On Sunday morning, guests were transported from the Hyatt Regency Lexington to the lawn of the Keeneland Library, just outside of Keene Barn and the Entertainment Center. Set in front of the library was a simple white mandap, custom made by MSI Productions, decorated with furniture from Natasha Decor, and flowers from Courtenay Lambert Florals. Upon the guests’ arrival, Turf Catering passed mint and sweet iced tea, with mini scones and muffins, while Joss Jaffe and Montino Bourbon played the tabla and sarod.

The guests’ chairs were rented from Bryant’s Rent-All, and on each seat we placed a beautiful red and gold program (designed and printed by Poeme). White paper parasols were scattered throughout to shield guests from the (soon to be very bright!) sun. As the sun grew warmer, we were thankful we had saved the paper fans from the prior evening’s decor, and we distributed them to the guests as they awaited the start of the ceremony. The ceremony was co-officiated by Veena’s brother, Sam, and Chaman Lal Gupta and included both modern traditions (poetry readings by family members) and Arya Simaj wedding rituals (Arya Simaj is a social reform sect of modern Hinduism). Following the ceremony, guests grabbed a light lunch from Turf Catering’s passing trays before being shuttled back to the hotel for a few hours rest before the evening’s reception.

Vendors: Aviva Events, Wagner Photographics, MSI Productions, Natasha Decor, Courtenay Lambert Florals, Turf Catering, Bryant’s Rent-All, Poeme.

During the day on Saturday, many guests took a tour of some of Lexington’s bourbon distilleries, while others participated in a golf outing arranged by Veena’s brother, Sam. After a quick rehearsal of the next day’s ceremony, guests began to arrive at Keene Barn for the Rehearsal Dinner and Garba Raas, where they were greeted with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres before being seated at gorgeous long tables that filled the entire Barn. Linens in alternating shades of bold pink, orange, and purple paired perfectly with Courtenay Lambert’s fresh and colorful floral arrangements and crisp white lanterns. MSI Productions strung lights and lanterns across the ceiling, and provided the hanging ferns and standing trees that lined both the Keene Barn and Entertainment Center, bringing a bit of the outdoors in and softening the edges of the rooms.

Escort cards designed by Poeme to look like postcards guided the guests to their tables (named after cities the bride and groom have visited together). During dinner they had their choice of two buffets – one featuring Southern Barbecue from Turf Catering and the other featuring South Indian cuisine from Banana Leaf. Throughout dinner, several family members and friends gave touching toasts, and soon thereafter everyone moved back into the Entertainment Center for dancing, dancing and more dancing! The Pandyas performed live and kept everyone dancing for hours, teaching those who were unfamiliar how to dance with the dandiya sticks. The statues and furniture elements in the room came from Natasha Decor, and were absolutely beautiful. At the end of the evening, our shuttles from Wombles transported the guests back to their hotels to get a good night’s rest for the rest of the festivities that would continue on Sunday!

Vendors: Aviva Events, Wagner Photographics, Courtenay Lambert Florals, MSI Productions, Pandyas, Turf Catering, Banana Leaf, Natasha Decor, Wombles, Poeme.

So when Nance told me about Tracey Wells and her semi-permanent eyelash extensions, I had to see what it was all about! I went in yesterday and was so happy with the results that I just had to share the info. It’s a bit of a tedious process (more so for Tracey than for you!), but while you lie on a massage table for up to two hours, Tracey meticulously glues false lashes one by one to your individual real lashes. The lashes last 6-8 weeks, shedding with your own regular lash cycle. They are perfect for weddings – have them done the week before and you’re all set for your rehearsal dinner, wedding day, honeymoon and then some!

I took before and after photos with my phone – the transformation is dramatic! (Please excuse the unkempt brows and under-eye bags). It helps that my natural lashes, sans mascara, are pretty pale. Not as translucent as my sister’s, but pale for sure. On darker-haired beauties (like florist Courtenay Lambert) they look just as gorgeous but even more natural, in my opinion.

Tracey will be offering her services (eyelash extensions, Cry Baby mascara, and cosmetic tattooing) at The Bridal Studio every Thursday, and has a super convenient online appointment scheduling site. If you have any questions about her services, you can always contact her directly at 513-720-3296.

To enter the contest, Dessy wants you to create a video explaining why you absolutely positively MUST win their prize! They’re encouraging you to include your bridesmaids, future husband, ANYONE — or keep it simple with just yourself. The sky’s the limit – use your creativity to put together a video that convinces them you should be the winner! The length of the video needs to be no longer than 5 minutes and must be in English. Additionally, you must have a Facebook account in order to enter.

