Wanna be featured in The Knot Ohio magazine? Tell me your planning secrets!

Knot Vi-An

Hey Columbus-area Knotties!

We’re looking for some real Ohio Knotties to share their best planning tips and secrets to be featured in the next issue of The Knot Ohio!

So tell us: who has been the most helpful and fabulous vendor you've worked with so far? Which cake baker had the cake flavor that was to die for? Where did you find the most genius favors? What florist made your day? Which bridal salon went above and beyond to help you find your dress? We want to hear your raves about the people and vendors who are helping (or helped) your dream wedding come true – so that other brides can get in on the action too! This is a chance to really give props to local Ohio vendors, so tell us who you love and why!

Reply below

XOXO,
Knot Vi-An (Ohio editor)

GApeachOH

I have been engaged since May 2011 and got a TON of vendors booked within the first two months. I worked fast and effectively, but I also took time to just be engaged and enjoy it.

We're having a "Rustically Romantic" themed wedding at the Everal Barn and Homestead in Westerville.

Jessica Polsdorfer of Le Beau Jour Event Planning is incredible. She's so talented. She's doing our silk flowers for us and is very easy to work with. She's a total event planner and is not pushy at all. She really helped us get our vision straight and came up with some GREAT event ideas. We're in the process of potentially hiring her as a Day of Coordinator too. She worked with us to create the best package for us. Love this girl!

Megan Danser, of MNR photography has been the BEST vendor to work with. She cares, brought tears to my eyes when we talked abouta "First Look." And, she dealt with all of my annoying emails and rants. She helped us create a package that worked for our budget, yet still included absolutely everything we needed! I am not sure what I would do without her.

Enticing Icings and Custom Cakes is the BEST cake I have EVER tasted. She and I talked for probably 30 minutes before we got down to the nitty gritty of actually deciding on a cake design that truly reflected our wedding and my personality. We are going with Chocolate with raspberry filling, and White Almond Sour Cream cake with strawberry filling and her buttercream, not overly sweet, but just right.

FutureMrsG2013

I have also been engaged since May 2011 and also have a lot of things booked already!

We ended up going with Scioto Reserve Country Club as our ceremony/reception venue. The entire place has been recently updated and it's just completely gorgeous. The bride and groom's quarters are amazing and Ann Marie (the coordinator there) is just so completely helpful. She has never made me feel like I'm bugging her with all of my little questions and ideas. She was so generous to take us on multiple tours as we had different people with us and has been so helpful so far. She will also be our wedding weekend coordinator since they offer a package as an extra. I also love that Scioto Reserve has a wedding minimum, rather than a food and beverage minimum, so every little extra thing we choose goes towards it, like the guy's golf day the morning of the wedding. Since we went with Scioto Reserve, we didn't have to find outside catering or a wedding cake, since both were included with the reception meal prices which helps a lot so we don't have to go to a billion places getting different quotes and things like that since my fiance and I are super busy, so that's very helpful. The cakes I've seen so far are gorgeous and I've heard very very good things about the food from other brides, so I am very much looking forward to my May 2013 wedding there!

We also have our photographer picked out. We went with Hunter Photographic in Cleveland, OH and Hunter is so nice and helpful, even if you decide not to go with him. His website is so helpful, his packages are very reasonably priced and they are customizable so you can be sure you'll et everything you want in your package.

As for the wedding dress, I actually have 2 vendors to recommend, even though I will only be choosing one for my actual wedding gown. I would highly recommend both Big Rock Little Rooster and Girls in White Dresses. Kristin at BRLR was so helpful and really made my dress shopping an experience. The door to the shop stayed locked the entire time so they could really focus on our appointment, which was amazing. She was so sweet, and really helped me transform different dresses I was trying on using different kinds of accessories. She told us as soon as we walked in to not do a thing, just point to a dress and she'd grab it for us. My entire experience there was fabulous and if I hadn't found "the dress" somewhere else, I would definitely be going back to get my dress there. Girls in White Dresses was amazing also. We worked with Courtney who is also the owner and I ended up finding "the dress" there. But again, she made it a good experience and it didn't feel like one of those popular designer stores where they just want to sell you a dress and get you out of their store. Both of these places just want to make sure you find a dress you love, that you're comfortable in and that makes you feel beautiful on your wedding day.

