Vendor Spotlight - Millenium Gardens/ Plymouth Creek Center

Millenium Gardens located at Plymouth Creek Center in Plymouth is one of the most gorgeous venues for an outdoor garden ceremony. It has such beautiful flowers surrounding the stone stage nestled under a wooden pergola. It has stone walkways, a waterfall, and a unique fountain. The garden is as spacious as it is beautiful so a large wedding ceremony would be no problem here!

In addition to a fantastic garden space, they also have a ballroom that is perfect for a reception. The Plymouth Creek ballroom has a capacity of 350 guests and has a stage, dance floor, 60 inch round tables and a windowed backdrop for the head table.



If the weather was not cooperating on the day of your wedding, the ceremony could be moved inside to the ballroom. However, you must have rented both the Millenium Garden and the Plymouth Creek Center ballroom in order to use the ballroom as a back up space. In addition, you will need to have a wedding planner reconfigure the room due to inclement weather because the PCC staff will not reset the room.

Plymouth Creek Center does have exclusive catering agreements with a few local caterers, and all chair rentals will have to go through PCC. However, you can rent your linens from any number of rental companies to make this space your own. It really is a fantastic room!


The stage and dance floor are large enough to accommodate a large band or a DJ. They also have audio-visual equipment and a screen available for rental if you would like to do a slide show. The bars are generally set outside the ballroom in the foyer and it is the perfect place to have a cocktail hour before dinner.

I really love this venue and would love to do another wedding here! It is also a Best Pick 2011 from The Knot!For more information on the Millenium Garden and the Plymouth Creek Center please contact them at: plymouthcreek@plymouthmn.gov or call them at (763)509-5280.

Happy Planning!


PHOTO CREDITS: PLYMOUTH CREEK CENTER, WONDERFUL DAY WEDDINGS

Heritage Weddings

I really love that America is a nation of immigrants and that there are so many different groups of people that all live and work together in this great country. This brings me to the subject of heritage weddings! I think they are fabulous because you can honor your culture and family and still do it American wedding style!

My heritage is Ukrainian, Norwegian, Irish and German. I'm quite the mix but I decided that if I were to do a heritage wedding, I would honor the Ukrainian side.

This inspired me to put together a Russian heritage inspiration board that honors the Russian heritage with rich colors of gold and red! Russian vodka would definitely be at all the tables for toasting and a golden wedding gown would be perfect! You could give out little Matryoshka (nesting) dolls as favors to all of your guests and fill some of them with sweets!

Of course, getting married in an Orthodox Russian church or Synagogue would be ideal. Russians love to eat so serving classic dishes such as Pelmeni, Borsht and Blintzes would make for heavenly cuisine!

I also love that you could do fun little details by creating a Russian style building for a wedding cake. I would send out invitations that resemble the East and have rich red flowers with an ornately decorated table linens at the reception. The bold colors and Rococo style would perfectly depict Russian heritage. It would also be a great idea to have Russian folk dancers perform at your reception and then invite guests to learn some of the steps!

Whatever your heritage is, I'm sure that you can find wonderful details to incorporate into your wedding. If your future spouse is of a different ethnicity, it would be great to do a fusion wedding where you bring elements from both of your heritages and mix them together for a totally unique wedding. Asian decor with Italian food, Mexican flair paired with Irish bagpipers...the possibilities are endless.

Another heritage wedding that I just had to create an inspiration board for is the Mexican wedding! The lovely vibrant colors, beautiful lace gowns, fantastic food and wonderful hospitality made this inspiration board so much fun!

Personally, I think it would be fun to have white table linens with ponchos used as table runners. Strings of lights, colorful flowers and yummy Mexican cookies and appetizers would create a very "Fiesta" atmosphere. Don't forget to have Mariachis playing your favorite music or maybe have Flamenco dancers perform! You could have a signature Margarita drink and serve Carona for the Hermanos.

I encourage every bride that is having trouble coming up with an event design to look inward. Perhaps you have a very interesting ethnicity and sharing some of the "old country" traditions with your guests and future family would be a wonderful way to start your new lives together!


