Behind The Ceremony

The Ultimate Bridal Event Totally Rocked! | January 8th, 2012

@optimus.4602 — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 09:38:51 +0000

The Ultimate Bridal Event was a total blast with a huge turnout! I had so much fun, and kept running into friends who had just gotten engaged!!! Of course my personal favorites were out in full force, House of Flowers, Sit n Grin Photo Booth, Freestyle Entertainment, Anamie’s Sweets, Rush Entertainment, Fairy Godmother, NY Photography, and I even saw a few new favorites emerge from the pack!!! My good friend Sharon Cousineau whom you may recognize from With Love Photography has traded in her camera for a set of kitchen knives! She just opened up a catering business, La Bonne Soiree! Her 1200+ hors d’oeuvres were devoured in the first 45 min of the show! If you couldn’t tell, Sharon and her sister were an instant hit! Luckily they hid some for me and I was able to taste her Uh-May-ZING cupcakes!!! I really look forward to seeing what comes next from these multi-talented ladies! Can we say Top Chef Bakersfield?!? Next I found an old friend, Ms. Shari Fortino with Debonaire School of Ballroom Dancers, who was there to promote her ballroom lessons for that all-important first dance as a married couple!! I must say, my husband and I actually took several lessons form her a few years ago to prepare for our first dance and that lady can definitely perform miracles… because anyone who can get my husband with his two left feet to dance the way he did, is a dance goddess!!! With over 37 years of expertise in dance performance, instruction, and choreography, she can turn any couple into elegant dancing ballroom machines. My husband and I still to this day joke about how learning how to dance together was better couples counseling before the wedding, than what we got from our pastor!

Before the fashion show, there was a performance from Great Last Night and lets just say they were great last night, today and will be tomorrow! This seven-piece band, which includes an amazing vocalist, trumpeter, and saxophonist, can really get the party started at your wedding. From Katy Perry, to Kool and The Kang, Beyonce to Bon Jovi, James Brown to Bruno Mars, they know it and they love it… and so will you! I was dancing the entire time they were playing and found myself gravitating towards their booth all day to listen to their poppin sound! Let’s not forget the extremely talented and sultry voice of Roger “The Lounge Guy” Martin, who was there singing so many of my favorite songs from the 1930s, 40s and 50s. Let me tell you… he sure can set a romantic mood for any wedding or event! I wish I could afford to hire him even for a romantic dinner and date night for my husband and I! If I had to do my wedding over I would definitely have The Lounge Guy sing during cocktail and dinner time and then bring in Great Last Night to party the night away!!! They were the perfect combination!

The Fashion show went with out a hitch… well except for one model who kept tripping over her shoes but she just kicked them off and kept strutting her stuff!!! That’s what I call true professionalism! Fino’s Menswear was in full force dancing their way up and down the runway with models giving those girls great eye candy, tailored suits, and a little swagger. Fino’s owner Jerry himself was even out their busting a few moves on the catwalk! Everything from wedding gowns for the day, lingerie compliments of The Bra Shoppe for your wedding night, and honeymoon attire from vendors like Apricot Lane was featured as each model showcased so many different looks.

I can sum this event up as one fun, upscale and classy bridal event, which is most likely why they are called the Ultimate Bridal Event! If you missed the show, don’t worry they will be back at Rabobank for another fantastic event on September 16^th, 2012. In the meantime, you can visit their site at www.ultimatebridalevent.com.

The Ultimate Bridal Event Kicks Off 2012 and Engagement Season!

@optimus.4602 — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 23:45:32 +0000

If you just got engaged during the holiday season, then you don’t want to miss out on all of the vendor awesomeness tomorrow from noon to 4pm at The Ultimate Bridal Event being held at Rabobank Convention Center in Downtown Bakersfield! For those of you who haven’t been there before, you can find it at 1001 Truxton Avenue, Bakersfield, Ca. 93301.

Check out their website to get tickets online, or you can purchase them at the door tomorrow. Andrew and I will be there talking to brides and taking photos for upcoming articles, so make sure you say “Hi!” and let us know what you think of the show!

If you can’t make it tomorrow, feel free to contact us for more nformation on vendors, wedding ideas and upcoming bridal events.

