Love is in the air this week as we learn about what’s hot and what’s not in weddings with Cleveland wedding blogger and event organizer Covesa Gragg of Covesa Kelly Events. And we have music from the Cleveland band chosen to play at this year’s South by Southwest (SXSW) Festival, Mourning [A] BLKstar, and singer/songwriter from Wooster, Gretchen Pleuss.
Covesa Gragg (pictured above) talks through what she is seeing trend-wise for successful wedding celebrations. From the couples focusing on what makes them unique to sitting down to agree budgets, Covesa talks through what couples should or shouldn’t be doing in planning their nuptials. She also details her upcoming Brides in the City — a mobile wedding exhibition that helps brides take the stress out of vendor shopping for their wedding.
![Mourning [A] BLKstar](https://coolcleveland.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/mourning-a-blkstar-1024x683.jpeg)
Cleveland band, Mourning [A] BLKstar (pictured above) had a fantastic 2018, according to them “full of growth, challenge and profound connections. With the support of our resilient community in Cleveland, we recently released our second record and toured much of North America over the past year. Our focus remains unchanged: to continue creating an art that illuminates the Black experience, to tell the stories too often untold and unheard, and to vision collectively across communities.”
And they recently have been invited to play at this year’s SXSW. The prestigious SXSW Music Festival invites artists, industry professionals and fans from all over the world to Austin, Texas, for a week every March to attend performances by iconic artists, make professional connections, elevate their musical careers and discover the next wave of musical talent.
The band with eight members has set up a Go Fund Me page to help with the expenses associated with traveling the huge distance to Austin, Texas, including airfare, lodging and food.
Ohio native Gretchen Pleuss (pictured above) is an up-and-coming songwriter with a seasoned sound. According to the Akron Beacon Journal, “The influences of Joni Mitchell, Shawn Colvin, Nick Drake and Ani Difranco can be heard in Gretchen’s unique chord progressions and vocal nuances. Her lyrics are pure and poetic, resonating with listeners on deep levels.” See what you think of her latest track released in January called “If You Saw Me Now”. You can catch her every Tuesday as she hosts the Uncorked Open Mic at the Uncorked Wine Bar in Akron.
