Excellence Wedding Solutions

08/15/2023

06/18/2023

The Wedding of Asiah King & Collin Garrett
Saturday, June 17, 2023

This lovely couple's wedding was my first at Belterra Casino. Their ceremony was officiated by their close friend in the Maple Room. Cocktail Hour, Reception, and the couple's first dance, complete with dips, were held beneath the chandeliers of the Oak Room. It was a perfect size to host their 80+ guests.

Here are the fantastic professionals I had the pleasure of working with:

Venue, Catering, & Bartending- Belterra Casino Resort

Makeup - Lauryn Quarles

Photography - Amy Thompson Photography

Videography - Sie Callebs, American Video Productions

DJ - Dan Snelling, Direct Entertainment

Asiah & Collin, thank you for the privilege of being a part of your perfect day. I wish you both a beautiful life together!

06/18/2023

The Wedding of Katie Brown and Jorge Arroyo
Friday, June 2, 2023

Katie and Jorge's wedding day dawned bright and clear. This was our first wedding of 2023.I couldn't have asked for a more lovely June day or a better team of wedding professionals to work with!

Here's the team that made the magic happen:
Venue - Sawyer Hayes Community Center
Photographer - Jeremy Covert Photography
DJ - Sam Complete Weddings + Events
Catering & Bartending - Ladyfingers Catering Inc.
Flowers - Blooms by Essential Details
Dance floor & chair rental - Ready Rental

Katie and Jorge, you are a beautiful couple, and your genuine love for one another shines bright. I wish you all the best!

12/11/2022

I'm so happy to be a part of Mia & Sam's beautiful day! The sun even came out to celebrate with us!

12/04/2022

Best wishes to Lucy & Andrew! Thank you for allowing me to assist you on your special day!

10/22/2022

I have the best job! I'm enjoying this lovely day coordinating the wedding of Shauna & Chris! Best wishes to the happy couple!

10/15/2022

I'm so happy to be coordinating the Wedding Celebration of Juliet and Josh today! Best wishes to this lovely couple!

12/11/2021

Happy Wedding Day to Mr. & Mrs. Hren!
I'm so honored to be a part of your special day!

11/14/2021

Congratulations and Best Wishes to Mr. & Mrs. Matt DeMuth!

Yesterday's wedding was smooth sailing thanks to the awesome team of vendors we worked with.

A special treat for me was the fact that 5 of my prior client couples were in attendance, as well as a couple whose wedding I'll be coordinating in 2022! It was like a mini-reunion!

08/28/2021

So excited to be here with Elizabeth and Eric for their special day!

05/26/2021

It's up! If you'd like to hear my interview with Brandon Savage on The Louisville Wedding Podcast, here's the link: https://anchor.fm/brandon-savage9/episodes/Episode-7-Bethany-Thorsness-WExcellence-Wedding-Solutions-e11knhe
The podcast is also available on Spotify and Apple Podcast, so you can listen on the go.

05/25/2021

Today was a fun first for me! I got to sit down with Brandon Savage to be interviewed for The Louisville Wedding Podcast!
Check him out on Spotify or Apple Podcast, or online at www.TheLouisvilleWeddingPodcast.com.
I'll be posting a link Wednesday so you can tune in to hear us talk timelines and Day-of Coordination!

04/23/2021

Second wedding of the month, second wedding of the week. I'm ready for the fun to begin!

04/18/2021

On the way to work! Wishing the happy couple a beautiful wedding on this beautiful day!

04/12/2021

It's official! I am now AllSeated certified! This allows me to assist clients with their floorplan layouts using the AllSeated online planning tool.

04/12/2021

Gearing up for my second wedding of 2021, with the third hot on its heels! The next two weeks are going to be the best kind of busy.

04/07/2019

I'm here at Driscoll Estate Bridal Open House and ready to meet all the brides! Thank you Pfanntastic Photography for the pic!

