Friday, November 13, 2009

Wedding Planning Milwaukee

Planning a Wedding AND a Party
By Sara Dahmen, Golden Chic Events & Consulting

There’s a distinct difference between coordinating a formal, black tie affair and a rockin’ party that goes on until the wee hours of the morning. While you get a definite vibe of a good time just thinking about the thumping music of one, you feel that perhaps the elegance of the other is also part of what you want on your wedding day.

Every bride wants to have that picture perfect day, the stunning décor – however over or under the top – and the event of the season, where everyone stays until midnight, and walks away saying it was the best time they’d ever had.

Within the joint desire of wanting your cake and having it too comes that perfect planning tightrope of coordinating all the elements into that brief 12-ish hours. While I’d be completely and shamelessly tooting my own horn to insist that a wedding planner is a great answer to managing all the commotion into a smooth and entertaining day, part of it all comes down to putting yourself into the shoes of your guests.

Let’s face it: all guests want booze and a good meal. They also want that “ahh” moment when they walk into the reception room, and a lot of them look forward to the emotional vows and first kisses. And finally, they want a party with great music, a vibrant dance floor, and memories that will last them for years. How to tie in all these requirements?

One key factor is having great bar staff. Entertainment can stem from them; if your grandpa and uncles have great rapport with the guys behind the counter, they’re going to feel great about it. Having few or no lines to wait for a drink is also important, as is fast and efficient kitchen staff. Make sure your caterer or facility will guarantee enough staff to man the number of guests you’re bringing in; no one wants lukewarm steak or cold potatoes.

Another important element is your Master of Ceremonies. And again, I don’t mean a wedding planner (we like to stick behind the scenes, straightening, fixing, and checking things off the clipboard by the time you sit down to eat and dance). Your Master of Ceremonies can either be a DJ or the lead singer of your band. They create the energy of your entry into the room, the chatting it up with your groomsmen as they promenade out for the Grand March, and watching the crowd, gauging what music gets the dance floor crowded. They’ll whip up everyone with the right playlists, and will help create the mood as the night wanes on.

Lighting your space can also create mood – and can take your reception from elegant dining to hot night club with a few switches. Think about uplighting, or LEDs to highlight architecture during a ceremony, and a lounge later in the evening. Once again, you’re having your cake and eating it too.

Speaking of cake; remind people that this wedding is about you two; choose flavors that have meaning (did you fall in love over lemon cake, or was your first date at a fondue restaurant?) and a design that can be as fanciful as it is delicious. However, remember, you want guests to have fun and a good culinary experience, so if the two of you love something super original, like mint lavender infused cake, provide some chocolate and white options for the more traditional guests.

Décor is also part of that elegant “ahhh” moment – so think about how you want to fill the space. With smell? Think lilies. With stylistic views? Consider height and colors that pop for your flowers. Linens can enhance your color palate or the season, and be conscientious of your location so you’re not trying to pair colors that clash. This is the fun part of planning – the flowers, linens, paper products and invitations – but it’s also the most essential for the classy, stylish part of your wedding day.

And before I finish up, yes, I am a wedding planner, and yes, I think all couples should hire one – not to hold your hand and tell you what to do every step of the way – but to take the stress off of the day of, to manage the logistics, to be an unbiased third party in heated arguments about the color of the tuxes or the type of font on the invitations. We’re there to guide you to vendors who fit your personality, style AND budget, and we’re there to be a vendor partner with your caterer (they handle food, we handle bridesmaid dresses). It’s a party to plan a wedding as well; create a supportive and professional support system to surround and help you.

Bottom line, your guests will have fun if you two are. If you’re on the dance floor, you bet people will join you. If you’re laughing, and engaging your guests in conversation, and hauling them into the conga line, they’ll join in. When you’re filled with excitement, joy, and happiness, that vibe will carry itself throughout the day, and your guests will walk away at midnight saying, “Wow, that was a great time!”