Guest Blogger

This morning, I am featuring a guest blogger - yes we are really in full mode now that the 4th is fast approaching!

Jen is actually one of my brides who is getting married next year. She have a lovely , quick spirit that I am sure you will see as you follow her writings. Enjoy!

DIY Download: Cello Bag Labels! by Jenny Bryde

DIY projects are really great for anyone who is looking to keep their wedding budget in check or for those couples who want to add a personal touch to the elements of their big day. Depending on the time, money, and know-how for each engaged couple, the wedding can be partially or wholly made up of DIY.
Some DIY projects seem unreal unless you have specialized knowledge or connections to a specific skill. For example, I would not suggest to any bride that she create her own wedding dress unless she had some kind of seamstress or tailoring background. The results could end up being not what she wanted, a waste of time, or a drain on money. If a bride had made complex garments before, however, and decided to make her own wedding dress, she could save a lot of money and have a customized gown with her own personal flare literally sewn in.
Other DIY projects are completely user-friendly for most couples (even for those of us who are not Martha Stewarts). Often couples and perhaps their friends and family may feel comfortable tackling something such as creating fun place cards for their guests to find their seats...maybe white paper bag luminerias...maybe a special favor for their guests to take home as a momento of the day.
Today's DIY project comes to us from a fantastic website called Flights of Fancy. It is an adorable DIY favor project that leaves you with vintage-looking cellophane bags for edible favors that leave your guests with a homespun feel... http://blog.qcweddings.com/

In the thick of it!

We are working on four weddings this week. The phone rings for one bride while the other is on hold, another's linens arrive and the color is all wrong and we are two days late waiting for a shipment of vases. You have to love this business! Having an amazing team to help keep my sanity is key in this operation. Bless their hearts that they love what they do almost as much as I do - You would have to to iron 56 tablecloths!!

We are going on site today to surround a large old tree in the backyard of my outdoor wedding with twinkle lights. Then we will set the tables up and mark them so that when we have to set up on Saturday in less than 45 minutes, we are ready to go. Organization and paying attention to the details are key when planning out events. If you have ever planned a party for 50 then you can appreciate the work that goes into planning an event for 700 (our Ames wedding)!

We are still looking for help, so if you want to join us.....

Last day of special

Today is the last day that we are offering our 1/2 price wedding special.
Throughout the month of June, we have been offering 1/2 off our "Day Of" Coordination for anyone who would like a stress free wedding day. Our company takes your wishes and turns them into reality with smooth sails for the entire day. You have spent months planning the perfect day, invested thousands of dollars not to mention time and effort, it only makes sense to protect that investment with a professional who can head off any problems before they begin!

Interested? I would be happy to give you more information. Just e-mail me at cynthia@weddingsiniowa.com

Happy Planning!

Amana Colonies Wedding

We decorated a wedding at the Clarion Inn at the Little Amanas this past weekend. One of my workers took some pictures so that you could get an idea of the dance floor ceiling effect that we did. The pictures don't quite do it justice as the lights flickered a soft glow all evening. By the time we went back to clean up at 11:30 pm, the dance floor was still crowded! Now that is a fun wedding!

The floral centerpieces were fashioned from three graduating shades of spice - colored roses in a square shape with a square candle on the top over a square tall vase. Modern and fun.

Can't do even if you wanted to

There are certain things that you should never do when planning a wedding. Here are a few of them that go across the board---never do these things!

1. Under any circumstances, do not - DO NOT - place your registry information on your invitation. Guests will find out where you are registered well enough, they don't need you telling them to buy you a gift.

2. Do not keep your guests waiting for dinner. If your invitation says that dinner and dancing are immediately following the ceremony, then that is what should happen. Plan your day accordingly. Keeping guests waiting without food and drink while you decide to bar hop between the ceremony and the reception is wrong. Even if you have a social hour; the word "hour" should be your hint.

3. And speaking of bar hopping......

4. Don't skip out on paying your vendors. If you have both agreed on a price then you owe them their fair share. Don't make them pay for your wedding just because you decided not to pay the bill. If there is a dispute, then that is an entirely different matter, but whatever the cause, be fair and even minded.

5. Don't ignore your guests. Under any circumstances should this rule not be overlooked. Your guests came to YOUR wedding for YOU! Your guests have plenty of things to keep them busy, so the least you can do is to thank your guests for their time and presence at your wedding. Be gracious at all times, because a gracious bride and groom are ones that are well remembered long after the wedding is over!

Rosien - Schumacher Wedding Pictures

I love these pictures that Huffaker Photography, LLC took of one of my weddings a couple of weeks ago. What a beautiful couple!

The florals were provided by cynwhd b. designs.

The couple chose the Scottish Rite in downtown Des Moines to hold their reception in. It is a beautiful old building that has stood the test of time. They have a large ballroom on the lower level that is great for weddings and events. Natural hardwood floors and marbled columns make this a great venue.

