May 25, 2014
in 1928 Planning, Wedding Coordination, Wedding Design Ideas, Wedding Planning

Wedding planning is constantly filled with endless decisions, checklists, timelines – the works! Planning out each moment and detail will make every bride and groom a bit more at ease come the wedding day – but what if something is overlooked? To avoid forgetting vital items – here are our top five most forgotten details while planning a wedding.

1. Guests’ Dietary Restrictions

Vegan, vegetarian, dairy-free, gluten-free, food allergy – there is bound to be someone in your guest list of 300 with some type of dietary restriction. While it seems like a difficult task to track down dietary limitations, these guests will thank you for giving them something they can eat without having to hunt down the wait staff at your wedding. What’s great is that most catering companies, like our favorite, CK Catering, offer tons of options for guests with restrictions. Include a dietary restriction line in your invitation for guests to fill out, and talk with your caterer about your options. Your guests will appreciate the extra mile for accommodating them.

 

2. Shuttle Service When Having an Open Bar

Many couples forget the importance of providing a shuttle service for guests who need a designated driver following the reception. Be especially wary if your wedding reception is not near a hotel where guests can easily walk or if cab service in the town you are getting married in is limited. Of course you want guests to have a good time so keep their safety and judgement in mind at the end of the night as well. Our top choice for end-of-evening shuttle service is Sunset Coast Trolley Company! They’ve got a super unique trolley to transport guests either back to hotels, or where the after-party is located.

 

3. Decorating The “Forgotten Spots”

Our clients have envisioned and executed some really beautiful centerpieces, but we often see the “extra” tables (tables for gifts, placecards, favors, desserts) and cocktail tables forgotten about! Dressing up the gift table could just mean adding a few more votives to the shopping list, or having your florist create a smaller floral arrangement for the table. The same goes with cocktail tables – we are really loving contrasted ribbon tied at the base of cocktail tables like the one shown here. Your reception will be brought to life with a little thinking beyond the main tablescapes and does not cut into your decor budget much at all either.

 

4. Keeping All Weather Conditions In Mind – (not just rain or shine!)

Weather is one of our clients’ biggest concerns when booking outdoor weddings – especially with the, at times, unpredictable Michigan weather. Even if your wedding is planned a year ahead of time – down to the very last ribbon tied, weather will always remain unpredictable. One weather condition that is often forgotten about is wind. You are guaranteed to have some level of breeze or wind at an outdoor wedding, and many couple’s forget this trait of mother nature when planning. Here is a good example:

We love the ribbon detail on this cocktail table, but unless those ribbon weaves are secured down, this beautiful design will soon be a tangled mess and the overall design will be lost. We see this problem a lot with table tents for guest seating. Paper will fly when set out in the open, so take some extra time to anchor them down with something if you can. Keep the wind factor in mind for the candles too! You’ll want to guard your candles with a holder so wind doesn’t constantly blow them out!

 

5. Securing Your Tear Down Crew

This one has to make the list for one of the most forgotten planning details! At the end of the night, who do you picture packaging up all of your centerpieces, favors, candles, gifts, leftover desserts and alcohol? I’m sure the answer is not YOURSELF! It’s even difficult to come up with family or close friends to give the responsibility too. Most of our clients would prefer to let all of their guests, including family and close friends, relax and enjoy the end of the reception without having to be put to work at midnight. Talk to your venue or planner about the clean up services they offer. 1928 Planning offers Reception Wrap Up services, where we’ll package up all of your belongings, store them overnight, and you can pick up the next day when it’s convenient for you.

 

To hear more suggestions or tips – contact us!

 

 

 

February 7, 2014
in 1928 Planning, Wedding Coordination, Wedding Design Ideas, Wedding Planning, Wedding Reception Ideas, Wedding Trends

If you’re looking for a quick catch-up on the top wedding trends for the upcoming season then you’re in luck, my friend! Welcome to our show and tell! We took to one of our favorites, The Knot, to get their insight on what’s in for 2014 and added other touches of what we’ve read up on in industry blogs. Search no further – we’ve covered it here!

