Creating a wedding that is personalized and unique can impose pressure on engaged couples and wedding planners. This pressure results from each couple planning a wedding having the desire to create a new experience for themselves and their guests. Weddings reflect individual couples with their own relationship personality, and weddings should reflect that identity. Brides and grooms who strive to meet this challenge are subject to increased stress throughout the planning process. However, the right team of vendors can reduce planning stress and customize a wedding day so it’s expressive of each bride and groom.
Budget
Budgeting for a wedding is the first step of planning and must take place before you make decisions about vendors to hire. Lori Miller with Lincoln Tent, Inc. recommends that all couples write out everything that goes into their wedding, from the venue to the photographer. She then suggests that the couple decide which aspects of the wedding are most important to them by ranking these features from one to ten. She said, “Recognize what is most important and know that you are going to spend a good amount to make sure that what is most important is also really good.” Lori believes that people will be happiest when they put forth their time and money in the aspects of their wedding that they care the most about. Through this method of allotting money, couples will choose vendors more on quality and skill and less on price.
Cali Hlavac, owner of A Sound Impression, explained, “The biggest mistake I see brides making is only booking vendors based on price. It seems like a great deal at the time, but ultimately the couple is let down somewhere along the way.” She suggests conducting reference checks on vendors and asking other brides about their experiences. Testimonials will be your strongest defense against disappointment and lead you toward vendors who will match your expectations, budget and personality.
Owner of It’s All Roses, Cris Peterson, recently made the mistake of writing checks for her wedding without setting a clear budget and working with her vendors to meet that pre-arranged budget. She now urges other brides to learn from her mistake and set a budget to stick with throughout the planning process. She said, “Once you find the exact things you want, be clear with your vendors about your budget from the beginning. They can usually make adjustments to help you stay within the wedding budget.” Most vendors will do everything they can to see your dream wedding become a reality within the limits you have set. The largest factor in the price of your wedding is the number of guests who attend. Most costs of wedding planning increase and decrease with the number of guests. Thus, it is also crucial in this step to determine how many people you plan to invite to the wedding based on the intended budget.
Venue
Lincoln provides a variety of venue options for wedding ceremonies and receptions. One of Lincoln’s newest venues is The Towers Event Center. Although The Towers is a new venue, its staff has a great deal of experience. The owner of The Towers, Jan Kriefels, contributes 23 years of experience in catering and work behind the scenes of weddings. The Towers staff provides outstanding service with the ability to take care of everything from renting the venue, catering and bar service. Another asset of The Towers is parking availability on one level without the inconvenience of stairs. Jan and her staff take the extra steps to make sure the bride and groom get what they want on their special day. Jan said, “This is something new to them, and with our experience, we can be helpful to them on their choices for their big day.” Jan and her team work to eliminate stress by knowing a couple’s budget and what is most important to them in the planning and working around that. She added, “Personal service is a must at The Towers. We want to make sure you will never forget the wonderful experience you had with us.” The unique environment provided to both the wedding party and guests is the greatest advantage of hosting a wedding at The Towers Event Center.
For another touch of personalization, Lincoln Tent, Inc. offers tent rental service, transforming any location into a beautiful wedding venue. They will provide rental, lighting, flooring, stairs, railing and anything else that goes along with a wedding tent other than tables and chairs. Lori Miller with Lincoln Tent explained that a tent serves as a blank canvas for a wedding. She said, “Each tent wedding is different because every décor is different and every couple is different. You can create any look you want for that day.” Tents are often perfect for people who want their wedding to be unique and personalized, since no one tent wedding is the same. The opportunities are endless, and Lori will help you to choose a tent that best suits your wedding venue needs. In addition, tents are flexible in multiple locations by transforming any outdoor area into a beautiful wedding scene to carry out your fairy tale. Lincoln Tent makes planning for this type of venue effortless because she will work with the event space directly and remove the bride from the hassle so she does not have to worry about those details. The Lincoln Tent team will figure out where the tent will look best and take care of the permitting process. Lori explained that she usually gives the couple a week’s time with the tent so they have plenty of time to decorate and fill it with tables and chairs. She also recommends booking your tent a soon as possible, so you have a variety of tents to choose from and can have the best tent for your needs.
