Nov 17, 2014 | vendors, wedding planning
Here's one of my favorite photos from Agnes Malorny.
I haven’t featured a photographer here in quite some time. I’d like to introduce you to a terrific one: Agnes Malorny. I’ve worked with Agnes more than once and had the pleasure of having clients hire her just this past summer on my recommendation.
Naturally, I would not recommend a photographer (or any vendor) unless the quality of her work was outstanding. Agnes’ is always quite lovely. She does equally well with portraits, still shots, and action shots. But I also appreciate her work ethic and attitude. She has always been a pleasure to work with and just to be around.
Nov 10, 2014 | wedding planning
Do you want to decide what the cake looks like? Just tell your planner.
If you want to hire someone to plan your wedding, do you know what that means? What parts of the planning will the professional do and what won’t they do? Who will make the decisions? Every planner has her or his own answers to these questions. Here is how I see it.
When I do full-service planning, I generally take care of all the parts of the wedding and reception, except clothing, jewelry, and invitations. I have found that most couples prefer to do those things themselves. Of course, I can recommend vendors for all of those categories and I am able to help you with them, if you need it. Every couple is unique and I spend a good bit of time in the beginning of the process to discover what they need me to do.
As for decisions, there are two different ways they can be handled. Either my clients can make all the final decisions, or they can tell me which decisions they want to make and which they want me to make. At one extreme, you could tell me that you want me to make all the decisions. I don’t necessarily recommend this course of action, but it is a possibility at one end of the spectrum.
At the other end of the spectrum, I would make recommendations on vendors and so on and let you decide what to do. I’ve worked this way with clients and find that the results are very good. But if there are things you don’t really care about, with a full-service planner you can offload those choices and simplify the process for yourself. The important thing is communicating your wishes to your planner.
Nov 3, 2014 | wedding planning
Remember: The schedule is a guide, not a rulebook. Courtesy of sprungphoto.com.
One of the most important things I do for my wedding clients is create a schedule for the day of the wedding. This can start with hair and make-up appointments and go on to photographs, ceremony, reception, and after-party, if need be. Where most people get bogged down is in the reception: How long does it take to serve and eat dinner? What time should the cake be cut? When does the dancing begin? Are the toasts during dinner or before it?
Because I have made up so many wedding and reception schedules, I have a good idea of how long things will take and when they should happen. But I’ll let you in on a little secret: On my version of the reception schedule, I rarely put exact times any more. While wedding ceremonies often start and end more or less on time, and cocktail hours are often just about an hour long, everything else at a reception is not likely to go by the clock. It’s more important (to me) to know that the toasts happen after the salad is served (whatever time that ends up being) and that the bride and groom’s first dance is after dessert (whenever that happens) than the clock time that is on the schedule.
One time, a bride had created a schedule for her wedding day that was precise to the minute about when things should happen. It turned out that the ceremony was ten minutes shorter than had been planned, so the cocktail hour started and ended ten minutes early. When I went to get her for introductions before dinner, she was reluctant to go ahead because it was earlier than the scheduled time. I had to talk her into doing things a few minutes early by reminding her that the guests had not seen the schedule and didn’t know that we were off our timing. I thought it was better to treat the schedule as a guideline (if not an inspired work of fiction) rather than have the guests sitting at their tables for ten minutes waiting for something to happen.
So, do make up a schedule for your wedding day. Do include all the things you want to have happen. But don’t be surprised if it doesn’t all happen at the exact time you thought it would.
Oct 27, 2014 | Parties and Special Events, vendors, wedding planning
Cheney Mansion, as featured on their website.
Most of my work tends to be on the north side of the city and in the northern suburbs, so it is a real treat when I get to work in other parts of the metropolis. This summer, I worked with a couple who wanted to get married in Oak Park (which happens to be a favorite place of mine). It was a good excuse for me to get to know better the wonderful event venues there.
The couple ended up choosing Cheney Mansion for their wedding, and I think it was an excellent choice. The mansion is a three-storey house with extensive grounds located very near the heart of the suburb. It is now owned by the Park District of Oak Park.
Because it is a historic home in a residential neighborhood, there are certain restrictions that come with it, but–in my opinion–it is more than worth it. The house itself is beautiful and well maintained. The grounds are gorgeous. The Park District staff who run it are exceptionally helpful and welcoming. If you’re looking for someplace to have a wedding or other special event in the western suburbs, this is definitely one location to check out.
Oct 20, 2014 | Family Parties, Parties and Special Events, wedding planning
Photo by Carasco Photography.
This is a photo of a beautiful, well-made wedding cake. Most wedding cakes are gorgeous and give due credit to the arts of the baker and the decorator. Some, however….
If you’ve never visited Cake Wrecks, save it for a day when you need a laugh. There are a lot of cakes that are not wedding cakes, but I think the wedding cakes are my favorites.
Oct 6, 2014 | Budget Planning, wedding planning
Photo by Peter Coombs.
I try very hard to keep my prices reasonable, but I will be increasing my prices to keep up with inflation and increased costs starting January 1, 2015. If you want to book me for next year at this year’s prices, be sure to get in touch with me before the end of this year. If you hire me by the end of December, I’ll be happy to offer you current prices for any wedding or party in 2015. Email me now!
Recent Comments