Carolyn Burke STL Blog

With the number of mixed interfaith marriages taking place, many couples today are opting to have a secular ceremony instead of a religious ceremony for their wedding.  This allows them to include special readings, vows, symbols or wedding themes (whether religious or not) that they may not be able to include in a religious ceremony or location. A secular ceremony contains no religious elements (except for what the couple may add) and can be performed in a venue of your choice, depending on the area in which you wish to get married in.  It is a good idea to interview at least two different officiants; to compare their style and make sure you are comfortable with the ceremony structure.  It is important that you feel comfortable with the officiant who is performing the ceremony and that you feel that he/she is interested in you as a couple. Keep in mind to budget for the various fees, such as the officiant's fee (for the ceremony), the ceremony site fe...

This event is considered my Wedding of the Year.  Sara, the bride, was such a pleasure to work with.  She asked a lot of questions seeking my advice, and was very organized.  She had a lot of props and details at the reception, but had clear directions as to how to assemble and placement on the floor plan. Ceremony Site: Grand Basin in Forest Park Reception Site:  World's Fair Pavilion Catering:  Orlando Gardens Photographer:  Megan Thiele Studios Shuttles: GEM Transportation Flowers: The Special Event Florist - Tina Barrera DJ and Lighting:  Millennium Productions Bakery: McArthur's 

Real Moments Saint Louis Bride Magazine www.bridestl.com Michelle Coleman and Yemi Adewunmi October Wedding A great team of vendors made this St Louis Wedding event possible. Wedding Consultant :: Carolyn Burke - Wedding Liaison Photographer :: Lance Omar Thurman Photography Florist :: Walter Knoll Bride's Dress :: The Ultimate Bride Groom's Attire :: Savvi Formal Wear Ceremony Location ::Bethesda Temple Reception Location :: Windows On Washington Cake :: Lubeley's Bakery Special Lighting :: Millennium Productions Decor :: Man and Wife Weddings Linens :: Weinhardt Party Rentals DJ :: Johnny Kidd with DJ Dre Videographer :: Timeline Graphics

Reviews from PerfectWeddingGuide.com Review from Decidio.com Review from WeddingWire.com

Who Is Carolyn Burke - Wedding Liaison? When Carolyn Burke   reports to work, she doesn't travel light.  Armed with an emergency kit with items from scissors to hair spray; she is prepared for every possible situation the event could bring.  Burke calls herself a Wedding Liaison and the owner of  Carolyn Burke - Wedding Liaison .  She thrives in the rush of excitement - and sometimes panic - of her clients' wedding events. "I love every moment of what I do," she said.  "It's like putting together a puzzle and getting all the pieces to fit together."  The excitement comes from building an event from the ground up.  Many clients come in with no clue where they want to have their event, so Burke holds a face-to-face meeting and picks what elements of the event are important and that is where you spend the most money.  She coordinates wedding ceremonies of many faiths, religious and non-religious backgrounds. Carolyn Burke - Wedding...

Who knew planning a wedding would be akin to staging a major Broadway production? To help out with your co-directorial debut, I have prepared a cross-section of the wedding day cast of characters. (Keep in mind that most roles can be played by either gender, and by as many people as you want.) This is actually a really long post in five parts. So enjoy . . . Junior Bridesmaids/Jr Groomsmen/Jr Ushers These are young members of the wedding party (aged 9-16). They'll attend all major functions (excluding Adult-Rated ones) and fulfill the same responsibilities as senior squad members. Lasses can wear less-sexy versions of the bridesmaid dresses (if the dresses are risqué); lads may don a tux like the big guys. Flower Girl  One or two flower girls, between the ages of 4 and 8, walk down the aisle alone or with the ring bearer.  They can carry pomanders (balls of flowers that match the bridesmaids' or bride's bouquet held by a ribbon, a basket of rose petals to sc...

When selecting your bouquet, be aware of the size and weight of the flowers.  If your ceremony is long, holding a large, heavy bouquet can be difficult. Here's what happened to one bride: Halfway through her Catholic ceremony , the weight of her bouquet took a toll on her arms and throughout the wedding video you can see her arms and her flowers shaking because of the weight! Also, your Maid/Matron of Honor holds TWO bouquets during part or most of the ceremony while the rings and vows are exchanged and other rituals that the couple chooses. Will The Flowers Hold Up? Be sure to talk with your florist about the timetable for your wedding day and where and when you'll be taking photographs. For instance, if you are taking pictures several hours before the ceremony and taking them outside in the middle of the summer... you'll want to choose flowers that can stand up to the heat and wind and still look beautiful all the way through to the ceremony and reception. To...

Meet Beth and Luke Luke + Beth They live in San Diego and decided to come to St. Louis to get married. Beth grew up here so it has a special significance. They decided to Elope in St Louis in May - two months to plan. The flowers added a spark to their apparel. Kirkwood Florist provided the bouquet and boutonniere. Both wanted to tie the knot at the Grand Basin in Forest Park. With only 19 guests in attendance they did not feel they needed to rent the space. No chairs, no music - just a short, sweet and simple ceremony. So we just POPPED UP - and it was wonderful !! Thanks for RICK FORRESTAL who was the professional photographer.

I was honored to be the Wedding Officiant for a unique wedding event.  Jaci + Jon are also wedding industry professionals and they decided to keep their marriage a secret. Architecture Hall at St Louis Union Station The photographer, Donnell Probst, also has a blog post on the event.   CLICK HERE

For some, small refers to the number of guests. In this article, 50 guests or less is considered a small wedding. Consider Different Locations The standard church or synagogue ceremony, followed by a banquet hall reception, isn't necessarily the answer.  This setting may be too large for your small gathering and you'd look and feel lost in such a large venue. Hotels and some other venues will not agree to host receptions with fewer than 120 people or they have a limit to their food and beverage total. But don't think of this as a problem. Take advantage of the opportunities that come with having a smaller crowd. Smaller weddings have been successfully carried off in restaurants, gardens, bed and breakfasts, chapels, museums, historic homes, galleries and parks. Some of these places may not advertise an availability for weddings. Home Wedding A small wedding may be possible in your own or a relative's home. This is wonderfully intimate, but do not make the ass...

Couples have been using sand to symbolize unity for many years, and sand ceremonies in the US are starting to feature these ceremonies in addition, or more often in place of, the unity candle ceremony. It probably started in Hawaii as brides and grooms would stand barefoot on the beach.  At the right moment in the ceremony, they would reach down and take a handful of sand from beneath their feet and pour it into a single container. The Unity Sand Ceremony can also be altered in many ways to include family and friends. Besides the bride and groom, various colors of sand are given to wedding members who will add their sand to the couple's sand, all flowing into the container, creating a colorful and one-of-a kind symbol of unity. Here is a sample Sand Ceremony Reading : Today, you have committed your lives with each other. This relationship will be symbolized through the pouring of these two individual containers of sand.  To represent all that you were, all that yo...