Halloween Chic Wedding at the City Museum - Jen & John

Not sure where the time has gone, and how it has gotten away from us. On Halloween night we were fortunate enough to have the most fabulous wedding! Halloween is my all time favorite holiday and this wedding was a dream come true.

Our clients had a few objectives for their All Hallow’s Eve Wedding.
Most important to them was to hold their wedding on the anniversary of their first date (Halloween night) in the town where the bride Jen attended law school. The ceremony was to be held at Graham Chapel at Washington University in St Louis. They insisted that the wedding offer fun at every turn, treating their 230 guests to a care-free array of flavors and amusement that required lots of creative planning and intricate transportation accommodations. Additionally, the couple and many of their guests were vegetarians with very sophisticated palates, so the culinary design had to meet expectations.

This was to be an unconventional Halloween fete with a nod to the theatrical and reflect their penchant for mystical movies…no typical jack-o-lanterns or orange décor would do! Multi-cultural rituals were to be added to the wedding ceremony, and the reception was to take place in one of the most interesting locations in the area…the City museum! However, the parents of both bride and groom wanted to maintain some aspects of tradition, and since they were writing the checks…everyone wanted to sprinkle “standard” in when and where possible.



We used multiple shades of purple, with accents of black and silver. This would still keep with the halloween feel but make it sophisticated and chic! The black and silver orleans damask from BBJ were perfect!

We reached out to our friends at Exclusive Events, Inc. to do the lighting design as well as the entry. They outdid themselves, by creating a spooky forest type feel. This included Bride of Frankenstein being played on a curtain!


The bride wore a beautiful Monique Lhuillier gown, and here deep purple cala lilies were the perfect color to create a pop, with a halloween flair. She wore this stunning dress for the ceremony and then changed into costume for the reception!!


John and Jen's wedding celebration was held over multiple days, as this was truly a St Louis Destination wedding. The couple reserved 90% of the newly constructed Moonrise Hotel in the Loop. This was such a throw back for the bride to be back in the area where she went to Law School. She wanted her guests to feel that too. The rehearsal dinner was nothing less then spectacular, the couple closed Pin-Up Bowl down to the public, and bowled and mingled the night away. Pin-Up Bowl is St. Louis' original bowling alley and martini lounge, and the guests loved it!!

Thank you Jen & John for allowing us to bring your vision to life! Thanks to the dream team that were truly dreams!!

Dream Team:
Event Production/Coordination: Lacy Branch Events
Floral Design: Sisters Flowers
Stationery: Two Blue Doors, Inc.
Linens: BBJ Linen
Lighting Design: Exclusive Events, Inc.
Transporation: JED Limousine

Post by the amazingly talented Sasha Souza

I thought we would share a post today that was created by the very talented Sasha Souza. The topic she writes about on her blog is near and dear to my heart. I feel like almost daily I am having to explain this exact topic. Sasha has done just that and the blog is definitely work a read. Check it out.. "Let me clarify you can always get something cheaper"

Thanks Sasha for a very insightful post!

LBE Photoshoot at the Arch in St. Louis

This past week we had the good fortune of doing a team photoshoot with the very talented Kelly Park. You can find the details on her Blog. We met at Landing, which if you are not from St Louis is also known as Laclede's Landing. This is the area near the base of the St Louis Arch, and next to the Mississippi River.

The weather was amazing, and there was not a cloud in the sky. We took pictures in the alley behind the Old Spaghetti Factory, then moved to the steps in front of the Arch. I think the images turned out fabulously!!

The purpose of the photoshoot was to welcome the newest LBE Team member, Ashley Wooden. (check back on the blog later this week for her formal welcome post). However, we quickly turned it into just a fun outing. Kelly Park put us at ease, and made us laugh. It was so nice for me to see and feel how my clients that are working with Kelly feel. It truly was a fun experience.

Thanks for capturing the essence our team Kelly!! Click here to see our shoot..

Fab Engagement Pictures at City Museum

I love to "marry" two things on my blog. Images of my lovely clients, and talented vendors. When we met Corryn & Chad earlier this year, they told us right away that they needed a photographer. We recommended the super talented Kelly Park. At the time we knew the couple and Kelly would be a great fit. If these images are any indicator... we were right on the money.

We work with so many talented/gifted photographers, however it is our job to really try to pair the clients up with the photographer that will fit their personality and style best. Great work Kelly and we can't wait for the big day in July!!

See more of the beautiful images of their engagement session at City Museum on Kelly's Blog..

Spring time decor.....