A Formal Affair :: An Essential Bridal Event

@optimus.4602 — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 20:39:58 +0000

Sunday April 3^rd, 2011 marked the first of many new bridal shows to come to the Central Valley. A Formal Affair Bridal Event was hosted by owners Todd and Denette Westbrook of Details Party Rentals at The Links at Riverlakes in Bakersfield, CA. The April 3^rd show was the first of two events scheduled for 2011, with another line-up of bridal events already in the works for 2012. I had the privilege of hanging out with many of the vendors on display at A Formal Affair. Being the wife of a wedding photographer, editor of Behind The Ceremony and at one point being a bride myself… I have been to several bridal events over the years and I must say that I really enjoyed the intimate setting and one on one attention every bride was given when speaking to the vendors. Many times brides walk into a large bridal event and are suddenly overwhelmed by dozens of vendors from each category. Often they leave the event with so many business cards and samples that they have a hard time remembering which vendors are which. April’s event was limited to fewer vendors in each category, which allowed brides and their guests a chance to spend more time with each vendor. After talking with many of the brides and vendors during the event, it was clear that this made it possible for brides to spend some real quality time with each vendor. These “mini-consultations” gave brides a chance to ask some of the more important questions on their minds and determine which vendors they would like to set up a follow up appointment with. Let’s face it, when you are trying to plan a wedding while juggling work, school or any other aspects of regular life, it can become very difficult to fit in numerous appointments and consultations. Brides were able to attend A Formal Affair, talk to quality vendors and make strong connections with those vendors that they really loved prior to the follow up consultations. Having that opportunity saved valuable time that many brides may not have, while presenting them with some of the finest vendors in Kern County. We have worked with many of the vendors who participated in A Formal Affair on real weddings and we can personally say that they offer some of the finest products, highest quality of customer service and we have even seen some of them save the day when weather and unforeseen factors threatened to ruin some of the most beautiful weddings we have been to. One of the day’s highlights for me was the Sit N Grin Photobooth, where I enjoyed posing and taking fabulous pictures with friends! The artichoke centerpiece from Flower Bar was simply fantastic… if you haven’t seen it in person, you have to go down to Flower Bar and ask them about it! The amazing desserts from Anamie’s Sweets were to die for, PM Custom Catering had lots of creative new ideas for favors and tasty food, Freestyle Entertainment had every option you could imagine to light your venue and Details Party Rentals had just the right touch for decorating. HDM brought in their arcade game from the office and offered people a chance to win one of their gorgeous highlight videos… all anyone had to do was beat the high score. From the smooth Sinatra-esque sound coming from The Lounge Guy, to the DJ stylings of Kevin Rush, you were sure to find the style that fit your wedding. If you are planning a wedding for later this year or even next year and you missed out on April’s event… don’t worry, there is another event planned for Auguest 28^th, 2011. For more information go to the official website www.formalaffairbridalevent.com. A special thank you to all of the amazing vendors at the show, everyone involved with A Formal Affair and to Alivia Daniels for making my hair and make-up look fabulous, so that I could show up to A Formal Affair in style!

AFormalAffair1 AFormalAffair3 AFormalAffair4 AFormalAffair5 AFormalAffair6 AFormalAffair7 AFormalAffair8 AFormalAffair9 AFormalAffair10 AFormalAffair11 AFormalAffair12 AFormalAffair13 AFormalAffair14 AFormalAffair15 AFormalAffair16 AFormalAffair17 AFormalAffair18-200x300 AFormalAffair19 AFormalAffair20 AFormalAffair21

A Formal Affair | The Hot New Bridal Event In Town!

@optimus.4602 — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 16:03:54 +0000

There is an exciting new bridal event coming to California’s Central Valley. This Sunday, April 3rd, 2011 brides from all over will have the chance to head out to The Links at Riverlakes for A Formal Affair Bridal Event! For all you brides out there who are planning a wedding of your own, this is going to be the perfect opportunity to talk face to face with a wide variety of vendors. So whether you are trying to find that one last minute addition to your wedding, or you are just getting started on the planning, make sure you come out to A Formal Affair! Behind The Ceremony will be there talking to brides about their experience at A Formal Affair and getting their input on wedding planning and their favorite vendors! So don’t forget to say “Hi” to us and enter our drawing for a chance to win a 90 minute on location engagement photo session!