02/21/2019

The Wedding of Becky Fischer & Ben Dustin
Saturday, July 21, 2018

I met Becky and Ben through the very kind recommendation of my former customer, Hannah Peck. Becky and Ben were the first bride and groom to initiate me into the Lexington, KY wedding scene. And what a great introduction it was!
Their wedding and reception took place at The Grand Reserve Event Center. Their original plan was to have the ceremony under tents outdoors, but a freak storm the night before, which wrecked the tents, launched us swiftly into Plan B. Thankfully, Lacy and the rest of the staff at The Grand Reserve were so kind and accommodating. We were able to sail through our rehearsal and a ceremony site switch with barely a hiccough.
The couple's dear friend, Andru Stone, obtained his ordination especially so that he could officiate and it's always sweet to witness a ceremony conducted by someone who has such a personal connection to the bride and groom.
Music for both the ceremony and the reception as well as announcements for the evening were smoothly and professionally handled by James and Ed with KY Sounds. These guys were a joy to work with!
Bluegrass Catering was responsible for the wonderful aromas wafting through the room as well as the amazing food that produced them! I heard wonderful things about the Vegan Lasagna but couldn't make it past the Chicken Monterey and Garlic Mashed Potatoes.
The cake was the work of Mae Proctor and echoed the concept of a "Starry Night" feeling the bride desired. Guests enjoyed bakery cupcakes in a variety of flavors, as well as a huge assortment of home baked cookies, which were a labor of love by family and friends.
I'm so thankful to all the vendors I worked with who made me feel so welcome there in Lexington! Thank you for being such a great group to work with!
Becky and Ben, thank you for allowing me to be a part of your day! I wish you both a wonderful future together!

01/15/2019

The Wedding of Shannon Smith & Ryan Atkins
Saturday, October 20, 2018

Shannon came to me through the kind recommendation of one of my former clients, Brittany Hardesty. We met almost a year before her wedding date and I enjoyed getting to know her as we discussed details, plotted seating arrangements, and sorted out centerpieces at what I now think of as Shannon's Starbucks.

Shannon and Ryan chose Passalino's as the venue for their ceremony and reception. Their 100+ guests were seated California style, to avoid the necessity of a room flip and to keep the upstairs area available for post-ceremony photography. Their bridal party was perfectly intimate, with her Maid of Honor, his Best Man, and Shannon and Ryan's son, Tristan as Ring Bearer. As expected, Tristan nearly stole the show with all his cuteness! Look at that photo of him with his sign, how adorable is that?!?

And speaking of photography, the photos in this post are all the Pfanntastic work of Pfanntastic Photography. They knocked it out of the park once again with an awesome collection of images! There were so many great pictures to choose from, but I'm especially thrilled with those upstairs shots with just Shannon and Ryan!

The staff at Passalino's were fantastic, and I can't say enough about Tijen. She was a gem, always ready to help with anything we needed. I hope to have the opportunity to work with them again soon.

All the lovely florals you see throughout these images were the work of Nanz & Kraft Florists. I am so in love with this bouquet. It was perfection! I loved the variety of centerpieces for the guest tables, and the altar arrangements added just the perfect touch to their ceremony area.

The ladies' hair was the work of Michelle Raines and makeup was done by Kelsey Goodman with Southern Roots Hair Studio.

Once again I had the pleasure of working with Ladyfingers Catering Inc. and once again they did not disappoint. The guests loved the taco bar!

This gorgeous cake by Virginia Rankin with MERTS CAKES was every bit as delicious as it looked! Mert's always holds a special place in my heart as they were the artists who created my wedding cake too!

The evening's entertainment and lighting was provided by Sound Specialist Entertainment. These gentlemen were on top of every detail and handled each transition smoothly and professionally.

Shannon, Ryan, and Tristan, I wish your precious family all the best! Thank you for the honor of being part of this special day.

10/20/2018

It's a beautiful day for a wedding! So excited for Shannon Smith & Ryan!

