“It took us like 45 minutes to go around the  corner,” said Dean Hastings with Jon Seeley.

That sentiment was shared for the majority, who were  getting a crystal-clear picture of exactly what happens when four dream teams of  event pros unleash their creativity on the world, which in this case, happened  to be the third-floor raw space in Bakery Square.

“I would put Pittsburgh event planners up against  anyone in the world,” offered Rosemary Mendel (with Joe).

Sheila Weiner (The Event  Group), Tim Komen (TK Event Studio), Bob  Sendall (All in Good Taste Productions), and Shelly  Tolo (TOLO Events) were the brains behind their respective themes of Ice,  Fire, Earth, and Water in 20-foot vignettes. An added bonus came via some hot  bodies wearing lots of paint and little else.

Hosted by Event Pros Take  Action and the Pittsburgh Chapter of the International  Special Events Society, the event benefits victims of natural disasters  like hurricanes Katrina and Sandy. The party welcomed the likes of EPTA founder Susie and Gregg Perelman,  ISES Pgh prexy Kristin Nolte, Art  Brown, Jason Brown, Cindy  Scott, Jill Pampena, Alissa  Panichella, and Cayce Pastoor.

Read more: http://triblive.com/lifestyles/fanfare/3760682-74/brown-event-art#ixzz2QkdOzbNF Follow us: @triblive on Twitter | triblive on Facebook

By Kate  Benz

The Steelers’ Super Bowl-winning quarterback married New Castle native Ashley Harlan in a private church ceremony in Ohio Township, then celebrated into the night at a reception Downtown. The affair was coordinated by Sheila Weiner of The Event Group.

“Happy that my dude found love,” Steelers receiver Emmanuel Sanders posted on Twitter.

Roethlisberger, 29, and Harlan, 26, tied the knot in a ceremony at Christ Church at Grove Farm, then received a police escort to the David L. Lawrence Convention Center for the reception.

Roethlisberger’s friend Jaime Cooper served as best man. Harlan’s friend Erin Telford was maid of honor, and her sister-in-law Susan Harlan served as matron of honor.

In all, there were 20 members of the bridal party — including Steelers players Willie Colon and Brett Keisel and Roethlisberger’s agent, Ryan Tollner — and one flower girl.

The Steelers’ Trai Essex, Ramon Foster, Chris Kemoeatu, Doug Legursky, Maurkice Pouncey and Max Starks were ushers. So were former Steelers running back and ESPN analyst Merril Hoge and state police Trooper Edward Joyner, who has worked as a personal assistant for Roethlisberger.

The bride wore a Monique Lhuillier strapless, ivory silk gown. The bridesmaids wore Jim Hjelm strapless gowns in slate gray and carried clusters of blush pink roses.

Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, U.S. Ambassador to Ireland Dan Rooney and Penguins co-owner Mario Lemieux were among the VIPs. Even WWE professional wrestler Triple H was seen entering the convention center.

The couple went to great lengths to keep details of their wedding plans secret — convention center brass posted fliers indicating a movie shoot was taking place from July 18-24 — and their wedding day was no different.

Ohio Township police blocked access to the church for hours before the ceremony, and Pittsburgh police and a private security firm controlled access to the convention center, shutting down 10th Street between Fort Duquesne Boulevard and Penn Avenue for much of the day.

The Roethlisbergers, who could not be reached for comment and did not issue a statement, required guests to present a pink sheet of paper to gain access to the church and reception. Once at the convention center, guests received a gray rubber bracelet and another pink slip regarding the event.

Bomb-sniffing dogs swept the convention center earlier in the day. Lt. Jack Kearney of the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, who handles security for the Steelers, was at the reception.

Police and private security officers were scheduled to remain at the convention center until 2 a.m., police said.

The service in the nondenominational church lasted less than an hour. Harlan walked down the aisle with her father, Dave, to “Threads of Love.”

Music included “Redeemer” by Nicole C. Mullen, “Canon in D” by Johann Pachelbel, “Allegro Maestoso” from “Water Music” by George F. Handel and “Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee” by Ludwig van Beethoven.

