Ford-Ellington Wedding and Event Design

02/10/2023

Great getting messages from old friends through this business page. Hope all of my former clients are having a great 2023!

03/23/2022

With help from Laura Schaber and Yvonne Tobergte and most especially from Roger Swonger, the sale of all the items I owned and used to design so many weddings were sold for funds to donate to a favorite charity of mine, Lighthouse Youth Services.

Over $9,000 was raised and will be delivered to help the team at Lighthouse Youth Services for outreach to the homeless children and young adults in need in the Cincinnati area.

02/22/2022

Lighthouse Youth Services Fundraiser going great! We are having a huge sale on remaining wedding equipment and heavy duty wire shelving and furniture and other florist equipment! Please share with anyone having a wedding this year or next!

Sunday February 27th from 9 AM to 2 PM
16 N Fort Thomas Avenue
Fort Thomas, KY 41075

02/17/2022

Lighthouse Youth Services fundraiser update!
Hi everyone! Wanted to send an updated list to all with the inventory we still have left. There are more items available than this and several great rolling shelves, stationary shelves and tables etc.

If you are a regular florist or someone that designs weddings we have things that will be useful! Remember that all proceeds help Lighthouse Youth Services, a great charity in Cincinnati!

Please share to others that could be interested!

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1n7ISVcEl8DMTMEgy5Qj2fAxGRtFrbaqI/edit

Bulk orders only 30% off if you buy ½ of number of quantities listed 50% off if you buy entire quantity/lot of items *Please note some exclusions are noted next to already discounted grouping Glass Tall Vases Glass Trumpet Vases Quantity Size Price 3 47” 3...

01/27/2022

Wanting to let people know that I am finally ready to sell all the vases, risers, chuppahs and remaining equipment at my location. Most are one of a kind in this market and in excellent condition.
Also have stainless steel work tables and wire shelf units, many with rollers that can hold many buckets and designs!
All of the proceeds will be donated to Lighthouse Youth Services in Cincinnati!

01/09/2021

Today I decided to write a post formally announcing my retirement. When I turned 40 I decided I wanted to leave the business I love while I still loved what I did. Knowing how much I loved designing weddings, I decided that by my 60th birthday I would have accomplished my professional goals and retire with the satisfaction of knowing I helped create life-long memories for many families I was honored to have worked with over my career.

My final wedding as Ford-Ellington was on October 20, 2020. As I look back I can honestly say I loved every year of my business. Starting in 1986 as an everyday florist with my mother, Anne Ellington, as my partner, my progression to wedding design seemed inevitable. She was my mentor and supported that I was talented enough to have my own business. She believed in me enough to co-sign the loan to buy out her interest in the business that same year. I owe much of my early success to her...thanks Mom!

I was developing my skills as an everyday florist, but as time went on I realized what I loved most about my business was the weddings!

The epiphany came in 1996, when I was hired to create my first wedding reception in the Hall of Mirrors at the Netherland Plaza. Suellen Chesley happened to be the wedding coordinator. A mentor and inspiration, she taught me so much about creating successful memorable weddings.

Each wedding I have designed was special because I always understood that the family and the couple's trust in me and my company was an honor. I always wished to exceed their expectations, and I hope I accomplished that for them.

Over the years I met so many other event professionals who also taught me so much, and many of us became close friends, and I thank them all!

Special thanks go to the many people that have worked for me over the years, and helped me succeed in my business. However, I need to spotlight Laura Schaber. Her professionalism, talent, and good humor made each day a pleasure and much of my success is also hers. Our friendship will always be treasured. I was very fortunate to have hired Nick and Rob, and along with Laura, there was never a dull moment! Over many busy years Rob has always been there whenever I needed his help.

I hope my sister, Yvonne, knows how important she has been over the years too and that I will always appreciate my family's support!

Patti, Heather, Katie, Brad, Ryan, Linda, Frances, Roger and many others have also been valued employees and friends over the years. Many thanks to them as they each have added their own talents and helped make the business a success! Ryan, I miss you every day.

My husband has been so supportive of my business goals, and as we go into the next chapter of our lives, I want to let the many families I have been privileged to serve over the years know that the many memories of your weddings will continue to bring a satisfied smile to my face. Thanks to each of you for making going to work each day such a pleasure!

01/01/2021

Intimate ceremony and reception for a family wedding this fall. Loved working with All Occasions, Fitz the Occasion, and Queen City Vignette of this wedding. We even added rented trees to create a more intimate ceremony space for the close friends and family of the bride and groom. Lighting by Vincent Lighting. Draping by Fitz the Occasion and rentals and amazing tenting and flooring by All Occasions. Vintage furniture and rugs from Queen City Vignette.

01/01/2021

A wedding reception we designed for a family this fall was at the Renaissance. Wonderful family and wonderful staff at the Renaissance. Lighting by Prestige.

01/01/2021

Thought I would post a few photos from a wedding I designed for a family this summer. With Covid the wedding moved to September. And the guest count was lowered and venue was moved outside of the country club. Wonderful intimate wedding ceremony and reception on an outdoor dining space. You can create a beautiful wedding even with a smaller than hoped for guest list. Rentals: All Occasions. Lighting CLEAR Lighting. Draping by Fitz the Occasions.

10/11/2019

This is one of the most stunning place card table designs I had the pleasure to help create with Nancy Fehr, the bride's mother. The Hyde Park Country was a phenomenal backdrop for this blue and white themed wedding design. The weather, of course, was splendid! The actually place card itself was a blue & white tin with a white soft scented candle for quests to remember the amazing wedding of Paige Fehr and Joe Wojda.

10/10/2019

Congratulations to Courtney Ferguson & Robel Meimen for tying the knot on September 14th! We are so very happy that we played a part in making their wedding vision come true.
Many thanks to Vincent Lighting Systems for making our designs shine. And to Spoon-fulla' Sugar Custom Cakes for their amazing stacked cake with gold tiers that were fantastic.

09/27/2019

We love making Mother’s of the bride’s happy!

09/24/2019

Sunset picture of our bride and groom and her sister and brother-in-law,whose wedding I also designed!
Congratulations Paige and Joe! The setting was the dramatic es**rt display for their wedding reception at Hyde Park Country Club.

09/10/2019

This is what happened when a bride brought in an early twentieth century wedding photo (not photo pictured)and says, “I want a big, long, lush vintage bouquet.” What fun it was to make this. WOW!!!

08/29/2019

Though we miss her, so glad so many others will get to know the master of cake!

Handcrafted sugar flowers, over our signature rolled chocolate panels, in the prettiest shades possible! 💕🍰

05/11/2019

Tonight’s wedding is an ethereal wonderland. The cake is beyond words! It is a spectacular display of art from

04/30/2019

Butterflies, roses, pearls and all things adorable was the setting for Libby's wedding shower at the Cincinnati Country Club on Sunday.