This very exclusive wedding planning workshop is limited to just 40 savvy brides and their guests. Brides can register today with the following options:

1. Call: 440-623-3822
2. Email: info@shi-shievents.com
3. Or visit http://somethingyoucleveland.blogspot.com/ and follow the instructions.

Those attending the panel will get chance to mingle with Cleveland’s top wedding planning professionals, gain from their years of experience, and ask questions. Other panel members include:

• Gina Jokilehto-Schigel of Shi Shi Events
• Chris & Julie First of Z Media
• Heather Thomas of HeatherLily Floral
• Marianne Carroll & Lauren Bozich of White Flower Cake Shoppe (who can be seen on the current season of WE TV’s Amazing Wedding Cakes)
• Katie Pickard of Paper Trails

Visit the Something You website more more details.

This was actually the second time we’d been asked that same request, only this time, the bride wanted the recreation to be spot-on. The design of her church made this easy, as the singers were able to sing from the balcony and many of the musicians were able to discretely sit among the guests until the song began at the end of the ceremony. The song was a surprise to everyone but the bride and her planner.

If you have any special requests for a fun twist or surprise at your wedding or event, Jerry Bruno Productions can help. Have something in mind but you aren’t sure how to pull it off?  We have ideas galore as well as vast experience in virtually all of the local Cleveland and Northeast Ohio venues. Ask us for advice!

Enjoy the video!

We met tons of brides last week at the Today’s Bride Bridal Show at the IX Center. Here are the shows we’ll be attending in the upcoming weeks:

Sunday, Feb. 6 – The Bertam Bridal Show  1-5 pm. The Bertram Inn is in Aurora. More Info.

Saturday, Feb. 19 – Club at Hillbrook 11 am – 3 pm. Club Hillbrook is located in Chagrin Falls.

• Complimentary cocktails and appetizers.
• Meet and greet with over 25 vendors including musicians, photographers, hotels, floral designers, hair and makeup stylists, dress shops, rentals, invitations and stationery, and bakeries.
• Brides – bring your friends!

Sunday, Feb. 27 - Shoreby’s Bridal Boutique show, 1-4 pm. The Shoreby Club is in Brattenahl. More Info.

Sunday, Mar. 27 – A Wedding for All Seasons Bridal Show at Sheraton Suites in Cuyahoga Falls, 1-4 pm. More Info.

Photo by Gözde Otman, Stock.xchng

Once again we’d like to thank professional wedding & events planner Brandi Hamerstone for providing our readers with wedding planning tips! Brandi is the owner of All Events Planned and holds a degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management from the Pittsburgh Culinary Institute, so she is the perfect wedding planner to discuss dinner detail with! Today, Brandi gives us some food for thought on buffet menu options.

When deciding on how many items to have on the buffet you must consider the amount of time you have for the meal, how many guests you plan on having go through the buffet line, and if your caterer is willing to offer multiple choices. In my previous work for a catering company, buffet-style meals were decided on as you would decide on a plated meal:

• You should offer salad, possibly soup, a vegetable, starch and a meat.
• Rolls are always acceptable but can also be part of the table setup to allow for more space on the buffet and faster service.
• When choosing your meat selection, you should go with no more than three options.
• If you are having an extensive buffet with three entrée selections, then you must allow for a substantial amount of time for people to get through.

Three protein options are a red meat, white meat and a fish. This will typically cover the needs of each guest and the vegetarian group will have the option to load up on salad, vegetables and the starch. On average, clients will choose just two entrées and have a red meat and a white meat. Fish is always a sort of “wild card” in the catering world. Some guests love it and others may be turned off by the sight/smell of fish.

You will want to sit down with your fiancé and your caterer to get a feeling as to what options will work with your reception guests. Another good way to decide on options is to have a theme menu or allow the caterer to choose items that are in season.

Brandi Hamerstone of All Events Planned

If you are interested in a full buffet with lots of options, ask your caterer to make smaller portions of the entrée choices. Instead of a 9oz steak, have them offer a 4oz steak along with smaller portions of the other meats. This way, your guests will actually be able to sample all of the items but not end up wasting as much food. Try to keep in mind that with buffets, the more options you give, the more food people will put on their plate and the more money you will be spending.

