A quarterly guide where local brides share their weddings, tips and favorite vendors with our readers.
Eston’s Bakery
Cake, what else is there besides the amazing Eston’s cakes!? They are total experts at their craft. We ordered double cake so we had plenty for our guests. A wedding cake serving is actually quite small. Who knew?
Another huge money saver was hiring Kendall Erickson to do our photography. She is a young aspiring photographer with the genius of a seasoned professional. We found her through local photographer Kellee Laser. We couldn’t afford the typical $2000-$3000 photographer so Kellee recommended her apprentice Kendall Erickson. She took our engagement photos last year, and we knew she could definitely capture our wedding day with no problem! She is only 17 years old and attends Ottawa Hills High School, but she has her own website and is quite the businesswoman. I would recommend her to anyone! Check out some of her work at kendallericksonphotography.com.
The custom wedding rings we got for each other were purchased from Harold Jaffe. Being the rock and gem collectors that we are, we took special care and thought in picking out the rings. Austin personally chose my diamond for the setting he designed himself and I picked out a custom-made meteorite band for him. They are the jewelers we would recommend. We are big supporters of local business and the Jaffes just made us feel like family.
Men’s Wearhouse
I would describe the bridal party attire as classic and elegant. My wedding dress was given to me for free from my cousin who never used it. It was a strapless drop-waist taffeta Allure Gown with a crystal-beaded belt. Had I tried to pick out a dress, I couldn’t have found one that I loved as much as my dress. It was a huge cost-saver, and it fit perfectly with just a hem for alterations. My bridesmaids also wore taffeta dresses by Alfred Sung. They were short black dresses, but they all chose a style that best fit them. Austin and the groomsmen wore black Calvin Klein Tuxedos from Men’s Wearhouse.
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Justino
Covarrudias
August 16, 2014
Event Planners
Consultant Dani Mullan made an outline of the day and made sure everything ran smoothly. She kept everyone in line—vendors and the wedding party were where they needed to be at the right time. Having Dani there took so much pressure off of the wedding party and she completely won my mother over.
Although the whole experience was incredible, Belle Amour was the best part of it all. With only a short time between winning the contest and the actual wedding, the pressure was on to find the perfect dress very quickly. I chose a beautiful strapless Michelle Wu dress with the help of Michelle McCalla, the owner of Belle Amour. I knew it was the one when I felt like a bride—it was amazing, one of the best days of my life. Staff members Emily and Tiffany helped with the bridesmaids dresses that were black chiffon with one shoulder.
Natalie [Pohorecki] did a great job with my makeup. She was my contact person for the contest so I felt very comfortable with her. She was great to work with and really listened to what I wanted. It was all organic and airbrushed so I felt beautiful. It didn’t sweat off my face, which was great because I was dancing a lot!
The wedding bands from Leo Marks were perfect! We were able to go into the store and find bands that matched our tastes and personalities. Everyone there was so great to work with; they made it so special for us.
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Austin
Armstrong
Kari and Austin met during their sophomore year at Sylvania Northview High School in 2006, when they had what Kari describes as a “verbal dispute” in American History class. Their first kiss was on Austin’s parents’ front porch that summer, and the couple enjoyed memories and milestones until the groom proposed to Kari on August 12, 2013. The rest, as they say, is history.
We booked our reception with the Oasis Event Center because of how big, clean and bright the space was. It was also quite affordable compared to other similar sized venues (we had 200 guests). They took care of a lot of the “extras” like their in-house catering, DJ service with Book that DJ and in-house chair cover service. We brought in all of our own decorations but they also could have provided an endless amount of decorations from their collection. They were super accommodating!
Beautiful Blooms by Jen
Our lovely florist was Beautiful Blooms by Jen located in downtown Sylvania. We cut a ton of cost by ordering bulk flowers and creating our own centerpieces for the reception. Jen was super accommodating, allowing us to do this and we made her job a little easier by not specifying exact flower types. I gave her a color pallet to work with and let her work her magic. It was totally worth the risk because the bouquets were one of my favorite parts of the entire wedding day! She totally got my vision!
They did an absolutely wonderful job with my flowers— the boutonnieres and the corsages. Classic and elegant, exactly what I was going for.
Justino and I love to dance so we were excited to have such a great DJ. The DJ is very important, not only does the music set the mood but he also acts as the MC of your wedding. Michael Baginski was so easy to work with and so much fun! He played exactly what we wanted and even did the music for the ceremony!
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Janee Carpenter, owner of 7 Little Cupcakes and Brooke Martin of She’s Crafty consulted together on the cake for the wedding to ensure the theme was carried through to the cakes. They were both so easy to work with and the cupcakes were a huge hit! The variety was great and the guests thoroughly enjoyed the baked treats.
Brooke Martin was amazing with the banners, the cupcake consultation and signs. Everything was customized and wonderful. She did a beautiful thank-you sign and labels for the cakes.
