1. September 18, 2015
BG couple throws
‘I Do Barbecue’
Find your
one-of-a-kind
wedding dress
Variety of Venues:
Find the perfect
wedding spot

2. 2
On the cover:
Shane Hughes took this photo of Heidi Driver and
Brent Graber at their Stone Ridge Golf Course
wedding. For more venue ideas, see page 12.
Cover design by Scott Williams.
This edition was edited by Debbie Rogers.
Inside
Flowers and bouquets bloom in every
color in the rainbow........................................4
Pampering for the bride ................................5
The do’s and don’ts of cake decisions.......6
Couple keeps wedding stress-free.............8
Tuxedos in 50 shades of gray.................... 11
Plenty of places to choose from for the
ceremony and reception ............................ 12
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3. 3
By EMILY GORDON
Sentinel Staff Writer
Parents often remind
their children to be them-
selves.
This year, brides are taking
Mom and Dad’s advice to heart,
searching for colors, fabrics
and styles of wedding dresses
that speak to their personali-
ties.
At Encore Bridal in Bowling
Green, owner Lee Welling helps
each bride find a gown that is
the perfect fit in terms of
design and budget.
“The most exciting news
here is that we are now carry-
ing David Tutera gowns, a line
you can order from instead of
picking sample gowns,” she
said. “The line is very feminine
with a good price point. A lot
of lines start at $3,000. You can
get a gown here for $500 to
$900 when their original price
was $1,200 to $3,000.”
Dressesput
theiinbrides
No need to go to the big city
to find a one-of-a-kind gown
Photos by Enoch Wu/Sentinel-Tribune
Hannah Pena, of Fremont, models a wedding dress
from Personal D’signs - BBG Bridal in Fremont. At
left, Deb Fleckner, of Fremont, shows off formal
wear from BBG Bridal. According to area experts,
including Lee Welling at Encore Bridal in Bowling
Green, brides are searching for colors, fabrics and
styles of wedding dresses that speak to their per-
sonalities.
(See DRESSES on 16)
Grier Photography
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4. 4
By EMILY GORDON
Sentinel Staff Writer
Color rules no longer
apply when it comes to wed-
ding flowers.
Oranges, reds, bi-colors,
blues, pinks and corals have all
made an appearance in bridal
bouquets this year, according
to area florists.
The key is to do what the
bride wants.
Mini calla lilies and gerbera
daisies have been popular, as
has hydrangeas, said Joanne
McKenzie, of McKenzie’s
Flowers and Greenhouse in
Weston.
With the lilies and gerberas
especially, “it would go with
any wedding color they like.”
She can generally find the
colors the bride is looking for,
she added.
Roses have some new col-
ors, including bright oranges,
bi-colors, and hot-pink tipped
with a creamy inside, she said.
“Everybody has their own
taste,” McKenzie said, who has
been in the business 31 years.
She still has books that
brides-to-be can leaf through,
but many women come in with
pictures on their phone from
Pinterest.
A bouquet can cost from
$75 to $300, based on size and
flower selection.
“Most of them aren’t the
high range, but once in a while.
...” she said.
She also has opened
McKenzie’s Flower Basket in
Bowling Green.
“Bowling Green is good with
walks-ins,” she said.
Todd Sheets, owner of
DowntownDecoinPemberville,
said clutch bouquets are the
“in thing”for brides and brides-
maids. The flowers are gath-
ered more informally and could
include garden mainstays such
as zinnias, or dusty miller and
mini callas.
“Roses have remained
strong,” he added. Stephanotis
has remained a bridal staple
and he continues to see hydran-
gea year round.
This time of year, he’s seeing
brighter tones including crim-
son reds, plums and burnt
oranges.
In the spring and summer,
coral seemed to be very popu-
lar along with creamy whites,
he added.
“We like unique and differ-
ent, more so than traditional
baby’s breath,” he said about
the “filler” used in a bouquet.
“Calcynia is neat” as are
aussie greens foliage from
A bouquet
of choices
Color bursts into
weddings, but ultimately
it’s the bride’s call
Enoch Wu/Sentinel-Tribune
Kelly Andres of Klotz Floral Gift and Garden creates
a bouquet of flowers.
(See FLOWERS on 10)
906 E. Napoleon Rd.,
BG, OH 43402
419-353-8381
1-800-353-8351
facebook.com/klotzfloraldesign
We want to be
the one to
walk with you down the aisle
when you’re about to say
“I do”
decorate your special occasion
be the perfect centerpiece at
your table of honored guests
Call for an appointment with one of our experienced floral designers
Kelly Andres, Floral Designer/Asst. Manager
Linda Henry, Floral Designer
Karen Hollabaugh, Floral Designer

5. 5
By EMILY GORDON
Sentinel Staff Writer
After all the work that
goes into preparing for a wed-
ding, the bride’s stress levels
can be off the charts by the
time she’s ready to say “I do.”
Those in the beauty indus-
try can help alleviate that stress
with professional hair styling,
makeup, manicures and even
massages to assist the bride in
looking and feeling her best on
the big day.
Christol Kratzel’s promise of
raising the bride’s spirits while
getting her photo-ready is
reflected in the name of her
business,BlissSalonandBeauty
Bar.
Her salon is well versed in
the latest wedding beauty
trends and can make an idea
from Pinterest become a reality
in her salon or even by travel-
ing to the bride herself.
“Pinterest is really helpful
with wedding hair trends. I
recently asked a wedding party
if they had any ideas and they
all pulled up Pinterest boards
on their phones,” Kratzel said.
