Calhoun Beach Club Wedding

Hello Wedding Enthusiasts!

Wow! It's been almost a year since I had the wonderful experience of doing a wedding at Calhoun Beach Club. I've been so busy lately, so it becomes a little too easy to be complacent with this blog, so I apologize dear reader.

Calhoun Beach Club is top tier wedding venue in Minnesota. Located across from Lake Calhoun, it's a perfect place for a wedding throughout the year. They have a beautiful balcony called "The Hidden Terrance" with sweeping views that is used for cocktail hour, ceremonies and an area to cool off after getting down on the dance floor.

In addition to this, Calhoun Beach Club has  The Solarium, which is the main ballroom with large windows and beautiful chandeliers. The other rooms, The Library and Blvd. Room are the spaces my clients chose to have their December 2015 Wedding. The Library has a beautiful curved staircase that leads up to the Blvd. Room, which is generally used for cocktail hour.

Cal and Jillian chose to have their ceremony in The Library, with cocktail and cake in the Blvd. Room while it was flipped for the reception. The neat thing about this arrangement is the bride walked down this fantastic staircase adorned with a plethora of floral. It was such a grand entrance also a fun exit. Bounding up the stairs after the ceremony, the bride and groom were joined by their guests right away for celebratory drinks while D'Amico Catering and I flipped the room.

I cannot speak highly enough of D'Amico Catering. They are the exclusive caterers for a number of venues around the Twin Cities, and they are rock stars! Of course, Cal and Jill wanted to have a sit down formal dinner which was carried out perfectly. Having the right staff is essential to a smooth transition when planners need to flip rooms.

Floral was provided by Bachmann's Floral, which is not only a garden center but their staff also has fantastic florists that specialize in events and weddings. They showed up on schedule, created a beautiful staircase swag and ceremony arrangements. Also, Bachmann's expertly staged the centerpieces so we were able to get them out on the tables as efficiently as possible for the room flip. Not only is their artistry top notch, so is their service!

Of course, the night wouldn't be complete without guests having a blast on the Dance floor. Bellagala provided the DJ service for both the ceremony and reception. Consummate professionals, the Emcee was fantastic cuing the toasters right on schedule and making sure that all important parties were available for each of the dances. These DJ's are on par with live music in my opinion!

Thanks for letting me say some positive words about these hard working Twin Cities vendors. Cheers!!!

Happy planning,




*Wonderful Day Weddings was contracted for hire by Bellagala for this wedding.

Vendor Spotlight - Cocoa & Fig

Hello wedding enthusiasts!

With the air turning sweet with the smells of Lilacs and budding crab-apple trees, I'm reminded of a tradition that I think is here to stay - the dessert buffet. Many couples are deciding to forgo the traditional three tiered wedding cake in favor of offering a variety of fabulous desserts.

I think this is a trend that is here to stay for many reasons. First of all, this is a financially savvy way to offer dessert. Mini cupcakes, bars, shooters, cake pops, etc. offer a fabulous spread and look ridiculously cute. Arranging the desserts on stands and trays creates an interesting display, and often you can pick desserts that color coordinate with your wedding decor.

I have to admit that I think Cocoa & Fig is top notch when it comes to creating the dessert buffet! They do such an excellent job setting up the display with beautiful stationery naming each dessert, arranging everything just so perfectly!

Of course, they're desserts are just pure deliciousness and they offer such a plethora of choices that you're sure to find something to fit your style and budget! In addition to their excellent dessert buffets, they do also provide traditional wedding cakes, which are stunning!

They are definitely a vendor that I wanted to spotlight on my blog because they've done such a great job over the years. Most recently at the Historic Stillwater Courthouse last fall. I'm sure I'll be calling on them again for scrumptious and beautiful nibbles!

Thanks for letting me give some kudos! I truly hope I've inspired.

Happy planning,

PHOTO CREDITS : WONDERFUL DAY WEDDINGS LLC

Hamline Alum Celebrates Wedding at Saint Thomas More & Reception at Kay Fredericks Ballroom (Hamline University)

Hello wedding enthusiasts!

First, I have to say that I'm so thrilled that wedding season is upon us again! I've been busy with projects, passions, family and friends.

