Emerging Trends - Alternative Ceremony Music

Hello everyone!

I'm so excited to share an emerging trend that I think personalizes a wedding in a very unexpected way...alternative musical selections. During a client meeting finalizing ceremony details, I was really happy to note that her music was classic and elegant but in a modern way!

Although Canon in D is one of my favorites, and always will be, I can't help but be enamored by using popular music in instrumental form as an alternative to classical. There are so many fantastic bands that have shaped the music industry in the last few years, and I'm seeing a push by Millenials to use these beautiful songs to celebrate their love.

Of course, string quartets, harpists, pianists and classical guitarists are all updating their repertoires to accomodate the idea that classical music doesn't have to mean "Bach" it can mean "Death Cab for Cutie." In fact, one of my favorites is the strings rendition of Such Great Heights by Postal Service.

I imagine it would be the perfect bridal processional. It is just hauntingly beautiful! http://youtu.be/rmXslBjoffs
For a recessional, I've kind of always loved Today by the Smashing Pumpkins because it is upbeat and happy but in an edgy sort of way.

Of course, this type of music is not appropriate for all weddings. Church weddings, depending on your denomination, tend to limit what music they allow. However, if you're getting married in a secular style ceremony, think outside the box in terms of music. Wouldn't it be so fun to hear a classical rendition of that song you both love, or perhaps was playing when you first met at that party?

Well there you have it! Adapting alternative music into something classical is a great way to showcase your personal style throughout the ceremony without it being purely aesthetic.

So I leave you with what I wish I could have had as my recessional....http://youtu.be/sV9pHacl2M8.

Happy planning!

PHOTO CREDITS: Michelle Huber Photography - www.mhuberphotoraphy.com

Vendor Spotlight - Tournament Players Club in Blaine

In the fall of 2012 I had the pleasure of working a wedding at the Tournament Players Club in Blaine. It is one of the premier places in the Twin Cities to host a country club wedding. The clubhouse boasts a beautiful front garden and lawn, perfect for an outdoor ceremony! The front lawn is large enough to host a medium size wedding and they have an exclusive vendor for chair rental. There are also several areas on the course that are perfect for pictures.

The TPC also has a beautiful lobby for cocktail hour and a ballroom that features an amazing panoramic view of the golf course. They also have several smaller scale rooms that could be used to host more intimate weddings. The locker rooms, located downstairs, offer the perfect space for the bride and groom to get ready.

The TPC has a number of packages available, from just the basic ceremony & ballroom rental to including a dance floor and ceiling draping! Of course, they also offer a customized menu and even an option for a candy buffet! The catering staff is excellent and they've since expanded their services to include set up and tear down, however, couples still need to organize their own wedding rehearsal.

If you're looking for a country club venue for your wedding, the Tournament Players Club is definitely a venue to check out!

Cloud Parade - It's the blend of Pinterest & Etsy!

Hello everyone!

I've discovered something that I think every couple planning their wedding should know about...Cloud Parade http://www.yourcloudparade.com/ ! It is the "marriage" of Pinterest and Etsy. I know that I've been happily pinning and thought to myself "I wonder where she got that? Did she make it herself?"

Now, I'm the type that loves to do crafty projects so if I see something unique, I like to recreate it and often put my own spin on it. However, I realize that there isn't always time to DIY, or it just doesn't make sense financially. Although I have quite the collection of cool rental items available, there is absolutely no way that I can have every type of piece in stock. I specialize in shabby chic, vintage and rustic pieces so if you're looking for something Mod, or 50's retro, I don't have it. This is where Cloud Parade comes in!

I think this site is absolutely awesome for brides and planners alike. It has a really easy search format, so if you see a vase or cake stand on Pinterest that you really like you can go onto Cloud Parade and search for something similar. You can search by event theme, category type or color! This makes it really easy to navigate the site and find the type of wedding accessory you're looking for.

I have a feeling I'm going to be spending a lot of time on here so I can help my clients find the accessories that are going to make their design ideas into a reality! :)

Happy Planning!

Emerging Trends - Heavy Hors D'eouvres in Lieu of Buffet

Hello everyone!

Today I want to discuss some options that I think are a fabulous idea to cut down on catering costs. Of course, the most expensive option for your reception will be to have a plated meal, after that comes the buffet. And then, for some reason, a lot of people skip straight to a cake and champagne event on a Sunday afternoon! Wh

You can still feed your guests and save money. Although the economy is picking up, there are still a lot of engaged couples that are looking at having to either drastically cut their guest list or become creative about food service. As a planner, I know that the most cost effective route is to pair down the invitees. However, this isn't always possible or even desirable.