PHOTO CREDITS: RUSSIAN BOARD - RUSSIA2YOU.COM, KNOTFORLIFE.COM, SQUIDOO.COM,BARYNYA.COM, BRIDALWAVE.COM,PEGEEN.COM, RUSSIANSTANDARD.COM, FLIKR.COM, NYMAG.COM, BBC.CO.UK

MEXICAN BOARD - BIGSUR.BLOGSPOT.COM, MYOWNLABELS.COM, CRAFTSDIRECT.COM, FIVETATLIBSYN.COM,BEYONDWONDERFUL.COM,

Mums the Flower!

Autumn weddings are blessed with natural beauty from the changing leaves, rich colors and bevy of vegetables that can be used as decor. When fall hits we see Mums everywhere and I think it should be the same for an autumn wedding.


Mums are a very hardy flower, they come in an array of different colors and they tend to be very inexpensive during this time of year. I think it would be wise to use them as the primary flower for your wedding and allocate the saved money to different aspect of the wedding, such as a live band or passed hors d'oeuvres.

There are so many varieties of Mums to choose from and they are available at your local Farmer's Market or flower super center. I love spider Mums with their long, skinny petals because I think they give off a contemporary edge. Placed alongside traditional Mums you can make a lovely bouquet.

Of course, Mums come in burgundy, red, gold, orange, chartreuse, yellow, white, purple and pink. I think for maximum impact it is best to group them all together in a solid block of color. The bridal bouquet could be entirely white, or have a few pops of color. You could mix Mums with other fall flowers such as hydrangea, roses, sedum, wheat, or sunflowers.

If you are looking to have high impact flowers but the budget doesn't allow for a lot of money to be spent in this area then I would suggest adding other flowers only to the bridal bouquet and groom's boutonniere and sticking with just Mums for the wedding party.Let's not forget that you can get Mums in Terra-Cotta pots for $10 or less and use them as decor throughout the wedding ceremony! They could be positioned at every third row of chairs and up on the altar.

Finally, potted Mums or bouquets of mums in beautiful vases would make stunning centerpieces. If you wanted to have a bit more "pop" at your guest tables, I would group three colored vases together with matching Mums in each vase. A tall red vase with red Mums, a medium gold vase with gold Mums and and small orange vase with orange Mums would be divine! Hollowing out pumpkins and gourdes and placing Mums inside is another great idea for a beautiful and inexpensive centerpiece.

Whatever your choices for your fall wedding, I hope that you consider this great flower so you can stretch your budget. With the extra money, serve a signature Pumpkin spice cocktail or cranberry martini and let your guests enjoy a fantastic evening surrounded by beautiful ambiance and great food!

PHOTO CREDITS: WEDDING BEE, FLIKR, CELEBRATIONS.COM, WEDDINGBYCOLOR.COM, CARDSTORE.COM, ETSY.COM,THEKNOT.COM

Halloween Wedding

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Orange & Peach - A Perfect Early Autumn Color Scheme

I absolutely adore early fall, just before the leaves change and summer is taking her last breaths. The weather cools down and we get to wear jeans and sweatshirts. The sunsets are an intense tangerine color as the days get shorter. Autumn flowers, such as mums and hydrangeas, abound with rich beautiful colors!

There is just something so perfect about an burnt cinnamon and pale peach color palette for an early fall wedding. In layman's terms, orange and peach work great together! Paired with other neutral colors such as beige, gray or cream these colors are just heavenly!

There are so many cute details that you could use for an orange and peach wedding because this color scheme is a little quirky and a little romantic. Bold, graphic, hipster prints in orange and a soft, chiffon, peach wedding dress would be an amazing combo. Mums paired with soft peach roses would make easy and beautiful centerpieces and bouquets.

Whatever your style, consider this fantastic color scheme if you are getting married in early to mid September!

