Makayla + Mike's French Garden Wedding

Makayla + Mike

Fourth Street Gardens | June 3rd, 2016

“You’re my end and my beginning
Even when I lose I’m winning
’Cause I give you all, all of me
And you give me all, all of you”

— John Legend, All of Me

Ira + Lucy
Custom design boards

As part of our "Enhanced Day of" Package we provide design assistant to three selected areas of the couples' choice. Makayla and Mike asked for special attention for their Head Bridal Party Table, The Ceremony Alter and the Cake Feature. 

Below is a snippet from the Custom Design Boards we created for the Head Table concept, featuring a romantic floral print linen from La Tavola Fine Linen, pulling in the blush tones from the wedding color palette. The Bride and Groom sat in our "Kelli Jean" french victorian settee for their special seating and the rest of the wedding party looked lovely in the cross back chairs we sourced from Tates. Each place setting had our Honey Harvest rattan charger and a blush napkin. French vintage blush stemware added some whimsy and antique brass candlesticks and candles set the tone for a dreamy garden tablescape. The floral design by Lemon Blossom Designs was stunning!!!! Those peonies were quite the statement and so dreamy! I finished the settings by adding classic china with blush accents for the Bride and Groom place settings.

“YOU Heidi, are a AMAZING. Tell the whole team too! Yesterday was seriously PERFECTION, we had so much fun and got to enjoy time with each other and our families and guests because of you!! Thank you thank you!”

— Bride, Makayla

VENDOR TEAM

Ira + Lucy Coordination + Design
Let It Shine Photography
Lemon Blossom Designs
Fourth Street Gardens
Blue Chip Media
Open Table Catering
Behrens Artistry
Tates Tents and Events
La Tavola Fine Linen
LaNeige Bridal
Mens Warehouse
Jeremy Wilson DJ
Brie Thomason 2nd Shooter
 

Hiring a Wedding Coordinator and What That Means For Your Wedding Day

"Getting Ready"

BLOG SERIES | PART 1

I'm going to bounce around a bit in the next few blogs about why hiring a wedding coordinator or planner is a benefit for you. It'd make sense to start with discussing planning, vendor negotiations, logistics etc, but we're going to jump in first with chatting about your wedding day, in particular, the getting ready part.

As your Wedding Coordinator and Designer I want nothing more than to know that my Bride and Groom are free of stress, relaxed, being pampered and know that everything is handled so that they can enjoy their time with their closest friends and family as they prepare to walk down the isle. I adore this image of our Bride, Megan, as she and her bridesmaids look out the estate windows overlooking the property and watch as our team hustles around the property setting up. We are submitting Megan and Kaleo's wedding for publication, but I realized that some of these behind the scenes pics don't make publication galleries, but they are also such a HUGE part of what we do. These images are awesome in telling the benefits of having a coordinator. Here is our bride with her best friends relaxed and enjoying seeing it'll all come to life.

When I sit down with couples, and often those consultations include the Mother of the Bride, when we start talking about what are their hopes, how they envision their day I always hear about what the bride and mother want for what happens BEFORE the ceremony. I want you to think about that as well. For my own wedding, I didn't budget for a wedding coordinator and that is with major regret... instead my sisters, mom, aunts and even grandmother were not with me in my hotel room helping me prepare for the happiest day of my life. They were out in hot summer temps running around trying to set up our wedding. They were dealing with stress and vendor frustrations and trying to figure out how to set up the wedding decor to fit my dream I had worked hard planning... They then had to rush into the bridal suite moments before the wedding to day they loved me and to quick change into their dresses for their part of walking down the isle... REGRETS.... When we first started many of my couples didn't hire a coordinator, instead they just hired us to set up the wedding and leave. Ohhhh.... how many times did I see the repeat mistakes that I had made... frustrated, exhausted, irritated, hurt moms, friends and family members who, yes, had volunteered to set up and were happy to volunteer... but, they had no idea what amount of work and stress they had signed up for AND what they would miss out on come the wedding. It is VERY rare for it to go otherwise.

A MOMENT THAT LASTS A LIFETIME

Instead, what I had wished happen and what all of my clients share they desire is a different experience. Instead, you, the bride, are surrounded by your closest girlfriends and women in your life that are there with you in a peaceful and joyous state. Refreshments and small bites are available to keep each of you comfortable and relaxed. It's a quite time to give gifts to your bridesmaids if you wish. You can share quiet time reflecting on your vows and relationship and what this day means to you and your family. Your best friend and mom can help you into your gown. If you have a summer or winter wedding, you can all be indoors in a temperature controlled environment. You're not just feeling your best as you have your hair and makeup done, but so are these incredible women you cherish. Megan gave each of her bridesmaids a special clutch. They laughed, they enjoyed watching the set up, they helped one another dress. It was peaceful and perfect. Megan's mom then helped her into her gown. A moment that we talked at the very beginning about being a priority.