“It makes life a little easier.”
Many brides are showing
her Pinterest pictures of celeb-
rities wearing soft, messy buns,
half-up half-down styles and
long, beachy waves or a fuller
kind of curl that frames the
face, looks that can be achieved
using extensions if the bride’s
hair type and texture don’t
already lend to them.
Various types and sizes of
braids have been popular addi-
tions to the wispy and whimsi-
cal red carpet styles that have
been requested by her “bliss-
lings,” she said.
“Sometimes brides don’t
wanttouseahairpiecebecause
they want to show off earrings,
so a braid is like jewelry for the
hair,”Kratzel said.“You can have
two or three small strands or a
messy side braid. There are so
many different kinds to choose
from.”
Celebrity style isn’t the only
reason for this year’s popular
trends, however.
The hairstyles nicely com-
plement the bride’s gown as
well as the ceremony’s loca-
tion, said Annette Dewar,
owner of A Cut Above Hair and
Nail Salon.
“For a lot of summer brides,
the look has been soft and nat-
ural, less dramatic and severe
to go with the outdoor wed-
ding,” she said. “And you don’t
want to cover up the beautiful,
dramatic backs of the bridal
gowns by having the hair
down.”
The soft colors and fabrics
of the bridesmaids’ gowns, too,
go nicely with the effortless
looking hair, nail and makeup
trends.
Brides are veering away
from a smoky eye and dark lip-
stick for a more natural, subtle
look to complete their soft
ensemble, Dewar said.
A subtly colored nail in neu-
tral tones provides the finish-
ing touch, but some brides still
opt for tradition with French
nails, said.
“A twist with French nails
that brides have done is using
a blush O.P.I over it to soften it
up and look more natural,” she
said. “Even if they choose acryl-
ic nails, they want them shorter
and more natural looking.”
Dewar recommends having
brides come in for a practice
run a week or two before the
wedding to see how her vision
turned out and make any last
minute adjustments.
“They can bring the veil for
us to anchor in. Then we can
ask questions like,‘Do you want
a little more height than this?’”
Pampering before the pomp
Having hair, makeup, manicures
and massages done before the
wedding can be relaxing
Photos by J.D. Pooley/Sentinel-Tribune
Bride-to-be Kayla Wise smiles after having her hair
done at A Cut Above in Bowling Green.
Annette Dewar of A Cut Above, works with bride-to-
be Kayla Wise.
(See PAMPER on 15)
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6. 6
By EMILY GORDON
Sentinel Staff Writer
Everyone’s attention
belongs to the bride and
groom at a wedding, but their
cake steals what’s left at the
reception.
That’s why it can be so dif-
ficult to decide between fon-
dant and buttercream or a tra-
ditional style and a funkier
one, said Jane Patrzalek, owner
ofJane’sCakesandConfections
in Perrysburg.
“Sometimes brides come in
and have no clue what they
want to do because there are
so many designs and patterns
they’ve pulled ideas from,” she
said. “Usually brides tend to
want something more tradi-
tional, but it’s hard to visualize
because wedding cakes are so
ornate now and over the top.”
Choosing the perfect cake
can be overwhelming for the
happy couple, but it’s nothing
Patrzalek can’t help solve with
her 40 years of baking exper-
tise.
This situation calls for an
artist’s rendering, with which
Patrzalek helps brides and
grooms to see their idea and
tone down what may look “cir-
cus-y,” she said.
Pearls, rhinestone ribbons
or edible flowers can give a
wedding cake the “wow fac-
tor” everyone will be expect-
ing on top of classic colors like
blush pink or ivory, so the
Confounding cakes
Cake Do’s, Don’ts
DON’T – Wait too long to schedule a cake tast-
ing. Most bakeries suggest making appointments
seven to nine months before the wedding date.
Look for bakeries that offer evening appointments
to accommodate busy schedules.
DO - Be upfront about your budget. “It’s like if
you try on a $12,000 gown when your budget is
$3,000. You don’t want to do that,” Woodbury
said. “Tell us what you want and if it’s out of your
budget we will work with you to make it less
expensive and keep you within your budget. But
the bride needs to be flexible.”
DON’T – Order a wedding cake entirely one
dark color in buttercream. “If you want an all red
cake or a darker color cake with buttercream,
don’t do it. You’ll end up with red staining your
teeth or your gown,” Woodbury said.
DO – Ask your cake designer if they set up the
cake upon delivery. “Some shops bring it in, set it
down and go away. We don’t just bring in the
goodies; we set the table up, too,” Patrzalek said.
“We can do the table in candlelight or make the
cake look like its sitting in a cloud.”
DON’T – Cut the cake too late. “The sooner
you cut, the better. Cut early in the evening after
the first bride and groom dance before you eat
dinner. That way, you get your pictures and the
kitchen can serve the cake with the food,” Schell
said. “Guests are more likely to take cake with
their dinner and you’ll be left with less extra
cake.”
Bakeries serve up dozens
of choices for weddings

7. 7
effect is subtle, now showy,
she said.
The “shabby chic” look is
also in, with lace or burlap
touches making a wood grain
patterned cake a great choice
for a barn wedding.
The “ombre” look, in which a
cake starts out white at the top
and gradually becomes more
and more pink, for example,
toward the bottom, is also a
popular choice this year,
Patrzalek said.
After color and embellish-
ments, cake shape and texture
can make or break a cake
design.