09/28/2018

The Wedding of Naomi Malka and Josh Carrico
July 7, 2018
Outdoor wedding and July don't always go well together. But in this case, Naomi and Josh must have custom ordered the most lovely July day possible for their wedding, because I couldn't have asked for anything better.
All photo credits go to Meagan Jordan Photography. Meagan and her husband Matt, were so good to work with and these images! Did they nail it or what?!?
The wedding and reception was held at Wildwood Country Club. The ceremony was outdoors under the shade of the towering trees of the front lawn. Chair rental was provided by Trey Oates with Oates Flag. Ben Haydon, a dear friend of the couple officiated, adding many personal touches to the ceremony. Their non-denominational service was a beautiful blending of traditions from both the bride's Jewish and the groom's Catholic heritage.
Their 240+ guests then moved into the clubhouse for drinks and later, dinner, all catered by Wildwood. I cannot say enough about how accommodating the staff of Wildwood was to us. Reza, Karen, Steve, Meredith, Regina, and Brian (just to name a few of the standouts) did all they could to make sure that we had all we needed and our event flowed smoothly.
All florals were crafted by In Bloom Again and they did a fantastic job! Centerpieces were a mixture of tall arrangements of gold manzanita branches, white hydrangea, and hanging votives with low arrangements of white hydrangea, blush roses, and gilded leaves. They managed to strike exactly the right note, perfectly elegant.
Guests were entertained throughout the evening by Pink Cadillac - Nashville Wedding Band, who provided a keyboardist and mics for the ceremony and band for the reception. They kept the dance floor rocking all night long!
The couple's aunt, Wanda Mullen made the gorgeous Bride's cake as well as 5 other beautiful and delicious cakes which graced the dessert table.
Toasts for the evening were both touching and humorous, and mentioned again and again the kind heart of the bride and the gentlemanly nature of the groom. I was so honored to be a part of this special day for this lovely couple and wish Naomi and Josh a long and happy life together! Mazel Tov!

09/07/2018

So honored to have been a part of this wonderful couple's special day! It was my pleasure to work with them and this team of awesome vendors.

At Louisville Entertainment Services we strive to fill whatever role is needed to make sure your event is perfect. This past weekend our owner, Noah Yates filled his most important role yet as groom to his bride, Cynthia.

The day was filled with top-of-the-line vendors who deserve to be recognized for making the Yates' wedding dreams and visions come to life.

Their venue, Eden Springs Farmstead was impeccable providing their ceremony space by the water and 200 year old to***co barn for the reception hosting right at 140 people. Susan Eden was a joy to work with and made the spaces available for an ample amount of planning.

Bethany Thorsness with Excellence Wedding Solutions made sure every plan was on point and the day ran smoothly as their day-of coordinator. She is one of the hardest workers we've ever encountered and executed the day flawlessly.

Photography was entrusted to long time friends Jerusha and Marc Pfannenschmidt with Pfanntastic Photography. They are hands-down the best photography team this area has to offer. They have the best visions and captured what was wanted ahead of schedule. Not to mention, had a 180+ preview posted the next day!

Self Made Drones and Productions is producing the wedding film. Chad Coleman Self and his team do phenomenal work, are so fun to be around and meshed so well with the photography team. You would be lucky to book this guy to capture your wedding or next event.

Dean Hill was the officiant and did an amazing job with the ceremony, incorporating exactly what the Yates' wanted alongside what he normally offers. His voice carried, his words were on point and he kept the crowd entertained.

Danielle Reed with Hairapy Salon worked her magic on the bride and 5 others' hair in under 4 hours. While Kayte Jo Young (Be Kayte Made) transformed the ladies with her makeup. Both of these ladies come highly recommended because their work is truly an art.

Food at the reception was provided by Divinity Fine Catering. Danni and her team of servers not only provided a great experience, but the food is still being commented as being some of the best the guests have ever had at a wedding.

The cakes. Oh, the cakes. They were beautiful but even more delicious. The Classy Cakery, LLC designed and baked the delicious desserts. Dana Ann Garrett was a godsend when the original baker fell through. From the lemon, lime, and chocolate cupcakes to the white/funfetti 3-tier wedding cake and chocolate bourbon pecan Woodford groom's cake, Noah & Cynthia will never use anyone else.