Therefore, the next best thing you can do to be a little more cost effective is to do heavy Hors D'eouvres in place of a buffet. This means having several stations set up throughout your event space with appetizers that are very filling. Having hosted beer or wine also helps tremendously.

For this type of reception, I recommend doing a variety of dishes! Mini-cheeseburgers (known as sliders) and fries, grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup, mashed potato bars with all the yummy fixins' or Asian pot-stickers and rice! Heck, you could do something fancy like mini-Beef Wellington or Mexican Taquitos. Your guests will definitely be fulfilled, especially if they've been imbibing. We often do this for industry events, and trust me, you feel like you've been served a dinner.

Psssstttt. Here's a secret. Later on in the evening, when everyone's starting to get hungry again from all the drinking and dancing...order Pizza's from your favorite Pizzeria. Most catering companies/venues will let you do this. You might incur a minimal service charge either by your caterer or venue, however, it will allow you to have fed your guests during the normal "meal" hour and add some welcomed munchies during the dance portion of your reception!

Nobody will go home feeling deprived and you will have had a fantastic reception with a bevy of different cuisines! How can you go wrong? Personally, I love a grilled cheese sandwhich and some tomato soup, at a wedding or not. :)


Have fun planning!

PHOTO CREDITS: ONEWED.COM (SLIDERS/FRIES), ONEFINEDAY.TYPEPAD (MINI GRILLED CHEESE) HEROLEGALSEAFOODS.COM (MINI BEEF WELLINGTON),MARIE'S GOURMET BAKERY (POTSTICKERS), ATYOURSERVICECATERING (TAQUITOS)

Vendor Spotlight - Wild Love Photography

2012 was an amazing year for Wonderful Day Weddings! I worked with some fantastic clients and met a lot of new vendors in the process. One of them is Megan Eckers of Wild Love Photography. I was lucky enough to work with her at one of the most beautiful settings in Minnesota, the lovely Camrose Hill Flower Farm for Dave & Ashley's September nuptials.

The day went by tremendously fast! There was a lot of set up, and really fun details so I wasn't able to chat too much with Megan. We had emailed back and forth and talked for a minute or two and she struck me as  a very down to Earth personality. In addition to that, Megan was also clearly passionate about her craft.

Needless to say, she got some amazing shots of the wedding and I'm so excited to share my favorites with all of you.

 I wanted to find out more about Wild Love Photography and how Megan became the talented professional she is today. So I asked her a few questions about how she got started in the wedding industry.

Wild Love Photography started as a hobby. Megan took a black and white film photography class in school but she never saw it as a career choice. However, that changed when her husband bought her a DSLR as his wedding gift to her. How fitting that she ended up being a wedding photographer! 

"I was browsing through an issue of Rangefinder magazine and it was all about weddings. It hit me like a ton of bricks that I wanted to be a photographer. After that, I talked about photography nonstop to anyone who would listen and  photographed anyone who would let me." Says Megan. One of her close friends asked her to shoot her wedding and her journey into wedding photography began. 

Wild Love Photography specializes in weddings because she thrives in chaotic environments and works well under pressure. (I seriously think  those of us in the wedding industry are secret adrenaline junkies because we love trying to beat the clock and keeping everything rolling.)

Megan gave this insight about being part of the wedding day. "I've always liked making order out of chaos and it is really incredible to witness the happiest day of someone's life. It's kind of magical, for lack of a better word, and I haven't shot a wedding yet where I didn't cry." 

When I asked her what her favorite thing about wedding photography is, Megan replied with a really great insight into why she's so passionate about this industry. "My favorite thing about being a photographer so far has been how much it has allowed me to get to know people. I don't like to give too much direction when I shoot couples because I've found that after we all get over that initial awkwardness, people will show you who they are if you let them.  I love to ask questions to get to know people, but more than that I like to just step back and give them room to be themselves together.  If I'm lucky I get to see how they are together when they're alone, and when I get to document that I consider it the most wonderful gift."

Like most photographers, Wild Love Photography is evolving. She started out using a Nikon but switched to Canon based on her feeling that it produced more aesthetically pleasing images. "Currently I am shooting a 5D Mark III with a Mark II and a 60D as backups.  I primarily use the 35mm 1.4 lens when shooting, it's my favorite, but when I do switch it's either for the 50mm 1.2 or the 24-70mm 2.8, depending on the situation I'm in." In addition to honing her craft, Megan belongs to the Professional Photographers of America. 

Keeping things simple, Wild Love only offers one package. It includes an engagement session, a DVD of the engagement images, full wedding day coverage by two photographers and an online gallery of the wedding images.  All prints, albums and canvases are produced a la carte after the wedding based on the couple's needs.  A DVD of all wedding images are available for sale as well.

