I first met Brandi back in the bitter winter of 2010!  I knew from the start that planning her wedding was going to be a great experience.  I knew from the beginning that it was going to be detailed and elegant.  I thought that it would entail a lot of details and parts, and I was absolutely right.    The wedding ceremony occured at the St. Johns Cathedral in Downtown Cleveland with the reception being held at the Old Courthouse on Lakeside.  Both are amazing….old world charm!

I have said over and over, this wedding had the A team.  So many great vendors collaborated to make this an evening that I know was enjoyed by everyone in attendance.  I loved getting to know Brandi and Michael, they are very kind, extremely funny and really just a joy to be around.  I worked a lot with them as well as their families in the creation of this wedding.  It truly was a team effort….including getting the bridal party out of the hotel and into the church during an absolute downpour (see photo below!)  I was drenched, but it wasn’t about me…..they were dry and that is all that mattered!

So back to the “A Team!”:  The food was amazing and the service staff was top notch.  Peggy Hauser with BonAppetit was absolutely fantastic to work with.  The guests dined on an Amuse- Bouche of Corn Creme Brulee, an artistic salad and the entree was Surf and Turf! 

The amazing decor was designed by Stephen Tokar.  Until this wedding, I have not had the opportunity to work with Stephen and I am simply amazed!  Not only is he a great designer, patient and kind….but he is also truly fun to be around!  I am so glad that we had the opportunity to become friends through this wedding!

Jim Lottig from Event Source was also a big help in the planning of this wedding.  Countless hours went into the rental selections and many of the items we chose were purchased just for this wedding, including the china and glassware. 

The rest of the A Team:  Jerry Bruno Orchestra was the fantastic entertainment for the evening, along with a Frank Sinatra impersonator (Michael Sonata) that had the guests saying, “what, it sounds just like him, WOW!”  Maria at SoBella assisted in the design of all of the paper products and they were over the top beautiful.   Lighting was provided by David Palmer of Network Sound in Aurora, Ohio.   The beautiful and delicious cake was from Phyliss Lester Designs, and the late night chocolate treats (Gran Marnier, keylime, banana foster treats!) were made by Creme de la Creme in Akron, Ohio.   And our transportation was provided by A1 Mr. Limo, always a pleasure to work with! 

I cannot wait to see the video that will be produced by my friends, Brian and Suzi Morris of 2nd Mile Productions.  They are such a pleasure to work with and I adore their work.  And of course, last, but definately not least, our photograhy was provided by James and Genevieve Nisly of Genevieve Nisly Photography.  You can see many of their photo’s of this wedding at:  http://genevievenislyblog.com/2011/05/16/michael-and-brandis-elegant-wedding-at-st-johns-cathedral-and-old-courthouse/    The pictures are just simply outstanding and here are a few more to enjoy!

The best compliments I receive are directly from my Brides and Grooms! Hearing their joy makes my “job” so much easier. I previously blogged about Angela and Bobby’s big day on May 8th….but I wanted to share this message. I received this voicemail message from Bobby at 10:00 am the day following his wedding…this has to be one of the nicest “thanks” I have ever received:

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Tricia, it is Bobby and Angela, Mr. and Mrs!  Listen, we wanted to call you specifically this morning, we hope we are not waking you up.  We wanted to say that you originally started out as our wedding planner  and you evolved into such a great friend of ours during this one year plus process.  And we appreciate all your help.  We understand this is your job and it is what you are good at, but you took care of us as one of our good friends would take care of us.  And we love you very much and we appreciate everything, it was a fantastic night, as you can tell from my voice, and you were a major part of it.

 We want to make sure you feel good about what you do for people like Angela and I, because it was amazing!

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I truly love what I call a “job!”  To know that I helped create a day that two people will cherish for the rest of their lives is the main reason I love it so much!  Thank you for calling Bobby!

About a week ago, Genevieve Nisly and I held the first Northeast Ohio Bridal Soiree!  The night was planned as an inpirational cocktail hour for brides to gather ideas and meet wonderful wedding professionals, held at Brookside Country Club.  We partnered with Neil Leeson of Neil Leeson Decor and Floral to design 4 distinctly different weddings.  We paired his designs with linens, paper products, wedding dresses, and wedding cakes to create a complete look. 

We worked with some of Northeast Ohio’s absolute best professionals to create the evening.  Laura Woofter of Paper Allure, Dean Ross of Event Lighting, Abbott’s Bridal, West Side Bakery, Lnique Linens, Jerry Bruno Productions, 2nd Mile Productions, Canton Chair Rental, Be Seated, and ELM Rentals. 

Shall we plan another one?!?

Enjoy these pictures, taken by the phenomenal Genevieve and James Nisly!  And to see more, check out Genevieve’s Blog!

Neil Leeson mingles and answers questions with Brides!

Tricia and Genevieve welcoming guests!

Many of our professionals conducted mini seminars for Brides to gather additional information.

Brian Morris, of 2nd Mile Productions discusses videography trends.

Genevieve Nisly discusses how to get the most from your photography!

Now you may be curious why I would post on my blog about another coordinator….I am not worried about competition, never have been.  I was the person at bridal shows that would go up to other coordinators and instead of posing as a bride to steal their information, I would introduce myself….ask them to go to lunch and form a friendship.  I can’t do every wedding…..in fact, I am not a coordinator that wants to take on even dozens of weddings a year.  I take on several great clients each year, produce fantastic events for them and make sure that they feel as if THEY are the ONLY bride that I am working with. 

So yes, I become friends and recommend other coordinators.  One of my dear friends, Emilie Duncan, moved to Columbus a few years back.  When she lived here, we worked weddings together and learned from each other….I miss her but know she is very happy in Columbus with her business.

This past spring, I had the pleasure of becoming friends with a relatively new coordinator to our area, but NOT new to the business, Brandi Hammerstone of All Events Planned.  Brandi and I have little girls (2 year olds!) so we have a lot in common!  We now plan playdates and I even had Brandi help me at a wedding in August that was just incredible (I cannot share pictures at the request of the family).   And then she graciously coordinated my sister’s wedding as well in October!

Brandi is not afraid of competition either….and I think she thinks pretty highly of me and my business.  She recently did an interview of me for her blog….. her it is:  Brandi’s Blog!

So in Cleveland, we have a YEARLY contest with Fox 8 for the best in our area – they have pizza places, bars, and wedding professionals.  I won the contest in 2007, came in top 5 in 2008 and am on the list again this year.  I have not solicited ONE vote this year and it shows, I am sure I am in last place!  I really don’t believe the contest truly tells you anything other than being a bit of a “popularity contest”…..but the competitive nature of my personality thought I should at least put it on my blog for anyone that wants to have the link to vote!  So feel free to vote…I will say, the comments that people leave for me are quite nice….I look at them on a bad day and realize why I love my job so much!

http://fox8.cityvoter.com/always-eventful-inc/biz/57307