Live Wedding Show Interviews

Sharon Rumsey  0:00  
The powers that be finally let us out of our studio and allowed us to attend a luxury wedding show at the seelbach Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky. Produced by ShaFox events,

Michael Gaddie  0:10  
We had an amazing time speaking with several engaged couples, some with their parents, and even some with their entourage.

Kristina Stubblefield  0:17  
Join us for this week's episode to hear a sweet engagement story and learn how everyone we met finds wedding shows inspirational for ideas and getting a better feel for local vendors. 

You got engaged. Congratulations. Happy. Yes. joyful time. Of course. Now what timelines to do lists and checklists. 100% Don't worry, you're in the right place. Welcome to The Ring The Bling And All The Things. Hi, I'm Kristina Stubblefield, one of your hosts, along with my two good friends, Michael Gaddie and Sharon Rumsey. We have over 50 years of wedding industry experience between us. We have seen it, heard it, done it and found a way around it. We are here to get you from down on one knee to down the aisle. Our podcast will cover everything from you saying yes to the I do's and all that happens in between. So buckle up and enjoy the journey. Now let's get started with this episode.

Sharon Rumsey  1:40  
We're here today live at the famous seelbach Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky at a wedding show one of the best wedding shows of the year. We're so excited. We are talking to engage couple, Keith and Zach who are actually getting married. Wait for it. today. They are leaving the wedding show going to the Capitol to get married and then they're planning an epic reception on the beleive level. next fall. Correct. That is correct. Tell us a little bit about yourselves. What led you to the bow? I think that's so fun. I would love to do that. What What led you there?

Unknown Speaker  2:13  
Yeah, so I think I'm from Lowell and Keith from owensboro I've always been on benefactor fan of the bell oval just since I was a kid and then like a couple years ago something struck me just that oh my god i that would be so cool for a wedding. Because I've been to plenty of weddings here in Louisville and it's just a venue is a venue but the bell oval it's about a level it's different. We're kind of going for like the masquerade New Orleans theme strictly not Mardi Gras. I'm very clear about

Michael Gaddie  2:43  
it. Could you be on the bell? Exactly.

Unknown Speaker  2:44  
Yeah, like more of like a river riverboat. So that's kind of like what we're going with as squads. So yeah, that's kind of what brought us to the extreme,

Sharon Rumsey  2:53  
like the whole steamboat era. Pulling that all the way through that wedding with food and decor. Oh my god. Yeah. So much.

Unknown Speaker  3:01  
And then we're, we're debating between a live band DJ and or both. We have a DJ in mind, but it's a live bands that we just want to make, you know, you got to be picky.

Michael Gaddie  3:11  
I'm sure

Sharon Rumsey  3:12  
they have bands, they have like an emcee that comes with and man they do an awesome job. Yes, exactly. And

Unknown Speaker  3:17  
we're gonna do our wedding. The legal portion today, but we're gonna change on the top of the boat. And then we'll have the reception in the middle of the boat. Sounds so fun.

Michael Gaddie  3:28  
So what are you what are you here today scalping out.

Unknown Speaker  3:30  
I think we're more so just looking for the little parts. You know, like, if it's not the florist, it's like the the person did because we want doughnuts. We don't we're not a fan of cake. So we're, we have a few in mind. But just those little trinkets the party favors the the photographer the like we looked at we've seen someone who does like a live painting of your That's amazing.

Sharon Rumsey  3:51  
Wedding last month, we had a live painter. And it was amazing. She came in a little bit early and she painted the reception space. And then after you know she had that kind of painted out. And then the couple what they chose to have her do for them was their first dance. So she just added painted them into the first date. You know it into those scenes she'd already painted. And she was done by the time the wedding was over.

Michael Gaddie  4:19  
I would highly recommend that I

Unknown Speaker  4:21  
be very specially like what the what the what the how the bell looks in and that'll be so much fun. Yes.

Sharon Rumsey  4:25  
So much fun. I just want to give a shout out if you're looking for some of the extra fun things a little chocolate fountains in their crime. Oh my goodness, like I fell in there. As soon as this is over. Definitely try that.

