Ummmm, Hi.

Almost a year ago to the date was my last post on here!?  Unacceptable, Danica, unacceptable!  ((sigh))  I love to write, I always have. It amazes me that I can never keep up with a blog.  Not to mention a blog that encompasses wedding planning, one of the most fun things to talk about if you're me!  So, here I go again.  A post with no promise of when the next post will come.

It has been a busy summer with some insanely amazing weddings. A few weekends ago I had the privilege (that's right, the actual privilege!) of coordinating a truly rustic wedding for Britni.  If you've been following wedding trends for the past couple years, surely you have seen how rustic weddings have been all that and then some.  However, not everyone does them the "right" way.  Britni, though?  Britni nailed it.  I wish I had pictures, but sadly I was too busy running around to take any.  I am patiently waiting for some from the photographer and I promise to post some when I get them.  The wedding ceremony and reception were held at Trimborn Farms in Greenfield, Wisconsin.  Click the link to learn more about this unique venue's rich history and then imagine yourself planning a rustic wedding there.  Britni is crafty by nature and actually operates her own Etsy store too, but she truly took it to the next level with her decor without it being over done.  The tent was filled with a mixture of round and rectangular tables clothed in white linen and her own burlap table runners with natural wooden folding chairs.  Centerpieces were freshly cut slabs of tree trunks with wildflowers placed in wine bottles atop them.  Did I mention the wine bottles had personalized labels that doubled as the table numbers?  Oh yes, my friends, genius.  This couple also utilized some old windows and used them as a seating chart - each guest's name and table number were written on the glass.  The creativity just didn't end.  Burlap bunting hung in the barn, an old time menu board featured the evening's buffet items, and homemade pies were showcased on DIY wooden stands.  Oh, and did I mention that during cocktail hour there were also yard games scattered around to be played?  This bride and groom wanted to have fun and wanted their guests to feel relaxed on their special day.  Mission accomplished and hats off to them! 

Pictures coming soon.  I hope. 

Summer

How is it already August? I am in pure denial of how quickly this season is flying by. Summer is always my busy time - between my "real job" being in the hospitality industry and continuing to coordinate weddings, it just always happens that June - September go so quickly that I'm left wondering HOW that happened!

I had decided that for 2011 I was not going to take on any weddings for May. Our calendars were already pretty full with other commitments so I took the plunge and regretfully turned away numerous brides for that month. But I think I managed to make up for it in June, July and August. Busy, busy, busy! So many neat weddings this summer too. I really do have a bunch of creative gals on my client list this year. In fact, one bride is such a creative and amazingly talented graphic designer, that I can't wait to connect with her and use her as a vendor. It's true - you just never know who you are going to meet doing this job. I love that part!

The summer has been full of a lot of variety. Outdoor weddings, cocktail hour cruises, backyard ceremonies, traditional and non-traditional elements, black and white classic elegance and over the top color! I really do like when it gets mixed up like this - it's so much more fun to see new things every weekend. I remember a few years ago when brown and pink were THE color scheme for weddings and I literally had SIX brown and pink weddings in a row. I never wanted to see another brown dress or pink sash for as long as I lived. :) However, now that I've had a break from it, I'd love to see it come back. Just once.

Three more weddings this month and then a slight break in September with only two. I took another break from weddings in October because I have so much going on. That will be a tough one, because October is one of my favorite wedding months. But I will be busy watching one of my best friends get married along with a whole slew of other fun things.

I will also be busy with planning two weddings for 2012 and I can't wait! Although I tell myself I never want to do full planning full time, I often times get so wrapped up into it that I think "well, maybe..." So, we'll see what the next year brings for these weddings. Both brides (and their moms!) are just such great people and very eager for someone else to take over the planning process.

I guess this has turned into the one post of the Summer. I'll see if I can get another one up before August is over. :) For now though, I am off to the races to button up details for an August 27 wedding. I see an afternoon and evening full of timeline creating, vendor confirming, and too many emails to count.

Spring is in the Air

No, the Wisconsin weather is certainly not forecasting Spring of any sort this year (it snowed yesterday!), but weddings are in full swing and my desk is swimming with folders of summer weddings that are coming up in just a few short months.

Today was that day that I can practically predict every year. A light bulb moment occurs that there are ONLY 60 days until the summer weddings officially begin and oh my gosh, I have so much to do, and oh my gosh, I haven't emailed my June brides yet, and oh my gosh, where is that July bride's folder and so forth. So, I took that annual walk into my office, sat down at my desk, looked at the mess, and promptly walked away. :) It will be there tomorrow too.

