Generally speaking, just winging it is most likely to get you in trouble on the day. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve heard some great toasts that sound completely off-the-cuff, but they’ve always been from naturally gifted speakers, who I’d be willing to bet made some well-rehearsed mental notes going into it.

Writing Out a Toast

If you’re a great writer, there’s nothing wrong with writing out your entire toast. Your facile with language and ability to string together impressive sounding words won’t be lost on your audience if you read your toast with conviction. Just don’t get too stuffy – this isn’t a term paper or a TPS report.

You might also be most comfortable just making some notes to keep you on track as you go – this allows you a greater connection with your audience, and gives you the flexibility to see what’s working and what’s not as you give your toast.

Which is key, since there’s nothing sadder than watching a bad toast turn even worse, but it happens a lot. To start off on the right foot and avoid digging yourself into a big hole, try using this simple but universally effective game plan, patent pending.

No-Fail Toast Game Plan

Start by introducing yourself, and your relationship to the bride or groom. Explain how you know them, and how far the three of you go back. Next, go for the funny, but don’t be obnoxious. Share a witty anecdote about how you met either the bride or groom, and how their lives became better after they were together.

Talk about some quirky trait that one has which completely complements the other. Remember that wedding audiences are generally pretty easy – they’re all good friends, with their emotions at the surface, and they’re probably a little tipsy. So keep it all pretty clean and light – a good natured approach will get ‘em smiling and even laughing with almost no effort.

Make the Wedding Toast Emotional

Next, go for the tears. Once you have them laughing, they’re primed and ready for some good schmaltz. Talk about what an incredible couple they are, how inspiring they are to all those around them, and how the world is a better place with them together. Bring up the beautiful union of families, and hint about their incredible kids down the line.

Keep the Toast Positive

If you’re ever in doubt, go for compliments. These people have been through a lot to get to this day, and sometimes it’s just nice to hear how much your friends and family dig you. Whatever you do, remember that the goal is to NOT embarrass the bride and groom in front of everyone they know. This is a toast, not a roast. Also be sure to steer clear of these all-too common snares:

Wedding Toast Faux Pas

Don’t drink too much before your toast – a drink to loosen up is okay, but much more than that and you’ll be telling old college stories that are best left in college. Never use an insult of any kind – this is a festival of love, remember? Don’t use any corny one-liners, make sure that any humor in your toast comes from genuine sentiment, not Little Johnny jokes. Never mention ex-girlfriends or boyfriends, and be sure to give time to addressing both the bride and groom. And finally, don’t hog the spotlight – this day is about celebrating the wedding, not your toast.

Staying Cool During the Toast

But if all this sounds a little daunting, or if you’re simply terrified of speaking in front of other people, just remember this: keep it simple. Tell the bride and groom how much you care about them, and how much it means that they’ve included you in their wedding celebration. Wish them all the success in the universe, have everyone raise a glass, and give them a big hug. And if you mean it, you just might snag a tear or two.

How can you prevent the arguments and stay in love during this time?

A couple told me their secret for keeping their relationship happy during the sometimes stressful time of planning a Chicago wedding.

What they do is set aside one night a week for wedding planning. They order in or go out to dinner and talk about nothing but the wedding.

On their first meeting they set out a plan of attack.

What are the most important things that need to be done first?

Then they decided between the two of them, who is the most available, interested or qualified to handle each portion of the planning process.

DIVIDE AND CONQUER

For Example,

Bill is in charge of researching Chicago wedding bands and Chicago wedding venues.

Julie is in charge of researching Chicago florists and Chicago caterers. Etc…

Once this is established, each has their list of assignments for that week. They don’t constantly talk about their Chicago wedding throughout the week, nag each other and get in fights. They save up all their Chicago Wedding ideas for their “wedding planning day” in their case they chose Wednesdays.

On Wednesday night, they shared with each other what they found during the week and set up a plan for what needs to be done during the upcoming week.

This goes on for about 4-6 weeks. Once they have narrowed down their choices, they work as a team visiting their top Chicago venues, meeting with the favorite Chicago wedding bands, Chicago wedding photographers, Chicago florists etc…until they have chosen the venue and vendors they want for their Chicago wedding.

