After the Party...The Clean Up

So many hours of thought and months of preparation go into every aspect of a wedding day. From the bride waking up and getting her hair and makeup done to which songs the couple will dance to and every tiny detail in between. Unfortunately, not many tend to think past the last dance and the lights coming back on. I have run into this situation many times before and try to have a plan in place ahead of time to ensure even the clean up runs smoothly.

The biggest thing people forget is that there will need to be space in vehicles to take home things like gifts, decorations, flowers and left over cake. Sometimes things are brought to the venues in multiple trips or by the vendors so you do not realize how much there will be all at one time. If you do not have enough room in one car and you are having a gift opening the next day, send gifts in the cars of those who will be attending. Make sure to keep all of the cards together so that none get separated and lost.

The clean up process for your event will depend on your venue and the extent of your decor. Some facility rentals only include the rental of the building and it is your responsibility to put everything away and, in some cases, even vacuum and clean bathrooms! There usually is an extra charge if you want to pay to have them take care of this for you, although it may seems like a lot of money up front, trust me, it will be worth it in the end to not do this yourself. Even if you, as the bride and groom, do not plan on staying the entire night remember that whoever is staying to help has also had a very long day and will not be wanting to stay late to pick up.

Do not assume that anyone is staying to clean up until you ask them. I have had this happen, more than once, that I bride said someone was planning to stay but they did not know this and left earlier in the evening. This also includes your vendors, venue and wedding planner, check over your contracts to see what all is included and if it is not specified in the contract, ask. Most often, venues require you to remove all of your property from the site that evening, occasionally they will allow you to leave a few things and pick them up the next day, ask them ahead of time so that you can make arrangements for pick up.

Many florists will offer the service of returning after the party to pick up their arrangements and decorations. Although there is an extra fee this may also be a good option for you if there are a lot of decorations and if you do not have space to transport it all. Keep in mind that most florists require their containers and vases to be returned on the following Monday. If you decide not to pay this fee and will be returning all of your rentals yourself, make a detailed list of all the items needing to be returned and give it to someone that will be staying to tear down.

All of the flowers that are at your reception are yours to keep (but not necessarily the containers they are in). There are multiple things you can do with the flowers:

• If they are loose flowers, give them to people as they leave in miniature bouquets (here is a great way to do this)
• Make arrangements ahead of time to drop extra flowers off at a local nursery home, retirement community or hospital.
• Make a game out of it by placing a tag or sticker under one plate at each table so that the winner can take the centerpiece home (best when vase or container is also yours to give away). 
• Bring the arrangements to the location of your day after brunch or gift opening, if doing either. It is a great way to reuse the flowers and to show off your beautiful decor one more time. 

The best way to ensure that every thing runs smoothly at the end of the night is to have a plan in place. Working with a wedding planner can help alleviate a lot of stress from your wedding day. If hiring someone is not feasible for your budget ask responsible family members or friends to have a role in your wedding and assign them specific tasks for the big day. 

Real Wedding - Julie & Todd

I have known Julie for a number of years and throughout those years she always knew she would someday marry Todd. I was honored when she asked me to be a part of their wedding planning and coordinate the day for them. Although a little warm, it could not been a more beautiful day!

 Julie, you are gorgeous!

This is Louie, the ring bearer, too cute!

I loved how the aisle turned out!

The bride arrived in a horse drawn carriage!

A kiss from the ring bearer. He really did bring the rings down the aisle on his collar!

Instead of having cake, the couple took bites out of their favorite donuts from Marge's. 

Day Of Coordination:   Red Heels Events

Photography: Shannon Snyder Photography

Venue:  Wallinwood Springs Golf Course

Floral: Picket Fence Floral

Music: Thunder Mountain Music DJ

Cupcakes: Bride's aunt 

Carriage and Chair Rental: Royal Carriage Rides

Tips for an Outdoor Ceremony

West Michigan is beautiful year round and I would say that six months out of that year are nice enough to support an outdoor wedding ceremony. Of course, if you ask anyone from or living in Michigan and they will tell you that "Michigan weather is unpredictable, 80 degrees one day and snow the next". Based on that I have a few tips for anyone planning on an outdoor ceremony for their wedding.

Have a Back Up Plan:

• In case of inclement weather, have a church or other space reserved that is large enough to hold your guests. If having a tented reception, the tent may act as your alternative location. Yes, this may incur an additional expense but the stress it will save it worth far more! 
• For your guests convenience, try to have your back up location as close to the original venue as possible. This is will help your overall time line to be less affected as well as your guests needing to adjust travel times. 
• Prepare a "quick contact" list ahead of time, either with email addresses or phone numbers (whichever will be sure to reach your guests) and distribute to a few people involved in the wedding. Make sure to include the address of the location on this list for those who will be doing the communication. Once it is determined to move the ceremony to the alternate location have the designated people begin to contact the guests and let them know of the change. 
• I always tell my clients that if you have a back up plan you won't need it but if you don't you will end up needing it!