I did a wedding recently that may have been one of the boldest and brightest that I have ever done. I'm typically the wedding planner that loooooves subdued colors, black & white classic elegance, an array of tans/ecru/khaki with a punch of color and not usually the one that loves big bright colors that much. But...this bride did BRIGHT SO RIGHT! I have to upload pictures yet, but when I do you'll most likely agree that the only way to bring together mango, pink, golden/orange tones and an accent of charcoal is the way she did it. It screamed Spring which is what I liked about it, but it also was just so full of fun and had a "let's party" vibe to it.

I opted to not take on any weddings this May, which is unfortunate since it's such a great month to do weddings in. However, May has become a busy month now with very few weekends available to fill with weddings. Last year, I managed to still take on two weddings during May - I promptly came home from that last May wedding and marked my calendar as "busy" for May 2011. I'm good at balancing, but not that good.

Congrats to the Spring Brides!

It's All in the Details

Event planners have a lot of pet peeves. A LOT. We're perfectionists to a certain degree so when we walk into a venue we are automatically "on" and evaluating everything. Even when it's not our event. So, when you are setting up your own event or helping out a friend or relative, keep in mind that you are bringing their vision to life and every little detail matters.

1. Table numbers should face the entrance of the room. If one is to the left of the centerpiece, then they all should be.

2. Favors should not just be thrown on a table in a heap. Take the time to arrange them nicely. Or if they are at each place setting, be sure they are all placed the same way.

3. Chair covers and ties only look nice when they are put on the right way, hugging the chair with no metal legs showing and with the ties all tied nicely. There is no room for sloppy in this area as often times these details *make* the room.

4. Escort Cards (place cards) - It's amazing how many people don't alphabetize these. Be sure the table that these are placed on is in an area that is suitable to the number of people that will be gathered around it looking for their name. There is nothing worse than a cramped place card table 10 minutes before dinner is supposed to start.

5. Lighting of candles. If a wedding is using a lot of the small votive candles, do not light them too early. These candles do not last very long and often times they are lit so early that they are extinguishing themselves just as salads are placed in front of guests. There went that vision!

6. Coat closet. It's something that everyone forgets about and while it's not typically a coordinator's job to oversee it, I always make sure that I take a peek in there during the winter months to ensure that there are enough hangers and no trip hazards. It is amazing how often a coat closet will have a couple dozen hangers for a group of 150. Notify someone at the venue and they'll be sure to thank you for bringing this to their attention!

A wedding photography giveaway

Vendors in the industry are always letting us wedding planners know about their latest & greatest things they have going on. This one is too good to pass up for all you bride-to-be's out there!

Andy Stenz Photography and Jamie M Swanson Photography, both Wisconsin photographers, have teamed up once again for their spirited annual contest. You can check out the details here to enter! I'd be tickled if a reader of my blog won it. Good luck!

http://andystenz.com/weddings/2011-free-wedding-photography-giveaway/10/2010/

What Makes a Great Wedding?

Someone asked me this question over the weekend and I must have really raised an eyebrow or something, because the person went on to say she really just wanted to have the BEST wedding possible and how do you go about getting it?

I'm honest with my clients. Probably a little too honest sometimes. Those former clients reading this are most likely nodding their heads up and down feverishly. :)

A great wedding is what YOU make it. It's not about how much money you spend, it's not about your location, it's not about having 400 of your "closest" friends in attendance. It's simply about designing your wedding to be a reflection of who both of you individually, and together as a couple, are.

Don't try to copy someone's dream wedding you witnessed. Take the pieces from it that you liked and make them your own.

I also always try to really dig deep with my clients - are we talking about the actual wedding or the reception? More often than not the wedding part of the day gets lost in all the planning. Why not put just as much effort into making that part of your day just as beautiful, just as meaningful, just as dreamy as the reception part? After all, it's the wedding ceremony part of your day that is the reason behind the big party anyway.

So, yes. When my clients drag out their five inch wedding binder that they've been putting together since high school, I gently close it and say "Let's talk about YOU before we even open up this book."

I'm excited right along with them, but I just want to try to draw out some other elements that may not have been considered yet.

So, what makes a great wedding? Every single thing that you, the couple, has put into it. It's as simple as that.

New website!

It's time to unveil the fresh new design of the Dreams & Designs website. Since there's no sound on this blog, go ahead and do your own drumroll...I'll wait. {{{{drumroll, please!!}}}}

I present you with www.dreams-designs.com . All of the same information you expect from Dreams & Designs, but with a new and improved look. It is tailored much better to my own personal self and what I believe the company represents. The old website was soooo 2005. :)

A huge thank you to Keara Harris Designs who put it together. I highly recommend their work - quick, efficient, works well through email and needs minimal direction. Which, when you're technologically and website challenged as I am, is so important.

Thank you all!