That's all I have planned so far, but it's been a great planning process so far and I'm looking forward to planning even more.

katy0293

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_ohio-columbus_wanna-featured-knot-ohio-magazine-tell-planning-secrets?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local Wedding BoardsForum:112Discussion:2149fafd-246b-46a1-ad64-5e1ed0433a89Post:4f6c8404-a37d-4d94-8a2b-e4b6ec590c04">Wanna be featured in The Knot Ohio magazine? Tell me your planning secrets!</a>:
[QUOTE]who has been the most helpful and fabulous vendor you've worked with so far? Which cake baker had the cake flavor that was to die for? Posted by Knot Vi-An[/QUOTE]

The most amazing vendor I have found is far and away my wedding planner! She has been absolutely fabulous.  We decided to hire <strong>Heather Hanselmann with Every Event Elegant</strong> and haven't regretted the decision once.  My biggest advice to any bride is to make room in your budget for a planner.  I would have been lost without her!  When you want someone who goes above and beyond their responsibilities, you should call Heather!

The best cake flavor was from <strong>Cindy Patrick at Enticing Icings</strong>!  Not only are her cakes delicious, but her designs are to die for!  Our favorite flavor and the flavor that will be the main flavor of our wedding cake is the white chocolate raspberry. So good!  Her tasting process is completely unique and amazing, also!

Hunkamunka

The best wedding vendor I've had has been my venue, Via Vecchia Winery.  The guys at Via Vecchia really care about their brides.  They go out of their way to accomadate venue viewings and answer questions, give awesome ideas, and are constantly trying to improve the experience they provide.  I still have 11 months to go, but I know my venue is the last thing I have to worry about. 

montyandkellyski

who has been the most helpful and fabulous vendor you've worked with so far?

My most helpful vendor thus far has been The Capital Club.  Working with Diana Holt has been a pleasure.  We are looking forward to having our wedding day there, from the food to the service and staff to the decor - it's absolutely perfect.

Which cake baker had the cake flavor that was to die for?

We decided on The Golden Delight Bakery with their famous Strawberry Delight cake.  It's always been a favorite of ours and I couldn't imagine shoving anything else in my groom's mouth on our special day.

What florist made your day?

I'm very excited to work with The Flowerman for our arrangements.  I've been a very hands on bride and cannot wait to put together our centerpieces the day before the wedding with some of the lovely ladies in my life.  It will be a very memorable experience not just the final product but the labor of love that went in to it.  And Melissa really helped me work through my "floral vision" and I think we came up with something not only afforable AND fitting for my theme, but it'll also be beautiful!

Which bridal salon went above and beyond to help you find your dress?

I bought my dress the first time out at Wendy's Bridal.  I recommend Lil - she was fantastic.  She really listened to my feedback of what I liked or did not like with each dress.  Fortunately I caught a sale (who doesn't LOVE a sale) and I didn't ever have buyer's remorse.  I am also working with Monica Gwaltney for my alterations and she is going to make me look like a million bucks with her needle and thread!

KellyRVT

Who has been the most helpful and fabulous vendor you've worked with so far? So far I have been extremely fortunate in all of my vendor pics. My favorite would have to be the coordinator that comes with the venue I chose, Laynie Fulks at The Faculty Club. When I wasn't thrilled with the vegan option for my wedding she insisted I do another tasting at my convenience and had 3 new options for me to try. She emails asking for updates, etc. At this point, if she weren't working my wedding, she would be invited to attend! 

 Which cake baker had the cake flavor that was to die for? I'm vegan, so this was tough. I met Alice of Alice's Piece of Cake at a bridal show and she called me out for a tasting. It was delicious! We chose red velvet, vanialla bean with raspberry and chocolate with a chocolate ganoush. We are also having cupcakes with some more exotic flavors provided by Pattycake Vegan Bakery. We would have chosen them for our wedding cake but we wanted someone that specialized in doing them. This way we have the best of both worlds! 