The couple said they were able to really enjoy the planning process and avoid much of the stress other couples go through when planning their Chicago Wedding.

It’s an idea which I’ve recommended to several couples that have used it to make their lives and relationships much happier. After all that’s what your wedding is all about!

Remember the purpose of your Chicago wedding is to celebrate your love, right?

Don’t get too stressed. Enjoy the process by being organized, flexible and supportive partners with each other. These are the keys to having a terrific Chicago Wedding and staying in love while planning it!

Here’s what the overall schedules would look like:

Dancing after Dinner (Mid-West Style)

Schedule Overview:

5:45 – 6:30pm Ceremony Classical Duo (Violin and Piano)

6:30 – 7:30pm Cocktails Jazz Trio (Piano, Bass and Sax)

7:30 – 9:00pm Dinner Jazz Trio Continues

9:00 – 12:00am 10-Piece Orchestra

Ceremony

5:45-6:30pm Ceremony Classical Duo

Cocktails:

6:30-7:30pm Jazz Trio

Dinner:

7:30-9:00pm Jazz Trio Continues

7:30pm Doors open (Guests enter ballroom)

Bridal Party Introductions

Flower Girl: escorted by Ring Bearer:

Parents of the Bride:

Parents of the Groom:

Ushers:

Bridesmaids and Groomsmen:

escorted by

escorted by

Matron of Honor:

escorted by Best Man

Bride and Groom:

Toasts:

Toast 1:

Toast 2:

Toast 3:

Toast 4:

Blessing Over Meal:

Meal is served

Cake Cutting

Dancing:
9:00-12:00am 10-Piece Orchestra

First Dance:

Father/Daughter Dance:

Mother/Son Dance:

Everyone begins dancing

10:30pm Bouquet/Garter

Dancing Between Courses (East Coast Style)

Schedule Overview:

5:45 – 6:30pm   Ceremony Classical Duo (Violin and Piano)

6:30 – 7:30pm   Cocktails Jazz Trio (Piano, Bass and Sax)

7:30 – 9:00pm   Dinner 10-Piece Orchestra

9:00 – 12:00am Dancing 10-Piece Orchestra Continues

Ceremony:

5:45-6:30pm Ceremony Classical Duo

Cocktails:
6:30-7:30pm Jazz Trio

Dinner:
7:30-9:00pm 10-Piece Orchestra

7:30pm Doors open (Guests enter ballroom)

Bridal Party Introductions

Flower Girl: escorted by Ring Bearer:

Parents of the Bride:

Parents of the Groom:

Ushers:

Bridesmaids and Groomsmen:

escorted by

escorted by

Matron of Honor escorted by Best Man

Bride and Groom:

First Dance:

Father/Daughter:

Mother/Son Dance:

Everyone dances one song

“Ladies and Gentlemen we will have plenty of dancing throughout the evening. In the meantime, please be seated”

Toasts:

Toast 1:

Toast 2:

Toast 3:

Toast 4:

Blessing Over Meal:

As Salad is served announce Cake Cutting

After Salads is being cleared:
“Ladies and Gentlemen, while you are waiting for your main course we’d like to invite to join us for dancing.”

The Catering Director cues David once the main course is served.
“Ladies and Gentlemen we will have plenty of dancing throughout the evening. In the meantime, please be seated as your main course is being served.”

Dancing:
9:00-12:00am 10-Piece Orchestra Continues

10:30pm Bouquet/Garter

Dancing Between Courses has several huge benefits to the flow of your wedding:

WHAT HAPPENS: Dance Orchestra starts performing as the door to the ballroom opens.

BENEFITS: You will make a big impression having a full orchestra playing as your guests come in.

WHAT HAPPENS: When you are introduced with a standing ovation, you walk right to the dance floor for your First Dance, Father/Daughter and Mother/Son.

BENEFITS: All the formal dances are completed. After dinner you will have 3 hours of uninterrupted dancing.

WHAT HAPPENS: Your guests are invited to dance one song.

BENEFITS: The dancing will jump start your party and put your guests in the mood for a great night.

WHAT HAPPENS: Guests are invited to dance after the salad course.

