The internship involved assisting with various events for Columbus Bride and Groom including bridal shows, open houses, weddings, and meetings. Key responsibilities involved setting up venues, assisting brides, and helping ensure events ran smoothly. The intern gained experience in event coordination and working with various wedding vendors.

1. Shari Saunders Internship
Summer 2015
Columbus Bride and Groom,
Devoted to Details,
Wedding Professionals of Columbus

2. Columbus Bride and Groom
• Match Makers, we match brides to the vendors that fit best
with their vision!
• Located in historic Dublin (downtown Dublin)
• Many different avenues to help brides and vendors
– Wedding Resource Center (inspiration and help finding
vendors)
– The Wedding Experience (bridal show)
– Bride’s Savvy Coupon Book
– Monthly open houses (at the resource center)
– Savvy Brides Resale Marketplace

3. The Office (Wedding Resource Center)

4. The Office (Wedding Resource Center)
L to R: Jessica, Me
A vendor, coming in
for a meeting,
brought in these
homemade popsicles
for us!

5. Devoted to Details
• Jamie’s wedding and event planning business.
• Offers different packages from full service to a la carte.
– She doesn’t do full service planning anymore, but helps
out in day of management.
– She is contracted with Golf Club of Dublin to do the
weddings there.
– She uses this for any events she still plans.

6. Wedding Professionals of Columbus
• Networking group for all wedding professionals and vendors
in the Columbus area.
• Run by a board of directors who all currently work in the
wedding industry.
• Monthly meetings always at a different venue with guest
speakers.

7. The Staff
• Jamie Rapavy
– Wedding Specialist and Owner of Columbus Bride and
Groom, Devoted to Details, and Wedding Professionals of
Columbus
• Columbus Bride and Groom staff
– Tammy Hudson, Account Manager and President of
Wedding Professionals of Columbus
– Jessica Rusche, Account Manager
– Olivia Wilson, Account Manager

8. The Events
• All the events I worked this summer.
• Includes weddings, corporate events, bridal shows, open houses, setting
up, and meetings.
• Some are with other vendors that I met through and work with Columbus
Bride and Groom.

9. 1. The Wedding Experience
• Hosted by Columbus Bride and Groom.
• A unique bridal show with 4 mock receptions (each season) and one type
of each vendor in each room plus table tops.
• Brides see the vendors in action and can talk to them one on one.

10. 1. The Wedding Experience
• I helped the day before making goodie bags to give away to the brides.
• I worked the registration table, checking in and giving directions to
vendors in the morning and brides when the event started.
• I also helped with giving prizes away at the finale.
Interns with a model, I am the second from the right

11. 1. The Wedding Experience
First row left to right: Angela, Tammy, Olivia, Jessica, Jamie
Second row: Interns, I am the third from the right

12. 2. Wedding at the Vault
• For this wedding I worked with VIP
Events Management, the owner of this
company was once an intern for Jamie
and is on the board of WPC.
• The Vault is a venue in downtown
Columbus.
Left to right: Me, Lauren (owner), Jennifer,
Sarah (who were the other assistants)

13. 2. Wedding at the Vault
• I was the third assistant wedding coordinator for the ceremony and
reception at this venue.
– I helped facilitate the rehearsal the night before
– Made sure the bride was hidden until she walked down the aisle
– I helped flip the room from the ceremony to reception
– I had to get drinks for in the bridal suite and set it up before they arrived back
• The lights went out on the staircase right before the bridal party was
supposed to walk down it to be introduced to the reception, so I had to
find the venue manager quickly and he took care of it.
L to R: me, Jennifer

14. 2. Wedding at the Vault
Me outside the ballroom

15. 3. Design & Décor Open House
• May open house at the resource center.
• Design & Décor vendors were there to talk to brides.
• There was also a tag sale for wedding items Jamie has and doesn’t need.
Jason from Avant-Garde Impressions,
An invitation preferred vendor
Rita from Prema Designs

16. 3. Design & Décor Open House
• I priced and set up all the tag sale items.
• Talked to the brides and had them fill out a
form of the vendors they are still looking
for.
• Gave brides a tour of the resource center.
• Asked guests if there was anything they
needed/any questions.

