Nov 30, 2015 | wedding planning
Good planning has great results! Photo courtesy of christytylerphotography.com.
Here’s one more thought for you on time management, and then you’ll know most of what I know. This one’s a doozy, though, and most people don’t like to admit that it’s true, so brace yourself:
There won’t be more time later. In fact, there will probably be less time later.
It’s always tempting to think that after some event or after some project is finished, there will be more time to work on whatever it is that you are putting off. The reason this is a fallacy is that if there isn’t enough time for everything now, then things are being put off. That means that on top of all the stuff that belongs in the future, you’re adding stuff from the present. And that means that there won’t be more time.
If you find this depressing (and some people do), just remember that you can do something about it: Get at least one thing off the list today. That is one thing fewer you’ll be doing in the future, when there’s less time for it.
Nov 23, 2015 | wedding planning
Good planning has great results! Photo by Ann Oleinik.
If you’re looking for Part I on time management, you can find it here. I have a few more thoughts on the subject that I hope you’ll find useful.
Once you have your overall timeline in place, try to stick to it. It might be tempting to jump around from project to project, but I find it works better to finish one thing before going on to the next. It helps you keep focus on what you’re doing so that you don’t overlook the details and it also gives you a nice feeling of accomplishment when you check a project off your list.
Another trick is to use tiny scraps of time to best advantage. If you have ten minutes while you’re waiting for an appointment, think of a small job you can get out of the way in time that might otherwise be wasted. Look up reviews for a make-up artist you’re interested in or scan Pinterest for decor ideas. Using these little bits of time can add up to a whole lot in the grand scheme.
But don’t worry! You can get it all done in time.
Nov 16, 2015 | Day-of Coordinating, wedding planning
Who makes sure the gifts all go home with the couple? I do, of course! Photo by Peter Coombs.
A venue manager remarked to me recently how unusual it is that I always stay until the very end of every wedding. She said, “Most planners leave at 10:00.” I’ve heard that before, and I think it is a mistake.
It’s true that from the time the dance floor opens until the end of the party, there isn’t much for a planner or coordinator to do. In fact, that might be the first time all night that I sit down. But I always find that there is plenty to do once the DJ stops and the bar closes. Here are some of the things I do:
- Remove the decor elements.
- Pack up gifts and make sure they get into the correct car.
- Call cabs for guests.
- Sort out the unused wine, beer, and liquor and send it home with the proper person.
- Make sure the centerpieces leave the venue.
- Help keep rental and non-rental property separated.
- Clear out extra favors.
- Make sure the cake top goes home with the couple.
That’s just a small sampling of the things I always find to do at the end of the party. Very often, these are things that the couple has not thought of in advance, so to take a lot of the pressure off of them, I just take care of them.
Nov 9, 2015 | Reviews, Weddings
Photo by T & S Hughes Photography.
It’s toot-my-horn Monday again. I have another really, really nice review on Yelp. If I don’t tell you all about it, who will? It’s such a good review, that I can’t excerpt it. Here it is in all its glory:
“Lisa was our day-of coordinator for our recent wedding at the Garfield Park conservatory. I can’t recommend her more highly! Lisa is very calming, unpretentious and down to earth, which I really appreciate among all the insanity of the wedding industrial complex. We planned the wedding ourselves but Lisa provided lots of helpful suggestions about vendors, transportation and more. She helped us develop our timeline, ran our rehearsal, coordinated with the other vendors, helped set up before the wedding, kept us on schedule during the event and was there to the very end making sure everything was packed up properly.”
Nov 2, 2015 | Non-Traditional Weddings, wedding planning
Anyone want to go bowling?
There aren’t as many committed bowlers out there as there used to be, but if you and your future spouse happen to be bowlers, why not get married at the lanes?
Plenty of bowling alleys have party rooms. The size of the room will limit the number of guests, of course, but that can work to your advantage. Having 150 of your nearest and dearest at your bowling party wedding could be a bit much, and keeping your wedding to a manageable size will also keep your costs under control.
I imagine a bowling alley wedding might go something like this: Ceremony in the party room first, then everyone goes to bowl a couple of games while cocktails and appetizers are served. After that, a buffet opens in the party room and everyone can eat. And then bowl some more.
I’m very far from the first person to think of this idea. If you do a search for “bowling alley wedding,” you’ll see that there are a lot of photos of people getting married in bowling alleys. The nice thing is that in such a venue, you can go upscale or you can have a more casual wedding.
However you do it, one thing is for sure: It will be a memorable wedding.
Oct 26, 2015 | wedding planning
Good planning has good results. Photo by Johnny Knight.
As you might imagine, I know a thing or two about time management. I’d like to share some tips with you. While these are applicable to just about everything in life, they are especially useful when it comes to wedding planning.
