Real Oasis Weddings July 22, 2014

Megan & Tyler

This couple had perfect weather for their outdoor ceremony, and they were able to get some great photos on our property!

Beautiful sunny day!

These ladies were so much fun. Love the pose!

Who had the longest drive?

Simple color palette to let the flowers pop.

Such fun table numbers!

Another stunning and delicious cake from DessertWorks Cakery.

Lovely outdoor photo and beautiful dress.

Flowers by: H.J. Benken

Cake by: DessertWorks Cakery

Photos by: Images by Daniel Michael

Congrats to the happy couple!

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Real Oasis Weddings June 9, 2014

Nicole & Ryan

We loved this navy and silver wedding!  And what guest doesn’t love getting a Yankee Candle as their favor?

Remembering those who could not be at the celebration.

Great angle from the second photographer!

Loving the clouds and the veil in this one!

The happy couple enjoying a quiet moment.

Simple and timeless color scheme – beautiful.

The Shoe Game…if you haven’t seen this at a wedding yet, you are missing out!

Flowers by: H.J. Benken

Photos by: Images by Daniel Michael

Congrats to the happy couple!

Guest Post – Table Numbers May 2, 2014

This post was written by a former co-worker and current Oasis bride, Emily Burden.
Emily has worked in four venues in the Cincinnati area, so she has gotten to see some really creative ideas for wedding decor.
Here are some of her favorites for table numbers.  We can’t wait to see what she chooses for her own wedding at the Oasis Conference Center here this fall!

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Creative Table Numbers

 When you were a little girl planning and envisioning your dream wedding, I’m sure how your table numbers looked wasn’t even in the picture.
However, with the changing times and the DIY age in full swing, the overlooked table numbers are getting a well deserved makeover.

Incorporate pictures into the table numbers by using either the year or an age with a picture of both you for that time period.
This is a great to show guests how each of you have changed and grown in your life.

Why use numbers at all?! Have each table be a different song that is a favorite or of some significance to you as a couple. What is great about this option is that if you are having a buffet, instead of doing the traditional captain’s call for tables, the DJ can play the song at the table as a signal for the guests to go get their food.

If you are the traveling type of couple, use the table numbers as a way to showcase some of your favorite places and memories there.
Have the cities be the “number” with pictures and a few other fun things associated with each place for a fun design.

If you are the type to want to stick to the traditional aspect of table numbers, have no fear, there is something fun for you too!
Why not have people write advice to open for that year anniversary for the two of you?

The last of my favorites is the unison stationary look. It is one of the simpler looks, but still has a lot of creativity to it. You can tie everything thing together with the final look of the table numbers matching your invitations and save the dates for a clean and crisp look.

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For a few more table number inspirations, take a peek at our Pinterest table number board.

Real Oasis Weddings April 6, 2014

Jackie & Dan

This couple was seriously adorable.  Their wedding party and reception were so much fun, and they even capped off the night with late night pizzas for their guests.  We loved the colors, too!

This was snapped between the ceremony and reception. Could they be any cuter?!

Great shot of the brides and her ladies.

The colors are gorgeous! This is from a May 2013 wedding.

We love the look of this simple head table, with a monogram and uplights.

Great reaction shot from the toasts!

Beautiful (and delicious!) cake from DessertWorks Cakery.

A perfect sunset shot on the Oasis Patio.

Photography by: Images by Daniel Michael

Flowers by: H.J. Benken

Cake by: DessertWorks Cakery

DJ and Lighting by: Party Pleasers

Real Oasis Weddings January 2, 2014

Deirdre & Andrew

We loved the bright colors of this wedding!  The couple thought of everything, including a kid’s buffet and kid’s activity table to keep the little ones entertained.

The groom and groomsmen acting crazy before having to behave the rest of the day.

This is always our favorite moment – the first look.  Also, look at that gorgeous dress!

Spending some time together before the guests arrive.

Enjoying the view.

These colors were great for a summer wedding. And who doesn’t love candy for favors?!

Cake AND cupcakes. This couple knows how to throw a party!

Loving the popcorn bar trend.

The happy couple with their friends and family.

Photography by: Images by Daniel Michael

Flowers by: H.J. Benken

Cake by: DessertWorks Cakery

DJ and Lighting by: Party Pleasers

Guest Post – Bridal Shows November 22, 2013

This post was written by our resident wedding expert, Jennifer Suma.  Jennifer is the wedding coordinator for Oasis Conference Center, and has been a part of over 100 weddings.  As a vendor, bride and bridesmaid many times over herself, she has some great tips for attending bridal shows!

