kendra & jeff’s moose-snowboarding inspired wedding on april 14 
& 
deanna & eric’s ombre chartreuse kraft wedding on april 28

we know we’re not the only ones gearing up on wedding plans… our clients are doing dress fittings, planning fun bachelorette parties and registering for upcoming wedding showers!

speaking of wedding showers, our friends at wedding paper divas just launched a super cute new line of bridal shower invitations. seriously, how fun are these?

in true heidzillas’ month-of-may fashion, we have a giveaway for our fabulous clients and readers!

the hey it’s may, wedding paper divas giveaway!

get a 25% off discount to wedding paper divas! and NOT just for ONE winner but for those of you who need it. just email us at heidi at heidzillas dot com and ask through may 15, 2012.

oh and some fine print:

Expires June 1, 2012 at 11:59 PM. This excludes letterpress, thermography and 3rd party products (i.e. custom stamps, embossers, photo books, gift certificates and calendars). There is no minimum purchase required. Cannot be combined with any other offers. One time use per customer.

happy planning and be sure to keep up with our 2012 wedding adventures by “like”ing us on facebook and following our team on twitter!

previous posts:
hey, it’s may 2009
hey, it’s may 2010

the next of our weddings to be featured on the hdz blog is carrie and mark’s. they found the *most perfect* invitation set to tie into the rest of their wedding day theme from minted.com. here’s just one peek into their wedding day recap:

it was the perfect design for a hint to what we had in store for guests at the wedding!

and now you get the opportunity to find the perfect design for your cleveland wedding, too!

heidzillas and minted are giving away $100 off the minted.com wedding stationery!

how to enter: 

1. comment on this blog post (one entry per person for the duration of the contest.)

2. “like” heidzillas on facebook and leave us a stationery-related comment there for a second chance to win. (must have commented on this blog post as the first chance under the same name.)

enter between march 5, 2012, at 3:00 pm est until friday, march 9, at 3:00 pm est. winner will be chosen by random utilizing a random integer generator. winner will be announced on or before monday, march 12, 2012. this discount can be used as $100 off wedding invitations or save the date cards of your choice. it must be redeemed within one month of the announcement.

UPDATE 03.12.12: commenting has now ended. congrats to our winner “nikki” who will be contacted by minted soon! 

the notables:
the process:
rochelle was referred to us by a past bride. she had hired nearly all of her vendors but needed help tying together the decor – linens, flowers, lighting, cake design and the stationery and favors. rochelle works major retail hours so was imperative to keep on a great planning schedule to get everything done – and done right!
the priorities decor was an important part of the overall day for rochelle. however, we had to plan for a 400+ person wedding with dozens of tables without breaking the bank. lighting came in the play the most for the most impact for the neutral room.
the challenges: coordination of a large guest list is always tricky, especially with last minute rsvp’s translating into seating arrangements and last minute escort cards. we also had a big bridal party who we base portions of the overall timeline around. finally, the color of the bride’s bouquet wasn’t syncing up to her dress color as we’d hoped so i made a mad dash to get new flowers and a new bouquet put together literally minutes before she walked down the aisle. it all worked out!

the moments:
the rehearsal
brittany coordinated r+c’s rehearsal as we had another wedding that saturday. the key was lining up their 16 person bridal party (+ three kids.)

the ceremony
a memory candle in honor of r&c’s lost loved ones was important to the couple, especially in honor of rochelle’s mom.

rochelle’s dress couldn’t have been more perfect for her! she was a simply stunning bride.

the ceremony was classic. you MUST see the first kiss on the altar photo by monique studios.

the couple was sent out with a flurry of bubbles – brett vance captured the moment on video (below) – the wind was perfect!

the details:

we love before and after photos! here’s a few… what a difference lighting and some pipe and drape can make!

michaud’s grand ballroom before:

and after!:

head table before and after:

band stand before and after:

and back to the details… loved the long long long traditional head table for 16 with a sweetheart in the middle.

a gobo floated above the bride and groom, complemented with lots of candlelight.

i’m pretty sure this wedding had more guest tables than any hdz wedding before: 45 plus the headtable!

it was a lot of chair cover ties!

each had one of three orchid centerpieces:

hdz enjoyed making r&c’s table numbers with photos throughout the years. rochelle picked specific photos per table based on who was sitting there. we saw guests peeking around all of the tables to see all 45 pics!

