Summer Weddings

SO many wonderful weddings this year so far and many more to come!

Here are some pictures from this past summer!

What an amazing background! I wish I could order days like this!

I thought that this was quite a unique thing to do ...putting lemons in the vase

One of my favorite table set-ups of the season

What a great way to use your wine corks!

Orchids! Love them!

Rose petals made the table look so elegant!

Wedding Reception Idea

I was reading the fall issue of Premier Bride yesterday and saw an add that caught my eye….Flippin Fun Fotobooks. Definilty check out the website! The website can explain what it is better than I can as I cut and copied the below straight from their info page:

Q. What is a Fotobook?
A. It's a combination of a 1882 concept called "flipbook," where a series of drawings were stapled together to create the illusion of movement. In the 1960's the "Flipbook" made a resurgence with companies such as Disney, Ford, and McDonald's using them for promotional purposes. Fast forward to 2009 and the new "Fotobook." With new age patented technology, we can take a (6-7) second video footage of your guests acting out a skit, dancing, or just having fun, and instantly turn into "Fotobook Keepsake."

How much fun would that be for your guests at the wedding to have another source of entertainment and to take home a flip book of themselves as a favor!

This idea a little new to the Milwaukee area, but has anyone been to a wedding or a social event where this has been done?

Wedding Ceremony Chair Decorations

When decorating your wedding venue, most people put their full attention on the dinning or banquet hall. This is where most of the time will be spent and where most of the detail will be noticed. However, some people will take this detail and apply it to the wedding ceremony.

I believe I have written before that there is something eloquent and beautiful about the simplicity of a ceremony on our plaza with the Lake as the backdrop, but it always adds a a special touch when there are decoration.

Lately I have been concentrating on the chair decorations. Most people use flowers or tulle to add color. Here are some pictures of chair decorations that people have used in the last couple of wedding here.

The nice thing about these is that all of the pictures are D.I.Y. capable! Definitely something to think about and it is also something that could be done over the long cold winter in preparation for a summer wedding (if silk flowers or ribbons are used).

The picture above and below had the flowers alternated between each row

Does anyone else have any ideas for chair decorations that they would like to share?

The Budget Friendly Honeymoon

The honeymoon after the wedding is usually the grand prize for the bride and groom. They have spent all this time getting their wedding in order and have come to the point of just wanting the day to be here so that they can leave and go on their honeymoon.

It’s like the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow (without the creepy leprechaun).

The ideal and more common honeymoon destinations are the Bahamas, Jamaica, St. Lucia, and just about anything Caribbean. But what if you don't have the budget for one of these luxurious destinations?

Basically, the honeymoon is what you make it. It doesn’t have to be in a far off warm land filled with reggae music and pina colada’s (although, I’m not going to lie, that is EXACTLY where I want to be right now).
There are plenty of places here is Wisconsin that can make a wonderful and memorable honeymoon adventure that won’t hurt the cheque book as much. Here are some suggestions:

The American Club
Kohler, WI
Used to be a boardinghouse and now is one of the most luxurious resorts in the Midwest, or even the country! LOTS of great places to dine, golf, hike, and (what seems like the most fun) relaxing in one of their Kohler soaking baths with waterfalls!



Canoe Bay
Chetek, Wisconsin
This secret resort is set on three private lakes and doesn’t allow kids, pets or the rooms to have phones and cell phones, purposely, barely receive signal (can you handle it!), all this for the utmost relaxation. It has been known as “adult heaven” with their eco-friendly rooms, romantic candlelit dinners, and gazing at the stars in a canoe on the lake.



Door County
As Money Magazine says, it is one of the Top Ten Destinations in North America. Door County is the land of quaint shops, bed and breakfasts, inns, wineries, fresh fruit, local artist and so many other options for honeymooners!. If you live in Wisconsin and haven’t been to Door County, please treat yourself to this wonderful location



Now, these aren't the only places in Wisconsin to have a memorable honeymoon...but it's a start! Anyone have any other great Wisconsin Destinations?

Wedding Arches

I am searching for the history of the wedding arch and am having a difficult time coming up with anything…therefore I go to any of my faithful readers (yes, all 7 of you): Does anyone know the history of the arch?

From what I know, the arch is placed in the altar area of where the bride and groom are to be wed to frame the beloved couple. Afterwards, the arch can bless the home and garden of the newly married couple as a reminder of their special day.

HOWEVER, many couples today are renting the arch that we have here at the War Memorial or at their ceremony venue. This makes it much easier than to haul, set-up and take down an arch, but the couples are having the arch decorated to show their own unique style.

Here are some of my favorite wedding arch decorations of this season..

Here the arch is nicely framed by two plants

This couple brought in their own arch and it looks beautiful as well!

The nice thing about some arches, is that they don't even need to be decorated as it adds a subtle beauty to the ceremony

So far, this is my favorite arch decoration of the season!

I love the colors and the flowers tied to the end of the ribbons!

Wedding Recpetion Ideas

How about some fun ideas for a wedding reception! The Reception is the time for family and friends to dance, socialize, relax and have fun. The traditional way is to have a DJ entertain the crowd and get them on the dance floor. Now, I am convinced that people around my age bracket (late 20’s early 30’s) all have A.D.D….okay maybe I just have A.D.D….but I like to blame it on society, but that is a whole other subject.
ANYWAYS, for those of us who seems to like multiple things going on at once, especially at weddings, here are some thoughts on spicing up your reception and adding some other fun to it!

Have a Wii Station
Set up a section of the banquet hall with a Wii and some games….it would a great way to get your friends and family socializing and laughing with each other. Imagine your grandma playing Wii bowling against your best friend!

Photo Booth
This is a fun way to break the ice with some groups and to get memorable pictures of your wedding. Add props to the photo booth such as boas and funny hats and you’ll be laughing at these pictures for a lifetime!

Karaoke
Dare I mention this….you’ll need a bold group for this activity!

Entertainers
Hire a magician to walk around your crowd Vegas Style doing his/her magic tricks, or consider having a comedian come in and do a gig while the band or DJ is taking a break

Anyone else have ideas for adding more entertainment to a wedding reception?

Wisconsin Outdoor Weddings!!

Wisconsin weather can always be such a tricky thing. Basically, you never know if it is going to rain in January or snow in July. This can be particularly frustrating when planning an outdoor wedding.
For example…this last weekend the weather was cold and rainy. Both of my Saturday and Sunday weddings where planning on having their wedding ceremonies outside, but due to weather we had to move them in. This can be quite detrimental to some people, but everything here still turned out beautiful.
The best thing I can say is that when weather changes plans ...just role with the punches. Please do not get mad at your venue, maid of honor, or mom about the weather!
Here are some pictures of what turned out to be a beautiful INDOOR wedding.

Wedding Ceremony

Social Hour in Veterans Gallery

Quck Turn Around from Ceremony to Reception