BENEFITS: Instead of sitting at their table with a dirty plate with waiters reaching around them, they can dance to their favorite songs.

WHAT HAPPENS: The dance orchestra performs for 4 ½ hours instead of 3.

BENEFITS: You can choose more of your favorite songs.
If toasts are longor the food is running behind, you’re covered.

SUMMARY: Dancing between courses is a huge advantage to the overall success of your wedding if you can afford it. Think of it as an insurance policy for having an amazing wedding.

• Wedding dress alterations can range from $300 to $700 depending on the style, design and size of the dress and take a minimum of 8 weeks to complete. Bridesmaid’s dresses take an average of 2 weeks to complete and average about $120.

• March through September is wedding season in Chicago so make sure you make your appointments for alterations in plenty of time to have them completed. Also, by the end of April many alteration houses are booked about one month out on weekdays and 6 weeks out on Saturdays throughout the remainder of the summer.
 
• A couple of frequent complaints we hear from bridesmaids is the cost of the dress, the color of the dress, as well as the style. Many bridesmaids say they purchase dresses that they will never wear again. While you cannot please everyone, and it is your wedding after all, try to choose either a neutral color or black. You absolutely cannot go wrong with black. This will give your bridesmaids an opportunity to enjoy their purchase several times by wearing them to other formal affairs or events.

• We often are asked our opinion about jewelry, particularly necklaces. We suggest wearing a subtle necklace so as not to distract from your dress. You may simply want to accentuate your dress with beautiful earrings instead.

• Remember that not all women are made the same –not even women who are the same dress size. It is not uncommon for bridal salons to order a wedding dress that is 1 or 2 sizes too large. Not to fret, dresses can always be made smaller while it is more difficult to make them larger.

• Lastly, remember to have fun during all of your wedding planning. Yes, it can be overwhelming, yes it can be time consuming, and yes, there will be times when you wish you had run off to Vegas. But remain in focus and have fun. With careful planning, it will all come together and your wedding will be perfect.

The Knot’s “10 Rules for Every Bride” Posted by Erica Sapio

If you’re a new bride, TheKnot.com has 10 rules for you to keep you sane:

1) I can live without lady’s slipper orchids.

2) I won’t make my bridesmaids look like clones.

3) I won’t invite my second cousin’s fling.

4) I won’t obsess over my registry.

5) I’ll loosen up about the rehearsal dinner.

6) I’ll write thank-you notes as the gifts come in.

7) I won’t stress out about his bachelor party.

I won’t have unrealistic weight expectations.

9) I won’t let downers dampen my enthusiasm.

10) I’ll make my album within one year of the wedding.

If you haven’t, then welcome to the world of wedding planning.

Caterers, florists, and other wedding-related companies will be banging down your door to get your business. Friends and relatives will offer advice, phone numbers, and web sites for you to check out. How will you juggle the multitudes of research and information from those who want your day to be special? The key to smooth and stress-reducing wedding planning is…

Being Organized

Being organized is the art of having the things you need when you need them whether it is a brochure, a phone number, or a picture of your ultimate bridal bouquet. And no one recognizes the need to be organized more than someone who is planning a wedding. A few organizing techniques you can use to help you plan your wedding are the consistent use of a calendar/PDA and making ‘to-do lists.’ But what about all of those wedding-related papers you’ve accumulated? Estimates from caterers, song sheets from bands, and all of those pictures you tore out of magazines–how are you supposed to keep them all organized?

The Wedding Binder

The top tool for organized wedding planning is a ‘Wedding Binder.’ Besides your future spouse, your ‘Wedding Binder’ will be the closest thing to a best friend you’ll have during your engagement period. The wedding binder is essentially a ‘home’ for all wedding-related information. Each topic will have a specific area in the binder allowing for quick referencing and retrieval.

How should you build your wedding binder to work best for you?

The size of your wedding and how many ‘extras’ you incorporate into your wedding day (ex. ice sculptures, doves) will determine the size of your binder. If you are having a small, simple gathering or you’re not doing much research, you may not need more than a 1″ spine. Large gatherings with many ‘extras’ will probably require a binder with upwards of a 3″ spine.