Pantone’s Annual Color of the Year

Debuting a color that is sure to influence trendy engaged couples looking to make a mark in their wedding design, let us introduce the 2014 Pantone Color of The Year:  Radiant Orchid! It’s a warm purple hue with soft purple and pink undertones, perfect to add into your main color scheme or act as an accent in design details – perhaps a pop of color in your florals, stationary, or fashion the day of. Another perk to Radiant Orchid is that it’s perfect for all seasons – finding its way into year-round wedding planning designs.

Collage 1

Mini Bites & Pairings

We are really enjoying this continuing trend – taking the ordinary, formal sit-down dinner at a reception and giving it a fun twist to enhance your guest experiences. Local catering company, CK Catering, has perfected this food trend and made some of the most unique dinner services for couples this past season. As a bunch of foodies over here writing this blog, we can’t wait to see what they come up with next!

Refined Woodland Wedding

As we read through the top 2014 wedding trends, we were so excited to share a few photos from a beautiful wedding The Veranda hosted last October that inhabited every aspect of this new trend! Let me introduce you to a Refined Woodland Wedding – a mix of natural and rustic with accents of glam! Key components to this trend are the use of natural elements including moss, succulents, branches, bark, and miscellaneous greenery to bring a woodsy look to your space. This mixed with small, yet noticeable accents of sparkle – including hints of glitter and sequins, metallics, etc. add the perfect touch of glam for a more refined look.

Collage 2

Photo Credit: Casper Hamlet Photography

Brights Are Making A Comeback!

Wedding trends like these excite us! Over the last wedding season we saw a lot of color schemes focusing on soft pastels, neutrals and metallics. We aren’t necessarily saying sayonara to the soft schemes but make way for some brights to come into the mix. It’s your chance to be bold and make a statement – don’t back down from it!

The Importance of the After Party

All of our readers who don’t plan to have the party end when their reception comes to a close – this one’s for you! It’s no surprise this makes the list as one of 2014’s top wedding trends. Your wedding day is such a celebration for you, your family and guests and being able to extend the party longer than what your venue allows is a great touch to end the night on a memorable note!

Transformation of the Wedding Flower

We all know how much of a role florals play in most weddings – and boy does this trend up the ante a bit!  We’ve come to pair wedding florals with bridal party bouquets and boutonnieres, table centerpieces and perhaps a few flowers to place on a major wedding reception focal point – the CAKE! But this trend predicts a move towards more innovative ways to display floral arrangements. What I love about this wedding trend are the suggestions for out-of-the-box displays: floral arrangements suspended from the ceiling over guest tables, floral backdrops for the cake table or sweetheart table for a beautifully photographed spot, and dressed to the nines ceremony arches. Check out the collage below for some inspiration!

Collage 3

Take these trends and run with them! Can’t wait to see what you come up with!

Wanna hear more from us? Reach out so we can chat!

❀ Danielle

January 17, 2014
in 1928 Planning, Real Weddings, Schades of Light, Wedding Coordination, Wedding Design Ideas, Wedding Planning, Wedding Reception Ideas, Wedding Trends

Real weddings are one of our favorite things to share! We’ve been SO anxious to reveal the details of Steve & Lauren’s beautiful wedding day, and guess what, that day has finally come! It was a warm, June afternoon and perfect for their outdoor wedding reception at one of our favorite venues, The Veranda @ The Whitcomb. We think you’ll be able to tell by the breathtaking photography that there was an abundance of beautiful decor, fun, and love in the air!

Sarkisian Collage (2)

Photo Credit: Luna Dulce Photography

One of the best hidden gems about The Veranda { probably not so hidden after this post ♥ } is having exclusive access to The Whitcomb’s Tower for one-of-a-kind, beautiful photography. The tower marks one of the highest points in the city and gives off breathtaking views of Silver Beach, the St. Joseph Lighthouse and Lake Michigan. Most often the tower is used as a first look spot for couples to see each other before the fast-paced day sets in. Steve and Lauren wanted a special place to capture their first seen moments and thought the tower would be the perfect spot. What do you think? Isn’t this an awesome find?!

Collage 4

To help create a soft and romantic ambiance in the reception space, they chose shades of taupe, grays, and creams to create a breathtaking, monochromatic look that complimented the architecture of the venue effortlessly. We adored the details of the wedding, with statement-making chiavari chairs {so pretty!}, mercury glass-embellished floral vases and candle holders as well as silver charger plates as a special feature on the head table {a must have and available to rent from CK Catering!} Let me just say how photos don’t do this look justice!