17. 4. Premier Allergy Event
• This event was 4 days long and was on a house on the golf course during
the Memorial Tournament in Dublin.
• It was with Devoted to Details since Jamie was the event planner.
• Her client for this event was a couple who she planned their wedding.

18. 4. Premier Allergy Event
• This was a BIG event
• I was at the house days before helping to move the homeowners furniture
out and the rented furniture in.
• I was there working the event everyday except the last day (Thursday
through Saturday) as the next event was that Sunday.
• Everything had to look perfect, so I swept inside (there was always grass
everywhere!), washed tables outside, put linens and centerpieces on
tables inside and outside, helped set up and tear down every day, made
sure bathrooms were stocked, and anything that needed to be done so
the client was happy.

19. 4. Premier Allergy Event
The awesome S’mores Bar, Chik’s Catering was
the caterer for this event, everyday

20. 4. Premier Allergy Event
Tables outside
White party

21. 5. Big Love Show
• This is a bridal show for LGBTA couples that was at Hollywood Casino
Columbus.
• Columbus Bride and Groom had a vendor table here.
• There was also a fashion show.

22. 5. Big Love Show
• Jessica Rusche and I worked the table at this event.
• We told brides and grooms about Columbus Bride and Groom and what we do.
• We handed out coupon books, open house invitations, and got their
information to add to our emailing lists.

23. 6. June WPC meeting
• The June Wedding Professionals of Columbus meeting was at Bridgewater
Banquet and Event Center in Powell, OH.
• There were appetizers, desserts, a coffee bar, and more.
• The guest speaker was Chris Borja with Legal Shield.

24. 6. June WPC meeting
• I helped prepare for the event at the office
– Organized all the members nametags in a suitcase by alphabetical
order
– Updated and printed off the rsvp list for the meeting
• At the meeting
- I helped run the
registration table
- I met and
networked
with wedding
professionals

25. 7. Wedding with Tammy
• This wedding was at the Golf Club of Dublin.
• The ceremony and reception were here.

26. 7. Wedding with Tammy
• I worked with Tammy at this
wedding and helped with the
rehearsal the night before.
• I set up favors in each place
setting.
• Set up escort card table, gift
table, guest book and programs
table, and cake table.
• Made sure all the linens were on
the correct tables and everything
was going as it should be.
Tammy on left, Me on right

27. 7. Wedding with Tammy

28. 7. Wedding with Tammy

29. 8. Linen Set Up 1
• This was with Connie Duglin Linen Rental Company.
• I set up 200 white chair covers and pink organza sashes at the Renaissance
hotel downtown Columbus.

30. 9. Bartending
• I bartended with A Catered Event, which is a catering company, at the
Amelita Mirolo Barn in Upper Arlington, OH.
• The bar was beer and wine only.

31. 9. Bartending

32. 10. Linen Set Up 2
• With Connie Duglin Linen Rental Company.
• I set up 225 silver chair covers at All Occasions Catering in Waldo, OH.

33. 10. Linen Set Up 2
Before
After

34. 11. Wedding with Jamie
• This wedding was at the Golf Club
of Dublin.
• Only the reception was here.

35. 11. Wedding with Jamie
• I worked with Jamie at this
wedding.
• I set up favors in each place
setting.
• I put linens on the correct
tables.
• I helped catering with filling
water glasses and clearing
plates.
• I washed and put away the cake
knives.
• One thing that went wrong is
that the tables were not set up
when guests arrived.

36. 11. Wedding with Jamie

37. 11. Wedding with Jamie

38. 12. July WPC Meeting
• The July Wedding Professionals of Columbus meeting was at Glen Ross
Golf Club in Delaware, OH.
• There were appetizers, rolls, a buffett, dessert served, and a signature
cocktail.
• The guest speaker was Robbie Banks from Experience Columbus.

