Photo by Mark Romine Photography

From the first meeting with the bride it was obvious this was going to be a beautiful wedding.  She had very firm ideas about what she wanted the reception, a tented event in her parents yard, to look like.

I took her to meet Helen Philpot at English Hedgerow because I knew she would be able to take on the size and scope of the event.  Working outdoors with fragile blossoms in August can cause concerns but Helen guided the bride to choose flowers that would be able to hold up to the weather.

Photo by Mark Romine

Linens and candle wax

Helen created these beautiful tall arrangements for some of the tables.  They added to the elegant feel of the event.  The candles were 36″ tapers with plenty of burn time.

When using candles on your tables be sure to ask your linen rental company what their policy is regarding wax on the tablecloths.  Some companies only charge if there are burn holes but it’s best to ask up front.

Ice Sculpture are always a hit with guests, especially on a hot day.

Photo by Mark Romine

Photo by Mark Romine

Ice Sculptures by Double A Carving

Wedding Vendors:

Florist: English Hedgerow, Urbana, IL
Rentals (tent, chivari chairs, linens, etc): Herriott’s Rentals, Champaign, IL
Photography: Mark Romine Photography, Bloomington, IL
Catering: Applewood Catering, Danville, IL
Cake: Kelly Chaffin, Mellott, IN
Wedding planner: Nuptiae, The Wedding & Event Planners

Working with Erin to plan her wedding to Tom was a great experience.  The ceremony was planned for the back yard of her parents home.  Chairs and staging for the bridal party was delivered the day before the wedding and lots of beautiful floral decor the morning of the wedding.  In spite of all the plans to make the ceremony site a beautiful spot for Erin and Tom’s vows we did not know until the hour of the wedding if the rain would hold off and allow the wedding to take place as planned.

The guests were parking at the bride’s family’s club and being driven to the house in golf carts.  In

the event of rain the guest would be directed into the club and the guests would have watched the

vows from the guest tables set up for the reception.  As the bride and bridal party were getting

dressed I had my eye on the sky.

As the guests began arriving the bride decided to have guests directed to the outdoor space.

Photo by Fond Memorie

Thankfully the rain stayed away.  Some guests coming in from the next town said it was pouring on the way to the wedding.  The wedding was wonderful and all the guests stayed dry but we had a good back up plan in case of rain.  If you are planning an outdoor event be sure to have 2 plans in place with all family and wedding vendors in case an alternative location becomes necessary.  That way it will not cause problems if you do have to make last minute changes.

Wedding vendors:

Florist: Fleurish, Urbana, IL
Photographer: Fond Memories, Plainfield, IL
Linens and outdoor audio system: Elite Entertainment, Champaign, IL
Cake: Lori Martin at the Hawthorn Suites, Champaign, IL
Rentals (chairs and staging): Herriott’s Rentals, Champaign, IL
Wedding Planner: Nuptiae, The Wedding & Event Planners

Being a June bride may sound romantic until your June day turns hot and dripping with humidity.  That is why I love working with brides who decide to marry in the fall.  September and October are such great months with normally cooler and drier days.  This translates to less sweating in your bridal gown and some beautiful blue skies.

Another great thing about October weddings is the beautiful rich colors of fall.  Here are some pictures from Nikki and Patrick’s October 16th wedding.  These shots are taken by Ryan at Elite Entertainment who was the wedding vendor for linens, uplighting and DJ services.  Other wedding vendors include l.a. Gourmet Catering, K Design Photography, cake by Lori Martin (217) 217-531-9127, flowers by Fleurish (217) 607-0015, attire by Lindsey Lane Bridal (217) 893-0703, mother of the bride’s dress from Deena’s in Rantoul (217) 892-4997.  The event was held at the lovely banquet facilities at St. Matthew’s Catholic Church.

Linens and lighting by Elite Entertainment

Cake by Lori

Photo by Holly Birch Photography

You’ll be making big plans for your wedding day but don’t forget to spend time planning the engagement session as well.  Many photographer’s packages include the engagement session and the rights to a picture for your engagement announcement in the newspaper or for photo stamps for your invitations.  An engagement session can also work to put the bride and especially the groom at ease with the photographer and being photographed. 

You’ll have a chance to see how you look in the photographs and if you like the way your hair and make up looks in the pictures.  Think of it as a trial run for your wedding day and enjoy spending time and getting to know your photographer better.

If you are planning a wedding there are certain things you can expect.  Unfortunately, one of those things is that some of your guests may not be very good guests.

