With a gown as magnificent as this, a bride as stunning, a venue as striking ... you just KNOW the film and the photos and will be spectacular!

Red Gallery Photo 001

images by Red Gallery Photography

Red Gallery Photo 005

see Michelle & Eddie's photo gallery here!

Red Gallery Photo 004

Viva Bella Events planned and designed the dazzling celebration! You can see more of Michelle's scrumptious Vera Wang gown on Viva Bella's blog.

Red Gallery Photo 002

Red Gallery Photo 003

Red Gallery Photo 006

Eddie and Michelle were married in Cincinnati and asked the fellows at 31 FILMS to fly out and shoot their wedding. According to Aaron, from the beginning ~ Michelle was totally up front about what she wanted in their wedding film. "She wanted something fresh and unique ... she loved the dreamy look and nostalgia of vintage super-8mm film. But she also loved the crisp, ultra-real look of HD video - so we merged the two! Michelle and Eddie were a pleasure to work with! Even though the wedding day clearly revolved around them, they wanted to be sure that their friends and family were highlighted throughout the day as well.

Enjoy their film from 31 FILMS ...

Michelle & Edward - The Highlight (HD+8mm) from 31Films on Vimeo

from the beautiful bride ...

Having lived in cities like Paris and NYC, the search for the right venue in the city of Cincinnati was somewhat challenging, not to mention it was a long distance wedding location. At the time of planning our wedding, the groom-to-be lived in Detroit, MI. I lived in New York City and my family is from Philadelphia, PA. The sole reason for choosing Cincinnati, OH as our wedding destination was because of my future parents-in-law. With Eddie being the only son it was important for his parents to have the big party in their hometown and I wanted to make them happy because they are fascinating people and amazing parents. After several months of relentlessly searching both online and whenever we were able to be on site in the city, we finally found an amazing historic building occupied by the Hilton Netherland Plaza hotel.

My first choice was more of a contemporary and trendy ‘MoMA’ type of place, but since I couldn’t have that to the exact specs in a smaller city, I decided to go for something with romance and character, something that would remind me of my fond memories of my days living in Paris. The Hall of Mirrors (the grand ballroom of the hotel) immediately brought me back in time to a place I loved and cherished during my stay in France, château de Versailles. Okay, maybe I am exaggerating or daydreaming just a bit, but it’s all about your imagination, right? And it’s all about your hopes and dreams when it comes to planning the biggest event of your life! And then my hopes and dreams just came together perfectly when my long lost blood father showed up in my life just 9 months before my wedding day, and walked me down the aisle.

To twist it up a bit more, he and his entire family are practically neighbors of my future parents-in-laws residing in Columbus, OH. This is a very long story with full of twists and turns and fate that perhaps you will find in a memoir, and hopefully in a motion picture, someday…stay tuned! The event came together just as I have imagined and dreamed of all my life. It started out with finding the perfect wedding planner who was able to figure me out very quickly. She was the key to the success of the event, who was patient, beautiful, kind-hearted, and very bright. She basically carried out the vision I had, but with the added details I failed to imagine, being the big-picture “don’t sweat the small stuff” kind of person that I am. She also came equipped with an A-list of vendors that all contributed to the great success of the event.

The list of my favorite vendors and key contributors - Dora Manuel, wedding planner & event designer of Viva Bella Events – responsible for how I found the Hall of Mirrors, which was featured on her website, and the breathtaking design of the entire event, along with all the other fabulous vendor recommendations. Robyn Adinamis, event manager of the Hilton – responsible for running the terrific staff that executed Dora’s visions perfectly, and for being fabulous and the cutest pregnant little lady I’ve ever met! Amy Owens, owner and designer of Amo-Ink Custom Stationery – responsible for creating the theme colors of the entire event and the invitations that everyone adored, and for being a wonderful and pleasant companion throughout the entire process. Kelly & Kelly, designers of Eden Floral Boutique – responsible for creating the most amazing pieces of work that took everyone’s breath away when they entered the room, and for being brilliant enough to capture my imaginations in just 90 minutes of face-to-face encounter. Clay & Lisa Justice of Red Gallery Photography – responsible for creating amazing ideas that came together in beautiful images for our engagement session, the bridal couture, and of course the big day. They are one of cutest couples I’ve met who are full of magical talents and a pleasure to work with. Aaron & Rachel Tharpe of 31films – responsible for capturing all the best moments of the event. Aaron’s talent is unmatched and he is one of the best decisions I’ve made during the wedding planning process, as demonstrated here in the wedding film highlight! Indira Rivera of Mark Ingram Bridal Atelier NYC – responsible for choosing the perfect bridal dress with her very first recommendation as soon as I walked into her door. She took a good look at me and said “I have the perfect dress for you, it’s the same Very Wang dress that Carrie Bradshaw wore in the SATC movie”. It was indeed love at first sight and Indira made it a memorable experience with her beauty and elegance. Crystal Henize-Rieger of Eye-Do Makeup and Eyelash Design – responsible for making me a beautiful bride and for recommending a great hair stylist Valerie Blackburn of Reveal Salon. You two make the perfect team in every way. Thank you all for contributing your amazing talents and your relentless efforts in making our day a day we will forever remember and cherish.