Besides the binder itself, you will need:

three hole punched, two-sided pocket folders extra wide dividers or self adhesive divider tabs for the pocket folders three hole punched, zippered pocket for pen/pencils/paper clips (optional) One, two-sided pocket folder is usually enough room for the paperwork of one vendor. One side of the pocket folder is for ideas and research and the other side is for estimates and contracts. Keeping these different types of information separate will allow you to locate them and retrieve at a moment’s notice.

Examples of some categories for your pocket folders are… Catering Photography Bridal Gown Transportation Ceremony/Officiant(s) Honeymoon Assemble the pocket folders in order of importance to you. If you are constantly making calls to your caterer, place that folder towards the front of the binder. Already know what favors you want to give out? Place that folder towards the back.

What other information can be stored in your wedding binder?

Guest lists/gift lists E-mail/phone list of bridal party members Seating charts A print-out of your registry Benefits to using a wedding binder

Money-saving benefit: You’re always prepared when a vendor wants to talk about price. If someone quotes you a price in writing and you can’t produce the paper it’s written on, they could try to charge you more money for their services. Time-saving benefit: Since all of your information has a ‘home,’ you won’t be wasting your time printing duplicate information off the internet or repeatedly asking for the addresses of your guests. Sanity-saving benefit: All of your wedding information is in one place. No need to take apart your living room looking for what you need. Tips for keeping an organized wedding binder:

Label the pocket folders clearly Place new papers/information in the correct pocket of your binder as soon as you receive them. Sort and purge your binder once a month. Toss any information that is no longer relevant in the trash or in a folder for a friend or relative who may need it in the future. Always bring your wedding binder with you when meeting with your vendors. You’ll have all the information you need to compare prices and make educated decisions. You will be organized, prepared and in control of your special day.

How to Give a Great Wedding Toast by Jonathon Stewart

Hey guys -  Boring your guests, insulting your inlaws, and pronouncing your love for your best friend’s wife are all pretty much faux pas in the game of life. So why the temptation when making a speech at a friend or family member’s wedding? Well, here are a few pitfalls to avoid, and a few tips to heed, when giving a wedding toast that will have people raving for generations to come. Check it out. Prepare for Your Wedding Toast. The first key to a great speech is preparation. Before you do anything, decide what form your toast will take. Will you write it out and read it verbatim, use notes for reference, or just wing it?

Generally speaking, just winging it is most likely to get you in trouble on the day. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve heard some great toasts that sound completely off-the-cuff, but they’ve always been from naturally gifted speakers, who I’d be willing to bet made some well-rehearsed mental notes going into it.

Writing Out a Toast

If you’re a great writer, there’s nothing wrong with writing out your entire toast. Your facile with language and ability to string together impressive sounding words won’t be lost on your audience if you read your toast with conviction. Just don’t get too stuffy – this isn’t a term paper or a TPS report.

You might also be most comfortable just making some notes to keep you on track as you go – this allows you a greater connection with your audience, and gives you the flexibility to see what’s working and what’s not as you give your toast.

Which is key, since there’s nothing sadder than watching a bad toast turn even worse, but it happens a lot. To start off on the right foot and avoid digging yourself into a big hole, try using this simple but universally effective game plan, patent pending.

No-Fail Toast Game Plan

Start by introducing yourself, and your relationship to the bride or groom. Explain how you know them, and how far the three of you go back. Next, go for the funny, but don’t be obnoxious. Share a witty anecdote about how you met either the bride or groom, and how their lives became better after they were together.

Talk about some quirky trait that one has which completely complements the other. Remember that wedding audiences are generally pretty easy – they’re all good friends, with their emotions at the surface, and they’re probably a little tipsy. So keep it all pretty clean and light – a good natured approach will get ‘em smiling and even laughing with almost no effort.

Make the Wedding Toast Emotional

Next, go for the tears. Once you have them laughing, they’re primed and ready for some good schmaltz. Talk about what an incredible couple they are, how inspiring they are to all those around them, and how the world is a better place with them together. Bring up the beautiful union of families, and hint about their incredible kids down the line.