Fairy Godmother Day Of Wedding Coordinator

@optimus.4602 — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 10:37:20 +0000

Bring some magic to your wedding with a little Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo!!!

We’ve all dreamed of having our own Fairy Godmother magically appear on our wedding day. Someone to make sure the day is perfect, right down to the shoes! However, none of us want to turn back into a pumpkin at midnight. With Colleen Bauer and her team at Fairy Godmother, you can have just that. As stressful as your wedding day is, to have a team of organized women who can honestly handle anything that comes their way on your big day is absolutely priceless!

I have to tell you about a wedding that my husband and I were shooting. So many things had gone wrong and though we were there to do their photos, I quickly turned into much more than a photographer. It first started when the bride forgot to bring the print and matte board that she wanted her guests to sign, which sent me across town to ensure that it was there in time for guests to sign. Then her dress ripped, so from errand runner I turned into a seamstress. Next, not only were the caterers late to arrive, but they left the wedding early leaving all the dirty dishes and the cake cutting and serving for all 250 guests up to the bride and groom. So then instead of second shooting with my husband, I ended up cleaning, cutting and serving cake for the remainder of the wedding. This was not all that happened, but I wanted to paint the overall picture of how unscheduled changes and mistakes can reshape your incredibly special day into one filled with chaos and stress. I will never forget at the end of the night looking over at my husband and saying, “Where was Colleen when we needed her?!?” My husband and I now recommend that all of our brides meet with Colleen Bauer and her team at Fairy Godmother, because every bride deserves a flawless day!

On another occasion there was another wedding that we shot and luckily they had hired Colleen. It was Mother’s Day 2010, the sun was shining and it was a beautiful day for this outside ceremony and reception. Suddenly the weather changed, wind picked up and as the minister said, “You may now kiss your bride.”, a down poor of rain hit. Before anyone knew it, Colleen had everything organized and under control and everyone watched as she single handedly saved the day. In the video posted you will meet the couple and their family as they describe testimonial of the day and how Colleen and her Fairy Godmother team were able to turn something potentially so tragic into magic!

So even though Colleen may not have a magic wand or sing “Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo”, she truly is the Fairy Godmother that all the girls have dreamed about having and deserve on their special day!

Video Courtesy of Higher Definition Media

Fairy Godmother | Promo from HDM on Vimeo.

The January 2011 Ultimate Bridal Event Is Only A Couple Days Away!!!

@optimus.4602 — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 09:14:41 +0000

The first Bridal event of 2011 coming up on our calendar is The Ultimate Bridal Event.

When: Sunday January 9, 2011. Doors open at 12 noon and the event goes until 4 pm

Where: Rabobank Convention Center located at 1001 Truxton Ave. in Bakersfield, CA.

Admission: Bride’s tickets are only $8, admission for Bride and Groom is $15 and General Admission is $10

Website: www.ultimatebridalevent.com

Tickets may be purchased at the door, you can buy them in advance by contacting the McCright Agency by phone at 661.835.1305, or since you are already online reading this post… you can even purchase them by going to The Ultimate Bridal Event website.

During the event, you will have the opportunity to talk one on one with all sorts of fantastic wedding vendors… including bakeries, bridal registries, cake and food caterers, ceremony & reception sites, disc jockeys, florist, favors, gowns & formal apparel, invitations, limousines, photographers, videographers, wedding consultants, chiavari chairs, chocolate fountains, ice sculptors, photo booths, chandeliers and much more! The event also has a groom’s lounge stocked with beverages and a place to sit down and relax for a while. The event wraps up with a runway style fashion show showcasing many of the latest bridal gowns, brides maid dresses, flower girl dresses, tuxedoes and more from several bridal and tux shops in the area. So if you haven’t found the perfect gown, or still need to figure out where you and your groom need to go shopping for the guys, the fashion show is a must!

As always, the team here at Behind The Ceremony loves to hear feedback from couples and all the other guests who attend The Ultimate Bridal Event. Send us an email or fill out the contact form here on the site and let us know what your thoughts are. If you have any questions about how to plan your wedding or need help finding a vendor, we would be more than happy to help out!