Special Savings

If you are getting married anytime between January 2010 and March 2010, you are in for a great post holiday gift from Dreams & Designs!

Please contact me to talk about your wedding day setup and coordination needs and inquire about $50 off services.



*This special does not apply to weddings already booked. This special is subject to change and is based on availability.

Winter Weddings 2010

Surprisingly, winter weddings for 2010 are not nearly as busy as 2009. Which makes me sad...I love winter weddings! Probably more so than your typical planner. There's just something about the sunshine on the snow as a backdrop, the early evening dusk and the faux furs that so many brides wear now. There's an element of class that I can never quite explain to people. Of course, the weather is always unpredictable, but here in WI, when isn't it?!

I'm hoping some last minute planning needs has my email inbox filling up because right now I just don't have my winter fill!

Stay tuned for a FUN and unique wedding that I'm setting up a week from today. It is sure to raise some eyebrows...in a good way! The reception is being held at Cuvee, located in the Historic Third Ward of Milwaukee. It is a fabulous space with some quirky areas to work with, but this bride has it all figured out. I can't wait to see it all come together!

I hope everyone is enjoying an extended holiday weekend and giving Thanks for all that you are fortunate to have. It has been quite a year for Dreams & Designs and I'm excited to see what the upcoming year has in store.

Finally. A Post.

MIA. Again. Don't ask, I'm not sure where the time goes or why on earth I can't manage to post to my blog, but can spend endless hours doing nothing on Facebook. Yes, I'm that girl. I'll admit it.

It's October. Which means, it is high season for Weddings in Wisconsin. So many people are surprised that this is the second most popular month to get married in Wisconsin (behind June), but it all makes sense. The colors are in the process of changing, the weather is (supposed to be) nice, you're pretty much guaranteed to not sweat in your gown at 100 degrees nor are you most likely not going to get caught in a blizzard. But yet every year, those last minute inquiries come in for Day of Coordination a month before October and brides are SO surprised that someone else is getting married on THEIR wedding day and that I'm already booked. If you want a coordinator for October, I would suggest jumping on it a year in advance.

Two weekends ago, I had the great pleasure of doing a wedding at the Delafield Hotel. It really is a gorgeous location, overlooking much of the quaint town. Waukesha Floral outdid themselves with this event also. It was a magical blend of white flowers that towered over half the tables. So pretty. The only sore spot was that the venue booked back to back events so there was literally an hour or so to get this room broken down and set up for the wedding. It always makes me nervous, but it always gets done.



This coming weekend is going to be FAB.U.LOUS. Amanda & Charley are getting hitched. They are one of the most awesome couples ever. I have helped them for the past year or more (I can't believe it's been that long!) and I honestly can't even believe that it's already here. They will be saying their vows in their backyard overlooking Lake Michigan on a deck that Charley built. Then they will be off to the Villa Filomena downtown Milwaukee for a unique reception with stations and an array of seating arrangements. Think cocktail reception and not sit down dinner. Saz's will be catering so its guaranteed to be good. I'm in the middle of finalizing all of their details today and hope to have every single vendor confirmed by tomorrow. This is always crunch time. But with amazing vendors on board for this event, there's not much to have to worry about. Such a nice feeling!

Stay tuned for a recap of this wedding for sure! I promise!

Oh, one more thing. A wedding that I did was featured on Style Me Pretty. Check it out. I did all of their setup and I must say that Jeremy Lawson captured it perfectly!

And one other thing! Profile Magazine is talking with me to do a feature editorial on Dreams & Designs. So much fun!

New Logo

Yes, I've been MIA.....again. But I have good explanations. An explanation that came in a 5lb package with 10 perfect fingers and 10 perfect toes. Forgive me now?

For now....Dreams & Designs is revamping it's image. More hip, more edgy, more something. A new logo was the start and thanks to Keara Harris Designs, I had a tough time choosing with all the awesome designs she came up with. But this one was the winner. I'm in the process of editing my contracts, info sheets, collateral right now and eventually the website will get a major facelift. A facelift that has been needed for a very long time now. But I'm trying to find the most economical way to have it done and would like to give the job to someone local as well.

It's late and for the first time, I'm typing a blog post with an infant in my arms, so you'll have to be patient and wait for the next post in the days to come. It's the tipoff to wedding season afterall so there is plenty to write about!

My Little Secret

Not that I don't have enough going on in my life right now, but I do have a tiny little secret that I'm ready to reveal. I've only tossed this around with my mother, and whimsically at best.

I'm thinking......of.......writing a book. With a lot of help of course. Because, well, I don't write. I love to write (ask every single teacher I have ever had) and used to be really good at it, but now? Eh...not so much. I'm 31 and gave up on my writing dreams and ambitions a good 13 years ago.