Keep the Toast Positive

If you’re ever in doubt, go for compliments. These people have been through a lot to get to this day, and sometimes it’s just nice to hear how much your friends and family dig you. Whatever you do, remember that the goal is to NOT embarrass the bride and groom in front of everyone they know. This is a toast, not a roast. Also be sure to steer clear of these all-too common snares:

Wedding Toast Faux Pas

Don’t drink too much before your toast – a drink to loosen up is okay, but much more than that and you’ll be telling old college stories that are best left in college. Never use an insult of any kind – this is a festival of love, remember? Don’t use any corny one-liners, make sure that any humor in your toast comes from genuine sentiment, not Little Johnny jokes. Never mention ex-girlfriends or boyfriends, and be sure to give time to addressing both the bride and groom. And finally, don’t hog the spotlight – this day is about celebrating the wedding, not your toast.

Staying Cool During the Toast

But if all this sounds a little daunting, or if you’re simply terrified of speaking in front of other people, just remember this: keep it simple. Tell the bride and groom how much you care about them, and how much it means that they’ve included you in their wedding celebration. Wish them all the success in the universe, have everyone raise a glass, and give them a big hug. And if you mean it, you just might snag a tear or two.

For starters, many couples are turning to having a morning wedding. First, it is an excellent way to save money and two, it provides more time with family and friends to celebrate the newly married couple. For this wedding, a brunch reception is the ideal choice. You can choose to have a more traditional sit-down breakfast or have food stations set up.

Both options are good and really just depend on preference. The nice thing about food stations is that you could set up one where guests could place custom orders or omelets or Belgium waffles, another food station where they could be served fresh sliced ham or roast beef, yet another station for biscuits and gravy, sausage, bacon, and scrambled eggs, one for fresh fruits, and so on. Then, if you plan to have alcohol at your reception, something like Tequila Sunrise, Screwdriver, Brandy Alexander, or Blood Marys would be ideal options.

If you have determined that your wedding will be very late in the morning or around noon, then you could choose to serve a more traditional lunch. Again, both sit-down option or food stations would work perfectly. Regarding the types of foods, you would do best to work with a qualified caterer to see what suggestions he or she might have. Together, you can create the menu based on your specific budget.

Another good option for this wedding time or one that is held in earl afternoon is to offer your guests a cocktail party or English tea party. With the teal party, you would typically serve food from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. and server finger foods, sandwiches, fresh fruit, and the wedding cake. For beverages, light cocktails would be fine along with beer, wine, punch, tea (of course), and soda. For the cocktail party, you would start the reception anytime between 4:00 and 7:00 p.m., and serve hot and cold hors d’oeuvres, finger foods, cheese and crackers, along with champagne, wine, tea, punch, coffee, and other light alcoholic beverages.

Finally, for evening weddings, you have several options. However, the two most typical include a full dinner or simply snacks and wedding cake. If you decide to host a sit-down dinner, then the menu would be more formal and guests would be served. This option is wonderful but usually expensive. The other option is to set up tables with snack type foods, finger foods, and perhaps fresh fruit, along with wedding cake and a few other desserts. Again, start with a budget, work with a capable caterer, and consider the type of foods your guests would enjoy.

The same applies to your Chicago wedding. Things don’t just happen on their own without the help of an experienced professional Emcee. The larger the number of guests, the more important the role of the Emcee is. Your Emcee is almost always your bandleader. Not all bandleaders are equal in their Emcee skills.

Clients ask me “Can we just have our friend be the Emcee?”

Could you imagine if out of nowhere your father just started giving his toast without any introduction or announcement? People would continue talking loudly, some guests would be walking around while your poor dad is up there begging your guests to be quiet and be seated.

Here’s another example: It’s time for your first dance. Since you don’t have a professional Emcee, the band starts playing the introduction to your song. You start dancing. Your photographer is in the bathroom.  Your guests are at the bar, talking at their tables and not paying attention to one of the most important moments of your Chicago wedding. How would that feel?

How about one more example? It’s time to introduce your bridal party. The bridal party members are all over the venue. After you, your groom and your guests run around for 20 minutes to find everyone in the bridal party, you’ll still need to have each person introduced with the correct title and pronunciation. You’ll also need to somehow get your guests attention as well as making sure the other vendors are ready to go.

