The first thing you should do when planning your wedding (besides hire a wedding planner, of course) is choose a theme for your wedding. Yes, even before you choose your dress. decide on a theme that has personal meaning for you and your fiance, that reflects your personal styles. Some examples are:

  

The Options are endless. For example you can have a bohemian beach wedding or you can have a bohemian wedding on an open prairie and get a completely different feel. 

Your theme will pull all the individual elements together to tell your story. Every tiny detail should be a reflection of your vision. 

Consider working with a wedding planner. It's their job to take your theme bring it to life. Be inspired by it, by incorporating elements of things you love and cherish. Keep this in mind and you will succeed in creating the day of your dreams.

Let me start by saying, when a venue says they have a wedding planner or coordinator on their staff, what they are really saying is that they have a venue coordinator. What most brides don’t know is that the venue coordinator works for the venue, NOT for the bride. While a venue coordinator is responsible for making your wedding day run as smoothly as possible, her responsibilities are limited to the venue and their staff. She/he is directed to keep the bride happy, but only to the extent that it does not cause the venue any extra work or expense. And believe me, they will make sure that you, the bride, are charged for any extras. With the exception of possibly giving you a preferred vendor list, the venue coordinator will not help you choose vendors, find good deals, and make sure you are protected in each contract. They will not help you find the perfect wedding gown, headpiece, shoes, and jewelry. They will not help you create and work with in a budget. As for a time line, they will only assist with the portion of the time line that includes them and they will do so with the venues best interest at the forefront of their minds.

A wedding planner/coordinator, on the other hand, is chosen and hired by you. They work for you, and no one else. Your wedding planner, depending on what you have included in your agreement, will be by your side throughout the entire planning process. She/he will help you with every last minute detail of your wedding. Your wedding planner will help you choose all of your wedding professionals and because they have built good working relationships with many local vendors they can often secure discounts that you can not obtain on your own. Your planner will also review your vendor contracts to make sure that you are protected. Your wedding planner will help you create both a planing time line and a wedding day time line and assure that everyone involved has a copy of the time line. They also will help you create a working budget and help you to stay within it. 

On your wedding day, your wedding planner will stay by your side from the time you start the day until you and your new husband leave the reception. They will make sure everything is to your specifications through out the day, that everything happens in accordance to the time line, and they will handle any and all issues that may arrive from Aunt Sue needing Tylenol to a vendor not showing up on time. Your wedding planner will make your day seem to flow with perfection. Once you have left the reception and the night has wound down, your wedding planner will stay behind to gather any belongings left behind by you, your bridal party, or your guests and deliver them to a designated location. 

Simply put, hiring a wedding planner will help make your wedding day stress free and full happy memories!

Are you inviting a lot of twenty-somethings who will likely drink as much as they can simply because they can, or do you have that crazy alcoholic uncle who gets drunk at every family function and never fails to strip down to his skivvies? If you can say yes, you may be wise to have a cash bar or maybe even no alcohol at all (a dry wedding). Having a cash bar does help to deter some guests from getting completely drunk because they either don't want to spent the money or they are not carrying much cash on them. If you choose to have a dry wedding, be prepared for some of your guests to leave the reception earlier than you might expect. Right or wrong, weddings with open bars often keep people partying longer. Both of these options cost you nothing except for maybe a fee for the bartenders. 

 You may think to yourself, what is the big deal? Won't it be memorable enough just because it is our marriage proposal? Some will say yes, but most will honestly say that they feel a sense of envy when one of their friends receives an over the top romantic proposal vs a typical run-of-the-mill one! 

Whether you want to take your significant other to a romantic location or you would like to come up with creative wording or a fun and exciting way to express your words... we can help! 

Creating a unique marriage proposal will make your sweetheart feel like the most loved person in the world! We will make you feel like it was effortless!

             

 

Marriage is not easy, but nor is life. If you go into it with the mind set that you will just get a divorce if it doesn't work out, then maybe you shouldn't get married. It is hard on everyone around you when you end a marriage. Your friends, family, and most of all children suffer from your decisions to just throw it away. 

Maybe I am just a hopeful romantic, hopeful that everyone can have a life-long relationship with someone they call their best friend. Maybe I am old-fashion or out-dated. I don't know. As a wedding planner I find great joy in helping two people who love each other deeply celebrate their special day, but it puts a damper on my joy when I realize that the rate of divorce is higher than ever and that at least half of every wedding I plan will end far too soon.

This is one for the books. I was speaking to a catering sales manager at a top-notch venue we work with last night when she told me that she had a call from a man wanting to plan a surprise wedding for his fiance. What?!?! Are you serious? My venue contact said she asked him if she at least has a wedding dress picked out and fitted. He replied that she didn't but that she would be wearing a sun dress most likely. Most likely?!? To make it worse, they are traveling from out of state and he has less than two months until the date he has chosen to do this. 

So let me recap, you are flying with your fiance to the east coast in less than two months and you want to "throw" together a wedding at an elite venue to surprise her?!?! Do you think that maybe she might want to plan her own wedding? 

