Thursday Therapy at Spice Acres

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In August, the Thursday Therapy crew headed 20 miles south of Cleveland to Spice Acres, and it was a great time! The dedicated time each month to connect with fellow wedding pros from the Cleveland area is invaluable. We all work better when we work as a team, and the Thursday Therapy group helps bring us together to network and build wonderful friendships that turn into productive working relationships! In August, our generous sponsors were: Spice AcresSpice Catering Co.Piccadilly Artisan Creamery, Sarah Renee Studios, and Event Source.

Tips for Stocking the Bar at Your Wedding

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Photo Credit:

Addison Jones Photography

Among the many decisions that couples need to make for their wedding day, one of the fun ones is deciding how they'll stock the bar. There are a few standard options, and also some unique touches that a couple can choose to make the bar just as personal as every other wedding detail for their day.

To help shed some light on the bar options, we chatted with Krissy at

Sweet Water Caravan

.

What are the typical bar options for a wedding?

A typical wedding bar consists of a signature cocktail (or two!) along with a full bar. A full bar is usually vodka, whiskey, rum, gin, beer, and wine. We recommend always serving at least one signature drink because it's usually something fresh and seasonal, and it lets the couple add a personal touch to the bar. They can choose a drink concoction that they personally love and add a fun name! Also, for the bartender, a signature drink makes it easy for a guest to choose when it's their turn at the bar which makes the line move along faster!

What are the differences between a more traditional bar option and a mobile bar option like Sweet Water Caravan?

A more traditional bar option is a basic table with a linen. The benefit of this bar is that can go pretty much anywhere in the venue space. With the mobile bar option, the setup is much larger so we have to be able to fit into the location and also have sufficient power since we run lights inside of the bar car. But the mobile bar is super unique and adds a visual element that you won't get with a traditional bar.

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Photo Credit:

Addison Jones Photography

With each option, what does the couple need to plan for or be prepared for?

In terms of planning, the traditional bar doesn't require much planning - the couple just needs to dedicate a space for it. With the Caravan, we plan, meet and go over everything logistically together. Since having a mobile bar is really providing an experience for your guests, you really want it to stand out. It becomes a focal point of the evening, so making sure it's somewhere close to the dance floor is a must! You don't want the floor empty because everyone is hanging out by the bar.

What do you recommend that a bar is stocked with at a wedding?

I recommend a bar always be stocked with plenty of vodka, good wine, and no more then 3 types of beers (a light, a dark, and something you both love or something that is local).

Tell us a bit about Sweet Water Caravan! How can we find you and work with you?

Sweet Water Caravan is a vintage camper mobile bar for hire. We serve all of northeast Ohio with professional bar service like no other. We pride ourselves in making every event as memorable as possible. We come with plenty of extras like yard games, glassware, copper mugs, and our newest addition - a vintage camper photo booth!

Website:

www.sweetwatercaravan.com

Instagram: @sweetwatercaravan

Facebook: 

https://www.facebook.

com/mobilecaravanforhire/

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Thursday Therapy at Rock Hall

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In July, wedding pros from around the Cleveland area gathered at Rock & Roll Hall of Fame for the monthly Thursday Therapy meetup. All Access Dining at Rock Hall was the host of July's event and served guests a spread of delicious food while enjoying music on the Plaza. We'd like to thank our sponsors for the July event because, without them, this wonderful networking opportunity wouldn't exist: All Access Dining at Rock HallJessica Vidmar PhotographyL’Nique Specialty Linen Rental.

If you're a wedding pro in the greater Cleveland area, we'd love to see you at a Thursday Therapy event! For more info and to RSVP, click here.

A Whimsical Woodland Wedding

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Kelly + Tim's story began with a long-distance relationship. With 95 miles between them, the couple spent a year traveling to see one another until finally, Tim asked Kelly to marry him while vacationing in a rustic treehouse (in the dead of winter). Cleveland.com featured their story on its website - you can read it here. After Tim popped the question, we were thrilled to be invited to plan their woodland wedding.