Though DJ NOA NO provided some of the music for his own reception (can you believe that?), Cynthia's dream was to have a live band. Corey & Stacey Music provided the best entertainment the couple could've ever asked for. They played originals and anything the guests requested. If you haven't seen them live, you need to.

A special thanks to Oberer's Flowers for making the bride's floral dreams come to life. Strings In One Music for providing the beautiful ceremony compilations. And, last but not least Sher's Bridal and Formal Wear for putting the bride in the perfect dress by Justin Alexander.

Anyone listed above will be the highest recommended and fully endorsed by Louisville Entertainment Services. They are true professionals and we can't wait to work with them again in the future.

08/27/2018

The Wedding of
Kaylen Ogle & Nicholas Eschenbach
Saturday, May 19, 2018

The beautiful images in this post are courtesy of photographer, Travis Salisbury with R.T. Photography - Wedding and Portrait Photographer
Kaylen and Nick, their 19 attendants, and their 450 guests gathered at the stately St. Joseph's Catholic Church for a 6:00 PM wedding mass. Father Joseph Sanchez officiated the ceremony where Kaylen and Nick, surrounded by their family and friends, pledged to love and honor one another for the rest of their days.
They then traveled a short distance to the Van Gough Room at MAEC - Mellwood Art & Entertainment Center for dinner and dancing.
I'd like to acknowledge some of the wonderful vendors who made this day possible.
The ladies' makeup was done by Dawn Phillips - Makeup Artist, and hairstyling was provided by Allie Kreft with Style Lounge Professional Hair Studio and Amanda Farmer at Wild Strawberry Hair & Nail Studio. Of course, they had beautiful material to start with, but didn't they do a fantastic job?
Bouquets and personal flowers were the work of State & Arrow Design Co. and décor was deftly executed by Sarah Ortego.
Mark's Feed Store BBQ & Catering catered the delicious BBQ dinner and bartending was covered by the crew from Naked by Sunday.
The couple had a wedding cake, groom's cake, and a dessert table with the cutest wedding themed cookies you've ever seen as well as decadent cake balls, all from Tiffanys Cake Ball Creations.
With so many guests, Kaylen and Nick wanted everyone traveling safely, so Miller Transportation shuttled guests from the hotel, to the church, to the reception, and back again. The Ultimate Limo Ride Louisville handled transportation for the bridal party, helping to keep everyone together and on schedule for all arrivals.
Their videographer was Jared Kowalski and here's a link! https://www.dropbox.com/s/3n9j5knt00nro0y/K%2BN%20Wedding%20FINAL%20COPY.m4v?dl=0
I am so honored to have been part of such a special day in the lives of Kaylen and Nick. I wish you both all the best!

08/24/2018

On the way to the next wedding! Rehearsal tonight, wedding tomorrow!

05/12/2018

Yesterday was a special day as my family and friends gathered to witness the wedding of my brother Jeremiah Magness & Brooke Elyse Raymer. Their Friday evening wedding and reception was held at the beautiful Abe Martin Amphitheater and Lower Shelter in Brown County State Park.

I want to acknowledge the awesome vendors who went above and beyond to make this wedding so great.

The amazing images you see with this post are the work of my sister, Jerusha Pfannenschmidt with Pfanntastic Photography. I am in love with all of them!

Catering was provided by Mission Bbq St Matthews. If you want a group that has it all together and will serve your guests awesome food with a great attitude and handle everything with grace and excellence, this is the caterer to choose. They were awesome!

DJ Joker provided entertainment for the evening as well as handling the last minute ceremony sound that we threw at them and as usual, pulled it all off with ease. Thank you Samuel, for once again coming through with a great job!

Guys, can you believe these bouquets are silk!?! Not only did Veronica's Little Secret create these bouquets that had even our silk flower haters singing her praises, but she hand delivered them herself to Brown County! And happened to have the moss in her truck that made our ring shot in the detail photo come to life. Thanks so much!

Adrienne and Co. Bakery Cafe was the source for their Red Velvet and Italian Crème (my favorite!) cupcakes. So yummy! They iced the tops to look like flowers so they fit perfectly with the look of the wedding.

Brooke and Jeremiah, thank you so much for allowing me to be a part of your day. I love you both, and wish you all the happy things for your future together.