It’s tempting to procrastinate on projects until you’re close to the deadline, but that tends to be a bad idea for event planning. One way to avoid that syndrome is to set yourself mini-deadlines. For example, you could say that you want to have an officiant hired by a certain date and a florist figured out three weeks later. And don’t wait until the deadline to start working on the project. You can save yourself many headaches by working slowly and steadily. It doesn’t give you an endorphin rush, but it doesn’t give you ulcers, either.
I find the easiest way to make a timeline is to work backwards. Start with your final deadline (the wedding day!) and work back through everything that needs to be done. Be realistic–or perhaps pessimistic–about how long it will take to do things. And if you miss a deadline, it’s important to simply forgive yourself and keep working.
And remember, these are only guidelines, not iron-clad rules, and sometimes the best way to stay on track is to break the rules. But if you need some guidance, these are a good place to start.
Oct 19, 2015 | vendors
Firehouse Chicago has this great, vintage spiral staircase.
I posted some photos last week from a recent wedding at Firehouse Chicago, but I really need to say more about this venue. Ever since I visited it at its first open house, I knew I needed to work there. It is an honest-to-goodness retired City of Chicago Firehouse and is located on the far north side of the city in Edgewater.
The venue consists of one large room with a generous, well-appointed kitchen at the rear, with a beautifully kept side yard. There is a private room upstairs for dressing. The venue will hold about 100 people.
But the thing thing that sets the Firehouse apart from other small venues is service. Not only is the venue manager, Michelle, most helpful, but she has instituted policies that make planning easy. For example, the venue owns a tent for the side yard and the use of it is included in the rental price. All you have to do is let them know a day in advance if you want it or not. That puts an end to guessing three days out whether or not you need a tent. There are other helpful extras included in quite a reasonable fee.
Also, the venue is committed to sustainable practices. If you order their candle package, you get all soy candles. The owners installed radiant heat in the floor. Everything is as sustainable as possible.
I can’t say enough nice things about this place. If you’re looking for a venue for a small event, keep it in mind.
Oct 12, 2015 | Weddings
I just planned and coordinated this fabulous, fun, and tasteful wedding. The two women getting married wanted a cute location, simple decor, and helpful, friendly vendors. I found them all of that, and they were more than thrilled with the outcome. I had a great time working on this wedding, too!
The ceremony was in the adorable side yard at Firehouse Chicago.
Here’s the interior of the Firehouse as we were setting up.
It has this great, vintage spiral staircase.
The stupendous bar is part of the package. I don’t know where the old fire extinguisher came from, but I like it!
I snuck this photo while the photographer was taking portraits.
The dinner tables were as simple as possible in comfortable fall colors.
I liked their chalkboard table numbers a lot.
They had drink koozies for favors with special ones for the bridal party.
The card box matched the chalkboard theme.
Oct 5, 2015 | wedding planning
If this your idea of wedding dessert? Go for it! Photo by Becca Heuer Photography.
I ran into a friend of my husband’s recently. She and her longtime beau are engaged, and she wanted to pick my brain to help her get started planning. I want to share with you some of what I told her, which constitutes Lisa’s Very Best Wedding Planning Tips:
Tip #1: As I tell everyone I work with, in order to plan a wedding, you have to know what is required and what is optional. In Illinois, the only thing required for a legal marriage is that you get a marriage license at least one day (and no more than 60 days) before the wedding and have someone qualified sign it. Everything else is optional.
Tip #2: In order to have a successful wedding, you absolutely must do the following: You must end up married to the correct person at the end of the day. As long as that happens, your wedding is a success. If anything else goes wrong, it doesn’t affect whether your wedding is successful or not.
Tip #3: Everyone on the planet will give you sage advice on what you must do or should do or ought to do at your wedding. Some of them will have a piece of good advice. Most of them will not. Feel free to smile and reply to every bit of wedding advice as follows, “I’m so glad you care enough to want to help me.” Then plan the wedding that makes sense to you.
Tip #4: Sometimes, people you care a great deal about will want you to do or not to do something at your wedding. When faced with a situation that might provoke serious conflict, ask yourself whether it’s more important to have your way or more important to preserve the relationship.
Come to think of it, that’s pretty good advice for marriage, itself!
Sep 28, 2015 | Non-Traditional Weddings, wedding planning
Nice backdrop for a wedding?
Who ever heard of a wedding at a ballpark? And yet, people get married at Major League stadiums every year. If you’re both baseball fans, yes, it can be done.
From the research I’ve done, it seems that most ballpark weddings take place when the stadium is not otherwise in use. Many stadiums have party rooms, suites, or other facilities that are suitable for both wedding ceremonies and for receptions. You probably have to use their caterer. But since there’s a high probability that you’ll want to serve ballpark food, you know they can handle it.
Could you get married at the ballpark on game day? That remains to be seen. I’d love to work with a couple that wants to find out the answer to that question!
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