As many of our readers know we (Lacy Branch Events along with my ABC Local Networking Co-Director Lisa Zweifel) recently hosted a Regional Meeting for The Association of Bridal Consultants here in St Louis. The event was held at the newly renovated Hyatt Regency St. Louis at the Arch. From a design aspect, we had to design three very distinct rooms. The first was the welcome reception, which we posted last week. The second was breakfast, which is what we are going to show you today. The last was the luncheon, which we will showcase later in the week.

For the breakfast, we wanted to really showcase Spring! I think we really acheieved this. With the use of tables used in a unique T-Shape, it allowed attendees the ability to talk with others in a comfortable atmosphere. The T-shape also created quite the statement when attendees walked into the room.


Lisa Gallagher, from Belli Fiori really out did herself. When I sat down with her we discussed the various vases sizes, shapes, colors, etc. Then we both got very excited at the possibilities! I could not have been happier. She used tulips, peonies, Then in the middle of the table for a big statement she used forsythia branches in two large vases and had button mums on the outside of the vases. Stunning!


Next on the design trip was meeting with Beth from Two Blue Doors, Inc. We did not have charger plates in the budget for this meeting. But no worries, Beth suggested using the menus as a charger or placemat type. They were darling, and quite the conversation piece.


Connie Duglin donated the linen for the breakfast, after I feel in love with the "Cosmic Pink" pintuck. The linen was actually the inspiration for my design. We used monochromatic pink napkins. Then we used 4 different types of napkin rings, to really add to the eclectic theme.

The Hyatt provided an amazing breakfast that consisted of omelet, and oatmeal stations, as well as other continental fare.

I had so many favorites in this room, but one that I was EXTREMELY thrilled by, were the brand new to St Louis, crystal chiavari chairs! When I say brand new, I mean brand new. The chairs were provided by none other than The Aries Company. Many of my readers know that I am not personally a fan of chair covers (sorry guys) But especially with a design like this, with the impact being the center of the table. I did not want chair covers to detract from it. But these chairs were just the thing I needed to compliment the look while not taking away from it. You can rent them for your wedding at The Aries Company!


The place cards were provided by a fellow ABC Member placecards.com.

Thank you to all of our amazing vendors for a truly breathtaking and happy breakfast event!

Dream Team:
Room & Tabletop Decor: Lacy Branch Events
Lighting: Swank Audio/Visual
Venue: Hyatt Regency St Louis at the Arch
Stationery: Two Blue Doors, Inc.
Linens: Connie Duglin Linen
Chairs: The Aries Company
Floral: Belli Fiori
Photography: Signature Studio
Placecards: Placecards.com

Wish Upon A Wedding-America's only wedding wish granting organization comes to St Louis

I am very honored to share with with you information about a new organization I have been lucky enough to become a part of. It is called Wish Upon a Wedding and is America's only wedding wish granting organization. Wish Upon a Wedding produces weddings and civil union ceremonies at destinations across the United States for individuals facing terminal illness. On February 14th, couples residing and wishing to get married within 300 miles of Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Orlando and New York were eligible to apply for weddings. Since then more chapters have launched! Please check at the link here for information on how to apply.

The first Wedding Wish #1 was granted for Florence and Michael and was held on March 13, 2010. Wedding Wish #2 will happen April 15th at 1 Fort Mason, in San Francisco.

If you are a vendor and would like to be part of the exciting team of Wish Granters across the United States, please submit a Wish Granter application. For more information on how to make a contribution to this cause please visit the Web site contribution page. I will be serving on the Board for the St Louis Wish Upon a Wedding Chapter as the President and we will soon be releasing the Launch Party date for the St. Louis Chapter. I am so eager to get people involved here in the St Louis area so that we can shortly begin granting wishes. I know what big hearts St Louis people have, and how much love they continue to show. So I know that our chapter here is going to be top notch.
Look for more posts coming soon….

Stationery advice...

As planners we often get asked all types of questions surrounding what is "acceptable" vs "unacceptable". Who better to discuss invites/stationery then the amazing Two Blue Doors, Inc. This is a great post and when I came across it I had to share! Happy Reading

Envelopes inner and outer or just outer?

So what's the deal with evenings and weekends?

So you are engaged and you are starting to realize all the vendors that are involved in making your big day perfect. However, the one thing I have realized over the past few years of doing this, is that they don't know just how many appointments they are going to have or what exactly it means.

Here are some helpful tips to keep in mind. Some of this may seem pretty blunt, but someone has to help brides and grooms have realistic expecations.