Round cake shapes and tex-
ture of any kind are two of the
most requested cake styles at
Cherry Lane Cakes in Toledo,
said owner Cindy Woodbury.
“Diamond impressions,
striping, ruffles … anything
not smooth is what people
want,” she said.
Woodbury made wedding
cakes and real buttercream
frosting out of her home in
Rossford for 16 years.
Now working out of a com-
mercial space in Toledo, she
has two best-sellers: a tradi-
tional style “wedding white”
cake with vanilla and almond
flavors and a lemon cake that’s
perfect for summer weddings.
“People love it because it’s
made with real lemons, not
yellow lemon flavoring,” she
said.“It’s a light cake that’s very
refreshing.”
For those who want to let
their personalities shine
through, a “grooms cake” is a
fun option.
“Groom’s cakes” showcase
the groom’s interests, from Star
Wars to football, and can be
served during the rehearsal
dinner or next to the wedding
cake at the reception,
Woodbury said.
But there’s something to be
said about the beauty and
taste of a classically styled
wedding cake.
AtIdealBakeryinGibsonburg
and Fremont, customers keep
coming back for a traditional
stacked, white wedding cake,
said owner John Schell.
“With a family owned busi-
Enoch Wu/Sentinel-Tribune
Cindy Herr, of Ideal Bakery West, decorates a cake. The bakery, which has two
locations in Gibsonburg and Fremont, is family owned and specializes in an
icing that tastes like buttercream.
(See CAKES on 14)
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8. 8
By DEBBIE ROGERS
Sentinel Staff Writer
Erin McKibben and
Dustin Moore’s “I Do Barbecue”
celebrating their marriage was
all about sticking to their style:
non-traditional and stress-free.
When it came time for a
wedding, the Portage couple
didn’t want a fairy godmother
waving a wand and — poof —
a princess, glass slippers, prince
charming and a castle would
appear.
“I’m so laid back. He’s so laid
back. I don’t like to be the cen-
ter of attention,” McKibben
said. “Getting married is all
about family and friends com-
ing together.”
But there was a horse and
carriage involved — driven by
the bride herself.
With the help of neighbors
Debbie Bechstein and Bill
Herrig, who own Old Tyme
Travel, McKibben learned to
drive Clydesdale horses and a
carriage to make a grand
entrance with her wedding
party.
“My favorite parts of the day
were seeing how everything
came together, my friends and
family being there, and driving
the bridal party in the horse
and carriage,” she said. “It was a
huge highlight.”
Erin and Dustin were mar-
ried Sept. 13, 2014 in her par-
ents’ backyard on Cloverdale
Road in front of 100 family and
friends.
They never planned on hav-
ing a huge wedding with all
the fixings. McKibben said she
had watched friends over the
years plan for their big day and
found the idea exhausting.
Looking at flowers, tasting
food, trying on dresses – it all
seemed like endless errands.
They originally intended to
have a destination wedding in
East Port Main on Lake Dale
Hollow, Tennessee, but when
dates didn’t work out for some
guests, they decided to tie the
Couple creates casual and stress-free nuptials
I Do
Barbecue
Photos provided
This sign welcomed guests to Erin McKibben and
Dustin Moore’s I Do Barbecue wedding and recep-
tion. At left, McKibben added a gray tie to her dress
and peacock feathers to her bouquet. Their dog,
Riley, was the ringbearer (opposite page).
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9. 9
knot near home. Her parents,
Terry and Katie McKibben,
offered their home, which is
just down the road from the
newlyweds’ home in rural BG.
Then, one by one, neighbors
and friends, started chipping
in — a hog to roast, horses to
drive, cookies to munch.
The theme was a big, simple
barbecue.
For the meal, they pur-
chased a pig from Jim Lein,
who raised it and roasted it. He
also barbecued the chicken.
Her parents planted corn that
was grilled for the meal.
Her uncle, Rich Blaes, was
the officiant. Her parents’porch
served as the altar.
Flo Klopfenstein, a friend of
her mom’s, baked beans and
created quiche appetizers
using milk from the couple’s
goats.
Beer and lemonade were
iced in troughs. Dustin’s favor-
ite snack, chips and salsa, was
served as an appetizer.
“And for dessert — we’re
not big dessert people — so
we did cookies.”
Her grandmother, Faye
McKibben, made mountains of
them: snickerdoodles, peanut
butter and chocolate chip.
Grandmother Jeanne Blaes
made centerpieces out of sun-
flowers and cattails, and also
bought the bouquets.
Bechstein and Herrig, who
provided the horse and car-
riage, allowed guests to park
on their property, then chauf-
feured them to the wedding
site.
For music, McKibben pur-
chased Pandora for a month
and her dad created a playlist.
The biggest expenses were
for a portable, roomy restroom
and a tent, tables, chairs, lights
and a runner.
She estimated the wedding
cost $5,000.
McKibben stressed that she
wasn’t necessarily trying to
stick to a budget or do a cheap
wedding. Stress-free was the
key, she said.
“We just had a lot of fun.
You’ve just got to have fun
doing it. When you have fun, it
just makes the day and memo-
ries so much better.”
She let intuition and a little
Pinterest guide her decisions.
Her dress was the third one
she tried on at Encore Bridal in
Bowling Green.
“I knew I liked gray, then I
saw gray and yellow and
thought that really worked.”
She added a gray tie to the
boning in the back of her ball
Photo provided
Erin McKibben made bracelets to accent her gown,
and for her bridesmaids, mother and mother-in-
law.
