The adventures of Maggie Heely, Professional Bridal Consultant in Louisville, KY who is also a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. The owner of Weekend Wedding Warrior, LLC and a private practice!
Looking for a honeymoon location or the perfect place for a destination wedding? Consider Couples Resorts. There are 4 resorts located on the island of Jamaica. All are couples-only and all-inclusive. My husband and I recently visited Couples Swept Away in Negril. I captured some images to give you an idea of what it would be like to have your wedding there!
The Wedding Office located in the lobby.
The Wedding Gazebo on the resorts private beach. Even in December the weather was gorgeous and sunny!
A bride and groom at sunset taking pictures on Seven Mile Beach
Adventurous Bride :)
Sunset
Beach Wedding Reception
This resort was absolutely gorgeous. Check out the website for more pictures of the resort along with an interactive map or contact me directly for more information.
Everyone knows that planning a wedding can be stressful. However, not everyone talks about the negative affects it can have on your relationship. Fighting about the details, wanting your fiance to participate more, deadlines approaching; it is easy to get wrapped up in the negative. Not to mention all the family drama that tends to swirl around weddings; everyone has an opinion and that is not always helpful.
So how do you maintain a strong relationship during this stressful time? As a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist I always suggest that my clients designate time each week to their relationship. This means putting aside work, wedding, kids, etc. to just spend quality time together. The key is quality, not quantity. Watching a 2 hour movie is spending time together, but it is not connecting you or bringing you closer to your partner.
Every week my husband and I have "Adventure Thursdays". We made a list together of all the places in Louisville that we haven't been to, but want to go (restaurants, museums, miniature golf, etc.) and then every Thursday night we dedicate to doing one of those activities. It is a fun thing to look forward to each week and it helps us get to know our city better. If we can't decide we write down a few of the ideas and put them in a hat to pick from...surprise!
Even if your schedule doesn't allow for an exact date (for example I have a meeting tomorrow night so "Adventure Thursdays" has been moved to Wednesday this week) you can still set aside time to bond with your fiance. Mute your phones, no TV, no wedding talk!
Try it! I guarantee it will help reduce your stress level or at least make it slightly easier to deal with the stress you already have. Plus, it will bring you and your fiance closer together which will make everything better!
This is the story of two brides, Lindsey and Karen. Lindsey and Karen made all of the exact same choices for their weddings; same place, same vendors, same décor. The only difference is that Lindsey hired a wedding day coordinator and Karen did not. Here is the story of both their wedding days.
12:00pm
Karen arrived at her venue (a historic home and garden) at her scheduled time to start getting ready, but the building wasn’t open. She had to try to call the manager who didn’t pick up the phone. 30 minutes of frustration later, she finally got a call back from the grounds keeper saying he was on his way. She started hair and makeup 45 minutes behind schedule
Lindsey’s coordinator made sure to double check with the grounds keeper a head of time. Her coordinator was there at 12:00pm to let Lindsey and her bridesmaids in to the building and they started getting ready right away.
1:00pm – The outdoor reception tent was set up by the rental company, but they did not put the linens on the tables (that is their policy).
Karen had two of her bridesmaids go downstairs to put linens on all of the tables. It took them 1 ½ hours because they were not familiar with sizes.
Lindsey had no idea there was an issue with linens. Her coordinator took care of putting all the linens in place on the tables.
2:15pm – The florist arrives
Karen’s florist had to start setup an hour late because some of the tables were still without linens. The two bridesmaids that had helped were sweaty and annoyed. The rose petals were put on the aisle at this time and were brown by the time the ceremony started.
Lindsey’s centerpieces were set out on time. Her coordinator took the responsibility of sprinkling the rose petals on the aisle 40 minutes before the ceremony so that they wouldn’t brown in the heat.
3:00pm – The caterer arrives and there is confusion about how many bars there will be set up and where they will be located.
Karen is getting her pictures taken with her soon-to-be-husband and they are interrupted by the caterer asking questions about the bar placement. They have to do a walk-thru of the tent again to make sure everything is ok. It takes 20 minutes away from pictures…Plus 2 of her bridesmaids aren’t ready for pictures because they were setting up linens while they were supposed to be getting their hair done.
Lindsey and her finance are getting their pictures taken. Everyone is ready on time. Her coordinator takes care of the issues with the bar…Lindsey has no idea that there was any confusion.
3:30pm – The band arrives
Karen has to send a groomsman to show them were to set up. Pictures are delayed further and Karen is getting annoyed.
Lindsey continues with pictures while the coordinator shows the band where to set up and gets them water.
5:30pm – guests arrive for outdoor ceremony
Karen wants to be unseen by her guests, but they are confused where to go so when she walks down stairs to make her way to the gardens all of her guests are standing there and they see her in her dress before the ceremony.
