Joseph & Jessica ~ September 6, 2008

Loving Every Minute

Jessica & Joe’s wedding was at Lakeview Christian Church, where I am one of the wedding coordinators. I met with Jessica & her mother, Carolyn to discuss their needs and get a feel for their vision about six weeks before their big day. Jessica wanted lots of candlelight and a romantic feel to the ceremony site. Her chosen colors were lilac, purple and ivory.

To create Jessica’s vision, we placed an arch (decorated with tulle) at the entry of the aisle with the base surrounded with hurricane candles and rose petals. We lined the aisle with hurricane candles and puddled rose petals between the hurricanes. We set up two 15 candle spiral candelabra’s, two 15 candle arch candelabra’s and two 9 candle candelabra’s at the alter. They also had a unity candelabra. Candles were also placed on the sign in table and gift table.

Kevin & Alicia Monahan (Kevin Monahan Photography) were the photographers for the day. Jessica & Joe opted to have all of their photographs taken before the ceremony. Getting ready shots and individual shots were the first order of the day then they moved on to family shots. Before the wedding party photographs began we arranged a moment where the very nervous groom got his first glimpse at his beaming bride. Jessica was absolutely gorgeous and Joe was all smiles. Kevin & Alicia were a joy to work with.

Minutes before the prelude music began my assistant Jessica Ayers and I lit all of the candles and dimmed the overhead lights to provide the ambiance Jessica was looking to achieve. What an AMAZING transformation! The room was STUNNING.
The ceremony was held in the Conference Center at Lakeview. Pastor Rob Haslett officiated and did a wonderful job personalizing the ceremony. Jessica’s brothers, Steve & Jacob were ushers.

After the ceremony the guests lined the walkway and threw birdseed as the happy couple made their grand exit and headed to their reception.

Jessica and Joe honeymooned in Mexico. Here’s what she had to say upon their return. “The honeymoon was a blast, we just got back from Mexico. Although it’s great to be home, we almost didn’t want to leave!”

The guest book

Hurricanes and rose petals lining the aisle

Jessica...isn't she beautiful?

Joe...isn't he handsome?

Father and daughter making their entrance

United together in this life

Joe & Jessica...It was a pleasure to meet and get to know you and your wonderful families. We enjoyed having a small part in making your wedding dreams come to life. We wish you a lifetime of love and happiness! Best wishes!

Mike & Jennie ~ August 31, 2008

Picture Perfect!

Such an AMAZING couple and two amazing families! We were referred to Jennie and her mom, Kim, by Megan at the Crowne Plaza - Union Station. Jennie and Kim called us and the rest was as they say...history! Jennie and Kim had a vision in their heads as to what they wanted everything to look like and they had already hired their other major vendors prior to hiring us, so it was a matter of helping them get their vision across on the big day! We had meetings at Crowne Plaza many times to go over how everything was supposed to be set and we met with the florist numerous times to make sure that their vision was truly captured by Judy (Ayers Flowers Wholesale).

The rehearsal went great! There was a wedding getting ready to take place on the day of the rehearsal so we improvised and had the rehearsal in the hallway! It was a piece of cake and everyone did awesome with the practice location! From there they had their rehearsal dinner at J. Gumbos in Indianapolis and then as a group they went to an Indianapolis Indians baseball game!

The day of the wedding was just AMAZING! The bridal party (who had all stayed at the Crowne Plaza the night before) walked over to Pan Am Plaza to get their hair and make-up done. Once they were finished they walked back over to the Crowne Plaza and had a great time in the girls dressing room! The guys arrived and went to their dressing room where they ate, talked and got ready for photos! Mike and the guys had all of their photos done first and then it was time for Jennie and the girls! Jennie looked absolutely RADIANT! She was 6 months pregnant and you COULD NOT tell! Her dress was just so gorgeous and elegant. Following their individual pictures, it was time for them to see each other for the first time! Ahh...it just make me want to tear up, because both of them cried! It was so sweet!

Judy did a great job with the flowers for everyone and the flowers used for the ceremony site and the reception site were just what Jennie and Kim envisioned! The cakes arrived and looked STUNNING. They got Mike a groom's cake with the Cubs logo on it! The string quartet arrived and then it was time for guests!

