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!

***

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!

What a day!

Take a look at Studio Z's amazing Same Day Edit video that was showed at the reception. Guests were buzzing about it for hours afterward!

Studio Z Films : Award Winning Wedding Filmmaker » Nicole and Andres: Enhanced Same Day Edit

Best wishes to Nicole & Andres and their new life together in Cincinnati!

All images courtesy of Steve Lyons.

Learning from the Best

Pictured above, Colin Cowie and me in November 2008 at the Association of Bridal Consultants annual conference

Have I told you lately that I love my job? Sometimes my job is about the planning and executing weddings and events, sometimes it's about keeping up on current trends and fashion and sometimes it's about learning from the best in the business.

Almost two years ago, while I was attending the Association of Bridal Consultants annual conference, Colin Cowie, one of the top event designers in the world, was the keynote speaker. I was all ears to hear him speak! His work as a designer is incredibly creative, inspiring and influential. Hailing from South Africa, Colin Cowie is a published best selling author and his client list includes A-list celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey, Tom Cruise, Jennifer Lopez, John Travolta and you name it....the list goes on and on. You can say that I'm a fan of his work! :)

During his speaking session at the conference, he surprised (and delighted!) everyone when he announced he was going to auction off a personal apprenticeship that would involve working on location with him at one of his events (with proceeds going to a charitable organization within the Association of Bridal Consultants). Wow.

I was determined to win that auction. I wasn't going to pass up the opportunity to learn from the top in my field... someone who I consider the best of the best. And so, I won the auction. :)

Tomorrow, my adventure begins. I'm flying out to LA to work with him and his team on a large corporate event. I hope to be inspired but also learn practical things that I can apply in my own business that will make me better at what I do.

I'll be posting updates about how the trip is going on the Viva Bella Events Facebook page, if you'd like to follow along!

I can't wait to share everything I'm going to learn. Have I mentioned I'm excited?

More to come!

A Miami Merger

"When two hearts beat as one and both attended Miami, it's a Miami Merger."

Amber and Michael are a classic Miami Merger. Legend has it that two students who kiss under the lantern of the Upham Arch at Miami University at Midnight are destined to be married.


Their destined wedding was last November in Cincinnati, Ohio. Amber incorporated the historic lantern into the theme of their wedding. She and her mother, Mary, chose a silhouette of the lantern for the invitations, ceremony program, escort cards and with the popcorn favors for the guests. It was all done with just the right touch!

Below is Amber, pictured with her mother, getting ready for the big day!

Sam Hills, hair stylist extraordinaire of the High Five Salon, was on hand to make sure Amber looked her best. Amber's make up was done by Brideface.

Pictured below is Amber enjoying a moment with her bridesmaids.

I've mentioned before that I love, love, love Amber's dress. It is a Romona Keveza and made our favorites list this year. It was unique yet simply elegant.



Amber and Michael were married at the historic Plum Street Temple in downtown Cincinnati. If you have ever been there, you know it is absolutely stunning inside. Leppert Photography did an awesome job capturing the beauty of the Temple.



The couple had a a custom Ketubah created by Julie Staller-Pentelnik of JSP Judaic Art. Just one of many personal touches that made their day so special!



The reception was held at the Hall of Mirrors in the Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza. Another spectacular, historic location! The fall colored flowers (Sprouts Floral Design) and lighting (Goodwin) brought the room to life.

The cake (Dessert Works) was delicious as was beautiful!

This couple knew how to have fun. I think the Hora (a traditional Jewish dance of celebration) went on for 45 minutes!


It's always nice to see the bride and groom (and their families) happy at the end of their special day. It makes all the planning, fun, and stress worth it when the day goes exactly as planned. I wish Amber and Michael a wonderful life together!

Below is a highlight of their day produced by Lifetime Films.

An Epic Wedding Trailer from Lifetime Films on Vimeo.

The Hollywood Report

My little family of 3 (plus our sweetheart babysitter!) made our way to LA last week to venture in an exciting opportunity for my singer/songwriter hubby, Stevie.

Long story short: Stevie and his buddy Jeff created a story for a made-for-TV family movie called The Jensen Project (airing July 16, 2010 on NBC, 8/7c.). That, in itself, is so exciting for us! Then to make things even sweeter, Stevie was given the opportunity to write a song for The Jensen Project soundtrack, being produced by Randy Jackson. Randy liked the song Steven wrote (called Anything is Possible), so we headed to California!

Below is Stevie recording in the sound booth. My heart was beating fast for him as he sang for one of biggest music moguls around. He did fantastic job and there were high-fives all around when he finished. Randy complimented his vocal range citing that most men can't sing that high. Go Steven!

(Below) Steven and Randy (a REALLY nice guy) in the control room. Randy is an interesting and interested (in others) person. I'm not sure what I was expecting when I met him, but I was surprised and impressed how real and down to earth he is. He's also an insanely talented musician and producer. One thing is for sure, he didn't get to where he is now by accident.

Keith, the sound engineer, is in the background. Also, a REALLY nice (and talented) person.

Talking to Randy, below. We were actually talking about event planning! He told me I had the hardest job and shared stories about event planners he knows having to deal with celebrities (their tardiness and crazy requests) at events... I'm not quite there.. yet, at least! ;)

Below is one of the actresses, Alyssa Diaz, from The Jensen Project. She was in the studio that night recording a song for the movie soundtrack. Everyone said we looked like sisters, but she insisted we looked like cousins instead, which became a running joke that night.

