pic courtesy of Easywind Studio
In June of last year, I received a call from a worried mother in South Dakota. Barb called me to inquire more about my services after reading my extended ad in Weddings in Cleveland. She said that her daughter, Kelsey, was trying to plan her wedding on her own and likes to be in control of everything, so she wasn't too interested in hiring a wedding consultant. Barb really wanted Kelsey to hire one because she is so busy with her medical school classes, so after speaking for about 30 minutes, Barb said she would pass my name on to Kelsey and see if she calls.
The next day I did receive a call from Kelsey! We quickly met up and she secured my services to help plan her wedding for March 14, 2009! I was so excited to start working with her because it seemed we had similar personalities and she was such a happy and pleasant person.
Kelsey and Jon are both from South Dakota. They started dating in high school, and stayed together in a long distance relationship while in college in separate states. When Kelsey decided to attend medical school at Case, Jon made the move to Ohio with her.
Their wedding was small, only about 35 people and mostly all traveling from South Dakota. We arranged a limo bus to transport the guests around town all day, from the hotel to the church, then for a grand tour of Cleveland, then to the reception and back to their hotel at the end of the night.
Kelsey and Jon LOVE blue, so we created an Ice theme, complete with silver, white and blues, as well as the tables named after different cuts of diamonds. We also had a caricature artist come in for added entertainment, which was a great hit! Jon even got involved in the wedding planning, creating the save the dates, invitations and menu design. He is a skilled graphic designer!
Congratulations you two! You are such a happy couple and I wish you all the best. Please keep in touch since you will be staying in Cleveland!
Here are some pictures of the beautiful wedding, from none other than our friends at Easywind Studio!
I just found out that my wedding budgeting tips were featured in an article on wetv.com! This article is about spending smart without sacrificing style. That completely sums up with we do!
Read the article here.
I have definitely seen some fun Father/Daughter dances in the many weddings I've done! Alexina, a client from a Santa Barbara wedding I coordinated in 2005, actually took tango lessons with her father for months leading up to the wedding day. And it showed - they looked like pros!
A client from 2007, Liz, danced with her father to a ragtime style song that they obviously had danced to many times when she was a little girl. It was a very fast song and they danced all around the dance floor for the whole song, sometimes not even together. The guests loved it!
A bride should consult her father on which song he would like to dance to. Sometimes fathers like to pick the song themselves for this special dance. Also, this dance can be combined into one with the Mother/Son dance if you desire.
Scott Jones' comments on the Father/Daughter dance:
Over the years I have seen many different songs used for this special dance. Most of the songs my brides & their fathers choose are very sentimental and touching...but also very standard. My absolute favorite Father/Daughter Dance song is "Little Miss Magic" by Jimmy Buffett. They lyrics are just so amazing.
Two specific Father/Daughter dances REALLY stand out:
1. I had a bride & her father many years back dance to "Somewhere over the Rainbow" - by Kermit The Frog. - IT WAS VERY STRANGE!
2. Then just a year or so ago I had a wonderfuly fun couple and their family choose a "combo" song for their father daughter dance. It all started off with a touching "Have I Told You Lately" by Rod Stewart, then 1 minute it we mixed to "My Girl" by the Temptations and then they wanted to get silly and dropped a POLKA in for the third song to end the dance. - Everyone in attendance had a great time watching this beautiful bride and her father cut the rug to such different and diverse songs. - They received a huge round of applause.
Here are our favorites:
Mine:
1.) Stand by Me by Ben E. King
2.) Sunrise, Sunset from Fiddler on the Roof
3.) Daughters by John Mayer
4.) Father and Daughter by Paul Simon
Scott's:
5. My Girl - Temptations
4. You Are So Beautiful - Joe Cocker
3. Isn't She Lovely - Stevie Wonder
2. Lullaby - Billy Joel
1. Little Miss Magic - Jimmy Buffett
We just found out that our wedding from August 31 was posted on Style me Pretty's Little Black Book blog! This is a very popular national website and we are so proud that they have taken notice of this wedding. Check it out!
The first dance should reflect your relationship and your new marriage. This can be a song that has special meaning tied to it within your relationship. You can have your band learn and play this song, or just have them play the CD.
If you have learned a choreographed dance to a specific song, I definitely recommend using the CD. Bands may switch around the song a bit and that could really get confusing when you're out on the dance floor in front of everyone!
Here are a few of my favorites that I've seen at weddings:
The Book of Love - Peter Gabriel
Someone to Watch over Me – Billie Holiday
Time After Time (acoustic version) – Cyndi Lauper with Sarah McLaughlin
Collide - Howie Day
Forever Love - Anna Nalick
Crazy Little Thing Called Love - Queen (choreographed dance)
Let's Stay Together - Al Green
Somewhere Beyond the Sea - Bobby Darin (guests ahhed as this started playing! Classic.)