However, I have stories. LOTS of great stories. Wedding stories of course! And who doesn't like to read about weddings? Especially the nitty gritty behind the scenes tales. Everyone loves a good train wreck.

Now, I fully realize that the plethora of wedding books and guides are out there for the masses to consume. So, I need an angle that's different. I think I might have it, but I can't blow that little secret here of course.

My other dilemma is that it's probably not the smartest career move to be telling tales of weddings past when I'm still fully engaged in my business. As I've said before, I've had some crazies where the stories are miles long, but for the most part I've had the BEST brides ever. I mean that. To this day some of them have turned into true friendships for which I am going to be forever grateful. However, even the best of the best have some stories involved! Actually, my friend Stacey who started out as one of my Fall 2007 brides probably has some of the best stories ever of her wedding planning days and the big day itself. But what if you weren't my friend and you found a story in a book that was clearly about your wedding day (names withheld of course)? How would you feel? Maybe I have too much compassion in me or something, but it's the only thing holding me back. I don't want to hurt feelings. The business side of it is obvious too....who wants to hire the wedding planner that writes a book about you?

So, weigh in. What do you think? Perhaps I start tackling this monster project and just see where it goes. It's not like a book can be written in a short amount of time. It will be a long process at best and due to the angle I think I want to aim for, it may take even longer.

Dreams. Ambitions. Goals. I'm surprised sometimes that my DNA doesn't just explode from some of my attempts.

Economic Crisis or Coincidence?

Alright my fellow Wedding Planners...have you been hit by the economic crunch?

I have.

But perhaps not in the way you would think. Inquiries are still coming in and I suspect that they will be heavy as usual as Christmas and New Year's and Valentine's proposals come in flurries over the next few months. Brides and grooms alike are still booking services for as far out as 2011!

However, I'm not getting paid. No, I haven't become a non-profit Wedding Planner or anything like that. I have had a very relaxed payment process with my clients. Half down is required to reserve their date and choice of services. The other half is due on or before the wedding date. I would say 90% of my clients choose to pay the day of. Until recently. The wedding date comes and goes and I get no payment. Which means I show up, do all of the required work, and leave without receiving the other half of the payment. Now, sometimes the check shows up in my mailbox immediately following because they either forgot the day of (understandably) or things were just too crazy busy to collect the payment. Other times once a week rolls by I send an invoice and typically I am paid right away.

Not these days. Right now I have 4 clients with outstanding balances for weddings I have already serviced. One of which is almost $500. All in all this Wedding Planner is missing out on $1000 worth of payments right now. That is not a comfortable place to be and a place that I have never been before. I have offered payment plans, made collection calls, sent multiple invoices that now include late fees...you name it.

So, coincidence with the economy or just pure dumb luck? Either way, my contracts now require that second half of the payment due within 3 business days of the event. It's not something I ever wanted to do, but unfortunately, that is what it has come to. I've talked to other wedding vendors and I know of 2 photographers and 3 DJ's that are waiting on much more money than I am. So, I am not alone, but it is just sad.

Brides & Grooms...if you know you aren't going to be able to pay your wedding vendors on the day of your wedding, please let us know. I'm sure most of us will be willing to work out a payment plan so that you can have the day you dreamed of. But trying to scam us, not returning our calls, and lying to us is not the way to get it done. It will more than likely end up in a collections or a small claims suit. That's not the type of reminder you want for your special day!

With that, I'm off to send more invoices and pray to the Wedding Vendor Gods.

I Moved

Just to another home, but moving is tough! I bought a house in the perfect neighborhood. The house is far from perfect, but slowly but surely I intend to make it my own little world of home perfection. I guess I should get unpacked and organized first.

My wedding business is officed out of my home. It just doesn't pay for me to have overhead by leasing out an actual off-site office and this decision to be home-based has never affected my business. So, it remains. However....I almost feel like I moved two different things. My home and my work. My work is still boxed up though. I did manage to con my brother into putting together my desk for me and arranging it exactly where I wanted it in my office. That part is done! My part though? The part that includes unpacking multiple wedding client folders, calendars, binders, etc? That's not exactly even started. I keep justifying it by saying "I don't have any more weddings this month so nothing is too pertinent." Wrong. It's ALL pertinent! Now! I've given myself a deadline of Sunday night to at least get organized in this new fancy office of mine. And by organized, let me just clarify that to me that means unpacked and a desk in order. I'll cut myself some slack for getting pictures hung. :)

Here's to a brand new office that is HUGE and has convinced me already that I will be the Wedding Planner Extraordinaire. All due to the office of course.

A Comedy of...Errors?