Hire a Wedding Planner (sorry shamless plug, but no less truthful) A Wedding Planner/Coordinator have a rapport with other wedding vendors and can make the appointments for you, therefore freeing you up to do other things.

Identify what vendors you are going to need for what. (For example, florist, photographer, caterers, etc.)

Work with your planner to create a timeline for selecting these vendors In other words, not all vendors have to be met with and selected the first week you get engaged.

Schedule the appointments with these vendors. This one is extremely important. Please be prepared to be flexible. The majority of all brides and grooms work during the day, so EVERYONE wants an evening appointment. The same thing goes for weekend appointments. Weddings happen on weekends, so most wedding vendors are going to be booked on weekends. They may not be booked every weekend but the chances of getting them will be far less then let's say an 11:30am on a Tuesday.

We cannot stress enough that when you begin your planning you should be prepared to take some longer lunches, or vacation hours to meet with vendors. Flexibilty is key.

Be punctual for your appointments! Yes wedding vendors are working for you in many cases, but it is not ok to be late or cancel appointments at the last second. We know that things come up, but some vendors book up months in advance so limiting your missed appointments will help ensure you get the meeting times that are optimal.

Wedding Vendors are in the Service Industry but are not 24/7 Lately it seems far too many brides and grooms become frustrated when vendors cannot "work around their schedules". Or they expect calls back late into the evening or on weekend days. Just keep in mind, your wedding is probably going to be on a weekend day so would you not expect that your vendors are tied up in meetings, or on phone calls with other clients when they should be focusing on your wedding right?

I can tell you that almost every wedding vendor I know LOVES what they do, and they give 110%. So please remember that the vendors also have families and are people just like you and deserve to have their personal time respected. It is not because we don't want to be available, but it is because there are limited evening hours, and limited weekend days we don't already have weddings.

Here is something to think about.. If you decide to purchase a car, you know that the dealership is only open certain hours. Would you call the dealership after hours and expect them to be open? Would you ask the dealership to come in on days when they are closed, because that is what is best for your schedule?

If you need to have your hair cut or colored.. do you call or text your hair stylist at all hours? Do you ask them to stay late after they have worked all day?

I know that the wedding planning is slightly different, so many of the vendors try to be flexible, but it is not always possible.

If you follow these points when you first start planning, we are sure it will help you be far less disappointed when you realize that the best vendors are not always available to work around every schedule.

Your planning time is a special time and will not last forever, so proper time management will make it so much more enjoyable.

Happy Planning

Looking for something to make your cake table WOW people?

By now you all know that I love anything "different". I am always on the hunt for the latest and newest things to provide to my clients. I recently came across something that I absolutely was THRILLED by. A way to create a truly custom cake stand!! How fab is that? Custom Cake Stands by Raise the Cake

I know you are probably saying..."what difference does it make?" Well it isn't for everyone, but definitely for those brides that care about the "details". There are many nice cake stands out there that you can rent. However, some of them can be quite costly. This is a unique alternative to renting. You an choose one of their unique stands in the gallery, or you can design your own custom stand. Whatever your taste is you are sure to find it there.

Tip: Don't under estimate the cake table. The table as an overall decor element will be photographed by many many people. So don't forget to pay attention to candles, flowers, toppers, linen, and things like cake stands.

It's my wedding right?

I love when I sit down and have the first meeting with clients. They always start out really well, with the brides and grooms telling us what they are envisioning. Then they elaborate and tell us about visions, and ideas, or elements that they have had in their head since they were little. So our job should be easy right?

The truth is, yes it is your day, and yes it should be easy. But the reality is, there are other people to think about. Maybe the couples parents, have been dreaming about this since they were little. Maybe they are the only child, or maybe the parents are polar opposite of their kids. There lies, the challenge, and the benefit to hiring an experienced wedding coordinator/planner.

We wear many hats in our business, we are mediators, couselors, and at times even referees! I recommend to all of our clients that they do the following steps to ensure a more peaceful planning process:

1) Think about the most important elements that both you and your partner want
2) Ask your parents what some of their important elements are
3) Then calmly discuss what things you are willing to compromise on, and then what things you are unwilling to compromise on.
4) Then keep the lines of communication open, and try not to be worried about hurting the others feelings by saying no, or telling them you would really rather not do that.

Communication is key, and honesty is a great policy! Agreeing blindly to something like a dress, or flowers, or officiant, just purely to avoid conflict with your parents is not always the best bet. This type of behavior often times results in things building up, whether it is tension or frustration. Eventually when things build up they explode, and you do not want that for your wedding.