Michael Gaddie  4:37  
Well, you guys have a wonderful day, enjoy planning or fail and stop by and see us when you're good. And we definitely well. Thank you. All right,

Sharon Rumsey  4:43  
magic on.

Kristina Stubblefield  4:46  
Okay, so we've caught up with Taylor and Brad, who they are using Ellen Fox for their wedding planning. So Taylor, share with me, your wedding date. We're getting married on April 28 I can't 2022 Okay, now, what venue are you using? We're getting married at St. Louis virgin church, and then the reception is at the brown hotel. Awesome. Awesome. So, how do you like working with Ellen? She's great. She makes my life so much easier than it otherwise would be. So tell me, what did you come to today's wedding show? What did you all want to learn or take away from today's show? Brad, you can feel free to speak come on up here. Oh,

Unknown Speaker  5:27  
really, just to make sure we weren't missing anything. But also just to kind of see what was out there in terms of, you know, different vendors and, you know, other small businesses that, you know, we could potentially support, you know, in our wedding, so

Kristina Stubblefield  5:40  
awesome. So for those that are out there that are listening, that may just got engaged, do you recommend that they come out to a wedding show?

Unknown Speaker  5:50  
I would for sure, um, because, you know, I don't know much about weddings, even with. Thankfully, Elon is such a good planner that we don't really have to fret about it too much. But just to come on here and make sure that you know, we weren't missing anything. And, you know, just making sure that like I said, we were checking all the boxes, and but even if we even if there were better options that we hadn't thought of, then hopefully we would catch that here.

Kristina Stubblefield  6:13  
So for the grooms that are listening, or the brides for engaged couples as a whole, a lot of times we see the bride and the entourage come, but do you feel like it's beneficial for the groom? at the wedding show? Yes. Yeah. Yeah. Good time. Yeah.

Unknown Speaker  6:32  
I feel like I fit right in. It wasn't like, I didn't feel out of place or anything. So

Kristina Stubblefield  6:37  
good. Okay, Taylor, your turn. Go ahead and share with me. Oh, yeah, absolutely. We

Unknown Speaker  6:42  
had such a good time. Yesterday, I told him we were going to a wedding show though. And I told him it was like a variety show with audience participation. So he was a little bit scared. But he's a trooper and came anyway. Got

Kristina Stubblefield  6:55  
a little relieved, right. Well, there's

Unknown Speaker  6:57  
a lot of cake. So that made it better. So

Kristina Stubblefield  7:00  
there's a bonus to come in. You get to snap and have to dance either. So that's not Yeah, right. Oh, yeah. Right. All right. Well, thank you so much for stopping by and sharing with us. And I'm glad you all came out today. Thank you.

Sharon Rumsey  7:13  
I'm so pumped. We have been here at the seelbach wedding show all morning. And we have been talking to the sweetest engaged couples. But my favorites here with us now because they're actually a client of mine. And Mike's, we have MacKinnon grant with us. They're getting married next year, July 30. And we our special day, a special day because it's my birthday. I got to spend my birthday with me. But anyway, we're so excited for their wedding. And they have just attended their very first ever wedding show. And we are anxious to hear what you guys think it was awesome.

Unknown Speaker  7:46  
There's so many things to do. And different things that we never would have thought about. We saw a painter. Very cool. So we're thinking like maybe during the reception back in the corner, guests can kind of see what's going on. And then it was pretty cool, because they have a card that they would send out later that has the actual finished painting on it. And that would be a thank you to all the guests could actually see they're seeing it during the night. I love it.

Unknown Speaker  8:13  
Yeah, so I thought I was just going to get some free champagne. That's why. That's why I agreed to come. But I got in here. And there's just so many people so helpful. They're all just wanting to make our day special day even more special and not really trying to sell us anything just they're here for us. And however which way they can accommodate us. So we ended up stopping in every booth and I wasn't disappointed with any of them. I just had a really good time in there. It

Unknown Speaker  8:38  
did remind us how thankful we are to have an awesome wedding planner, because we would go through and say, oh, done have that done.