(See BARBECUE on 18)

10. 10
Australia, seeded eucalyptus,
hypericum berries and lambs
ear, he said.
His bouquets range from
$90 to $150 depending on size
and flower type.
Kelly Andres, assistant man-
ager at Klotz Floral Design and
Garden in Bowling Green, said
colors change by season.
Now she’s seeing a lot of
peach and pink shades, as well
as blues, pinks and corals.
“We don’t have a whole lot
of weddings this year, but the
ones we do have tend to be in
those shades,” she said.
The season the wedding is
in impacts the flower choices,
Andres added.
In spring, it’s tulips, daffo-
dils, roses and peonies.
Sunflowers, bold orange lil-
ies and gerbera daisies come
into play in the summer.
In fall, flowers that come in
oranges, bronze, reds and pur-
ples are popular.
“Pastels are real big all year,”
Andres said. In fact, she did
one for an August wedding in
pastels.
The cost of a bouquet is very
custom, she said, depending
on what the bride wants. Each
flower has its own price, she
explained.
The cost ranges from $50 to
$150, she estimated.
“Every bride is different,
each has a different dream,”
said Becky Turner, general
manager of Ken’s Flower Shop
in Perrysburg.
She’s noted a lot of mixed
flowers with organic greenery,
burlap and twine. “Things to
create a lot of texture.” She’s
uses thistle, alstroemeria, and
stock.
Baby’s breath is regaining
popularity, and she has seen
bouquets in nothing but baby’s
breath.
Six months out is usually a
very good time frame to start
discussing flowers, because
colors can change as can the
venue and date.
She said bouquets can range
in price from $75 to $300.
Diane Hoefkens, at Obie’s
Flowers in Pemberville, agreed
that baby’s breath was making
a comeback.
She said technology also is
impacting weddings; she had a
June wedding with a drone to
take photos.
“I have a September out-
door wedding and I’m pretty
sure there will be a drone there
too,” she added.
Pinterest has been good and
bad for florists, she shared.
“The brides focus on a great
idea without thinking through
how much time it takes to
achieve‘the look.’In some cases
‘the look’ becomes very expen-
sive,” Hoefkens said.
Photos by Enoch Wu/Sentinel-Tribune
A finished bouquet of
flowers is shown at Klotz
Floral Gift and Garden.
In the top photo, Michele
Poturalski, of Downtown
Deco in Pemberville,
poses with bouquets.
Flowers
(Continued from 4)
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11. 11
By ALEX ASPACHER
Sentinel Staff Writer
Men in the market for
wedding attire have local
options apart from the chain
stores in larger markets.
The popularity of the classic,
black tuxedo has dipped in
recent years, making way for
more colorful and versatile gar-
ments.
Helping plan the attire for
men can be a varying experi-
ence, said Jamie Zulch, owner
of Jamie’s Seams to Fit in down-
town Bowling Green. Many
either have a specific image in
their minds, while others are
content to go with the flow.
“They’re either very particu-
lar in their tailoring and what
they want, or they’re so easy-
going they just say ‘Whatever
she wants, just put me in,’”
Zulch said.
The way it used to be, brides
handled everything from their
own dress to the accessories of
the groomsmen on the other
side of the aisle. But that’s
changing.
“Now they’re becoming a lot
more involved,” Zulch said.
“There’s a lot more input in
what they’re all wearing.”
But don’t let the change fool
you into thinking anything
other than the bride-to-be is
the focus of the wedding. Most
couples start with her choos-
ing her gown and move on
from there, then selecting
bridesmaids dresses before
considering anything to do
with men’s outfits.
“The bride’s going to get her
wedding gown, you’re going to
pick out whatever dresses that
the girls are all wearing, and
then they sit down and bring it
all together with the tuxedos,”
Zulch said.
Even the bridal gowns aren’t
necessarily traditional any-
more, as some women no lon-
ger want to go with white or
ivory, she added.
“Usually they’ve got a pretty
clear head of what they want. If
not, I’m here to guide them in
any way they need to coordi-
nate and put things together.”
Zulch said gray has become
immensely popular in men’s
suits and tuxedos, a sentiment
shared by Albert Swade, who
owns Kanag Tailoring and
Tuxedos in Maumee.
“The last few years, it’s all
gray, gray, gray,” he said.
There’s a lot of range in that
shade, enough that some men
like to pair a darker gray vest to
a more “platinum” gray outer
suit, Swade said.
Kanag also offers outfits for
children who might have a role
in the wedding, as well as
women’s tuxedo garments like
skirts and pants.
Like at Jamie’s, Swade prides
himself on providing top-notch
customer service that both said
isn’t offered by larger retailers.
“I care about giving them
the best service I can,” he said
of engaged couples.
Zulch said she meets often
with farmers and handles a lot
of rural weddings, so she knows
a formal setting can make some
of them uncomfortable.
“Come in in your Carhartts
and I’m still going to measure
you. It doesn’t matter,” she
said.
“I think you’ll find with any
of my customers, when they
leave here, it’s been a really
comfortable experience. This is
my passion.”
Regardless of their back-
ground, Zulch said she’s com-
mitted to helping people figure
out what they want, even if
they’re not sure at first.
“I want you to have a won-
derful wedding. I want every-
thing to be complete.
“This is the most special day
of your life. You want to look
back on it and say, ‘My gosh,
look how wonderful everybody
looked and felt.’”
