Jenny and Jim: Cincinnati Wedding Film from Steve Zugelter on Vimeo.

Jim and I wanted our entire wedding themed around friendship and Cincinnati, which is how our love story all began.  Jim and I met at work and quickly became  good friends.  Our shared interest in sports, Cincinnati Bengals, Cincinnati Reds, friends and living life to it’s fullest was hard to ignore and our friendship quickly blossomed into a love story.

As soon as we began planning our wedding we knew it had to be around the city we love and our friends.  Our invitations played a large part in informing our guest about our wedding weekend events and our passions.  Our custom made save the dates featured us on Cincinnati Reds Diamond Club seats and our custom made invites featured the skyline of Cincinnati.  We also wanted our rehearsal dinner to be intimate and promote our beautiful city – it couldn’t have been any better when we found our perfect rehearsal venue, Friendship Park.

We wanted a wedding weekend that was unique and special to us.  Our venues were extremely important.  We decided to get married in an old Cathedral that has since been converted to a venue to host events.  The beautiful floor to head stained glass windows, delicately painted ceilings, and collective bell towers decorated the interior and provided a warming touch.  Lush flower pots filled the red brick patio where guest had the chance to enjoy post ceremony cocktails.  As soon as the doors opened guest were wowed by the amount of candles we lined the church with.  With such a beautiful ceremony location the simple floral arrangements added a fresh scent and burst of purples, greens, and white.

We wrote our own vows and created a ceremony that was unique to each of us.  Embedded in my wedding bouquet was a locket with my Father’s picture so he was with me on my special day.  Our programs gave shout outs to friends and family, featured our aspirations as a couple, and even acknowledged our best canine friend Chili.

Our day was amazing, our wedding video was even more amazing.  It captures how special and unique our day was to us and our family. It captures the love that was in that room, how much fun Jim and I have together, and the overall theme of our lives – friendship.

Photography: Neysa Ruhl Photography / Makeup: BRIDEface / Floral Design: The Tulip Tree / Venue:  The Bell Event Center / Cinematography: Studio Z Films

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 4 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: brideface, cincinnati, Color Palette Purple, Neysa Ruhl Photography, Ohio, Studio Z Films, The Bell Event Center, The Tulip tree, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Cinematography
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Wedding Cinematography

Click here to see the entire image gallery!

From the Bride… Mitchell and I would describe our wedding day much as we would describe our relationship; simple but lovely. We wanted a day dedicated to our closest friends and family, full of drinks, laughter and dancing!

As an event planner, I wanted to shy away from the cookie-cutter details we’re used to seeing at wedding celebrations and introduce the elegant simplicity that represents my quality over quantity approach to design.  A country chic interpretation of our lifestyle was punctuated with a few homemade trinkets to tie our theme together.  A mix of monochromatic blues, various textures and simple details helped to fully develop our concept.  Perhaps the most special element of our wedding was the location. We were married on a family farm, beneath a “kissing tree” and shared our first dance under a lantern lit tent.

Mitch and I had a warm and quaint evening {small in size, but big in LOVE} and we feel so blessed to have such a fulfilling memory.

Wedding Photography: Bluebird Photography / Floral Design: Courtenay Lambert Florals / Wedding Ceremony & Reception Location: Private Huff Farm (Available for Special Events) / Wedding Invitations & Paper Goods: Poeme / Hair: Jen Nally / Makeup: Nancy Dawson of BRIDEface / Cake & Cupcakes: The BonBonerie / Wedding Dress: Melissa Sweet / Bridesmaid Dresses: Saks Fifth Avenue / Event Rentals & Linens: Camargo Rental / Wedding Design & Planning: Wesley Swafford Events, LLC

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 14 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Blue, Bluebird Photography, brideface, Country Chic, Country Wedding, Courtenay Lambert Florals, farm wedding, intimate wedding, Jen Nally, Kentucky, Lanterns, Mason Jars, Outdoor Ceremony, Poeme, Purple, Rustic Chic, Tented Reception, The Bonbonerie, White
Post categories: Casual Elegance

images courtesy of Stephanie Carson Photography

Grab a tissue … and enjoy!

