Wedding Wednesday {Best Cleveland Area Wedding Vendors, Tips, & Ideas}

I am so thrilled to introduce an great company to you today.  I was out at their studio a few months back and I have to tell you I was very impressed.

Hi Leigh, Have you been with Jerry Bruno Productions long?  What do you do there?  What’s the best part about your job?

I have been with Jerry Bruno Productions since July of 2005. I started out just a couple days a week, then began doing event coordination but realized sales isn’t for me. So I proposed to take over website editing and begin internet marketing, which is in line with my degree and experience in Public Relations. I love getting a chance to utilize creative skills and learn about internet marketing daily.

In 2006, Jerry put together a new band called The Avenue and invited me to be one of its singers. I asked a friend that I used to sing with in a girl group at Pickwick & Frolic, Tiffany Marchak, to join, and we pieced together the rest of the band via connections and ads.

(Leigh, singing with The Avenue)

When did Jerry Bruno Productions begin as a company?  How did it get started?

The Bruno family has long standing music roots in the Cleveland area. Jerry Bruno moved to Los Angeles in the 80s and created The Jerry Bruno Music Network there. His clients included the likes of President and Mrs. Ronald Reagan, Princess Di, and the casts and crews of “Cheers” and “Taxi.” He conducted a string ensemble for Bon Jovi’s after-Oscars party in 1990.

Jerry returned home to Cleveland in 1995 and began growing what is now known as Jerry Bruno Productions.

Your website describes your company as a “wedding entertainment source,”  what do you mean by this?

About 90% of our booked jobs are at wedding ceremonies and receptions. But in addition to over 20 bands and 20 DJs, we represent countless musicians and acts for all aspects of an event. We’ve booked string quartets to play everything from Bach to Metallica at ceremonies, and Elvis impersonators to entertain at rehearsal dinners.

We also have a lot of clients needing entertainment for corporate events and private parties, as well.

If a couple walks in, who should they expect to talk to?

Currently, most of the booking and event coordination is handled by DJ Scott Jones and and Geoff Short. Scott is our General Manager and has been working at the office for a decade, and Geoff is band leader of and singer in The Avenue. They both have extensive experience planning and performing for weddings at all the major local venues.

(The amazing Scott Jones)

When would you recommend a DJ for a wedding and when would you recommend a band?

It can be a matter of taste and/or price. Some feel that a band provides an air of class, while others just want someone to be in charge of playing music at the right time and making announcements.

There are exceptions, but most of our bands excel at playing a wide range of popular genres and songs, which is great if your guests range in age from 8 to 80. If most of your dancing crowd is younger and into primarily modern music, a DJ might be a better fit. Many clients hire a band for the first four hours and then a DJ for the final hour or two, for the younger crowd.

What unique qualities does each have to offer?

A DJ is usually more affordable than a fully stocked band, and you’ll hear the original, familiar versions of all your favorite music. A band will provide more crowd interaction and bring more energy and personality to the room. (Our DJs pretty much stay at their booth, no dancing on speakers or singing along.)

If a bride is interested in a particular band, how far in advance should she be sure to book?

At least a year. As of July of 2010, we already have some bands and DJs booked for dates in October of 2011.

If a couple has no idea what the best entertainment choice is for their wedding, can you help guide them to a perfect match?

Absolutely! First, we can narrow choices down using availability for their date. Then, we can show them some choices on DVD. If a client isn’t feeling the vibe of a band or DJ, we’re pretty good at reading that. No problem, we move on to other choices. We’ll find out about their venue, their budget, their guests and their favorite music, and usually one or two bands or DJs will come to mind as a good fit.

What question should every couple ask their entertainment before booking with them?

They should find out if the individual they are meeting with, or those featured in the video, will be the same individuals who will be performing at the event. Some companies book under one name, then farm out the work to anyone available. But one song can sound VERY different sung by different singers, and different DJs have very different personalities. Not to mention one song list doesn’t fit all bands.

At the same time, conflicts can occur. Once or twice a year, we may need to replace a lead singer or DJ due to illness. The fact that we have a pre-screened talent roster in our pocket is a major plus to booking through an agency. We can easily fill-in a role at the last minute if needed, and the bride won’t be bothered with added stress the day of her wedding.

Leigh, thank you so much for your time.  I look very forward to working with you guys in the future.

Summer Days

Things have been a little crazy here as of late…the poor blog has been a bit neglected.  I am working hard to keep things balanced this summer with my kids, business, and life.  Some days, I must admit, I am failing miserably but overall I think I may be learning how to make all this chaos fit into one very blessed life.

This week has some great items in store including an adorable baby session that I photographed today.  (Did I mention that she’s adorable?)  And stay tuned tomorrow for a “Wedding Wednesday” featuring a very talented business that you won’t want to miss.

For now, I leave you with this.  I love finding light like this.

$25 gift card to first person who knows where this shot was taken.  (Answer coming in a future blog post…along with more gorgeous images.}

My Favorite People

We’ve been a little under the weather here the past few days so I thought I’d share some images I took of the my kiddos a couple weeks back.

I love my job.  I really do, but when I get home in the evening the last thing I want to do at times is take another picture.  I make myself though.  I make myself pick up the camera one more time to capture all the things I don’t want to forget.

I make myself because they are the cutest kids in the world.  (I am aware that I might be a wee bit biased.)

And for a real look into my life:

Maybe one of my favorite photos of my little man ever:

And my little girl…just how I usually see her…mad that she’s not getting her way.  Right after I told her it was time to go home.  :(

Biased or not, they sure are cute.  Don’t you think?

Canton Area Senior Pictures {A’s Sneak Peek}

Dave photographed Alex down at Lock IV in Canal Fulton.  You may recall Mr. A from here.  Now for part two…

Fun Canton Wedding Photographs {Matt & Erin}

When I arrived at the hotel the bridesmaids sat and watched as Erin’s hair was being styled.  Erin was calm and collected after months of intense planning…this was it.  She looked beautiful.  Gorgeous actually.  Laughter and conversation filled the room as all the last minute details were being cared for.  I can’ t think of many better ways to spend the morning of your wedding day.

Matt and Erin had met at Yankee Peddler but didn’t spend much time together then.  They exchanged screen names and for months spent hours chatting online.  (This was pre-Facebook after all.)  After so much time chatting without moving any further…Erin finally asked what Matt was thinking.  Is this going anywhere or not she wanted to know.

It was.  After seven years together, Matt and Erin were married at First Christian Church in Canton last month.  All of their family was gathered around them and celebrated as they spent the night dancing and enjoying the beginning of their lives together.  Dave and I were happy to be there to photograph the two of them and this wedding that they had poured so much of themselves into.

Kudos to this awesome bridal party.  I felt like another bridesmaid minus a cool silver dress.  They even did my hair.  I had a blast with them!

I’m not sure what it is about this next one that I love.  But I love it.  Isn’t Erin gorgeous?

Matt just after seeing his bride.

Did I mention that this was a cool bridal party?

To view even more images, please click play below.  The slideshow is about 3 minutes long.  Please be patient while loading, it’s worth it!  {Anyone viewing on Facebook or in an RSS Feed, click here.}

Matt & Erin…thank you both so much for allowing us the pleasure of working with you both.  We wish you both the best.

Akron/Canton Infant Photography {J’s Sneak Peek}

If you read much of the blog, you’ve probably noticed that I love infants.  There is just something magical about the brand-new-ness of it all.  They are so helpless and sweet and photographing them is a dream.  Newborns just seem to melt into sleep and that is my favorite time to capture them.  Little {J} here was no exception.  And, oh my goodness, isn’t he cute?

My favorite…favorite…favorite…

Could he be any more kissable?

We desperately wanted to capture of few of {M} with her new baby brother but she’s a little afraid of being near him right now.  We did get a few keepers though….and I am bound and determined to try again this week.  :)

Thanks so much for sharing {J} & {M} with us.  They are precious.

Canton Engagement Session {Brian & Jen}

He was driving like a maniac.  That’s her side of the story anyway.  She was so mad she even asked around town and found his address.  She completely intended to knock on the door and give him a piece of her mind.  She knocked and he answered, but apparently she forgave him, because soon after they were dating.  Then, last December, Brian set out on an elaborate plan to ask Jen to marry him.  To keep her from being suspicious, he worked with 94.1 to be sure that Jen would win tickets to a Cavs game.  On the night of the game, she came home to find a Christmas tree decorated with a box next to it.  She said yes {of course!} and they went to see the game as a newly engaged couple.

We began our session at Silver Park in Alliance.  Brian and Jen brought their other love, Daisy, along and she snuck in a few photos.  :)

She is a cutie, huh?

Jen, you look beautiful!

After a quick clothing change, we headed over to Mount Union…

Here’s Dave’s perspective of the fire escape:

And mine:

Brian & Jen have visited Bubba Gump and wanted a bus stop shot.  We couldn’t find a good bench but this worked just fine.  Daisy seems to like it too, don’t you think?

Thanks Brian and Jen!  We are looking forward to your wedding this September.

Akron Lakeside Wedding Photography {Efrem & Keera}

There are a lot of people who claim to love.  They swear up and down their love…until things get hard.  For better or worse…until the worse comes.  Efrem is not that kind of man.  He’s proven that.  Keera has been dealing with Cystic Fibrosis her whole life and a few months ago her lungs began to fail.  Efrem sat by her side for weeks as she awaited a double lung transplant and then went through the hard work of recovery.  She couldn’t look at him, smile at him, or talk to him for a long while.  Yet, there he sat.

Her friends and family banded together and created multiple fundraising events to help Keera and Efrem with the huge medical bills.  Auctions, tournaments, live bands, dinners…all created and run with love for these two.  I wish I had known them then.  I would have loved to have been there to support them.  This couple has been through more than most.

I wasn’ t there then, but a few weeks back, Dave and I had the pleasure of being there as Efrem and Keera were married.

The day was gorgeous and Spring Lake Party Center was set up beautifully.

Look at this light!

Efrem, Keera, and their friends and family helped with many of the details.  Keera even made her own garters…aren’t they adorable?

Keera took a few minutes to write a letter for Efrem.

Just before the ceremony, I walked into the dressing room and found this:

Could she be any more beautiful?  And the men don’t look so bad either…

I love how Efrem looks at her.  So sweet.

I am pretty sure this next one is my favorite.  I love their faces.

Organ donor cards and information were provided to all the guests.  You can find information on becoming a donor here.

Efrem and Keera…thank you both so much for asking us to be a part of your day.  Blessings to you.

To view the slideshow with even more images, please click play below.  {If viewing on Facebook or an RSS Feed, click here.}

Akron Children’s Photography {K’s Sneak Peek}

It’s quite late…but I couldn’t go off to sleep without sharing a few of these images of {K}.  She is downright adorable.  I have photographed little {K} a number of times, but I never get tired of her.  To be quite honest with you, she cracks me up.  She has more spunk and personality than most people I know…all wrapped up in a tiny little body.  Love it.

And lest you think I am joking about this personality:

Goodnight all.  Hope you have a great sleep.

Akron Senior Pictures {M’s Outdoor Sneak Peek}

This is going to be short and sweet cause I have to run…but…remember {M}?  From here?   Well, Dave shot her outdoor session now that we’ve finally had some nice weather.  And I have to tell you–it’s fabulous!

I love the color!  And this dress.

Love those eyes.  Gorgeous.

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