Gallant
in gray
Shade has bumped black
tuxedo to back burner Enoch Wu/Sentinel-Tribune
Suits from Jamie’s Seams to Fit are shown. Gray
has become a popular shade.
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12. 12
By PETER KUEBECK
Sentinel Staff Writer
While dresses, flowers
and other elements of a wed-
ding may loom large in the
mind of a bride and groom as
they plan their big day, pick-
ing out the right venue can be
just as crucial.
For those proposing to tie
the knot in Wood County and
surrounding communities,
there are a variety of places to
celebrate.
• Stone Ridge Golf Club,
1553 Muirfield Drive, Bowling
Green.
Kara Higdon, who handles
wedding and reception plan-
ning at the site, and serves as
the in-house wedding coordi-
nator who works with brides,
said Stone Ridge is “a full-ser-
vice event venue.”
One of the features, is that
“we can do both, your ceremo-
nies and receptions. And pop-
ular as far as what potential
So many settings:
Area choices
include gardens,
golf course, grotto
Shane Hughes/Sentinel-Tribune
The Stone Ridge Golf Course makes a beautiful
backdrop for a wedding ceremony.Personal D’Signs
BBG Bridal
Creating Lasting Memories
105 S. Front St.
Fremont, Ohio 43420
419-332-6101
Barbara Moran, Betty Love, Ginny Schepflin
www.personaldesignsfashions.com
GIFT CERTIFICATE
FOR: The BRIDE To Be
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Expires December 31, 2015

13. 13
brides and grooms are looking
for,” meaning they wouldn’t
have to travel between the site
of their wedding and the recep-
tion.
Higdon said that the Stone
Ridge ballroom has a patio that
opens up to overlook the golf
course.
“So it’s kind of a bonus out-
door area that the reception
can use,” she said.
“We do offer to take the
bride and groom out on our
course for pictures.”
She added that the bar at
the site has its own room sepa-
rate from the ballroom.
Stone Ridge can accommo-
date up to 250 guests for cere-
monies and receptions.
The site also features inclu-
sive pricing, so that items like
linens, napkins, chair covers
and sashes are built into the
food and beverage packages.
She also said Stone Ridge
has convenient parking, and
that there are hotels nearby
that offer shuttle services.
• Graystone Banquet Hall
and Conference Center, 29101
Hufford Road, Perrysburg.
Becky Kessler, one of the
managers of the hall, noted
that one of the major features
of the Graystone is its size. A
former roller-rink, the site can
accommodate up to 350 peo-
ple, which still leaves enough
room for a dance floor.
Couples bring in outside
catering to the hall, she said, so
that they are not limited to one
particular style or menu of
foods.
“We also are considered a
do-it-yourself hall. We don’t
really have a whole lot of limi-
tations when it comes to deco-
ration. People are more than
welcome to bring in” their own
decorations or decorators.
The site works with Book
That DJ, their in-house DJ com-
pany. Graystone also features a
number of lighting settings,
and has four flatscreen TVs and
a projector with a screen.
Kessler said that the chief
hall manager, Laura Spiess, also
works on weddings.
“She’s just a great informa-
tional wedding resource.”
• Schedel Gardens, 19255 W.
Portage River South Road,
Elmore.
Veronica Sheets, event coor-
dinator, said the fact that the
gardens is itself an outdoor
venue “is often a unique fea-
ture,” noting “the beauty of the
17-acre gardens.”
“We do have indoor facili-
ties for showers, rehearsal din-
ners and a more intimate
reception. And then tented
receptions are also entertained
out here.”
Schedel, she said, does have
preferred caterers that they
work with, though “we’re not
exclusive with anyone. We do
have bar options. We have our
liquor license here.”
She said that summer tends
to be the more popular for
reception dates at Schedel.
“Actually, June and September
are usually my first to go.”
• Nazareth Hall, 21211 W.
River Road, Grand Rapids.
Sarah Sears, sales and mar-
keting director, said that the
site is “a historical building like
no other in the Northwest Ohio
area. We provide the best cus-
tomer service around. Our
reviews speak for themselves.”
The site also supports wed-
dings.
“We have an amazing out-
door ceremony location called
the Grotto that was built to be
a replica of the grotto in
Lourdes, France... It provides a
beautiful backdrop for a sum-
mer wedding ceremony.”
Nazareth Hall also has an
indoor chapel for ceremonies.
Regarding food, “we offer
inside catering, so we do all of
our own catering. We provide
all of the servers and every-
thing. We have some amazing
cuisine,” Sears said, prepared
by chefs who come up with
“very creative but powerful fla-
vor combinations that many
people enjoy, so it’s not limited
to one ... type of food.”
Photo provided by Capture
Couples can take advantage of the clock tower at Levis Commons for photos
or a ceremony setting, through the Hilton Garden Inn in Perrysburg.
(See SETTINGS on 20)
CHANGE OF SEASONSWomen’s Consignment Shop
Mother of the Groom,
Ellen Boyer,
wearing her sapphire blue gown
purchased at the shop
At River Place -
26597 N. Dixie Hwy.,
Perrysburg
419-872-9300
Mon.-Fri. 10-6
Sat. 10-5

14. 14
ness, through the generations
you get to see a lot of people
you’ve known for years,” Schell
said.
“People come to us who say
my grandfather made so-and-
so’s cake here years ago so they
had to come, too.”
However, his family busi-
ness offers some contempo-
rary flair to dress up tradition,
like incorporating fresh flowers
in the cake design in lieu of
fake flowers or flowers made
out of icing.
