the hiring:
becky heard about my day of coordination services from past brides and contacted me to see if i would fit in her budget. she already had all of her vendors hired but wanted to make sure everything came together smoothly.

the planning:
with becky and john living in las vegas, we didn’t meet until a few weeks before the wedding. we worked great through email!

the results:

ceremony

the ring bearers were identical twins!

the processional had to wrap around the back of the stage

john’s sister read “union” by robert fulgrum.

shannon from 831 catches the vows.

becky and john wrote their own vows (tear!)

i’ve seen quite a few sand ceremonies this year!

married!

reception
boarding passes served as place cards

guest tables

cocktail hour

grand entrance

bridal party dance

cookie table favors

dance time… including wedding favorite “i gotta feeling!”

bridesmaid and becky (and shannon from 831) enjoying the sneak peek slide show photos from 831!

the notables:
favorite planning moment: becky and john picked some great music for their ceremony and reception. their ceremony recessional was “two tickets to paradise” and their grand entrance song was “viva las vegas”.
something old/new/borrowed/blue: something old, becky’s mom performed the polish unveiling tradition by taking out becky’s headpieces and placing john’s bout in her hair.

unique detail: my favorite was the cake topper – a mini southwest plane as becky and john met sitting next to each other on a flight!

biggest challenge: the ceremony and reception location were right next to each other. and the groom and his men were in waiting upstairs while the bride and her maid were downstairs. getting the ceremony started and everyone in their places without the bride and groom seeing each other before was a little tricky.
sources: becky found her centerpiece vases at michaels.
fun fact: becky’s matron of honor’s husband, alex, officiated the wedding. he got ordained just for them!
pro photos: check out 831′s blog to see the pro photos of becky and john’s big day!

becky and john – you two know how to have FUN! it was a pleasure to help you on your wedding day!

the hiring:
jacqui and i have been in contact for over a year and a half with her being an awesome cake baker. i was honored she asked me to day of coordinate for her wedding – especially because i know she’s precise about her planning as she explained here

the planning:
jacqui is miss planner extraordinaire. i told her i hadn’t seen a bride more organized since… myself! every box of decor was clearly marked and labeled. she had running lists of to-do’s and need dones. i was happy to help with the timeline and flow of the day, but otherwise, this girl had it handled!

the results:
rehearsal
the rehearsal was fun and casual. we went through the line up and processional and recessional once. afterwards, everyone just enjoyed each other’s company and related the excitement! as i stood in for their pastor, i wasn’t able to get many rehearsal photos until afterwards.


i’m pretty excited eh?

jacqui’s nephew decides no more bottle, he’s ready for the rehearsal dinner!

ceremony
my day started very early with jacqui and her maids. i got there before they did and went to the set up along with the excellent staff at hillbrook. it was a fun relaxed morning with every lady checking out the 1,000 cranes that were hung in the pavilion area. i loved that they had all morning with their stylist to get ready and enjoy themselves. later in the afternoon, erik and his men arrived, also marveled at the cranes and got ready for the “first look” and pre-ceremony formals with the bridal party. the rest of the day was free to enjoy!

reaction shot! eeeeeeeeeee!

the teahouse

fan programs hung on chairs

first look time

oh hey rob, told you i’d blog you

after a break in waiting, it was ceremony time!

reception

paper crane place cards

table decor

each place setting got its own lucky bamboo shoot favor.

jacqui made the centerpieces and they had beta fishies in them!

and they were prepared for their guests to take them home with “care instructions”, a little bag of fish food and press and seal for the top of the vase.

head table

bar menu

and the best detail for last… the cake!

we all loved to see the baker cut her cake!

toasts followed the cake: first best man and brother of the groom:

then maid of honor and bestie of the bride.

after dinner, john and andrew from the dj crew filled the dance floor…

…while guests also could enjoy the rad booth photobooth with the fullest prop box i’ve ever seen!

on my way out i caught a photo of the super cute big balloon jacqui and erik used in their pre-ceremony photo shoot that was re-purposed as a sign marker.

