Where Should I Get Married?

You've said yes, you've set a wedding budget and you've probably chosen a wedding planner (hopefully), so what is the next step in the wedding planning process? Choosing a venue.  The venue that you choose sets the tone of your entire wedding and honestly, becomes difficult to move forward with anything else if you do not have a set venue location.  I like to put it as, "No venue, no wedding date."  It just goes hand in hand.  You can either have your ceremony and reception at the same location or you may opt to have your ceremony at a church and use a very nice reception location.  Don't know where to start your search?  Listed below are some venues located in the Chicago-land area and neighboring suburbs.  We will discuss in another post what questions to ask when visiting venue sites and what to look for.  Until then, enjoy the start of your research.

Stan Mansion

(www.stanmansion.com)

Patrick C. Haley Mansion

(www.patrickhaleymansion.com)

South Shore Cultural Center

(www.chicagoparkdistrict.com)

Chateau Bu-Sche'

(www.chateaubusche.com)

Odyssey Country Club 

(www.odysseycountryclub.com)

Jacob Henry Mansion Estate

(www.jacobhenrymansion.com)

Chicago Cultural Center

(www.cityofchicago.org)

These are just starter points to get your mind running; there are numerous of locations to choose from on where to have your ceremony and/or reception.  Narrow your choices down, see what your budget allows for and take it from there.  Be sure to make it a joint effort with your fiance! :-)

Thank you for checking in on today's blog.

*Zee*

Seating Your Guests

Are you the bride that wants some sense of order on your big day and you know that certain family members and/or friends just do not get along? The best way to do this is to have assigned seating which will eliminate all confusion and headache. But regular place card with just their name and table number is out dated and boring.  Jazz up your place card settings, get unique and think outside the box. Have a theme for your wedding? Incorporate that everywhere, especially with your place cards.  Place cards can sometimes double as favors for guests depending on what you choose.  I listed some ideas below to get your mind running and to think outside of the box!

Candy Cane Place Card

(occassionsonline.com)

 Crystal Hanging Tree

(boards.weddingbee.com)

Vintage Keys (notice they are not all the same)

(www.onetowed.com)

Wine/Champagne Bottles (which are actually candles) as Place Cards & Favors

(101010wedding.blogspot.com)

Candle Style Place Cards

(www.liweddings.com)

Sweet Tooth Place Cards

(wedding.allwomenstalk.com)

Thank you for checking in on today's blog!

*Zee*

Summer Cocktails

Love the outdoors and couldn't imagine your wedding being in any other season but summer?  Nothing more enjoyable then having your ceremony and reception outdoors, watching the sunset and feeling the breeze (on a good day). Spice up your bar with signature cocktails or special favorite summer drinks.  Trust me, your guests will thank you!  Give your signature cocktail a special name or let it match your wedding color, dress it up with fun straws or be super creative with your ice cubes.  Check below to get some ideas for your summer cocktails your guests will love!

Orange Signature Drink

(www.theknot.com)

Pink Grapefruit Mojito

(inspiredstyleweddings.wordpress.com)

(www.theknot.com)

Carribean Breeze

(www.theknot.com)

Fruit in Ice

(www.healthychiceats.com)

Thank you for checking in on today's blog!

*Zee*

Honeymoon Destinations

You and your fiance have been planning and planning for what probably seems like eternity for this one special day.  The day has come and went, so what do you do next?  You get away from all the chaos, phone calls and text messages saying "Congrats" and enjoy that weekend or week of being a newlywed but where do you go??  Listed below our some of our 20 favorite honeymoon destinations (no particular order).  Hope I can get your mind thinking about where to relax as newlyweds and get those passports ready!

1.) Costa Rica

2.) Italy

3.) Bora Bora

4.) Antigua

5.) Dominican Republic

6.) Paris

7.) Hawaii

8.) Bahamas

9.) Jamaica

10.) Cabo, Mexico

11.) St. Martin

12.) Spain

13.) Fiji

14.) Aruba

15.) Australia

16.) Turks & Caicos

17.) Bermuda

18.) St. Lucia

19.) Anguilla

20.) Tahiti

Sheraton Fiji Resort

(www.cntraveler.com)

What other honeymoon destinations would you add to the list? Would love to hear your thoughts!

Thank you for checking in on today's blog!

*Zee*