PHOTO CREDITS:STYLE ME PRETTY, MYWEDDINGPLACE,MYBEACHWEDDINGIN MAURITIS, ELIZABETH ANNE DESIGNS, ETSY.COM, SOUTHERN WEDDING MAGAZINE, ROADSIDE SCHOLAR, I DO INSPIRATION, FLIKR.COM, ONCEWED, POLKADOTBRIDE, SAVE ON CRAFTS

INSPIRATION BOARD MADE BY WONDERFUL DAY WEDDINGS

Vendor Spotlight - Camrose Hill Farm

This year, I had two fantastic clients that desired to have a shabby chic farm wedding with a soft color palette. We couldn't decide on the colors we liked the best so we chose lavender, aqua and light green and incorporated all three of these colors into the wedding.

Of course, the romance of a shabby chic wedding requires a very special place and we found it in Camrose Hill Farm. Located in Stillwater, it is a quiet, majestic garden with breathtaking landscaping. The farm boasts a pavilion and a century tent that can be used for the reception on the grounds, or in case of rain. The gardens can host large weddings of up to 300 people but the tent and pavilion can only accommodate about 150 people. However, they do have space for a larger tent to be brought in.

There are so many wonderful gardens that can be used for the ceremony and a cute little bridal cottage for the bride and her girls. The guys have a room in the barn for their use. In the top part of the barn there is a room that can be used for a catering station and along side the barn there is haven set up just for a bar and lounging.

The Pavilion and tent are amazing! The pavilion has old fashioned, white washed wood on the inside with lush greenery surrounding it. The tent is a century tent and is in place the entire wedding season. Camrose Hill has this incorporated into the rental rate. The great thing is, the tent is completely decorated with shabby chic twigs and candles the entire season. However, you are able to use any type of decor to make it your own.

Camrose Hill Farm is a fantastic venue because not only is the property gorgeous, they also do all of the flower arrangements. Cindie is one of the most celebrated Twin Cities florists and her work is amazing. She creates the most beautiful bouquets, boutonnieres and centerpieces. Anything you envision, she can create! Having both your wedding/reception site and florist in one package is very convenient for both the budget and planning time-line!

I also love that there are so many props throughout the property that can be used during photographs. A vintage bike, whimsical shabby chic tables, wrought iron chairs, majestic statues...All the lovely things you can think of for a shabby chic wedding.

Since Camrose Hill Farm is located in a residential area, music can go no later than 10PM. However, this is not a problem if you have an early wedding ceremony and dinner which will leave plenty of time for dancing the night away. They are also very generous with the parking, and should you choose to have an after party in downtown Stillwater, you can leave your cars parked in the field overnight. (However, they must be moved by 10 AM the next morning.)

This venue is just so romantic! I truly cannot imagine a better place for a country style or shabby chic wedding!


PHOTO CREDITS: WONDERFUL DAY WEDDINGS, SUNLIT PHOTOGRAPHY

Crazy Crafty Projects for the DIY Bride

In today's economy, a bride must be money savvy if she wants to have a champagne wedding on a beer budget. It can be done but it definitely takes more time and work than if you were to hire various vendors to do these projects for you.

Many brides spend a lot of money on professional florists because it takes a large amount of time to put together centerpieces, bouquets and boutonnieres. Let's face it, if you can afford to have this project done for you it is worth it! However, this doesn't mean that you can't have fabulous flowers for a fraction of the cost...the only catch is doing the actual work. Of course, it is worth it in the end when you have beautiful centerpieces that were easy on the budget. Have your girlfriends or wedding planner help you put them together!

My favorite DIY floral centerpiece involves using things you already have or can acquire easily. With the emphasis on "easily"! For all of you tea and coffee drinkers, use your old tea tins or coffee cans. You would be amazed at how great a Folger's coffee tin looks all dressed up in pretty scrapbooking paper or pastel paint. The tea tins don't need anything done with them! Simply stick in florist foam and coordinating flowers and wallah, a beautiful and easy centerpiece! BONUS - you could use the name of the tea to double as a way for guests to find their table. Instead of using numbers, assign guests "Earl Grey" or "Chamomile."