Dress and Formalwear
A wedding dress showcases a bride’s personality in a way that other wedding aspects cannot. As a result, brides spend a great deal of time searching for the “right” dress and should begin planning early in the planning process. Many brides spend a great deal of time shopping for wedding dresses, so beginning the shopping process earlier is recommended and go somewhere with professionals to help you make the decision, such as Azurite Bridal. It’s never too early to begin looking for dresses, but purchasing a dress is recommended at least six months prior to the wedding day. This allows time for dress delivery and tailoring. Julia Kleeman of Tailoring by Julia recommended, “Have the tailoring lined up after your dress purchase and give them at least six weeks for fittings to finish. Bridesmaid dresses take two weeks or just one week for shortening.” Julia also recommends that brides practice putting on the dress and getting everything the way you want it to look on the day of your wedding. Doing this a few days before the wedding day will prevent the bride from becoming to overloaded on the wedding day and ensure that everything is ready to go and they way you prefer. In addition, Julia said, “When you pick out a dress, pick one that is the style you want and not one you have to redesign.” She explained that it’s better to be close to the wedding dress you want from the beginning. Tucks and length changes can be made easily, but tailors cannot easily alter dress characteristics such as necklines and bodice lengths.
Of course, the guys need their formalwear as well! Make an appointment with your groom at a formalwear business like Savvi Formalwear so you can go over all the options and learn about all the new trends in tuxedoes, suits and accessories and make arrangements for your groom and his groomsmen to get fitted.
Audio/Video Production
Finishing touches on a wedding are completed with audio and video features that allow you to share your personality with your guests. Cali Hlavac makes this step in the planning process seamless with A Sound Impression. A Sound Impression offers DJ and hosting services, wedding videography, photo slideshows, love story videos and event planning. Cali explained, “All of our services can be customized to match exactly what the bride and groom have in mind for their wedding day. We allow them to be as involved as they like in the planning process, going over details together so the night becomes just as they had in mind.” More involvement from a bride and groom allows vendors to better understand the couple and what makes their relationship unique. When vendors such as Cali must capture the essence of the couple, this understanding makes the resulting products special for all involved. A Sound Impression’s team also works with the couple to make the planning process as easy on them as possible. Cali said, “Our meetings are streamlined, quick and right to the point. We are here to recommend vendors who will do an amazing hob, give suggestions and feedback on timelines and other ideas that bride may have and help point them in the right direction when they are in need of something.” The relationships among vendors make the process of assembling a reliable team much more graceful that attempts on your own.
Wedding Planners
Cali’s team is willing to be as little or as much involved in the wedding planning process as desired by the couple. She explained, “We offer wedding planning along with our other services because an important part of the wedding day is how well your vendors interact and work together. A planner can help eliminate stress during the planning as well as on the day of the event so you can enjoy your wedding day to the fullest.” Denise Scholl-Serrett began a new wedding planning business in Lincoln called The Event Lady. Denise’s team offers various levels of support ranging from a budget review and vendor suggestions for the “DIY bride” to a “Bride’s Best Friend” package where they will walk the bride through every step of the process. Denise gives brides peace of mind and the freedom to enjoy her special day by having all of the details confirmed, creating a written timeline and list of tasks and by having regular status meetings. She said, “We all stress about different things, so finding out what stresses each individual and creating a plan for that person and their event is key.” Brides are encouraged to find someone, either a professional planner or close friend or relative, to manage their wedding day. Even if the bride plans everything herself, she should find someone who will make sure every detail is followed up on. Denise will take the extra step to ensure that the special day is custom to a particular couple. She said, “Nothing is off-limits these days and making sure the wedding fits the couple’s personality is the top priority.” Wedding planners ensure that brides have the confidence and availability to enjoy their wedding day.
Flowers
Flowers bring beauty, elegance and personalization to wedding ceremonies and celebrations. The right team of florists is crucial to helping you realize your vision and execute your wedding plans. Jeanette Steider, Manager of Abloom, said, “You have to have a good amount of trust in whomever you have be a part of that day, because the little details should be the last thing you worry about.” Jeannette’s team has experience with both large and small weddings in both indoor and outdoor settings. Abloom is capable of meeting all of a wedding’s floral needs from bridal bouquets, corsages and boutonnieres to ceremony and reception flowers. Jeannette enjoys working with brides to create a custom experience for their weddings. She explained, “Some brides have very specific ideas, which is great, and some just give me colors and things to stay away from and let me run with it, which is a lot of fun! I like to use different textures and flowers in my bouquets. Even the simplest bouquets should have small unique details that stand out.” The Abloom staff will also go above and beyond creating wedding arrangements to ensure that those details are taken care of and executed correctly. Jeannette will work with brides’ own materials to create one-one-a-kind decorations and even stay to help pin the boutonnières if necessary. Jeanette offered a couple examples and said, “I did a wedding last year where the bride had her own mason jars and we hung some from the trees, and we grouped some on her tables with different naturals she supplied and my fresh flowers. She had sent me a lot of pictures of other items she was using for the wedding, which gave me a great idea of her style. At another wedding last year I delivered, the wedding coordinator was having trouble pinning on the boutonnieres, so I stayed and helped her out.” Vendors who make these additional efforts will guarantee that your wedding stands apart from other weddings without imposing any stress on you.