Sarkisian 6/22/13 Veranda

I can’t believe I’ve gone this far in our blog without mentioning the florals! Major shout out to Crystal Springs Florist for their creative floral arrangements! The reception table layout was super unique, mixing round tables, banquet tables and kings tables for a great, eye-catching look. The centerpieces had a ton of texture in them and being a shorter arrangement, guests were able to engage and chat during the reception without having tall centerpieces in the way. Guest tables were filled with an abundance of candles and once the sun went down, added the perfect amount of glow. It complimented the work of Schades of Light, who provided extra lighting design {cafe bulbs and paper lanterns} in the space.

Collage 5

The food, provided by CK Catering, was a major talking piece amongst guests. Steve and Lauren’s customized menu featured a lot of unique elements, like salt block scallops, cucumber salmon rolls, and mini tacos, and was a full of trending food arrangements like their late night snack {chicken satay and quesadillas} and the ultimate dessert station for their guests, filled with mini creme pie shooters, fruit tarts, chocolate-covered strawberries, cupcakes, and baklava! Are you as hungry as I am now?

Well they didn’t stop at the creativity of their menu because they also sported an awesome gentleman’s hour with a slew of craft beer selections and whiskey drinks topped with a crispy bacon garnish.

Sarkisian Collage (1) It really was the perfect weather outside and we enjoyed seeing their guests take advantage of the rented lounge furniture adding a little touch of comfort to the garden patio. It’s a great way for people to relax while watching the sunset over Lake Michigan or take a break from the packed dance floor! The night was finished with one of our most popular send off’s, the always picture-perfect sparkler exit! Their guests lined the outer walkway to surround them with lots of love as Steve and Lauren made their exit as Mr. and Mrs!

Collage 6

To Steve & Lauren: we enjoyed SO much getting to know you and working to coordinate your dream wedding. It was such a beautiful sight to see and be included in and we are so happy for you both!

Want to hear more from us? Contact us!

– Danielle

January 13, 2014
in 1928 Planning, Wedding Coordination, Wedding Planning, Wedding Trends

Creating your wedding registry is an exciting time because it’s all about planning out your new life together! Just with every other aspect of wedding planning, there are helpful do’s and do not’s that we’d like to share to help keep you on track and organized! First, decide whether you lean towards being a traditional or modern-registry couple. It will help you decide which stores or alternate types of registry outlets are best suited for you. For instance, there are wedding trends showing an increase in the number of couples taking an alternate route and deciding against the traditional wedding registry gifts like bed sheets or pots and pans. Instead, listed among some of the more popular registry outlets made by couples:

One-Stop Shop for all things registry

Honeymooning & Travel Gifts

Charitable Donations

Unique and One-of-a-Kind Finds

If going the more traditional route, ask your selected registry stores if they have a completion program. Often times, stores will give you a discount for items remaining on your registry after your wedding date. This percentage can range anywhere from 10% – 15% and can help you purchase those items on your wedding registry you really wanted but didn’t receive. Those that made the cut for being the top wedding registry stores were:

Store Collage

Here are a few tips to keep you on track and organized when creating your perfect wedding registry:

✿ Have a wedding registry at more than one place – preferably at two to three stores. It gives your guests options and versatility in their shopping experience.

✿  Maintain a balanced wedding registry with various price points and types of items.

✿ Register for what you want and need! Who cares if it’s non-traditional! Want new outdoor equipment, hobby items, or board games? Register for it! Some guests are looking for these fun, unique items on your registry and want to give you something more enjoyable than typical wedding registry necessities like a stand mixer or measuring spoons.

✿ There is no harm in registering early on in your engagement. Some guests will want to take a glance at your registry as soon as they receive your Save The Date. The worst thing you can do is register too close to the wedding and make things hectic for your guests.

✿ Don’t limit yourself – see the future! Are you like me and still live off of your college mismatched dishes or have towels that have seen better days? Eventually your college items need to be upgraded and now is the time to do so! In the future, you may want to host family get-togethers or dinner parties so being prepared to do so now, and registering for those items will help out in the long run!