Creating time for the bride and groom allows flexibility. Here, we were able to have the officiant take some one on one time with Megan and Kaleo beforehand to review any ceremony details. This also alleviates any last minute stress about the ceremony flow and specifics. This reassurance can calm nerves and allow the bride and groom to enter into a headspace that is more relaxed and able to take in the moment better.

And we're not JUST talking about the girls. The guys too, should be hang'n out, relaxed and enjoying some guy time and not stressed about anything else. Kaleo and his best friends played air hockey, ping pong, watched some football, enjoyed snacks and refreshments. This also allowed our photographers to have time to shoot getting ready pics for both the gals and guys without issues.

Think about how you want to feel on your wedding day, especially in the moments leading up to the ceremony. Who do you want with you? What kind of environment do you imagine? A Wedding Coordinator makes this happen. We work hundreds of hours leading up to this moment to bring that vision to reality and maybe even better! Stay tuned for more of this blog series!

FROM THE BRIDE...

"I want to start off by saying that I was always the girl who NEVER needed a wedding coordinator. I knew “exactly” what I wanted my wedding to look like, and I’ve always been a natural planner, so why would I need someone’s help? Once upon a time I even dreamed of being a wedding planner myself, so I felt like planning my own wedding would be a piece of cake. A few weeks in to the planning stage and my head was spinning while trying to find 300 of the perfect chairs, a task that I thought would be so simple. Turns out, planning your own wedding isn’t easy. Pinning gorgeous photos to your “Fairytale” pinterest board may be a dreamy no-brainer, but it doesn’t work that way in real life. It’s a lot harder than one might think to pull together a luxurious seating lounge or take 50 of your carefully thrifted bowls and vases and turn them into collaborative centerpieces. And lets not even get started on the not so obvious details- linens for breadbaskets, reserved seating signs, extension cords??? There is more that goes into planning a wedding than I ever could have imagined. 

I first contacted Heidi because my mom wanted to hire someone who could take the stress off of the wedding day set-up and tear-down. But after hearing about what she could offer in the coordination department and after seeing the beautiful work on her site, I could not help myself but get lost in the idea of having someone rescue me from my never ending planningchallenges. Right from the moment that I met Heidi and her assistant Molly, I felt like 300 pounds were lifted from my shoulders. They knew exactly what needed to be done to make my dream day come true and they were just as excited about it as I was. They gave me a strict to-do list and a firm deadline to make decisions while they got busy calling vendors and pulling together the seriously impossible. They put together a vision board that was absolutely perfect for me and finally I was able to start enjoying the whole process. It wasn’t long after that when I told my mom the best thing I had spent my money on so far was my wedding planners. They worked like crazy making sure that I could have everything that I envisioned for my day. Not only did they make the planning process so much easier- they made it so that I could spend my wedding day focusing on all of the important parts. The night before my wedding I was able to go home and relax and get my rest. The morning of my wedding I was able to spend the day with my bridesmaids and my mom at the salon getting our hair, makeup, and nails done. I didn’t have to worry about a thing but just showing up and looking pretty. I knew without a doubt that their team would have everything under control and that everything would get done just how I wanted it and in plenty of time for my walk down the aisle. I didn’t stress. My family didn’t stress. Everyone was able to enjoy the day just as they should have. 

I look back at my dream of becoming a wedding planner and I can’t imagine ever thinking that it was something that I could do. It takes a special kind of person to not only be able to work that hard, but to want it so much for someone else. Heidi is that person. That is what her team stands for and I couldn’t be more grateful that I chose them to help me with my wedding." - Megan
 

Nate Perkes Photography
Ira + Lucy Wedding Design + Coordination
Open Table Catering
Blooms Flower Studio
VCI Audio
Tates Tents and Events

Bride + Groom Boudoir Sneak Peek Part 1

Some seriously sexy going on here! We often see just Bridal Boudoir, however what about Bride AND Groom Boudoir? So much thought goes into your wedding, what about after the wedding? Have you considered the special intimate details for your honeymoon? As you whisk away, with tired feet and honestly quite a bit of exhaustion... what atmosphere is waiting you as you step into your hotel suite? We'd love to help! We can handle those private intimate details for you. Let us create a romantic atmosphere that fits your and your sweetie's hopes. We can work with your caterer to create a perfect modern picnic basket with delicious nibbles and refreshing sips! Ask us more! We'll assist in making sure your honeymoon luggage and needed items are moved from your wedding location to your hotel. Many of our clients want to keep their location a secret from their family and guests. Let's keep it secret and we'll handle the details! Thank you to a GREAT TEAM in bringing this vision together! For fabulous collaboration and hard work!

