Weekending - September 23, 2022

What a memorable weekend!  It was the one my nephew got married!  We were able to spend the majority of the weekend with family and friends, which made it extra special.  Seeing my nephew tie the knot with the love of his life was beautiful.

Friday I had a vacation day and Eric scooted off to work.  I may have spent just a little longer than I should have sitting in my cozy chair, drinking a cup of coffee, and reading a book.  Verity was next up on my reading list and when I started it on Thursday night I wasn't sure I could put it down.  

The weather on Friday was dismal.  The temperature was very cool and it was rainy.  The problem with this was the rehearsal for the wedding was supposed to be outside at the venue, but no way was that going to happen.  We quickly pivoted and held the rehearsal at the reception site, inside where it was nice and dry.  My brother and sister-in-law hosted a fun rehearsal dinner and the mood was set for a festive wedding day on Saturday.

Saturday we woke up to perfect weather for an outdoor wedding!  There wasn't a cloud in the sky and the temperature was going to reach 85.  Mother Nature was definitely on the wedding couple's side! 

 This was the first wedding I officiated.  It was such an honor for my niece-to-be to ask me and I'm not going to lie, I was a bit nervous.  The one thing I hadn't mentally prepared myself for was the tears that sprang to my eyes when my nephew and brother hugged and again when I saw the beautiful bride walking down the aisle.

My niece was the flower girl and my two great nephews were the ring bearers.  I wasn't able to get a picture of the boys, but my niece would pose all day for the camera.  

The reception was full of eating, dancing, and lots of catching up with friends we hadn't seen in a while.  

And twirling.  Lots and lots of twirling!

I remembered to get everyone to sign the marriage license so I'd say my first attempt at officiating a wedding was a success!

After all the fun on Saturday, we slept in on Sunday and had a fairly low-key day.  We traveled home, stopped by an art fair, and then went over to our son and daughter-in-law's to watch the Chief game.  Very disappointed that they fell to the Colts, but my son's chili was fantastic!

I'm so grateful we were able to share in the joy of the weekend and celebrate with the new Mr. and Mrs. Talbot.  Wishing them all the best and can't wait to see what the future holds for them!

Lindsey and Jon Got Married During Covid

Welcome to Thinking Out Loud Thursday where I share something I'm thinking out loud about and invite you to link up and do the same.  

Today I'm reminiscing about the wedding of Lindsey and Jon that we helped with back in August.   We had met this adorable couple at another wedding we helped with back in 2019 and had anxiously anticipated their nuptials for almost a year.  Who would have thought that COVID would come in and wreak havoc!  The guest list was modified and the wedding went on with as many safety precautions as we could think of.  

Photo credit:  Jessica D. Williams Photography

First, I'd like to give a big shout out to the photographer - Jessica D. Williams Photography.  She and her second shooter did an amazing job capturing the day.  Thanks, Jessica for letting me share the images here.  

The invitations acknowledged that we were trying to be mindful of the coronavirus.  Precautions were being taken and the bride and groom totally understood if the invited guest wasn't comfortable attending.  

Let me take a minute here for a public service announcement:  If you are invited to a wedding, please, please, PLEASE RSVP.  Even (especially) if you don't plan to attend, let them know you are not coming.  Anyone who has ever had an event knows the planning goes so much better when people have the common courtesy to RSVP.  

Safety during the wedding was important.  Masks were provided and encouraged to be worn.  The original favor idea was scrapped and hand sanitizer was given instead.  

During the ceremony, a bottle of water was placed at each seat.  This not only helped space the guests out at the ceremony but also provided something to drink so they didn't have to rush the bar before the reception began if they were thirsty.

With the space provided, we were able to spread the guests out and not pack the tables.  Assigned seating is something I always encourage, but in COVID times it becomes a must.  When guests arrived for the wedding, they were given an escort card with their table assignment for the reception.

The dessert table was replaced with individually packaged cupcakes at every place setting.  We added an adorable "Love is Sweet" tag to match the decor.   This prevented people from huddling around the cake table.

The bride and groom had a special cake just for them, which was beautiful!

Lindsey, Jon, and their families were the best to work with!  The wedding was gorgeous and we managed to pull off a lovely event even with these challenging times.  I have a feeling they will truly live happily ever after!