✿ Prepare Yourself! When heading to the store to create your wedding registry, go in with an idea of the items you for sure what to register for. It’ll make things go smoother, be more organized, and often is a time-saver so you aren’t in the store for hours on end.

 ✿ Don’t forget to write your thank you’s! It’s one of our most important tips for you regarding your registry! Make sure they are personal and given to your guests promptly!

 

Want to learn more? Reach out to us so we can chat! Hope these tips help you when registering! Happy Planning, and shall I say shopping too!

 

✿ Danielle

 

April 15, 2013
in 1928 Planning, Wedding Coordination, Wedding Planning, Wedding Reception Ideas, Wedding Trends

Are you busy looking for ways to have a personalized wedding ceremony? Just like the wedding reception, you should make the wedding ceremony your very own and seek to represent who you are as a couple. We have seen a real turn on the way ceremonies are performed and the personal touches that are constantly being infused. Here are some quick tips on what we’ve seen our couples do to get your imagination going!

1. Write your own personalized vows to read aloud at the wedding ceremony.

2. Consider having a booklet waiting at the guests’ chairs that tells your love story while they wait for the ceremony to begin.

Personalized Ceremony Program

3. Add your four-legged friend to the bridal party to add a personal touch.

4. Infuse how you met and your journey together as a couple into the wedding.

5. Select a unique, one-of-a-kind alter backdrop to create a personalized wedding ceremony.

 

Ceremony Backdrop

6. Consider an officiant whom you’ve known.

7. Personalize your programs to speak to your personality.

8. Arrange the ceremony chairs in a semi-circle so that all of your loved ones surround you.

Ceremony Setup

9. Have your ceremony musician be a close family member or friend.

10. Choose your music carefully – maybe put a spin on the traditional processional or recessional music.

 

Hope these few ideas get you started on ways to have a personalized wedding ceremony of your own!

 

Want to hear more from 1928 Planning Co? Contact us!

 

❀ Danielle

April 10, 2013
in 1928 Planning, Wedding Coordination, Wedding Design Ideas, Wedding Planning, Wedding Reception Ideas

Oh the woes of seating arrangements! I bet you’re asking yourself, “Should I do a seating chart? How do I tackle this? Where do I start?” First things first: Decide what type of feel you are going for at your reception. Are you looking for a traditional, formal reception or more of a casual, mingle reception? What type of food is being served? If you’re doing heavy appetizers you can get away with open seating but a plated dinner requires assigned tables, and maybe even assigned seats! What is your guest count looking like? Anything over 50 people needs some sort of seating arrangement. Answering these questions will help determine whether open seating, assigned tables, or assigned seats will be best. From our experience, we’ve seen a little bit of everything. Here are some general seating arrangement ideas to help guide you in creating the best atmosphere for guests to relax and enjoy themselves!

Our Tips!

Make the place card table visible!

There is nothing worse than guests having awkward first moments in the venue. Provide guests with an easy to find table near the entrance of the venue that is quick to read and comprehend.

Place cards should always be organized alphabetically!

Do NOT organize your seating arrangement presentation by table #’s. It will lengthen the searching process – especially when you have a large guest count and 200 names to filter through! Doing it alphabetically will keep the line moving and guests will be satisfied with its ease.

Make sure the table numbers are visible!

Make sure table numbers are large, easy to see, read and find! Also be sure they are facing the direction guests will be walking in at.

Table Numbers

Table conversation is key!

Try and put atleast a few people who know each other together at a guest table to jumpstart convo. Mixing a few familiar faces and a few new ones will create a great mingling environment throughout the reception.

Obtain a layout from the venue

Before making seating arrangements, be sure to ask your venue for a layout of the reception space. Getting a feel for how many tables will fit comfortably in a given area early will help you plan out seating decisions later on.

Elderly vs. DJ Speakers

Who would have thought – Elders and loud, bumping music speakers don’t go together! Think through your layout and try to keep the elders on the opposite end of the DJ’s speakers so the sound doesn’t overwhelm them. You’ll want all guests to be comfortable; this is just another thing to think about!

Have a kid’s table at the reception!

Have a separate table just for the kids if you have several children over the age of 7. Be sure to check out one of my previous posts giving you the best insight on how to tackle kids at your reception!