Another option for one-of-a-kind wedding floral design is It’s All Roses by Cris Peterson. It’s All Roses provides arrangements made of birch wood that look just like real flowers, but do not have the disadvantage of wilting soon after the wedding. Cris said, “We can do floral arrangements anywhere from bridal bouquets and boutonnieres to reception centerpieces and flowers for the church pews.” Her team also personally handles both set up and pick up. Wooden flowers are, in most cases, 50 to 60 percent less expensive than other flower arrangements. People will also be able to remember what the flowers looked like if they don’t die quickly after the event. If you choose traditional flowers, then you must either pay to preserve them or know that they’ll be shriveled once your return from your honeymoon. Cris, recently planned her own wedding and used wooden flowers for her reception and real flowers at her wedding ceremony. She explained that she felt disappointed when she returned home from the honeymoon and the real flowers she had spent a great deal of money on had died. It’s All Roses helps to ensure that wedding day memories are preserved and meet the personality of each bride and groom. She said, “We spend significantly more time with the bride and groom than my experiences with other florists.” It’s All Roses also has the advantage of letting the couple preview the vision for the arrangements prior to the day of the wedding to alleviate planning stress. In the case of traditional florists, wedding planners must trust their vendor and hope that the end result is as they envisioned. Furthermore, Cris personally delivers arrangements to the wedding and ensures that each person who needs flowers has them. She can also make changes happen the day of the wedding, whereas traditional florists do not have the flexibility to adjust in that way. Cris has helped provide flowers for weddings last-minute, but she recommends meeting with her six months to a year in advance if possible. She also suggests meeting with her early in the process because she will give all of the brides who visit her a packet of different vendors she recommends working with for wedding planning.
Décor : Candles
Owner of Hallow Candle Co., Sarah Allison, explained, “Buying a wedding gift typically means one thing: something generic from the registry. If you want a gift that will truly bring the feeling of home into the bride and groom’s new abode, choose something that will create a memory! Unique gifts can be found at many local retailers in Lincoln. Local artwork, personalized décor and candles are great ways to start a special life together. Candles have stood the test of time; they’re not only practical, but they’re decorative and the variety of scents can bring back (or make) memories from special occasions and times together.” Sarah believes that planning a wedding day ceremony and reception that truly expresses who you are requires attention to detail. Hallow Candle can design custom candles to bring a uniqueness and warmth to a wedding. Sarah said, “From custom colors, fragrances and logos to inlaid pictures and designs, there are no limits to what you can create. At Hallow Candle, we want you to love your wedding.” Attention to small details such as candles can have a big impact on the overall atmosphere of a wedding.
Cosmetics, Aesthetics & Hair
One thing a bride shouldn’t have to worry about on the day of the wedding is doing her own makeup. Mary Kay Cosmetics Independent Sales Director Katie Kimbrough frequently and diligently works with brides to plan and execute her wedding day look. She provides a complimentary skin care analysis and makeover to get ready for the big day. Katie said, “I will go in and do the bride’s makeup as well as that of her bridesmaids so that the wedding party does not distract form the bride as well as having makeup that compliments the dresses and will not overwhelm each other in the pictures.” This attention to detail will lead to photographs that will preserve the beauty of the day and the people involved. Katie works with each bride individually in order to create her own signature look. She explained, “One tool I use early in the process is the Mary Kay Virtual Makeover. Brides are given the opportunity to upload their own picture and try on different colors, hairstyles and even veils and tiaras.” Since all brides hope to look beautiful on the day of their wedding, a dependable makeup artist is essential to looking and feeling confident. Katie explained, “I help make the big day run smoother so that the bride can sit and relax a little bit and not worry that her makeup won’t be done in time or one eye won’t match the other eye. I take care of providing a flawless finish so she can truly feel pampered and beautiful, both inside and out.”