Two tall candles on the altar were lit in memory of family members and loved ones of the bride and groom.

The couple took photographs at the church for about an hour before leaving for the reception with the wedding party in two limousine buses.

Planners expected as many as 650 guests at the reception, and a steady flow of black limousines and sport utility vehicles arrived shortly after the church service.

Cocktails were served on the second floor about two hours before dinner and dancing. The party then moved upstairs to The Spirit of Pittsburgh Ballroom on the third floor.

Those involved said Roethlisberger and Harlan spared no expense.

The ballroom was decorated with scores of roses — mostly different shades of pink, along with white and cream — from Hepatica Florist in Regent Square. Table arrangements also included orchids and hydrangeas.

Nearly 10,000 roses — hot pink, light pink and a softer pink — covered a 5- by 40-foot wall that was used as a backdrop for photographs.

A grand piano stood on a stage beneath a giant scripted logo of the couple’s initials: A and B on either side of a large R.

Roethlisberger and Harlan chose “God Gave Me You” for their first dance, and the song was performed live by the original artist, Dave Barnes. Harlan danced with her father to “I’ll Always Be Your Baby” by Natalie Grant.

Premier Foliage & Flowering in East Liberty provided 100 palm trees, 150 ferns, 100 ivy at the church and convention center, said owner Jeff Ballina. It took more than three days to arrange the foliage, he said.

“This was certainly a wonderful event and the most elegant event that I have ever been involved with,” Ballina said. “When we were all finished, you couldn’t tell it was the convention center. It was just so beautiful. The ballroom was gorgeous. It went together so well because all of the vendors worked so well together.”

Guests, seated at about 65 tables of 10, chose between roasted beef tenderloin with cabernet demi-glace or pan-seared halibut with grilled lemons for dinner, provided by The Common Plea Restaurant and Catering, Downtown.

Staff handed out Moet champagne for the toasts, and Chateau St. Jean chardonnay and cabernet was served with dinner.

The couple decided on a six-tier wedding cake from Vanilla Pastry Studio in East Liberty.

The only sign of Steeler Nation came outside the church.

Friends and family of Bill and Margie Zierenberg gathered outside their home down the street from Christ Church in hopes of catching a glimpse of the newly married couple, but it never came.

The Zierenbergs’ granddaughter Lizzy Weisner, 12, who was visiting from Dallas, and her cousin Callie Downing, 14, of Ben Avon joined other cousins to make a sign that read, “Best wishes, Ben and Ashley.”

“When I first got up, I didn’t think it was a good idea,” Downing said. “But once everyone got here, I thought it was a good idea.”

Ohio Township police Cpl. Donald Manz said there were no complaints or arrests at or near the wedding ceremony.

“With all the things (Roethlisberger) has gone through in the past year,” Manz said, “we anticipated some kind of advocacy group or something, but it was quiet. Maybe the heat kept them away.”

Vendors

• Sheila Weiner, The Event Group (wedding planner)
• Premier Flowering & Foliage Inc., East Liberty
• Hepatica florist, Regent Square
• Vanilla Pastry Studio, East Liberty
• The Common Plea Restaurant and Catering, Downtown
• Goldstein Photography, Squirrel Hill
• The Prop Shop, Lincoln-Lemington
• All Occasions Party Rental, Strip District
• Wayne Foster Entertainment, Carlsbad, Calif.

Three years later, David had planned a Valentine’s Day dinner for Carla — before coming down with a stomach bug. As a result, the couple ended up spending the night at home eating chicken noodle soup and watching television. Although his dinner plans got derailed, David made sure to follow through with the second surprise he had planned for the evening. “He proposed to me late that night,” says Carla. “It was just us and our Chocolate Lab, Dylan.”

After a 10-month engagement, the couple married in a beautiful candlelit ceremony on New Year’s Eve at the First Baptist Church of Pittsburgh. Carla walked down the aisle wearing an Ian Stuart gown made of silk dupion and tulle with a draped, elongated bodice.