Everything was set up so elegantly! There were rose petals and candles everywhere! They also had a table of family photos from each side. Their guest book was a big photo mat with Mike & Jennie's engagement picture in it! Their programs were made by Jennie's brother, Mike Jr., and turned out AWESOME! I found this GREAT website that has a ton of different ideas and it fit their really elegant and royal theme. Everything just tied together so nicely. Their colors were ecru (ivory) and black.

The guests were seated to wonderful musical selections by the Grace String Quartet and then it was show time! Everyone did so great and everything went PERFECT! There was such a sweet and tender moment right before we sent Jennie and her dad, Mike, down the aisle! We told her how beautiful she was (truly...she was gorgeous) and asked her if she was ready and that brought on a flood of emotions and she started to get teary eyed and turned into her dad...so sweet! Then, it took my breath away when it was time for Jennie and her dad to start down the aisle! The trumpet was playing to "Trumpet Voluntary." It was truly a royal entrance!

Following the recessional, Mike and Jennie went back and released each row, while their wedding party went upstairs to their own private cocktail hour. The guests had a great cocktail hour while the UNBELIEVABLE staff at the Crowne Plaza flipped the room in about a half an hour (half the time they normally have). We were definitely all scrambling behind the scenes, but that's why you hire us...so you don't have to worry about all of that :) When the room was transformed it was STUNNING!

Jennie's brother, Scott, was in charge of introducing the wedding party and WOW...we could not have picked anyone better! He did such a great job and has such an announcers voice! He made it fun and really got everyone in the mood for a fun and exciting evening! Right after the introductions, Mike & Jennie cut the cake and then Jennie's dad, Mike, gave a really nice welcome speech and Kevin (the officiant and groom's brother - who did a great job) gave the blessing! Dinner was served and yum...yum...you cannot go wrong with the food Chef Randy and his staff at Crowne Plaza prepare! Next up were the toasts and everyone did so great! All of their families and friends have such great personalities and really know how to have fun! Following that we had all of the special dances and the the bouquet and garter toss! It was then time to PARTY for the rest of the evening!

The Flying Toasters were the band for the evening and they were just OUTSTANDING! They kept people out on the dance floor all night long and really took the time to include their guests so that they stayed engaged in the atmosphere (although....it's hard not to, because all of the lights and great music are infectious)!

The last song of the evening was "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" and then we gathered the guests outside and handed out sparklers to each guest as they lined the pathway to the horse and carriage! Mike and Jennie made their way down the path and rode off into the city lights! It was truly magical and such a fitting ending for such a royal couple and wedding!

Here are the vendors who helped to make Mike & Jennie's day so AMAZING:

· Pastry Diva - Andrea did such a GREAT job with all of the detail work on their wedding cake and the groom's cake! It was delicious!

· Grace String Quartet (Powell Music) - WOW...amazing as always! They are all such great people to work with and they no cease to amaze us!

· Flying Toasters - Jason and the band were just AWESOME! Like I said earlier...they kept the guests on their feet the entire night and really gave special attention to make everyone feel included and energized! They are AMAZING!

· Ayers Flowers Wholesale - Judy did a great job of making Jennie and Kim's vision come to life.

· Meridian Design Group - They did such a WONDERFUL job with everyone's hair and make-up! Everyone looked stunning!

· Kevin Kiefer (Officiant) - Kevin did such a GREAT job! He is the groom's brother and did a great job of tying in stories from their family and he truly made it personal and unique to them! Kevin was so WONDERFUL to work with!

· Mary-Ellen Bertram Studios - WOW...Mary-Ellen is FABULOUS at what she does! The pictures are beyond AMAZING! She truly did a great job of capturing how royal and elegant the day was! We cannot say enough good things about her!

· Crowne Plaza Union Station - Megan, Cambrie and their staff...simply the best! I'm sure you all have noticed a running theme...we truly LOVE working with them and they make the process so easy for us and our clients! It is just a truly beautiful venue!