Visit Your Venue: 

• This one may sound obvious but, if at all possible, tour your venue. Not all pictures online may reflect the reality, you do not want to be caught off guard, especially on your wedding day!
• When scheduling the tour of your venue try and set your appointment for the same time of day as your ceremony time. This will give you an idea of where the sun will be and if your guests will be in shade or sun. 
• The bride in the picture above and I visited this site two weeks prior to the wedding at the same  time the evening wedding was to take place. We ended up deciding to use a different tree just based on where the sun would be and how much of the seating would be shaded. 

Consider Your Guest's Comfort:

(Images courtesy of theknot.com and snippetandink.com)

• If you know it is going to be a hot summer day there are a few small but thoughtful things to have available for your guests.
• Water bottles - have a large bucket or two full of ice and water bottles for your guests to grab on their way in or out of the ceremony. There are many companies that will print custom labels for the bottles as well for a cute extra detail. 
• Fans - Print your programs on a heavy paper that can also be used as a hand fan. This is a great way to save money by giving something a double use. There are companies online that will create you adorable fan programs or if you like to DIY, there are multiple ideas for that as well. 
• Parasols - Purchase or rent parasols or umbrellas for your guests to use to block the sun. Bella Umbrella has some adorable options!

Above all, enjoy! Michigan is a beautiful place to be married!


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Tori & Cam - May 11, 2012

The first wedding of our 2012 season was a double blessing to me. First, I always anticipate with excitement the first wedding of each year, another beginning to  a season filled with what I love to do. Secondly, the bride, Tori, is my youngest cousin so it was an honor to assist her with planning and coordinating her big day.

 

 

Yup, they're on a boat!

 

The bride's shoes were amazing anyways, but this just made them that much better!

 

The groom's family grew all of the flowers in a green house to use for the centerpieces. 

Three old hinged windows used for the table assignment lists.

Red Heels Events: Day Of Coordination and Planning
Central Park Chapel: Ceremony Venue
Yacht Basin Conference Center: Reception Venue

Happy Anniversary - Chris & Beth

Happy 6th Anniversary Chris and Beth!

Happy Anniversary - Jeremy & Dana

Happy 4th Anniversary Jeremy and Dana!

Dreams Do Come True

When planning a wedding, nothing is out of reach. Yes, of course, budgets, guest sizes, and locations will all play into your final decisions but that should not stop you from starting out with your ideal wedding in your mind.

A few years ago I had a bride and groom come to me from out of state with their wedding dream. The couple wished to get married in Michigan in the Spring under an apple tree in bloom. Now that is pretty specific, but it did not hold us back from making it happen. The first thing we needed to do was track down an apple orchard in the area that would be willing to host a wedding ceremony. We lucked out in the process and found a place, McIntosh Orchards and Winery, that would also hold the reception.

The bride started her wedding planning with this inspiration...

And after a lot of hard work, planning and organizing, she ended up with this....

There are so many possibilities when planning a wedding. Thinking outside of the box to make your big day truly YOURS is a great way to make it last forever in your memories.

Not Just The Fun Stuff

When you think about planning a wedding you immediately think of the flowers, the linens and the food. You know, the fun stuff! No one wants to think about the time lines, the seating assignments, the room layout or the vendor contracts. Well, I have a secret for you, I do! I love the logistics side of wedding planning, in fact, it is my favorite part of my job. Please don't get me wrong, I adore amazing linens, lush floral centerpieces and food that is considered a work of art, but for me a wedding is the sum of all the parts. An ideal wedding in my mind is like a well oiled machine; everything happening when and where it should and when mistakes are made (as infrequent as possible!) they are fixed without the bride, groom or their guests any the wiser.

As a wedding planners, we do so much more than just assist the bride with picking out the decor, the venues and the menu. We assist in ensuring every T is crossed and every I is dotted so that nothing falls through the cracks on the big day.

Whether you are planning your wedding yourself or having someone help you it is wise to have someone on your team to manage the day's events from beginning to end. Someone to direct the vendors as they arrive to deliver those items that you know you want in a specific place. Someone to keep the timing of the day moving so there are not any uncomfortable down times.

Red Heels Events would love to be that someone for you! We specialize in Event Management and Coordination making sure every detail is taken care of so you can sit back, relax and enjoy all the details that you planned so carefully.

And since everyone loves pictures, here is a lovely tented reception we did in Saugatuck at The Ravines.

Preferred Vendor List

A question that I am frequently asked is if I have a "preferred vendor list". The answer to this is no. There are two reasons for that answer:

1. I have great relationships with MANY wonderful vendors, there is no way I could narrow it down to a short list. Every vendor is unique and add their own perspective to each event.

2. Every couple is different with their own style. Every wedding has a different budget. With these thoughts in mind, I recommend vendors based on the couple's individual style and budget. 

The West Michigan event industry is full of so many talented vendors. I am continually working at meeting and building relationships with vendors so that I can offer my clients the most options and best knowledge to make their event perfect for them.

If you are looking for vendor recommendations Red Heels Events offers hourly consulting to learn about your event in order to match you with the best vendors for your style and budget. And if you are a vendor reading this, I want to get to know you and your business so please send me an email.

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