The coordinator directs Lindsey’s guests on where to go. The coordinator instructed the groomsman on how to be proper ushers and gave the program attendants there programs and their instructions, letting everyone know where to be when.
6pm – The ceremony starts
Karen’s program attendants did not know where the programs where so over half of the guests did not receive programs. The ushers were also late and not clear on what to do so some guests felt put off by the lack of etiquette. The ceremony did not start until 6:15pm. Karen was very upset because the bridesmaids couldn’t remember what order to stand in so Karen ended up lining them up and telling them when to process down the aisle.
Lindsey’s coordinator made sure all the guests were seated before bringing her and her bridesmaids to the gardens. The coordinator cued the string quartet, lined up the wedding party and cued them when to start walking down the aisle. Everyone was calm because they did not have to remember when to go and what to go…they were instructed by the coordinator.
6:30pm – Cocktail Hour started, Marriage license signed
Karen was overwhelmed and forgot the marriage license. She had to send a family member back to her house to get it. She mingled with guests, but was stressed. Also her bridesmaids struggled to bustle her gown and even though Karen wanted to remove her veil at that time it became too much of a hassle. Hors d’oeuvres were not brought out on time because the caterer did not know when the ceremony had ended. Guests were hungry.
Lindsey’s coordinator had their marriage license ready for them at the end of the ceremony along with two glasses of chilled champagne. While Lindsey sipped champagne and they signed the license the coordinator removed her veil and bustled her gown in a private area where guests could not see her. The coordinator then cued the caterer to pass hors d’oeuvres.
7:15pm Cake cutting inside the historic home
Karen and her husband cut their cake with only a few guests around them. It was confusing to the guests where the cake and the food were. The buffet was not ready so Karen and her husband had to go back outside and wait longer.
Lindsey’s coordinator asked the band to make an announcement that the cake cutting was happening inside. Family and friends watched as the couple cut the cake. The buffet then immediately started and the coordinator brought the couple to the beginning of the line and helped them carry their plates to their table.
8pm – The first dance
Karen had to ask a guest what time it was and then go ask the band to play the first dance song. Unfortunately, her husband was in the restroom and as the song was announced he was not there.
Lindsey and her husband were given a 5-minute warning by their coordinator and used the restroom at that time. When they were finished the coordinator cued the band and Lindsey and her husband had their first dance.
10:45pm – Last Call
Karen realized that while she was having fun dancing there was still a lot to be done before they could leave. Her friends and family helped, but were all a bit tipsy. They had to remove all the linens and set them aside, pick up the garbage from when the bridesmaids were getting ready upstairs, put all the gifts, left over food, favors, and liquor in someone’s car. Also, while helping remove the centerpieces from the table one broke and that was an extra expense for the couple.
Lindsey and her husband jumped in to their limo where and extra plate of food and a cupcake favor were their waiting for them along with another bottle of champagne. While the guests had been having fun the coordinator got the keys to Lindsey’s fathers car and packed it with all the gifts, cake topper, cake server, etc. Lindsey did not want the left over food so the coordinator brought it to a local food shelter.
11:30pm – People were too drunk to drive home
Karen’s guests drove anyway.
Lindsey’s coordinator called taxis to take home the guests that could not drive.
Depending on your age and your interests, Las Vegas might not sound like your ideal Bachelorette vacation. However, that doesn't mean that you shouldn't get your closest girlfriends together for a weekend getaway to celebrate your soon-to-be-ending singledom. Why not try a vacation that will help you de-stress for the big day.
Have you ever heard of Kripalu in the Berkshire Mountains in Western Massachusetts? Kripalu is a yoga center that focuses on overall wellness and spreading the benefits of yoga. I just came back from a mother/daughter trip with my mom, but I couldn't help to think that it would be a great retreat of a group of best friends.
Kripalu offers many different programs. You can go for as many or as few days as you like and just take in the scenery by taking hikes on the trails, organized bike rides, or even just lay on the beach at the near by (12 minute walk!) Mackenaw Lake; along with of course the 3 daily yoga sessions you can engage in at varying levels. If you are looking for a bit more structure there are tons of different programs that you can sign up for specifically. The program that my mom and I did was the Yoga/Kayak weekend. Here is an approximate schedule of our experience:
Friday 3pm - Arrive and check in to our room 4:15-5:45 - Moderate Yoga class (there was also gentle and vigorous!) 6pm - Dinner at the dining hall (all meals are included with your stay and there are many different options depending on your dietary needs/likes...personally I decided to detox that weekend so I ate completely Vegan, Gluten-free meals and never went hungry, seriously the good was amazing!) 7-9pm - Initial meeting with kayaking group, some yoga movement involved 10pm - bed!
