Anyway, a little touch of deco adds a glamorous and sophisticated touch to your wedding style. I love, especially, how it can add a bit of structure to a more ethereal look, or just complete an all-out vintage one. Some ideas:
Nov 26, 2012
Art Deco Jewels
I've always been a little obsessed with Art Deco anything: decor, fashion, and especially jewelry. In fact, when I got engaged, my husband proposed with a vintage 1927 deco diamond and sapphire ring! He knows me so well...
Anyway, a little touch of deco adds a glamorous and sophisticated touch to your wedding style. I love, especially, how it can add a bit of structure to a more ethereal look, or just complete an all-out vintage one. Some ideas:
Anyway, a little touch of deco adds a glamorous and sophisticated touch to your wedding style. I love, especially, how it can add a bit of structure to a more ethereal look, or just complete an all-out vintage one. Some ideas:
Nov 19, 2012
Understanding Wedding Floral Costs
Flowers are a pretty ubiquitous component of a wedding. While creative replacements for floral have become trendy over the past few years (i.e., a brooch bouquet), most brides still choose to feature flowers as the highlight of their wedding decor.
However, when it comes to wedding planning, it can be difficult to guess what all this will cost. After all, even if you've thrown a big event before with floral centerpieces, etc., you've probably never accounted for things like bouquets, boutonnieres, pew / alter flowers, etc. The extent of these things all play into how much you are likely to spend, along with a few other factors.
So, what determines the final floral bill?
- How many flowers are used. A simple spray of baby's breath or a handful of tulips is going to be much less expensive than a large bouquet featuring different flowers in an elaborate design.
- This also applies to the number of floral pieces you require. For example, are you just having bouquets, boutonnieres, and a few centerpieces? Or are you planning to have aisle flowers, flower girl baskets, and more extensive floral decor?
- How ornate are the designs you've selected? Bunching a group of roses into a bouquet is much simpler than having an elegant, creative bouquet, such as the one below:
- Have you chosen seasonal floral or will the flowers you've selected have to be shipped in from far away?
- What types of flowers have you chosen? Again, there's a big difference between daisies and orchids.
- Delivery and set-up
It's important to have an idea of what you want and need before talking with a potential floral vendor. They'll be able to give you an idea of costs based on your ideas, and then you can add or subtract from there. It's helpful to have a book of inspiration photos (or a Pinterest page!) as well. Showing a florist a specific design that you like will help them estimate what something like that would cost for you.
Nov 9, 2012
Ombre Wedding Cakes
It started with hair, then merged into fashion, and now I'm seeing it all over wedding photos in the form of cake!
I personally love ombre - it can be as dramatic or as subtle as you like, and a fun, new way to incorporate color to this oh-so-traditional wedding dessert.
Some inspiration:
I personally love ombre - it can be as dramatic or as subtle as you like, and a fun, new way to incorporate color to this oh-so-traditional wedding dessert.
Some inspiration:
Nov 6, 2012
Booking Music for Your Wedding
You've got the date, the venue, and the caterer lined up for your big day... what next? Music.
Booking musicians for your wedding can be difficult part of wedding planning because of the number of decisions you have to make about what you want. It's also easy to be indecisive due to the fact that the music that plays during your ceremony and reception needs to be reflective of who you are and the overall "vibe" you're trying to create.
So, here are some general guidelines to get you started, as well as some info about what costs go into hiring musical talent. First, you'll need to answer the following questions:
1) When do you need / want music? Ceremony, Reception or Both?
2) What type of ambiance are you trying to create and your ceremony and reception? They can, obviously, be different. A church wedding followed by a wild party will necessitate totally different types of music.
3) If you would like live music for your ceremony, will one violinist suffice or would you prefer a trio? If you're getting married in a church, you may have someone to play the organ or piano for you, but would you also like to have a vocalist or other instrument as well?
4) For your reception, the first question is this: live or DJ? Live musicians will be costlier than a DJ. However, there is a broad range available within the live music category. You can have a small four person band or an orchestra.
5) What kind of reception music would you like? A cover band that plays a wide range of music? A jazz band? A classical orchestra? Blues? Country? A DJ, on the flip side, allows you to be a little more flexible in terms of style, because, well, they can play whatever you want.