There are also six different
flavors of fillings to choose
fromtofillthespaceinbetween
the cake’s layers at no extra
cost, he said.
And, the 93-year-old bakery
offers a solution to the long-
standing frosting debate.
“We’re able to make our
fondant taste like buttercream,
because many people don’t
like the taste of fondant,”Schell
said.“This gives customers that
fondant, rolled on look with
the taste of buttercream. Now
you can have the look you want
with the taste you want.”
(Continued from 7)
Cakes
By STEVE KNOPPER
Associated Press
As she prepared to get
married in 2009, Meg Keene
considered iPods “a small gift
from the wedding gods.”Rather
than hiring a band or DJ, she
and her fiance made their own
playlist of Sir Mix-A-Lot, Frank
Sinatra and Dolly Parton songs
and cranked them on rented
speakers.
Today, with phone apps that
let brides and grooms instantly
play just about any song ever
made, Keene counsels caution.
“It’s easier to screw up, hon-
estly,” says Keene, 35, an
Oakland, California, blogger
and author of “A Practical
Wedding” (Da Capo, 2011).
“People think a great way to DJ
a wedding is to set up a Spotify
playlist or have a Pandora sta-
tion — that tends to not work
very well. Putting a playlist on
at random tends to just go
down in flames.”
Although professional DJs
and wedding planners scoff at
the idea of do-it-yourself
dance-floor playlists, technolo-
gy makes it almost irresistibly
simple. Many venues have
built-in sound systems with
ports for phones and laptops
or even Bluetooth for wireless
audio connections. For more
electronically challenged
churches and gazebos, couples
can rent speakers that can be
connected to a small, afford-
able mixer and a laptop. Google
Cast and Apple’s AirPlay let you
control the playlist remotely.
The trick is coming up with a
playlist. There’s an art to it, as
the staff at Google-owned
Songza has discovered. A year
ago, in the middle of wedding
season, the staff of six full-time
New York curators and a fleet
of freelancers realized they had
no wedding playlist. They cor-
rected that with a dozen spe-
cialized lists, from the Marvin
Gaye-packed“It’sYourWedding
Day!” to “Rustic Outdoor
Wedding,” filled with Avett
Brothers and Mumford and
Sons. Of course, users can and
add their own songs.
“As long as you maintain a
consistent mood, you can real-
ly mix whatever you want from
whatever decade you want,”
says Parry Ernsberger, a cura-
tion expert at Google Play
Music, which oversees the
Songza playlists. “Reading the
room is important.”
Those who DJ their own
weddings run into several chal-
lenges. They have to provide
different playlists for different
settings, from here-comes-the-
bride tearjerkers for the cere-
mony to cocktail music to
dance music. They have to find
the right balance between
familiar, “YMCA”-type anthems
and obscurities that risk clear-
ing the dance floor. And they
must do all this while greeting
guests and making sure drunk
uncles avoid face-planting into
the cake.
“It can really be pulled off,”
Keene says. “But it’s not some-
thing that you can sort of look
away and be like, ‘That will
work itself out.’ It takes some
work.”
Keene recommends crafting
a fully formed iTunes playlist,
with a beginning, middle and
end, including a series of “big,
raging dance-party numbers”
followed by a cool-down song.
Pay attention, she says, to the
early part of the reception,
when older guests want to hear
Benny Goodman’s “Sing, Sing,
Sing” or Ray Charles’ “What’d I
Say.” Later, friends and family
might want to hear Kesha and
hip-hop. (She also recommends
using iTunes’ cross-fade func-
tion to avoid awkward silences
between tracks; backing up the
playlist on several phones; and
depending on a mobile stream-
ing service only as a last resort,
since Internet connections can
be unreliable.)
Not everyone is sold on DIY
wedding playlists. Asked for an
interview, one prominent New
York wedding planner sniffed,
“That does not make sense at
all. None of our clients have
ever been interested in some-
thing like this.”
“Really, my experience?
We’ve always hired the profes-
sionals,” adds Trudy Baade,
president of the American
Association of Certified
Wedding Planners. “There’s so
much to plan.”
But Evan Minsker, 27, spent
months making a playlist for
his May 2014 wedding — then
wrote about the process for
indie-rock website Pitchfork.
He built a reception soundtrack
full of sure things (Outkast’s
“Hey Ya!”), novelties (Eddie
Murphy’s “Party All the Time”)
and lesser-known, Pitchfork-
friendly favorites (Todd Terje’s
“Inspector Norse”).
Minsker, who lives in Ann
Arbor, Michigan, highly recom-
mends the process.
“It was honestly the most
fun and meditative part about
putting together my wedding.”
DIY wedding playlist?
Doable but demanding
This Google Play Music photo shows selections
from the Rustic Outdoor Wedding radio.

15. 15
Dewar said. “It takes the stress
away to see the final product,
to know how you’ll look and
that you’re going to be happy
with it. It’s like a dress rehears-
al for the big day.”
If the bride is still jittery, she
can always get an award-win-
ning massage to eliminate the
lingering stress.
Gretchen Camera from
Gallery Salon and Spa, the
Sentinel-Tribune’sBestMassage
in Wood County Winner of
2014, always recommends a
massage to brides who make
appointments for their hair
and makeup.
“The Friday before the wed-
ding, the bride and mother of
the bride can get massages,
then Saturday get their hair
and makeup done with the rest
of the wedding party,” Camera
said.