To enter, visit the Dessy facebook page and “like” them (while you’re there, pop over to the Aviva Events facebook page and “like” us, too!). Create your 5 minutes or less video and submit it under the “Contests” tab on Dessy’s facebook page. You must “allow” the Contest Application on your facebook account in order to submit your video. All submissions have to be received by Midnight, EST, on FEBRUARY 14th, 2011. Dessy Design Staff will choose the top three, and those finalists will be annouced on February 21st, 2011. Then the general public will vote for the winner! The final winner will be announced on February 28th, 2011.

Full details are available on Dessy’s blog. Good luck to all who enter! Let us know if you make it to the final three so we can root for you to win!

All images © The Dessy Group

Some of the other deeply discounted items include:

• Metallic Papers by Stardream, Curious and CTI Papers
• Colorful Cardstocks from Bazzill Basics, Neenah Paper, Strathmore and many others
• Translucent Stocks (printed, colorful and plain)
• Favor Boxes
• Stationery Boxes
• Stickers and Labels
• Crystals
• Feathers
• Paper Punches
• Ribbon
• Various Embellishments

Stop by Poême at 3446 Michigan in Hyde Park Square, or call 321-4999 to schedule your consult.

The Ohio chapter is currently seeking Wish Granters throughout the entire state – if you are interested, please fill out an application, and you will be added to our Wish Granter database. If you do not have an events-related service or product to donate to the cause but would like to contribute in other ways, we are also looking for general volunteers and of course for help with spreading the word about the organization so that more deserving couples can have their wedding wishes come true. There are many other ways to help on both a national and a local level – the Wish Upon a Wedding website has a long list of ways to contribute!

If you would like more information on the Ohio chapter, please feel free to contact me at any time! We’re very excited for all that we’ll be able to provide to couples in need and looking forward to watching our chapter grow.

Thank you again to our sponsors of last night’s event, and to everyone who came out to learn more about the cause!

Following the ceremony and some formal portraits within the Basilica, we went to a family friend’s house to relax, grab some refreshments and take a few more photos (all photos © Steph Carson Photography). It was such a perfect break in the day, and Kate’s parents’ friends were so kind to make sure we were all well-rested and well-fed before heading off to the reception! During this time, the Peterloon Estate was open to guests for a “pre-cocktail-hour” where they could take tours of the estate and enjoy a piano concert.

The wedding party arrived at the Peterloon Estate during the cocktail hour and took a few final photographs around the stunning grounds. The gorgeous estate and its surrounding gardens provide endless backdrops for photographs. Meanwhile, the reception was set with all of the small details that made the wedding so unique to Kate and Gerard. Kate and Gerard created their own “signature drink” based on recipes they had learned in a mixology class, and handmade small drink flags for each glass. In honor of Gerard’s mother, we used breast cancer bracelets as napkin rings, with a note attached explaining that a donation had been made in her memory. Kate knew early on that she wanted to top her favorite cupcakes (red velvet) with mini brides and grooms, but could only find brunette versions. So Kate’s mom Charla took care of it, by hand-painting each tiny bride’s hair blonde!

The reception tent and tables were adorned with satin linens from Connie Duglin, stunning tall centerpieces of white dendrobium orchid, white delphinium and hydrangea blooms with curly willow by Inspired Floral Design, and champagne-cork place card holders. Kate and Gerard’s seats were designated with a small bunch of pink peonies tied to the backs of their chairs. Pink was definitely the color of the evening, and paired with soft whites, ivories and champagnes, it looked gorgeous against the rich outdoor setting of the Peterloon Estate.

The evening was catered by Kate’s family’s restaurant, 20 Brix, and the delicious cakes and cupcakes were baked by Patricia’s. Everyone danced the night away to music from the always wonderful Soul Pocket. We couldn’t have gotten through the day as smoothly as we did without the help of my Associate Coordinators Hannah and Amanda, and our summer interns Bethany and Sam. Steph Carson and her second-shooter Menad were there to catpure the entire day, as was Steve Zugelter of Studio Z Films (I can’t wait to see what he produces!). It was all in all a gorgeous day for my two wonderful friends, and I was so happy to be a part of it!

Vendors: 20 Brix, Inspired Floral Design, Steph Carson Photography, Studio Z Films, Patricia’s, Camargo Rental, Connie Duglin Linen, Soul Pocket, Brideface, Christopher Chambers, Aviva Events.