Congratulations to the newlyweds!

Great work by Huffaker Photography!

Traditions for you to add

Want to follow some customs from other countries for your wedding? Try adding these traditions from around the world to your day to add a unique and special quality that your friends and family will find endearing.

Denmark: It is a tradition for the groom to select and arrange the flowers for his bride’s bouquet on the morning of the ceremony.

An eighteenth-century law forbade brides to wear makeup to prevent the grooms from being “fooled” by false beauty.

Cats are thought to bring luck to marriages. One belief if that feeding your cat from an old shoe before the ceremony will ensure good fortune.

Korea: A pair of wooden ducks accompanies the bride and groom in a traditional Korean wedding as a symbol of love and fidelity, because ducks are believed to mate for life.

In some Jewish wedding, the groom is required to see the bride before the actual ceremony – to confirm that she is his betrothed.

Although most modern weddings take place on a Saturday, in English folk rhymes, Wednesday is the best day for tying the knot.

In a traditional Scandinavian ceremony, the bride wears a gold crown. Afterward, she is blindfolded and crowns a bridesmaid – the next to wed.

The superstitious Italian Groom carries a piece of iron on his wedding day to protect him from the evil eye.

In ninth-century Europe, many men broke casual promises of marriage, so the Pope instituted an engagement ring as a symbol of – and an investment in - the couple’s union.

These are cute

These miniature items are so cute for a wedding or event, that I wanted to share them with you for inspiration. Remember that it is the details that make your wedding stand out from any other event. Be creative and original. Don't be afraid to think outside the box or to use items outside of their normal use.

I would love these lanterns at each place setting of an outdoor themed wedding, or better yet - pop in an LED light and hang them off the back of guest chairs for an elegant yet fun look.

I love anything with a monogram, so these votives scattered around your guest tables would be fun. Very chic and classic! Better yet, buy some in each letter and spell out different words on the guest tables as your "table number signs."

If you are having a beach wedding or water-themed event, then these seashells would be a great way to display escort cards during the cocktail hour. Line them up on a linen tablecloth with a few orchids scattered here and there and you have the makings for a south-seas adventure!

These cork placecard holders would work great for escort cards or menu cards. They would even do duty as bar signs letting your guests know which drinks are hosted and what wines are being served.

You can find all of these favors and accessories at http://emmasfavors.0.kateaspenshops.com/

It was completely my fault!

I have been burning the candle at both ends lately trying to keep up with the many hats that we wear around here; it is deep into wedding season you know. As a result, a quickly caught cold waylaid me yesterday and put me down for the count. I felt miserable, didn't want to do anything (if you know anything about me, that is NOT me!), and generally tried to fight it. I gave up around 5 pm and took a nap. Wow! If I had known how good I felt after that nap, I would have done that a lot sooner! The nap only lasted 2.5 hours, but who knew?

Why am I telling you all this? To make a point that if you are feeling stressed about your wedding, having trouble with a particular problem or person, can't seem to make rational decisions, are having trouble keeping up with a personal life, work, family and planning a wedding, take a nap!
Okay, well maybe not like that.... however, I have known brides who try to do it all and fall short with their fiancee, co-workers, or wedding plans and suddenly Bridezilla is knocking on their front door. Taking a day for yourself, a week-long break from the plans, having date night or just simply getting a good nights rest can do a world of good toward your disposition of life on the next day. Sounds too simple, but it is so ever true.

Taking care of yourself is a not a luxury while planning your wedding day, it is a necessity. You won't be effective for anyone if you aren't feeling good for yourself.

Where did it go?

Do you ever have one of those weeks where you work and work but by the end of the 5 days, you wonder what you accomplished? Oh, you really did get some things done, but the pile to do is still as tall as ever? I know that happens to most of us at one time or another. I think that is why "Day Planners" where invented!

Even though there may be 24 hours in a day, on your wedding day, it may seem like there were only a few! Time can really escape you and by the end of the night, you won't believe that your day is over! All of those months of planning culminating into approximately 5.5 hours of fun with friends and family (the average time spent with wedding guests averages out to be 5.53 hours).

In the wedding world, this is why you want to hire a videographer because ever second counts and you don't want to miss anything! If you ever needed a good reason, here is a clip from a couple's wedding that I know they will play over and over again in their lifetime because of what their videographer caught on tape. Timeless memories preserved forever:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPmYbP0F4Zw

An Outdoor Reception

I wanted to share some pictures with you of the reception portion of Sunday's outdoor wedding. We loved getting ready for this day as you can see! I love my helpers because they really make me look good! Of course, we had to make the Bride and the Groom chairs just a little different.

Carolyn from Classic Cakes made the cake. It was a perfect ending to the day and tasted great - Lemon Poppyseed! Yum!