Of course, as a last resort that actually looks really beautiful, you could use a vase or wine bottle wrapped in a white paper bag and delicately tied with ribbon. This is a heavenly centerpiece, especially used with baby's breath, which is also a very inexpensive flower.

Invitations are another place that a DIY bride can save money. There are so many wonderful scrapbooking products that can be used to make cute invitations. Couple specialty paper as a backing with pre-made invitations from Target or Michael's craft stores and you can come up with beautiful and original stationery for your wedding!

Favors are another area where a bride can be crazy crafty and make all of the details look like she spent a million bucks. Wrapping candy in inexpensive scrapbooking paper is easy and customizable. If you have Microsoft word and a printer you can make custom wrappings for lifesavers or candy bars. By using sticker paper and cellophane bags you could do the same thing for lolli-pops or cookies!

Contrary to popular opinion, linens don't have to be pricey either. Go with the standard white table cloth and sew or use hemming tape to create runners. If you peruse the clearance fabric aisle long enough, you are bound to find fabulous fabric for a steal! For bonus points, make utensil wraps and tie them with a bow. No they are not the same as napkins because they will be too pretty for guests to wipe their mouths on. I suggest having standard napkins stuffed into a wine glass. If you go this route, you will have to let your catering staff or wedding planner know so they can plan accordingly to wrap utensils for you. No, you should not use plastic utensils unless you are having a picnic wedding.

Finally, I love other DIY projects like home-made wedding signs. Scrapwood, crackle adhesive and left over paint would do the trick. Put your fiance to work by making him nail the wooden signs to posts and putting them up. Of course, these types of signs work best for a country or shabby chic wedding.

PHOTO CREDITS: MARTHA STEWART, ELIZABETH ANNE DESIGNS, FAVOR IDEAS,DESIGNS TO REMEMBER,STACY KANE BLOG, EVENT COUTURIER, TARGET

Romantic Ribbons

Ribbons used as decor during your wedding are fantastic, functional and best of all, inexpensive! They come in every color under the sun, different widths and textured, plain or with a pattern. In short, whatever your event design, ribbon can surely be incorporated into it seamlessly.

I love the idea of using ribbons to dress up chairs, add some "pop" to favors, or even to create a whimsical atmosphere by hanging them from trees. It looks great wrapped around the base of a wedding cake, or the waist of a bridesmaid. I love the idea of using a "guestbook tree" and having guests write their best wishes to you as a couple. Of course, these "wishes" would be hung on the tree for all to see using ribbon!

It could also be used to add some zip to boring white table linens. Simply cut four ribbons 1.5 times longer than the diameter of the table and cross them. If you think about it, ribbon can be used in just about every aspect of your wedding.

Ribbon can be classic or modern, it all depends on the type you use and what little details you use them in. However, you do have to be careful not to overuse ribbon because too much of anything can make your event design look cheesy.


The way I love to use ribbon is hanging from trees or hanging from shepard hooks lining the aisle. I think it also looks extremely beautiful if used on Chiavari chairs. I think this look is very romantic and lends itself to soft color palettes and a more feminine wedding. Of course, ribbon is so versatile it can easily be used in playful patterns as a detail on a favor box, or wrapped around a simple centerpiece to complete a contemporary or retro design.


However you decide to use ribbon at your wedding, it surely will be breathtaking and create a stunning atmosphere for your guests!

PHOTO CREDITS: THE KNOT,GREEN WEDDING SHOES,WEDDING CHANNEL, SPOONFUL OF SUGAR

Independence Day Wedding

When you think of the Fourth of July you think of friends, family, food and fun! What could be better than having a backyard wedding over the 4th and celebrating in patriotic style? This type of wedding is extremely family friendly, so if you want to have children be a part of your day a backyard 4th of July wedding is perfect!

Independence Day weddings can be sophisticated or kitschy, it all depends on the look you are going for. Different hues of blues, and reds can be paired together with crisp white to make this motif your own. Whether you choose aqua, off-white and berry red or the traditional red, white and blue, this holiday lends itself to spectacular design.