The wedding photographer
is invited to take shots of the
bride, moms and maids pre-
paring for the ceremony.
“It’s really fun. We clear off
the table so they can bring in
Panera and mimosas,” she said.
“We’re here to make everyone
feel relaxed and comfortable.
We’re happy to let them take
over for a couple of hours
because it’s their day.”
Pamper
(Continued from 5)
Photos by J.D. Pooley/Sentinel-Tribune
Bridesmaids Ashley Pierce (left) and Samantha Bottesch take a selfie while
waiting for Pierce’s hair to set. Below, bride Kayla Wise has her makeup applied
after having her hair done. Pierce has her hair in rollers at A Cut Above.
2850 W. Sylvania Ave., Toledo, OH 43613
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16. 16
The David Tutera line that
Encore Bridal offers gives
brides not only the popular
blush pink color so many are
looking for, but also soft shades
of other pastel colors like blue
and green.
“I had one young lady who
wanted a hint of yellow. She
ended up with a ball gown
with a butter color underneath
an organza overlay and layers
of tulle to soften it up,” Welling
said. “It was really pretty.”
Color is one bridal trend
where seemingly anything
goes, said Barbara Moran, co-
owner of Personal D’signs –BBG
Bridal in Fremont.
“White isn’t the issue any-
more. Not even ivory. We have
dresses with lace overlays on
top of satin skirts of cham-
pagne, light mocha and taupe,”
Moran said.“Silver dresses look
especially good in winter wed-
dings with the snow.”
Moran’s shop carries design-
ers such as Alfred Angelo, PC
Mary’s and Jasmine, offering
dresses between $800 and
$1,000.
The shop does not carry
duplicate dresses, meaning if a
bride tries on a dress and falls
in love with it, she can snatch it
up without anyone else get-
ting it, Moran said.
Welling’s sample gowns also
give brides the chance to wear
a design that others won’t.
This year’s styles are cov-
eted for their illusion backs,
lace tattoos and sleeves,
whether they’re short or long,
she said.
“BG is a traditional place.
There’s more couture in the big
cities, but every town will have
girls with flare that want some-
thing different than everybody
else,” she said. “Samples offer
that specialness since each one
is distinct from the other.”
However, if a bride really
likes a dress but feels that it is
lacking a certain something,
Welling and her seamstress can
help bring her ideas to life by
customizing the dress, some-
thing that not every bridal
shop offers.
“One girl had a sheath gown
covered in pearls and dripping
crystals. Our seamstress cus-
tomized it even further from a
square neckline to an illusion
neckline in front, with a sweet
Dresses
Photos by Enoch Wu/Sentinel-Tribune
Deb Fleckner (center) models a dress from Personal D’signs — BBG Bridal in
Fremont with her daughter Angie Young and granddaughter Ella Young, 3.
(Continued from 3)
The Bridal Emporium“Making Every’s Girls Dream Come True”
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Bridal Accessories &Veils
29 E Auglaize St,
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17. 17
heart cut that put that gown
off the charts,”Welling said.
“You’re not going to find
that on any other bride in
Ohio.”
Brides also want dresses no
one else will wear during their
destination weddings.
Moran advises brides to
make sure their vision of a
wedding dress fits the scenery
and weather of where they are
getting married, whether its
on a beach in Jamaica or in the
rose garden of the Hayes
Presidential Center in Fremont.
“One bride of mine wore a
high-low ivory chiffon dress
that was great for the beach,”
she said.
“It had to be, her groom is a
boat captain. She wore that
dress with a short sleeved ivory
bolero on the boat and it was
perfect.”
For glitz and glamour with a
personal shopping experience,
Ann Arbor’s The Gown Shop
now has a Perrysburg location.
The new location of The
Gown Shop, located on
Louisiana Avenue, opened in
August to better serve its
Toledo-area clients.
“The Toledo based bride is
more traditional and classic,
which is what the gown shop is
all about,” said owner Stacy
Fork. “Low backs, lace and vin-
tage styles are what the girls
are looking for.”
The shop not only stocks
gowns from Mikaella Bridal,
Hayley Paige, Blush by Hayley
Paige, Paloma Blanca and Tara
Keely, but it also has brides-
maid’s dresses to match the
romantic designs of the wed-
ding gowns.
“We have chiffon brides-
maids dresses in blush and
gray,” Fork said.
“Chiffon has always been
popular because in the
Midwest, people tend to marry
in the warmer months. It’s
lightweight and less struc-
tured, so you’re able to move
freely,” she said.
The Gown Shop’s dresses
start at $2,000 and reach up to
$6,000.
Brides must make appoint-
ments to shop so they can get
stylists’ undivided attention
and service, Fork said.
“The shop is closed to any-
one but them. That’s the expe-
rience girls want,” she said.
“Sashes, headbands, floral
details … everything a bride
needs from head to toe, we
have it.”
For a second wedding or
more casual wedding apparel
and designer shoes, clutch
bags and accessories, a Change
of Seasons Consignment in
Perrysburg is a one-stop shop
for formal wear worn only
once.
“We have the perfect selec-
tion for mothers or grandmoth-
ers of the bride or groom or a
guest of a wedding who wants
something a littler dressier
than what’s in her closet,” said
Betty Hill, owner.
“If the bride wants to mix
and match bridesmaids gowns,
she can do that here, too.”
Hill’s store also carries dress-
es from Bella Amour, brand
new gowns from a locally
owned downtown Toledo brid-
al shop, as well as evening wear
from J. Jill, White House Black
Market and Banana Republic.
