Apparently they are a match made in heaven. At least for me, that is.
This year I have received several inquiries for Door County weddings from brides that live in Milwaukee (and Chicago, but are from Milwaukee and family still lives here). It's no secret that most Door County weddings are destination weddings; meaning that the couple lives elsewhere and nearly all the guests will travel to be a part of their big day. It's also no secret that most destination weddings utilize the assistance and talents of an event planner. It's just easier that way.
While Door County does have a resident wedding planner, I'm finding more of these Milwaukee/Chicago area brides are interested in using a Milwaukee planner. Why? Well, it means less trips to Door County to meet with someone. And with gas prices the way they are that's a big deal. It's also helpful that I'm a Door County native. I KNOW Door County. I don't need to be up there 24/7 to locate my vendors and plan these weddings. Practically everything is done through email anyway, especially in the off-season when Door County vendors are typically "wintering" somewhere warm and doing business from their laptop only if needed. The couples love the convenience of meeting with me in their own stomping grounds and still getting Door County wedding business taken care of.
I'm meeting with my next potential Milwaukee/Door County couple in a few weeks. They already sound very sweet and nice and they were referred to me by a Milwaukee photographer (Hi Molly!) who apparently will be making the trip to the Door for their wedding day as well.
I have a feeling my mom is liking the sounds of all these Door County weddings as well. It means she'll see more of me! Hi Mom!
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Sunday, April 20, 2008
I met her!
((((sigh)))) I knew it would be incredible and it was. I know that many of my readers also read With This Ring, a blog written by a bride in the planning stages of her Fall wedding. Go check it out if you haven't already! It's a fun read and Darci has amazing design ideas along with just about one of the best creative flairs for writing I've ever read.
If you haven't guessed already, I got to meet Darci yesterday. In person. With her fiance and her family! And they are all just the best. Ok, so I only spent 90 minutes with them, but I'm a pretty good judge and they all were just so friendly and nice. And Darci....well, I love her.
You see, way back when Darci inquired with me about Day of Coordination wedding services. I had the date open, I liked our email exchanges, etc....and she booked! But Darci lives out of town and scheduling a consultation meeting just wasn't an option in the small window of time we had. So, she booked with not having met me and vice versa obviously. It's something I rarely do since I feel it is important to meet with the couple first to determine their needs, get to know each other, and most importantly make sure that our personalities are a match. However, with out of town brides sometimes this just isn't possible.
Darci & Brad are getting married at The Abbey Resort in Fontana, WI. There have been some changes in the resort's events department with coordinators leaving, not having a coordinator, a new one hired that hasn't started yet....see where I'm going with this? Darci needed some solid answers, needed to feel like someone was on top of everything, that all wedding bells were in a row so to speak. So, she scheduled a meeting with a catering manager there and asked if I would be able to join this meeting just to have someone else there to ask questions and get answers if need be.
I won't bore you with the details of the meeting since they only make sense if you know this wedding, but I will say that it was an interesting meeting to say the least. I will also say that I am 100% certain that if Darci and I lived in the same city, we'd be best friends. We shared numerous glances, raised eyebrows, and then a near childlike laughing fit at one point. Slightly unprofessional? Some would say yes. But Darci and I were on the same page with this meeting and trust me, all of the above were warranted.
The end result is Darci got the meeting she wanted and felt so much better after it. We were able to view the linens (and received proof that just because the name of a linen is 'olive' doesn't mean it's not the color you've been picturing forever!), start a rough timeline of the day, make some food & beverage decisions, and really map out the details that may have been lost in translation over the last few months. It was a success and we all have plenty of notes to back that up. Oh, and we were able to see what the table runners that her mother is sewing (she's a saint, I tell ya) will look like on that olive linen. AMAZING.
The other end result and the icing on the cake (for me at least) is that I got to meet Darci! I'm still a bit tickled about it all. I get excited to meet all my brides obviously, but I've been reading Darci's blog for a long time now so I already felt this strange connection courtesy of the Internet. There's a little piece of me that is now complete. :)
P.S.---Wanna know why else Darci rocks? She brought me a copy of The Knot 2008 Best of Weddings issue. The one that my award is listed in. I was touched more than I'm sure I verbalized to her. I just thought it was the sweetest thing ever. See?...Darci's that kind of person.
If you haven't guessed already, I got to meet Darci yesterday. In person. With her fiance and her family! And they are all just the best. Ok, so I only spent 90 minutes with them, but I'm a pretty good judge and they all were just so friendly and nice. And Darci....well, I love her.
You see, way back when Darci inquired with me about Day of Coordination wedding services. I had the date open, I liked our email exchanges, etc....and she booked! But Darci lives out of town and scheduling a consultation meeting just wasn't an option in the small window of time we had. So, she booked with not having met me and vice versa obviously. It's something I rarely do since I feel it is important to meet with the couple first to determine their needs, get to know each other, and most importantly make sure that our personalities are a match. However, with out of town brides sometimes this just isn't possible.