Or something like that. More like mishaps I suppose. Yesterday's wedding started out just like any other. A bride and a groom both getting ready with their respective parties, photographers taking pre-pictures, guests beginning to arrive, a Mother of the Groom suddenly ripping her dress so badly at home it needs major repair....you know, just another wedding day!

That's right, only a half hour before the ceremony was to begin there was a frantic, crying Mother of the Groom trying to figure out what to do with her dress. All we knew at the church was she was going to be late. And in terms of the ceremony, that meant starting a half hour late. Surprisingly, no one freaked out too badly....except the Priest. When I knocked on his door to inform him of the delay, his reply was: "Hmmm....well, I need to be at the nursing home at 2 so I don't know how this is going to work." To which my reply was: "We're going to start at 1:30 instead of 1, that's how this is going to work. We're not having a wedding without his mom."

He agreed (of course! There's NO other option) and then made his way to the altar to make the announcement to the guests that there had been a wardrobe malfunction. No really, people. We're serious. Laughter followed by groans followed by a mass exodus so people could smoke outside, let their kids run around, and just stretch their legs for a half hour.

Mom did show up dress in tact and looked gorgeous. We started the ceremony, everyone is down the aisle and it's Bride's turn! My favorite time of any ceremony of course. I fluff her dress, position her flowers, give her and Dad a pep talk and they're off! It was a windy aisle in order to get to the main aisle and as she walked down the second part of the aisle, she stopped. STOPPED! What?!?! I look on and I see she is looking at her train. I make a mad dash over to her and sure enough, her train has gotten stuck (and slightly ripped) on part of the wall. I get her unhooked, fluff her dress again and this time she made it all the way to her waiting groom.

I couldn't stay for the ceremony as I had lots of work to do over at the reception site. Let me just say this....I have done many events at this venue, which will remain unnamed. It never fails that it is just shy of a disaster. Staff arrives late, they never have all of the information, they book back to back events leaving no time at all for setup, etc. Below is the list of what I got to deal with yesterday:

1. No chairs at the tables upon arrival
2. An event going on in part of the ballroom so all of the tables were smooshed into one area for the time being.
3. Event next door didn't get over until 30 minutes prior to the start of this wedding
4. Once the staff arrived, they were under direction to set each table for 10 guests. NO! Each table was to be set for the exact number of guests that the Bride had arranged for. I didn't get my way on this and each table ended up being 10-tops. Whatever.
5. Awkwardly shaped oval tables with 10 guests just don't make sense. Can we say elbow to elbow?!?!
6. Even though I arrived 3 hours before the start of the reception, I literally had about 90 minutes to get everything done due to them not being set up yet.
7. As guests arrived, setup by the staff was still being completed. WRONG! Guests should NEVER see this. It's like the cardinal rule of banquets.
8. The event taking place prior to the wedding included a lot of kids. Who thought it was fun to play with the placecard table I painstakingly set up. I say painstakingly, because I took a lot of time creating a very unique design with the cards...all 250 of them.
9. Let's not forget about the four sets of people that walked into the ballroom while I was setting up and wanted answers about the venue. After explaining that I am the Wedding Planner and not a representative of the venue, they want to talk to me even more. Which florist do I like best? How would I set this room for only 100 guests? Buffet or sitdown or stations? And on and on. I politely excused myself from each group after a couple questions, but one group (with an entourage of 8 women along) said "Oh, we'll just follow you around while you do your thing. We really need help with this wedding." Ummm.....then ask me for my card and pay for my services. I'm on a job here, people! I'm happy to help, I give out referrals ALL the time and never charge for it, but this was crazy. Indeed, they followed me from table to table as I completed my setup. Apparently, I need to get better at acting frustrated because they clearly didn't get the hint.

So, that's about it. It of course ended up fine. It always does. But it was touch and go there for a while. I also plan on meeting with the Events Manager at this venue to let him know that this is just plain old bad business practice to continue holding events like this.

But the happy couple is on their way to warmer lands tomorrow for a nice relaxing honeymoon with all wedding details and planning out of their mind forever. Such a great feeling!

Congrats Stephanie & Jason. You guys were awesome!

MIA

Most definitely it has been too long! I have no excuses, but I do have explanations. Unfortunately, they are not for the public blogging world to know about. Sorry everyone! Rest assured though that I am alive and well and still very much a Wedding Planner. I did take the month of October off though, which had been arranged since last Fall. See how the life of a Wedding Planner works?....you have to take time off a year in advance. Crazy.

