Could Country Fair be Your Reception Theme?

This week we attended the Upstate Bridal Association meeting at Skylight Chapel. Every meeting is a different theme and this time it was "country fair".  It was such a cute idea that I thought you might enjoy seeing some of the pictures we snapped.  Enjoy!

The Emergency Kit - A Must For Your Wedding

If you ask any wedding planner, she will tell you that one of the most important things she brings to a wedding is her emergency kit. Willrich Bridal in fact has three. One for tools, lighters, flash lights, extension cords, etc. One for items the bridal party might need such as, curling irons, hair dryers, first aid kit, hose, socks, chalk, tide stick, hairspray, deodorant and etc. The third is the largest (actually a red rolling duffle bag) and it contains items like our steamer, sewing kits, scissors, canvas sheets for the brides to stand on to keep their dress clean, extra candles, pens, garters and even a bible. (Yes, I once had a minister forget his bible.)

So you might ask, what is the most important item in the kits? Well it would be either large safety pins or Hollywood dress tape. We use mounds of both at most weddings. Of course the packs of Advil and Imodium are usually very popular. In the summer during mosquito season, we go through a lot of Off Bug Spray too.

So when hiring a planner, take time to make sure she brings an emergency kit and find out what is contained in it. The people that work for me say "With our emergency kits we could handle anything up to a nuclear explosion and we might could handle that."  If you don’t have a planner, you might want to make up one of your own to take with you.  Believe me you are going to need it.

Making Your Reception a Wow

Wondering what you can do to make your reception really be a WOW. Well here are a couple of places to start.

Linens: Linens would by my first choice for giving your reception that wow factor. Yes, most venues offer standard white linens and white or black napkins. But for a little money you can really kick it up a notch with colored linens. There are endless choices of colors, textures, ruffles, pintucks available for renting. There are amazing overlays available to wow your guests. Don’t forget the napkins. Even if you can’t afford spectacular linens, napkins in your colors can really add a pop to your table scapes.

Lighting: Lighting would be my second choice (maybe even a tie for first) for turning a standard reception into a wow and in the scheme of things it is not that expensive. It is amazing the difference professional lighting can make in a reception area. You can have uplights on the walls, (no better way to hid ugly walls or bad paint jobs.  It can even help hide an ugly carpet). Anything from pale pinks to ocean blues are available. Pretty much any color you can dream up can be found. Pin lighting on centerpieces can make a simple arrangement have a real wow factor. Also, don’t forget you can personalize with your monogram or logo on the dance floor or ceiling. And if your theme is stars or moons or snowflakes you can have these on your ceiling or floor too.

The Willrich Team at Work

Willrich Team putting on linens and folding napkins

Everybody asks about our team. How many people do we bring to a wedding? What do they do at a wedding? Well the truth is I have the best team in the world. As to how many do we bring and what do they do, I bring enough to get the job done right and they do everything!

We have a seamstress that stays with the bride and gets her ready. She steams the dresses and fixes any little problems that come up. Usually she has an assistant with her that runs errands and helps out. We also have someone that will be with the guys helping them get ready and hopefully keeping them out of trouble. We even have a special team that comes in only when we have a big setup or tear down job. We have a team that will be at the ceremony site setting up and another team that will be at the reception site setting up. When it’s time for the wedding, we all come together and get you down the aisle. Then we split up and some stay to help with pictures and others go to greet your guests as they arrive at the reception. We are there to run your reception and pack up at the end of the night.

I know some planners do the job alone or with a single assistant. More power to them if they can get the job done that way. I can’t imagine how they do it and cover everything.

Here are some pictures of the team at work at our latest wedding. Thanks again to all my great help. I couldn’t do a wedding without you.

Chelsea setting up the buffet



Katherine, Natalie and Chelsea put linens on buffet





Susan and Mary fluff the train as the bride goes down the aisle



Tying the bustle

Part 2 of Chris and Jessi's Wedding on the Farm

Yesterday we saw the ceremony on the farm; today we’ll look at the reception. The reception was held under a tent with overflow tables in the garden seating area. This garden area gave guests a view of more horses and a wooded area with running streams. The tent was set with different size round guests tables for a more eclectic look. The bride and groom had their own sweetheart table next to the cake table. There was a wine and beer bar set near the entrance of the tent along with cocktail tables. Also tables were set up with water, sangria and a coffee bar for guest to enjoy.

Tables were decorated with either a tall centerpiece of flowers in purples, sangria, golds, tangerines and cinnamons accented by browns and kiwi greens or low centerpieces with the same colors. Tall glass holders filled with river rock, water and a floating candle also decorated the tables. Cocktail tables held small silver buckets of green apples or flowers.

Details included a signature mat with a picture drawn by the bride’s mother in the center of the matt of the couple and their dog Dooley. Dooley was announced in with the couple and wore a collar of flowers to match the wedding colors.

It was a beautiful, beautiful example of a southern home wedding and we were thrilled to be a part of it.

Vendors:

Wedding Planning and Coordination:  Willrich Bridal and Special Events
Flowers and Design:  Memories by McMillan
Caterer:  Grits and Groceries
DJ:  Sam Brooks, Life of the Party
Photographer :  Blue Mountain Photo Works, Jason Tench  (can't wait to see the professional pictures.)

A Horse Farm Wedding - Jessi and Chris Get Married in Pendleton, SC

What could be more beautiful than a bride and groom having a gorgeous ceremony in front of a show ring and as the recessional music starts to play a stunning Arabian horse goes into a performance celebrating the wedding of its owner. Sounds like a movie doesn’t it? But it wasn’t. This is exactly what we were lucky enough to be a part of this past weekend.

When I was approached to help put together a wedding for Chris and Jessi I was really excited. Not only was the couple and their family super nice and easy to work with but they planned to have the wedding on their Arabian horse farm. I just knew this was going to be one special wedding.

The plan was to have the ceremony by the horse ring at sunset and a tent brought in for the reception that followed. Jessi knew exactly what colors she wanted. She wanted flowers in purples mixed with golden fall colors. We chose sangria, camel and ivory linens to set off the flowers. Since the wedding was at home, we brought in rentals from PPR including everything from china to the tent.

Since pictures are worth a thousand words, I’ll hush now and let you see some of the pictures we took of the ceremony. Tomorrow we’ll share the reception pictures.