the notables:
favorite planning moment: the excitement of the morning was so fun. it was so rewarding to see jacqui pleased with the execution of her plans and how well everything came together as we set up. even though i really didn’t have to rush, i wanted to set things up quickly so jacqui and erik could see all the loveliness! these two are so in love with each other and the two of them came out in every plan they made. it was really a great day to be a part of.
unique detail: an ancient japanese legend promises that anyone who folds a thousand origami cranes will be granted a wish by a crane. jacqui hand-folded each and every crane herself and she and her bridal party strung them to hang all over the pavilion. they were coupled with dozens of paper lanterns that were also hung around the pavilion.
biggest challenge: jacqui had these gorgeous cherry blossom branches that were to go on hillbrook’s teahouse. it was a little tricky to keep them up there without showing any string/supplies.
sources: jacqui did all of her own flowers since she wanted cherry blossoms and they’re not in season and are quite delicate when they are.
fun fact: jacqui made the cakes for three of my previous brides and grooms: tara & cj, maureen & adam, and lauren & mike.
bucking tradition: in order to see the cherry blossoms bloom, j&e went on their honeymoon to japan at the end of march. you can read all about their amazing trip on their travel blog “cherry blossoms are awesomes.”

jacqui & erik… one thousand congratulations. i’m sad to finish this blog! it’s an end of an era for your wedding to be done. it was beautiful!

previous posts:
heidzillas introduces cmykakes
viva la rock (and roll hall of fame)

be SURE to check out the oh-so-jacqui & erik-pro photos by rad productions

the hiring:
when lorraine and greg first started planning their wedding, they turned to the fox 8 cleveland hot list winners. she found heidzillas won first place there and contacted us about availability.

the planning:
heidzillas personally was booked with leah and matt‘s wedding that day, but helped l&g with some planning items before our associate doc, e, stepped in and took over the day of coordination duties!

the results:

rehearsal
there wasn’t much time for a traditional rehearsal with ceremony decoration being done and a grand welcome party for out of town guests being throwing all evening!

ceremony
lorraine was trying to find a lovely outdoor ceremony site when she first hired heidzillas. we suggested one of our favorites – the hanna gardens! luckily it was still available despite the popular holiday weekend.

reception
lorraine and greg’s international-themed reception included a purple hue through out and a unique set up.

some tables were grouped into threes to accomodate the room shape and to put more guests who knew each other together.

it’s difficult to see in this photo, but the cocktail tables had twinkle lights in them.

the head table pre-ceremony

and post ceremony once some more flowers were transported.

tables were named after the cities lorraine and greg had visited together

each place setting included photo strip book marks for the photobooth photos and a little sack of jordan almonds as a nod to greg’s heritage.

memory table for lorraine and greg’s fathers and lorraine’s uncle.

the luggage tag favors doubled as escort cards

guests could flip through the various scrap books of trips l&g have taken together

cake styled card box

the actual cake was several small round mini cakes all put together in one!

lorraine also surprised greg with a groom’s cake after seeing a similar groom’s cake on my blog in january!

there was also an international cookie display complete with fortune cookies from china, german chocolate cake, italian cassata cake… and more!

the notables:
how they met: i think lorraine and greg have one of the most unique love stories that i’ve ever heard. they both worked for a large fortune 500 company which held a employee reunion that they both attended. but they didn’t meet there, despite knowing so many people in common. instead, they met a few months later on match.com! they started dating and despite living in two different states, perserved through the long-distance relationship.

favorite planning moment: i think every planning moment was our favorite with these two! lorraine and greg came to heidzillas with so many great ideas for their international-themed wedding. lorraine had been in the travel industry for years, and since they’ve been together l&g have traveled the world together. they also had guests coming from around the country and even as far as hong kong.

cleveland-central: with so many out of town guests, the friday welcome party kicked off the weekend. on saturday, in between the ceremony and reception, guests could get on a tour bus for a cleveland sights tour, and on sunday a big fourth-of-july pool party was planned for everyone who attended the wedding.

biggest challenge: lorraine lost her uncle, a father figure, just a couple of months before the wedding. some plans went on hold and a few were decidedly overlooked but just about everything went on as intended.

sources: the most notable source for this wedding was PEOPLE! i’ve never seen so many people rally around a bride to help out! from sisters to best friends, a team of “staff” helped out lorraine with getting the invitations out, decorating the ceremony site, and more!

fun fact: lorraine and greg found lorraine’s engagement ring while at a port of call on a cruise with greg’s mother. the next port of call was venice where they took a gondola ride. while just passing under the rialto bridge, greg popped the question! lorraine says he got lucky.

the hiring:
i was very flattered when leah, an event planner herself, contacted me in june 2009 in regards to my day of coordination services. she was planning from several states away, and i got the opportunity to meet her and matt the next trip they took home.

the planning:
our initial planning was via dozens of page long and late night emails when leah and i had time in our busy schedules to correspond. once l&m moved back to the cleveland area and we could meet as often as we liked!

