Carolyn Burke STL Blog

Questions to Ask When Evaluating a Location for Your Wedding The following list of questions and tips will help you navigate through your location search. Print them out and use them as a guide while you’re talking with a site contact or reviewing a site information packet. Make sure to get everything in writing in your final contract! Don’t forget to have a notebook or your planning binder handy so that you can record answers to all these questions. What dates are available in the month I’m considering? How many people can this location accommodate? What is the rental fee and what is included in that price? Is there a discount for booking an off-season date or Sunday through Friday? How much is the deposit, when is it due, and is it refundable? What’s the payment plan for the entire bill? Can I hold my ceremony here, too?  Is there an additional charge? Is the ceremony site close to the reception site? Is there a outfit changing area? How much time is allocated ...

Looking for the right venue to have a special event can be overwhelming. Details about the site's amenities such as capacity, fees, the size of the parking lot, accessibility and other specifics you may not have even thought of. Who has the time to call and check on availability; whether or not the location is even what you are looking for? Carolyn Burke can give great advice for a variety of wedding ceremony or reception locations. Mostly small and intimate, but large and extravagant too.  Looking for ways to save on wedding expenses is an increasingly common scenario for young couples, faced with hefty student loans, credit card debt, a tough job market, and ever-increasing living expenses. Many couples are choosing lower-cost locations and planning smaller weddings close to home for family and their closest friends.  To plan an event, your first impression is the first step along with the costs involved. The style or theme of the event as well as restric...

Jenny and Jason were supposed to be married at Raue Gardens in St Charles, MO. The rain would not stop and we had to go with a contingency plan or PLAN B.  The hand-made arbor was set up inside the reception site at Memorial Hall in Blanchette Park - just up the hill from the garden. Arbor and Decor Photographer - Loria Harris - provided some wonderful detail. Most of the items were provided by the couple - a do-it-yourself (DIY) wedding. Jenny + Bridesmaids Great Artificial Flowers Simple Wedding Cake Plus Sweets Many Blessings to Jenny + Jason Rench VENDORS Officiant : Rev. Janet Pillman Ceremony / Reception Site : Memorial Hall in Blanchette Park Catering : Kenricks Catering Company Photographer : Photos by Loria

Both of you have said I do and now it’s time to celebrate with your nearest and dearest. The reception goes by in the blink of an eye, so it’s normal there might be a few things you just might forget to do during the party. Here are six things you should try to remember to do for a truly memorable reception. 1. Spend time alone as a couple. Yes, you do have to pay attention to your guests, but don’t forget to have some one-on-one time with your new spouse. Take time during the cocktail hour to enjoy a cocktail and some food just the two of you–it might be the only 'couple' time you get for the rest of the event! 2. Take a look at the reception space. Before your guests file into the reception space, you want to get a view of the room all decked out in your wedding day décor. It’s a moment where you can really enjoy all of the hard work you put into planning all of the little details (flowers, place settings, etc.) and see how it paid off. 3. Eat. This is one ...

Whether you want a classic wedding or something more edgy and modern, you don’t HAVE to follow the “standard” wedding rules or silly superstitions. It’s YOUR day, forget the traditional wedding rules and do it your way! Here are some of the most common “wedding myths” and how to rise above them. Take control and have the wedding of your dreams! It’s “Bad Luck” To See Each Other Before the Ceremony This dates back to pre-arranged marriages where bride and groom didn’t even MEET before the wedding. Lots of couples are opting out of this tradition and taking advantage of “first look” photos, a rising trend in modern day weddings. This gives the photographer a better chance to capture that “magical moment” when the couple sees each other for the first time in their wedding ensemble. It can also give family and close friends an intimate moment with the couple and more chances for photo ops, thus saving time between the ceremony and the reception. For small and intimate weddin...

The are many benefits of hiring a Wedding Liaison (day of coordinator) for the DIY (do it yourself) bride or couple. Many times the ceremony site does not have someone to ensure that all of the chairs, props, aisle runner and other decor are in place.  You want your family and friends to enjoy the day just as you are and not be running around in the heat of the day - whether or not they are in their wedding clothes or not. Sara and Jim picked a beautiful location for the ceremony location - The Powder Magazine Patio at Jefferson Barrack Park in south St Louis County. Aerial View of the Powder Magazine Patio Sara and Jim Wedding Ceremony This site basically comes with electricity, restrooms and space to accommodate 300 guests. We placed DIY garland of crystals and pink petite flowers in the trees, aisle runner with weighted boxes to keep the runner from blowing in the wind, two potted plants, and a rose table with simple decor. Garland of Crystals and Pink P...

