Happy Labor Day Weekend!

Today's blog post is to all wedding vendors who "labor" over weddings weekend after weekend. My hat is off to each and everyone of you!
So many people think that weddings just "happen." I am here to tell you as an insider that there is a lot of work involved to pulling off a successful wedding. Each and every "backroom player" is very important; from the caterer to the videographer to the florist to the musicians.

I worked a lovely wedding yesterday in Ladora, IA. It was quite a large wedding, so each vendor was very important, right down to the bartenders from a local saloon - by the way, great job guys!

The caterers: Dostal Catering from Cedar Rapids served up delicious food in a short amount of time so the entire room was through the line and fed in under 28 minutes. Great job!

The photographer, Cory Hall from Grinnell never missed a beat. I love his approach and his easy going attitude makes him a dream to work with. I can't wait to see some pictures because I know they will be amazing.

My very good friend and mentor, Steve from Aspire Video was there to make sure that the entire event was captured online. Even though Steve is no longer with the company, he came back at my request because he is that good. His passion for the industry will be missed.

The florist and cake designer was from Hy-Vee in Iowa City. He is such a sweetheart and when you have every different flavor of cake with delicious fillings for the taking, how can you go wrong? - Yum! Please contact him at 1285floralmgr@hy-vee.com

The ice carving was from Ron at Chain Reaction Carvings. Ron has such an incredible talent and to top it off, a great vendor to work with! Since the bride and her husband are baseball fans, Ron included two baseball bats with a baseball in the middle of his carving. I wasn't able to get a picture (too busy working!), but I am hoping that Cory did, so that will have to come later.

And last but certainly not least was the DJ - Cathy from Cat Trax Productions from Toledo, IA . 641-484-5542 I first met Cathy a couple of years ago and was instantly a friend. She has a great attitude and is a fantastic DJ. She gets music! When I left, the crowd was up on the dance floor totally rockin' out to some great sounds. Way too much fun!

Of course, it wouldn't be right if I didn't give credit where credit was due to my crew who moved 450 chairs in less than 30 minutes. Love you guys!

So there you have it. Now you know what it takes for a perfect wedding, an entire village of vendors, dedicated to a day that will be like any other day you will ever create again. Here's to hard working wedding service providers everywhere - we love you!