Feb 29, 2016 | wedding planning
Good planning means great results! Image by Blonde Photo.
I seem to have a new series on time management here, as things keep occurring to me. Here’s my time management tip for this week:
Prioritize your to-do list. (You did make a to-do list, right?) It’s easy to get sidetracked into taking care of the minutiae too early in the process, so keep an eye on what needs to get done first. Before you start sweating the exact placement of the gift table, be sure you have a caterer in place. Don’t worry about linen colors if you haven’t yet hired an officiant.
If you can keep your focus on the big picture, you’ll find that a lot of the little details take care of themselves–or are taken care of by the people you hire. Your caterer may have worked in the space before and will know exactly where the gift table is best placed. Your planner will make sure you think about linen colors when the time is right. Your first job is to make sure that you have hired the right caterer and the right planner so they can help you.
Feb 22, 2016 | vendors, Weddings
One of the best things about this business is the sheer quantity of fabulous and talented people I get to work with. One of my new favorites is Ipomea Floral Design. There are a lot of good florists in this city, and Sheila Jung of Ipomea is definitely one to consider. She does beautiful work and is, in my experience, most helpful, friendly, and accommodating. What more could you want? Take a look at some romantic arrangements from a wedding last year. (All photos by T & S Hughes Photography.)
Feb 15, 2016 | Weddings
Some of the members of the GWA, doing what we do best.
I’m a member of the Green Wedding Alliance, and our biggest wedding event of the year is Committed. While I won’t have a booth at this year’s event (due to a prior commitment, not for any other reason), I’d like to encourage you to go if you are on the lookout for the best wedding vendors.
Committed is a wedding show unlike most. The vendors are all the eco-conscious members of the Green Wedding Alliance and are pretty uniformly awesome. The show has a more laid-back vibe, and I hear there will be some fun activities. There is always a fashion show, and there may be mini workshops, too, at no extra charge.
Here are the details:
When: Sunday, March 13, 2016, 12-4 p.m.
Where: Greenhouse Loft, 2545 West Diversey Ave. 2nd Floor
This is a wedding show friendly to all couples. There is a nominal charge in advance or at the door. Check it out!
Feb 8, 2016 | Weddings
The more pieces there are of the puzzle, the more challenging the project! Photo by T & S Hughes Photography.
I got a notification from LinkedIn the other day that a colleague had endorsed me. It’s always nice when someone goes to the trouble of letting the world know they think you have qualifications or special skills, so I checked out what he had said.
I am not surprised when people endorse me for event planning and things of that sort, but this was something different: He endorsed me for “Doing the impossible in a short time frame.” And I have to say, I loved that! Because that is definitely one of my unique skills.
Remember that last-minute wedding I coordinated? (The professional photos are here.) That was definitely “the impossible in a short time frame.” I’ve talked to other planners who decided not to take on that job because of the short notice, but I had fun with it. I don’t necessarily want to do a lot of “the impossible,” but I certainly don’t shy away from a challenge.
Feb 1, 2016 | About me, Other Events, Parties and Special Events
I plan and manage weddings all year, but in my free time, I also volunteer my time with a terrific group of people who are founding a food co-op in Rogers Park. I always like to have at least one volunteer project in my life, and I have an undying passion for local food and the politics of food issues. (And, I really like food!) So, this group is a great fit for me, especially because I get to plan events to help the co-op grow.
The first major event I planned (with many other volunteers and Heartland staff) was last October: Heartland Cafe’s Harvest Dinner and Barn Dance. Heartland put on the event; I did a bunch of the planning for it; everyone had a great time; and Heartland made a sizable donation to the food co-op.
The event was a harvest dinner on the patio of the restaurant followed by a barn dance at the Red Line Tap around the corner (which is also part of the Heartland empire in central Rogers Park). Wade Chandler, a photographer who lives in Rogers Park, very kindly donated his services for the event. (Check out his Facebook page for more information.) Here are a few glimpses of this terrific evening.
The Heartland Cafe patio was all decked out for the Harvest Dinner.
Tom Rosenfeld, one of the Heartland’s owners, welcomes the guests–and tells them how important food co-ops are.
The Heartland’s kitchen served up a luscious buffet of seasonal dishes.
The guests enjoyed the food and the company.
The Co-op had its brand new t-shirts ready!
Volunteers at the pumpkin carving station improved on the decor.
After dinner, the dance started at the Red Line Tap.
Caller Jo Mortland and the band kept the dancers moving.
Recent Comments