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Wedding Venue Cheat Sheet

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Wedding Venue Cheat Sheet

Finding the perfect wedding venue can be daunting. However, with the help of online search engines, wedding Websites and magazines, along with referrals (word of mouth) things are much easier nowadays. Sites like WeddingWire, The Knot, and Style Me Pretty offer pictures and lists of local venues that come highly recommended. Who doesn’t like to drool over gorgeous pictures of dreamy and whimsical weddings all while venue scouting?

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Wedding Venue Cheat SheetPhoto by Tom Nicol

Once you narrow down your list from online shopping and magazine scouting, it’s nice to visit these top locations in person to get a better idea. When you do visit these locations in person, please be prepared. The following questions are meant to be a guide for newly engaged couples:

  • How does the place charge—per person, by the hour, or flat fee? What is the payment plan?
  • Does the location provide everything we’ll need (tables, chairs, dinnerware, linens, stage for DJ or band, dance floor, tent, additional lighting, etc.)? Are there up charges for these items?
  • How many people does it seat?
  • Does the style of the space match the look we’re going for?
  • Does the decor coordinate with our color scheme?
  • Do we like the view and the surrounding area? Are their windows?
  • Where does the band/entertainment set up?
  • Is there an echo in the room? This will affect how the band/DJ will sound.
  • Can we see sample floor plans and/or visit when the room is set up for a wedding, so we can see what everything looks like when it’s set up?
  • Is in-house catering available? Can we bring in our own caterer?
  • Does the site have a liquor license? Can we bring in our own alcohol? If so, what types of alcohol will be served, and is there any cap or limit?
  • Is ours the only reception scheduled that day? If not, will there be another one during our reception?
  • Will we be sharing cocktail hour space or bathrooms with the other guests? Will we be able to hear their music during our reception?
  • Will the manager be present for our reception?
  • What are the cancellation policies? Is the deposit refundable?
  • What’s the staff to guest ratio?
  • How many hours is the site available? Are there charges if the reception runs over?
  • Is there free parking? If there is valet parking, what are the rates and expected gratuities?
  • Is parking free for vendors?
  • What is the charge for vendor meals?
  • Will there be coatroom and restroom attendants? Servers? Bartenders? What are the charges for each?

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Wedding Venue Cheat SheetAllori Photography

Happy venue shopping! Make sure to ask plenty of questions, and to get everything in writing in your contract when you are ready to book the perfect site.

favorite wedding websites

Favorite Wedding Websites

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Favorite Wedding Websites

Wedding inspiration seems to be all around us, and it’s no surprise that the Internet is full of sources of inspiration, no matter what your style, date, or budget.  However, sometimes it can be difficult to know just where to start, as there are just SO many great websites out there.  Here we have outlined several of our favorites, as well as sites that we often hear couples mention to us.  Happy browsing!

Style Me Pretty: This is without a doubt probably the most popular wedding blog out there.  SMP features some pretty incredible weddings of all different styles, offering great inspiration for couples everywhere.  They also feature some great DIY projects!

Wedding Chicks: Again, this is a great overall resource, with gorgeous inspiration.  Pay special attention to the tabs for “DIY projects” and “free printables”.  They have some great printables!

once wedOnce Wed: This site is similar to the two above, with a great DIY section.  Their “wedding ideas” tab also offers some great inspiration photos, easily pinnable on Pinterest.

Ruffled: We really love this blog.  They have great inspiration and some really good DIYs.  We also love their “local blogs” section, where you can search weddings they have featured by state.  This is cool because you can also get ideas for vendors, locations, and seasonal favorites.  (Yes, there are several weddings from Illinois!)  The “recycle your wedding” section also offers a cool place to sell and buy wedding goodies if you are are interested in going that route.

100 Layer Cake: This site has some nice DIYs, all with a similar vibe and feel: a combination of feminine + whimsical + dainty + a little earthy.  So if that’s close to your vibe, check it out.

Green Wedding Shoes: This has a similar feel to several of the other sites, with several DIY projects.  Many of the DIYs are fairly common, but they also have a few DIYs that we haven’t seen.  We’re currently crushing skull escort cards; they’re so rustic chic!)

Intimate Weddings: This site features smaller and as the name implies, more intimate weddings.  This is particularly nice for couples who know they want to go this route, as the site can be a reminder that you don’t have to host a 400 guest party to have a memorable celebration.

 

Wedding of the Week

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In case you have been living under a rock and haven’t had a chance to follow the pure loveliness that is Stylemepretty, jump on over there and check out their full feature on this absolutely magical wedding. Set at the ever so chic Racquet Club in Chicago, this NYE fete just oozes romance, whimsy and glamor. From the cool and clubby library bar to the breathtaking long, linear table settings dripping with candlelight, this wedding is well worthy studying.

To pull it all off, the couple enlisted the help of wedding super talent Kara Superfine of Bliss Weddings and Events, who is well known around town for executing some seriously swank weddings.  Be sure to scroll through the entire gallery courtesy of StudioThisIs to indulge is every last detail including the adorable custom coasters that toast the bride and groom and cheers to the New Year.

Photos by StudioThisIs

Style Me Pretty – Little Black Book

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Style Me Pretty – Little Black Book

Music By Design was selected to be a member of Style Me Pretty’s exclusive 2012  Little Black Book.

What is the Little Black Book?

Our Little Black Book is a thoughtfully edited listing of only top quality vendors. Because our style-savvy, sophisticated readers deserve a chic resource they can trust, our book is created with them in mind. Our Little Black Book offers our readers a worry-free browsing experience while our Very Important Vendors enjoy a showcase in keeping with our firm commitment to quality vs. quantity. More than simply enjoying elite advertising space, our members are a handpicked community of artistic experts. In an industry saturated with long lists of anybody & everybody, our book is the most thoughtfully edited resource on the planet: a refreshingly couture idea.

How do you choose the vendors for your Little Black Book?

The process to become a Little Black Book member is actually quite extensive.

First, they need to have been recommended by an SMP reader, a recent bride or an industry professional. We don’t simply look for a referral but rather for a passionate reason as to why a particular vendor deserves to be in the book. Perhaps the designer worked with a reader’s best friend when she was getting married, perhaps they have already designed the world’s most beautiful invitations for a particular bride and groom, perhaps an event planner that we know shares with us the one photographer that she will work with. Whatever the connection, it must be strong and based on a real knowledge of the vendor’s work.

Second, we dive head first into the vendor’s business. Their portfolio, their experience, their time in the industry. We look at press that they’ve received, we chat with their industry neighbors, we get to know who they are and why they are good at what they do. We spend hours on the phone with each vendor, getting to know them, figuring out if they are honest, have a high level of integrity and are truly devoted to their craft. For highly competitive industries, like photography, we also have vetting teams. An unbiased group of style savvy vendors who can fairly, objectively, and accurately evaluate other’s work.

And finally, after feeling completely confident that a particular vendor is fabulous, we invite them to be a part of our book! It’s an invitation only book that truly prides itself on it’s commitment to quality above all else.

Pinterest: Pins of the Week

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Pins of the Week
Last week, we posted about our obsession with Pinterest!  We love it so much that we’ve spent the past week scouring the site for some fabulous and creative wedding ideas.  We’ve decided to share three of our favorite “pins” each week.  Let the pinning begin!

 Celebration Signs
We spotted these cheery signs from a pin via Style Me Pretty.  We are big fans of the reception exit, and these are a fun yet simple twist on the tradition.  This is also perfect for indoor spaces or venues that don’t allow sparklers!

Gray
Don’t get us wrong, we love a classic black tux, but this groom’s choice for gray had us doing a double take.  Just a shade off of the normal, it stands out and gives the wedding a unique and slightly relaxed feel.  We think gray will be huge for the men this spring, and frankly, we can’t wait!  Image via Ruffled

Vintage Inspired Garters
Brides have been following the tradition of garters for years, and these Emily Riggs Bridal vintage inspired garters take the tradition to a new level.  Hand selected crystal buttons on French imported lace…what’s not to love?  We have a feeling brides might think twice about having this tossed among a group of rowdy bachelors!

Style Me Pretty – Little Black Book

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January  10, 2011

Music By Design was selected to be a member of Style Me Pretty’s exclusive 2011  Little Black Book.

What is the Little Black Book?

Our Little Black Book is a thoughtfully edited listing of only top quality vendors. Because our style-savvy, sophisticated readers deserve a chic resource they can trust, our book is created with them in mind. Our Little Black Book offers our readers a worry-free browsing experience while our Very Important Vendors enjoy a showcase in keeping with our firm commitment to quality vs. quantity. More than simply enjoying elite advertising space, our members are a handpicked community of artistic experts. In an industry saturated with long lists of anybody & everybody, our book is the most thoughtfully edited resource on the planet: a refreshingly couture idea.

How do you choose the vendors for your Little Black Book?

The process to become a Little Black Book member is actually quite extensive.

First, they need to have been recommended by an SMP reader, a recent bride or an industry professional. We don’t simply look for a referral but rather for a passionate reason as to why a particular vendor deserves to be in the book. Perhaps the designer worked with a reader’s best friend when she was getting married, perhaps they have already designed the world’s most beautiful invitations for a particular bride and groom, perhaps an event planner that we know shares with us the one photographer that she will work with. Whatever the connection, it must be strong and based on a real knowledge of the vendor’s work.

Second, we dive head first into the vendor’s business. Their portfolio, their experience, their time in the industry. We look at press that they’ve received, we chat with their industry neighbors, we get to know who they are and why they are good at what they do. We spend hours on the phone with each vendor, getting to know them, figuring out if they are honest, have a high level of integrity and are truly devoted to their craft. For highly competitive industries, like photography, we also have vetting teams. An unbiased group of style savvy vendors who can fairly, objectively, and accurately evaluate other’s work.

And finally, after feeling completely confident that a particular vendor is fabulous, we invite them to be a part of our book! It’s an invitation only book that truly prides itself on it’s commitment to quality above all else.