Here’s what a professional Emcee/Bandleader will do for your Chicago Wedding:

1. Invite your guests to move from the ceremony room into the cocktail area.

2. Invite your guests from the cocktail area into the ballroom.

3. Line-up your bridal party

4. Invite your guests to be seated

5. Cue your photographer, videographer and venue contact for all activities.

6. Introduce your bridal party

7. Introduce first dance, father/daughter, mother/son dance

8. Announce cake cutting

9. Introduce all toasts

10. Introduce Blessing Over the meal

11. Announce Garter/Bouquet

12. Get the attention of all your guests for each of the described activities

I hope this gives you a better idea as to the importance of using a professional Emcee instead of a friend or family member.

Once you start dancing, the band should play a wide variety of styles and tempos. This is what makes for a great movie or a great Chicago wedding. The contrast between fast and slow, action and drama gives a movie or wedding its variety and excitement. The slower songs become more romantic, the faster ones become more exciting.

Make you and your bandleader select the perfect ensemble and songs for each aspect of your Chicago wedding. You’ll be the star of your own movie with the perfect soundtrack.

Here’s what the overall schedules would look like:

Dancing after Dinner (Mid-West Style)

Schedule Overview:

5:45 – 6:30pm Ceremony Classical Duo (Violin and Piano)

6:30 – 7:30pm Cocktails Jazz Trio (Piano, Bass and Sax)

7:30 – 9:00pm Dinner Jazz Trio Continues

9:00 – 12:00am 10-Piece Orchestra

Ceremony

5:45-6:30pm Ceremony Classical Duo

Cocktails:

6:30-7:30pm Jazz Trio

Dinner:

7:30-9:00pm Jazz Trio Continues

7:30pm Doors open (Guests enter ballroom)

Bridal Party Introductions

Flower Girl: escorted by Ring Bearer:

Parents of the Bride:

Parents of the Groom:

Ushers:

Bridesmaids and Groomsmen:

escorted by

escorted by

Matron of Honor:

escorted by Best Man

Bride and Groom:

Toasts:

Toast 1:

Toast 2:

Toast 3:

Toast 4:

Blessing Over Meal:

Meal is served

Cake Cutting

Dancing:
9:00-12:00am 10-Piece Orchestra

First Dance:

Father/Daughter Dance:

Mother/Son Dance:

Everyone begins dancing

10:30pm Bouquet/Garter

Dancing Between Courses (East Coast Style)

Schedule Overview:

5:45 – 6:30pm   Ceremony Classical Duo (Violin and Piano)

6:30 – 7:30pm   Cocktails Jazz Trio (Piano, Bass and Sax)

7:30 – 9:00pm   Dinner 10-Piece Orchestra

9:00 – 12:00am Dancing 10-Piece Orchestra Continues

Ceremony:

5:45-6:30pm Ceremony Classical Duo

Cocktails:
6:30-7:30pm Jazz Trio

Dinner:
7:30-9:00pm 10-Piece Orchestra

7:30pm Doors open (Guests enter ballroom)

Bridal Party Introductions

Flower Girl: escorted by Ring Bearer:

Parents of the Bride:

Parents of the Groom:

Ushers:

Bridesmaids and Groomsmen:

escorted by

escorted by

Matron of Honor escorted by Best Man

Bride and Groom:

First Dance:

Father/Daughter:

Mother/Son Dance:

Everyone dances one song

“Ladies and Gentlemen we will have plenty of dancing throughout the evening. In the meantime, please be seated”

Toasts:

Toast 1:

Toast 2:

Toast 3:

Toast 4:

Blessing Over Meal:

As Salad is served announce Cake Cutting

After Salads is being cleared:
“Ladies and Gentlemen, while you are waiting for your main course we’d like to invite to join us for dancing.”

The Catering Director cues David once the main course is served.
“Ladies and Gentlemen we will have plenty of dancing throughout the evening. In the meantime, please be seated as your main course is being served.”

Dancing:
9:00-12:00am 10-Piece Orchestra Continues

10:30pm Bouquet/Garter

Dancing Between Courses has several huge benefits to the flow of your wedding:

WHAT HAPPENS: Dance Orchestra starts performing as the door to the ballroom opens.