the results:
rehearsal
it was rather cool on the pier w rooftop at the rehearsal being that a nearby building cast a giant shadow on the space. we lamented that it was probably nicer to have the cool than the next day’s heat. without the chairs it was a little difficult to visualize the altar, but a few guests of the bridal party served as our visual markers where the aisle would be the next day. all enjoyed the view!

ceremony
leah and matt chose their wedding day over two years in advance… and they couldn’t have chosen any better! it was sunny, without a cloud in the sky and just gorgeous!

it was, however, awfully sunny and hot, which leah prepared for – she provide guests with lemon and lime filled water pitchers as well as cool cookies.

i think the ceremony was one of my favorite views of cleveland ever. and it really set the tone for the entire weekend – the thread of cleveland was woven in everything they planned.

leah’s reaction when it was difficult to get matt’s ring on his warm fingers got a great chuckle from their guests.

reception
the metropolitan ballroom also has a wonderful view of cleveland. with the red and blue uplighting from selective sound, there was this great feel of cleveland and fourth of july. guests enjoyed a long cocktail hour followed by a three course meal.

escort card mosaic:

guest book mosaic:

first dance!

the whole room:

the notables:
favorite planning moment: leah asked me for officiant referrals, one of the names i gave her was my former high school art teacher and ordained minister, annie peters, leah and matt hit it off with annie and hired her to officiate! it was nice to go to the ceremony knowing exactly who i was working with (someone who has a significant impact on my life, including encouraging my own artistic abilities.)

nwr memorable moment: when i arrived at the metropolitan ballroom, the streets were lined with people holding signs that read “HOME” and “COMMUNITY.” i later found out that when leah and her maids were en route from their hotel to the ceremony location, their limo held up a limo carrying a particular former cavs player who was leaving img.

unique detail: matt designed all of their stationery including programs, and guest to-do booklets that were given out post-ceremony. he chose table numbers based on favorite sports start. instead of being seated at tables number 1 through 10, guests were assigned to table 82 for ozzie newsome, table 13 for omar vizquel, table 23 for he who shall not be named, etcetera. leah and matt’s head table was named “jt” for the head coach of their favorite college football team. (their favors were peanut butter and chocolate treats who share the same name as the team.)

biggest challenge: the wind! outdoor weddings are challenging because of the elements and on july 3 the biggest challenge was the lovely breeze that kept guests cool but also kept the aisle runner a fluttering and programs blowing. of course, however, the view was SO worth it.

sources: leah found her yummy macarons a la parisienne at trader joe’s.

fun fact: leah and matt met 559 miles from cleveland in st. louis, but grew up in northeast ohio 30 miles apart.

the hiring:
heidzillas served as a friendor on this one! for the beginning story, see their ephotos post. i was one of the first people called when the got engaged. about a year later once erin and tony started planning, i had started my cleveland wedding planning business and sat down with erin to discussed vendors she had been hiring and how i could help coordinate them all!

the planning:
erin and tony had about two and a half years of planning but held off on getting started for about a year. erin and her mom rocked out the planning while tony was overseas. they had wild flour cake and met corey ann at my wedding and hired them both. erin also had seen shout perform and loved them. she also had experience with fresh tendrils in advance.

the results:
rehearsal
erin’s brother turned 21 on the day before their wedding, so they held their rehearsal on the thursday before instead. it was a bright sunny day and everyone gather very excited and ready to go.

ceremony
the weather was perfect, and short of a bridemaid dress snafu, everything ran smoothly and perfectly on time. there was this anticipation in the air for erin and tony who had been through so much when tony was in the army throughout their engagement.

as if i couldn’t get and post an action shot of corey… muhahaha!

reception

guests were greeted into the reception with a bagpiper, erin’s dad’s only request for wedding!

meanwhile, inside a cocktail hour pianist from la centre played while guests enjoy drinks and hors d’oeuvres.

erin used my how-to to make her own pride and joy card box!

i loved the head table on risers with the lit up back drop! it was so elegant.

back outside the room, i set up a candy favor bar and…

la centre set up the cookie take home bar.

the details were lovely, but reception itself was a blast. shout kept people on the dance floor all night long.

including the groom… tony you’re the best worst dancer i know.

conga!

later in the night, erin tossed several calles at once instead of just one bouquet for all the single ladies!

the notables:
favorite planning moment: i met with erin a few times during her planning process, but a final meeting including tony and her dad took the cake. the questions the groom and the fob have once all the plans are made are always quite good because they aren’t as close to planning along the way. at one point, i spilled soda on myself because i was laughing so hard at erin’s dad talking about “making it rain” in regards to paying for the wedding. image a proper business man pretending to smoosh hundreds out of his hands. hysterical.