Personally, I love the idea of incorporating retro prints, stars and stripes together and having a cute, casual affair. I can envision an intimate backyard wedding under an old-fashioned white gazebo, BBQ lunch, swing band entertainment and plenty of fireworks and sparklers into the evening. I would used picnic tables painted white, table cloths with red, white and blue, and white china. The centerpieces could pop with the color of red roses, white hydrangeas and blue delphinium placed in vintage white milk jars!

A bonus to the Independence Day wedding is that there are so many inexpensive decor options and cute crafts that can be made to personalize this day.Sparkler's wrapped in beautiful paper would make fun favors, dessert dressed in the red, white and blue, and American flags are just a few of the many ideas for wedding decor.

Although traditionally many military families choose this holiday weekend for their nuptials, it is perfect for any American couple that values friends, family, food and fun. I think an Independence Day wedding would be one of the loveliest summer weddings imaginable.

PHOTO CREDITS: OCEANSIDE BRIDE,ONE PERFECT MOMENT, STYLE ME PRETTY, SEDONA WEDDING BLOG, ZAZZLE, FINE STATIONERY, THE PREPPY PRINCESS, KEEN TO BE SEEN, CRAFTZINE, COUNTRY LIVING, LOOKILOOS, MARTHA STEWART, THER PERFECT PALLETTE, IGOUGO.COM

Vendor Spotlight - Millenium Hotel (Minneapolis)

Millenium Hotel in Minneapolis is one of the swankiest locations if you want to have a sophisticated evening wedding reception. This hotel is located in the heart of Minneapolis on Nicollet Mall. Location is key when planning a fabulous event, and this hotel has the most fabulous view of the Twin Cities.

Millenium Hotel offers three great spaces for special events. The Horizon Ballroom has floor to ceiling windows with breathtaking views of the Twin Cities skyline. This space is ideal for a 200 person reception and has direct access to the Dome.

The Satellite room is ideal for the cocktail hour or for smaller receptions of up to 120 people. It is located across the hall from the Horizon Ballroom. Of course, the best part of the Millenium Hotel has to be "The Dome."


The Dome is such a neat space and it is so versatile! It could be used for a smaller wedding ceremony with the reception immediately following in the Horizon Ballroom. It is also a fantastic space to hold the dance portion of the reception. After all, it has fantastic wood floors and the best night time views of down town Minneapolis. This place screams sophistication!

I have to say that the food is excellent and the staff is very friendly and hard working. They really go all out to give their wedding clients the best service possible. If you are looking for a really great space to host an evening reception that will give you fantastic pictures then check out Millenium Hotel in Minneapolis!

For more information, please contact:
Millenium Hotel.
1313 Nicollet Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55403
Ph: 612.332.6000

PHOTO CREDITS: WONDERFUL DAY WEDDINGS, MILLENIUM HOTEL WEBSITE

Purple and Aqua - A Cool Color Combo for Hot July

I know that when the weather is hot and humid outside it is nice to look at calm, cool colors. This year, I think we are going to see the Caribbean color combo of deep purple and aqua for summer weddings.

I absolutely love this combination because it is so visually stunning. It truly reminds me of a tropical lagoon at dusk. It is a very hip color palette and blends the traditional (deep purple) with contemporary (aqua).

This would be sensational for a poolside wedding outdoors with a cool, night club vibe for the reception. Having purple and aqua up-lighting with modular white furniture, a signature cocktail in either purple or aqua, hanging paper lanterns and a DJ spinning the best techno would make for a perfect atmosphere.

I also love that the bridesmaids could wear either deep purple or aqua which tend to be flattering hues on just about every skin tone. The guys would look dashing in gray with purple and aqua striped ties and peacock boutonnieres.

There would be a lot of options for flowers but I think that Hydrangeas would be the most sensible. You can find the blue/purple and cream hues in them already. Of course, there are other flowers, such as delphinium and roses that could work too! I love the idea of incorporating the peacock feather with this palette.