 Where did you find the most genius favors? We decided to go with a photobooth. For us, it made sense to knock out the favors, guestbook, and add some entertainment all at once. We didn't want to spend $100s of dollars on knick-knacks we didn't think people really wanted. We are also providing Anthony Thomas Buckeyes as a sweet touch.

What florist made your day? I met with Flowerman and another florist named Kelly Karsten that other brides had raved about. Flowerman's meeting went great, but it took them over 2 weeks to get a quote to me etc. and the communication was entirely too painstaking. I met with Kelly and for a tiny bit more money she would do all of the flowers and put them together herself. This was worth every penny since with Flowerman I would have to spend the day before my wedding putting them together. This takes a lot of my plate! 

Which bridal salon went above and beyond to help you find your dress?  After some less than stellar experiences in Columbus, I went to Catan's Bridal in Strongsville, about 2 hours North of Columbus. They were fantastic, their staff wasn't pushy (they don't work commision) they had a huge selection of shoes, every bridesmaids dress you could want, a whole couture section of dresses to gawk at, countless accessories etc. I really am very glad I went with them! We want to hear your raves about the people and vendors who are helping (or helped) your dream wedding come true – so that other brides can get in on the action too! This is a chance to really give props to local Ohio vendors, so tell us who you love and 

kaylealivingston

Who has been the most helpful and fabulous vendor you've worked with so far? Flowers on Springtree Lane have been the absolute BIGGEST help I could ever ask for and more. They are the sweetest and most talented women! I feel so lucky to be working with them. Also Nicole, at Nicole's catering she has been a big help and alwasy has great advice as well.

Which cake baker had the cake flavor that was to die for?
Anita Kline is making me my all time favorite, FUNFETTI Cake. Her cakes are to die for, so so so good!

What florist made your day? Flowers on Springtree Lane

Which bridal salon went above and beyond to help you find your dress? Lila at Wnedys Bridal was fabulous!

Combs132

I have a "non-traditional" favorite vendor and it is Ashley West of Ashley West Photography.  She is not the photographer for my wedding day but DID do a Boudoir Session for me and I fell in LOVE!  Her vibrant personality made me feel comfortable & confident in front of the camera while taking some pictures to give my groom as his wedding gift.  She was accomodating to my crazy schedule, took the pictures at my house where I felt comfy, even helped me pick out outfits, etc!  She really went above & beyond - I had a "teaser" email within days and my proof CD within 2 weeks.  I ended up having her print a book for me to give him and she was so creative & really has an eye for design.  Needless to say, I totally wished I had booked her for my actual wedding day - she is phenomenal!

tiffanydaniels

who has been the most helpful and fabulous vendor you've worked with so far? 

The Columbus Athenauem has gone above and beyond to answer my daily emails full of questions. They are very helpful and the space is breathe taking.

Where did you find the most genius favors? 

Photobooth, Photobooth, Photobooth!! That was my number one for my wedding and after doing the photobooth with my fiance at a bridal show, I am more confident in my decision. We are also doing girl scout cookies, because everyone loves a thin mint, and you can't get them in November!

What florist made your day? 

Me, myself, and I. We did not want to use a florist because flowers were not that important to me and it will save us money!

 

 

tweber510

I have been engaged since January of 2011!!!!

My Top vendor would be my wonderfully creative wedding planner Heather Hansalmann with every event elegant. She goes above and beyond 100% of the time. She takes what I always dreamed of and makes it a reality plus so much more. She's always been so easy to work with. She is a must in wedding planning!

For our reception we are using the wonderful Bryn Du mansion in Granville OH. It's a beautiful old house and Bruce Cramer has been absolutly a joy to work with!

Lindsey sholz photography: She is so awesome I can't get over how great she is and how excited I am to work with her. All of her work is beautiful, she's so flexible and she is soooo reasonable on her price. I love her! Definatly the way to go.

Knot Vi-An

Great suggestions so far!!! Keep em coming...tell me who's really special in the wedding biz and why they rock!

spainstacey

I have three vendors who are just out of this world AMAZING.

1. Cindy Patrick with Enticing Icings.  Seriously BEST CAKES EVER and very budget friendly as well.. This was the One and ONly cake tasting I did (formally anyway, tried lots of cakes at bridal shows) and I couldn't be happier.  We have had countless sample cakes to pick our flavors (sometimes on short notice) and she always gets them done. 