· Dos Halos Studios - Zach and Rikki provided the videography for the day and we are so excited to see the video! They were so nice to work with :)

· Yellow Rose Carriage - AWESOME as usual! They are just first class and great to work with as well!

The Invitation

The Groom, Mike

The GORGEOUS, Jennie

Jennie...again...AMAZING shot!

The Group Shot

BEAUTIFUL Group Shot

Grace String Quartet

Escort Cards

Yummy...shrimp shooters!

The Grand Hall

"Thank You"

Yum...cake :)

Mike's surprise groom's cake

Guitars from The Flying Toasters...they are AWESOME!

Kim & Mike

Mike & Jennie...we cannot THANK YOU enough for allowing us to share in your special day! It was truly royal and we enjoyed so much getting to know both of you and your great families (Kim - we love you and thank you so much for all of your kind words and friendship)! Everyone was so delightful to work with and we thank you so much for all of your kind words! We wish the two of you the absolute BEST! You two deserve so many great things in life and we are so excited for you and your little bundle of joy...they are having a girl :) Thank you again!

Eric & Erin ~ June 20, 2008

Magazine Worthy

WOW...Eric and Erin could definitely have their photo in a bridal magazine! STUNNING! We met Erin and her mom Sue (both women are so AMAZING) about 3 weeks before her wedding! Erin had done A LOT of the planning, but most of it was in pieces, so she needed our assistance to bring all of her ideas and vendors together to make it SPECTACULAR! Let me tell you...it was just that and more! Erin is an actress and Eric loves to write plays! They met while attending Indiana University and then Eric moved to New York to pursue his dreams! Erin was there for a little bit and then came back to finish a few credits and plan this wedding! She has impeccable taste and she made the event truly unique to her and her guests!

The rehearsal went well and their rehearsal dinner went awesome at Buca di Beppo's in Indianapolis. Eric's father got them rehearsal dinner "tickets" with their names and the location and time printed on them and that's what they used as rehearsal dinner invitations (too cute!). They truly thought about their attendant and parents gifts (no dry eyes)! Everyone just LOVED what Eric and Erin presented them!

Wedding day went flawlessly! Erin had Karen Hall & Co. come to the Crowne Plaza to do everyone's hair and make-up! WOW...everyone looked STUNNING! The day rolled on as it was planned to with the groom's photos and the bride's photos! Following their separate pictures, it was then time for Eric and Erin to see each other! It was so gosh darn sweet! They were crying and just so happy and in love! From there it was time for guests to arrive!

It was very nicely set up because Eric and Erin had brought in family photos to place on a desk in the foyer so that everyone could see the history of their families and their history as a couple. Erin and Sue bought scented candles for the foyer and the reception hall for the tables so it smelled so MAGNIFICENT throughout the entire venue. Guests took their seats and everything (processional, ceremony and recessional) went PERFECTLY! One unique thing Eric and Erin did was that their wedding party walked down to "Part of Your World" from "The Little Mermaid" - Erin's favorite movie! Also, in this wedding, Eric and Erin wanted to include their dog, Zoe, so they even had a dog-bearer for the ceremony...too cute! Everyone was perfect throughout the ceremony and their officiant (Tim Noble...a family friend who was ordained specifically for their event) was absolutely GREAT! During the ceremony they had a couple of their friends sing "In Whatever Time We Have" and it just took your breath away! Truly, it was magical and just beautiful to watch!

Following the ceremony, the wedding party went outside to take photographs around the city while the guests mingled in the foyer and the bar for the cocktail hour! For the table assignments Erin made AMAZING turquoise boards displaying everyone's cards! During the cocktail hour guests were treated to the sounds of a string quartet provided by the Cool City Swing Band. Once the wedding party finished their photos they went up to a private cocktail hour for them!

The staff at Crowne Plaza is just BEYOND amazing! Megan, Cambrie and their staff are just such an absolute joy to work with and they make the process so easy for everyone involved. For this wedding because the ceremony was in the same location that the reception was going to be the Crowne Plaza staff had about an hour to flip the room and transform it in the beautiful reception location! They definitely have it down to a science and are just MAGNIFICENT!