unique detail: the lighting that e&t had done by la centre was outstanding. there was a purple wash to then entire room and pin spots on the high centerpieces and the cake. it was marvelous and made the look of the room so much more dramatic.

biggest challenge: it’s always tricky to coordinate with a band because the music is live and i can’t just walk right up to the lead singer like i would with a lead dj. shout did an excellent job of keeping the wedding formalities going while entertaining guests like a live band does. (as you had to have seen in the video.)

sources: the pastries from the cookie table came from michaelangelo’s bakery. i picked them up in the morning and had to rearrange my car because there were SO many. yum.

fun fact: all but one of the groomsmen had served in the military. they were a very distinguish group when they stood. a great big thank you for your service, gents!

previous post:
erin & tony’s ephotos

eric & tn – ya know i love ya! congrats!!!!!!!

the hiring:
jenna found me in september 2009. our highlight to fame was when we was interviewed as a part of a cleveland jewish news’ jstyle magazine story i was featured in january 2010. 

the results:
pre-ceremony
jenna and mike arrived not too long after i had and did a first look and bridal party photos while i worke to set up the ceremony site.

after photos, it was time for the traditional jewish pre-ceremony of ketubah signing and veiling of the bride.

rabbi matt e signs the ketubah as jenna and mike, their parents and bridal party watch.

ceremony

as soon as the signing ceremony was complete, the ceremony started outdoors on a sunny lovely day at happy days lodge.

j&m anticipated the hot day and had cool bottles of water, fans and…

parasols for guests.

jenna found stands for the chuppah poles so it could be placed before their bridal party members would process to hold each of the poles.

j&m picked very unique processional music, including 1, 2, 3, 4 (i love you) by the plain white tees that was played by adam keeler from epanache.

i caught the breaking of the glass on video. they had an actual floral vase which mike had to break… it took a couple of tries but he was a real fun sport about it. watch here or below.

reception
following the ceremony, guests went straight to the happy days lodge for dinner…

… and fine entertainment by a jazz trio.

jenna’s favorite cake is chocolate, while mike’s is white so they opted for multi-flavored cupcakes from main street cupcake!

the ambiance was lovely, and the food was FANTASTIC!

guests were also encouraged to take photos in the photobooth and place them in the memory scrapbook that was used in lieu of a traditional guestbook.

you can see all of the event’s photos here.

the notables:
favorite moment: jenna and mike’s family and friends were so sweet all day and were telling them how lovely everything was. they thanked their guests, family and bridal party in their own speeches after the toasts. jenna even surprised me and thanked me first for all my help, it was really kind of her! i sincerely ENJOYED helping them all day long.
jewish traditions: michael had his yamuka, tallit and chalice from his bar mitzvah which were all incorporated into the traditional ceremony.
unique detail: the reception decor – florals, napkin folds, cake and the photobooth strips all had peacock feathers! a few ladies wore them in their hair.
biggest challenge: it was a warm, windy day that sunday which made it difficult to keep the chuppah upright and with the tallit not flying off.
sources: j&m’s beautiful ketubah was called “a lover’s embrace 3″ and can be found on mp artworks.
fun fact: jenna is a chemist!

congrats! love! luck! and best wishes always, jenna & mike!!!!

the hiring:
ali’s sister and maid of honor mallory is a friend of mine from college. i’ve met their parents several times but hadn’t met ali or will until we started planning. mallory always said that ali and i were like people which i definitely found to be true!

the planning:
i did a home tour with ali’s parents in the winter to help determine how the ceremony, reception tent, cocktail hour bar, etc. would be set up. an at-home reception takes a lot of strategy and vendors to make work. ali’s parents also spent a great deal of time working their garden and flower beds and i think every guest noticed their gorgeous work!

the results:

rehearsal
i think ali and will’s rehearsal was one of my all time favorites. the parents and bridal party enjoyed cheese and crackers and wine. we went through the space-limited processional and recessional twice and everyone – including groomsdog dodger – was sweetly patient and attentive.

ceremony
ali and will chose to do a first look before guests arrived. they got many of their pictures finished before the hotel shuttles arrived and the home filled with guests. right before the ceremony there were a few last minute fixes that were going on, but everything went perfectly. the ceremony was short and sweet and the processional was filled with loving tears from the bridal party. my favorite part was that dodger went up to the alter area and took a snooze.