Be sure to mix the families!

Especially if you decide to have a dance floor in the middle of the venue that separates the guests, be sure to mix his and her’s families to create more of a celebration and togetherness among the different families.

 

Contact us for more advice on more seating arrangement tips! It’s something you’ll want to take the time on and have it be just right!

 

Happy planning!

 

❀ Danielle

 

April 5, 2013
in 1928 Planning, Wedding Coordination, Wedding Planning, Wedding Reception Ideas

Reception timelines are a big deal – and really control the feel of the wedding celebration and the flow of events. It’s all about keeping the reception at a good pace, not too rushed and definitely not moving too slow. Many of you I’m sure turn to the web to look at sample wedding reception timelines. Just remember these are just a guide to help you get organized – not a set of rules to abide by! While there is flexibility as to how a reception can be organized and ordered, it’s important to be practical. Her are 10 helpful reception timeline tips that will help make your day flow just as you want it to!

 1. Decide if you want to have a traditional timeline or a trendy one.

First things first, decide if you’ll want the usual reception customs like cake cutting, the dollar dance, bouquet and garter toss, etc. or if you’d rather take a spin and go for a more trendy approach.

2. Make sure everyone involved knows what’s going on.

One of my biggest reception timeline tips: Everything should be planned and scheduled with your DJ, photographer, caterer, coordinator and other key vendors well in advance of your big day. Make sure every vendor has the same grand entrance time, first dance and cake cutting time, as well as dinner start time. Doing this ensures a smooth wedding reception from start to finish. 

First Dance

Photo Credit: Ben Pancoast Photography 

3. Do your formal photos right away!

Have an organized list to give to the photographer about who you’d like in what photos. Inform your family and friends in these formal pictures where to meet and when. This will keep the movement from one set of photos to the next.

4. Don’t keep guests waiting!

Try and stick to a 45 minute cocktail hour (1.25 hour MAX).  Keeping your guests waiting too long will have them wondering about the timeline of events and when things are going to get underway. 

5. Allow time to get ready for the grand entrance.

Plan to bustle your dress before you get announced? Have a large bridal party to round up? Allow a few extra minutes between arriving at the reception venue and getting announced so you can stick to your timeline as much as possible.

Grand Entrance

6. Consider doing toasts between dinner courses.

This is a newly popular piece to reception timelines. Consider having dinner right away and starting the toasts in between the salad and dinner course. It allows guests to finish up their first course while toasts begin and time for caterers to clear the tables of salad plates to prepare for the dinner entree.

7. Tame your talkers.

It’ll be impossible to predict how long someone can ramble for when they’re under the spotlight but inform your toasters to keep it to a minimum of a few minutes. You’ll want to keep your guests attention and taming your talkers is the way to go. 

8. Have a buffer of time for every activity

As mentioned in our #7, you’ll never know how much time your toasters may talk for when under the spotlight. Also, if doing other activities like a grand sparkler sendoff, make sure you build in time to prepare the sparklers, get them lit, and have your guests lined up. 

9. Don’t cut the cake too late!

A lot of couples are turning to cutting their cake upon arrival. If you’ve decided this is a little early for you, consider cutting the cake as soon as dinner is over. This will allow catering enough time to get the cake cut before guests begin to leave the reception.

10. Once you start open dancing, keep it that way!

Enough said! Once people find their way to the dance floor, don’t give them a reason to leave! Be sure to get all of the formalities taken care of before open dancing begins.    

 

Be okay with changes and don’t get too caught up in the timeline – enjoy your day (it’s going to go too fast regardless!) Keep in mind that you’re not orchestrating the wedding reception alone – you’ve got us to help guide you; just one of the many things we’re here for!

 

Contact us with questions! Happy planning!

 

❀ Danielle

 

dots

 

1928 Planning Co. is a full-service Southwest Michigan wedding planning company, helping couples plan, create and experience their dream wedding!  We offer guidance with wedding planning for amazing destination weddings and Michigan beach weddings, wedding rentals, decor and more.  Our priority is creating a perfectly unique wedding that represents YOU, and making your big day that much more relaxing and memorable. Contact us to see how we can be a part of your celebration!

info@1928planning.com

269-332-1632

March 18, 2013
in 1928 Planning, Wedding Coordination, Wedding Design Ideas, Wedding Reception Ideas, Wedding Trends

Whether it be an evening grand exit or the ceremony recessional, it’s been tradition for newlyweds to celebrate their exits by going out with a bang! Here’s a combination of what we’ve seen our couples do for a creative and awe-inspiring wedding send off and what’s up and coming for both ceremony and reception exits!