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A Bridal Show Adventure

Getting engaged is exciting and emotional and you feel like you are floating on a cloud…for about a week. Then you realize you need to find a venue, pick a date, select a DJ, find a dress, choose a photographer, etc., etc. The list becomes endless and you go from “blushing bride” to “get me off this ride!”

One of the best ways to get started and see all of the local vendor options is to attend a bridal show. Yes, those can also be overwhelming, but in what other setting to do you get to see anywhere from 50-500 vendors all lined up and ready to tell you about their business? They have pictures, promotions, free pens and will probably tell you more than once how beautiful your ring is and how gorgeous you will be as a bride! You can accomplish in 4 hours what would normally take you 4 weeks to search and with all the compliments you might also leave feeling like Miss America (if she were getting married).

From my experience as having been both a bride and a vendor I have seen some do’s and definite don’ts for these shows:

DO:

• Come with a FEW friends or family members for support.
• Create a new email address just for your wedding prior to any wedding planning. All your wedding emails will go to one place and both you and your fiancé can have access. Make it something fun like mrandmrssmith@gmail.com.
• Make labels ahead of time that include your name, email address, phone number, wedding date or time frame, estimated guest count and any other important notes.
• Walk the entire show and then go back to booths that stood out to you for more face time.
• Ask vendors if the décor at their booth is included in the prices & packages they are giving you. The booth may look like something out of a celebrity magazine, but the $40 per person package probably doesn’t include anything but the napkin.
• Go home from the show, relax and don’t open your bag of goodies until the next day. If you try to review it all in the same night your head may really explode.

DON’T:

• Come with 20 friends and family members. You will get frustrated trying to keep everyone in tow and the more opinions they have the more it will drain out the one that really matters…yours!
• Let vendors tell you that you are behind in planning and you need to book everything right then and there.
• Give your information to vendors that really don’t interest you just because you feel obligated. They will appreciate you not wasting your time and theirs.
• Wear 4” heels unless this is a daily occurrence for you. Look cute, but don’t torture your feet. Happy feet equals a happy bride.
• Feel overwhelmed. It is a lot of information to take in all at once, but you will get a lot accomplished!

Good luck at your next bridal show and maybe you will run into the Oasis! We will be at the Wendy’s Bridal Show January 4th & 5th at the Duke Energy Convention Center and the Cincinnati Wedding Showcase January 11th & 12th at the Sharonville Convention Center.  Be sure to visit both websites for admission coupons!

Guest Post – Photo Booths August 14, 2013

This post was written by the newest member of our team, Grace Sweeney.  In addition to helping coordinate weddings at the Oasis, many of Grace’s friends are recently married and she is helping us keep an eye on wedding trends in the rest of the Cincinnati market.

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The Photo Booth Trend Is Here To Stay!

Start planning ladies, because photo booths are proving to be their own staple at weddings these days.  The countless ways to customize a photo booth for your special day are endless.  Gone are the days of a basic backdrop and random props thrown into a dark corner of your reception venue. Make way for the creatively themed, color coordinated and even DIY options that you can create for you and your guests to play with throughout the evening.

Recently, we were all pulled into a booth by one of our new favorite photo booth vendors (Smiley Photo Booth) and had an absolute blast! We spent just as much time coordinating our props as we did goofing around in the booth.  This particular experience was reflective of the usual set-up you might expect when you first think of a photo booth.  There was a draped off square booth where you enter through the curtain, and pose for the camera for a series of pictures.  Then let’s not forget the enormous selection of props to choose from which included a Batman mask, Elvis sideburns, feather boas, giant glasses, and signs with funny phrases on them (“Single”, “Hot”, etc.).  Booths of this sort are a surefire way to get the creative and crazy sides of your guests going all night.  We bet you’ve never seen a picture of your grandma wearing devil horns and a hot pink feather boa before!

Oasis Sales Team

If you are anything like us though, you might be looking for new ideas, current trends, and a way to add personal touches to your wedding.  The photo booth is a great way to pull in customized ideas and memories that will always remind guests of your wedding day.  Depending on which route you take for arranging your photo booth, you might hire a vendor who is strictly a photo booth company.  Or your photographer may offer their own services for a photo booth.  Either way, you should have some freedom when it comes to the props that are used. You can tie your props into the theme or overall décor of your wedding! Having a Parisian themed wedding?  Use Parisian props!  Maybe you and your future spouse are huge fans of a sports team, or love superheroes.  Whatever it is that strikes your fancy, share it with your guests, and they’ll be sure to enjoy themselves.  Take a look at these photos for some inspiration.

We would love to see your photo booth pictures!  Post them to our Facebook page here.