Nov 7, 2016 | wedding planning
Photo by Peter Coombs.
As usual, my prices will increase on the first of the year. That means that right now is an excellent time to book me for a 2017 wedding or event. I’m planning a modest increase to my day-of coordinating fee that will also have an impact on my full-planning prices.
I held my prices at the same level for several years in a row when the economy was so bad. Now, I have a cost-of-living increase that goes into effect on January 1.
The moral of the story is this: If you’ve been thinking about getting in touch with me about your party or wedding next year, don’t wait until January. I’m always happy to meet with you at no charge to get acquainted and figure out how I can help you.
Oct 31, 2016 | Weddings
I was fortunate to coordinate a wedding this summer that not only was one of the nicest couples I’ve worked with but also allowed me to work with some of my favorite vendors: the venue was the Kenilworth Club, Four Finches was the florist, and the cake came from Bittersweet Bakery. There were also some wonderful vendors I hadn’t worked with before: Catered by Design, Martini Lunch, which is my new favorite swing band, Celestial Strings string quartet, and Studio Finch for photographers. Studio Finch very kindly shared some of their photos with me. Take a look at this very fun, very personal wedding:
The ceremony was outdoors at the Kenilworth Club. Photo by Studio Finch Photography, www.studiofinch.com
Celestial Strings played for the ceremony. Photo by Studio Finch Photography, www.studiofinch.com
These beautiful floral urns were created for the ceremony by Four Finches, and then used indoors on the stage. Photo by Studio Finch Photography, www.studiofinch.com
Both of the bride’s parents walked her down the aisle. Photo by Studio Finch Photography, www.studiofinch.com
Here’s the wedding party during the ceremony. Photo by Studio Finch Photography, www.studiofinch.com
Meanwhile, indoors the hall was set up for the reception. Photo by Studio Finch Photography, www.studiofinch.com
Here’s a close-up of one of Four Finch’s beautiful centerpieces. Photo by Studio Finch Photography, www.studiofinch.com
And the sweetheart table. Photo by Studio Finch Photography, www.studiofinch.com
There was a lovely cake from Bittersweet Bakery. Photo by Studio Finch Photography, www.studiofinch.com
The bride, a talented potter, made the ceramic bowls for the centerpieces. Photo by Studio Finch Photography, www.studiofinch.com
She also made the vases for the bridesmaids’ bouquets. Photo by Studio Finch Photography, www.studiofinch.com
The tables were all named after local landmarks, with photos to help guests find their seats. Photo by Studio Finch Photography, www.studiofinch.com
You can see how they match the place cards. Photo by Studio Finch Photography, www.studiofinch.com
Look how adorable the bride and groom are. Photo by Studio Finch Photography, www.studiofinch.com
Cocktail hour featured a huge, festive table of local cheese by Catered by Design. Photo by Studio Finch Photography, www.studiofinch.com
Four Finches also provided a quaint lantern as a card box. Photo by Studio Finch Photography, www.studiofinch.com
The bride’s father led the guests in singing “That’s Amore” as part of his toast. Photo by Studio Finch Photography, www.studiofinch.com
You can see how much they enjoyed their first dance. Photo by Studio Finch Photography, www.studiofinch.com
Martini Lunch kept the dance floor swinging. Photo by Studio Finch Photography, www.studiofinch.com
There was some good, old-fashioned jitterbugging going on. Photo by Studio Finch Photography, www.studiofinch.com
The guests enjoyed themselves. Photo by Studio Finch Photography, www.studiofinch.com
Finally, the guests all saw the bride and groom off on their honeymoon. Photo by Studio Finch Photography, www.studiofinch.com
Oct 24, 2016 | wedding planning
Full-service caterers can set out a beautiful buffet.
I’ve written in the past about the difference between “catering” and “full-service catering.” After working with a couple of not-full-service caterers recently, I have a few more thoughts.
As I’ve said before, any restaurant, chef, or catering company can do “catering.” That might be as simple as bringing big foil pans of food to your location and dropping it off–along with paper plates and plastic forks. Especially when restaurants say that they do “catering,” often they mean only that they can make quantities of food for a crowd and bring the food to you.
There are also companies that cater parties–and some even bill themselves as “full-service”–that will cook, bring the food to you, serve it, and even do some of the clean-up. They are almost always less expensive than the real full-service caterers. The reason they can afford to cater for so much less is that they agree to be at your location for a specified amount of time–just enough to set out the food, serve, clean up, and go.
If you hire a full-service caterer at full price, in addition to taking care of the food, they will also show up early enough to set up the furniture (for both the ceremony and the reception, if it is a wedding); put the tablecloths on the tables; set the tables; move furniture, as needed; and stay until the very end of the party to clean up the room and put everything away. Another advantage of a full-service caterer is that they will take care of rentals, including dishes. You don’t have to have paper plates at your party or wedding.
Another thing I like about full-service caterers is that the bartenders are also their staff, and that means that there are no miscommunications between the caterer and the bartending staff. It means that all the necessities for bartending will be available (ice, lemons, limes, and so on) without any last-minute trips to the store.
While I prefer to work with full-service caterers, I do understand that sometimes it makes sense to use a caterer who offers fewer services. The best way to handle a caterer who doesn’t offer all the needed services is to facilitate communication between your caterer, your bartender, and your planner or coordinator to make sure that nothing is missed.
Oct 17, 2016 | Weddings
Here are a few more photos from the wedding I planned last May. It was sweet, simple, and a lot of fun.
Oct 10, 2016 | Non-Traditional Weddings
Horse racing, anyone?
A friend of mine told me recently about a wedding that her daughter had attended: It was at the race track. She said it was a nice, relaxed day. They had the ceremony in one of the party rooms available for rent. After that, there was a very nice reception, and the guests could also watch the races.