Other details, such as favors and stationery would be so easy to pull off! For favors, I would use square purple or aqua boxes with peacock feathers affixed to the top with fine chocolate in them. A deep purple invite with aqua font would be electric and this could be easily carried over to other aspects of stationery like the menus or escort cards. Finally, getting a cool aqua 50's classic car would be so perfect as your transportation.

This would definitely be an unforgettably hip wedding and reception. I hope that brides planning for a hot summer wedding next year take into consideration using cool colors!

PHOTO CREDITS: ANN RUTHMAN PHOTOGRAPHY, PRETTY CHICKY, PRIMADONNA BRIDE, WEDDING CHANNEL, THEKNOT,COCKTAIL TIMES, ZAZZLE, FLIKR,POLKADOTBRIDE, SAVEONCRAFTS.COM,MARTHA STEWART

Vendor Spotlight - Stillwater Trolley Company

Transportation is an important part of any wedding because having the right transportation not only helps with logistical issues, it also is a fundamental stylistic element. There are many ways to make sure that the bride and groom and their wedding party are comfortably transported from the ceremony site to the reception venue.

My personal favorite is definitely by trolley. I think there is something so romantic about these old fashioned street cars. They look absolutely fabulous in photos, and they are bit unexpected by guests. You wouldn't believe the "oohs and ahhhs" you get when you are sent off from the ceremony in something a little more dramatic than a limo.

Stillwater Trolley Company is a fantastic Twin Cities transportation vendor. I've used them on a few occasions, and I have to say that they give great service to their customers. The trolleys are in mint condition, with spacious seating. You also don't have to worry about rain because they do have windows that can be put down. However, on a sunny wedding day it is great to have an open air mode of transportation.

Stillwater Trolley Company allows you to bring on a cooler of spirits for your wedding party to enjoy while they cruise you around to different locations for your pictures. Although their main area of focus is the historic town of Stillwater, they do service other areas of the Twin Cities. They are very reliable and arrive on time to each of your destinations. If you plan on having a Stillwater wedding, they also know many great historical locations to take your wedding party for pictures.


So, if you want to have transportation that is classic and unique, think about booking a trolley from Stillwater Trolley Company! http://www.stillwatertrolley.com/

PHOTO CREDITS: SILVERLIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY

Pink & Green - A Perfect Summer Color Scheme

One of my all time favorite color schemes for an early summer wedding is different shades of pink with a light apple green! Hot pink, bubblegum and apple green with crisp white accents looks so fresh for a May or June wedding.

I love that nature has so many wonderful pink blooms to choose from such as Peonies, Roses, Ranunculus, Hydrangea, Gerber Daisies, and Sweetpea! Mums, Zinnias, and Hydrangea all come in that crisp apple green color and look absolutely lovely when paired with hot pink and bubblegum hues. Of course, you could also include apples, limes or even artichoke hearts!


The other great thing about a pink and green color scheme is that it can be very contemporary or very traditional, all depending on the details you choose. Retro dot prints are absolutely fabulous and could be used on stationery, table linens, and favors!

However, if you wanted to do something a bit more traditional this look could be easily achieved. Use damask floral linens in a soft rose and accent with romantic centerpieces using roses, hydrangeas and apples.

Attire is another place this color scheme really shines. Bridesmaids in hot pink and groomsmen in gray suits with green ties would look absolutely fabulous. The guys could have a pop of pink in their boutonnieres but wouldn't have to actually sport this color in their vests or ties. However, some guys actually rock this color quite well so it wouldn't surprise me to find the guys sporting pink too!

Finally, having pink or green signature cocktails would be so divine for a wedding of this flavor. There are some really delicious concoctions that could serve as your signature cocktail (think Cosmopolitans or Mojitos).

Overall, I think the fresh pink and green color combination is a classic and here to stay. It can be funky or understated, and would be just breathtaking at an early summer wedding!

PHOTO CREDITS: THE KNOT, WEDDING CHANNEL, STYLE ME PRETTY, I DO INSPIRATION, MARTHA STEWART, BRENDA'S WEDDING BLOG, REAL WEDDINGS, SNIPPETS AND INK, ISTOCK PHOTO