The beauty of the outdoors was infused into every detail of Kelly + Tim's wedding at The Grand Barn at the Mohicans. From the fresh florals, to the soft candlelight, and the long tables full of loved ones, it was the perfect day to culminate a beautiful relationship.

The Vendor Team: Planner: Oak and Honey Events, Photography: Whitney Neal Photography, Venue: The Grand Barn at The Mohicans, Catering: Nosh Eatery and Creative Catering, Floral: Ashley's Floral, LLC, Beauty: Carley Randall Beauty, Entertainment: DJ Marcus from Selective Sound Entertainment, Signs: PosyPine

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Event Recap: Saint Martin de Porres Ribbon Cutting

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Back in April, the team here at Oak & Honey Events was honored to help Saint Martin de Porres plan a ribbon cutting ceremony for their new high school, located at the corner of East 62nd Street and St. Clair Avenue in Cleveland. Each year, our team helps plan Saint Martin's annual Birthday Bash (click here for a recap of the 2018 event!), but this event was different. Instead of fundraising, this event celebrated the unveiling of a new, state-of-the-art school.

The tech-savvy building is designed to give students a taste of what a college experience might look like for them, and what they might find in their workplace environments in the future. Not only that, the new school is projected to add capacity for 100 more students.

It was an exciting day, and we were thrilled to be a part of it!

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The Top 5 Menswear Trends to Style Your Groom

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Your wedding is a day to share your love and commitment with your closest friends and family. It's your introduction to the world as a married couple! It's also a time to showcase and celebrate your personal style. As a bride, you put a great deal of care and attention into choosing the perfect wedding dress... something that suits your style, something you can twirl and move around in, something that makes you feel beautiful.

The dress, the venue, the decor, the food, etc. all play a role in showing your taste and preferences, so why not apply that same level of personalization to the menswear for that big day?

There are so many ways to make sure your groom's style is represented, so we chatted with Brandon at Self-Made Custom Menswear to get the scoop. Below are five trends he shared with us to ensure the suit garments are as full of personality and uniqueness as the special man wearing them.

#1: Pattern Blazers

The traditional black tux has been replaced with beautiful, elegant pattern fabrics that are for the most stylish of grooms. Stick to dark tones with bold accents or go with a lighter base and dark accents. You can even mix different textures on the blazer like satin and velvet for a truly unique garment.

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#2: Accent Buttonhole Stitching

Nothing says “custom” like a hint of hand-stitched color on your sleeve and lapel buttonholes. The first buttonhole on your sleeve could be all the accent your outfit needs, or you can get super creative and add color to each buttonhole. These tiny details make a huge impact and show your guests how no detail went overlooked.

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#3: Bold Linings

Who said the inside of the blazer needed to match the outside? Get funky with a contrasting inner fabric or match the outside swag with equally fabulous fabric on the inside. You can even stitch details (like your wedding date or lyrics from your first dance song) into your garment for a subtle, yet special, touch of flair.

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#4: Unexpected Socks

One of the items that can be most easily forgotten on the “Wedding To-Do List” is the socks! Forget the ancient notion that your socks have to match your dress pants, and instead shake things up a bit. Let your groom and groomsmen pick the socks that show their personalities best. The subtle splash of color will leave their ensembles looking perfectly inspired.

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#5: Bold Neckwear & Brilliant Boutonnieres

Flowers aren't just for the bride! The simplest way to add personality to your suit is with a coordinating boutonniere, an elegant bow tie, or a fun pocket square.

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About Self-Made Custom Menswear

If you're in Cleveland, Ohio or Edmonton, Alberta, schedule an in-person appointment with their expert stylist to go over the customization options, fabrics, and measurements for your garment. Not in either of those cities? Visit their website to design your custom garment easily online.

If you'd like to connect with Brandon and the Self-Made Custom Menswear team, find them below on Instagram or Facebook.

Instagram: 

https://www.instagram.com/

selfmademenswear

Facebook: 

https://m.facebook.com/

SelfMadeMenswear/

Recap of the 2018 Saint Martin de Porres Birthday Bash

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Wedding season is in full swing in Cleveland! Nearly every weekend, our team is surrounded by the prettiest details and most beautiful brides. But did you know... weddings aren't the only events we plan. In fact, Oak & Honey Events loves to plan and design social events for all occasions. For the past few years, we've had the pleasure of planning a nonprofit event and fundraiser for Saint Martin de Porres school in Cleveland. The annual event brings together friends, family, donors, community members, faculty and staff to celebrate the amazing accomplishments of its students, and to help invest in the success of the school's future.