Note from our guest blogger, Scott Jones:
I think this is the one part of a wedding reception where I try to provide the least amount of input on. I truly believe that a 1st dance song should be 100% special and unique to each bride & groom. It's a personal thing, so I try to steer clear from making suggestions about the all important and sentimental 1st dance! :)
Any comments on YOUR favorite first dance songs are welcome!
If you have learned a choreographed dance to a specific song, I definitely recommend using the CD. Bands may switch around the song a bit and that could really get confusing when you're out on the dance floor in front of everyone!
Here are a few of my favorites that I've seen at weddings:
The Book of Love - Peter Gabriel
Someone to Watch over Me – Billie Holiday
Time After Time (acoustic version) – Cyndi Lauper with Sarah McLaughlin
Collide - Howie Day
Forever Love - Anna Nalick
Crazy Little Thing Called Love - Queen (choreographed dance)
Let's Stay Together - Al Green
Somewhere Beyond the Sea - Bobby Darin (guests ahhed as this started playing! Classic.)
Note from our guest blogger, Scott Jones:
I think this is the one part of a wedding reception where I try to provide the least amount of input on. I truly believe that a 1st dance song should be 100% special and unique to each bride & groom. It's a personal thing, so I try to steer clear from making suggestions about the all important and sentimental 1st dance! :)
Scott's top 5 favorites:
1. Maybe I'm Amazed - Paul McCartney
2. I Wanna Know - Joe
3. Better Together - Jack Johnson
4. Home - Michael Buble
5. Sweet Pea - Amos Lee
I am really big into music and always have been. I started with my 45's and my Fisher Price record player, then graduated into tapes, then CDs and Itunes. I still remember the day that I first burned a music CD - it was such an amazing feeling!
I think that personal music choices are extremely important for a wedding. All of my clients know this because when they book, I mail them out a packet that contains, among other information, Kirkbrides Wedding Song Guide (it's 9 pages long, in 10 pt font).
I remember when I was training on weddings in Los Angeles in 2002, the wedding planner I was working under didn't go through music choices with the couple beforehand. Here we are, at this amazing mansion in Malibu, doing a cake cutting ceremony with no music. What a waste! I wrote that down first on my things NOT to do.
I am going to post a series of write-ups on great song choices for each element of the reception. Scott Jones, renowned Cleveland DJ and office manager at Jerry Bruno is going to be my guest contributor for this series of posts! I'm going to start with my favorite part of the whole day: the announcements!
Whether you announce your whole family, bridal party and bride and groom, or just keep it to a sophisticated parents stand-up introduction and then bride and groom only, you need to figure out what song or songs will include your personalities and wedding style.
You can pick 1 song for the whole thing, pick 1 song for the bridal party and a different one for the bride and groom (dramatic entrance!), or even a 20 second clip of different songs for each couple in the bridal party. Believe it or not, I once did this for a wedding at a private mansion in Bel Air (side note: it is all PINK and the reception was on the tennis court in the backyard. It's across Sunset Blvd. from the playboy mansion and was built as a replica of Marie Antoinette's summer house in Versailles) with a DJ who regularly played clubs in Hollywood while the bridal party entered our makeshift ballroom on separate staircases and it was magical.
Here is a picture that I took as the bride waited with her MOH to enter with her groom, and another of half of our outdoor ballroom.
Here is Scott's input on the music:
Planning your wedding can be difficult, but when you have an experienced wedding planner on your side like Valarie Kirkbride you will never go wrong. It's hard to make a reception unique and different, yet still being classy and fun. Your wedding music selections are one of the best and easiest ways to put a "stamp" on YOUR reception and personal style.
As one of Cleveland’s many fine DJ's I have seen and done it all. Most of my favorite wedding receptions have included a detailed introduction music plan. It's always great fun to pick individual songs for each bridesmaid or groomsmen that are introduced at the start of your reception. Sometimes the individual songs can be used for each "couple" introduced. - By doing this you are creating excitement for your bridal party and guests. It really livens up the party and gets the party started, plus it's a great way to personally-musically distinguish the different personalities of your friends & family included in the intros. For instance, if you have a couple of friends that went to Ohio State you can have them introduced to 20 seconds of "Hang on Sloopy". Or maybe one of your groomsmen is a great Michael Jackson dancer and he can be introduced to "Thiller". Maybe one of your bridesmaids is obsessed with Britney Spears, you can have her introduced to "Toxic". - Right now Beyonce's "Single Ladies" is perfect for any of the single girls in your line up. I have many great suggestions and would always be willing to provide some helping in picking your wedding music.
Good luck with your plans and remember....Music Makes The Party!