BENEFITS: You will make a big impression having a full orchestra playing as your guests come in.

WHAT HAPPENS: When you are introduced with a standing ovation, you walk right to the dance floor for your First Dance, Father/Daughter and Mother/Son.

BENEFITS: All the formal dances are completed. After dinner you will have 3 hours of uninterrupted dancing.

WHAT HAPPENS: Your guests are invited to dance one song.

BENEFITS: The dancing will jump start your party and put your guests in

the mood for a great night.

WHAT HAPPENS: Guests are invited to dance after the salad course.

BENEFITS: Instead of sitting at their table with a dirty plate with waiters reaching around them, they can dance to their favorite songs.

WHAT HAPPENS: The dance orchestra performs for 4 ½ hours instead of 3.

BENEFITS: You can choose more of your favorite songs.
If toasts are long

or the food is running behind, you’re covered.

SUMMARY: Dancing between courses is a huge advantage to the overall success of your wedding if you can afford it. Think of it as an insurance policy for having an amazing wedding.

Those same cheap substitutes can ruin your wedding. I’m not saying you need to get the very best of everything for each aspect of your wedding, but you should be careful about your priorities for your Chicago wedding.

Here’s an example: Last October, I spoke with a couple that booked the Gold Coast room at the Drake Hotel; incredible floral arrangements, amazing linens, limos… When they finally got to the discussing music, they said they had a budget of $2,000 for all their wedding music. After I told them they would need to call a DJ instead of a wedding band, they realized their mistake. At that point they didn’t have choice. I’m sure they and their guests were disappointed. All the smart decisions they made were quickly erased by missing out on one of the most important ones. Don’t the same mistake!

If you start with quality ingredients (your wedding vendors), the odds of having a great meal (your wedding) to share with your guests goes up dramatically. Don’t skimp out on the most important ingredients.

Here’s the recipe I think works best for planning a great Chicago wedding:

1. Venue

2. Music

3. Food

4. Dress/Tuxedo

5. Photographer

6. Flowers

7. Videographer

8. Linens

9. Wedding cake

10. Transportation

11. Wedding Favors

Enjoy and share the wonderful meal you’ve made with all your guests. Bon Appetite!

How to Stay in love while planning your Wedding

Planning a Chicago wedding can be stressful. Likely you’ve never done this before.

How can you prevent the arguments and stay in love during this time?

A couple told me their secret for keeping their relationship happy during the sometimes stressful time of planning a Chicago wedding.

What they do is set aside one night a week for wedding planning. They order in or go out to dinner and talk about nothing but the wedding.

On their first meeting they set out a plan of attack.

What are the most important things that need to be done first?

Then they decided between the two of them, who is the most available, interested or qualified to handle each portion of the planning process.

DIVIDE AND CONQUER

For Example,

Bill is in charge of researching Chicago wedding bands and Chicago wedding venues.

Julie is in charge of researching Chicago florists and Chicago caterers. Etc…

Once this is established, each has their list of assignments for that week. They don’t constantly talk about their Chicago wedding throughout the week, nag each other and get in fights. They save up all their Chicago Wedding ideas for their “wedding planning day” in their case they chose Wednesdays.

On Wednesday night, they shared with each other what they found during the week and set up a plan for what needs to be done during the upcoming week.

This goes on for about 4-6 weeks. Once they have narrowed down their choices, they work as a team visiting their top Chicago venues, meeting with the favorite Chicago wedding bands, Chicago wedding photographers, Chicago florists etc…until they have chosen the venue and vendors they want for their Chicago wedding.

The couple said they were able to really enjoy the planning process and avoid much of the stress other couples go through when planning their Chicago Wedding.

It’s an idea which I’ve recommended to several couples that have used it to make their lives and relationships much happier. After all that’s what your wedding is all about!

Remember the purpose of your Chicago wedding is to celebrate your love, right?

Don’t get too stressed. Enjoy the process by being organized, flexible and supportive partners with each other. These are the keys to having a terrific Chicago Wedding and staying in love while planning it!