Wacky Wedding Planner

Amazing Fall Wedding

I worked with Regina and Justin for close to 15 months.  Our first meeting was very memorable, for me at least...when I walked into Black Bear Crossing Regina was sitting at a table with the sweetest smile and Justin had his forehead firmly planted on the table.  When I approached them, Justin kept repeating "we're NEVER going to find the perfect place" - this was unexpected coming from the future groom as most brides are usually the ones to be so distraught.  From that moment I knew that Justin would play a very important part of their wedding planning and I welcomed it!

Their wedding was last Saturday and thanks to Nicole Aronson of Nicollet Island Pavilion
and Mintahoe Catering, the day was flawless.  Martha of Martha's Gardens provided luscious, one-of-a-kind floral displays for both the ceremony and reception.  I always love it when we can move ceremony flowers into the reception and use again.  Previously viewed flowers take on a whole new look in a new setting and these are no exception. 

Congratulations Regina and Justin - you are adorable and have been a delight to work with...I will miss you both! 

Tonight's the Night - Ashley's Vision

Tonight is the fundraiser for Ashley, the young woman who lost her eye in a fluke accident.  Please stop by for cocktails and comradiere, fabulous food and most of all to support an optimistic young lady whose spirit and heart continue to shine.

Waffle House Wedding -

Jody Taylorsmith of Good Taste Events in Seattle sent this video of a Waffle House Wedding.  This Georgia couple both work for Waffle House so apparently felt a burning desire to be married there.  This takes wacky weddings to a whole new level...sorry, I really mean tacky -

 

Napa Valley as a Destination

Mid-September I spent five days in Napa Valley enjoying all that is Napa - wine, food, scenery and weddings.  Having never traveled to the area my vision was very different from the real Napa.  I found the region to be much more charming, intimate and very compact.  In less than an hour one can drive from the southern most point of what is Napa to the northern most point.  Of course, between these two points are hundreds of famous and not-so-famous wineries.

Immediately I was taken by the beautiful and diverse scenery which prompted my desire to do a destination wedding at any of the charming wineries or unique restaurants which seem to caterer to couples who are looking for something uniquely theirs.

I'll post again but for now here are some of my photos which regretfully do not depict the beauty and charm of Napa Valley. 

Living Room Studios

For those who do not know, I am one of the partners of a  way cool design studio called Living Room Studios shared by Andrew Vick of Vick Photography, John Hoel of JHP International and Rick Gmitro of DJ Flow.  We share this fun and funky studio space in St. Louis Park where we meet new clients and vendors, work on our day to day schedules and occasionally P-artay!

While we share studio space we are separate businesses under one roof.

I like to explain we are a collaborative cooperative group of expert wedding professionals who will refer client's to each other but only if it's in the best interest of our clients.  We are not obligated nor would we feel it's good business to use each other exclusively. I'm posting some of the photos from our opening night last April.

Wacky Fact - Lesson Learned

In an attempt to get the attention of uber-creative advertising folks, and also to get the message across this invitation was strictly hush-hush, I hired mimes to hand out 400 invitations as staff arrived to work one morning just a few weeks ago.  We got their attention alright but I don't think it was positive...I learned the hard way that people are as frightened of mimes as they are of clowns.  Who knew???
Here's a couple photos of the very harmless and very quiet mimes who did an excellent job of keeping a secret!

Southern Belle

One of our most fun wedding couples this year was Holiday and Aly.  Holiday had a very clear vision for her wedding and that vision meant a Southern Wedding.  What represents southern more than Cedarhurst Mansion in Cottage Grove.  True Thao and his talented team hosted a perfectly lovely southern evening for Holiday and Aly.  Laura from Chez Bloom did an amazing job with all the floral elements and Andrew Vick of Vick Photography captured some of the most intimate moments of the day.  The photos that you see posted are my own.

Ashley's Vision

A friend of my son's had her life changed one summer afternoon while golfing.  She was hit directly in the eye by a golf ball which resulted in a shattered cheekbone and the loss of her eye.  As you can imagine her medical expenses are astronomical and insurance limited, therefore her employer, Seven Sushi Lounge and her friends are hosting an evening in Ashley's name to raise funds to pay for her mounting expenses.  This promises to be an evening of fabulous food, energizing entertainment and inspiration beyond belief. 

Combining Traditions

I have had the privilege of planning and coordinating many wonderful weddings this year.  I will post highlight photos of each but first want to say that with the exception of one, we had the wackiest weather experiences for each of our outdoor weddings of which there were six.

The wedding over Memorial Weekend foretold our brush with tornadoes that was to recur throughout the summer.  On this day and just as I opened the doors for the wedding party to process, an awful storm hit...everything that wasn't nailed down went flying through the air from music stands, chairs and cocktail tables - fortunately the chuppah was well-built and stayed put. Thank you Martha of Martha's Gardens who did an amazing job with this wedding. After a twenty minute delay, we started again and this time, we were successful in marrying Lynn and Mark.

Here are just a few of the details that made this wedding such a hit.  By the way we combined Chinese traditions like a ceremonial tea service to parents and grandparents with Jewish traditions like the signing of the Katubah and circling under the chuppah.

This was also my first wedding of the season with my favorite photographer Biff Ulm of Vada Photography.  He truly is a gifted photographer and it's always such a joy to be in his presence.