Without further adieu, here are some of our FAVORITES for announcement music:
Mine:
All I Want is You/Barry Louis Polisar (from the Juno soundtrack)
All you Need is Love/The Beatles
Get Ready/The Temptations
Somebody to Love/Queen
Yellow/Coldplay
Crazy in Love/Beyonce
Everybody needs Somebody to Love/Wilson Pickett
Scott's:
"I'm Shipping Up To Boston" by the Drop Kick Murphys
"Let It Rock" by Kevin Rudolf
You can see Scott's blog here.
I think that personal music choices are extremely important for a wedding. All of my clients know this because when they book, I mail them out a packet that contains, among other information, Kirkbrides Wedding Song Guide (it's 9 pages long, in 10 pt font).
I remember when I was training on weddings in Los Angeles in 2002, the wedding planner I was working under didn't go through music choices with the couple beforehand. Here we are, at this amazing mansion in Malibu, doing a cake cutting ceremony with no music. What a waste! I wrote that down first on my things NOT to do.
I am going to post a series of write-ups on great song choices for each element of the reception. Scott Jones, renowned Cleveland DJ and office manager at Jerry Bruno is going to be my guest contributor for this series of posts! I'm going to start with my favorite part of the whole day: the announcements!
Whether you announce your whole family, bridal party and bride and groom, or just keep it to a sophisticated parents stand-up introduction and then bride and groom only, you need to figure out what song or songs will include your personalities and wedding style.
You can pick 1 song for the whole thing, pick 1 song for the bridal party and a different one for the bride and groom (dramatic entrance!), or even a 20 second clip of different songs for each couple in the bridal party. Believe it or not, I once did this for a wedding at a private mansion in Bel Air (side note: it is all PINK and the reception was on the tennis court in the backyard. It's across Sunset Blvd. from the playboy mansion and was built as a replica of Marie Antoinette's summer house in Versailles) with a DJ who regularly played clubs in Hollywood while the bridal party entered our makeshift ballroom on separate staircases and it was magical.
Here is a picture that I took as the bride waited with her MOH to enter with her groom, and another of half of our outdoor ballroom.
Here is Scott's input on the music:Planning your wedding can be difficult, but when you have an experienced wedding planner on your side like Valarie Kirkbride you will never go wrong. It's hard to make a reception unique and different, yet still being classy and fun. Your wedding music selections are one of the best and easiest ways to put a "stamp" on YOUR reception and personal style.
As one of Cleveland’s many fine DJ's I have seen and done it all. Most of my favorite wedding receptions have included a detailed introduction music plan. It's always great fun to pick individual songs for each bridesmaid or groomsmen that are introduced at the start of your reception. Sometimes the individual songs can be used for each "couple" introduced. - By doing this you are creating excitement for your bridal party and guests. It really livens up the party and gets the party started, plus it's a great way to personally-musically distinguish the different personalities of your friends & family included in the intros. For instance, if you have a couple of friends that went to Ohio State you can have them introduced to 20 seconds of "Hang on Sloopy". Or maybe one of your groomsmen is a great Michael Jackson dancer and he can be introduced to "Thiller". Maybe one of your bridesmaids is obsessed with Britney Spears, you can have her introduced to "Toxic". - Right now Beyonce's "Single Ladies" is perfect for any of the single girls in your line up. I have many great suggestions and would always be willing to provide some helping in picking your wedding music.
Good luck with your plans and remember....Music Makes The Party!
Without further adieu, here are some of our FAVORITES for announcement music:
Mine:
All I Want is You/Barry Louis Polisar (from the Juno soundtrack)
All you Need is Love/The Beatles
Get Ready/The Temptations
Somebody to Love/Queen
Yellow/Coldplay
Crazy in Love/Beyonce
Everybody needs Somebody to Love/Wilson Pickett
Scott's:
"I'm Shipping Up To Boston" by the Drop Kick Murphys
"Let It Rock" by Kevin Rudolf
You can see Scott's blog here.
Way back when VHS tapes were first introduced, Bruce Springsteen released Born to Run, and gas was only 44 cents/gallon, a blonde haired, green eyed girl named Andrea was born in Akron, Ohio. Three months later and more than 8,000 miles away, when India was in the grips of an emergency, an adorable baby boy named Jayaprakash (JP) was born in Mumbai, India. They may have grown up halfway around the world from each other, but shared many similarities like going to Catholic school, a love of reading, rocking out to Bon Jovi, and watching videos on MTV. As fate would have it, they both got jobs at the same company a few years after graduating from college - Annie in Cincinnati, Ohio and JP in Hyderabad, India.