What about costs?
When you request a proposal from a wedding band or DJ, you'll need to give them an idea of how long your ceremony and reception will be. The length of your party will absolutely affect the total amount of your contract. Your proposal will likely break down the evening then by hours, starting with the ceremony, and then by cocktails, dinner and dancing.
Charges you'll likely see on the proposal will include the sound system, lighting, and, of course, the musical talent themselves. A DJ + an assistant, obviously, is going to cost less than a 10-person orchestra.
You'll want to ask the vendor as well if there will be any additional taxes, fees or surcharges. Most vendors include these in their total proposal price, but it's always good to ask.
Finally, it's OK to ask about tipping as well. Whomever you work with to book your contract will be able to give you some solid guidelines on who to tip and how much based on the total.
Of course, we have some incredible Chicago musicians available for weddings on the Revelry Alliance website! If you're planning a Chicago wedding, we can't recommend them highly enough!
Booking musicians for your wedding can be difficult part of wedding planning because of the number of decisions you have to make about what you want. It's also easy to be indecisive due to the fact that the music that plays during your ceremony and reception needs to be reflective of who you are and the overall "vibe" you're trying to create.
Photo courtesy of Stitely Entertainment
So, here are some general guidelines to get you started, as well as some info about what costs go into hiring musical talent. First, you'll need to answer the following questions:
1) When do you need / want music? Ceremony, Reception or Both?
2) What type of ambiance are you trying to create and your ceremony and reception? They can, obviously, be different. A church wedding followed by a wild party will necessitate totally different types of music.
3) If you would like live music for your ceremony, will one violinist suffice or would you prefer a trio? If you're getting married in a church, you may have someone to play the organ or piano for you, but would you also like to have a vocalist or other instrument as well?
4) For your reception, the first question is this: live or DJ? Live musicians will be costlier than a DJ. However, there is a broad range available within the live music category. You can have a small four person band or an orchestra.
5) What kind of reception music would you like? A cover band that plays a wide range of music? A jazz band? A classical orchestra? Blues? Country? A DJ, on the flip side, allows you to be a little more flexible in terms of style, because, well, they can play whatever you want.
Photo courtesy of Rendezvous Music
What about costs?
When you request a proposal from a wedding band or DJ, you'll need to give them an idea of how long your ceremony and reception will be. The length of your party will absolutely affect the total amount of your contract. Your proposal will likely break down the evening then by hours, starting with the ceremony, and then by cocktails, dinner and dancing.
Charges you'll likely see on the proposal will include the sound system, lighting, and, of course, the musical talent themselves. A DJ + an assistant, obviously, is going to cost less than a 10-person orchestra.
You'll want to ask the vendor as well if there will be any additional taxes, fees or surcharges. Most vendors include these in their total proposal price, but it's always good to ask.
Finally, it's OK to ask about tipping as well. Whomever you work with to book your contract will be able to give you some solid guidelines on who to tip and how much based on the total.
Of course, we have some incredible Chicago musicians available for weddings on the Revelry Alliance website! If you're planning a Chicago wedding, we can't recommend them highly enough!
Nov 1, 2012
Late Night Wedding Snacks
You'd think that after all the hors d'oeuvres, main course, and CAKE, your guests would be totally stuffed.
While that may be the case, it's nothing that a couple hours on the dance floor can't solve! Which is why more and more weddings are now serving little late night bites... a little something to keep the party going a while longer!
Chicago-style hot dogs (from Entertaining Company)
Fudge pops (one of my top 10 favorite desserts, from Truffleberry Market Catering)
Milkshakes (with a cherry on top, of course, from Blue Plate Catering)
While that may be the case, it's nothing that a couple hours on the dance floor can't solve! Which is why more and more weddings are now serving little late night bites... a little something to keep the party going a while longer!
Some ideas:
Chicago-style hot dogs (from Entertaining Company)
Fudge pops (one of my top 10 favorite desserts, from Truffleberry Market Catering)
Milkshakes (with a cherry on top, of course, from Blue Plate Catering)
The only question is: sweet or savory?
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