Looking at the website of the race track nearest to me, I see that they have done quite a few weddings. It seems to be an all-inclusive package: They provide the rooms, the catering, and a great many extras, including tables, chairs, linens, and parking. And racing provides the entertainment. (Who knew you could place bets at a wedding?)
Best of all, it looks like a very affordable option that is also easy to plan. Sometimes, you can do something a little different and not have it break the bank.
Oct 3, 2016 | Weddings
I worked on the nicest wedding a couple weeks ago. The couple are gamers, so their wedding had a bit of a goth feel to it, although nothing elaborate. I’m not sure if you can see it in the photos, but one of the most fun things they did was ask their gamer friends to dress up. Even with minimal decor in the space, there was always a lot to look at!
These are the photos taken by my assistant, Shelby Glasgow, and myself. (She took all the good ones.) I hope to have the professional photos soon so you can see what it was really like. This is just a taste.
Sep 26, 2016 | wedding planning
All you really need for a wedding is the marriage license, and someone to sign it.
I’ve been seeing and hearing more and more about surprise weddings, also known as pop-up weddings. I think it’s a very fun idea. In case you haven’t heard of it, here’s what happens: The guests are invited (by the couple getting married) to be somewhere on some pretext–perhaps a holiday brunch, or a special family dinner. When they are all assembled, the couple announces that this is their wedding, and they have the ceremony. Usually, the promised brunch or dinner (or some other form of party) happens afterwards.
You might wonder whether or not this concept is a good idea. I don’t have any personal experience of it, but a friend of mine was delightfully surprised when her son and his fiancee did this. It certainly eliminated any wedding planning stress my friend might have otherwise had! I’ve also heard other stories from people who have attended, officiated at, or been married at a surprise wedding. The experience seems to be pretty uniformly positive. It is less stressful than a traditional wedding and is good for people who like surprises. From what I can gather, most surprise weddings have a small guest list, so it is also a less expensive way to get married. It makes no less of a splash for being small, though!
You might wonder how I feel as a professional wedding planner about this idea. I think it’s great! It allows for a certain amount of flexibility and is fertile ground for non-traditionalism. Don’t be fooled into thinking, though, that a surprise wedding requires any less planning than any other kind. It may even require more, because if you want to get married this way, you won’t have the help of your families–unless you want to spoil the surprise.
Sep 19, 2016 | Non-Traditional Weddings
We had so much fun a few weeks ago working with a couple whose wedding was unlike any I’ve ever seen. The reception was more like a big carnival for the kids. The adults had a great time, too! Here are a few photos of the day.
Sep 12, 2016 | Non-Traditional Weddings, wedding planning
Lawn games are definitely non-traditional. Photo by Allison Williams Photography.
Non-traditional weddings are getting more press these days, as someone seems to think it’s a trend. But what does “non-traditional” really mean?
I’ve been reading blog posts about non-traditional weddings, and ideas range from the bride wearing flats instead of heels to mixing genders in the wedding party. I notice that a lot of the suggestions are purely decorative: have smaller cake; make your own decor; wear a color that isn’t white; have the men wear suits; carry a bouquet that isn’t flowers; go bareheaded. There are also online lists of non-traditional wedding themes, which mostly seem to relate to various pop culture phenomena. Those are good starts, if you’re planning to go the non-traditional route. But there are lots of other options open to you. Here are some ideas I’ve seen implemented at weddings that are definitely out of the box:
- The guests gathered in a building in the park with a gorgeous view of the lake and the skyline. There were snacks to eat, and the bar was open. After half an hour of cocktail party, when everyone had arrived, the bride, the groom, and a judge stood in the middle of the room and got everyone’s attention for a brief wedding ceremony. Four minutes later, the buffet (from the couple’s favorite restaurant) opened, and everyone ate, talked, and hugged the bride and groom.
- The guests sat in chairs on a lawn in the forest preserve facing the woods. The bride and groom came out of the woods to face their guests, where they were married. Then, everyone adjourned to the nearby picnic shelter, which had been decorated by the bride’s family. A taco truck and a gelato truck provided dinner, and there were games on the patio.
- The bride and groom rented a vacation house on a lake for the weekend, where all their close family stayed. Chairs, picnic tables, and picnic blankets were set up facing the lake for the guests. The bride and groom greeted the guests as they arrived. Each person in the processional was introduced by the officiant with a few words. After the ceremony, the photographer took a group picture of everyone there, with the lake as the backdrop. For a couple of hours after the ceremony, there were lawn games, boat rides, a face painter, and a Bozo Buckets tournament. Then the barbecue truck showed up and grilled a big buffet dinner, with funnel cakes for dessert. The kids decorated cookies in the house. At sunset, everyone went home, having enjoyed a beautiful day on the lake.
Of course, if you do decide to break the rules (such as they are), expect a certain amount of pushback from family and friends. Here’s an article written by a bride about how she is coping with some of that. The short version is this: It’s your wedding, so do what suits you. The nicest weddings I’ve ever been to have been the ones that reflect the true personalities of the couple getting married. If you’ve never been the normal one, then why should your wedding be normal? It will be much nicer if you are true to yourselves.
Sep 5, 2016 | Day-of Coordinating
Here’s a bride busy outsourcing her worries to me! Photo by Peter Coombs.
I had just arrived at the early morning wedding rehearsal of my clients, and the family was gathering. I was being introduced to various parents and other family members in preparation for running the rehearsal. The groom introduced me to his father, and he said something I really liked. He said, “This is Lisa. She is the one we have outsourced all our worrying to.”
That’s my job, in a nutshell: You can outsource your worries to me, and I’ll take care of them!
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