Michael Gaddie  8:48  
Yeah, that was awesome. Well, going back to the painting, I mean, that's something that you're going to be able to cherish the rest of your life.

Unknown Speaker  8:56  
For that I'm probably the one has not the strongest opinions on stuff. But when I see something, it's like no. Gotta be there. It

Sharon Rumsey  9:07  
feels that strongly about something. Okay, okay, so what are you guys gonna have the painter paint a first dance ceremony,

Unknown Speaker  9:15  
we're thinking it would be kind of cool to our venues at the Gillespie downtown on Market Street in Louisville. And so it'd be kind of cool to have him maybe even up in the loft, a mezzanine area painting down down. All the ones kind of look the same. It was on the same level. So that'd be very unique and very fun. And then people would be able to see him during cocktail hour painting. And then finally the finished product later.

Sharon Rumsey  9:40  
I'm so excited for that will be cool. And I know we've talked about some little extra fun touches. What have we been thinking about for those little add ons that may be if the budget allows.

Unknown Speaker  9:50  
So we saw a chocolate fountain but what they didn't show is the case so fountain chefs my favorites in case so being McKenna for dinner We'll just let's just go get some chips in case so and maybe once a week we'll just eat like chips and cheese for dinner. So

Unknown Speaker  10:07  
definitely that's,

Unknown Speaker  10:08  
that's definitely more of an us than I would say chocolate fountain, I'm

Michael Gaddie  10:12  
sure

Unknown Speaker  10:13  
that we're definitely going to have to take a look, that would be a lot of fun. And I would be on Team case. So more than team chocolate.

Sharon Rumsey  10:20  
So our next wedding planning meeting is not at a coffee shop it is it chips in case Oh, yeah.

Michael Gaddie  10:29  
So tell us talking to other couples? What What are you? Are you getting out of the show that to get other people to come?

Kristina Stubblefield  10:37  
Okay, repeat that again. So

Michael Gaddie  10:38  
if they're if another bride and groom is coming to the show, do you recommend them? For sure coming here? Oh, absolutely.

Unknown Speaker  10:47  
You can just see a different perspective to see if I was looking for a photographer, it would only come up with searches. And it would all basically be the same thing here you're getting, oh, here's the photographer. And here's what the actual work looks like I get to talk to you in person, I get to see your personality and what you're like, I think,

Michael Gaddie  11:05  
yeah, on one communication with each other is our flower

Unknown Speaker  11:08  
appointment. The florist appointment was wonderful. And that was because you have to have your personality and see who you are.

Sharon Rumsey  11:13  
I think that's so important. I mean, look at how well we've gotten to know each other, just in the short time that we've been working together, having that good fit with your vendors, because they're going to spend the most important day of your life with you. So you want to make sure that you're comfortable that they're comfortable that everybody's having a good time. And we are going to blow it out in July.

Unknown Speaker  11:33  
One of the reasons why I've waited to book hair and makeup because they're gonna be with me for six hours, the morning my wedding. So I want to meet these people first before booking anything. Beautiful.

Michael Gaddie  11:43  
It's almost a year away. It'll be here before you know it. And we're excited for you guys. So excited. Thank you all so much for being here today.

Sharon Rumsey  11:51  
Wedding magic next July. We're gonna work hard until then. And maybe you guys can come on and actually talk to us about your planning. And then we'll have you on after and chat a little bit about what married life looks like.

Michael Gaddie  12:07  
We've got another great couple here with us. We've got Shayla and Carter. So tell us, how did you What do you think about the bridal show? Oh, it

Unknown Speaker  12:15  
was so helpful. We saw some really great vendors in there got some really good ideas. And so now we just we're gonna go home, discuss this out and talk it out with my father who's been playing a huge role in helping us.