the balcony that was hidden behind the back drop was perfect for a bird’s eye view of the room.

monique studios designed the engagement photos into a signing book. hdz created the pride and joy card box. and to dress up some classic place cards, we covered the table in rose petals. now when i work with roses for weddings i say “i need rochelle petals” and ety knows exactly what i mean!

the memory candle from the ceremony was paired with several family photos of lost loved ones.

rochelle chose some black on white scroll designs as a nod to chris’s arabic background. hdz provided the bling cake topper.

the reception

we had several excited couples to introduce into the room!

when the bride and groom came in, everyone joined them on the dance floor for a traditional arabic group dance.

following the dance were a few toasts, including an arabic chant. after dinner, the bride and groom even made cutting the cake romantic!

the arabic band had several musicians subbing in and out depending on the music.

somewhere amongst the dancing, the bride and groom were hoisted in chairs hora style!

i loved rochelle’s form for the bouquet toss: two hands! and those ladies HIT THE FLOOR to get that sucker!

the garter toss was equally amusing with the winner making a dance floor dive. (see the video!)

we love to see our past clients at weddings! rochelle’s bridesmaid amber and her husband zach were one of our 2009 couples and referred rochelle to us. oh and i had to sneak in the photo of brittany and the napkin she saved from burning a table down. oops!

despite the groom being pulled away for adult beverages, we got him over to the dance floor for a memorable first dance, folowed by the parents dances and everyone joining again for some fun.

it’s not hard to fill the dance floor with as many guests as r&c had!

i snuck a few shots of rochelle and her maids in the photobooth towards the end of the night. guests did it up in the booth that night!

the congratulations:
congratulations rochelle and chris! we know what an in love couple you two are, and it was our pleasure to help with your larger than life wedding day! rochelle you were gorgeous!

© shutterbooth

the video:

Chris + Rochelle | Wedding from Brett Vance on Vimeo.

the links:
monique studios set on facebook
shutterbooth set

the review: thanks rochelle for your personal recap!

I had Heidi and Brittany on my wedding day and I must say they were absolutely amazing! Heidi kept me calm (as calm as possible lol) the months before my wedding and VERY organized! I had a crazy work schedule because I work retail and Heidi always made things work into my schedule. Whenever I needed to talk to her she was very prompt at replying. The week before my wedding she double checked with all of the vendors and made sure the wedding day itself stayed on schedule. Because of them I didn’t have to worry about anything. They both went above and beyond for me all day…Brittany steamed my dress and tied my corset and Heidi secretly ran to a floral shop about an hour before the ceremony was to start. I really can’t say enough great things about them…The day after my wedding my whole family was talking about how amazing they were as well! Thank you so much to the both of you…honestly out of all my vendors they were the best decision I made…I wouldn’t recommend any of the vendors I used except my reception hall and Heidzillas! Thanks again.

the notables:
the process: hilary and patrick were online researchers who found me reading our client reviews. we met in june 2010 and the following 13 months flew by! they had secured their venue and photographer and hdz helped them from there on.
the challenges: we all live well over an hour and a half from sandusky, ohio, but enjoyed our outings to lyman and meetings with local vendors while there.
the priorities h&p had a specific vision of the overall decor that actually took us a few meetings to shake out a bit. it was peacock and the turquoise + purple like you’d expect but also moroccan with heavy browns and reds. and we had the most details maybe ever! and we LOVE details!

the invitations were from an etsy designer. i loved the unique, bold take on the expected peacock design.

the moments:

the rehearsal

the ceremony
the list of details started outside with the ceremony and were in the lighter tones of our color palate: a full water station for the hot july day, a sand ceremony, eggs in a nest in lieu of a ring bearer pillow and row-end wheat decor!

we had fun putting together the martha stewart inspired programs. the covers were made from a fun mix of scrapbook paper and the insides were tied with satin ribbons. the guts included the list of wedding party, the program, a darling “thank you” note specific to parents, family and even a shout out to heidzillas and a fun “what tree did you fall from” list.

it was a PERFECT day beside lake erie for the ceremony! not too hot, a nice breeze and a big blue sky!

after the nuptials, guests ventured into the ballroom while hilary and patrick took their limo bus around to some sandusky sights such as the famed floral clock.