Darci & Brad are getting married at The Abbey Resort in Fontana, WI. There have been some changes in the resort's events department with coordinators leaving, not having a coordinator, a new one hired that hasn't started yet....see where I'm going with this? Darci needed some solid answers, needed to feel like someone was on top of everything, that all wedding bells were in a row so to speak. So, she scheduled a meeting with a catering manager there and asked if I would be able to join this meeting just to have someone else there to ask questions and get answers if need be.
I won't bore you with the details of the meeting since they only make sense if you know this wedding, but I will say that it was an interesting meeting to say the least. I will also say that I am 100% certain that if Darci and I lived in the same city, we'd be best friends. We shared numerous glances, raised eyebrows, and then a near childlike laughing fit at one point. Slightly unprofessional? Some would say yes. But Darci and I were on the same page with this meeting and trust me, all of the above were warranted.
The end result is Darci got the meeting she wanted and felt so much better after it. We were able to view the linens (and received proof that just because the name of a linen is 'olive' doesn't mean it's not the color you've been picturing forever!), start a rough timeline of the day, make some food & beverage decisions, and really map out the details that may have been lost in translation over the last few months. It was a success and we all have plenty of notes to back that up. Oh, and we were able to see what the table runners that her mother is sewing (she's a saint, I tell ya) will look like on that olive linen. AMAZING.
The other end result and the icing on the cake (for me at least) is that I got to meet Darci! I'm still a bit tickled about it all. I get excited to meet all my brides obviously, but I've been reading Darci's blog for a long time now so I already felt this strange connection courtesy of the Internet. There's a little piece of me that is now complete. :)
P.S.---Wanna know why else Darci rocks? She brought me a copy of The Knot 2008 Best of Weddings issue. The one that my award is listed in. I was touched more than I'm sure I verbalized to her. I just thought it was the sweetest thing ever. See?...Darci's that kind of person.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
It's Official!
Something bulky came in the mail yesterday. But I was too busy, too tired, too unmotivated to open it. Well, I wish I wouldn't have waited an entire 24 hours to find out what was in that package with the obscure return address printed on it!
It was the plaque for my 2008 The Knot Best of Weddings Pick award! It's very nice, I must say. They also sent a window cling to display proudly in the window of my home office for all my neighbors to view. hee, hee
Of course it also was accompanied by a nice congratulatory letter filled with ways to not only market my business, but also The Knot and everything Knot related. I'll do my best dear Knot, I'll do my best.
I honestly forgot all about this, so I haven't been checking the magazine stands, but it appears that the The Knot Best of Weddings 2008 issue is out. I believe it has a red cover with a square stacked wedding cake (this is mentioned solely for the purpose of those family members reading this that are wondering how to get their hands on it). I have no idea what my listing looks like in it. I suppose I'll venture down to CVS shortly and buy every issue they have. :)
I also had an email today from a press-related source to see if I would be interested in an interview. Hmmmm..... I'm press leery. I've been in Sales & Marketing for high-profile companies for a long time now. I KNOW how things can get twisted once written and how the things you really want them to print somehow just don't end up in the article. So, we shall see if I partake in any of that.
For now....I have full usage of this lovely logo to do whatever I please with. Which would include being put on my website that I still haven't figured out how to revamp or who to have do it or any of that fun stuff.
Oh, and for those that are wondering how this award was won....."The Knot Best of Weddings is an ongoing survey of local brides and is available by invitation to registered members on TheKnot.com and WeddingChannel.com." So without further adieu......THANK YOU BRIDES! As always, you rock my little wedding world. You ARE Dreams & Designs. :)
It was the plaque for my 2008 The Knot Best of Weddings Pick award! It's very nice, I must say. They also sent a window cling to display proudly in the window of my home office for all my neighbors to view. hee, hee
Of course it also was accompanied by a nice congratulatory letter filled with ways to not only market my business, but also The Knot and everything Knot related. I'll do my best dear Knot, I'll do my best.
I honestly forgot all about this, so I haven't been checking the magazine stands, but it appears that the The Knot Best of Weddings 2008 issue is out. I believe it has a red cover with a square stacked wedding cake (this is mentioned solely for the purpose of those family members reading this that are wondering how to get their hands on it). I have no idea what my listing looks like in it. I suppose I'll venture down to CVS shortly and buy every issue they have. :)
I also had an email today from a press-related source to see if I would be interested in an interview. Hmmmm..... I'm press leery. I've been in Sales & Marketing for high-profile companies for a long time now. I KNOW how things can get twisted once written and how the things you really want them to print somehow just don't end up in the article. So, we shall see if I partake in any of that.
For now....I have full usage of this lovely logo to do whatever I please with. Which would include being put on my website that I still haven't figured out how to revamp or who to have do it or any of that fun stuff.
Oh, and for those that are wondering how this award was won....."The Knot Best of Weddings is an ongoing survey of local brides and is available by invitation to registered members on TheKnot.com and WeddingChannel.com." So without further adieu......THANK YOU BRIDES! As always, you rock my little wedding world. You ARE Dreams & Designs. :)
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