To all the couples planning a wedding, congratulations on your engagement and we hope you have a blast at The Ultimate Bridal Event.

A New Spin On The Ultimate Bridal Event 9.19.10

@optimus.4602 — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 10:36:43 +0000

So this time around we decided to do something a little different with The Ultimate Bridal Event. Instead of all the wordy descriptions of what happened, we are just going show everyone how fantastic the event was. To shake things up a bit, we interviewed some of the vendors so they could tell our viewers exactly what they are all about! If you are a bride or groom and are planning on going to the January show, be on the lookout, because in January we will be interviewing the couples to see what you think of The Ultimate Bridal Event and how your wedding plans are coming along! So for those of you who read this intro before hitting the play button… without any further delay, enjoy this sample of what this September’s event had to offer!

The Ultimate Bridal Event Bakersfield from Jorge on Vimeo.

A big thank you goes to Jorge with JMZ Films who provided the videography for this event!

The September 2010 Ultimate Bridal Event Is This Weekend!!!

@optimus.4602 — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 20:31:57 +0000

The first Bridal event of 2010 coming up on our calendar is The Ultimate Bridal Event.

When: Sunday September 19, 2010. Doors open at 12 noon and the event goes until 4 pm

Where: Rabobank Convention Center located at 1001 Truxton Ave. in Bakersfield, CA.

Admission: Bride’s tickets are only $8, admission for Bride and Groom is $15 and General Admission is $10

Website: www.ultimatebridalevent.com

As always, Behind The Ceremony will be at The Ultimate Bridal Event next weekend, talking to brides about their experience. Be prepared for some questions, because we are adding new features to the site that will launch very soon, and we want input from real brides! After the event we will be writing an article all about the day and posting it along with lots of pictures for everyone to see. So if you are planning to attend The Ultimate Bridal Event next weekend, make sure you come find one of us. If you don’t know where find us, just ask one of the vendors we’ve interviewed in the past and they would be happy to point us out. We are always open to viewer ideas and feedback, so feel free to chat with us about the event or let us know what you would like to see on the site in the future. There is definitely a chance that your thoughts or comments will end up in a future post on the site.

April Wedding Feature :: Garrett + Stephanie

@optimus.4602 — Wed, 05 May 2010 08:00:52 +0000

Lately we’ve been doing some brainstorming about ways to add some more depth to Behind The Ceremony. Areas we can expand upon to provide our brides with more insight into the world of wedding vendors. We love interviewing the vendors that we’ve gotten to work with and we love shooting the bridal shows that they are a part of, but we all know what the ultimate goal is for everyone viewing our site. When all is said and done, what everyone is here to see and put together are weddings! So today we are going to focus on just that. This post is still about vendors, because that is our expertise here at BTC, but this time we are going to showcase the final results of the collaborative efforts of some fantastic vendors.

This particular wedding was the joint effort of some of our favorite vendors in town, a couple of whom you have already seen or heard mentioned on Behind The Ceremony…

Since I had the pleasure of shooting this wedding and working directly with the vendors mentioned, I would love to offer up my appreciation for their hard work. As a photographer, I know first hand that it is the work of individuals and teams like those involved with Garrett and Stephanie’s wedding that help make our images turn out the way they do. On that note I would also like to thank Lauryn of Lauryn Marette Photography for shooting Garrett and Stephanie’s wedding with me. Her professionalism and attention to detail is of the highest caliber, and she is a truly wonderful photographer.

The beautiful floral arrangements and bouquets seen in Garrett and Stephanie’s wedding were crafted by the fabulous mother-daughter team at A House of Flowers. Amanda and Diana are the masterminds behind some of the most stunning floral designs that I have ever seen. Whether it is Valentine’s Day, an anniversary or the ultimate time for flowers… your wedding day, they will create something so stunning that your guests will talk about it well after the dust has settled. Not only do I personally recommend them for any occasion, but Amanda and Diana have put together some exquisite arrangements for my wife in the past! Feel free to ask her, she will completely vouch for their work!