Ceremony Recessional Exits

Used traditionally for ceremony recessional exits were to toss rose petals, rice, confetti or blow bubbles. Just like other wedding elements, the traditional wedding send off items have been reinvented into so much more! Here are some of the items for a ceremony recessional we LOVE!

wedding send off

Multi-Colored Pom Pons |Courtesy Wedding Chicks

wedding send off Miniature beach balls! Perfect for a beach ceremony in St. Joe

wedding send off

  Balloons to line the walkway and be released on the count of three!

Other wedding send off ideas we love are tossed feathers or lavender as well as colorful ribbon dowels. What could be more of a perfect wedding send off than this? Just like I say in all of my posts, try something unique! Chances are your guests have been to several weddings previous to yours. Give them something to talk about right from the get-go that they’ll have fun with and remember long after the wedding is over.

 

Reception Send Offs

I always love when couples choose big impact decorations at their reception and when the wedding send off isn’t overlooked! Not only are evening exits the perfect note to end the reception on but are always great photo ops you’ll want your photographer to capture! We’ve seen a ton of AWESOME send offs – here are some of our favorites!

wedding send off

 Sparkler Send Off  | BJLR Photography

wedding send off

 Ben Pancoast Photography

wedding send off

 Have A Getaway Car!  | Craig Watson Photography

Tips for your wedding send off: consider the clean up involved afterwards as well as the user-friendliness of the send off item you’ve decided to use! Make sure you inform guests when and where to use them!

Hope to see some of these great send off’s! Contact us for more great ideas!

❀ Danielle

January 28, 2013
in 1928 Planning, Wedding Coordination, Wedding Planning

Wedding Budget Infographic
Before you start planning the wedding of your dreams, most people wouldn’t have the slightest idea how much of your wedding budget vendors account for. Which brings me to a question I know all brides-to-be can relate… When meeting with potential wedding vendors and receiving pricing from them, how are you supposed to know what’s the average; the norm to spend on this stuff?

When I go shopping out on the town, I’m always looking for the best bang for my buck, and planning a wedding shouldn’t be any different! A few months back, we came across an awesome wedding blog post from Every Last Detail. We think it’s a great breakdown of professional vendor costs and traditionally which vendors require more of your wedding budget than others. Based on the chart, they say to break down your total wedding budget into the following vendor percentages:

Catering | 20.4% of your total wedding budget

Venue | 17.4%

Event Design + Décor | 15%

Photography | 10.3%

Florals | 9.4%

Event Planning | 8.5%

Cinematography | 8.2%

Entertainment | 5.1%

Paper Goods | 3.2%

Cakes & Sweets | 2.1%

 

No matter how big or small your wedding budget is, you don’t have to downsize on the number of professional wedding vendors you invite to be a part of the big day. It’s all about prioritizing which wedding vendors are most important to you in creating a ‘uniquely yours’ wedding reception and which takeaways you want your guests to have and remember long after the night is over.

Creating wedding budgets are said to be some of the most stressful, frustrating and hair-pulling moments in the planning process. The 1928 team is always looking to alleviate stress or concerns the couple may have during the planning process. As part of our Coordination Services, we’ll create a personalized budget for you that itemizes spending categories, forecasted vs. actual spending amounts as well as reminders on when payment installments and final balances are due with each vendor. As an experienced planner, I think this coordination service in particular is well worth the investment, to simply not have to worry about keeping a tedious organized wedding budget all on your own.

My tips for doing a budget breakdown yourself – take it stride by stride. Don’t let the costs get away from you! Plan ahead on what you’re looking to spend and know what your wedding budget will allow. These percentages are a great starting point and sticking with them will ensure a top-notch wedding with quality vendors without breaking the bank.

 

Contact us with questions and as always, happy planning!

 

❀  Danielle