viva bella inside out: Latin Fusion... in Cincinnati! *Cincinnati Wedding Planner*

At some point during the wedding planning process, my client and bride-to-be asked me "Have you ever planned a Latin wedding before?" I paused to think. She immediately responded, if you have to think about it, then you haven't!" And she was right.

So, here's the story of Nicole Portal and Andres Velarde May 2010 Latin wedding... full of passion, surprise and PEOPLE!

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Serendipity is how Nicole describes meeting Andres in 2007.

Both Nicole and Andres are Miami, Florida natives and Nicole always envisioned herself being married in the city she loved. But life had other plans, as it always does!

Andres was offered a position with Procter and Gamble that he could not turn down. Nicole and Andres’ new life together would begin in Cincinnati, so they thought the best way to celebrate their new beginning was to be married in the Queen City... Miami style!

Nicole and her planning team of mom, Gloria, and sister, Lizette, traveled to Cincinnati to ensure a flawless plan. Nicole wanted her wedding day to be an affair that would be remembered by each and every guest. And her mission was definitely accomplished! Nicole and Andres’ special day was stunning, full of emotion, and of course, memorable for all. And we were thrilled to have been a part of it!

The bride wore a Rosa Clara gown embellished with custom crystals. Cincinnati master-hairstylist, Sam Hills of the High Five Salon, created a classic style to match her personality. Gerri from Saks and Brideface made Nicole glow, with their finishing touches.

The result... stunning!

Nicole wore custom jewelry designed by Giancarlo Jewelry Designs to compliment the detail in her dress and hair piece.

Beautiful bouquet accented with white feathers.

Below, Nicole and her entourage of bridesmaids... yes, 11 of them! The bridesmaids were custom designed dresses of charmeuse, chiffon, and crystals.

Steve Lyons captured this day beautifully in his photos. I love this one of Nicole. Classic beauty with just a touch of sass, as she waits for her moment to walk down the aisle.

The ceremony was held at Holy Trinity in Norwood. With a wedding party of 33 (!) people (11 bridesmaids, 12 groomsmen, 1 junior bridesmaid, 1 junior groomsmen, 3 flower girls and 3 ring bearers and of course, the bride and groom!), the processional alone was 20 minutes!

The ceremony was full of tradition! Pictured below, Nicole and Andres were draped by a mantilla (bridal veil). They also participated in the tradition of the Arras, which are coins exchanged during the ceremony. The coins are presented by the groom to the bride as a sign that the man is giving to his bride all that he possesses and with the promise that he will use it for her support. The woman then gives them back to him to accepting her duty to protect their riches.

Immediately following the recessional, Nicole and Andres released 12 doves as they left the Church as a symbol of their love for each other.

In platinum wedding-style, Nicole chose the Hall of Mirrors at the Hilton Netherland Plaza for her reception, with Hanna Minor managing the many reception details.

Nicole worked closely with Neil Leeson from Akron, Ohio to create truly one of a kind centerpieces. The final result was a fairy-tale wedding with an abundance of flowers, crystals and fun personal touches. The centerpiece below was my absolute favorite. Gorgeous!

The centerpiece pictured below anchored the 4 corners of the room. I had never seen anything like it! It was about 20 feet high. It felt like Miami Heat to me!

Another beautiful creation by Neil. I love the crystals draping over just one side.

Nicole's cake was a six tier, hexagon shaped masterpiece. The cakery used the piping to match the texture of the bride’s gown and custom crystals as trim to match the bridesmaids dresses. The cake was topped with Lladro Doves, to compliment the theme of the wedding.

Below was one of the highlights of the reception for me... the first dance. Nicole and Andres were so playful during their dance - you could really see their friendship and enjoyment of one another come through.

Another reception highlight (not pictured) was a beautiful poem Nicole recited to her mother. It was “I carry your heart with me” by E.E. Cummings. Nicole wanted her mom to know that even though they live apart now, Nicole will always have everything her mother instilled in her, especially her love. How sweet to honor her mother this way at her wedding!

Studio+Z Films presented their Same Day Edit of the ceremony and reception, gave a little back-story on the couple and even spotlighted some events of the week leading up to the wedding. Here is the happy couple enjoying the video during the reception.

Nicole and Andres know how to throw a party! With the majority of their guests coming from Miami (we were on our toes managing the seamless transportation for all of those guests!), they wanted to make sure everyone ate, drank and danced all night long. And with the help of Mark McFadden mixing up great music, they did!. After dinner and cake was served, the guests enjoyed an espresso and cappuccino bar from Coffee Emporium. Once the dancing started with "I got a feeling," mojito shots were passed to kick off the fun. Later guests could enjoy a midnight cupcake bar (from Abby Girl Sweets) and the Hilton's delicious late night (or morning?) 1 a.m. burgers. All this was planned to keep surprises coming and to keep guests energized all night on the dance floor. Nicole and Andres danced away with their guests until 3AM!