Congratulations Kati & Adam Riekena!!!

WOW - what an amazing day! Kati & Adam exchanged wedding vows on Saturday, November 22nd at St. Pete's in Gladsford, IL. It was a beautiful ceremony, red roses, white callalillies, bridesmaids in classy black dresses....and a stunning bride in a white satin strapless gown. Everything about this day was perfect...and SO ahead of schedule too. And as a wedding planner..that is a huge deal!

The reception took place at The Ashland House in Morton, Illinois and I cant say enough wonderful things about that facility! From set-up, to the staff, the food, everything was top notch! I know I told the staff over 100 times how great they were doing...but to me a great staff or a bad staff can make or break a wedding reception. And I love seeing a staff walk around with smiles on their faces....THANK YOU ASHLAND HOUSE for a wonderful evening for my clients!

The ballroom was beautiful...thanks to Heaven on Earth for their hard work (even after a fire near them in the Metro Center forced them out on Tuesday of last week) - they still came through like I knew they would! Pedestal vases with a pillar candle, silver wire, black rock and red rose petals were on every table - along with more square vases, red roses, and more silver wire. Black linens, red menu cards, and adorable wine bottles, which marked the table name along with a poem the mother of the bride had written.

I have to talk about the wonderful vendors which helped in making the day so fabulous...
Marc Lester did the photography...even gave a sneak peek slide show at the reception from shots earlier in the day...Kati had tears in her eyes as she watched them...ok.....I did too!
Ingrid from White Lily Productions was the videographer and she was everywhere I turned. Another beautiful, fun, and quirky cake made by Barb Evans, Wedding Cake Connection was all the talk due to its fun shape and the big black and red polka-dots!

Now I have to give a huge write up on Shane from Mac-Live Entertainment....every one needs to have a DJ....NO.... an Entertainer like him for their reception. Shane is not your average DJ, he actually sings, plays the guitar, really gets the party going and it never stopped - EVER! When I had heard about Mac Live this past summer..I didn't know what to expect...but I am so glad I got to see for myself and what an impact it had on the entire evening. So.... some of the songs were your typical songs but then after a few of those he would get the guitar out and sing live - SO FUN! Now there is one little problem...Shane now lives in Seattle, but we are working on seeing if he will continue this venture and head back this way every now and then for some weddings. I really want more clients to experience a reception like this...especially clients that really want a band but the cost is just too much....this is the way to go! THANKS SHANE for keeping the party going all night!

Kati and Adam will leave for their honeymoon this weekend....of course I will miss Kati and her mom Debbie very much...they were always so wonderful to work with, sent the funniest emails in history...I will think of Debbie every time I see Mayonnaise...(long story)....

This is my last wedding of the year and what an awesome one it was!!!! Thank you Kati & Adam for allowing me to share in this wonderful day! Congrats and hugs to you both!!

Congratulations Katie & Jarrod Buckley!!!

Saturday couldn't have been more beautiful!!! Katie & Jarrod became husband and wife at Bethany Baptist Church with a beautiful reception at The Packard Plaza. Katie became very special to me....ok...her entire family became very special to me throughout the planning process. They live close by, so I was always over at their home every time we met and I got so attached to them. Not to mention I went to school and very good friends with one of their older son's...so its funny how things happen.

Katie wore a beautiful white strapless gown adorned with crystals, she just beamed all day... a stunning bride! Her groom Jarrod, wore a white tux and was the life of the party! They had 10 attendants on each side, which kept myself and my assistant on our toes, they were all so fun to be around!

The church aisle was lined with stunning wrought iron leaf candelabras with fall floral arrangements from Heaven on Earth along with 2 beautiful arrangements at the alter. At the Reception, 3 different centerpieces were used...rippled hurricanes, bullet vases filled with copper/orange beads, and wrought iron trees filled with votives...truly stunning! Did I mention the Chocolate Fountain - it was amazing! I don't have their business card on me right now, but I will add their name to this blog later today. They did a great job, the chocolate was the best I have had! And I know my chocolate!

Lori and her daughter Casey from Picture This were snapping pictures all day, they did a fantastic job keeping on schedule with such a large bridal party...its easy for pictures to run over...but that was something I didn't have to worry about - Thank You Lori! I cant wait to see the beautiful shots!

