Stella Event Design::Michigan Wedding & Event Planner »

You’re engaged! You have some very exciting months ahead of you, so start your planning on the right foot by establishing a budget! If you know you’ll be footing the bill, then you’re all set, but if you expect contributions may come from your parents or future in-laws, then the first thing you need to do is sit down and have “the budget talk.” While it may be uncomfortable, sitting down with your parents to determine any contributions is key to getting started! There is nothing worse than assuming someone will be contributing $20,000 to your wedding, and finding out later down the road that the contribution they are able to make is much less!

You’ll also want to determine how monetary contributions will be made. Will the money be put in an account specifically for the wedding? Will certain parties be paying for certain portions of the wedding (ie., mom and dad pay for catering, bride and groom pay for photography, future in-laws pay for beverages & alcohol) Will the money be paid directly to you and your fiance? Knowing how the finances will be handled up front will make your planning a whole lot easier down the road!

Once you’ve established the overall amount of money you have to spend on your wedding, you can sit down and decide what your ideal guest count will be, determine how much you have to spend on your wedding venues, and begin finding the perfect vendors that fit within your budget!

Stay tuned for more “wedding 101″ posts which will help get you started on your wedding planning!

When choosing your bridal party, you probably have a long roster to choose from: high school friends, sorority sisters and fraternity brothers, co-workers, cousins, siblings, soon-to-be-siblings….your list may be daunting!  So what is the ideal size for your bridal party? The truth is, there is no magic number—your bridal party should be the right size for you and your wedding style and location.

A smaller bridal party may suit you best if you are having a destination wedding or are on a limited budget. Are you getting married in a location with limited altar space? If so, perhaps a smaller party is the best choice for you. Are you having trouble choosing between your friends, sisters and co-workers? Perhaps choosing only family members will make the choice easier for you.

If you’re having an outdoor wedding or a non-traditional ceremony, then perhaps a large bridal party is a great option for you! When considering how your bridal party size will affect your wedding, consider the cost of bridal party gifts, transportation costs (if you will be renting a limo or shuttle) and the size/placement of your head table, if you’ll have one!

Photo of the large (and fabulous) 2008 bridal party of Tracy+David, by JK Photography

Brittany+Hachem had a gorgeous beach wedding in September, and I’m so glad we could be a part of their special day! The bride and groom are both designers with a clean and modern style, and their wedding definitely reflected that. The reception took place on the beach with natural wood chairs and a bamboo chuppah adorned with white paper lanterns. The reception was held at the Veranda at the Whitcomb overlooking Lake Michigan, where tables were covered in gray linens, accented by a trio of white vases of hydrangea, snapdragons and a small potted succulents. White paper lanterns were strung across the dance floor for some beautiful ambient lighting.

One of my favorite things about this wedding, were all of the small details that were spread throughout the wedding. Each table was named after a dance along with a graphic of the dance steps, escort cards were arranged in white antique frames, a candy buffet was arranged with all homemade baked good, a beautiful wooden book was screen printed with the couples monogram to use as a guest book, and above all—every item was personalized with the couples very unique monogram which was the silhouette of a dancing boy and girl (you can see it in the framed bar menu and the guest book cover, both pictured above!)

Photography by Miriam Doan

MORE 2009 WEDDINGS IN SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN:

• Ken+Katy at Basilica of the Sacred Heart at Notre Dame and The Heritage Center in St. Joseph, Michigan
• Lisa+Bart at the Blue Dress Barn in Southwest Michigan
• Yana+Brannon at Shadowland Pavilion and The Heritage Center in St. Joseph, Michigan
• Kate+Mitch at Shadowland Pavilion and The Heritage Center in St. Joseph, Michigan
• Stefanie+Jim at Santaniello’s and Weko Beach in Bridgman, Michigan
• Megan+Greg at Mill Creek Barns in Watervliet, Michigan

The Silver Beach Carousel is finally here, and isn’t it gorgeous?! This beautiful piece of artwork is housed in the same building as the new Shadowland Ballroom, which is also opening on December 31st! For more information, check out our previous post on Shadowland Ballroom and Carousel on Silver Beach! We have our first wedding here on February 27th and are so excited—it’s going to be an amazing wedding! For more pictures of the Silver Beach Carousel Grand Opening, check out photographer Jennifer Mayo’s blog!

Photos above courtesy of Jennifer Mayo/JM Studios.

*WE DO NOT MANAGE OR BOOK THE SHADOWLAND BALLROOM! FOR INFO ON BALLROOM AVAILABILITY/PRICING PLEASE CONTACT ANNE VONK AT ANNEVONK@THE BOULEVARDINN.COM!

It’s that time of year again—Stella Event Design is accepting applications for interns (Event Assistants) to assist us during our 2010 wedding season. Last summer we took on interns for the first time—which I’ll admit was a little scary for us—but after a very successful 2009, we are so excited to offer internship positions again for our 2010 season!

What You’ll Do :: Event Assistants will assist with all day-of wedding tasks including: setting up decor at ceremony and reception sites, assisting vendors with deliveries (ie. cake, flowers, linens, rentals), assisting with the ceremony, assisting vendors as needed throughout the day, ensuring time lines are being followed, trouble shooting problems that arise, and much more.  Event Assistants are always working alongside an experienced Planner or Event Associate who is there to direct & teach you!