Caroline & Christopher: The Highlight from Steve Zugelter on Vimeo.

from the beautiful bride …

I have always been the girl who dreamed of her wedding day since playing dress up with my grandmother’s lace and high heels. At the risk of sounding corny, I knew that my wedding day would be just like a fairy tale because I have been lucky enough to live one with my husband. We met when we were just seventeen years old. College and budding careers separated us for a time, but we both knew deep down whatever road we traveled it would eventually lead us back together again.

Nine years later, in the same place we formally met for the first time, Christopher asked me to marry him. I couldn’t have been more thrilled! We started planning immediately, gathering inspiration from one simple word, romance. We wanted everyone who attended our ceremony and reception to experience and feel the love Christopher and I share…and of course we wanted everyone to dance!

The first priority was the venue and we knew when we saw the Hilton Netherland Plaza, Hall of Mirrors there would be no other place in Cincinnati that could compare. Although a traditional ballroom, it‘s art deco details, vintage appeal, and top notch service provided the perfect setting for a celebration. Our next priority was a photographer and I knew long before I was engaged who I wanted it to be, Stephanie Carson. She has the unique ability to capture emotion in the moment, without prearranged staging or posing. Stephanie was able to suggest a number of vendors and that is how we found Steve Zugelter and Studio Z Films. I looked up Studio Z Films online and sat with tears in my eyes watching other couple’s films. I knew his intimate style would complement our vision of telling our love story.

Beauty is in the details, and I wanted this to stand true with our wedding. My approach was: simple but elegant. I also wanted to include small sentimental touches because I am a sucker for nostalgia. Soft sage green, pale pink and ivory was the color palette for our late spring wedding. The flowers were more beautiful than I ever expected, they were full and lush and included fragrant peonies, freesia, garden roses and hydrangeas.

Handmade accessories for the bridesmaids and my hair piece were found on Etsy. We used Christopher’s grandmother’s recipe to make homemade jelly as a favor for each guest. Beading from my mother’s wedding dress was used to wrap my bouquet. Because we love to journal and document all of our adventures, our wedding gifts to one another were handwritten letters.

The day was perfect and went off without a hitch. All the little memories made the day spectacular. Putting on my dress and realizing I was actually getting married was an overwhelming experience. My dress felt perfect, classic, and timeless. Thinking about seeing my dad for the first time and having him walk me down the aisle still tugs at my heart. I knew seeing Christopher would be one of the most special moments of the day and it was a blur, thank goodness for our film and photos! It was important for us to have our ceremony in a church. Saying our vows in front of our closest friends, family, and God was the central part of what the day was about.

The reception was incredible! From the heartfelt speeches given by my sisters and Christopher’s best man, the phenomenal food, and having the dance floor packed from the first dance to the last dance three hours later made it the best day I could have ever asked for. We thank our family, friends, and fabulous vendors for making it possible and sharing in our love story.

Coordinator: Jen Daut / Photography: Stephanie Carson / Floral: Courtenay Lambert / Entertainment: Nemar Maize / Hair: Jennifer Nally / Makeup: Brideface / Stationery: Poeme / Linens: Adora / Cinematography: Studio Z

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 14 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Adora, Ballroom, brideface, cincinnati, Courtenay Lambert, Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza Hotel, Jen Daut, Jennifer Nally, Nemar Maize, Poeme, Stephanie Carson, Studio Z
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Cinematography