I will add a few of my pictures later this evening, I didn't get to take as many as I would have liked too...but I do have a few to share!

Thanks again to the Emlen's for allowing me to share in this beautiful day, you will always have a special place in my heart! And Katie......you ARE the little sister I never got to have, and I mean it! Love ya!

Congrats Katie & Jarrod...enjoy that Honeymoon!!

Congratulations Jodi & Shane Simmons!

This weekend Jodi and Shane exchanged wedding vows at Dingeldine Music Hall at Bradley University, in Peoria, IL. It was a beautiful ceremony filled with some of the most beautiful music I have ever heard. Jodi has an incredibly talented family, they sang, played the piano, violin, - it was fabulous! The couple exchanged touching vows and had one amazing exit with 3 foot long sparklers for their guests...I cant wait to see those pictures!

Jodi wore a beautiful ivory satin, strapless gown for her ceremony and then changed into a red satin evening gown for her reception at the Contemporary Art Center, downtown Peoria. The room was light up with red up-lighting from Sound & Light Creations which totally transformed the room from great to FABULOUS. All the candles with red LED lights, rose balls, and silver urns were from Heaven on Earth. The guests enjoyed wonderful horsd'oeuvres and cocktails as they danced the night away.

Stay tuned for more pictures as Ever After Photography (Carrie Stratton), great photographer, will be sending some my way to use on my site.

Another fun event that I was so honored to be a part of! Congratulations Jodi & Shane, I will see you when you return!

PS-I know my pictures are not all that fabulous (I am definitely NOT a photographer) , but wanted to share something with you!

Congratulations Alisha & Matt Schoedel!!!

Saturday July 26, 2008 Matt and Alisha became husband and wife. Beautiful ceremony at First Federated Church here in Peoria, IL. With a stunning, elegant reception at the Civic Center Ballroom. Heaven on Earth did all the flowers, including the beautiful Candelabra's - LOVE! Scott with Sound and Light Creations did all the wonderful lighting which totally transformed the room, the guests were in AWE! Barb Evans with the Wedding Cake Connection made the amazing cake, which was beyond yummy..if I might add!

The Bride and her mother had impeccable taste which made for so much fun when planning this wedding. The linens were brought in by I-Do Events, I made the custom menu cards, and we found a great website for the frames which we used for the table numbers. Every tiny detail was thought out and done to perfection. We even bought beautiful Apothecary Jars to use for snacks and candy for later in the evening.

It was a beautiful day from start to finish, I adore these clients and we have become great friends...we called ourselves "Team Bailey" and I decided I wanted to be on Team Bailey for life!! Congratulations Alisha and Matt, I hope you had a wonderful Honeymoon in Mexico and were finally able to get some much needed rest!

HUGS TO YOU ALL!

Something new to share!!

I just got this picture from Michelle at Heaven on Earth last night. This is a great addition to the already many things you can rent from them for make your wedding and reception absolutely fantastic. How beautiful would this be to get married under??? LOVE LOVE LOVE! Contact them today for pricing info!!

Erica & Brandon - Congrats on your Engagement!!

Let the planning begin!! Erica & Brandon got engaged February 6th of this year and are planning a February 6th 2009 wedding in Cancun, Mexico with a fabulous reception here in Peoria at the Holiday Inn City Center on Feb. 21st! I am so excited to work with this couple...the bride and I could have sat and talked for hours at our first meeting. She is fun, carefree, and has this beautiful glow about her. Congratulations again to the beautiful couple!!

Congratulations Kari & Myles and Rachel & Brad!

Yes, another 2 wedding weekend for Happily Ever After Weddings!

The picture above is Kari & Myles, courtesy of Pam Cooley. Kari & Myles we married Friday, June 13th in Pekin, Illinois! She was stunning in her strapless white beaded gown with a pink satin ribbon. Pink roses everywhere you turned, Kari was so beautiful, I had to post a picture ASAP - what a fun couple they are and their Bridal Party was the same way!!! Have a great Honeymoon and I will see you when you get back!! CONGRATS!!!