Jerry Bruno Productions has signed on as a Wish Granter with the Ohio Chapter, and on Wednesday, Sept. 29, manager and DJ Scott Jones sponsored the event, acting as emcee.

Wedding planner Heidi Baumgart of Heidzillas recapped the meet and greet beautifully on her blog.

Thank you to Corey Ann Photography for the photos from the soiree!

So in planning your wedding, are you thinking green? Will you have more items that are “something borrowed” than “something new?” Will your invitations and thank you notes go out on recycled paper? Will the bridesmaids really be able to wear their dresses again?

Here are some wonderful green wedding planning web sites to give you inspiration and education in the world of eco-friendly wedding planning:

Visit TheGreenBrideGuide.com to learn about green planning, find local green wedding vendors, and enter monthly contests for fun products all brides will love. Follow on Twitter @greenbrideguide

At EthicalWeddings.com you can talk with other environmentally conscious brides in the forums and read about real eco-friendly weddings. There’s also tips and a busy blog!

EarthlyAffair.com offers eco-friendly wedding invitations, yes. But another inspiring offering is their blog, Earth Friendly Weddings. There’s a huge blog roll for more earth friendly wedding browsing, and tons of thought-provoking articles on topics like reception tableware, DIY, and well being.

]]> http://jerrybrunoblog.com/wedding-planning/happy-earth-day-are-you-thinking-green-for-your-wedding/feed/ 0 http://jerrybrunoblog.com/wedding-planning/win-10000-toward-your-wedding-and-more/ http://jerrybrunoblog.com/wedding-planning/win-10000-toward-your-wedding-and-more/#comments Wed, 07 Apr 2010 20:25:56 +0000 Leigh A. Peterson http://jerrybrunoblog.com/?p=619 Mirassou Winery is announcing the 2010 “I Do with Mirassou” dream wedding contest!

One lucky engaged couple will win $10,000 toward their wedding and a trip to San Francisco! While there, the lucky bride and groom to be will meet Chef Aida Mollenkamp, host of the popular food show, “Ask Aida,” and with David Mirassou of Mirassou Winery. David is a 6th generation winemaker from America’s oldest winemaking family.

Highlights of the trip to California will include a tour of wine country and dinner. Together with Aida and David, the winning couple will plan a winning personalized wedding menu and learn about dessert and wine pairings.

Winners will be chosen out of five finalists, who will win a Mirrasou gift package and be featured on mirrasou.com for an online vote from July 16 – August 8, with the winner selected in August 2010.

Enter the contest at mirassou.com. Good Luck!

Tricia’s Top Ten Tips!

10.  First things first:  make a budget

9.  After budgeting, book your major vendors:  Wedding Coordinator!, Location, church, Photographer, Videographer, Florist, Wedding Music!

8.  After major vendors are booked, you can spend months thinking and planning the details!  The cake, the dress, the linens!  That is the fun stuff, so look around, gather ideas and take your time in making decisions.

7. Save the Dates – these are great but be aware that if you are crunched with space, sending Save the Dates will increase your guest count at the wedding.  When you send Save the Dates, that is what people do, SAVE THE DATE!

6. Lighting – lighting adds so much to wedding decor.  If you can fit lighting into your budget, it really makes a huge impact on your space.

5.  Think twice about favors – many couples are doing donations to charities now….tax deductible and lasts a lot longer than a box of chocolates!

4.  Think out of the box with details – what do you and your fiancee like to do, what are your hobbies?  Try to incorporate your personalities and style into the wedding.  The little details are what people are going to remember.

3. Give yourself plenty of time to get from place to place…don’t schedule yourself so tight that there is no time for traffic, delays, etc.

2. Thank those around you – it is a very special day for you and your fiancee, but remember that for your parents, it is a day they have dreamed of since the moment you were born.  Be sure to thank them in some special way – a card left at home after you leave, flowers on their bed, a hug as you walk down the aisle!

1.   Take mental snapshots on your wedding day – step back, look around and really remember what is going on around you.  These are the moments you will remember!