Now we do not advise, taking everyone and their Aunt Martha's opinions. (Sorry Aunt Martha) As too many people often offer unsolicited advise and opinions which can cause issues all in itself. But focus on the key people closest to you that love you unconditionally and just want the best for you.

Take it from us, as many many of our clients can tell you. We help all sides plan the wedding of their dreams with minimal stress and hurt feelings. No bridezillas/momzillas/groomzillas in the LBE family if we can help it.

So talk openly and honestly we know that it can be hard to get that dialogue going, but in the end it will be worth it. Just remember although it is your "day", long after your day, you will look back and be glad that you kept them involved.

Happy Planning..

Love is in the air..

Happy Valentine's Day to all of you. We are lucky enough to see couples in love on a daily basis. It is one of the great perks to our jobs. Our clients are in love and are planning their big day, that they will start the next chapter in their lives. Then after one couple marries, we get to do it all over again with the next ones.

It never gets old to me, hearing how the couples met, how they got engaged, and how much they love each other. I also enjoy hearing how much the parents, siblings, friends, etc love the couple! It brings a smile to my face to witness love in all forms.

So I know that technically Valentines' Day is about couples or two people in love. However, I challenge you to think about all of the LOVE in your life. Take a moment and be thankful for those people that love you, and reach out and tell them how much you love them. I guarantee it will make someone smile. Love is free, it doesn't cost you anything, so don't be stingy with it!

Another birthday...

Normally I do not put very much personal stuff on this blog, but I wanted to share this with you. Well we all know that I LOVE producing weddings and events, right? So what do I do on my downtime? Plan a birthday party of course! This year I celebrated with my dear friend and co-birthday person Dawn. However, I wanted this party to be BIG and to be meaningful. More then just pulling our friends together, I wanted to give back. So this year we raised money for a charity that is near and dear to my heart, the ASPCA.

The theme of the party was comfy, casual, pajama's! Who doesn't love lounging around in pj's? Even the weather (ice and snow) didn't keep our beloved die hard friends from coming out. This is a picture of Dawn and myself, the two birthday girls!


The event was at the super funky and fun Mad Art Gallery in Soulard. If you haven't checked it out yet, you definitely need to. We had over 50 people in attendance, and another 12 that couldn't make it but still donated. All in all we raised $450 for the ASPCA.

Mad Art Gallery is even more unique as it use to be a police station, so it still has jail cells. This was a perfect place for a lounge for people to hang out in. Our friends at Two Blue Doors, Inc. did what they do best and created cute signs to tie the entire theme together. The doors to the dance area, had our names on them, and the hallway had a collage of pictures of us throughout the years. They were adorable!

Chris Johnson from CJ's Disc Jockey Service kept the party going all night long. Let's just say that since it was my party, we played A LOT of 90's music!

Tamico Love, from The Brick Street Bakery made us the most fantabulous birthday cake! The pj part was red velvet, which is my favorite, and the pillow was white with rasberry filling. YUM!


I feel so lucky to get to do what I do for a living, and to be surrounded on my birthday by so many people. Working in the event world, allows me to work with great vendors, etc and so many of them made this birthday extra special! Thanks to all of you who sent birthday wishes and helped us raise money for the prevention of animal cruelty!

Chrissy & Dave 11/14/2009

This image courtesy of Mirage Photo, LLC.

Gosh it's hard to believe we are just getting around to posting this wedding. The couple was such a pleasure to work with. They are the type of couple who just exude love for each other. We met Chrissy in January of 2009 at the PWG Bridal Show, with her mom. Quickly after the show, Chrissy was so eager to meet with us, she even came to the meeting on crutches! She teaches dance class and had hurt her ankle, but was so excited to begin the planning & design she refused to reschedule!

One of Chrissy's list of concerns was the venue itself. Her husband is a proud Union Electrican here in St.Louis and could thing of nowhere else he would like to have his reception. Chrissy agreed, but was not thrilled with it cosmetically. The hall is used mostly for union meetings, and lacks bridal elegance. We assured her (repeatedly) that it would be ok. That we could make it beautiful. I think that was achieved!

In the pictures you find below, you will see the transformation of the hall. When we designed her color palette, we had fun. Chrissy was not afraid of color, infact she "loves it". We used intense monochromatic colors of purples, and reds to draw attention to the tables and away from the hall itself. Tone on tone is always very dramatic, and that suited this bride.