Michael Gaddie  12:27  
This is good to have the parents involved. That's good. So what's your first thing that you're your priority? on trying to start with a wedding? I mean, if you got your venue yet,

Unknown Speaker  12:37  
yes, we booked the seal bag actually as our venue. Okay, got that checked out. And since we got engaged this past December, and it was kind of during COVID times where it was high. We went ahead and booked a lot of our big venues and vendors first, so we didn't have to worry about that later on. So we're down to like little details. We did our venue. What else we have a band, a band, our photographer videographer.

Unknown Speaker  13:07  
And we also have a painter. Yeah, live wedding.

Michael Gaddie  13:10  
A lot of people are talking about that painter and I'm telling you our last couple just got it. I think that's amazing. That's gonna be something you're gonna be able to keep the rest of your life. Yeah, so

Sharon Rumsey  13:18  
when I sit down What are you gonna have the painter paint first dance ceremony? I think our first dance Yeah. I love that. Yeah. What are we still looking for? Because I know here at the seelbach that comes with catering and bar. So that's three big check marks right off. What are you still looking for?

Unknown Speaker  13:37  
So we're still looking for progress for us. Like chairs like table settings?

Unknown Speaker  13:44  
Yes. Thank you. Entertainment wise, just up lighting, things like that. But we were looking at the cold spark machines for like either grand entrance are a lot of people talked about that. That's really cool.

Unknown Speaker  13:57  
Yeah. And I didn't even think of that before. When I saw it. I was like, I would really like that. Why not?

Unknown Speaker  14:03  
Yeah, I was like, if we did the live painter did the first dance and had the sparks that would look really awesome. So

Michael Gaddie  14:09  
yeah. So can you share with us your engagement story? Oh, boy.

Sharon Rumsey  14:17  
Oh, he's blushing.

Unknown Speaker  14:19  
Yeah, so about a week before I actually proposed to where I got the got her engagement ring together and I was I was texting my parents. I texted her mom, my siblings, even her brothers showing them off and obviously told them not to say anything to her and and it took me about a couple weeks to put together put together this video where I was just it was me talking saying what she's meant to me over the years since we've since we since we started talking in 2016. And just like photos from over the years as well and at the And it showed me like getting down on one knee, like, in the same clothes I was wearing at the time. So it was like, it was like, it was like transitioning from the video to me actually being there. A lot. I asked that question. Turn around in the same outfit. Oh, man. And she didn't say Yes, right away. She was just like she was. She was speechless. petrified. She was like, Is this real? Is that yes. And she's like, yes.

Sharon Rumsey  15:37  
Cry so hard. I feel like I cried. Oh, I'm

Michael Gaddie  15:41  
on cry right now. The next three days after those? Yeah.

Unknown Speaker  15:46  
Right after that happened. We texted our friends, our families, we went to go see our families. Yeah, we went to go see our Facebook official.

Unknown Speaker  15:54  
Yeah. Yeah. Then we did our arounds we went to my mom's his dad's his mom's his grandparents and like, got to celebrate with all of them. So that was really fine.

Michael Gaddie  16:07  
So it's may 21 21st, or 22. Well, congratulations, thank you so much, we can help you in any way. Give me a call, I'd love to talk to you. So congratulations. And I appreciate you being here. And hopefully after during your ceremony or during your planning of the wedding. We'll reach out to you and we'll try to have you on and also after the wedding so we can get belts after wedding. Excellent. That would be so much. It would be Friday. Thank you all so much.

Sharon Rumsey  16:38  
We are here with another nother group of people that came today to the seelbach wedding show. We have a mother of the bride and a bride and I went oh much with mothers and daughters in my business. And one of the things I always say is you love each other and you want to love each other just as much if not more when it's over. So it's a hard thing sometimes when everybody has an opinion. You guys tell us your names. Hi,

Unknown Speaker  17:04  
I'm the bride. I'm Hannah. And here's my mom. Julie. Hi, bride's mother.

Michael Gaddie  17:10  
So you're both out of town. You flew in this? Well, this weekend to start planning.