Pictures from an outside wedding

One of our weddings this past weekend was an outdoor affair at the Rose Garden in Downtown Des Moines. From the feel and look of the garden, you would never know that is is in the middle of a busy town!

The weather cooperated by being perfect, the birds decided to join us by singing and an occasional butterfly made it presence known. It was a perfect day!

The rose garden has these beautiful stone pathways and romantic tall pillars that we decorated with vines and flowers.

The bride and groom were wonderful, very gracious and had a lovely ceremony that kept the audience in tears and laughter. In fact, the groom's brother was the officiant; very meaningful and heartfelt. They were married under an arch that the Groom built for his bride.

I love these white chairs for an outdoor wedding.

Last week's wedding flowers

We completed two weddings this past weekend. Whew!
Thank goodness we have a fantastic crew that understands how important weddings are and all that is needed. Love my workers!

The first picture is the bride's bouquet that I finished for the first wedding. Her colors were orange and pink - my orange bride! Yay!

The reception venue was beautiful with alternating orange and pink tablecloths!

These are the bridesmaids bouquets ready for travel.

This last picture is the left overs. There never seems to be a shortage of fresh flowers at our house!

Weddings all over the world

There are weddings all over the world at any given time. Couples are always falling in love--love has no respect of boundaries or countries.

I typed in the word "cute weddings" the other day and found this adorable movie in Korea about a couple who fall in love. The movie plot sounds fun, but if I want to watch it, it would have to be in subtitles.

http://www.hanfever.com Actually, I would bet that without the subtitles, I would still get the just of the movie. Love is universal--it is no respecter of person, class or race. That is why we say that everyone is equal at a wedding. There is no upper or lower class, there is only a bride and a groom, friends and family celebrating two people in love.

More Wedding Boards

I love the wedding boards that I find on Flickr.com.

Here are some more favorites.

Can I please have a bride that will let me do the color orange?

Videography is so important!

If you are one of the many couples that opt out of having a videographer at your wedding, then you are really missing out an a very important part of the day. Couples will spend hundreds of dollars on a limousine for 20 minutes of drive time for 14 people, but they balk at hiring a videographer who will capture their entire wedding day. I don't understand.

A photographer will capture a moment; a videographer captures the day. He records movement, sound and reality. Their film will show Uncle Louie dancing the jitterbug, Aunt Maud cat napping with the flower girl, and the laughter of your bridal party. You can show your film on your anniversary, send a copy to out of town guests that could not make your special day or relatives that live too far away and couldn't travel.

Why would you not want to remember every minute of this beautiful day that you planned so perfectly? For me--I wouldn't want to miss every precious moment! Here is a clip from one of my favorite videographers, Lance Harding. His work is everything that you would expect from a professional and more - it is truly magical!

http://hardingvideography.com/video-demo/

Love these ideas!

I am a great lover of design boards. They are a great source of inspiration. Someone with a lot more time than I has put some good ones together. Here are some new ones from http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=wedding+inspiration+board

Do moms really matter?

Mothers are very important at a wedding. They are second to be honored after the bride and the groom, they stand in as hosts and hostess and receive well wishes from guests - after all, it is their children that just got married.

The traditional seating of the mothers is an important aspect of the wedding. After the mother is seated, most wedding guests know what is to come after; it signifies the beginning of the processional - the beginning of the wedding.

Being able to greet the guests whether during the receiving line or at the door or mingling at the reception; all are important and honored positions that a mother has a right to at her child's wedding, so to answer the important question, "Do moms really matter?" Absolutely!

However, it is a little difficult for your mom to be honored when she is tending to the caterer, the DJ or the bar. If she is not enjoying the well wishes because she is running here and there or trying to track down a missing cake topper, then something is not quite right. To honor your mother, please make sure to have details taken care of so that she can enjoy the day - it is after all, her day as well- the day her daughter is getting married!

Where does the time go?

My goodness, where does the time go? We cleaned up from a wedding Saturday night into the wee hours of Sunday and then up on Sunday gardening (for therapy) and groceries (for necessity). There are not enough hours in the day to get everything done! Of course, there are e-mails to return, putting the last wedding away, cleaning, linens and chargers, and getting ready for the next 2 weddings (yes, we have two weddings this weekend) not to mention traveling this week and the appointments to keep. And you thought being an event planner was glamorous! I am laughing!

Here are some pictures from Saturday's wedding. As you can tell, we are not professional photographers - those will be coming. The photographer was busy all day, so I can't wait to show you his work!
The bride was beautiful and the church simple and elegant. It was adorable to see their initials on the church doors!

Of course, the caterer - Christiani's Catering hadn't gotten to the reception hall yet before we shot these pictures. By the time we got back, they had the place setttings in place, the candles lit and delicious aroma of food to greet us; the entire room looked ready for a wedding.