As the day moved on, the guests were having a wonderful time. Just as the evening approached, our good friends from Freestyle Entertainment stepped in to really get the party going. Jared Perry of Freestyle Entertainment graced us with his presence as our MC for the night. His musical choices and ability to interact with the crowd were the perfect touch for an evening of dancing, laughter and an abundance of good old fashioned fun!

One of the vendors that always seems to be seen, but not as often mentioned in articles like these are the venues. This wedding took place at two absolutely gorgeous venues. The ceremony was held at the beautiful Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church located at 124 Columbus Street in Bakersfield, CA. The entire church facility is pleasing to the eye, from its lush landscape to the beautiful architecture. The reception to follow was held at another beautiful Bakerfield venue. Bakersfield Country Club was the final destination for the day, and let me tell you… it was the canvas for some of my favorite images from this wonderful day. If you haven’t been to BCC, I can assure you that a sunset on their course is one of the most breathtaking sights in Bakersfield.

Garrett and Stephanie’s wedding was from beginning to end a truly beautiful one, and Behind The Ceremony would like to tip our proverbial hats to the extremely talented men and women who had a hand in creating yet another fabulous event!

Author: Andrew Skelton

Photos: Courtesy of J. Andrew Photography

Champagne On The Green 2010 – A New Twist On Bridal Events!

@optimus.4602 — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 07:21:47 +0000

The first annual Champagne On The Green hosted by The Ultimate Bridal Event and The Links at Riverlakes took place two weeks ago at… yes you guessed it The Links at Riverlakes. As a wedding vendor myself, I had a great time at the event. Despite Mother Nature’s attempts to thwart the event, it turned out to be a huge success. It was the first opportunity for most of the vendors to participate in an event that allowed them to approach the brides, instead of the normal bridal fair layout which tends to keep vendors pinned down in their booth spaces.

The event itself was set up much like an actual wedding with a large white event tent set up on the golf course. Under the tent were tables decorated by many of the participating vendors each with nine chairs. There were eight chairs for brides and their guests and a ninth chair for the vendors. Some of these tables were even designed by attending brides. Along the interior perimeter of the tent, vendors were allowed to set up small displays of their products and services. Caterers were also set up along the perimeter offering brides and their guests samples of what they offer for events. The first portion of the day was set up much like the cocktail hour at the beginning of a wedding reception, with heavy hors d’oeuvres and of course free flowing champagne. After all, it really couldn’t be called “Champagne On The Green” without plenty of champagne. During the cocktail hour Roger Martin, aka The Lounge Guy, entertained guests with a wide assortment of melodies. Once the event was underway, vendors were announced and then sent out to visit each table one at a time. Brides and their guests were given a mini consultation with each vendor for an allotted amount of time. A bell rang when the time was up, notifying vendors when it was time to move to the next table. Freestyle Entertainment MC’d the event and ensured that each table was given a chance to talk one on one with every vendor. A groom’s lounge was set up across the parking lot in The Links at Riverlakes Banquet Room. The gentleman were provided with sports games of their choice, a dealer run blackjack table, snacks and a no host bar. The vendor list included some of our good friend Jenny from Little White Dress as well as some of our future interviewees like Fairy Godmother, Gimmee Some Sugar, PM Custom Catering, Finos Menswear, The Bell Tower Club, Details Party Rentals, The Lounge Guy and just to name a few of the many outstanding vendors. Not to mention brides were given gift bags full of wedding swag and the opportunity to win some wonderful prizes!

During the event I had a chance to hear bits and pieces of many of the conversations between brides and vendors, and the brides seemed very receptive to the new approach. In fact many of the brides were so focused on their time with the vendors that they didn’t even seem to notice the wind rattling the tent. While walking around, I made a point of talking to the vendors and they had many positive things to say. All in all it looks like this is the first of many more Champagne On The Green’s!

If you didn’t get a chance to make it to this event, don’t worry, we have a bunch of images from Champagne On The Green for you to enjoy! You can also attend the next Ultimate Bridal Event this fall downtown at the Rabobank Convention Center on September 19th. So if you are planning a wedding or event make sure to check out all the phenomenal vendors we have on our site, and don’t forget to check out the Ultimate Bridal Event website for information on vendors and upcoming bridal events!

Author: Andrew Skelton

Photos: Courtesy of J. Andrew Photography