If your guests have never planned a large event, they may not understand how important a little courtesy on their part can be. Of course, some guests may just be rude.  As a wedding planner, the thing that I see causing frustration among brides and their families most often is the process of receiving RSVPs.  The first problem occurs when the guests do not return their RSVPs by the date requested.  Since many couples send an RSVP card that has postage added – with a requested return date – it seems a case of rudeness rather than ignorance of wedding etiquette to be delinquent in responding.

When the requested respond date arrives and some of your guests have not yet sent their cards, it is time to start calling them and asking their plans.  Some brides I’ve worked with feel funny about that (as if they are being a pest for asking), but it is the guest who should feel bad for causing you this extra work the month of your wedding.  They may not understand that your caterer is expecting a head count and will charge you for the number of guests in that count.  If a guest indicates they will come and then does not, it will cost you the same amount as you pay for a guest who is present (and eating and drinking).  At $25-50 per person or more for a typical wedding, that can add up quickly.

The other problem with the responses is when you’ve invited two people from a household, and they send a note on the response card that their grown children, children’s spouses and grandchildren will be in town that weekend and they have decided to bring all eight of them along!  After gritting your teeth, you’ll have to decide whether you will call them and explain that there is only enough room for the people on your guest list or let it go and add the uninvited people to the guest count.

The day of the wedding I’ve found that some guests who told you they could not come may show up, while some who replied that the number invited would attend but show up with two or three extra.  Hopefully, you’ll be dancing and drinking champagne, and someone else will deal with the problem.  If you plan for an extra table at the reception there will be a place to put these guests, and it won’t cause too much trouble for the person in charge.

After you have been a bride or helped plan a large event, these are the kinds of mistakes you are not likely to make when you are a guest.  The bottom line is when you deal with this kind of guest, the proper etiquette is to just to keep your calm and stay focused on enjoying your special day.

Xochitl Gonzales of Always a Blogsmaid

ABC (The Association of Bridal Consultants) held a conference in St. Louis March 20-21. Among the topics that wedding planners always discuss when we get together, what is new for weddings this year and next? Some of the vendors present showed us. For one meal the room was set up as a spring garden with bright colors (yellows, pinks, oranges and greens) in the linens, the flowers and table decor. These were not new ides but looked great. The surprise feature was a new chivari style chair that was completely clear. It was so unusual but fitthe decor very well. The Aries Company in St. Louis provided them.

One of the speakers this weekend was Xochitl (So-Cheel) Gonzalez from Always a Bridesmaid Wedding Planners in Manhattan. She has been featured on “Whose Wedding is it Anyway” and has become a popular speaker for ABC and other professional organizations. You can visit Xochitl’s blog at www.alwaysablogsmaid.com. It is full of great information on the latest trends, wedding vendors and wonderful pictures of weddings that can offer ideas and inspiration.

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If you’ve never planned a wedding or a large event before you may be surprised how expensive it can be.  If you are working with a wedding planner they can help you with estimated costs for the different items that you’ll be buying or renting (just a specialty linen for all your guest tables can add several hundres dollars to the bottom line). 

The national average for wedding costs hovers around $20,000.  That may seem like a lot of money (and as one father of the bride pointed out to me IT IS A LOT OF MONEY) but that may not even come close to touching the expenses for a plated dinner(served to the guests at the table) or food stations and an open bar for 250 guests.

Before you begin planning try to make calls to the vendors you’d like to hire and get an idea of what they would charge to provide the kind of servies you’d like.  Then take all of those totals and add them up.  It may be a little scary (it will only get worse when you show your dad) but at least you be well informed about the kind of wedding you can afford.

If you have to cut back on your plans drastically to fit into your budget take heart, it is not the end of the world (or your wedding).  Be realistic and start by cutting the guest list (on of the easiest ways to cut costs) and try adding family or ethnic traditions from your family and the groom.  These special details can create a fun event that your guests will remember.

Keep in mind that your wedding only reresents the begining of your married life.  The marriage itself is the best place to invest most of your time and energy.

Photo by Nina Sutherland Photography

You’ve just become engaged and the ring on your finger is like a reminder that you have lots of work ahead.  Where do you start?  First things first, how soon will this wedding take place?  You’ll need to secure the ceremony and reception location.  Begin by taking to your fiancée (don’t forget about him) and establishing priorities for where and when the wedding will take place.

Next, before signing any contracts, you’ll want to discuss in detail who will be paying for what.  Before you go wild and order the Dom Perignon for toasting determine what the total budget for the entire wedding will be and get firm confirmations from parents about exactly how much they are willing to add to the budget.  I would suggest you and your future spouse go separately to talk to your parents.  It will be much easier if you can all speak freely without worrying about insulting your future in-laws.

Once these questions have been answered is it time to prioritize.  Deciding what is most important to you and Mr. Right will help you determine what items in the budget you might want to splurge for and what items you’ll ask your favorite aunt to make.