kerry from aoey doing ali’s makeup:

duke junior and the smokey boots sound (and power) check

gorgeous decor around and inside the home:

decor aside, this group had some major style going on. the groomsmen had matching shirts, shoes and pocket squares. the groom coordinated with his men in similar colors and patterns.

low top chucks – and paw! – shot!

the bridesmaids had coordinating seersucker dresses and wore their own shoes.

pre-ceremony shots…

with nathan from fyrefly!

anthropologie eat your heart out.

work it fyrefly!!!

a little while later and a couple of snafus later, it was time for the ceremony!

reception
the cocktail hour was held in their garden area with a bubbling fountain and small pond

the reception was held in a tent with seating for 80.

father of the bride’s welcome:

moh’s touching toast:

groom’s parents saying a few words:

cake…

…and cutting.

the favors were placed at the gate for guests to take as they left. they were bone and paw shaped cookies with a tag explaining a donation that was made to the aspca. ali had a framed photo of dodger the groomsdog that i placed with it in lieu of it going on the cake table.

towards the end of the night, while guests were enjoying the cool garden, i lit floating pond candles that were just darling mixed in with the lily pads.

it was an absolutely beautiful night, and the thunderstorms missed us, luckily! nathan from fyrefly and i commented that we felt like we were in a movie about a wedding all day, it was that lovely. and everything went so perfectly!

the notables:
favorite planning moment: the afternoon getting ready session with the ladies was so fun and relaxed! everyone enjoyed the day and were able to watch all of the set up going on.
something old/new/borrowed/blue: they  had forgotten their cake cutting set at home so they borrowed a neighbor’s brand new set which i tied blue raffia on to match the cake display. a&w also had ali’s parents’ wedding glasses to use.
unique detail: everything! from the overlays, to the pond candles, to the favor cookie tags – nothing was overlooked. although i think that the groomsdog’s floral wreath was my very favorite.

with a close second being the bouquet wraps.

biggest challenge: the venue! i adored everything about ali’s parents over 100 year old tudor style home. however, having an on-location backyard wedding has its challenges. everything must be brought in – the tent, tables, chairs, lighting, etc. we also had to be sure we weren’t over-using circuits and had to level out some tables in the yard.
sources: the bride’s fabulous jewelry was found at nordstrom. and one of my favorites – the “please seat yourself” sign was hand-drawn by will’s sister and bridesmaid, ari.
fun fact: distance was no issue for vendors and guests. the band members were college friends of a&w and traveled from athens to play. the photographer traveled from the couple’s hometown of cinci! wedding guests came from around the world to attend… while some only had to travel a few houses down.

ali & will – it was an absolute blast to help you on your day!!!!!! thanks for giving me the opportunity!

previous post:
ali & will’s ephotos

don’t forget to check out the amazing work from fyrefly photography! the pro photos sneak peek of the wedding on their blog here!

note: all photos in this post are (c) colleen reed photography

the hiring:
doug, the groom, is my father. enough said! moving on…

the planning:
d&d originally thought about going to las vegas with immediate family for a vegas-wedding-chapel style affair. instead, they bought a house, a dog and a vintage truck and decided to keep the celebration at home for immediate family and a few close friends. the planning was simple by design: a memorial day picnic with a ceremony. diane wanted silk flowers so she could keep them afterwards. we also planned for a sand ceremony. we made invitations using ivory paper, vellum and ribbon and sent them in pastel envelopes found at an office supply store.

complete with the officiant, rings and marriage license, they were all set!

the results:

ceremony
diane’s son neil “gave her away” complete with some kind words about how his grandfather (who passed away in february) had known doug and “approved” on their getting married.

both diane and doug got the giggles when trying to repeat the fairly long vows

ring exchange

each one of us kids had our own color which we poured in by birth order:

i didn’t tell them, but i placed packets of rice on each guest’s seat for a recessional surprise!

favorite formals

reception

the reception included tables and chairs brought by all of the attendees, a pot luck picnic with a deep-fried turkey and hot dogs and hamburgers. guests enjoy cool drinks, the shade and lots and lots of cornhole!

the cake cutting

the notables:
favorite planning moment: most of the planning was done over easter dinner and was finished with one shopping trip!
something old/new/borrowed/blue: diane wore a new dress with blue in it and borrowed a vintage handkerchief from her mother.
unique detail: diane and doug purchased the 1961 vintage chevy truck just days before the wedding. it was perfect for family formals!
biggest challenge: n/a? weddings don’t always have to take months to plan. it was short and very sweet and everything was covered and just the way d&d wanted it to be.
sources: the silks, party supplies and sand ceremony items all came from pat catans.
fun fact: diane and doug met through diane’s brother. the ceremony and reception was held at his home!