November is here though and that means it's time for winter wedding season. It always amazes me every year how more and more couples are choosing winter in Wisconsin for their season of marriage. It's beautiful though, well most times anyway. The beautiful photo ops with snow falling in the background is reason enough! Oh, and the once in a lifetime chance to buy a faux fur wrap of course. :)

Saturday's wedding has Stephanie & Jason tieing the knot in a full Catholic Mass followed by a reception for well over 200 guests. She's put a lot of work into the details of her wedding so it will be fun to bring it all together. She's also the bride that says "Danica, just do what you need to do, I don't care." Ahhhh....a dream. She's detailed in her notes, but is open to working with what we're given once we're on location. Let's face it, vendors often arrive on site and have to make some quick changes in order to pull off the look and feel of what the bride desires. But it always works and that's the fun part.

Now, for the weather on Saturday. Stephanie is convinced it's going to rain. It rains for all her special occasions. In fact, Wisconsin had very bad rainstorms with flooding and all for her 30th birthday. So, she's prepared for rain and I gave her the idea of using large umbrellas for some very memorable pictures. But....my trusty weatherman Mark Baden says it's probably snow we're getting this weekend. I'm not sure I'm ready to be tromping around in snow this weekend, but no matter what it will be a great day for this couple.

When Hiring a Day of Wedding Coordinator

A lot of brides are finding it necessary to hire a Day of Coordinator (DOC) for their wedding day. And rightfully so. I get a ton of last-minute inquiries, requests, and downright begging from brides every month. It's due to the fact that most ladies don't realize how much goes into setting up for that day and once they are in the throws of putting together their timelines and To-Do lists they wonder who in the world is going to do all of this and do it on time and do it well. Mom can't do it...she'll be too busy. A bridesmaid or two?...no, they'll be getting hair done and hanging out with the bride. An aunt or cousin?...maybe, but will they really do it how you envision? That's where the frantic email or phone call comes in to me.

But there are also tips in hiring someone like me to do this for you. I am your go-to gal that day for your set-up of both ceremony and reception sites. And more than likely your go-to gal for YOU that day as well. But I'm a one-woman show in most cases and sometimes brides forget that I can't be in two places at once. I can't be sitting in a room with them helping her dress, take care of any mending or re-pinning of hair-do's, or removing stains at the same time I'm supposed to be downstairs scattering rose petals, tieing chair ties, lighting candles, etc.

For those of you that still have time before your wedding, here are some real things to take into consideration when you have a DOC:

1. DO have a timeline of the day for your DOC
2. DON'T call your DOC at 7am the day of the wedding to ask if she knows where your shoes are. She doesn't know. She's more than likely never seen your shoes and certainly has no idea where they would be.
3. DO inform all your vendors that you have a DOC that day that will be following up on set-up, etc.
4. DON'T tell all your vendors that you have a WEDDING PLANNER that took care of everything. They are two different things and unless you hired a WEDDING PLANNER to plan your event, odds are your DOC is going to know only the details you shared with her. And as many questions as DOC's ask of you prior to the day, there are still likely things we don't know. But if you tell your vendors that we know EVERYTHING, we look like asses when we don't. Please share.
5. DO give your DOC a detailed To-Do list for setup of each venue. Your DOC didn't plan your wedding, you did. We need as much detail as possible to make it what you envisioned for months. Simply telling your DOC that everything is in the boxes is probably not enough.
6. DON'T assume your DOC is going to make financial decisions for you. It is not your DOC's responsibility to pay vendors their final payment, tell the caterer it's ok to make 20 more meals b/c extra people showed up, etc. When we ask for a day-of contact for financial purposes, this is why.
7. DO make sure you like your DOC, trust your DOC, get along with your DOC. If you don't it's not an ideal match for your perfect day.
8. DON'T question your DOC time and time again. If you ask us a question we are going to give you an honest answer based on our experience. We're not kidding. You hired your DOC for a reason, let her do her job.
9. DO let yourself relax and have fun. Again, you hired a DOC for a reason. If you can't relax and let it go, you shouldn't have hired one. You're just making unnecessary work for yourself.
10. DON'T tell your friends & family that your DOC is a "friend" or "cousin of a friend" that is just helping you out...unless you've informed your DOC of this first. We'll put on a show if we know about it, but if we don't and someone asks who we are, we're probably going to tell them that we are your DOC for the day.

Rain? Who Cares!

Yes, I realize it's easy for me to say who cares about rain on their wedding day, but really....it doesn't matter. I promise you. And if you need any justification on that you can ask Sarah, my bride from yesterday.

A lot of time, detail, sweat, and even some tears went into the planning of their perfect wedding day. Perfect meaning outside. Without rain. Well, Mother Nature doesn't check with brides before making the plan for the day. She certainly didn't check with Sarah yesterday. But it was still a beautiful day.

