

next, loop the left hand strand over the right hand strand. this way, the right hand strand easily faces up, and the left hand strand lays flat towards the bottom right.

make the left side of the bow loopty-loop with what used to be the left strand but is now the bottom right. be sure the ribbon isn’t twisted here and lays flat against itself.

pull the former right strand, now left strand that was laying upwards down and over the loop you just made. again, make sure it’s not twisted when you flip it over the loop.

feed the strand that you just folded on top under itself and tie a bow like you would normally tie your shoes.

pull each loop evenly.

pull the long strands until the loops are even and tighten it up. voila! perfect bow.

this same technique works great for flower girl dresses, other decor, chair cover sashes, etc. here’s most of the table number mattes.

and then as table numbers.

if you recall from my springvale ballroom review, jillian’s tables will have white linens and white chair covers with pale pink napkins and pale pink chair sashes. i can’t wait to see it all tie together with centerpieces that look like this!!! we got to see her centerpiece mock ups at blooms by plantscaping on friday.

ignore everything else going on in the picture and just look at the beautiful arrangements with the awesome *pink* water that will be uplit!!!

gorgeous assortment of roses, peonies and gerber daisies all in shade of pink.