Creative Director, Vintage Rentals & Styling Ira & Lucy Laken Fulton Photography Fleur De Lis Floral Couture Floral Design & Styling Behrens Artistry Hair, Makeup and Styling HeartFelt Bridal Open Table Catering Boise Cassandra Hayes & Conner Skeen

Jenn's Mid-Century Vintage Baby Shower

“Hi Heidi!

I just wanted to say a big THANK YOU for everything you and your team did at the shower this past weekend! It was absolutely amazing and beyond what I could have imagined. Talk about the most beautiful baby shower ever thrown! All the guests had a great time and loved the gift bags – the slippers were such a big hit! A special thanks to you for all the background work you did to plan, design and pull off such an incredible soiree. Please thank everyone on your team for doing such a great job before, during and after the shower. I honestly felt like I didn’t have to worry about a thing – which you know is not something I can say very often.”

— Jen

I was beyond excited and overjoyed when Jenn sent me a message asking if I would help Style her Baby Shower! With her sister and mother-in-law hosting the shower, but planning from California, she knew it was a necessary need. It was a task I dove head first into! I was swimming in a sea of adorable! Jenn and her hubby recently finished overhauling their mid-century home and my goodness is it GORGEOUS! I couldn't have asked for a better "canvas" to work with.

I focused on utilizing the elements that their home already featured. Beautiful architecture and minimalist decor. Jenn had her eye on our favorite "Carina" and "Cora" sofa and settee and they happened to match her color palette for baby Ella. Blush, peach, mint, gold and royal blue. It was meant to be! We designed paper geometric ornaments! Arielle worked hours on these and they were so cute!!! I had custom designed copper and glass terrariums made from an awesome ETSY shop to place peony blossoms inside. Jenn's favorite flower. So, of course we had peonies in all of the floral designs AND the guests were gifted with peony scented candles I found at local boutique Blush. (p.s. I think I left my heart in this boutique! I am obsessed with it!) The gift bags also had designer mascara and slide on slippers! Perfect for a winter baby shower and a nice way to ask guests to remove their shoes.

Our Vintage Baby Crib makes for an awesome gift area! I enjoyed making custom signs to fit the theme!

Milo was quite the helper with our soiree! He was the man of the house for the shower and boy did he just love the attention. He really enjoyed helping Jenn open up the gifts.

YES, it's true! You heard the rumors! We had a "Lip N Lash" Bar! Playing off of the glamorous mid-century "housewife" and wanting to pamper Jenn and all of her guests we put together a pamper station where guests were treated to custom professional makeup applications for their eyes and lips! It was such a hit! The girls loved it! Lindsey with Behrens Artistry and her assistant rocked it! Not to mention Lindsey helped Jenn relax pre-baby shower in the privacy of the master suite getting dolled up for her party.

I get so excited about flowers. Here's why! When I design an event I always try incorporate floral elements. I do love furniture, but I love it so much more with flowers involved. It softens everything up and sets a mood that I really believe can't be done quite as well with any other elements. The soft hues and delicate petals seemed so fitting for a baby shower AND it perfectly represented Jenn and her soft, easy going and super sweet personality.  I utilized Tara with An Open Vase for this event as it seemed to suite her floral design style well. She does "pretty" very well. 

April with Open Table Boise is phenomenal to work with! I am so impressed with her food, details and execution! She nails it every single time! I sent her the design board, color palette, theme and she made it happen. It was so easy working with her and was great to not have to stress at all about the catering aspect of the shower. I knew April and her team would work carefully and professional in the newly remodeled space. I seriously couldn't be any more pleased! Jenn was quite excited to get her favorite splurge must have: April's Lemon Tarts! P.S. April, will you please make me some of those chicken salad sandwiches and that to die for soup?!

After a lot of hard work, there is nothing better than hearing raves from your client and also getting to view gorgeous images and film capturing it all! YAY! Thank you Frannie with Ampersand Studios for capturing this special day and the weekend after Maternity Photo Session! Hair & Makeup by Behrens Artistry.