Who We’re Looking For :: We are seeking junior & senior level students pursuing a degree in a related field (public relations, communications, hospitality & tourism, design, etc.), who are excited about learning the ins-and-outs of event planning, work well with a team, and exhibit a high level of responsibility. Weddings can be a stressful and emotionally charged time for a bride & groom and their families—the ideal candidate is friendly, enthusiastic, calm under pressure, and a great communicator! Most of our events are located in the St. Joseph/Benton Harbor/Harbor Country area, which is 60 minutes from Kalamazoo, 90 minutes from Grand Rapids, and 45 minutes from South Bend. You must be able to travel to Southwest Michigan for events.

What You’ll Get :: This is an unpaid internship and must apply towards college credit. You will walk away from this internship with hands-on experience in event planning & execution unlike anything you can learn in a classroom. This internship puts you in the action, working with real clients, professional vendors and beautiful locations throughout Southwest Michigan.

When You’ll Work :: Weddings are scheduled primarily on Saturdays, with some events on Fridays and Sundays. Interns will be scheduled to work 6-10 events throughout the wedding season (May-September) and we are happy to take schedules into consideration. Interns will also have the opportunity to work in-office during the week (hours flexible) to gain more experience in the planning that takes place prior to the wedding date!

How to Apply :: If you’re interested in joining the Stella Event Design Team for our 2010 season, please email your cover letter and resume (.pdf format preferred) to intern@stellaeventdesign.com. We will be accepting applications through January 30th and will be conducting interviews in February! If you have additional questions, please email intern@stellaeventdesign.com (no phone calls, please).

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What our 2009 interns said about their summer with Stella…

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“… I learned not only about event planning and coordinating, but also about how to work with vendors, what to do when things go wrong, and how to work with your clients in order to make sure that they get what they want.  This internship gives you the opportunity to gain hands on experience as well as the opportunity to learn from a professional in the field.

One thing that surprised me about this internship was how much fun it was, even though I had to work hard.  There are a lot of things that have to get done for each wedding and going into the internship I knew that I would have to work hard, but I had to work even harder than I thought I would!  However, I also enjoyed the work that I was doing even more than I thought I would!  Every day that I went to work, I was excited for what we were going to be doing.  The effort we put in always paid off.  At the end of every wedding we were able to reflect on the day and see that we had been successful and this was extremely rewarding.

My favorite part of this internship was working with the Stella Team.  We had a great chemistry and it was easy to work together.  This made accomplishing what we needed to at each wedding possible.  The team that we had allowed us to get things done while having fun at the same time.  I also loved working with the couples.  Seeing them happy and satisfied with our work was exciting. Through this internship I really gained a love for weddings, an even greater love for planning, many new ideas on how to be creative, and great relationships with the women I worked with….”   -Brittany Johnson, 2009 Event Assistant

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“…Interning with Stella Event Design was an incredible experience! When I first met Jessica, I fell in love with the passion that she has for planning exceptional weddings and her excitement and willingness to include me in the process. Each wedding that I worked on provided me with the opportunity to further understand what went into planning a wedding in addition to gaining valuable hands-on experience. I was continually surprised with the different experiences that each wedding provided and have learned first hand that no two weddings are the same. From working with other coordinators at churches to making sure every last detail at the reception is exactly what the bride wanted, I was never without something new and exciting to work on.

The most challenging part of this internship was learning to work with all varieties of people. From the delivery guys and caterers, to the mother of the groom, you definitely need to be flexible and willing to adjust to whatever situation may arise. At the end of an exhausting wedding day, the most rewarding part of the internship was being thanked by the bride and groom for such a wonderful experience. Knowing that everything turned out the way they they wanted it, and knowing that I was a direct part of that was incredible! I would definitely recommend interning with Stella Event Design to anyone who has a willingness to learn, can take challenges as they come, and has a passion for event planning!”  -Megan O’Hara, 2009 Event Assistant

This time of year, many newly engaged couples are coming in for consultation, and one question I hear a lot from brides is, “how involved are most grooms?” Some grooms come in-tow to our consultations, some I meet once, and will not see again until the wedding day—and once in a while, I get more emails from the groom than the bride (once in a while).

The truth is, it’s going to depend on your grooms personality. Let’s face it, most guys are not interested in choosing color palettes, browsing through linen swatches, or picking peonies in that perfect shade of coral. If having your groom involved is important to you, then a good way to get him interested is to give him control of some aspect of the wedding. Two go-to choices are food and entertainment, and the latter is one I see many grooms get excited about. While it may be tempting to do everything yourself, putting the band selection, DJ interview process or meal choices in the capable hands of your groom may be a great way to take something off of your long to-do list, while making him feel included in the planning process!

Myth::Your reception hall “coordinator” will help you plan your wedding

Truth:: I often hear brides say that they “don’t need an outside planner” because their venue has an on-site coordinator, and unfortunately, some brides find out too late that this is just not the case. The on-site coordinator is there to manage the services being provided by the reception hall, and the services they will provide are very different from those that a professional wedding planner will provide.  A good on-site coordinator will assist you with items like table arrangements, place settings and linens and opening the building for vendor deliveries (depending on your venue).

Unlike an actual wedding planner or day-of coordinator, your on-site venue coordinator will not call your vendors to verify anything the week before the wedding, find you vendors that meet your budget (though they may give you a pre-made list), call your bakery with your final numbers, or help you to trouble shoot difficult issues with vendors on your wedding day.  Don’t get me wrong, on-site coordinators are great, but it’s important to understand what they will and won’t do for you, so you can be properly prepared for your big day!

More Posts in This Blog Series:

• WHAT Does a Professional Wedding Planner Do?
• WHO needs a wedding planner?
• WHEN should I Reach out For Help?
• WHY you should hire a professional
• WHERE you will and won’t find help