Unknown Speaker  17:17  
They got engaged. And they started talking. You talk about the relationship and I started hearing things on the phone. It was very clear to me that I needed to get a plane ticket in about an hour and show up for the weekend.

Michael Gaddie  17:33  
So you do have two important things done. You've got your dress and you've got the venue. Yes, yes. Yes, absolutely. So what how did the show help you today? To get some ideas.

Unknown Speaker  17:45  
We saw some of the DJs. And we the floros. And the desert with the chocolate fountain. So

Michael Gaddie  17:52  
love the

Unknown Speaker  17:54  
ideas we needed to fill in on the vendor scale. We just didn't have time, appointment wise, we needed to do the big appointments. We don't have time to do it. Great that there happened to be this venue to run through and quick have a conversation because we're decision makers. We need to have point of contact but being from out of town, I can't just come back.

Michael Gaddie  18:17  
Yeah, you get it. And that's why you have to have a good wedding planner.

Unknown Speaker  18:20  
Exactly. Well, that's the next step. And we got the first two. And that's the next step. For us. This is how we get to make this happen without killing each other killing each other. mothers and daughters, you know, yeah, the thing I say is, you know, that sounded really disrespectful to me. So I'm just gonna hang up the phone right now. And when you decide that you've got a little bit of respect in there, you can call me back. And then we'll go I know, right? Oh, my

Sharon Rumsey  18:52  
wedding planner is when I'm getting the call from the mom and the text from the bride at the same time. Tell me their side of a story that I don't know anything about. That's my favorite. Yeah. But honestly, when we when we work through together, it actually is a lot of fun for a mother to daughter to plan their wedding. And there's a lot of joy in the process. So I hope that for you guys so much. And it sounds like you've made your biggest decisions. Yeah. And you know, get that good wedding planner. Hope it's me.

Unknown Speaker  19:18  
You're exactly right, that that was how we said, Remember the conversation was, this should be fun. This should be the funnest. And if this is not fun and the conversations, not fun, let's just table it until we can make it fun.

Michael Gaddie  19:32  
That's exactly I want all moms to hear that. And you said something else A while ago. You don't want to be running around time bows and decorating this and decorating that you all want to be able to enjoy that day. Yeah, absolutely.

Sharon Rumsey  19:46  
It's not possible without help. That you should be a guest at your own event. You really should. Yeah, I mean, I think so. The bride, the bride and the mother should get to enjoy her daughter that day and hanging out with her daughter and getting her hair and our makeup done and not worried about whether the cake has been delivered or if the caterer is turned on the shaping dishes that should all be somebody else's. I'm not doing that. Not doing it. I'm not the worker. Yeah.

Michael Gaddie  20:12  
Have a safe trip. out of here. Yeah. Thank you. We have got Casey here. And her bridesmaids. All of her bridesmaids are wearing these wonderful shirts and the bride don't have her shirt on because dirty but that's okay. We still know which one the bride. She's been wearing it out. Casey, tell us. How did you like the show today? I like to I got a lot of ideas. You got a lot of good ideas. Yeah. Did you? Did you see something that just overflowed? You four out of everybody?

Kristina Stubblefield  20:43  
Um, the champagne? Whoa, I'm gonna need the champagne

Michael Gaddie  20:47  
wall. Yeah, like we haven't heard that yet. So our client that

Sharon Rumsey  20:50  
was talking to us, and she was looking at that. Yeah. Yeah, it's really cool. I like that.

Michael Gaddie  20:56  
So when's your big day?

Kristina Stubblefield  20:57  
It's July 16. Next year.

Sharon Rumsey  21:00  
Okay, so who knows something fun to do with those champagne walls. If you're gonna do a seating chart. I call it sip and be seated. So you put your little card, thank you, I'm full of them. But you take your little card that says like my daddy table too. And you cut little notches in it, and you put it on the rim of the champagne glass. So when they come up, they get their champagne. They have their take their name and their table number on it and they go to their seat. And everybody's kind of milling around with their champagne already, and then they're ready to toast.