2. Petals and leaves in Powell.  I really can't say enough about them.  I went to so many florists I was getting very discouraged and considered going the route of no flowers (or maybe that was actually an over reaction momment) Regardless Dee at Petals and leaves honestly saw the vision I wanted for my wedding and took what I wanted and just took it to whole new level with her creativity.  I never would have guessed that my alter pieces would be what htey are going to be, but the creativity of her is AMAZING! and I'm so glad she's our florist.

3. The event coordinator at Worthington Hills country club is AMAZING.  I just had my food tasting with her and we were going over all kinds of details. Such as the layout and the centerpieces etc.  I was debating wether or not to add more color to our table by putting a cloth under the centerpiece (that matches our wedding colors) and she not only gave opinions but also had some other creatvie ideas.  Every Question I asked it was answered with we will take care of that, or Don't worry I'll do that too.  Really Exceptional service.

heathertory

I have been engaged since August 2010. I know long engagement!

Which cake baker had the cake flavor that was to die for? Scrumptious Crumbs! I tried their cake at a bridal show and had to have them! Their cake is moist, not dry like other bakers. I loved their chocolate cake with the cappuccino flavored frosting. It is going to be the filling for one of my tiers. Their prices are not bad too because he works out of his home. A must for any cake loving bride!

Where did you find the most genius favors? Photobooth! We are still deciding which vendor offers the best price and pictures. I love the photobooth idea because many times people forget the favor or they end up throwing it away after the wedding. To me that is a complete waste of my hard earned money. The photobooth is something people will have fun in and it makes a great keepsake for everyone.

What florist made your day? The Flowerman! We are using the Flowerman because we want to do our own flowers and they sell flowers wholesale. Melissa was awesome at helping me decide on flowers. I am not a flower kind of girl. I had no idea what would be in season nor what would be good for what I had envisioned. She showed me all the flowers that would look great and were in the color I wanted. She also was not pushy in the sense of making me chose a flower that was out of our budget. 

 Which bridal salon went above and beyond to help you find your dress? David's Bridal at Sawmill. I first went to Wendy's and they were okay nothing to rave about. I went to David's and the consultant was very helpful telling me what I looked awesome in and what was just okay. Luckily I do not have to have any alterations either!

We are using Phillip Bates for our photographer. He is a fashion photographer and does weddings on the side. Since weddings are not part of his main income, it keeps the price low for brides. He has done a great job on our engagement pictures. We are getting so much for our money I cannot believe it. Many other photographers who offer the same quality and packages will be at least $3000 and we are only paying $2100. It also includes a videographer (for 2 hours or so) and 2 photographers for unlimited hours.

The Columbus Athenaeum has been awesome answering my questions and ensuring we are not "throwing" our money away on things we dont need. Trisha has been awesome and extremely helpful.

I cannot wait to see how everything turns out in May!

rthach

I've been engaged since April 2010.  Our wedding is this upcoming May 26 & 27, 2012.  It will be a two day wedding, the first day is a traditional Cambodian Ceremony from 9am-3pm and the next day will be the Western Ceremony/Reception at Scioto Reserve Country Club.  I live in Chicago so it's been tough to plan a wedding out of state, but it's coming along.  It definitely helps to have plenty of time for wedding planning.  Want more details, just ask

nnoble4

 who has been the most helpful and fabulous vendor you've worked with so far?
Looooooved Anita Kline! She is amazing, knows what she is doing and has amazing, moist cakes! And, the look of her cakes are FABULOUS !

Which cake baker had the cake flavor that was to die for? Anita Kline

Where did you find the most genius favors? Online, I used Amazon.com to get gummy turtles and buckeyes, and used orientaltrading.com for my favor boxes.

What florist made your day? Flowers on Springtree Lane.  They are so awesome and helpful!

Which bridal salon went above and beyond to help you find your dress? Trumpington Bridal Salon....I didn't get my dress from there, but the entire staff was helpful, the owner was giving her opinions on accessories and dresses, and it felt so honest and genuine.