Baby Joy, Emilee (our terrific babysitter!) and I headed back to Cinci a day early because I had a wedding to be home for. It was a quick, tiring but FUN trip. These are good times in the Manuel home!

Sex-y dress

In light of the Sex and the City 2 movie release, I wanted to share a fabulous gown that one of my brides is wearing at her upcoming September wedding. This Vera Wang gown was in the original Sex and the City movie!! Wow, look at that skirting!

I can't wait to see her in this dress! I'll be posting photos from a bridal shoot Red Gallery Photography will be doing sometime soon! Stay tuned!

See the link below to view the clip from the movie. The movement of this dress is amazing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZcFB3wMyfk

Oscar Inspiration for Gowns and Events!

When I want to know about the hottest fashion trends, the first place I look is... Hollywood. That's the reason I enjoy watching or reading about celebrity events--well, among the reasons I like it! Who doesn't like a little celebrity gossip? :)

I may have told you this before, but it's fascinating to see how it always holds true: The development of wedding trends follows this sequence: They always first appear in fashion, then in home decor, and finally make their way to weddings.

Anyway, while watching the Oscars last Sunday, I couldn't help but imagine some of those gorgeous gowns as wedding dresses (I love my job!). Then, when seeing photos of all of those fabulous after-parties, I could help feeling that I was also staying current (or even slightly ahead of the curve) with wedding and event ideas! So here's what seems to be happening...

in DRESSES:

Since dresses have been on my mind lately, we'll start here: check out this very chic navy mermaid gown by Monique Lhuillier.. I imagine it in white or ivory, but I'd like to make that satin "belt" in black... that would keep with the Black & White dress trend for 2010. So sleek!

Another dress I imagined as a wedding gown was Queen Latifah's sparkling asymmetrical soft pink gown. This dress is actually part of a trend we're seeing right now (as mentioned in one of my Favorite Things of 2009 posts): see the asymmetrical shoulder strap? This trend is on the move, I tell ya. (For this gown to be bridal, I'd keep the shoulder and waist sparkle exactly the way it is, but just change the color to ivory.)

Now, my absolute favorite dress from the Oscars was worn by Demi Moore (Elizabeth Banks wore a similar type dress by Versace). I love the tight bodice drop waist with ruffle skirt and short train. Can you picture this as a bridal gown? GORGEOUS!

In Demi's Atelier Versace gown (a closer look below), I love the 2 toned bodice that intermixes darker and lighter shades of nude... can't you see this in 2 shades of soft ivories? The ruffles are so feminine and I love how they gather at the hip into a loose floral shape.

So, those were my inspirations for gowns... onto PARTIES!

In reading about the elements that made up the Oscars' after-parties, I realized most of these are only extensions of what we've already been seeing: comfort food presented in a fresh, modern way, themed decor, bright colors and (mini) desserts galore! Here are some items that really caught my interest...

in DECOR:

At the Governor's Ball (the official post-Academy Awards party), they chose a 1930's, classic Hollywood Art deco design. The theme's title was "Streamline Moderne". The colors were soft, in shades of rose and mauve. A tri-level drop ceiling held fiber-optic chandeliers in swirling patterns - very cool design.

The lighting effects were changed throughout the evening, which is a great way to keep a party feeling interesting and different throughout the night.

At Elton John's Viewing Party, the decor was mostly red with punches of tangerine and a bit of off white scattered among chairs. The carpet was also off white, which made the bold colors stand out even more.

It's really interesting to me that just 2 chairs at the tables are off white. I dig creative, unexpected touches like that! The tangerine orchids are really beautiful as well, and pop on top of the red linens.

in MUSIC:

What really stood out to me, in everything I read, was the 19-piece all-woman orchestra, called Moon Glow, at the Governor's Ball! I also saw that Grace Jones performed at Elton's John's party, which is, again, totally unexpected. Crazy blast from the 80's, and a provocative choice as well (of course, we'd expect nothing less of Elton John)!

in FOOD:

- Trays of In-N-Out burgers in mini boxes of 4 (yum!) served by staff dressed up in the fast food chain's uniform (cute idea... good for marketing, too!), double baked mini-potatoes (MINI- anything is very IN right now!), and corn fritters. Now that's my kind of party!

The more serious menu items were:

- Oscar-shaped smoked salmon and organic chicken

- Yukon gold potatoes and baked truffle en croute (yum!)

- Spring vegetable compote, risotto with king prawns, Wahoo & New York steak

in DESSERTS:

- Baked Alaska with coffee toffee gelato

- Mini Magnolia red velvet cupcakes (with Oscar nominee names printed on top of them), mini brownies, and mini Krispy Kremes

- Godiva chocolates and champagne, served during a cocktail hour (I like this idea! Why don't we serve some fancy chocolates during a cocktail hour at a reception? I love it!)

- Crispy milk chocolate bar (yum, what's a crispy chocolate bar??)

So, hamburgers and donuts at celebrity parties. I say, bring it on!

in DRINKS:

Champagne was everywhere, as you'd expect, but the most interesting drink was the Golden Glamour, a special cocktail with champagne, vanilla liqueur and passion fruit juice - sounds tasty!

in PARTY FUN:

Apparently, the photo booth is still very much in vogue, which celebrities enjoyed at the Vanity Fair post Oscar party. Love that cute belted dress Jessica Seinfeld is wearing below!

Hope you enjoyed the peek into the parties of the rich and famous and can apply some of things into your own celebrations. I know I will...

Governor's Ball photos by Line 8 photography

Cupcake and photobooth images by Jeff Vespa/VF1/WireImage.com

Elton John party images by Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage.com