Now it's your turn.  What are you thinking out loud about today?  Link up and share!

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Carolina and Sam Get Married

Welcome to Thinking Out Loud Thursday!  Today I'm thinking out loud about the last wedding I helped with in 2019.  We barely got it in before the end of the year - December 29.   Let's take a look ~

Carolina, the bride, and I work at the same company and when she approached me to see if I was interested in helping her with her wedding I couldn't say yes fast enough!  I normally only do two weddings in a year and had already met my quota for 2019.  But Carolina is so sweet I decided to make 2019 the year I did three weddings.

We were working on a fairly tight timeline.  Carolina and her soon-to-be groom Sam got engaged late in August so we had roughly four months to pull off the wedding of their dreams.  All the stars somehow aligned and we were able to book three of my favorite vendors - Turner Creative Photography, Carol Genteman Florist and Night Magic Entertainment.

When I asked Carolina and Sam what their vision was for the ceremony, Carolina quickly said she hoped it could look more spring-like.  Now, if you know what St. Louis looks like in December you know it's a far cry from looking like spring.  But we found a place in St. Charles, Missouri that did the trick.  The Conservatory served as the perfect garden setting.

When I sign on to help with a wedding, the first thing I do is listen to the couple's vision of what they want their big day to look and feel like.  Carolina and Sam wanted a natural look with lots of white.  We found a design we loved and used it throughout the wedding.  

The guests were given succulents with name flags when they entered with their table number.  It was such a sweet favor to send the guests home with.

Wedding cakes are my favorite.  Carolina and Sam had two, both special in their own way.  The traditional cake had a family recipe filling made by the bride and the groom's cake was "raw".  I didn't have any experience with raw cakes before, but it was delicious!

It was a beautiful day and an even more beautiful wedding.  Carolina and Sam finished the day with a reception where the guests danced the day away.  Everyone went home feeling the love!

Now it's your turn - what are you Thinking Out Loud about today?  Link up and share~

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Weekending - December 27, 2019

Did you realize we just had a weekend?  I've been taking a little break since Christmas and honestly, my days are starting to run together!  I'm off this week too so I'll be totally lost on what day it is!

This past weekend I had the opportunity to coordinate my final wedding of the year.  And, if I must say so myself, it was beautiful!  Helping a couple pull off their wedding dreams is something that truly fills my cup.  It's a lot of work, but the rewards are so worth it!  I have one slot left next year, so if you know anyone who is looking for an extremely reasonably priced wedding coordinator, please pass my name on to them.

I'll be doing a complete post on their wedding as soon as I gather some pictures, but I just have to show you the gorgeous venue.  The ceremony was held in the garden setting of  the Conservatory in St. Charles, Missouri.

I had the chance to work with my favorites vendors:  Carol Gentemann Floral Designs, Turner Creative Photography, and Night Magic Entertainment.  Choosing vendors is so important.  They can make or break your important day and I was so excited to know this couple chose vendors I could trust to do great work.  

Turner Creative Photography

Carol Gentemann Floral Designs

I was also happy to welcome my niece, Kristian, to my wedding team.  She had helped me once before and I knew she would be a great asset!

Seeing the smiles on the newlyweds' faces and watching their guests have fun was a great way to cap off the weekend.  Congratulations Carolina and Sam!

Now it's time to get ready for the new year.  There's a buzz in my heart thinking about starting a new year.  A new decade!  I've been giving a lot of thought to the blog and where I want it to go in the coming years.  Watch for an upcoming post on that.  Until then, be safe and ring in the new year in style - whatever that "style" is for you!  I'll be in Kansas City celebrating with friends.  Unfortunately, Eric will be staying at home because of his work schedule.  But we'll find a time to welcome 2020 when I return!

Something Special at a Wedding

Welcome to Thinking Out Loud Thursday!  So glad you popped in.  Today I'm thinking more about a wedding I worked on a couple weeks ago.  I'd like to share something special the bride did ~

If you've been a reader of my blog for any time at all, you know that working on weddings is a true passion of mine.  A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to work with a wonderful couple - Kristina and Adam.  If you missed the first post about their wedding, you can catch it HERE.