Rachel and Brad were married Saturday, June 14th in Eureka, Illinois....stay tuned for a picture of the beautiful couple! The love these families shared was amazing! I have never seen so many tears of joy shed - it was so touching!!! The flowers were all done by the bride's brother - talk about a talented family! And the music was like being at a symphony - since the bride is a music major, she had some great connections! The Dremann's are truly a special family - they touched my heart in many ways!

Another wedding weekend comes to an end and I continue to pinch myself - how lucky am I to have a job I love and clients I adore!! Life is good - really good!!

Congrats and best wishes to both couples!!!!

Double The Fun, Double The Love!

WOW, what a weekend! HEA Weddings had the privilege of witnessing the union of Natalie & Chris Johnson............... AND.................... Andrea & Jake Sweet! Yes, two weddings in one day!

So here we go....Natalie and Chris were married at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, downtown Peoria with a beautiful reception at Embassy Suites. Amazing lighting brought in by
Sound & Light Creations, Scott Fort was on site all night up-lighting the walls in shades of purple and gold, projecting custom designs on the dance floor and the walls - it was spectacular!
Pam Cooley did the photography, she and her assistant Mel were on site all day and late into the evening! Stay tuned for some great pics! Heaven on Earth designed three different centerpieces...I have to say the Curly Willow tree w/ purple orchids tied in was my favorite! This wedding screamed detail, from custom Menu's, custom place cards using Caterpillar Tractors (both Bride & Groom work for CAT) to 14 different cakes by LeBakery to choose from, and I cant forget the Ice Cream station - YUM! Natalie and Chris knew exactly what they wanted for their big day and every vendor and especially Embassy Suites, delivered with 110%!! It truly was a fabulous day!

And now on to Andrea & Jake..............the beautiful coupe were married at her Parent's home in Germantown Hills. Talk about a dream setting, WOW, I cant even begin to describe the beauty of their home and yard...the pool overlooking the lake, spectacular flowers and landscaping....every time I went there, I never wanted to leave! The setting for this wedding is a favorite of mine, getting married at a Parent's home is very special! Andrea was so glamorous in her white strapless beaded gown, she was truly stunning! After a beautiful ceremony, the trolley took the guests back to their cars and they headed to the Contemporary Arts Center, downtown Peoria for a fun interactive evening. A Latin inspired menu by Echo Valley Meats was a hit with the guests. Beautiful chocolate brown pin-tuck linens over white floor length with chocolate brown and sage green sashes over white chair covers by I DO -Events created a beautiful room! And Beck's did a fabulous job on the centerpieces, there wasn't one that was the same. They were contemporary and beautiful! There was a photo booth and a bag of props for the guests to enjoy for the evening, this is a great and fun alternative to individual wedding favors for your guests!
They had a 2 tiered wedding cake along with tons of personalized cupcakes by Joe Brew's..... Susan can do amazing things with cake and frosting!!
I have two very important people to thank for helping me make this wedding a success, Susan Smith and Lisa Tyler. They were on-site all day making sure everything ran smoothly and on-time while myself and Melissa were at the other wedding! I can't thank them enough for all of their hard work, you two were AWESOME!

So as two more beautiful couples begin their lives together, I am blessed with wonderful memories of their wedding day. I don't think this job can get any better!! I adore my couples, but I have to say their families were such amazing people to spend time with...I am going to miss them too, and.. .so the sob story goes...I will miss spending time and working with each one of you! Congratulation to both couples and I wish you a lifetime of love, health and happiness!!!

HUGS! ~Lisa

Bridesmaid's Gift/Friendship Ring - LOVE LOVE LOVE!

Okay - I am on a roll what can I say! I was watching "Get Married" last night on Lifetime and towards the end of the show they always plug a new "find" - and well.....this one made me run right to my laptop!! Cha Cha Bella has these beautiful rings, hand made with Swarovski Crystals, and available in any color or color combination, you can even customize them. They come beautifully wrapped with a wonderful saying about friendship. What a great gift for your bridesmaids or your dearest girlfriends, mom, sisters, etc. Not to mention they are stunning and have "BLING" all over it!! What girl wouldn't want one of these??

Guest Books and so much more!

