Apr 11, 2016 | wedding planning, Weddings
We do love our dogs! Photo by Allison Williams Photography.
I’ve written a little about children in weddings before, but there is also the question of animals. Should you have a dog be your ring bearer?
I have to say that my reflexive answer to that question is, “No.” But I will say that there are some exceptions to that categorical negative. There are certain circumstances where it might not be a bad idea.
If you are having a very formal wedding and/or you are worried about things happening outside of your control, a dog in the ceremony is very likely going to do something you don’t want to have happen. But if your wedding is casual and you are extremely easy-going about what happens, you might not mind the unexpected things that dogs can do.
I would still only recommend doing this if: 1) the dog is yours or is one who knows you very well; 2) the dog is very well behaved in crowds and under superb voice control; 3) the dog is happy to carry or wear something; 4) the dog’s person can spend some time working with the dog to be sure he or she knows what is requested; and 5) you can assign someone to be full-time dog handler. If any of the above is not true, I would think twice about it.
There are other things you also might want to consider. For example, where will the dog go after the processional and during the ceremony? It’s very cute to have a dog walk down the aisle, but will it then go and put dog hair on everyone in the front row? And, as with children, let your officiant or best man carry the actual rings!
Perhaps the most important thing to decide is whether you want to allow a dog to be the star of your wedding. As actors always say, never work with dogs or children, because they always steal the show.
Apr 4, 2016 | Weddings
It’s time for the 2016 edition of the Great Wedding Recyclery, sponsored by the Green Wedding Alliance. On Sunday, April 17, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., Loft on Lake (1366 W. Lake St.) will be transformed into Chicago’s largest wedding garage sale. There are two different ways you can participate.
If you are planning your wedding and would like to find previously-used wedding items, this is your chance to shop for decor items and other things that might otherwise cost you a lot of money. If you recently got married, you can rent a table and sell items you think other couples would be interested in.
The Recyclery happens every year right around Earth Day. Here is your chance to get some fabulous stuff for your wedding or sell things you no longer need, and to keep things out of the landfill.
Mar 28, 2016 | Other Events
I mentioned before that I volunteer my time in my community with the Rogers Park Food Co-op, a community-owned grocery store in formation. I head the Events committee.
Everyone who volunteers with the Co-op just finished work on our first Annual Meeting. Naturally, I was very much involved in putting together this event. It was an all-volunteer, low-budget event, which presented any number of challenges. It turned out absolutely terrifically.
Many of the neighborhood restaurants very generously donated food for dinner, giving us a gorgeous ethnic buffet. We were lucky enough to also have donations of photo and video services, so I can share with you some of the fun.
We had a paper theme: In this case, it was the co-op’s logo stamped on butcher paper to cover the tables. Photo by Perfect Light Photos.
Volunteers made paper flowers to decorate the tables. Photo by Perfect Light Photos.
Collective Resource helped us in our goal to a zero-waste event. (We threw out only four paper bags of garbage, and one of them wasn’t even full!) Photo by Perfect Light Photos.
First order of business was the presentation by the board. Photo by Perfect Light Photos.
Then, we opened the fabulous buffet! Photo by Perfect Light Photos.
A dozen restaurants donated food, beverages, and dessert. (Yes, that’s me, trying the vegetarian food.) Photo by Perfect Light Photos.
There was also a raffle of gifts from other generous neighborhood businesses. Photo by Perfect Light Photos.
A good time was had by all! Photo by Perfect Light Photos.
Mar 21, 2016 | Day-of Coordinating, wedding planning
Getting married in your back yard? I’ll work with you!
I was in an get-acquainted meeting with a couple who ended up hiring me recently and the groom mentioned that, before he met me, he had been opposed to hiring a day-of coordinator. When I asked him why, he said it was because he had a negative image of wedding planners and didn’t want one at his wedding.
I think I’ve run into this stereotype before: The wedding planner is bossy or unapproachable or a know-it-all or insistent on rigid etiquette or only has one way of doing things. I wouldn’t want someone like that at my wedding, either!
Fortunately for you, if you’re getting married, most wedding planners don’t fit that description. I certainly don’t. My job is to serve your vision of your wedding and make it happen. It’s important to me not to make any judgments about your choices. It’s your wedding; it’s going to be wonderful; and I want to help.
Mar 14, 2016 | Weddings
Because we work closely together on your wedding, I want you to get what you need. Photo by Peter Coombs.
I find that sometimes potential clients are hesitant to negotiate the draft contract I send them. If you are one of those people, I’d like to give you a couple of good reasons to jump in and negotiate.
Reason Number One: If you do ask for changes in the contract, then there is a good chance that you will get something you want, instead of feeling stuck with something you don’t want. I don’t always accept every change exactly as it is proposed, but I will go out of my way to make sure you are happy with what you are getting. I don’t want to start our relationship on the wrong foot. I want you to be happy you hired me. I don’t want you to feel as if I have bullied you into accepting my terms.
Reason Number Two: When you and I have discussed changes and come to an agreement we can both live with, especially if you have special circumstances that you want included, it increases the trust level between us. We understand each other, so we can trust each other. And it is very important to me that that trust is there, as we will be working closely together and I will have the responsibility to do some very important things for you.
So, will you always get what you want when you negotiate my contract? No, but if you don’t, it’s because there is a very good reason for it (and I will explain the reasoning to you). Should you always ask? Yes. Because if you don’t ask, you will definitely not get what you are looking for, and I might not, either.
Mar 7, 2016 | Budget Planning, Weddings
I’ve noticed a trend in the weddings I have worked on in the last year or so. It’s not at all universal, but I am seeing a certain number of wedding receptions where there are no floral centerpieces on the tables. All of these couples say they want to keep things simple, and that is definitely one way to do so. They generally compensate for the lack of flowers by using a lot of candles, instead.
If you search for “wedding centerpiece no flowers,” you’ll get lots and lots of photos of elaborate tablescapes. That’s one way to do the job. But if you are trying to keep expenses down or if you just don’t want a lot of visual fuss at your wedding reception, you can keep it simple.
Here are two images from recent weddings with only candles for centerpieces. The first one is as simple as possible, while remaining elegant. The second one is more colorful and whimsical, proving you can express your taste and stay simple at the same time.
Photo by Becca Heuer Photography.
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.
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