Not only did The Pinnacle host the contest, but Mark Thees, the owner of The Pinnacle, was there the day of the wedding to make sure everything ran smoothly. They went all out in providing the guests with an open bar, great hors d’oeuvres, and amazing food! The patio at The Pinnacle was a big crowd pleaser too.
An Exploration of Local Weddings from a Dudes Perspective
by Jordan Killam
Jeff Jones of Snap It Photography
Aaron Reed, Pharmacy Technician and musician and his bride Katy
Describe your overall experience having your wedding here in Toledo.
Because we chose between a destination wedding and a Toledo wedding we were most glad that we didn’t feel as if we compromised. We got married on the Sandpiper on the Maumee River at sunset on an autumn day.
What worked really well?
Using local business owners worked for us. My wife Katy did the vast majority of the planning. Being able to sit down with someone that can make the decisions right away saved her a lot of hassle and back-and-forth. Manhattan’s did a great job catering and we applauded every song Clif Millimen performed.
What aspect of your wedding did not go as planned?
We did not get the best sound quality. Obviously, an outdoor tour boat does not typically have boss-like surround sound, so it was harder to hear some of the songs and key parts of the service. However, the atmosphere and home-away-from-home feeling made up for it.
What surprised you the most about the experience?
Honestly, it’s the compliments I still get years out from attendees. We had a boat tour wedding and a surprise Glass City Pedicab getaway, complete with a second pedicab for our photographer, Jeff Jones of Snap It photography. It was just so unlike anything you’d expect for a wedding.
What advice would you give future grooms planning a wedding in the Toledo area?
Ditch the wedding magazines and go for your most romantic dreams. Then, look around town. It’s an old town full of past love stories. I’m sure yours could be here, too.
Tina G Photography
Matt Desmond, Commercial Printer, local writer. (Fun fact: both Matt and his bride, Emily, are former TCP staffers!)
Describe your overall experience having your wedding here in Toledo.
We’re such Toledo people that we couldn’t have done it anywhere else! It was great to force all of our friends to come here; it was like having a (very stressful) vacation right at home.
What worked really well?
We had a friend become “ordained” in order to marry us. She’s a tenured professor, professional skydiver, and ex-circus performer, so she was able to do an aerial act to kick off the ceremony. We hadn’t told anyone about that, so it blew everyone’s mind. Also, the ring bearer was a hedgehog. True story.
What aspect of your wedding did not go as planned?
Well, we’re bar-trivia enthusiasts, so we really liked the notion of having trivia at the reception. But no one got around to writing any questions. And the flowers showed up at the absolute last minute, but it worked out.
What surprised you the most about the experience?
People said it’d be emotional, but I figured I’d be too nervous for that. But sure enough, I had to spend the whole ceremony trying not to cry. Emily (the bride) says I hardly looked at her; that’s why.
What advice would you give future grooms planning a wedding in the Toledo area?
American Commodore Tuxedo was quite affordable compared to the other national chains. Both Langley Hall (reception site above Degage Jazz Cafe ) and the Maumee Indoor Theatre (ceremony site) were super accommodating, and Tina Gionis’ photography is great! My only other advice is not to look at her, or you’ll cry.
Tracy Schertz Photography
Tim Wright, retired rail worker and local art enthusiast and his bride Ashley
Describe your overall experience having your wedding here in Toledo.
Nothing but fantastic. It was a beautiful August afternoon surrounded by family and friends. The ceremony was a surprise to guests at a vow renewal ceremony of our friends, Michael McGraw and Lisa Marie Wells. Only those involved in the celebration and family had been told about our wedding. As everything was in place for the renewal ceremony, our planning was minimal and pulled off in nine days. Catering was provided by Christopher Kohlenberg (currently Executive Chef at Brandywine Country Club).
What worked really well?
Ashley (the bride) showing up for the wedding worked out pretty well. And, the surprise was pulled off. It caused quite a tear fest with many of the guests.
What aspect of your wedding did not go as planned?
Having been in the wedding business in a prior life, I did not expect all to go as planned. The Gay Pride festival was on the same day at Promenade Park so instead of Ashley walking up to ‘Smoke Gets in Your Eyes’ by the Platters, we began our ceremony with ‘Hangin’ Tough’ by the New Kids On The Block. My family members were in attendance and part of the wedding but Ashley’s family were not able to attend on such short notice.
What surprised you the most about the experience?
Only that it didn’t rain.
What advice would you give future grooms planning a wedding in the Toledo area?
Be involved in the planning. It is your wedding as well. On your wedding day and those leading up to it, you will see emotions you have never experienced before. Some will be your own. Be calm, even if you are starting to freak out yourself. Your calming presence will help out your bride. Be on time, relatively sober, and make sure you have your socks.