What a great find, thanks to one of my clients! Jinny Bick Bookbinding is a website you must check out! Everyone is always asking me where to find a beautiful guest book. And I have seen several at Hallmark, online, but this website has something more beautiful, not to mention you can personalize them. They also have a book that I adore "Twelve Ways To Say I Love You" - I think every Bride and Groom should buy this book, fill them out, and exchange them with one another on your wedding day. When you get a spare moment, click on the link above!

Congratulations Dr. & Mrs. John & Kathleen Linn

It was a beautiful Spring day this past Saturday, the sun couldn't have shined any brighter for John & Katie!
Katie & John were married at St. Mark's Catholic church near Bradley University, as Katie's father walked her to the church, her tears began to fall. Her father was trying to calm her by talking baseball, but the tears of happiness kept coming. Katie was one of the most beautiful brides I have ever laid eyes on. Her dress was exquisite, with pleating and covered buttons all the way down the back. Her hair was all pinned back with a cathedral length vail and a flower pined off to the side. She was breathtaking..... and to see John see her for the first time as she walked down the aisle to him, made all of us cry!
The reception was held at the Hotel Pere Marquette with gorgeous displays of orange and pink flowers by Gregg's. The arrangements were stunning, from pink vases to tall clear vases full of hydrangeas, curly willow, and Gerber daisies. Chocolate brown satin runners on all the tables..pink Menu cards were in each napkin and tied with a pink satin bow. And for a favor - THUMBPRINT cookies from Trefzger's Bakery....YUMMY!!
Their wedding cake was a Chocolate Gonache cake, also from Trefzger's..and it was trimmed in pink ribbon- you could smell the Gonache frosting as walked up upon the cake - it was spectacular!!!
Dave and the Dynamics had everyone up and dancing all night, I have to say a Band can really get a party started.....but can also keep it from ending! haha

I wish all the best to Katie and John, they were so wonderful to work with. I will miss Katie a lot, she is one of those people that you just love being around. She is as beautiful inside as she is outside.

CONGRATULATIONS AND BEST WISHES TO YOU BOTH!!

FINALLY!

I am thrilled to announce that I am about to go live with my new website! I am so excited I can hardly stand it! My husband thinks I am crazy, for I havent left my laptop for 2 days now...this website building is very addictive!!!! The new site will have Galleries, Reception and Ceremony, a calender of all my upcoming weddings, new packages and services, and much much more!!
I have a few more pics to add and then I will go live - stay tuned, thanks for your patients, and I will let you know when I am up!!

Enjoy this beautiful day!!!

-Lisa

Congratulations Mr. & Mrs. Formhals!!!!!

It was a special day for me this Saturday, two of my darling clients Tracy & Chris we married at Mackinaw Valley winery with a dazzling reception at Embassy Suites. This was a special day for me because it was my 5th wedding anniversary. So watching Tracy walk down the isle to Chris brought back so many wonderful memories. The sun was shining as their guests looked on over the beautiful lake...gorgeous flowers in shades of Orange, lime green, and fuchsia pink were lining the isle. It truly was a spectacular site!
The reception was amazing, black linens, custom pink menu's, stunning floral arrangements from Heaven on Earth (wait till you see the pictures!) Everything was top notch! And I have to say the biggest hit of the night was the "Candy Bar" set up in beautiful glass jars in all shapes and sizes, all the candy matched the colors of the reception. All 425 guests went crazy for the candy - there was hardly any left over - this is a great idea for your favors, plus it allows the guests to help themselves - it was so much fun to watch everyone!!

Photo 98 did the photography, Josh and Amy (husband and wife team) were so much fun to work with, everything ran so smoothly and on-time - which as a wedding planner - I LOVE! I cant wait to showcase their pictures and stay tuned to their blog. http://www.photo-98.com/
I will upload some of my photo's (I actually remembered to take some) tomorrow, so stay tuned.

Another wedding comes to an end and I truly enjoyed these two families, I have said this 100 times and will continue to do so, It's hard when a wedding is over, I get very attached to my clients - I will miss them!!!!!! MUCH LOVE TO YOU ALL!

GOOD NEWS FOR INPLAY CLIENTS!

