Did you know?

An estimated 30% of brides get engaged between October and the holidays, which means come New Year's they are looking to book their wedding planner, reception site, caterer, photographer and more.
Source: The Knot User Study

Did you know?

Believe it or not, you actually receive a return on your wedding coordination investment.
This can be financial, in selecting the right vendors, picking the right packages, coming up with the best creative direction for the budget and receiving Kirkbrides discounts from vendors.

Non-financial return would include what your time and stress level is worth to you.

Another return on investment is the enjoyment you have on your wedding day and memories for years to come when you have an experienced wedding coordinator managing it for you.

Many people who do utilize the services of a wedding planner say that it was the best investment they made in the entire planning process.

When you have direction in planning the creative aspects, this is the best way hands down to create a personalized wedding as well as staying within budget.
Call Valarie at 216-288-4325 if you are curious about how a wedding planner can help you get started with planning your wedding. We can meet to talk about your wedding, our packages and possibly customize one for you!

Happy Planning!

Pictures courtesy of Jess+Nate Studios


They will be talking about this one for a while.


I was referred to Katie and her mom, Mary Adelle, through a few different people we both knew/worked with so when meeting up for the first time in January we knew it was a perfect match! It was truly a family effort planning this wedding of any girl's dream.

The July 16, 2011 ceremony was held at Katie's parents' house which was within walking distance to the reception. The steps that you see in the picture of Katie and her Dad were put in for this wedding specifically and are called "the Katie steps". We successfully coordinated the traffic flow of guests arriving the ceremony through hotel shuttles and trollies from the valet area.

After a heartfelt and truly beautiful ceremony in front of their English Garden (which is a stop on the Gates Mills garden tour each year), Katie and Jeff were piped out by a bagpiper and drummer, and made a surprise exit in her dad's MG red convertible (complete with a "Just Married" sign made my yours truly! Kudos to my cheerleading days...). Guests could choose to walk over to the reception at the Hunt Club or take a ride on the trolley. Many chose to take the 10 minute walk on a wonderfully hot Ohio July day, past horse stables and over the mill stream bridge. The father of the bride even had a temporary bar set up outside of their barn if anyone needed a refreshment on the way over!

Once guests arrived the Hunt Club, they were in for a whole new set of surprises. Our tent provided by Everything Tented and lit by Rock the House was wonderfully decorated with a gorgeous ceiling liner and sparkling chandeliers, with draping displayed behind the 26 person head table! One of Katie's most desired aspects of the wedding was a spectacular bar atmosphere. After much discussion and review of many ideas, we ended on the pink sparkle bookcase backdrop decor, the out of this world phalaenopsis orchid arrangements from Grande Designs reused from the ceremony, and the Mastiff dog ice sculptures (the bride's family breeds these dogs and I quickly learned why they told me not to dress up when visiting their house upon my first meeting held there, LOL).

Our stunning cake was from White Flower Cake Shoppe. Katie made the ceremony programs and dinner menus herself (see note about her company below!) and Kirkbrides created the placecards and table numbers.

As if that wasn't enough to impress our guests, at the tail end of dinner we played a custom "Love Story" created by Candy Apple Films projected onto large screens on either side of the tent. The ambiance felt like going to a drive-in movie outside on a warm summer night. The production interviewed Katie, Jeff and their families and talked about how they met, got engaged and plans for the future.

I could go on and on (as usual) but this wedding with all of its pieces and parts for nearly 300 people was truly one of the biggest productions Kirkbrides has coordinated to date. It was nothing short of a magical day for Katie and Jeff. I know I will remain friends with this family for years to come, as they seem to treat everyone who enters their doors like family.

Katie submitted this wedding to Town and Country magazine and I am proud to announce that it will appear in their April 2012 issue. Keep an eye out for that!

Lastly, in her married life Katie has started a company named Clagett Designs, specializing in jewelry, stationery and other fabulous handcrafted items. Katie is extremely creative and I know she has found her passion in this new endeavor!

Best wishes, Katie and Jeff! I'm so pleased to have met you and have played such a large part in your most memorable day. :)

Note from Katie:

Valarie, I am in awe. My wedding day was all I could have ever dreamed of and so so so much more. I feel like the luckiest girl alive - everything was exquisite. From day one you were there to help Jeff and I and my family make all of the most important decisions for the big day. We would have never been able to have done it without you. Everyone I have talked to has told me they have never seen a more beautiful wedding. Thank you for making my dreams come true! I love you!!

Thank you to Jessica and Nate from Jess+Nate Studios for these beautiful pictures!

With all the holiday engagements going on, I decided to gather some friends (Easywind Studio Photography and Jessa) for a photoshoot to advertise our New Year pricing specials. I'll be posting more soon but wanted to post a sneak peek of one of our fun shots of the day.
(Think "frazzled bride" with wedding plans!)

(pictures courtesy of Edyta Szyszlo)

Mylinh and Patrick were one of my first clients for 2011! I was so excited to plan a wedding at the beautiful Hyatt Arcade in downtown Cleveland. Our city has many beautiful historic buildings and it's fun to share these treasures with guests from all over!

Mylinh and Patrick are the perfect couple. Having met in high school, they had found a wonderful way after so many years of supporting one another and caring for one another. Always together at our vendor appointments, they were there for each other all along. Mylinh had a special vision of her wedding which included this amazing butterfly backdrop. They had a fabulous team of family and friends who helped suspend this beautiful backdrop in the short window of time before the ceremony. It later became a lovely setting for dancing later in the evening when the room was transformed.

Mylinh wanted a lot of white with hints of pale pink...the paler the better for her colors!! The wedding was a mix of modern and glitz. The couple provided me with rhinestone table runners and they also used the same rhinestone accent on their beautiful white and pale pink wedding cake!

I was so excited to work with their amazing California photographer, Edyta Szyszlo. As you can tell, their pictures are absolutely fantastic...Edyta also had a beautiful bridal party to work with!!

I have to compliment the couple on their outstanding stationary and candy bar - Their menu cards and place cards were so lovely. Also, their candy bar was intricately created with white and black candies. I had never heard of half of the varieties they served their guests that night!

Overall, it was obvious that love was behind every decision and detail of this wedding. I will always cherish the friendship I have with these two amazing people!