Today, I wanted to talk about a fantastic wedding that took place within Minnesota's highly prestigious private college system. I had the pleasure of assisting Brandon and Evelyn to plan their wedding and reception at two very lovely venues, Saint Thomas More Catholic Church on the Saint Thomas campus, and the Kay Fredericks Ballroom on the Hamline Campus.

This couple needed quite a bit of help because they lived out of state, settling in Indiana. The bride is from Germany, and emigrated to America to be with the love of her life!

They chose to tie the knot in Minnesota, where Brandon grew up because a majority of Evelyn's family would not be able to attend the wedding. Of course, Brandon wanted to make sure that his lovely bride was privy to the best Minnesota has to offer, so they chose to utilize the private school campuses of our premiere colleges. I should add that Brandon is an Alum of Hamline University!

Saint Thomas More Catholic Church was the perfect place for their nuptials. It's a very large and ornately decorated church. Both the inside and the outside have several wonderful spaces for those all important photos. Patrick Clancy Photography provided top notch service, just look at the fantastic photos!

Evelyn decided that she wanted to go for a very soft, romantic feel for their wedding day. Therefore, petal pink and white were the chosen colors. Her bridesmaids wore fit and flare, chiffon pink dresses from David's Bridal and the gentlemen coordinated nicely in gray from Savvi Formalwear.

Floral, provided by Carol K of Bellagala, had to have a soft romantic vibe so we chose the classic combination of roses, hydrangeas and baby's breath. The bouquets were comprised of lush roses surrounded by baby's breath, whilst the centerpieces consisted of roses and hydrangeas with a smattering of water bead crystals at the base, which created the "bling" Evelyn was looking for. Furthermore, each table was named after a city in Germany as a nod to her heritage!

The Kay Fredericks Ballroom is located on the third floor of Klas Student Center. It has enormous windows that look out over the field-house and the beautiful campus. Amazing views are coupled with state of the art audio/visual equipment. To create a romantic ambiance, Evelyn decided to incorporate ceiling draping from Avant Decor. The chiffon ceiling draping and lovely views made this a premiere reception space!

Catering was provided by Hamline University, and the food and staff are excellent, I can't speak highly enough about their service and food. Brandon and Evelyn opted to go with a buffet but sit-down dinners are also available. The cake, made especially for the couple by the catering department, was three tiers of deliciousness with a buttercream frosting. We added a topper and floral to finish the look.

 In lieu of a guest book, the couple wanted their guests to sign a Genga game piece and stack a tower! What a unique way of receiving well wishes. Additionally, they decided to give away small frames that doubled as a favor and an escort card. A lovely, and cost effective idea.

Finally, the bride and groom danced the night away to the awesome tunes from The Covers, a local variety band that plays hits from the 70's, 80's, 90's and today! They are absolutely a wonderful addition to any reception and everyone was on the dance floor the entire evening! Then, the bride's father and brother dressed in traditional German Lieder Hosen and serenaded the guests with an accordion. It was a fantastic incorporation of her heritage into an already kickin' party.

The evening ended with guests being shuttled back to their hotels via bus provided by Northfield Lines.

* Wonderful Day Weddings was contracted for hire via Bellagala to provide planning services for this client.

VENDORS - AVANT DECOR, BELLAGALA FLORAL - CAROL K., BELLAGALA PLANNING - MARISSA P, THE COVERS (BAND), DAVID'S BRIDAL, HAMLINE UNIVERSITY CATERING, KAY FREDERICKS BALLROOM, NORTHFIELD LINES, PARTY BOOTHS, SAVVI FORMALWEAR, SAINT THOMAS MORE CHURCH

Hello 2016!!!

Hello wedding enthusiasts and 2016! I'm so excited for this coming year! The Pantone Color forecast for 2016 is a mix of subtle hues. As always, the wedding industry often gets its' inspiration from the fashion industry, so I expect o see a lot of these colors in use for weddings!

The top picks from the fashion industry are "Serenity" and "Rose Quartz." To my eye they're perriwinkle and a soft mauve. I think they're lovely paired together, however there are several other colors that would work as well. See the chart below for inspiration!