My darling clients Kari and Myles who are getting married June 13th, were contacted today by InPlay in Des Moines, IA and they will be taking over the Peoria InPlay. The offered to still hold their reception or give them their deposit back. SO YEAH, I cant tell you how happy I am that it's getting resolved. Kari and Myles have already moved their reception to The Waterhouse, thanks to Andrew who was so wonderful in working with us and getting everything set-up.

So good news, InPlay will remain in business, getting remodeled and things will get back to normal. And for any of you Bride & Groom's that thought you lost your deposit or your reception site....sounds like they will take care of you! Make sure you contact the Des Moines, IA office if you have not been contacted yet.

HAPPY DAY!

New info coming....

Well starting a business can be LOADS of fun...but it can also be a rather large learning experience. So in the past few months I have gained much knowledge about my own business, how to make it better, and how to better serve my clients and my future clients as well. I am reworking some of my packages so that I can hit a broader audience...so stay tuned! I am also working on a new website...yes, mine needs to be spruced up a tad. If you know me, you would know that I am all about fashion, beauty, trends, TOTAL GIRL. And I have to be able to change things, (ya know, like shoes) have different looks, etc. So I am so excited to get started and show you so much more about my business and what I can offer. Image is everything in this industry, so its important to me that my first impression is a great one. Not to mention I have met some amazing vendors that I need you all to know about. I cant keep all this great information to myself, so that will be included on my new website as well as galleries of my past client's weddings and other great ideas that anyone can do themselves. Stay tuned.......

Wedding Drama for the Peoria Area

Wow, what a week it has been for some wedding vendors in the Peoria area. First Trefzger's Bakery gets broken into and all of their wedding contracts are stolen....WHO DOES THAT??? And then word finally got out about Forte/In-Play, a bank is taking over, all contracts will be broken, AND no deposits will be returned. Its been a tough week for some of my clients. Luckily, Kari & Myles, who were to have their reception at Forte have moved to the Waterhouse...a special thanks to Andrew for meeting with us so quickly and getting this reserved for my clients!

Trefzger's is making headway and will be contacting Bride's next week to ensure that everything will be okay and all set for their wedding day. But please contact them to make sure they have your name, number, and wedding date, don't leave anything to chance.

If anyone needs help, guidance, or suggestions regarding Reception Venue's, please call or email me...times like this you need all the support and help you can get!!!!

And like I told my one Bride...all these crazy things are happening now so that your wedding day can be perfect!

Congratulations Mr & Mrs Crumrine!!!!

This past Saturday, my darling clients Daniel and Cara became husband and wife at Northfield Christian Church in Tremont, Illinois. It was a beautiful ceremony...and I was actually there to witness it. Normally I am off and running to the reception...so the tears were forming as I watched her walk down the aisle to the love of her life. Every detail of this wedding and their 2 receptions was perfect...from black lanterns, evergreen, Christmas trees with tons of white lights, Snow Angles instead of Flower Girls...it was beautiful!

Cara and Daniel had two receptions....a Dessert Reception full of fabulous food, fruit by Lisa Webb and cheesecakes from Desserts Unlimited. And my ALL TIME FAVORITE.....A Coffee Bar!! Yes folks, there is a Coffee Catering Service called Coppercino new to the area. They are a husband and wife team, so nice to work with and the coffee drinks were top notch, not to mention a beautiful set-up! You can email Marianne at Coppercino at coppercino@goowy.com for more information. And for their favors..Cara and Daniel had a Cookie Bar where guests could pick from homemade cookies...it was a hit! And I have to mention the "Card Tree"...instead of having a guest book for guest to sign, each guest was given a card when they entered for them to write a special note to the couple, then the guest clipped them to Christmas Trees in the reception room with red and black painted clothes pins...it was darling!!

After the Dessert Reception was over, the couple, their family, and close friends went to a Celebration dinner at "The Tearoom at the Depot" in Mackinaw for a private dinner. Beautiful setting to be able to spend quality time with all that is close to them.

What a beautiful couple inside and out, stay tuned for pictures. Pam Cooley , from Pam Cooley Photography has posted some on her blog, so scroll down till you see Daniel & Cara. Congrats Cara and Daniel and thank you for letting me be apart of your beautiful day!! Happy Honeymooning!!