Saturday 7:30am - Wake up and eat breakfast (they do not give you coffee so if you are a caffeine addict like my mother and I you can by coffee at a small/sinful cafe) 9:30-11:30am - yoga with our kayak program Noon - lunch 1:45-4:45pm - Kayaking at the lake with instruction and a floating meditation 5pm - change/shower 6pm - dinner and hang out time 8-10pm - bonfire with our fellow Kayakers 10:30pm - bed (slept like a serious log)
Sunday 7am - wake up and grab some fruit to go for breakfast 8-9:30am - kayaking at the lake 10-11:15am - yoga class (by this time you are really sore, but the stretching feels so good) 11:30am - check out of room, but not out of Kripalu center 12-1pm - YogaDance class 1:15pm - lunch and shopping at the gift shop
Sunday night we stayed at one of the many adorable Inns in Lenox, MA and then went to Tanglewood to see a performance that night. Tanglewood is the summer retreat of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. We were able to get lawn seats for $18 and brought a picnic with lots of wine with us. We camped out under the stars (did I mention that is was 65 degrees at night...so different from Louisville) and listened to Yo Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble...amazing.
Other things to do within a 15 minute drive? Prime Outlets Shopping and Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival (on Thursday night we were delighted to see a free modern dance performance on an outdoor stage overlooking the mountains!)
Travel tips: Book Southwest Airlines to Albany, NY or Hartford, CT you are only about an hour drive from either. Kripalu has a shuttle if needed. Also, if you really want to feel glam with your friends, they have a limo service!
Stay in the dorms with your friends and feel like you are at an adult summer camp, or you can always pay extra for a private room if bunking isn't your thing. Just go and enjoy yourself. I promise you won't regret it. For me, the worst part was leaving.
Megan and Kyle were married yesterday at St. Paul's United Methodist Church with their reception following at The Olmsted on Frankfort Ave. The Olmsted is one of the prettiest reception halls I've seen in Louisville. The set up is ideal. You have the entire building for your wedding. There is a grand foyer in the middle (where the band, Endless Summer Band) was set up. To the left of the foyer is a large room set up for cocktails & to the right is the dinning room.
The table linens by Sha Fox Weddings and Events and the flowers by In Bloom Again were gorgeous. There were 4 different table designs.
Black table linen with white overlay, Calla Lilies in black rectangle container.
White table linen with black overlay, Purple orchids in hurricane glasses with clear stones.
Black and white floral printed table linen with pop of purple flowers.
Wineberry purple table linen with white hydrangeas in tall square vase.
Black and white floral printed cake by Mert's Cakes
There was open seating and no place cards (except for the wedding party). However, they had a genius idea to put small framed signs on a few of the tables that said "Reserved for the Family and Friends of _________" to make sure all the relatives had a place to sit together.
Even though the wedding was absolutely beautiful, the best part of the evening was the appreciation from all the guests. They were so thankful for all of the hard work Ellen Fox and I put in (mostly Ellen!) and so kind. We felt like an integral part of the wedding...not the help!
It's hard to go anywhere these days without hearing about "green" efforts or new "eco" products. However, when it comes to planning a wedding many people don't think about what a big impact their decisions have on the environment. Here is a list of small and easy things you can do to have your big day make less of a big impact on the plant:
Website
The I Do Foundation helps you make a wedding website that is as chic as any other. There are a few different options of couples who want to help make a difference. The first is linking your gift registry to I do Foundation partners who will donate a percentage of all the gifts bought for you back to a charity of your choice...so let's get this straight; you get all the gifts you want and still make a charitable donation?! Why wouldn't you do this?!
Secondly, if you don't think you need/want that many gifts you can set up a place to make donations to a charity in lieu of giving you a gift.
Thirdly, the I Do Foundation has a link to many different wedding shops. For example there are links to rings, favors, even honeymoons. Buy through the website and 10% of the sales will go towards your charity. Again, you need this stuff anyway...why wouldn't you do this?!
Invitations
Use recycled paper! It's so easy to find and then you can print your own. Or check out InviteSite for pre-designed eco options
Use sustainable favors e.g. give away seeds or plants in mini potting plants. Not only does it reduce the waste from your wedding, but then guests can plant them in their garden and always remember your event. The one's pictured above have a biodegradable tissue example of the flower...love it!
Dinner
It is always important to give your guests options when it comes to food at your wedding. However, I cringe as a planner every time I see a caterer or restaurant putting all the options on one plate. For example, the last wedding I worked at the Brown Hotel had a filet of beef, a filet of sea bass, shrimp, vegetables, and risotto all on each plate given to the 200+ guests. Don't get me wrong, the food was amazing, but ultimately who can eat that much?! I watched plate after plate being scraped into the garbage at the end of the night. Sea bass is endangered, People! Not okay! Instead, give your guests the choice and do a count ahead of time...the most classy option, maybe not, but definitely more eco then throwing out half the food.