Once the room was transformed it was time to let the guests in and the night truly began! Eric and Erin came up with really fun introductions for each of the members in their wedding party! Following introductions Erin's dad gave a really gracious welcome speech and her uncle gave a blessing! It was then time for dinner...yum...yum! They had a seated dinner and boy oh boy...it was GREAT! Chef Randy and his staff are truly masters at what they do and everything was PERFECT! Then, it was time for special dances, toasts and cake cutting! The cake was absolutely STUNNING! Erin designed it and WOW...Classic Cakes delivered big time (even the fondant was good...hard to do :)

All night long the guests were entertained by the Cool City Swing Band! Roy and his band were just OUTSTANDING and kept people out dancing all night long! Erin gave us all a WONDERFUL surprise by signing a song with the band! WOW...she is amazing and it put the perfect cap on the night! The song that ended the evening was "I Told Ya I Loved Ya, Now Get Out" and it was great! Everyone had a blast and everyone was just so darn easy to work with!

Here are the vendors who helped make this day so amazing:

• Classic Cakes - Liz and her team are just dynamite! They do an AMAZING job and are just a joy to work with!
• Karen Hall & Co. (Hair & Make-up) - Karen and her team and PHENOMENAL at what they do! They are so very diligent and want to make sure everything is flawless and just amazing for everyone involved! They are all so easy and nice to work with!
• Crowne Plaza at Union Station - I could gush on and on for days about Megan, Cambrie and their staff! AMAZING, WONDERFUL, FLAWLESS, PHENOMENAL, PERFECT, EASY TO WORK WITH, OUTSTANDING SERVICE & FOOD....
• Cool City Swing Band - Roy and everyone in the band were AMAZING to work with and truly provided a great atmosphere for Eric and Erin's wedding!
• The Florist at Allisonville Nursery - Chuck did a great job for this wedding! The backdrop for the ceremony was just STUNNING!
• Erin Hession Photography - Erin and her team...WOW...you can just look at the photos and they speak for themselves! Not only do they do GREAT work, but they are genuinely a pleasure to work with! They were so very diligent in making sure that they got every shot from multiple angles, so that the client has options! There were so many GREAT pictures that it was so difficult for us to choose!
• Indy Visual (Videographer) - Bob...AMAZING! Truly...when we met him we knew he was going to an EXCELLENT job, but when the DVD arrived on their wedding day we just sat with our mouth agape, because it was just so AMAZING! He just does an absolutely WONDERFUL job capturing every moment and making it into a story of art! Just AMAZING...not enough good words for how great he is at his job and what a great person he is as well.
  

As you can probably tell we LOVED working with everyone on this wedding (truthfully...we LOVE everyone we work with because we are truly that blessed to have AMAZING clients and vendors to work with).

Here are some photos from Erin Hession...

They are just so photogenic!

Erin looking STUNNING!

So BEAUTIFUL

Erin & her bridesmaids


A GORGEOUS overhead shot of the ceremony

Having a good time on the train cars!

The cake...Erin designed it...she is SO creative!

Cool City Swing Band

Having a good time dancing...so cute

Erin gave the guests a special treat by singing a song with the band...she sounds AMAZING!

My mom and I having a GREAT time!

Hugs & Kisses to the two of you (and Zoe)

Eric and Erin...we cannot thank you enough for allowing us to share in your special day! The two of you were so fun and laid-back. Your families were so GREAT to work with and we enjoyed meeting and getting to know each of them! Erin you have so many OUTSTANDING ideas and it was so AWESOME to see everything you worked so hard for come together! We wish both of you the best in New York and we definitely hope to come see you someday when your name are in lights (it will happen!). You both looked STUNNING on your wedding day and were just such a pleasure to work with! Best of luck to you in all of your future endeavors!

Jason & Nicole ~ June 14, 2008

WOW!

Jason & Nicole! They are just another AMAZING couple! We met Nicole towards the end of September 2007 and knew from the get-go that she was going to be so much fun to work with. She was another bride who had a lot of her day planned when she came to us, so our role was to help with some additional vendors, give extra ideas, put the timeline together and coordinate with all of her vendors to make sure that everything went smoothly on her big day!