I'm so happy to share these images with you and I hope that you check her out and consider her for your wedding! Wild Love Photography.

Finally, I wanted to say big thanks to Dave & Ashley for their amazing wedding and letting us both be a part of their day as vendors. It was beautiful and befitting of such a wonderful couple. Cheers!

Happy planning!

PHOTO CREDITS: WILD LOVE PHOTOGRAPHY

Event Design Ideas - Fire & Ice

Lately, I've really been enjoying winter. Especially since last year's was so mild. Well, it is Minnesota and we just got a huge snow storm!  My kiddos have been playing in it non-stop. We've been ice skating outdoors, sledding, and building snowmen. Of course, when we come in from the cold we like to warm up with a hot cup of cocoa.

It was really sunny and beautiful the other day, which made the snow lined trees absolutely sparkle. This got me thinking about how awesome it would be to do a winter wedding. If it were up to me, I would do a "fire and ice" event design because it is so fun to go out in the cold and then come in and warm up by a toasty fire.

I would incorporate a lot of sparkly elements paired with an unusual color scheme for winter - dusk blue and fire orange. Of course, I think having the girls in short, gray glittery dresses would look amazing!

Additionally, it would be so easy to make some outstanding centerpieces using Dollar Store vases. First, coat them in Modge Podge and then roll them in white glitter. Next, wait for them to dry then rub off any excess glitter and coat them in modge podge again. Finally, roll the vases in Epsom salt. They end up looking like they are covered in sparkly snow! Glittered branches, white hydrangeas and orange roses would make a beautiful floral arrangement to go along with your Faux icy vases.

Speaking of table-scapes, dusk blue napkins in glittered napkin rings would really add some elegance. Lot's and lots of white candles create a very romantic ambiance. Of course, there are other fun touches to add, like an ice luge serving signature cocktails. A S'mores bar where guests roast their own marshmallows would be phenomenal! I also love the idea of having the walkway to the venue lit with ice candles. A vintage broach bouquet would be heavenly, and maybe the groom could sport an icicle boutonnierre?

There are so many fun details that would make a fire and ice wedding fantabulous! I truly hope that I've inspired.

Happy Planning!

PHOTO CREDITS: CAKE -LEE ANN BELTER BRIDAL, ICE BLOCK W/FIRE - EHOW.COM, BROACH BOUQUET - ERIN HU PHOTOGRAPHY, INVITATIONS - ETSY.COM, SHOES -DRESSSALE.COM, ICE LANTERNS - THE NESTING JOURNAL, S'MORES BUFFET - HELLOCOTTON.COM, SNOW & ICE JARS - WONDERFUL DAY WEDDINGS LLC

Emerging Trends - Coordinating, Not Matching, Bridesmaids

 Allowing bridesmaids to pick their own dress as long as they follow a set of guidelines is becoming increasingly popular. I'm really loving this trend because it alleviates some stressful situations for the bride. I mean let's be honest. Although we love our girlfriends, going dress shopping with all the different personalities, and body shapes, can be a challenge.

It can be almost impossible to find that dress that makes everyone happy. Inevitably, there will always be one friend that just hates the dress that was chosen. Either because she feels it doesn't flatter her figure or she hates the color or the fabric makes her itchy. So do yourself a favor and skip the stress inducing fiasco that is bridesmaid dress shopping!

So this idea, coordinating bridesmaids dresses, is a perfect solution! I think it works especially well for brides with a large wedding party. The best way to go about letting your bridesmaids pick their own dress is to set strict guidelines. This means you will have to let them know the color, the length and maybe even which fabric you prefer.

First, the bride must provide an example of the acceptable color shades. A simple, no fail way to do this is to go to the local hardware store and pick a paint sample with strips of the same color in different shades. Send the paint sample to each girl in your wedding party and write on the back the length of the dress you desire. This will be very helpful for them to bring along when they go dress shopping!

The next step is to simply trust your friends' fashion sensibilities. If your bestie likes romantic, ruffled skirts and a sweetheart neckline, she can choose it as long as the length and color fit the guidelines! It really is cool to see all the different fashions represented and yet everyone will appear aesthetically cohesive.

Remember, you set the guidelines so they are as specific as you want them. For instance, if you really hate Taffeta make sure that your wedding party knows that all Taffeta dresses are off limits. Your ladies will appreciate the guidelines but also love the fact that they will have a lot of lee-way to pick out something that flatters their sense of style and body type. This will drastically cut down on any bridesmaid drama on "the big day" because you won't be spending any time having to reassure anyone that they look great.


Happy planning!

PHOTO CREDIT - WEDDINGCHICKS.COM