I don't know about you but I would be furious if my fiance did this to me. My thought is that he must be attempting to be romantic, but honestly, this is not the way to do it. If you want to be romantic, plan an amazing honeymoon beyond her dreams or buy a thoughtful gift to give her on your wedding day. 

I suppose there are brides out there who are so laid back that they would be perfectly fine with this, but I hope he knows his bride well enough to be sure that she is one of them. I also hope that the family members who are helping him pull this off have asked him, are you sure she will be okay with this?

There are also the logistic problems with this. Though it is not impossible to pull a wedding together in less than two months, it is incredibly difficult. Then add in the long distance factor and it makes it almost impossible. You also need to know the laws in the state you intend to marry. The state he is flying into requires the bride and groom to apply in person for a marriage license at least 3 days, but not more than 30 days prior to the wedding day. How are you going to do this and still keep it a surprise?

If you would like to consider an "all-inclusive" venue for your wedding, you will be looking at a bill of between $10,000 and $29,000 for 100 guests, but keep in mind that even though we refer to these venues as all-inclusive they do not normally include your musicians, photographer & videographer, or florists. They do sometimes offer fake floral centerpieces, but they are very generic and you may not like them at all. These additional vendors will likely run you between $800 and $3,000 each. Add that in and you are looking at a wedding cost (minus wedding attire) of at least $15,000 and likely as much as $40,000 at an "all-inclusive" venue. On a good note, all-inclusive venues give you the convenience of one stop shopping. Though they do not include your musicians, photographer & videographer, or florists, they often have relationships with some who they will gladly recommend to you.

On the other hand, to have your wedding at an "a la carte" venues, depending on your style and some smart decision making can run you (minus wedding attire) as low as $5,000 and likely as much as $22,200 for 100 guests. Because you are able to pick each and every detail of your wedding from a wide variety of quality, quantity, and cost there is a lot more flexibility for money savings! You can personally hand pick each vendor, paying less for things that are not a priority and incorporating DIY (do it yourself) ideas where you can. You even have the flexibility with some a la carte venues of having family and friends DJ, Cater, make the cake, take the pictures, and decorate. If you chose to have a bar at your wedding it is also cheaper to buy your own bottles and any that are not opened can be returned for a refund. Tons of savings there! 

The down side of a la carte wedding venues is that you have to do much more of the actual research and planning yourself. This is where a wedding planner becomes very valuable. Not only do we have experience in planning weddings, but we have unlimited resources and lists of vendors and venues for which we can recommend or steer you away from if we have evidenced a problem with them. We can go with you to meet the vendors and venues, walk you through all the decision making, and review the contracts. We help you incorporate DIY ideas and find the best deals on everything. We remain by your side through the entire process from the start of planning through the end of your wedding day.

Although most all-inclusive venues have their own wedding planner/consultant, it is wise to hire your own. While their wedding planner will be a great asset on your wedding day, when it comes to making package decisions and agreeing on a contract, you have to remember they work for the venue and will be looking out for their best interest, not yours. It would be wise to have a professional in your corner. Also, when it comes to shopping for a wedding dress, tuxes, gifts for your bridal party, and other such things, they will not be by your side making sure you are getting the best deal possible. We would be.

disasters can happen. From a sudden cancellation to stolen gifts to a damaged gown, wedding insurance can help protect you against the unforseen, and can also afford you great peace of mind.

Do You Really Need Wedding Insurance? Before you buy wedding insurance, check with your each of your vendors to see how well they are covered. Your reception site or your caterer may already have their own insurance, so you wouldn't want to pay for overlapping coverage out of your own pocket. Ask your vendors for a copy of their policy, and then figure out where you aren't fully covered.

When Should You Get Wedding Insurance? The sooner the better. Most insurance companies do have limitations on how far in advance you can purchase insurance, but it is wise to get it as soon as you are able. Let's say you put a deposit on your 12 months prior to your wedding date and then it burns to the ground a few weeks before the big day. With wedding insurance, you'll be sure to get your deposit back. But if it burns down only a few weeks after you paid your deposit and you have not gotten your insurance yet, you will likely lose your deposit.

What Does Wedding Insurance Cover? There is usually a specified maximum amount, which can be claimed under each section below, and a deductible also applies. Be sure to find out the details of your specific insurance plan.

Imagine having your dance floor in a planetarium chamber with stars above your head, fireworks, an underwater scene, or whatever you can imagine... If you can get it on video you can use it for you dance floor ceiling dome. This may be the venue for you! Reasonably priced even for a sweet 16 or anniversary party! This venue not only offers a planetarium, but it also includes an arboretum, an atrium, and a museum.

This venue is a beautiful horticultural center. They have a room for ceremonies, which flows into a space for cocktails, and a very large room for your reception. All of the indoor spaces are decorated with lush green and floral gardens. They also have several outside gardens for good weather ceremonies. There are multiple fountains and statues indoor and out. This is a great place to have your garden wedding during off seasons! They are closed during July and August.