In October of 2007 Jason & Nicole moved to Colorado so they wanted to make sure that there was someone here in Indiana to oversee everything. So, we e-mailed multiple times each day until everything was in its place. Jason & Nicole did come back to Indiana once or twice prior to their event, so we set up vendor meetings with virtually all of their vendors to go over everything that had been discussed between all parties. Everything was set to go and it went...flawlessly!

Their wedding was outdoors at Laurel Hall (BEAUTIFUL location). On rehearsal day my mom and I got their a couple hours early because we helped the waitstaff get the tables set. Well...kind of...they delivered pink tablecloths instead of imperial white...so we had a minor setback! So, once we identified that the pink was NOT what we ordered they waitstaff quickly rectified the situation and on wedding day all of the linens were correct and the room was stunning!

The day of the wedding was absolutely gorgeous! On rehearsal day we had a bit of a sprinkle, but the sky was perfect just for them on their big day! Our team worked really hard to make this wedding just perfect! There were so many elements and locations. Laurel Hall is an old house and the rooms are broken up so we had lots of ground to cover! We helped the waitstaff change out the linens, fold the napkins, tie the chair cushions on, etc. It was crazy...as it always is, but that is why you hire us...so you don't have to worry about all of the craziness that goes on behind the scenes! :) We made sure all of the chairs for the ceremony location were set up and that everything and everyone who was supposed to arrive did just that!

Really...this day was just so darn smooth! Nicole and her maid-of-honor had their hair and make-up done (True Colors...Rebecca) in the suite upstairs in Laurel Hall. They just relaxed all morning and drank champagne. Jason and his best man were on time and had time to just mingle with family and relax. We really aim at a stress-free day for our couples...the day goes bye so quickly the way it is that no bride or groom should be bothered with the details on their wedding day! I think both Jason & Nicole will attest to that...they both just kept saying how fast the day was going bye!

We have just truly been so fortunate to work with GREAT couples and vendors! Here are a list of vendors that helped make Jason & Nicole's wedding day so memorable!

• Classic Cakes -- Liz and her team are just AMAZING at what they do! They provided a BEAUTIFUL cake for Jason & Nicole's day!
• True Colors (Hair & Make-up) -- Rebecca and her team once again did an OUTSTANDING job on Nicole and her maid-of-honor!
• Jacquie's Gourmet Catering -- Jackie is so nice to work with and talk to! Her staff are wonderful to work with and our banquet manager for the night, Crystal, was just great! They were all so accommodating and quickly rectified any situation that arose (i.e. the linens).
• Laurel Hall -- Stephanie and her team are AMAZING and such a pleasure to work with! It is such an impressive and unique venue! If you are looking for an outdoor location this is definitely one to check out!
• TLW Entertainment (Village Quartet & Krista Lee) -- Terry, Liz & Krista Lee are just so easy and nice to work with! Terry is the booking agent for TLW, Liz is the main point of contact for the Village Quartet and Krista Lee is a great (fun and energetic) DJ. TLW has a lot of entertainment acts to offer...definitely check them out!
• Flowers by Melissa -- Melissa was so sweet to work with. She really worked with Nicole to make sure that she was totally pleased with her flowers and on the day of she definitely delivered! The flowers were so vibrant and just look magnificent around Laurel Hall.
• Anointed Hands Interpreting -- Lisa did such a great job for Jason & Nicole's friends! They had a few deaf friends attending their event, so Lisa signed during the ceremony and Nicole signed during dinner!
• Julie Denny-Hughes (Officiant) -- Julie did a wonderful job for Jason and Nicole.
• Alanna Photography -- WOW...Janie and her husband, James, did a MAGNIFICENT job on the photos! She took so many photos and they were all so good it was difficult to choose!
• Antique Limousine of Indianapolis -- Jack and his men put the last touch on a perfect evening!

Here are some of the photographs courtesy of Janie at Alanna Photography...

The outside of Laurel Hall

Nicole getting buttoned in her dress!

Isn't Nicole just beautiful?

