Featured Weddings

Caren Carney & Michael Bailen

By: Ellen Shaheen Fox, Wedding Planner

Imagine the loving hands of a mother dedicating four years and over one million hand-stitches to create her family Chuppah. It was the hope of Ursel Nehr Eichengreen-Fuchs (Oma), grandmother of the bridegroom, for this Chuppah to be used at wedding ceremonies for generations. The marriage ceremony takes place under the Chuppah. It is the symbol of the Jewish home that the bride and groom will build together as husband and wife. It is open on all four sides to symbolize that family and friends will always be part of their lives and welcome into their home.

On Sunday, January 14, under this exquisite and unique Chuppah, family and friends celebrated the marriage ceremony of Caren Marie Carney, daughter of David and Betty Carney of Louisville, and Michael Adam Bailen, son of James and Sandy Bailen also of Louisville. The traditional Jewish ceremony and lavish Black Tie reception were held at the Historic Brown Hotel in Louisville, KY. Rabbi Robert Slosberg and Cantor David Lipp officiated.

Caren Carney and Sandy Bailen are both members of Baptist East Milestone Fitness Center where they met and became friends. Sandy asked Caren if she could introduce her to her son who was Vice President of Investment Banking with Deutsche Securities in New York. Caren was willing, so the two began exchanging emails. During Thanksgiving of 2005, they had their first date. That first date ignited their relationship and phone calls, emails and trips back and forth from New York and Louisville began. Michael moved back to Louisville, his hometown, and proposed, giving Caren the same ring his own grandmother, who created the Chuppah, had worn herself. They were engaged in the summer of July 2006. The Carney’s, who have a business investment in Milestone Fitness never thought about getting such a dividend as they did with Michael.

The wedding party consisted of all family members. The bride’s maid of honor was her sister, Marilyn Carney. The matron of honor was her sister, Marla Grossman. Other bridesmaids included her sister-in-laws Sandra Carney, Abby Carney and Ellen Carney. The groom’s sister, Erica Bailen, was also an attendant. The flower girls and junior groomsmen were all nieces and nephews of the bride. They were Noah, Jonah, Adam, Brandon, Joshua, Daniel, Rebecca, Anna, Isabel, Alanna and Rachel. The best man was Neal Bailen, brother of the groom. His groomsmen were all brothers or brother-in-laws of the bride who included Marc Carney, Michael Carney, Marty Carney, Jeffrey Grossman and his good friend Sean Griffin.

The bride’s parents are owners of the Carney Management Company, located in St. Matthews. The groom’s father is a urologist, with a practice in the Louisville area; and the groom’s mother owns the company “A Touch of Class,” which sells unique and personalized gifts. Both the Carney’s and the Bailen’s are members of the Congregation Adath Jeshuren Synagogue.

To honor her mother, the bride wore the same Belgian crystal tiara and veil as her mother did almost 46 years ago at her own wedding. As in all wedding ceremonies there is an exchange of rings, but in keeping with Jewish tradition, the rings exchanged were made of a single piece of metal, without decoration. Caren wore a simple gold band that was passed down from her great grandmother and used by her grandmother, mother and sister.

The bride wore an Italian satin gown featuring a sweetheart bodice with a lace up corset. Designer, Maggie Sottero, created her beautifully embroidered gown with crystals, pearls, bugle beads and silver thread. The bride carried a waterfall bouquet designed of white oriental lilies, hot princess and Sophia roses, stephanotis, white dendrobium orchids, camellia foliage and lily grass.

The bridesmaids wore midnight blue full length gowns in different styles to accentuate their figures. They each carried English garden bouquets of hot princess roses, light pink tulips, fuchsia variegated dendrobium orchids, deep pink heather, midnight blue delphinium and deep pink stock.

The ornate Chuppah was supported by poles lavishly draped with a bounty of fresh foliages, white oriental lilies, Sophia roses, white stock, hydrangea, and soft pink spray roses. It was flanked by four 4' bronze urns filled with massive arrangements, complimenting the Chuppah.

The wedding guests enjoyed a kosher dinner of chicken en croute served with a seasonal berry salad, rosemary-roasted red potatoes, asparagus red cabbage and butternut squash. For dessert, guests were served kosher cake and sweet chocolates along with fresh fruit and berries in a strawberry-orange sauce. The guest tables were covered with exquisite chopin damask floor length cloths designed in shades of ivory, cream and champagne with chairs covered in an ivory spandex with a 14" champagne bishon fabric tied and cascaded to the floor. Each chair was embellished with a large soft pink cabbage rose placed in the tie of the sash. Twenty four inch crystal clarinet vases were placed on each table and filled with lush garden bouquets designed of Champagne roses, pink tulips, white oriental lilies, pink ginestra, pink heather, white stock, pink-white variegated inka lilies and surrounded with a collar of aspidistra leaves and lily grass. Eight elevated votive goblets with ivory candles surrounded each centerpiece. Wayne Esterle of In Bloom Again and wedding planners Ellen Shaheen Fox and Anissa Snyder of ShaFox Weddings and Events designed and planned the entire affair.

After dinner, the elegantly attired guests danced the night away to the music of the band, The Wulfe Pak. To open the dance floor, the band played a live version of the Horah, which is a traditional Jewish dance that has been danced for thousands of years. The bride and groom laughed aloud as they teetered on chairs raised above the crowd. The love of family and friends surrounding them below was captivating as everyone clapped together honoring the newlywed couple.

The evening ended with the traditional seven Jewish blessing given by family and friends. During the last song, the bride and groom exited the Crystal Ballroom as they were bombarded with rose petals. It was an evening of true elegance, family and full of traditions.

After a honeymoon on St. Peter Island, and a cruise to Key West and the Cayman Islands, Caren and Michael look forward to returning home to Jester, their Bernese mountain dog.

Wedding Vendors

Wedding Planner – ShaFox Weddings & Events, LLC
Florist – In Bloom Again
Photographer – Darwin’s Photography
Videographer – Bluegrass Video
Reception – The Brown Hotel
Cake – Artrageous Desserts
Bridal Gown – Sher’s
Bridesmaid Gowns – Rebecca’s Boutique
Formalwear – Colonel Quick
Ceremony Musicians – SMT Music
Reception Entertainment – Wulfe Pak