So this happened yesterday! Congrats to my brother Jeremiah Magness & his new wife Brooke Brooke Elyse Raymer! It was a great day for a wedding, and the venue was everything they imagined it would be! Wishing you a beautiful life together!
Definitely want to give a big shout out to Marc Pfannenschmidt for all of your help with this one!

04/13/2018

The Wedding of Jennifer Chen and Brian Reifert
Saturday, September 9, 2017

I've been so excited to share the images from this wedding! I couldn't ask for a lovelier bride or a more sweet and devoted couple to work with. I met Jennie through the referral of a previous client, Carissa Thompson. I'm always so grateful for the kindness of my brides passing along my name to others. Thank you Carissa!

Their wedding ceremony took place at Caldwell Chapel with the reception following at Gardencourt, all on the grounds of Louisville Theological Seminary.

All of the beautiful images I'm sharing with you were captured by Tracy Burch Photography. Don't you love her detail shots! She was so great to work with. I'm seriously hoping our paths will cross again at a future event.

This is the second time I've been fortunate enough to work with Rose and Honey Florals and once again, they did not disappoint. Their lush bouquets and arrangements are always spot on gorgeous.

Yancey Entertainment Service, Inc. provided DJ services for the evening, dealing with the challenges of a multi-room reception setup with grace and ease. He maintained a smooth flow of announcements and kept guests on the dance floor till the very end of the night.

Bristol Catering handled the buffet and bar services for the evening, ensuring that the food was hot, fresh, and served right on time. Their menu included passed appetizers during cocktail hour, and a buffet dinner which featured House Salad, Baked Chicken Peperonata, Cranberry Glazed Pork Tenderloin, Roasted Potatoes and Seasonal Vegetables.

Lady A Cakes - Louisville Cakes was the artist behind this cake. And check out the personalized topper, a nod to the couple's love for one another, and their corgi!

I hope you've enjoyed my re-cap of this special day. Be sure to check out these awesome vendors I've mentioned!

Best wishes to Jennifer and Brian for a long and happy life together!

09/12/2017

Haley Reichle contacted me about a month before her wedding and I was so relieved that I happened to have her date available!
She and Wes hosted their ceremony and reception at the historic Peterson Dumesnil House on a late Sunday afternoon. Guests were welcomed into the rose garden for the nuptials with music played by the Highland Chamber Players Harp & String Quartet and I couldn't imagine a more fitting accompaniment for the beauty of that outdoor space.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, guests moved to the covered porch and indoor spaces for beverages and appetizers. Bristol Catering hand passed Baby Hot Browns and Bourbon BBQ Meatballs and then turned out an awesome buffet dinner which included Braised Beef Short Ribs that you could cut with a fork. Their staff was so accommodating and handled service like the pros they are.
Guests also enjoyed Louisville Chocolate Fountain which was both entertaining and delicious and somehow still had room for the three tier, Lemon, Strawberry, and Italian Cream cake from Heitzman Bakery. Haley had purchased some loose flowers which I placed on and around her cake to give it a finishing touch.
D.J. Joe Foster provided smooth sounds throughout the evening as well as up-lighting that helped to set a party atmosphere.
All of Haley and Wes' attendants were so kind and quick to do anything to help. I believe their friends are indicative of the truly, genuinely, kind people Haley and Wes are. You don't just get friends like that by accident.
I loved Haley's décor which consisted of mismatched china, stacked books, and lanterns with simple white hydrangea. It was just enough to compliment the stately surroundings.
The bridal party's flowers were the work of the artists at Merci Bouquet. The extra touches to the bride's bouquet such as the addition of some special family mementos was especially touching and lovely.
Pamela Jecker and her partner with Birch Valley Photography flowed smoothly throughout the day capturing images including those I'm sharing with you below. If you think these are pretty, you've got to check out her page to see the amazing shots she got of the gorgeous bride and her exquisite bouquet!
I hope you've enjoyed a peek into this special day.
Haley and Wes, I wish you all the best! Thank you for allowing me to be a part of the beginning of the rest of your lives together.

08/31/2017

It was such a pleasure to work with Brittany Hardesty & Josiah Hardesty! Their love for one another and their children is truly beautiful to behold.

Their wedding and reception were both held at NOAH'S Event Venue. This is a beautiful facility who's staff did a great job of attending to the details. And their iPad controlled lighting was so cool!

Some of the great wedding service professionals I worked with included:

Makeup artist Rick Bancroft, Professional Makeup Artist Louisville, Lexington. This is the second event where I've had the privilege of working with Rick and once again, he does not disappoint. Of course, when you have someone as naturally beautiful as Brittany to work with, well, that can only help, right?!

The floral artistry was the work of J. Elizabeth Designs. Do you see that gorgeous bouquet?!? Oh, my! And each of the guest tables was decorated with lanterns (which Noah's supplied) surrounded by greenery, blooms in shades from white to coral, and white hydrangea. So pretty and simply elegant.

COMPLETE weddings + events Kentucky handled their photography, photo booth, and D.J. entertainment. John Seyal, the photographer, was patient and accommodating. You can see a few of his photo captures below. Unfortunately, I don't have any of the photo booth photos to share, but I know the attendant was kept busy throughout the evening by all the guests playing with the props and making many fun photo mementos. Eric Leslie, provided great entertainment, keeping the music rolling and guests dancing.

Upper Crust Catering supplied the delicious food as well as handling bar service.

Louisvillicious Cakes and Desserts was the artist behind the scrumptious cake. I'm sorry I don't have a photo for you guys. I'll get better, I promise!

Brittany and Josiah just celebrated their first anniversary! I wish this wonderful couple many, many more years of love and happiness together!

08/28/2017

Kayla Obert and Will Obert were such a wonderful couple to work with! Easy going and laid back. Despite the chilly March temperatures, they and their bridal party kept great attitudes and had an awesome time together.
Their ceremony was held at St. Joseph Catholic church and the reception was at Mellwood Arts &Entertainment Center.
A few of the wonderful vendors I worked with were:
Jerusha Pfannenschmidt with Pfanntastic Photography. She and her husband/second shooter Marc, were the talent behind the boatload of awesome photos I have linked to below. I always love working with Jerusha because I know the job will not just get done but be done so well!
The crew from Reel Kentucky Films were so fun to work with and look at this beautiful highlight reel they produced for her: https://youtu.be/HwMq_7FDVUQ
DJ Joker, Samuel Lucas provided music for the evening and I have to say, if you want someone who will show up on time, be on top of the job, and keep your people dancing all night long, he is the guy you need.
Greg Dye with Wildflowers handled décor and flowers and I absolutely loved all the gorgeous sunflowers.
The cake from Adrienne and Co. Bakery Cafe perfectly fit her theme and tasted heavenly.
Thank you to all you wonderful wedding professionals who made my job so much easier by doing your jobs so well!

Best wishes to Kayla and Will for a wonderful life together!

https://www.facebook.com/138550032846997/photos/?tab=album&album_id=1272836992751623

This has been one of our favorite couples of all time, and we are so blessed that they are also our friends! Kayla Obert & William Elliott Obert are such fun loving, considerate, and kind hearted people! The love they have for each other is something that will clearly stand the test of time! We hope that the moments we captured will help them to always go back to this wonderful moment in their lives, and never forget how it all began!
I can't say enough about the wonderful team of professionals that we worked with to make this day everything that it was! My 1st shout out goes to my hubby/2nd shooter Marc Pfannenschmidt, thanks for braving the elements with me, even though we were both a bit under the weather! Bethany Thorsness was their super fantastic wedding planner! Matthew Phelps, and the team of videographers from Reel Kentucky Films were so great to work with! DJ Samuel Lucas did a great job keeping their reception going for hours! Their delicious cake was crafted by Adrian's bakery!

08/28/2017

While I may be a great wedding planner, I stink at social media as anyone who has checked out my page in the last year can see 😜. So now I'm going to try to make up for it in one fell swoop. Hold on to your hats folks as I post several weddings back to back!