Below, we're sharing a collection of photos that represents the essence of the event, care of Kayla Lupean Photography & Cinema. We'd also like to thank Cleveland Museum of Art for providing space for the event, Bon Appetit Management Company for creating a delicious menu, and Event Source for rentals and equipment.

If you're planning a non-profit fundraiser, corporate party, baby shower, birthday party, class reunion, or other event - we'd love to chat about how the Oak & Honey team could help! Contact us here.

Thursday Therapy at The Madison

Welcome to summer! We kicked off the season by planning our monthly Thursday Therapy meetup at Cleveland's newest venue - The Madison. Wedding professionals gathered in the new event space for an exclusive sneak peek, while enjoying handcrafted cocktails by Happy Camper Bar Car, snacks and appetizers by Robert J. – Events & Catering, rentals by Borrow Rentals, and a fun photobooth by Elite Entertainment.

Take a look through the photos from the evening, captured by Dragonfly Photography. We'd love to have you join us on July 12th for our next meetup. Click here for information and to RSVP!

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Eclectic, Earthy Ohio Barn Wedding

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Marissa + Brandon's October wedding at The Grand Barn at the Mohicans was utter perfection. Brandon proposed to Marissa overlooking Emerald Bay in Lake Tahoe, so it's no surprise that when it came time to plan their wedding, they included earthy accents paired with fun and eclectic details. They served booze-filled donuts, care of Brewnuts, and cut a simple white cake, made by Faithful Little Cupcake.

After the vows were said, the cake was cut, and they danced the night away, Marissa remarked that the most memorable part of the day was "having all of our family and friends together celebrating with us. The food was amazing, the donuts were amazing, and everything ran so smoothly we didn't have to worry about a thing."

If you're planning a 2019 wedding, we'd love to talk with you. Click here to contact us and we'll chat about all of your wedding plans!

Marissa + Brandon's Vendor Team: Photography: Addison Jones Photography, Planning: Oak & Honey Events, Venue: The Grand Barn at the Mohicans, Donuts: Brewnuts, Cake: Faithful Little Cupcake, Catering: Taproot Catering, Floral: Fair Rarity Flowers, Rentals: All Events Rental, Dress: Wendy's Bridal, Tux: JoS. A. Bank, Beauty: Beauty Therapy

Traditional vs. Airbrushed Makeup for Your Wedding

As Cleveland, Ohio wedding planners, we want to provide our couples with information to help them plan and prepare for their wedding days. As a bride, we know a big part of that preparation is looking and feeling your best. We always recommend that brides consider having their makeup professionally done - and with that comes a decision. Will you choose traditional or airbrushed makeup for your big day? To help you make that choice, we interviewed Karin at Cleveland Makeup Artistry to help spell out the pros, cons, and key considerations that apply to each makeup option.

What is considered a "traditional" makeup application and how is that different from an "airbrushed" makeup application?

There are a lot of misconceptions about traditional makeup versus airbrushed makeup, so I'm happy to break that down for you. A traditional makeup application includes liquid, cream, and powder face products applied with brushes. An airbrushed makeup application uses special formulas of liquid makeup that are applied using an airbrush gun. The formulas are very thin in density and can be run through an airbrush system to deliver the evenest distribution of product possible. Think about how other things are painted when airbrushed - such as cars, walls in a house, or artwork. The airbrush delivery system is the best tool to give the effect of a flawless and evenly painted surface.

Within the realm of airbrushed makeup, there are several different formulas that can be used, including water-based, silicone-based, and alcohol-based products. Depending on the type of airbrush foundation used, a different coverage, finish, and wear time can be achieved.

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This bride never wore foundation and really wanted to look and feel like herself on her wedding day. We airbrushed with a water-based formula to give the most natural look possible. We used a minimal amount of concealer on the skin and under eyes before airbrushing. You can still see her skin, and every freckle possible, but she photographs beautifully.