They ended up working together a couple of years ago on a project in Jacksonville, Florida. After one very long day at work, Annie invited JP out to dinner with a group of team members. JP slung his backpack over his shoulder, said “no thanks”, and strolled nonchalantly out of the conference room. Annie didn't know that he was heading home to work the rest of the night, so all she could think was what a nerd JP must be to pass up a fun evening out with friends! Annie never invited him out again after that. Six months later, they both happened to attend a co-worker’s birthday dinner and had a great time together. Soon, they were inseparable…
JP wooed Annie with homemade tea after work and dinners cooked from scratch. Soon, they fell in love! They spent a whirlwind week in Paris last Summer, JP met Annie’s family last Fall. They traveled to India this past Spring to work for a few weeks, see the sights, and to most importantly meet JP's family.
Towards the end of their trip in India, they went to a romantic little resort in Kumarakom. On April 19, 2008 JP chartered a speed boat so they could explore the surrounding lakes and the famous Kumarakom backwaters. Just before heading back to the resort, JP proposed! And of course, Annie said yes!!!
Shortly after that, Annie got in touch with ME to start planning her wedding! We found an amazing venue, developed out a theme and booked awesome vendors very suited to their personality. Halfway through the planning, JP came into town to help us! Annie, JP and Pat (Annie's mom) were just some of the nicest clients I have ever worked with! Annie is such an endearing person because she is so real, she's funny and very loving with everyone in her life.
Many thanks goes to Scott and Julie at Easywind Studio for these awesome and colorful pictures! This winter wonderland, indian influenced and romance wedding was one of THE most BEAUTIFUL weddings I have ever seen. Congratulations Annie & JP! I hope to keep in touch and see you sometime when you're back in Ohio!
Andrea and JP are getting married on Saturday and the Kirkbrides team could not be more excited! They have such an amazing love story and this wedding has turned out to be quite the affair. We have touches of winter wonderland, romance and India. That is where JP has moved from to be with Andrea!
Andrea has picked out the color "Kirkbrides magenta" :-) as her main accent color, along with steel gray/silver and black. Here is a picture of the menu we have custom created just for them. Pictures will most definitely be posted next week after the big day. You won't want to miss pictures on the horse and carriage we have rented either! I can't wait to show you all of the fabulous details we have planned. Stay tuned...
Andrea has picked out the color "Kirkbrides magenta" :-) as her main accent color, along with steel gray/silver and black. Here is a picture of the menu we have custom created just for them. Pictures will most definitely be posted next week after the big day. You won't want to miss pictures on the horse and carriage we have rented either! I can't wait to show you all of the fabulous details we have planned. Stay tuned...
Yesterday I attended the baby shower for Jenny, one of my best friends. It is hard to believe that we've been best friends since we met on the school bus in 1990! She is due with a girl on February 25. Her sister had a baby girl just 10 months ago and brought her to the shower. Check out the picture I caught, while Aly put her hands on her aunt's belly while her mom looks on in the background. I definitely think this needs a frame! Is a future in photography in store for Kirkbrides in addition to wedding planning?? hahaha, just kidding.
I'm a big fan of feminine, mindless romantic comedies. I love seeing them in the movie theater - such a great way to escape from the world for 90 minutes or so! Last week I went to see Bride Wars with my matron of honor. I thought it was hilarious and for about the first half of the movie I found myself laughing and personally relating to almost every line.
I LOVED the part where Kate Hudson's character is at the stationery store with her fiance shopping for save the dates, and she gets mad because they have been there for hours, she still hasn't picked anything and he doesn't care which one they pick. That is so classic!
Some of my favorite quotes:
"Your wedding better watch it."
"Your wedding is going to be huge...just like your ass at prom."
"Your wedding can suck it."
Spoiler alert: (if you haven't seen the movie stop reading this post now!)
Since they end the movie with both of the brides being pregnant, I wonder if there will be a "Pregnant Wars" sometime next year! Funny ending, since my MOH is 8 months pregnant! I only hope that I will look like her when I am pregnant...still her skinny little body, it just looks like she stuffed two basketballs into her sweater.
Loved Bride Wars and can't wait to see it again!
I LOVED the part where Kate Hudson's character is at the stationery store with her fiance shopping for save the dates, and she gets mad because they have been there for hours, she still hasn't picked anything and he doesn't care which one they pick. That is so classic!
Some of my favorite quotes:
"Your wedding better watch it."
"Your wedding is going to be huge...just like your ass at prom."
"Your wedding can suck it."
Spoiler alert: (if you haven't seen the movie stop reading this post now!)
Since they end the movie with both of the brides being pregnant, I wonder if there will be a "Pregnant Wars" sometime next year! Funny ending, since my MOH is 8 months pregnant! I only hope that I will look like her when I am pregnant...still her skinny little body, it just looks like she stuffed two basketballs into her sweater.
Loved Bride Wars and can't wait to see it again!
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