Michael Gaddie  21:33  
So do you have lots of planning to do? Did you just start? Um,

Kristina Stubblefield  21:37  
I pretty much have everything set up for the most part. But I kind of think going to that made me realize that I don't

Sharon Rumsey  21:45  
I see a little overwhelm on your face. Yeah,

Unknown Speaker  21:47  
I'm like, like running lists in my head like, okay. But I have a lot of ideas. We have we always talk about,

Sharon Rumsey  21:57  
I think with these ladies with you, you're gonna get lots of ideas. Yeah. And that input too. I have two missing ones too. So okay, yeah.

Michael Gaddie  22:04  
So where is your venue at?

Kristina Stubblefield  22:06  
It's nd Paul, Indiana. Okay. We're using my fiance's friends. Just his property as the venue and the reception. So awesome. Yeah, it worked out really good. So that's awesome. Well,

Sharon Rumsey  22:19  
you're gonna have a great wedding no matter what, cuz you've got friends behind you. Yeah, everybody. There's gonna love and support you. And that's all that really matters.

Michael Gaddie  22:25  
I'm excited. Well, thank you so much for being here today. Yes, thank you. Have a good time.

Kristina Stubblefield  22:30  
Thank you. Okay,

Michael Gaddie  22:32  
we've got Zach and Keith, back with us. They went through the show. So tell us what did you see in there, that was fabulous.

Unknown Speaker  22:39  
I really, I think he liked all the free food. And I really, we were, we're specifically looking for LGBT vendors. And so there, it was good to see a few in there that we've already like kept in or we've had in the back of our back pocket. So it's really good to meet them. Talk about what we want, knowing who or what they already know who our wedding planner is. And then also just kind of getting like little things like he really liked the firework show in there. And then I was really liking like the violin and cello player, as they board that I thought would be really cool as they board the boat, and then leaving the boat to or during the ceremony. So just those little things. I think were really, really stuck on the live art. That's something we really want. And so we're definitely gonna love that.

Michael Gaddie  23:22  
Really, you really enjoy blackjack. Yeah,

Unknown Speaker  23:23  
it's really a call to them. That's very time or like really oriented for what we're going with at the wedding night.

Michael Gaddie  23:29  
So what would you suggest to couples would you suggest couples coming to?

Unknown Speaker  23:33  
This is our very first one, I think that if you are overwhelmed with where to begin, this is a really great place to, you know, go to first, second third base. So I think it's a and if you don't have a planner, this is really good to like get your feet wet. I kind of I'm really leaning on my planner to do it all for me. But I mean, in her that is her job, you know so I'm that's why but that's specifically why I'm exactly have a planner so they can kind of take over and to give me ideas and send it to her to feed well.

Michael Gaddie  24:01  
I always think it's great to have a planner because then you all can enjoy the day.

Unknown Speaker  24:06  
Really big on that I get where budgets need to be cut. But at the end of the day, I want to be able to remember and eat my food at the wedding. I want to have fun. I don't want to go and be like I had it. I stood there for three hours and talk to everyone. We want it to be a party for

Michael Gaddie  24:19  
us included. So congratulations. I know you all are rushing off to the Capitol now to get married. So we hope to hear from you. I will definitely be in touch. All right. Thank you so much.

Sharon Rumsey  24:32  
You guys. Did we not have the best time at the seelbach hotels wedding show produced by Shay Fox events.

Michael Gaddie  24:39  
Sharon I totally agree. I wish we could get out of the studio more often.

Kristina Stubblefield  24:43  
Okay, Mike, I'll work on that. But in all honesty, thanks so much, Ellen for inviting us out to be part of your show. And we really look forward to doing it again next year.

Thank you for tuning in to this episode of the ring, doubling and all the things. If you like what you heard, make sure to hit the subscribe button to get notified of upcoming episodes. You can also visit our website, theringtheblingandallthethings.com for past episodes, and make sure to connect with us on social media. If you would like to help us get the word out about this podcast, make sure to share with your family, your friends and anyone you know in the wedding business.

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