Photo by Chosen Photography

Kristina and Adam had some very special touches mixed throughout their wedding.  The one I'm sharing with you today has to do with her bouquets.  Faith's Florals created the beautiful flower arrangements the bride and bridesmaids carried and Kristina add a unique touch to them.

Photo by Chosen Photography

For the bridal bouquet, Kristina added pieces of lace from her new mother-in-law's wedding dress from her wedding 28 years ago.  Isn't that a sentimental touch!

Not only did Kristina's bouquet have an sentimental touch, the bridesmaids bouquets did too.  Each of their bouquets had an added charm attached to the handle with a picture of Kristina and that bridesmaid.  Such a special keepsake for each of the them to remember their friendship with the bride!

These were so easy to make using supplies from Sun and Moon Craft Kits.  I purchased the "trays" in 1-1/2 circles, glaze and glass domes.  Weddings can get expensive, but this thoughtful touch cost less than $20 total for all five bridesmaids.

Kristina's tribe was a phenomenal group of women!  I can totally understand why they mean so much to Kristina because each of them were so sweet and friendly.  The charms were a great add to their bouquets and I know they were appreciated.

Photo by Chosen Photography

So that's what I'm thinking out loud about today.  Now it's your turn.  Link up and share what's on your mind.

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The Weekend Kristina and Adam Got Married

Hi guys!  I've been so busy the last couple weeks it feels like forever since I sat down to actually write a blog post.  Summers are like that, aren't they!  Wondering what I've been up to?  Well, last Friday I helped with the most beautiful wedding.  Here's a bit about it ~

For months I had been working with an adorable couple - Kristina and Adam - to help make their wedding dreams come true.  Working with couples to construct their wedding is truly one of my favorite things to do.  Each year my goal is to book two weddings and this was the first one of 2019.  Just look how cute they are ~



What adds to my delight of helping couples make their wedding spectacular is when my friend TW comes into town to help me out.  He arrived on Wednesday, he was brought up to speed on where we were and it was off to the races. 

Thursday was the rehearsal dinner at The Shack.  Guys - if you're in the St. Louis area and are looking for a unique place to hold an event, keep this place in mind.  It's open to the public for breakfast and lunch, then the place turns into event space at night.  The casual atmosphere was perfect for what Kristina and Adam were looking for at their rehearsal and who doesn't love breakfast for dinner!  It's on my list to visit because what I tasted of their chicken and waffles has me longing to enjoy it again.

Kristina's dream wedding was to be held outside at Silver Oaks Chateau.  Apparently Mother Nature didn't get that memo because we had rain most of the day.  And it wasn't just a nice little spring shower - I'm talking torrential rain with tornado warnings.  The call was made in the middle of the afternoon to move the 6:00 pm ceremony inside.  Bless their hearts, she and Adam handled it like champs.  But it broke my heart to even have to suggest we move the wedding inside. 



Chosen Photography worked their magic and was able to get quite a few pictures outside between the rain drops.  Sydney and Tony are a husband and wife team that make up Chosen Photography.  It was the first time I had worked with them and it was a pleasure.  All the pictures in the post are thanks to them.  As you can see, their work is impeccable. 

It always makes for a fun wedding experience with the bridesmaids and groomsmen are there for the bride and groom.  Kristina and Adam's crew were the BEST!  I truly fell in love with each and every one of them. 





Silver Oaks Chateau is the most beautiful space to work in.  Even though it wasn't the location we had hoped for the ceremony, it was still very lovely.  We could never have pulled the switch of locations off without the help of the excellent staff at Silver Oaks. 


One of my favorite vantage points of the gorgeous grand hall is from the balcony.  Looking down and seeing the months of planning become reality is such a good feeling!

Did you notice all the magnificent florals?  (How could you not!)  They were thanks to Faith's Florals.  And get this - they are silk.  Yes, silk!  I love when a bride decides to use silk because they are so sturdy.  You don't have to worry about keeping the stems in water or the blooms starting to droop.  They are beautiful from start to finish and beyond.  

Be on the lookout for additional posts about this dazzling wedding.  There were some elements that are so special they deserve posts of their very own!

Congratulations Kristina and Adam!  You were a true joy to work with and I wish you years of happiness!