Wedding Day Rain

I have a beautiful wedding today for an adorable couple. They want everything to go just right. It is raining today - could it be any more perfect?

Did you know that ancient times considered rain on a wedding day a sign of good luck? It was said that the rain washed away the old and renewed the earth, thus preparing the future for a lifetime of happiness and prosperity. It don't know if that is any truer that the other saying, " God is shedding tears of happiness because it is your wedding day!"

Whichever tradition you choose, knowing that any day that a couple is getting married is a happy day! On any given day, the average number of couples getting married is over 6,000. That equals over 2 million couples getting married every year! That is a lot of rain!

The wedding pictures above are from wedpix.com

Just a few pictures

I am off to get ready for a wedding tomorrow, but wanted to share some beautiful wedding pics from a great photographer, Brian Garman.

The couple below is every wedding couple---in love and happy for the day that they have created. If there is anything that you could do to make your wedding day a treasure-hold on to each other and relish every minute of the day!

Dressing up

I have been to lots of weddings. Hundreds in the last few years. I have seen many trends come and go, but the one that is slightly disturbing is the trend of not dressing for the occasion. I have seen the bride spend thousands of dollars on her gown, hundreds of dollars in tuxedos and shiny shoes, formal bridesmaid dresses and mother's gowns that are beautiful and flowing, but then to see a guest arrive in tattered jeans and a t-shirt? That's a little rough.

I have heard the reasons: "Just be glad they came!" "Maybe that is all they had to wear." "At least they were clean." I am sorry, but I am not buying the excuses -- It is disrespectful to come to a beautiful event in shabby clothing; at least iron the t-shirt. I have seen people wear nicer clothes to work, so the "that's all I had" excuse doesn't fly. And the clean excuse--at least that is one thing to be thankful for.

Guests, I realize that if you work all week, you would like to be comfortable on the weekends. I also realize that you may have had other functions on the wedding day and didn't want to tote a lot of clothes around in the car with you. And I further relate to the fact that you can do as you please. But please also remember the function and the reason that you have been invited to this wedding. If you expect to see the bride and the groom and the wedding party looking their best, can't they expect the same from their guests?

Come dressed in your best to act your best.

I attended a wedding a few years back where the bridal party were dressed to the nines, spent quite a bit on decorations, great food, wonderful ambiance and attention to detail, only to see several guests arrive to the reception in jeans, shorts, tattered baseball caps (yes-honest!) and dirty flip flops. The bride was very hurt.

I don't blame her.

Bridesmaids dresses

I love the new collection from Jenny Yoo! Simple and elegant defines the new shapes. They are clean and not fussy, yet every bit as flattering for every body shape.

Wouldn't this be adorable for a bridesmaid luncheon or rehearsal dinner?

I love how the long or the short look equally lovely! I am thinking formal ballroom for one while the shorter would look great in an outdoor garden setting!

This is perfect for a black tie wedding! Candlelight, string quartet....

This color is gorgeous! Pairing this with an eggplant color would make any wedding memorable.

Gardening for inspiration

I have to confess that I stepped outside yesterday at 8 am and didn't even think about going back in the house until 7:30 pm. Gardening is that wonderful for me. Not only is it therapeutic and physically great, but it also inspires me for wedding ideas as I am digging and creating a serene landscape for my home.

For instance, we created brick pillars for a portion of our front yard. How about that same concept for a wedding? Or how about a beautiful tree as the focal point for an outdoor wedding? As I am planting, I am imagining that future generations will be enjoying the fruits of our labor for many years to come.

Isn't that what a wedding is about? Creating memories and touching people's lives? Planning a life together and creating future possibilities? I guess I was working yesterday after all!

Waiting to the last minute

I watched the premier of a new wedding show last night about a wedding planning company in New York. They are a high end company that deals with weddings over $200,000.
One of the things that I noticed was that their timeline for certain things was dangerously close to the event date itself. For instance, doing escort cards the day before the event? I maybe can understand the printing of the actual cards themselves, but the design and concept the day before? Isn't that cutting it awfully close?

I try very hard to have all major (and minor) details finished up at least 2-3 weeks before the wedding and sometimes even longer before that. I love it when a brides tells me that she "has nothing to do!" the week leading up to her wedding. How great is that? She is actually enjoying the process and feels calm enough to be a guest at her own event.

I understand the need for changes and edits. I myself have cut it close from time to time with last minute additions or corrections, but I try very hard not to make it a habit. One of the key things that I have found that helps anyone planning a special event is a detailed timeline. Getting it down on paper helps collect your thoughts and brings into focus areas that need attention. You should leave nothing to chance on such an important day!

The escort card picture above is courtesy of http://www.weddingfanatic.com/tag/wedding-escort-card/