The couple was married at the gorgeous Villa Terrace. Inside. Which is still beautiful and quaint and rich in history. The room lined with white chairs, the aisle flanked by brown chair ties with gorgeous cabbage roses in the bows thanks to my partner in crime, florist Carrie of Petals, made the room gorgeous. It didn't need much, it's the perfect setting for an indoor ceremony.

Bishop Craig Bergland performed the ceremony and working with him is always a treat. My time was way too short with him yesterday though so we promised to catch up over coffee after the summer wedding madness calms down (Is there such a thing?!?). He is the type of person that you just instantly feel connected to and every couple that meets him always sends me a special "thank you" for referring them to Craig. He's really just that cool.

Unfortunately, I had to rush back to the reception venue, Joey Buona's, to finish setting up as soon as Sarah and her Dad were down the aisle. And by rush, I mean, I'm still thankful I didn't end up with a ticket from the Milwaukee PD. But there was SO much left to do. The venue had said vendors could arrive anytime after 9am to begin setting up. That wasn't true the day of. It was more like Noon. Which meant I had less than 2 hours before the ceremony began and then another 90 minutes once I got back there and before guests started arriving. Luckily, it was done in time and it was so pretty. Carrie's (and her amazing staff!) work was breathtaking; half of the centerpieces were tall trumpet vases filled with even taller branches and then the heads of several roses were attached to the branches, as if suspended. The other centerpieces were cylinder glass vases wrapped in metal branches with a large pillar candle inside on top of a bed of pink roses. The staff at Joey's commented it was one of the prettiest set-ups they had seen.

But there was a lot of work to be done. It was assigned seating, and not just by table. By actual seat. So, each seat had to be adorned with a small picture frame with the guest's name on it. Guests viewed a large seating chart upon arrival to find out which table they were sitting at and then once at the table found their seat by the identifying frame. That is a lot of frames to set out when you're talking about 19 tables! And it took a long time. Then there were menu cards....at each place setting....to be slipped into the pocket of the napkin. Guess what? Joey's doesn't do fancy napkin holds. They do the standard tented napkin. After letting them know that I had specific instructions that these menu cards be placed in the pocket of the napkin and that the bride had discussed this with the event coordinator at the venue, they bent over backwards to learn how to fold those napkins. Almost 200 of them. In less than an hour. I can't say enough about Joey Buona's staff. They are first class and always have been. They never complain. And seriously...I know they didn't want to be doing that yesterday. I've been in their shoes. But they did it. Graciously. I am sending them a very nice thank you note tomorrow. I know a lot of venues that would have told me to screw off. And that's saying it lightly.

Another highlight of the day was I got to see my favorite DJ's, Craig & Amber of All-Star Music! They are some of my most favorite people and they had a baby boy a few months ago who I got to oooh and ahhh over in pictures. I can't say enough good about these two. They have built this company to be one of the most reputable DJ systems in the Milwaukee area. They listen to their clients, do what they ask, and have fun doing it.

Once the wedding party arrived they gathered downstairs to be lined up for the grand entrance and up the stairs they went dancing to music, taking their places at the head table, and a room full of standing ovation as the new Mr. & Mrs. was announced and proceeded to the dance floor for their First Dance. I watched their dance and then made my own exit. It was a very long day, but it was also a rewarding day once I stood there and looked at how awesome that room glowed in candlelight. I'm sure everyone had a blast that night and I know they ate well with Joey's food!

I know I'm behind on pictures. Apparently uploading pictures is a huge task for me, so I promise to have a post just for wedding pictures soon.

A Day of Love

That's exactly what Saturday was. Filled with love. Between everyone involved. I know, it sounds sappy beyond belief, but it really was just this joyous day. Now don't get me wrong, that's what most wedding days are supposed to be, but this one? This one was different.

Maggie & Piero have been my email companions for months and months now. That's how they booked me, that's how I helped them with some of their details, that's how we finalized details of their day. I got to meet them about a month before the wedding and it was just awesome. They are one of the coolest, most laid back, most genuine couples I have ever met.

Both are from Wisconsin, but they live in upstate New York these days. And Piero's family is Italian. And I don't mean Italian like a lot of people claim to be. I mean, they are the real deal! Trust me, I heard the language being spoke and everything and it literally gave me goose bumps. And Maggie's family? A dream. Really. That is the only way to describe her parents, her sisters, her brother, her adorable nephew. They were just good, good people. The type of people that you want to surround yourself with on a continuous basis.

Maggie & Piero were married at the beautiful and well appointed Gesu Parish on the Marquette University campus. Gesu may be a bit strict on their wedding policies, but it's all for good reason. The outcome is always a gorgeous venue with an even more gorgeous wedding commitment. Maggie & Piero's was no different.