I also have to thank the artistry of April owner of Country Cake Cupboard in Long Lake - she provided fabulous and delectable centerpiece cakes which adorned each of the guest tables.  Each of the cakes were different in their own way from flavors to filling to frosting and decor.  If you want to get your guests up and mingling, get them centerpiece cakes.  They'll be talking about your wedding for a long time.

Real or Fake?

Watch this video and let me know if you feel this is a real unexpected event or staged - WWP

Worst Best Man Ever @ Yahoo! Video

Future Mother-in-Law???

I published this invitation on my former blog, Do Not Fret the Fete but it's too good not to share again.  I love all things wacky and this certainly fits the bill...WWP

Tullabelles

I had the good fortune and privilege of attending Engage!08:The Encore in Orlando last week - For those who do not know, this is a symposium for high-performing, high-functioning wedding professionals from around the world. I plan on blogging more about the entire amazing experience a bit later but want to introduce you to someone I met at the symposium and feel very excited to call a new friend.  Cindy Folak is the founder of Tullabelles a unique gift studio offering "posh presents, trendy treats and gifts galore!"

Take a look at some of her unique offerings:  things like rooms sprays, stylish totes, body creams, glassware, clothing and an assortment of delectable treats.  Be sure to check out Tullabelles when searching for the "perfect gift" for your wedding party, family or friends.

Thought Provoking Thoughts!

Here are some relevant and timeless thoughts that still apply today - interesting how words of wisdom never go out of style - hmmm...WWP

   'If you don't read the newspaper you are uninformed;
If you do read the newspaper you are misinformed.'

-Mark Twain


* * *

Suppose you were an idiot.
And suppose you were a member of Congress....
But then I repeat myself.

-Mark Twain


* * *

I contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity
is like a man standing in a bucket and
trying to lift himself up by the handle.

-Winston Churchill


* * *

A government which robs Peter to pay Paul
can always depend on the support of Paul.

- George Bernard Shaw


* * *

A liberal is someone who feels a great debt to his fellow man
.which debt he proposes to pay off with your money.

-G. Gordon Liddy


* * *

Democracy must be something more than
two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for dinner.

-James Bovard, Civil Libertarian (1994)


* * *

Foreign aid might be defined as a transfer of money from
poor people in rich countries to rich people in poor countries.

-Douglas Casey


* * *

Giving money and power to the government is like
giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys.

-P.J. O'Rourke, Civil Libertarian


* * *

Government is the great fiction, through which everybody
endeavors to live at the expense of everybody else.

-Frederic Bastiat,
French Economist (1801-1850)


* * *

Government's view of the economy could be
summed up in a few short phrases:
If it moves, tax it.
If it keeps moving, regulate it.
And if it stops moving, subsidize it.

-Ronald Reagan (1986)


* * *

I don't make jokes...
I just watch the government and report the facts.

-Will Rogers


* * *

If you think health care is expensive now,
wait until you see what it costs when it's free!

- P.J. O'Rourke


* * *

In general, the art of government consists of
taking as much money as possible from
one party of the citizens to give to the other.

-Voltaire (1764)


* * *

Just because you do not take an interest in politics
doesn't mean politics won't take an interest in you!

-Pericles (430 B.C.)


* * *

No man's life, liberty, or property is safe
while the legislature is in session.

-Mark Twain (1866 )


* * *

Talk is cheap...except when Congress does it.

-Unknown


* * *

The government is like a baby's alimentary canal:
a happy appetite at one end and
no responsibility at the other.

-Ronald Reagan


* * *

The inherent vice of capitalism is
the unequal sharing of the blessings.
The inherent blessing of socialism is
the equal sharing of misery.

-Winston Churchill


* * *

The only difference between a tax man and a taxidermist
is that the taxidermist leaves the skin.

-Mark Twain


* * *

The ultimate result of shielding men from the
effects of folly is to fill the world with fools.

-Herbert Spencer,
English Philosopher (1820-1903)


* * *

There is no distinctly Native American criminal class
...save Congress.

-Mark Twain

* * *

What this country needs are more unemployed politicians.

-Edward Langley,
Artist (1928 - 1995)


* * *

AND THE BEST ONE...


A government big enough to give you everything you want,
is strong enough to take everything you have.

-Thomas Jefferson

 

Wackiest Wedding Dance

Check this out - it's probably the best wedding dance I've ever seen and gosh, I've seen a few...ENJOY!!! - WWP

Welcome to Wacky Wedding Planner

Every once in a while I find the need to reinvent myself so having my original blog Do Not Fret the Fete accidentally bite the dust this is the perfect opportunity to take advantage of a whole new me or blog or whatever...so without further adieu I give you Wacky Wedding Planner

I'm going to continue to provide fresh new tips and tricks for wedding planning, ideas and inspiration as well as humor and hints to keep you cool during what can be a stressful time. 

For those interested in becoming a planner...don't - no I don't really mean that.  What I really mean is don't unless you have some kind of experience managing events, running banquets or even theater production.  I happen to think having a passion for weddings is not enough to make you a successful planner. Will your passion help you problem solve a cake that was suppose to arrive hours ago?  Will your passion figure out where to put the guests who chose not to RSVP and surprise the bride and groom?  Education and experience are the path to becoming a successful planner.  I'll post more about how to gain both later.

In the meantime, I hope you enjoy my blog Wacky Wedding Planner and I look forward to hearing from you about topics you would like see covered over the next few weeks.

Thanks for visiting - WWP

Oh, and here's a little wackiness to enjoy: