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!!