The minute I saw Maggie pull up to Gesu that afternoon, I got tears in my eyes. She wasn't even dressed yet! I nearly lost it when I opened the dressing room door and there she was...a vision of herself in golden ivory tones. Certainly a sight to be seen. But she threatened me with bodily harm if I cried, so I held it in and moved forward with letting them all know that it was almost wedding time!

Frogman Productions captured everything on video that day and you can view a clip of it on their blog. It is perfection and captures the personalities of Piero & Maggie to a 't'. Heather Cook Elliott was the photographer on the scene and as always she was so great to work with. She runs around like it's nobody's business and gets the best shots. I can't wait to see their pictures! With a half-naked ring-bearer toddler running around at the reception there is sure to be some fun blackmail pictures for the future for this little one. :)

Mike & Scott at the Renaissance Place made everything so easy for me. They took care of nearly all the set up and since they are the masters of pulling off flawless events, I knew we were all in capable hands. It was gorgeous. The centerpieces were varying sizes, heights, arrangements...proving yet again people that NOTHING HAS TO BE MATCHY MATCHY! It was by far one of my most favorite table displays. Linens draped in chocolate brown with gold napkins hanging over the place settings, elegant menu cards delicately placed on top, votives scattered about. It oozed romance.

Piero & Maggie took dance lessons and choreographed a dance for their first dance as husband and wife. It was spectacular. If you are familiar with Bob Marley it was his song "Mellow Moods," one of my favorites of his. Imagine just the coolest dance filled with smiles, emotions, and just pure love. They pulled it off so well!

Magge Speaks (the band, not Maggie the bride) was the entertainment and those guys were easy to work with, nicer than nice, and did a phenomenal job from the little I saw. They were already on my vendor list as a band that I recommend, but they are now getting stars or something placed next to them!

Oh, and no cake. Another tradition bucked! You go guys! They instead opted for a dessert station. Yum! I highly doubt any of the guests missed a cake after that.

One of my last duties that evening was to take care of putting out their favors. These were not just any favors. These were homemade tall bottles of Piero's family recipe of dipping oil. Each guest was going to take home a fancy bottle with a personalized label and a green mesh bag to put it in. Genius! And I must say, the table display creation ended up looking pretty darn good. How could you not take one?!? :)

I'll post pictures later!

Maggie & Piero...I know you are enjoying Barbados (because they emailed to say thank you cuz that's just the kind of couple they are) this week, but I have no doubt in my mind that you will continue to enjoy every single day of your lives together. Thank you for being the sweetest couple and THANK YOU for realizing that your goal that day was to marry your best friend. You had the perfect wedding day because you had perfect focus through the entire planning process and most importantly on that day. I think you should start a class on how to be the perfect bride & groom. Love you!

New Booking

Cool Bride Booked! Cool Bride Booked!

I had a blast with this couple the other night. They are just fun and laid back and while they swear they don't know what they are doing with wedding planning, I assured them they really know more than they think they do.

Their engagement story is too cute also! It may have been the only sappy part of the evening. Mandy had just recently purchased a brand new car that she was still ooohing and awwwing over. She pulled into their driveway one day after work and out comes Charley with a dog leash from what she could see. She sighed, thinking 'who's dog are we watching this time!?!' As she's bending down to pet the dog there is a sign that says My Name Is (this is where I forget the puppy's name) and goes on to say that he would love to be part of the family, but simply can't do so until he has a mommy and a daddy in a stable home. Then Charley is down on one knee with ring in hand. The most gorgeous sapphire nad diamond ring I have ever seen! Mandy now has a new car, new puppy, and new bling bling to look at all at once. The couple obviously told the story much more eloquently (and correctly!) than I did, but you get the idea. Poor pup needed a home with both a mommy & a daddy! How precious is that?

Fast forward and they are now planning a Fall 2009 home-on-the-lake-wedding. The same home where Charley's parents were married. How cool is that?

I'm looking forward to working with this fun couple! Their ideas are unique, fresh, and will certainly capture the attention of their guests as the best wedding ever. I'm convinced of that already.

A lot of work goes into home weddings though. Everything needs to be rented, including restrooms. And the cost goes up considerably due to all the rentals so much of the time you end up cutting corners elsewhere. I'm sending them a budget tool tonight that they may or may not use, but most people find it helpful. It's a bit anal (this is me we're talking about...Miss Organization), but it keeps me on track when I'm the one responsible for handling a couple's budget. Which I'm not for this one, but I'll be ready to give plenty of guidance.

Two more weddings for the month and then a weekend off! August only has two weddings total, however, every weekend is already booked with concerts, concerts, and more concerts! Anyone who knows me well knows that my summers revolve around work, weddings, and music. And I couldn't be happier. :)