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Posted by Patti on April 13, 2010 · Leave a Comment
What to do after you’ve booked your ride
By Patti Herioux
Event Planner, With Love
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You’ve got your ride all set to roll, your chauffeur is ready with hat on, but where in the heck are you going? Setting your transportation itinerary can be confusing so use the following guidelines to getting it right. Read more
Posted by admin on April 6, 2010 · Leave a Comment
Get to Know ETSY!
By Lindsay Sally of Big Day Boutique
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Brides are always looking for ways to make their special day unique. One of the best resources we recommend is www.etsy.com. Etsy is a website where incredibly creative people sell their handmade products as well as offer custom designs. Read more
Filed under Wedding Advice, Wedding Décor, Wedding Invitations, Wedding Tips · Tagged with alchemy, buy local, Chicago, Chicago wedding, custom, DIY, etsy, handmade, Wedding, Wedding Advice, wedding budget, Wedding Budgeting, wedding DIY, Wedding Planning, Wedding Tips
Posted by admin on March 30, 2010 · Leave a Comment
One stop shop your Wedding!
Your wedding day on average will consume over one thousand hours of time (yes that searching on the Knot does count) and you will spend more money than you will ever care to admit. Here is a little secret that will save you time and money…have your ceremony and reception at the same location!
It’s convenient!
Whether your friends and family are driving 1 mile or 500 miles to attend you big day, getting to the ceremony on time and then to the reception always seems to be feat. It never hurts when the timeline of your wedding flows seamlessly and there are no cars, buses, planes or trains in between. We are spoiled in Chicagoland with innovative reception sites who adapt to the ever changing trends of weddings. Many venues boast of gorgeous gardens, altars with golf course views, and unique indoor spaces as well. You don’t have to sacrifice the most important part of the day (yes Ladies that is the ceremony) by having it at the same location as your reception. Bottom line…your guests will thank you.
One Coordinator, One Timeline= One happy bride
Those of us who had two locations for our ceremony and reception will agree you feel like you are planning two separate events. It will save you so much time to coordinate both together. When working with a reception/ceremony venue you will most often be assigned to one coordinator. The best part about that is you have someone else doing it all for you! Your on-site contact will be familiar with both the ceremony and reception and can help you create timeline that works perfectly. One of the best things for my clients is the flexibility and adaptability to the unexpected changes that can occur. If a ceremony goes longer or shorter we are in constant contact with the kitchen and bar so that the minute the guests exit the wedding or walk in the reception hall doors the hors d’ oeuvres are being passed and the bar is open!
It is budget friendly!
Most venues do charge for having your ceremony at their location. Their prices are probably not any more or less than you might pay at a church or other rented ceremony site. The saving is mainly in the areas of music, florals, rentals, and transportation. If you are having a DJ reception often they can come an hour early and do your ceremony for a nominal fee. Your florist will not have to set up at two locations often helping out your bottom line. Even better, all of your ceremony pieces can easily double to your reception. Recently a bride of mine had a beautiful indoor ceremony with tall vases going down her aisle. Ironically there were 12 tall vases with floral and a floating candle and she had 12 guest tables…perfect use of her budget! If you are planning on covering your reception chairs or renting Chivaris, some sites will even let you utilize the same chairs for your ceremony as well. Talk about getting more bang for your buck, it is well worth your money and it adds elegance to your ceremony as well. Finally, without having to coordinate transportation for the bridal party, family, and your guests you stand to save over a thousand dollars if not more. You can easily get dropped off by a family member prior to the ceremony and do not have to worry about going home until the DJ plays the last song. This allows you to enjoy every moment of your day and save a mountain of pennies in the mean time.
A few final tips when planning your ceremony & reception at the same venue
- Ask about your venue’s rain plan if you are considering an outdoor ceremony
- If the site is outside or in another area make sure it is handicap accessible for all of your guests
- Make sure you meet personally with the coordinator at the venue
- Always ask about hidden fees (set up, delivery, tax, and service just to name a few!)
- Ask about rehearsal conditions and set up time restrictions
- Make sure there is adequate parking close to or near the ceremony/reception location
- Ask your venue about vendors they like to work with. When orchestrating change over, and movement from a ceremony to a reception it always helps when they know each other and feel comfortable working together. Best part…often these vendors give great prices to clients of the venue and will take care of most of the behind the scenes coordinating without you even knowing about it!
Written by Kristina Nemetz, Catering Manager at Arrowhead Golf Club in Wheaton, IL
www.arrowheadgolfclub.org
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By Kristina Nemetz, Catering Manager at Arrowhead Golf Club in Wheaton, IL
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Your wedding day on average will consume over one thousand hours of time (yes that searching on the Knot does count) and you will spend more money than you will ever care to admit. Here is a little secret that will save you time and money…have your ceremony and reception at the same location! Read more
Filed under Wedding Ceremony, Wedding Reception, Wedding Venues · Tagged with Arrowhead Golf Club, Chicago, Chicago wedding, Chicago Wedding Ceremony, Chicago wedding vendors, Chicago Wedding Venues, Wedding, Wedding Advice, wedding budget, Wedding Budgeting, Wedding Ceremony, Wedding Planning, wedding professionals, Wedding Tips, Wedding Venues
Posted by admin on February 4, 2010 · Leave a Comment
By Cynthia Rensink
Everlasting Elegant Wedding
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10. We save you time! Your time is valuable. On average a wedding takes at least 1200 hours to plan start to finish. How many hours do you and your fiancé have left in your day after working your full-time job? With a planner, your wedding becomes their full-time job, dedicated to making your day special.
9. We offer advice and guidance! There are many vendors who offer many different options with their packages. Since this is the planner’s job, we will look at the whole picture of your “wedding day” to make sure that the right vendor and the right package are selected.
8. We save you money! We have established relationships with many different vendors who will “work with us” to ensure you stay on budget. Some will even offer you a discount because of our referral.
7. We organize your entire event! From choosing your save-the-date cards and invitations to the bridal gown, church and reception (venue). We are with you every step of the way.
6. We take your dream and make it a reality! With countless options available for your decorations and style, your planner can help you narrow down an option that will be cost-effective and fit within your budget while still giving you your dream wedding.
5. We bond your puzzle pieces (vendors) together! With the countless hours and money that is spent in planning a wedding, we will make sure that every puzzle piece will fit together smoothly. We make sure there are no missing pieces. On your wedding day, we make sure that all of your puzzle pieces (vendors) will stay on track and in place to make you your beautiful wedding day picture.
4. We manage the manners! There are many ways to plan a wedding, but one thing that is a factor in every wedding is etiquette. Wedding planners have experience and knowledge necessary to advise bride and their family on how to invite guests, on how to deal with difficult family issues, on how to create a processional order at the ceremony, to assign seats at the reception, and when to send thank-you notes, and so on.
3. We provide you with security! Hiring a wedding planner means less risk of something to go wrong or be forgotten. We will make sure that all your bases are covered.
2. We remove the stress! When you have a planner, it is like having a life insurance policy. You can sit back and enjoy the planning of your wedding day knowing that every detail will be covered without disturbing your joy.
1. We provide you with peace-of-mind! We become your wedding day investment broker. Your wedding day is a huge investment in you. There is nothing better than knowing that the investment you made in your wedding day was well worth every hour and dollar spent. We will make sure that your investment will give you many years of joy and happiness so that when you look back at your memories, you will remember that you were not stressed and enjoyed your wedding day to the fullest.
Filed under Wedding Advice, Wedding Planners, Wedding Tips · Tagged with Chicago, Chicago wedding, Chicago Wedding Planner, Chicago wedding vendors, Wedding, Wedding Advice, wedding budget, Wedding Budgeting, wedding checklist, wedding newsletter, Wedding Planning, wedding professionals, Wedding Tips
Posted by admin on January 25, 2010 · Leave a Comment
Think outside the box for your wedding gown shopping. Traditional bridal shops are great… big selection, special orders, specific designers… but there are many more options open to you! Check out the Bride’s Against Breast Cancer! Proceeds from you gown purchases go toward granting wishes and making memories for metastatic breast cancer patients. The selection is of sizes, styles and designers is incredible, with name brand, designer and couture gowns a huge discount prices. Find your dream dress and grant a wish at the same time!
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Brides Against Breast Cancer
April 2-3, 2010
Wyndham Chicago
633 North St. Clair Street
Chicago, IL 60611
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Posted by admin on January 9, 2010 · Leave a Comment
By Cynthia Rensink
Everlasting Elegant Wedding
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Which type of style are you looking for?
There are three types of wedding ceremonies: formal, semi-formal and an informal wedding. There is also the style of the wedding to consider: traditional or non-traditional ceremony. How you decide which one is best for you? The best way to decide is by the location of the ceremony, the number of guests you want to have and the time of the day you want to have it. Read more
Filed under Wedding Advice, Wedding Ceremony, Wedding Planners · Tagged with Chicago, Chicago wedding, Chicago Wedding Ceremony, Chicago Wedding Officiant, Chicago Wedding Planner, Chicago wedding vendors, Wedding, Wedding Advice, wedding budget, Wedding Budgeting, Wedding Ceremony, wedding newsletter, Wedding Planners, Wedding Planning, wedding professionals, Wedding Tips
Posted by Patti on January 8, 2010 · Leave a Comment
By Patti Herioux
With Love, Event Planner
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Strap on your seatbelt and shoulder harness, here you go! Planning your wedding is going to be a wonderful roller coaster. Most of this process will be fun, like trying on fabulous dresses to selecting the luxurious papers your invitations will be printed on to tasting all the delicious food options for your reception. Unfortunately there will also be some not so fun tasks. Like times when you are frustrated and don’t know what to do next and when you wish you had somebody outside of the situation to talk to. Thus was born the bridal consultant!
Read more
Filed under Wedding Advice, Wedding Planners · Tagged with Chicago, Chicago wedding, Chicago wedding vendors, Wedding, Wedding Advice, wedding budget, wedding newsletter, Wedding Planning, wedding professionals, Wedding Tips
Posted by admin on January 8, 2010 · Leave a Comment
TO PLANNER OR NOT TO PLANNER
How to Hire a Wedding Planner
By Patti Herioux
With Love, Event Planner
That shiny new ring on your finger is just the start of your wedding planning process. Maybe you are the bride who already has a binder of magazine cut-outs -we’ve all seen that episode of ‘Friends” – or perhaps you have never given much thought to the details of what will be your wedding day. Either way, a wedding planner can be your biggest advocate in this entire process.
A good wedding planner will take your hand and guide you through the planning and execution of your day, making it as much fun and as painless as it can possibly be. She can save you time, money, anxiety and, from time to time, a bit of your sanity. As you set out to find the right planner for you, consider what it is a wedding planner does.
A full service wedding planner will be with you every step of the way. She will start by helping you select your ceremony and reception venues and be able to make recommendations for all of the vendors you need to hire. She will attend your meetings with you, help you procure contracts, brainstorm ideas, work with you to design the décor and ambiance of the day and find all the pieces you need to make your visions come to life.
Your wedding planner will serve as your roadmap to the who, what, when, where and how’s of your day. As you get into the actual celebration she will be with you at rehearsal and will oversee every detail of the wedding day. From establishing timelines and floorplans to being the point of contact for your vendors, to letting you know what comes next as the day unfolds, she will be there.
Think of her as the CEO of your event. She will make sure all the ‘departments’
have the information and items they need to enact the plan at all the right moments. She will also be able to deal with anything that may not go according to plan (something will go wrong, be ready for that) but with a good planner you will likely never even know!
As with all your vendors, but especially with you planner because of how much she will be with you, pay close attention to your personal connection and gut feeling. Do you like her personality? Does she seem to understand YOUR vision of your day? Does she seem excited about your event? Do you
feel comfortable with her? Take a few minutes to get to know each other, if you like her, assess her knowledge and background and then discuss her fees and duties.
You’ve probably seen the movie “The Wedding Planner.” That movie and the surge in bridal shows on women’s television stations created huge interest in this field. You probably have a friend (or many even you) who’s dream job is to be a wedding planner. But a true wedding planning professional comes with
background in the industry, a knowledge base of more than planning her own
wedding, and is focused on this as her career.
Ask your planner about her experience in the industry and the past events she has done. Does she demonstrate a working knowledge about weddings? Get a feel for how she has handled emotions, interpersonal conflicts, and crisis situations in the past. Does she have a comprehensive list of recommended
vendors? Ask her to explain her planning process and how you will work together. Look at pictures of her past events and ask if you can speak to former clients.
If you like her, she has the knowledge and experience level you are comfortable with, and you are thinking you would like to hire her, it’s time to talk price. Pricing for planners can vary greatly. Things such as the size and scope of your wedding, location (is travel involved), your potential planners level of experience and what extra perks are offered can affect the price. Full service wedding planning is usually charged as a percentage of the total cost of the wedding. 10
– 15% is a standard range. However, most planners do have a minimum fee for small budget weddings.
Consider the value received versus the dollar spent. I have seen planners that have paid for themselves fully with what they were able to save the client. Many times planners can get you discounts with vendors they work with often or are aware of how to get price breaks on items you have to purchase. Some planners have things in their own inventory, such as candles holders, card boxes, vases, etc. that you are free to use as a client, and therefore you don’t have that extra expense yourself.
Get a contract with your chosen wedding planner. The contract should state the specifics of your wedding date and location, the services and fees agreed upon, the date the services start, an outline of any potential additional fees and list any
tangible goods included. Review the contact specifications together and make sure you both have a signed copy. After you have a signed contract you
and your planner will start down the road to happy planning!
How to Hire a Wedding Planner
By Patti Herioux
With Love, Event Planner
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That shiny new ring on your finger is just the start of your wedding planning process. Maybe you are the bride who already has a binder of magazine cut-outs -we’ve all seen that episode of ‘Friends” – or perhaps you have never given much thought to the details of what will be your wedding day. Either way, a wedding planner can be your biggest advocate in this entire process. Read more
Filed under Wedding Advice, Wedding Planners · Tagged with Chicago, Chicago wedding, Chicago Wedding Planner, Chicago wedding vendors, Wedding, Wedding Advice, wedding budget, Wedding Budgeting, wedding newsletter, Wedding Planners, Wedding Planning, wedding professionals, Wedding Tips
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