Jason & Nicole exchanging rings

The rings!

The Village Quartet playing during the cocktail hour

Mr. & Mrs.

Aren't they cute?

The dining room for Laurel Hall...it looked so AMAZING in there!

The Basset Hound cake topper! Jason & Nicole have two basset hounds, so they tried to incorporate them! They also gave a donation in honor of their guests, in lieu of favors, to High Country Basset Hound Rescue & Black-Footed Ferret Recovery Program in Colorado.

Simply AMAZING!

Jason & Nicole...we cannot thank you enough for allowing us to be a part of your very special day! You both are just such great people and make such an amazing couple. You two compliment one another so wonderfully! We cannot thank you enough for all of your kind words and friendship. We miss chatting with you on a daily basis, but we hope that married life has been nothing short of amazing for the two of you! We wish you the best because you both deserve it! Thank you again for letting us share in your day!

Dustin & Wendy ~ May 30, 2008

So Sweet!

Dustin & Wendy! We first met with Wendy in mid-September of 2007 and from there began assisting Wendy with wedding planning! Wendy is another bride who is HIGHLY organized and had pretty much already planned her wedding down to the last detail (She was so great about keeping her wedding party informed...at the rehearsal they received a detailed schedule of events!)! When we met with her she was wanting assistance from us to keep her on track up until the wedding day, but mostly to just make sure that the day went seamlessly! And, seamlessly it went!

We were only contracted to help with their rehearsal and ceremony as well as to put together a timeline and to make sure that all of her vendors arrived on time and to make sure the church looked flawless. On wedding day we arrived around 10:00am and from there everything went like clockwork!

Rebecca & Cassandra from True Colors arrived to do all of the girls make-up (they all had their hair done at a salon earlier that morning). Jimmy Johns arrived with sandwiches for the girls and guys. The florist dropped off BEAUTIFUL flowers and then it was time for pictures! Pictures were QUICK and SMOOTH! We truly had about an hour and half of just down time. The girls listened to music and played card games, while the guys went to grab more to eat (we generally don't let the guys leave once they are on the premises, but we made an exception)!

Guests began arriving and watched a looping video montage of Dustin and Wendy from birth to current day (It was cute, because one of them graduated from IU and one from PU, so there were cute rivalry photos)! It was then time for the ceremony and off it went without a hitch! Everything turned out BEAUTIFULLY and Wendy looked STUNNING!

Once the ceremony was over the wedding party was off in a limo and ready for the reception at The Ritz Charles in Carmel!

Here is a list of vendors who helped make Dustin & Wendy's wedding day dreams a reality!

• True Colors (Make-up) -- Rebecca and her staff ALWAYS do an amazing job and this event was no exception!


• Hazel Dell Christian Church -- Pastor David did a GREAT job with the ceremony! He was a pleasure to work with.


• Tin Barn Flowers -- Chris and her team delivered BEAUTIFUL flowers! They were so vibrant and fresh! They really popped!


• Bella Pictures -- Jessica Limeberry (Lemon Grass Photography) did an OUTSTANDING job with the photographs for Dustin & Wendy's wedding day! She is so down-to-earth and easy to work with and talk to. She really gave them GREAT photographs that will last a lifetime!


• Carte Blanche Limo -- Bob and his guys did a wonderful job of being on time and transporting the wedding party to the reception!

Here are a few photos from Dustin & Wendy's big day from Jessica!

Wendy & her bridesmaids! Don't all of the colors just pop! I just LOVE outdoor photos!

Here is Dustin & Wendy's wedding program! Wendy made them herself and they turned out beautifully!

Aww...they are so ADORABLE!

Dustin & Wendy are another one of our dynamic couples! We have been so BLESSED to work with such amazing couples! Because they are so great it makes our job feel like we are just hanging out with our good friends!

Dustin & Wendy ~ Thank you so much for allowing us to be a part of your special day! You two are such a NICE couple! You were such a blessing to work with and did such a FANTASTIC job planning your big day! Your vision was great and we were honored to help you execute it! We wish you nothing but happiness and a long life together! You two deserve the best and we are so very happy for the two of you!