the details:
hilary and patrick were engaged on valentine’s day at a night at the zoo event. patrick tried to lead hilary to the penguin pen but the question was popped amongst the ducks! so, we gave a nod to the zoo engagement with tables named after animals. we had a total of 26 tables which were all named by a letter instead of numbers in the “a is for aardvark” and so forth style.

hilary and patrick chose a darling drawn thumbprint tree in lieu of a guest book, also commissioned from etsy. our stationer annie provided a “leaf your thumbprint” sign.

a family member gifted hilary a fantastic peacock that sat atop a birdcage for the card box. hilary also displayed some antique lyman harbor ads and signage, as her grandfather had a lyman boat made in the very reception hall – formerly a boat assembly warehouse – many decades before.

one of my favorite areas of the reception was the lounge area we had set up for cocktail hour. john toula from jerry bruno productions provided the music.

the cocktail area centerpieces included artichokes – a special request by the bride. they turned out so classy with the fiddleheads! also shown, a larger foyer piece by bloom by jilly gray.

hdz had the pleasure of working with wendy kromer confections two saturdays in a row. i stopped by the bakery the day before and got to see wendy’s working area complete with posted sketches and swatches we provided of the stationery.

the peacock-inspired cake sat atop two tiers of complementing cupcakes. hilary and patrick had custom vintage forks for the cake cutting that were marked “mr” and “mrs”.

we flanked the cake with a candy buffet station full of chocolates from hilary and patrick’s hometown as well as some of their childhood favorite candies – we had quite a lot of fun shopping and picking it all out! guests could take home cupcakes and candy in gable boxes with custom stickers.

we also had “purple peacock” signature drinks. i got to be the taste tester, they were quite good!

hilary and patrick had a sweetheart table we completed with deep purple chargers and peacock napkins and napkin rings.

the guest tables had alternating napkins with custom menus tucked in and a peacock feather garnish.

there were three centerpieces – tall floral, short floral and moroccan lanterns.

photo booth strip frames served as place cards with table letters and animal graphics, guest names and meal choices.

hilary, patrick and i had fun deciding the perfect animals for each table’s letter. of course p had to be peacock!

and a few more classic hdz details – dancing shoes and bathroom baskets and floral.

the reception
the entire room ready for dinner!

cake cutting

first dance, filmed by candy apple films.

father-daughter and mother-son dances

and the entire dance floor full!

the congratulations:

hilary and patrick – it was such a pleasure to work with you two! i don’t know if we’ve ever seen such a collaborative and loving couple yet! i can’t say i ever planned a wedding where the bride and groom were in attendance at every planning meeting – and isn’t that the way we wish it could always be! you started as clients and ended as dear friends. thanks for being so kind to us!

the notables:
the process: vanessa and danny were engaged just a couple of days before christmas 2010. in the following week, she asked friends for references to a wedding planner and we were referred to her from a handful of people. we met on new year’s eve and were hired just a few days later! vanessa and i were instant partners in crime and it was such a fun time weaving inspiration and traditions from both families into one big wonderful day!
the priorities vanessa had a wonderful vision of design and style and we wanted to incorporate that throughout every element of the wedding. from her trip to chateau versailles to my personal love for the hall of mirrors. yellow with a tone of gold became our main color scheme for the reception, while fuchsia and coral were the pops of color for the ceremony.
the challenges: we had just under 8 months to pull together the wedding of the year! there were many details included throughout the day that had TLC so we worked VERY hard in that time period! we also worked with a handful of vendors who were professionals in their field but only work a few weddings a year. coordination was key!

the moments:
vanessa and danny’s invitations, thanks to paper trails to you, turned out beyond GORGEOUS. the selection definitely is in my top 3 favorite of clients invites ever.

the rehearsal
vanessa had the MOST gorgeous rehearsal dinner dress ever. it was a HOT evening, so with only 3 bridal party members, the rehearsal itself didn’t have to be very long.

the ceremony
i think it may have been the hottest saturday of the summer. rain was looming, but we were determined to have a gorgeous outdoor ceremony at vanessa’s parents home. guests loved the refreshment station with pink lemonade and bottled fiji and perrier.

i was so thrilled with how the ceremony program turned out. i designed it and had it produced on vinyl, which we adhered to a blank canvas for vanessa and danny to always have. stephen tokar and staff designed the perfect floral arch for the ceremony. it was flowy and elegant and you would have thought the roses grew that way!

guests kept streaming in – far more than we thought we’d have on a hot day at 11:00 am in july! we started the processional with a surprise for the groom – sonata strings played “sweet child o’ mine” a favorite of danny’s.

the clouds literally parted and a ray of sun came through just as we opened the doors for the bride! the processional was a little unique for the bride as she entered from behind the altar area, along the pool and looped around in front of the ceremony seats. guests didn’t have to turn around at all.

i’m not lying, it was a perfect day.

after the gorgeous nuptials, the couple greeted guests on their way back out to valet. then it was post-ceremony formal photography time until they got a little overheated and took a break.

the details:
at the union club, the first thing you see in the main lobby was this gorgeous arrangement and a framed engagement photo of vanessa and danny.

every year, i have a project that is my major feat of the year. this seating chart would be it for 2011! it was a massive mirror with vinyl decal of names and table numbers that i applied the week of the wedding for the seating chart! here’s a before and after.

cocktail hour was bursting with excitement for the evening, and tunes filled the air from charming pianist cliff habian. hdz also designed the bar mirror with gold writing on vellum over a mirror.

a few more details: we had a french-patterned hat box for a card box and heidzillas put together engagement photos for v&d’s guest book.

this is probably the element i was MOST excited to see – an amazing, custom designed wedding cake by the wendy kromer. i was also so happy to get to see the master put her finishing touches on it and grab a photo before she was on her way!

the EPIC cake. it was absolutely stunning.

annnnnd the entire ballroom!

stephen tokar design created three kinds of centerpieces – a visually stunning version of gladiolas for the two kings table and two other versions for the rounds – one tall arrangement on candelabras and a fantastic water-filled oversize bowl filled with a dozen floating candles placed on a mirror pedestal.

heidzillas also utilized mirrors for the table numbers. we loved kings table detail! and the dishes were even named “vanessa” – meant to be!

the reception
the gorgeous bride and groom ready to enjoy the evening!

the reception started with family and bridal party introductions, a surprise slideshow from the maids of honor and of course, dinner!

we waited until after dinner to cut the amaaaazing cake.

after cake cutting, vanessa and danny had their first dance and an upbeat, fun father daughter dance.

during dinner and after the father-daughter dance, the serbian duo played serbian traditional music for danny’s side, including dancing the kolo, a serbian wedding tradition!

meanwhile, this was set up for a guests’ surprise! when they were in the lobby area before dinner, it was a blank mirror and empty hallway. they came back out to the bar to this:

vanessa and i had a blast creating this favor cookie and candy bar. it included over 1,000 cookies, brownies and macarons, gold and pearl gumballs, jordan almonds, and several tortes. at the end of the night, only some gumballs remained – no kidding!

the band, who were friends of the father of the bride, were absolutely fantastic! we had a great time coordinating the night together. and bonded some more late night during clean up. love vanessa’s fist pump on the dance floor.

this was such a fun group of gals for vanessa’s bouquet toss.

the celebration and dancing continued through the wee hours! it was a truly amazing day.

leigh and i had such a pleasure seeing the day throughout. it was one of our favorite weddings of the year!

the congratulations: vanessa and danny, we had such a hilarious amazing wonderful time planning! it went so fast and i am still beaming with how fantastic it all turned out for you and danny! congratulations!!! much love to you and your future!!! wink wink times TWO!

the reviews: we are humbled beyond belief by the words vanessa left us on our review sites. thank you v!

Heidi,
Words cant describe what you have done to making my wedding so special and amazing. You are so talented with what you do. You can tell that you have a true passion for making everyone happy when it comes to planning a wedding. Heidi was my wedding planner and I couldn’t have been happier with the overall result. She is such a professional, extremely organized and such a lovely person to be around. She was on top of her game at all times with my wedding. My wedding day was a fairy tale come true. I did not have to worry about a single thing that day. Her team was amazing when it came to getting everything done the day of. I would highly recommend Heidzillas. Planning a wedding can be very stressful but hiring Heidi I never felt stressed out at all. Especially when it comes to making tough decisions with your family she is the one to make sense into the decision. I tell all my clients the one investment and the most important is hiring a wedding planner. Thank you Heidi for all your hard work! You have no idea how much I appreciate everything you did.
Vanessa

the notables: one of our two july 23, 2011 brides, jen, asked us for assistance for planning the decor for her rehearsal dinner. we had a lot of fun helping her sister and mom with the melting pot wedding shower, and were happy to help with another fun theme: an ice cream social!

 the details:

we kept the centerpieces simple but cute, and coordinated some pale pink linens with md’s.

there was a set of three ice cream cone dishes filled with flowers, candles that looked like ice cream scoops, or a table number. the dishes were filled with sprinkles and the entire table was drizzled with more sprinkles!

that friday also happened to be the matron of honor’s birthday, so there were presents and flowers for her, as well as presents for all of the bridal party that were colorfully wrapped to go along with the whole light-hearted evening. the bride even brought along a ice cream cone pinata.

there were even marshmallow ice cream cone favors!

seats were assigned for every guest with ice cream place cards that heidzillas cut out and placed into actual edible cones.

finally, what’s a social without an ice cream sundae bar and super fun ice cream cone cupcakes!

as we hope you can tell, it was fun, whimsy rehearsal dinner decor to plan! and tasty too.

the notables:
the process: catie’s cousin slash partner-in-crime slash wedding assistant, erin, had heard of me from the knot circa 2008. she decided to save her money and not hire a coordinator and regretted it and insisted catie have one. thanks erin! : )
the priorities we had to serve as the main point person for every facet of this wedding as there was a visiting priest at the church, a venue with grounds that had recently gone under construction, two florists, and a big ol’ bridal party.
the challenges: we had quite the bridal party – 25 total for both sides. so it was a lot of people to manage to get down the aisle and back again. and they had to make two lines on the altar to fit!

the moments:
the rehearsal
everyone congregated in the parking lot to say their hellos and get the celebration started!

i said, for the blog!

the line up…

practice walk

the ceremony

the willing gents!

a few anecdotes
when discussing the timeline, catie told me the bridal party planned to go to a house in lakewood to take some photos because they lived there for a while when first dating. we figured out it was literally across the street from a house i lived in at the EXACT SAME TIME in 2005. we never met at the time!

© scott shaw

after the house, they stopped by the riverwood cafe for a drink. loved it.

© scott shaw

the details:

we loved the lantern card box and lentil-filled boxes for the escort cards

kim coryea rocked it OUT with this cake. loved it! one of my favorites… ever!

catie and family hunted for mis-matched wine glasses for the most darling cocktail and guest table decor

lentils were such a fun pop of color for filler with pillar candles.

the monster tent for about 250 guests!

the looooong kings table for the bridal party!

the reception
time to get the guests seated and the bridal party lined up.

© scott shaw

introductions line up!

and our mr. and mrs.!

so happy :)

the super sweet father of the bride speech.

the djs!

first dance

one darn fun father-daughter dance

and mother son!

and then they rocked the house. literally.

meanwhile, the photobooth was open. loved loved loved this guest!

and then i lost my camera. and then i found it. and then the tent looked so lovely as the sun set. rumor has it bay arts no longer permits tents on the property.

the congratulations:

© scott shaw

catie and mike: we loved working with you!! we especially appreciated your love for our blog… my sincerest apologies it took this long to get to your big day but here you are! you were great. it was such a fun crowd all day long… we loved the happy most of all! congrats!!!!

the links:
photos by scott shaw
engagement shoot by scott shaw

hdz 2012 calendar wallpapers

1024 x 768 • 1280 x 800 • 1280 x 1024 • 1366 x 768
1400 x 900 • 1920 x 1080 • 2560 x 1440

not the size you’re looking for, or want to print? here’s the calendar on its own:

2012 calendar

have a great year and happy planning!

sunday, january 29, 2012
12:00 – 5:00 pm
dredgers union
2043 e 4th st, cleveland (map)

for more information, see the website and be sure to like the bbb facebook page!

tickets tickets tickets!

tickets in advance $5. tickets at the door $10.

want to win two free tickets? like heidzillas on facebook and comment (not just “like”) on THIS STATUS POST (only) by friday, january 27, 11:59 pm.
randomly chosen winner will be announced on saturday and tickets will be at the show!

the first award is the 2012 knot best of weddings:

the second is wedding wire’s bride’s choice award 2012:

we’re looking forward to an amazing and successful 2012 season! we have lots of fun new stuff going on this year! be sure to stay up to date with us on our facebook and twitter pages throughout the year!

previous posts:
heidzillas earns best of the knot – 2011
heidzillas earns 2011 bride’s choice award
the knot ohio – spring/summer 2010: part 3 of 3
heidzillas earns 2010 bride’s choice award