39. 12. July WPC Meeting
• I helped with organizing the members name tags.
• At the meeting I ran the registration table.

40. 12. July WPC Meeting

41. 13. Wedding with Tammy & Andrea
• The wedding was at Homestead Park.
• The ceremony and reception were here, it was very casual.
• Columbus Bride and Groom was hired just for day of management.
• Andrea was just helping out, she has her own planning business, but is a
friend of Jamie’s who lets her help out at weddings to learn.
L to R: Tammy, Andrea, Me

42. 13. Wedding with Tammy & Andrea
• We put together lawn games to set out for people to play.
• We put on the burlap runners and centerpieces.

43. 13. Wedding with Tammy & Andrea
• We made sure that everything was
running on time. So going to get the bride
and groom from taking pictures when they
needed to be announced in, getting the
bride, groom, DJ, and photographer when
it was time to cut the cake, etc.
Me and Rachel, I met her at an
open house before her wedding
They had
ice cream cake!

44. 13. Wedding with Tammy & Andrea
• Lessons learned from this wedding
1. Always use a professional DJ
2. Always have a double sided buffet
3. Always confirm with vendors
(even if you are not the planner)
• Check out a sneak peak from their
wedding video here!

45. 14. Bridal Savvy Resale Marketplace
• This is a new event that Columbus Bride and Groom just started.
• It’s for brides who already had their wedding, to sell what they don’t need
anymore to new brides who are looking for deals for their wedding!
• There is a Facebook group for people to put up pictures and sell their stuff,
but there is also an event once a month at our resource center, which is
great to bring traffic there.

46. 14. Bridal Savvy Resale Marketplace
• I helped set up tables, price items, set items for sale up, and make sure all
the vendors and brides that came to sell were all set up and ready to go.
• During the event I greeted the brides, got their information, told them
about the event and what was happening, and help anyone with
questions.

47. 14. Bridal Savvy Resale Marketplace
Getting food after the event across the street!
L to R: Jamie, Olivia, Tammy, Me
Tammy getting interviewed
at the event

48. Bonus!
• These are extra opportunities I found and took advantage of,
so I could learn as much as I could!
Historic Dublin, where Columbus Bride and Groom Office is located.

49. Connie Duglin Linen Showroom
• I visited the Connie Duglin Showroom in Worthington, OH.
• I met with Randy Laipply and learned more about the different kinds of
linens and pricing.
• I actually met Randy when he came up to talk at the wedding class I took
last semester and he has worked with Jamie for years, so I went to see the
showroom!
Randy at the Design & Décor
Open House

50. Our Cupcakery
• A bakery in historic Dublin.
• I met the owner, Linda Kick, through Wedding Professionals of Columbus
and another networking event.
• She wanted someone to help her with marketing and I love cupcakes, so
on days where I had extra time or there wasn’t anyone at the Columbus
Bride and Groom office I helped her out.
L to R: Me, Linda (owner) L to R: Brenda (cake decorator), Me

51. Our Cupcakery
• One problem she had was that all the pictures were in different places,
like her ipod, the business phone (which is an iphone), her phone, etc. So,
I transferred all the pictures on these phones to Facebook albums
• I also made their Pinterest page and added boards (and albums on
facebook) for the flavor of the month, the menu, the cupcake stands, and
the different shapes of cake she can make.
• I created an excel document that has all the information about the
different kinds of cake and cupcake stands she has at the bakery with
information like prices for rent or for purchase, how many cupcakes fit on
the stand, and the colors it comes in, for anyone who is interested in
them.

52. White of Dublin
• White of Dublin is a bridal shop in historic Dublin.
• I met with Heather, one of the co-owners and a neighbor of the house I’m
living at this summer.
• She wanted to hear about what I was doing and wanted to do and I
wanted to hear about her and see the shop.

53. White of Dublin
L to R: Me, Heather