“People who go to David’s
bridal will pay $400 to $500,
but here you will get that qual-
ity at a better price,” she said.
Angie Young and her daughter, Ella, model.
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18. 18
gown. The seamstress also
changed the train so it was all
lace and short. The satin waist-
band was embellished with a
tulle flower.
Dustin’s tie was yellow, as
close to a sunflower as they
could match.
Her bridesmaids, Lauren
Sherman, Megan Ferguson and
Ann Benshoff, were on their
own for their attire.
“I just told them a hue of
gray and whatever’s comfort-
able.”
As the big day approached,
they added yellow shawls to
complement the colors and
ward off a September evening
chill.
McKibben made her brides-
maids, mother and mother-in-
law bracelets, and one for her-
self, with help from Coyote
Beads. She did her own invita-
tions and “save-the-dates” with
assistance from BG Printing.
The groomsmen, Justin
Wright, Casey Hamilton and
Nick Augur, wore jeans topped
off with a dress shirt and vest,
from Jamie’s Seams to Fit.
The flower girl was her niece,
Skylynn Vogel.
Everyone in the wedding
party wore cowboy boots.
The ring bearer needed
even less preparation. Erin and
Dustin tied the rings to the col-
lar of their dog, Riley, an
Australian-shepherd mix. Their
other dogs are Jade and
Brodie.
McKibben is shelter manag-
er for the Wood County
Humane Society, which was
“showered” with donations for
her bridal shower. She said she
and Dustin, who met in 2006 at
the University of Findlay, didn’t
need the basics for setting up a
household and named the
WCHS as their benefactor.
Dustin is a conductor for
Norfolk Southern. His parents
are Joyce and Tim Moore and
Mike Moore.
There’s only been one sec-
ond-guess since the big day.
McKibben said in hindsight she
probably would have paid for a
professional photographer to
capture the event.
Still, she’s not disappointed
in the three people who volun-
teered to take photographs.
They all got interesting angles
and different shots.
Barbecue
(Continued from 9)
Photos provided
The bridesmaids were asked to wear gray dresses and cowboy boots. The yel-
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19. 19
Erin McKibben learned to drive a horse and car-
riage so she could transport her wedding party to
the ceremony. At right, McKibben and husband
Dustin Moore at their “I Do Barbecue.”
And while most newlyweds
on the day after the ceremony
are taking off on a honeymoon
or opening gifts, McKibben
and Moore were shucking
corn.
“The biggest thing was the
leftover corn. I didn’t want it to
go to waste, so we spent a few
hours cutting it and freezing
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20. 20
She described the building
itself as “majestic and beauti-
ful. We do quite a bit to pre-
serve it” as it was built.
• Riverview Banquet Centre,
405 E. Front St., Pemberville.
Jennifer Schuerman, hall
secretary and event manager,
said in an email that the
Riverview, which is also the
location of the American
Legion in Pemberville, is “a
well-appointed hall with a full
kitchen facility available. We
can accommodate up to 250
guests and have a generous
dance floor space. You can use
any licensed caterer to provide
your meal. The Legion mem-
bers offer a steak and/or chick-
en dinner as an option as well.”
The site offers a full-service
bar. The hall can be decorated
to the specifications of the
bride and groom, she said.
“Ample parking is available
and outdoor space is possible
if desired.”
She noted it is a 15-minute
drive from Bowling Green,
Genoa, Rossford and Bradner.
• Hilton Garden Inn, 6165
Levis Commons Blvd.,
Perrysburg.
Information from Brittney
Kennelly, wedding and cater-
ing manager at the site, noted
that the hotel is located in the
open-air Levis Commons shop-
ping center, which offers a
number of shops and nearby
restaurants.
Outdoor ceremonies can be
performed at the nearby clock
tower pavilion, and the hotel
specializes in customized
menus; the ballroom at the site
has been newly renovated.
All wedding packages
include chair covers in the cou-
ple’s choice of colors, a bar,
hors d’oeuvres, centerpieces
and a complimentary suite on
the wedding night. Newlyweds
are also welcomed back to cel-
ebrate their one-year anniver-
sary with another night’s stay.
Rooms for rehearsal dinners
and breakfasts following the
wedding are also available.
Discounts and concessions are
available for Friday and Sunday
wedding receptions, which the
information stated are becom-
ing quite popular.
Blocks of rooms are also
available for guests.
• Hilton Garden Inn, 1050
Interstate Drive, Findlay.
Michelle Slattery, director of
sales, said that she works with
the brides from the moment
they inquire at the site. She
said that she is present the day
of the reception.
“I think what makes us dif-
ferent is, first off, we’re a new
property, so that’s” an attrac-
tion.
“We can handle the most
people in Findlay in our events
venue, which is another great
attraction piece for us. I think
the Hilton brand alone sets for
us something that people rec-
ognize and gives them com-
fort.
“But it really comes down to
our staff,” said Slattery. “I’ve
gotten so many emails recent-
ly”from brides or their mothers
and“they’ve all commented on
how wonderful our staff is,
how great they work together,
and how much of a wonderful
evening it was.
“I think there are a lot of
things that play into why we
have weddings and why we do
as well as we do, but I think the
biggest part is our customer
service.”
Settings
(Continued from 13)
Photo provided
Schedel Gardens has 17 acres of beauty in Elmore.
Shane Hughes/Sentinel-Tribune
Tool around in a golf cart at Stone Ridge Golf Course after the ceremony.