The couple’s friends and family rang in the new year at the formal wedding reception, planned by The Event Group. Lots of candlelight and gorgeous white flowers topped tables draped with black lamour and black sheer sparkle toppers.

Bethel Bakery created a stunning four-tier wedding cake fit for this glamorous wedding. The white buttercream-iced cake was delicious and beautiful, decorated with white snowflakes and topped with a crystal initial.

Would you jump at the chance to party in paradise with Pittsburgh Steeler Troy Polamalu? We did! More than 425 guests attended the safety’s first charity event held at the Westin Convention Center Hotel. It commenced with Mai Tais and a traditional island feast, and continued with drummers, fire dancers, and luau performances by Netane Polynesian Entertainment. Benefiting The Harry Panos Fund and The Troy Polamalu Football Camp, attendees bid on auction items, including “Polamalisa,” an autographed depiction of Troy as “Mona Lisa,” which sold for $12,000! Guests hit the dance floor with Troy and wife Theodora to sway to the sounds of the couple’s favorite college musicians, Fiji and the Common Kings. “We did it for two great causes close to my family’s heart,” says Polamalu. “Hopefully, we can take this grassroots foundation and really start to impact not just individual lives, but cultures, families, and the country.”

Theodora & Troy Polamalu with Ephraim and Paisios

by Andrea Bosco | Photographs by Cayla Zahoran + Andrew Buda

http://whirlmagazine.com/polamalus-polynesian-luau-2012-pre-reception/

http://whirlmagazine.com/leading-ladies-gala-2012/

For a wonderfully romantic wedding, you can rent a tent, drape it with beautiful fabric, floor it, carpet it, air condition it, and line the ceiling with crystal chandeliers. Gorgeous flowers, china, crystal, linens, and chair treatments add the finishing touches.

- Sheila Weiner of The Event Group

Weiner has 24 years of event planning experience, and her company, The Event Group, has four full-time employees who oversee the production of events locally, nationally, and internationally. In addition to assisting brides in planning their weddings throughout the United States, the Islands, and Europe, she planned the 2006 All-Star Game VIP reception for 5,000 people, the opening of the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, and the grand opening of the Dale Chihuly exhibition at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens.

Trend

This wedding event celebrated the bride’s Persian cultural heritage, and, using fabric, Weiner transformed a room at Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall into an exotic destination, complete with ceiling and wall draping and floor pillows. Weiner and her team also covered the tables with linens and fabrics tied into the theme: patchwork velvet and gold charmeuse. Then, they used different types of seating: square tables with chairs, as well as a very long table in the center of the room with pillows. “Using fabric, you can completely transform a room. You can divide a room if you need to turn it into two spaces, and you can soften a room,” she says.

Q. Why should a business work with an event management firm?

They may no longer have the staff to dedicate to a meeting or event. Also, they may have cut their budgets across the board. Working with a professional event management firm will ensure that their venue and vendor contracts are as lean as possible. I think companies are starting to realize they need to bring their staffs together, they need to bring their sales staffs together, they need to show the support, the camaraderie. The lavish events are not going to come back anytime soon, but the nuts and bolts can help bring teams together.

Q. Should a business maintain a constant relationship with a firm?

It depends. Sometimes, companies have events on a semiannual basis, and they really don’t work on them every year. Other times, there are quarterly, annual or monthly meetings. Each company has to evaluate their needs, and that evaluation should happen regularly so as to make sure they’re being as financially responsible as possible.

Q. What are some of the newer services and products a firm can provide for a business?

Maybe a company can afford to do a large marketing campaign but can’t afford to bring everyone together. An event management firm can help to create and produce a great snail mail kit or package that can be used during a video chat or conference call. A firm can also assist with podcasting their meetings to a larger audience if a budget doesn’t allow for all participants to be present. Also, if a small or medium business still has a large budget and wants to bring everyone together, a firm can assist in the registration process, both ahead of time and on site, as well as with physically staffing the event.