AFTER


The first challenge we ran into was the extremely large guest count the families had. We had to create a floor plan that would be unique, and still flow, but accomodate all of the bodies. The hall provided 6' banquet tables, and it was not in the budget to bring in other tables. So we created long tables that continued to create drama.
This image courtesy of Mirage Photo, LLC.

At the last minute, the couple found additional money and we added uplighting, fabric on the stage, and a monogram. This really helped warm up the room and mask the murals, and wall hangings. Pin spotting of the tables also showcased the beautiful centerpieces. This was key, as the hall had a strict "no candles" rule. The battery operated tealights just do not create the same light as candles, so thank goodness we had the pin spotting! Thanks to Millennium Productions for the lighting

The floral design was super fun! During our first sit down with the designers at Sisters Flowers, Chrissy's mom Nancy indicated how important having red carnations were to her. This was something that had been done for generations in their family. TERRIFIC!! Carnations are very bold color, very full, and much more inexpensive then many flowers. So we played on that tradition and Sisters created amazing bold floral.


As you can see from the images, the room was completely transformed the couple and their family was elated! We love when our clients have a little faith in us, and our vendors, because in the end they are the ones that reap the benefits. This wedding was a glowing success!




This is one of my favorites, as Chrissy is seeing her room for the first time she was overwhelmed and burst into tears. That tells me we did our job and gave her everything she hoped for.



Congrats Chrissy & Dave, we love you and thank you for letting us be a part of it!


These 4 images above courtesy of Mirage Photo, LLC.

Dream Team for this Event:
Wedding Coordinators and Event Designer: Lacy Branch Events
Floral Designers: Sisters Flowers
Lighting Designers: Millennium Design
Menus: Two Blue Doors,Inc.
Photo Credits: Von DeVore Photography Mirage Photo, LLC.

Do you cringe when you hear the “B” word?

Well this is a topic that seems to be even more relevant than ever. The “B” word I am talking about is Budget. But for this post, we are speaking specifically about a Wedding Budget. I spend hours and hours a week discussing this with our clients. In a nutshell, I have some straightforward points

1) Immediately after you say yes, do not pass go, do not collect $200, before you set a date... (Ha,ha But seriously), you need to sit down and have very candid discussions with any and all people that will donating towards the wedding. This conversation can be somewhat awkward to start with, since many people think it is tacky to discuss money. This is one time I disagree, and think it is absolutely imperative!
During this discussion, you may find some relatives do not want to offer an exact amount that they wish to donate. In this case, I recommend asking them a range they feel comfortable with. We also find some may tell you that they would just like to purchase something for the wedding, i.e.… cake, photographer, dj, etc. This is a great thing, you just need to specify this in the budget.

2) Once you have had this discussion with all family, create a worksheet that lists everyone’s contribution. It is important to ensure that the amount each is going to donate is a guaranteed, and not based around “if we can save” or “we can try to find it”. During these economic times, this is even more often the case. However, to reduce potential conflict, hurt feelings, etc, list this in a “possible” column, but we would not recommend counting on this.

3) Begin thinking and listing things you would like to have at your wedding. We tell our couples to rate them in order of importance. This will allow you to focus on things that are most important first and ensure funds are there, and work your way down the list.

4) Create a list of dates you would like to have your wedding. Again, rate them from highest to lowest. This step is especially important, as so many couples set the date and think about the budget later. It should be the opposite. The date can directly affect your budget. If you have a more modest budget, many times you can find opportunities to potentially save money by having your big day during an off season, or day of the week.

5) Hire a wedding coordinator!!

6) Once you hire the wedding coordinator, be honest with your budget! It is often a misconception that we as an industry charge based on your budget, or inflate vendor costs. Many hours of frustration, researching, etc are spent by couples trying to figure out what things cost on their own. A Wedding Coordinator can sit down with you and help work through your budget, and pair you up with vendors, venues, etc that can work within your budget. Many online budget worksheets are good, but they are national averages and do not take in account our local market.

You hired us to help you, but I cannot tell you how many times, clients don’t tell me the actual budget. They tell me a fictitious number, or a number they are hoping to stay at. They don’t always realize that we are not here to spend every penny. We are here to help them achieve the wedding they are hoping for.

7) Keep your guest count in mind… This is the number one way to increase or decrease your overall budget. What is often forgotten is that, not only do you have to think about cost per person for food and drink, but for everything. More people mean more invitations, more postage, more seats needed which require more tables, which require more linens and centerpieces, a larger banquet room, etc. It is a snowball affect. So be sure to think about guest count as the bigger picture.

These are just a tip of the iceberg, but it is our hope, that it can help many of you avoid frustration and costly mistakes.