congratulations diane & dad! love you both!

a special thanks to colleen reed photography for doing a great job with the photos!

the hiring:
michelle and chris were my third clients EVER. their wedding day was originally scheduled for july 11, 2009. plans changed, however, when chris had to go kick cancer’s @$$. after he beat it, they found a date all of us original vendors were open and rescheduled for may 22, 2010.

the planning:
michelle handled all of her planning, often times with great assistant, her sister krista! i provided rehearsal and ceremony coordination. a judge officiated their wedding and looked to me to help with the ceremony rehearsal quite a bit, which i love to get to do. the coe lake gazebo can be a little tight for large bridal parties so we made sure the bridesmaids and groomsmen knew their places so they’d all fit in the altar area during the ceremony.

the results:
we were concerned about the weather, but it poured during set up and was sunny during the ceremony! everything went off perfectly, everyone was on time, and everyone enjoyed the memorable ceremony – i got a little misty-eyed myself, knowing all michelle and chris had been through!

rehearsal

ceremony

b&t sent up before:

and after:

i loved these bouquets, they were so vibrant and looked great with the bridesmaids’ green dresses.

there she goes!

the notables:
favorite moment: it was a very hot and humid day – especially with the storms that were lurking around northeast ohio! – and both m&c had trouble getting their wedding bands on. everyone in attendance enjoyed a good laugh about chris squirming to get it on.
favorite iphone app:  while i was setting up, i constantly checked my weather channel iphone app radar screen. i was able to alert another bridal party who was at coe lake for post-ceremony photos (with their photog, my friend, corey ann) that they should get umbrellas and the cars ready asap because the big red blob on the radar was almost there!
unique detail: michelle had their sand ceremony containers engraved so the individual color tubes had their names on them and the main vessel had their names and the date.
biggest challenge: the distance from the limo bus to the gazebo is maybe 100-200 yards, so the processional walk is quite long. timing was tricky but it went smoothly with great help from jeff and jeff at the dj crew.
sources: there was another ceremony a few hours after m&c’s. the second couple got in contact with them and they were able to split the cost of the chair rental. great save!
fun fact: after i was hired, we figured out chris and his brother/best man tom went to high school with my husband. at the rehearsal dinner, tom and i figured out he lives immediately next door to my best friend/maid of honor. it’s a small, small world.

previous post:
michelle & chris – ephotos

the hiring:
in late february, i got an email from cheryl who explained to me she already had a wedding planner.  the planner had been canceling meetings, not following through with deliverables on deadline or at all, and sounded all around unprofessional. i did not ask who it was, as it was none of my business but instead sought out ways to  help remedy her planning situation in less than 10 weeks. within one meeting, we devised a new decor plan, and started the final details planning for me to day of coordinate.

the planning:
i provided decor planning to supplement what had already been planned between cheryl and her florist, blooms and linen rentals l’nique. my task was to figure out how to incorporate orange and gold accents to the already orange-crushed filled room. i developed guest book table, cake table and candy buffet accents, the escort card set up, a custom card box, table numbers, bathroom baskets, painted aisle runner and a few other miscellaneous items.

the results:
as some of you have heard, my beloved mother in law passed away april 23. her funeral was the same day as cheryl’s wedding, so i was unable to serve as her day of coordinator. i always have a plan b, and a colleague took over and did a great job. cheryl even noted, she thought it was me as we have such similar styles! i loved that. here are a few photos of the actual set up, including two styles of centerpieces. please note: my point and shoot digital camera hated capturing orange and gold, so the colors weren’t so saturated in person:

the notables:
favorite planning moment: we laughed so much. i’ve never laughed so much with a bride about the actual planning process. cheryl was so easy going about planning and had great taste.
something old/new/borrowed/blue: cheryl’s grandmother had a habit of sharing handkerchiefs. cheryl had a basket full of them for guests when they entered the ceremony site.
unique detail: c&d chose indian scrolls for their programs, complete with gold tassels!
biggest challenge: utilizing the color orange without going too fall-themed nor halloween looking was difficult at times. the gold help to make the orange color more elegant.
sources: pat catan’s had some great sales on votives and frames that worked out well. i found the bathroom baskets while personal shopping at marc’s.
fun fact: cheryl was the eldest bride i’ve worked for.