Courtenay also sent us some gorgeous images from one of her winter weddings … Patricia and Adam’s elegant November celebration that we think you’ll love as well …

from Patricia …

We wanted the wedding to be simple but classy – The Lyceum was the perfect back drop to create such a feeling. Combined with the flowers, candles, music, food, and champagne!! It was perfect!. The gold dresses and accents were a nice nod to the holidays without being too much.  Since the wedding was in November, which can be dreadful in Cincinnati, the gold helped keep things warm and inviting. With our move to Switzerland 2 months prior to the wedding, we wanted to bring a few touches of Switzerland – The Swiss Chocolates were direct from the Lindt factory here in Zurich, Switzerland; the Swiss theme Cookies were made by “Cake Creations by Sue”, and the Swiss flag baggage tags were used for table assignments and then kept as favours. It was an easy way for us to provide our new contact information as well as open up an invite for visitors.

Simple and classy … warm and inviting … perfect …

Courtenay’s gorgeous bouquets and centerpieces added just the right amount of color to the elegant color scheme used throughout the wedding.

Patricia’s make-up was done by one of Cincinnati’s best … Little Black Book vendor, Brideface. Seriously ~ look at the close-ups … just beautiful.

{And by the way, Nancy has really great beauty and make-up advice on her Brideface blog.}

Patricia’s wedding gown was by Nicole Miller. Her stunning coat was custom-made by … an unnamed designer. (So sorry … we definitely WILL try to get that information for you!)

Cute, cute Switzerland-inspired cookies by Cake Creations by Sue; Cake by Tres Belle; Photography courtesy of Stephanie Carson of StephCarson Photography.

Congratulations Patricia & Adam … and thanks to Courtenay Lambert Florals for sharing their wedding with us!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 18 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: brideface, Cinicinnati, Courtney Lambert Florals, Roses, Wedding Coat, Wedding Colors, Wedding Fashion, Winter Wedding
Post categories: Bouquets, Centerpieces, Little Black Book Blog, Real Weddings, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Flowers

And a HUGE thank you to the other vendors that helped make this wedding gorgeous…the fabulous Alison Wenstrup of Aviva Events and Little Black Book members, tm photography who captured the amazing images and Courtenay Lambert who designed the STUNNING florals and who owns The Bridal Studio, a one stop shop for any style savvy bride.

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 9 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Aviva Events, brideface, cincinnati, Courtenay, Letterheads, Ohio, The Bridal Studio, TM Photography
Post categories: Casual Elegance

the stunning photographs are by tm photography

From Nancy of the fabulous Brideface…

Our caterer passed cocktails and appetizers before the ceremony, and then had a variety of pastas as entrees, as well as a dessert buffet.Of course we had to have s’mores, since my father had recently landscaped his backyard, adding a firepit that begged to be christened. He outdid himself on the lighting, stringing every tier of the deck with tiny white lights. We added plenty of lanterns and torches as well.

More to come!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 3 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Aviva Events, brideface, cincinnati, Ohio, The Bridal Studio, TM Photography
Post categories: Casual Elegance

images by tm photography

From Nancy…

For the tables, I just used random personal collections I had amassed over time; mercury glass, crystal doorknobs, milk glass, cloche jars, vintage china, and Ohio buckeyes. I found a great fabric that I used for table runners and had a wonderful Etsy seller put that same pattern into my daughter’s(flower girl) and niece’s(maid of honor) dresses. My boys wore tuxedo tees, (at their request), and I made both of them ring bearers.

More to come!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 2 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Aviva Events, brideface, Cincinatti, cincinnati, Ohio, The Bridal Studio, TM Photography
Post categories: Casual Elegance

all of the gorgeous photographs were captured by tm phototgraphy

From Nancy…

My own dress is a Calvin Klein, found for nearly nothing on a clearance rack (after weeks of searching!) I made my haircomb, my earrings were made by a dear friend, my cuff was J Crew, and my shoes were Kensie.

More details on the way!!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 4 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Aviva Events, brideface, cincinnati, Ohio, The Bridal Studio, TM Photography
Post categories: Casual Elegance, The Blog