A professional airbrush makeup artist should offer different formulas of airbrush makeup to customize looks for their clients. The skin should be prepped properly before the airbrush makeup is applied to achieve the best look for each individual's skin type and situation. I personally believe that the airbrush makeup should not be touched with powder, blush, or any other makeup product once it’s completed because it compromises the airbrush effect.  Not only foundation, but also blush, bronzer, highlight, and contour can all be achieved with an airbrush. There are mattefying sprays and setting sprays that can help set makeup and keep it looking fabulous all day.

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This bride wanted full-on glam for her makeup look, so we layered different cream products under the airbrush formula to give a dense look that really pops on camera. 

Most people think that the advantage of airbrushed makeup is that it is extremely longwearing. While there are longwearing formulas, they might not be right for everyone. It’s important to work with your makeup artist to choose the right application technique and formula of makeup that will work best for your personal style and skin type.

What are the benefits of traditional makeup? Are there any negative considerations of this makeup application?

The biggest benefit of traditional makeup is that there is so much variety in formula and colors available on the market, so you can really customize a formula, color, and style that is right for you. Another great benefit is that it can be easily mixed on a palette with skincare or other products to create new customized options. Many makeup artists will carry one or two formulas of foundations and concealers, along with different pigments, color correctors, and mixing mediums in order to achieve the ideal skin look for each individual they touch.

A challenge for makeup artists regarding traditional makeup is keeping up to date on all of the products available. The beauty industry is always growing and changing. New technologies for different formulas are always being updated. It can be tough for us as makeup artists, as well as for the average consumer, to know where to start when looking for the perfect foundation.  We could spend hours in a department store, Sephora, or drugstore looking through the different options. For that reason, many of us tend to stick with what we know works best, versus choosing the new product or gimmick that's available on the market.

What are the benefits of airbrushed makeup? Are there any negative considerations of this makeup application?

Airbrushed makeup is simply the most flawless way that any product can be applied to a surface. With that being said, it may not be right for everyone. In order to get the smoothest look, the surface being worked on has to be smooth as well. If an uneven surface is airbrushed, the product can’t have the even distribution that the tool is intended for. For that reason, skin should be prepped and primed properly before beginning. It’s important that skin is exfoliated so that all dead skin cells are removed. I also recommend removing vellus hair (also known as peach fuzz), as airbrushed makeup can sit on top of this. For skin with severe texture or fine lines, airbrush might not be the best option.

Does airbrushed makeup feel different when it's applied than traditional makeup?

As it's being applied, airbrush makeup feels luxurious and relaxing. Once the application is finished, many clients point out that they can’t feel it on the skin at all. There’s an element of skill and control that the makeup artist employs, using minimal product stretched as far as possible to give this effect.

When is traditional makeup the best option for a bride? When is airbrushed makeup a better option?

Traditional makeup may be best for a bride with severe fine lines or texture on the skin. Otherwise, regardless of the type of coverage, finish, and wearability a bride is going for, airbrushed makeup provides the most event application of product to the skin. I believe that a bride deserves the best on her wedding day, and that there is really no better option for a flawless look than airbrushed makeup.

before and after traditional makeup

This client was the Grandmother of the Groom. She had never had her makeup professionally done before and wanted to go all out for her grandson’s wedding. We used a traditional foundation applied with brushes to give her skin the most youthful, radiant look. 

Does Cleveland Makeup Artistry offer both traditional and airbrushed makeup options?

Yes, we offer not only a tradition and airbrushed options, but a third service called Express Makeup. The Express Makeup Application is 20 minutes long (half the time of the traditional or airbrushed application), and uses a minimal amount of products and techniques. This service is great for brides who don’t usually wear makeup day to day, but who want to look and feel their best for their wedding day. It also works well for junior bridesmaids, large bridal parties who don’t have a lot of time for getting ready before an early ceremony, and those on a budget.

Where can people find you online?

Our website is www.clevelandmakeupartistry.com. We are also on Facebook and Instagram as Cleveland Makeup Artistry.