City Cottage on Chouteau - 3800 Chouteau Avenue, 63110 Located in midtown St Louis, this richly historic building has been fully restored with a country French inspired ambiance for up to 110 guests. The warm colors with exposed brick, fireplace, high ceilings, hardwood floors. The space features patio with a wood-burning pizza oven. NEW FEATURE : Covered patio which is a great space for the wedding ceremony. A great location for couples who want an intimate feel among your friends and family. I have performed wedding ceremonies there many times.  The professional staff gives exceptional service. I highly recommend them. For information on City Cottage, call 314-961-7588.

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...

Proper Placement for Music at Your Wedding Reception Your wedding reception will generally have some sort of entertainment. Wedding Reception Dancing Arrival/Grand Entrance  - Upon your arrival to the reception hall, the band leader or DJ can announce the parents, the wedding party and you as man and wife. Mingling  - For the next few minutes, you and your groom will mix and mingle as you make your way to your reserved table. In order to alleviate feelings of awkwardness, music should be playing in the background. Service of Food  - At this point, if a formal meal is being served, it will generally take place now. If appetizers are  offered, guests and the bridal party will simply help themselves throughout the wedding reception. Throughout the meal, soft music should be playing. First Dance  - Obviously, you'll want to select a special song for the band or DJ to play for your first dance. This is probably one of the most touc...

Here are a few wedding toasts to give to a couple at the reception. Grab your napkin, dry your eye Pick up your glass, and raise it high. Here is my wish to you [ Bride and Groom ] May your hearts be filled with love and happiness Each and every day. - - - The man or woman you really love will never grow old to you. Through the wrinkles of time, through the bowed frame of years, You will always see the dear face and feel The warm heart union of your eternal love. - - - May thy life be long and happy, thy cares and sorrows few;  And the many friends around thee prove faithful, fond and true.  May your voyage through life be as happy and as free as the dancing waves on the deep blue sea.

I am not sure if I like this or not.....Variation of the bouquet and garter toss Bouquet Toss The Tossing of the Bouquet and Garter -  This is usually done towards the middle or even the end of the reception.  A variation on the traditional tosses is gaining popularity.  In this variation the DJ will ask all married couples to get on the dance floor.  He will then ask all of those married less than a day to leave.  This will usually get a few laughs.  The bride can then sit in a chair set next to the dance floor while the groom removes her garter.  As the song plays the DJ asks couples who have been married longer and longer to leave the floor.  He may say couples married less than one year then five and ten etc… .  It is best that your DJ or MC know in advance how long the couple that has been married the longest has been married.  You also want to make sure that couple gets on the floor even if seated.  When there is one co...

Thank you for the lovely endorsement on  WeddingWire  from  Randall Gallery . "Carolyn is a true professional, at the top of the St. Louis Wedding Industry. We love working with Carolyn for several reasons, one is that she is very organized and secondly as a Wedding Planner she lets us do what we do best.  We work very well together and we highly recommend her for all of her services that she provides." This location offers whimsical contemporary art, floor to ceiling windows and use of the entire building for up to 300 guests or more.

Orlando Gardens Banquet and Conference Centers is a great location to have both a ceremony and reception for weddings in St. Louis. Erin and Todd brought in their own lighted arbor as a point of focus.  A microphone is important in a large room and I was happy to see it.  Now every guest in the ballroom could hear me and maybe even the couple when they repeat the vows. The guests sat around their tables instead of having them take up room in rows.  Their parents were sitting in the closest tables and chairs to the lighted arbor.  Sometimes I have seen up to a dozen chairs placed up front with the remaining guests at their assigned tables as well.  This gives special attention to certain family members that are important to the bride and groom. Erin and Todd were a delight to work with.  They made the decision to keep the ceremony short, sweet and simple and let the reception be the focal point of the event.  The colors were simply black ...