Spa services are also great ways to prepare the brides’ mind and body for her big day. Ashley Pavlish, owner of Body Nouveau Salon and Day Spa, explained, “She has put so much time and effort in planning her wedding she needs some time to treat herself. We can either help her just relax and take some time away from planning or we can help her look and feel fabulous before her big day.” Body Nouveau Salon and Day provides a variety of services to brides, but their body wraps are the most popular service requested by brides and bridesmaids. Ashley said, “We are known for our Slender Body Wraps; we are the only provider of these wraps in Lincoln. We are able to help our brides and the bridal party fit more comfortably in their dresses for the big day. The wraps help detox the body and compact your cells together to where you lose inches. The body wraps can also help with firming and toning the skin.” Ashley explained that brides working to lose weight benefit from these wraps by staying focused on their goals. Ashley also suggests that brides consider facials and waxing. She explained, “Our facials are helpful give the bride the extra confidence on her big day, whether she is looking for just a healthy glow, has acne concerns or wants to improve skin’s tone and texture.” Spray tans and massages for both the bride and groom are other popular services. Ashley said, “We would recommend either a hot stone or aromatherapy massage to just melt the tension away.” In order to plan your days at the spa, Ashley advised, “We recommend that brides contact us a few months before the wedding for a couple of reasons. The first reason is we are happy to chat with the bride about what they are interested in and which services we would suggest to them. Then we can plan out when we should schedule her services. If she plans to have a few of our services done, some will need to be done at certain times and we will want to have time to plan accordingly. Second, if you plan to make a day of pampering for the bridal party, we will want to make sure we have their wedding day open. Some other good advice is to try not to leave any of your pampering services for the last minute, as we want it to be a relaxing process that you enjoy.” New bridal party packages are now available at Body Nouveau Salon and Day Spa designed to make the time leading up to the wedding special for the wedding party and stress-free for the bride-to-be.
Another local opportunity for brides to look and feel their best on the day of their wedding is Aesthetics at Tiffany’s. Tiffany Baustert works with brides by providing NovaLash Eyelash Extensions, microdermabrasion and chemical peels. The NovaLash Eyelash Extension add color, length and thickness to natural lashes and last several weeks. Tiffany recommends that brides get lash extensions the week before their wedding because the lashes are waterproof and won’t smudge throughout the wedding day. If the couple goes on a honeymoon to a destination with a pool or beach, then the bride does not have to worry about using mascara during the trip. Lash extensions alleviate the stress of worrying about mascara throughout the wedding and honeymoon, which gives brides more time and energy to focus on their grooms. She also advises that brides consider microdermabrasion and chemical peels to create a more even skin tone. These treatments should take place at least three to four weeks before the wedding day, or at least three months before the wedding if the bride is interested in several treatments. Tiffany said, “The treatments are really relaxing. Microdermabrasion and chemical peels last about 30 minutes and the eyelashes take about an hour and half to complete. They’re great mini-breaks before the wedding.”
Of course, getting your hair and your bridal parties’ hair done is tradition for most weddings, so make sure you make your appointment early with a professional such as Brieanna Lebo. You might even want to go in once a week or so before your wedding to try some practice hairstyles so you’ll be sure to love your hair on your big day!
Photo Booth
Michelle Fonck offers an increasingly popular and unique reception amenity: photo booths. Michelle started FOTObrations to bring a high-end photo experience to events in Lincoln. Her FOTObooths add a special touch by providing entertaining to your guests and preserving memories for the bride and groom. Michelle said, “A FOTObooth is a great way to capture the memories of your special day. It is a fun way to entertain your guests of all ages. Include a keepsake memory book so you and your guests can share the laughs. You’ll finish the night with the images and personal messages from your guests.” The flexibility of Michelle’s FOTObooths allows each one to become a custom experience for the couple. She can make FOTObooths work with any backdrop and can be customized with colors and graphics. Michelle added, “We have lots of props to choose from and those can be themed to fit your event as well. One of the distinct advantages of FOTObrations is that the booth is open air. The booth can take great pictures of everything from your littlest flower girl to your entire wedding party to your grandma and grandpa. And, it can all happen seamlessly while others nearby can enjoy the antics of those taking pictures.” If you are interested in booking a FOTObooth for your wedding, Michelle recommends reserving her services as soon as possible since dates and times fill up quickly.
Favors
A wedding wouldn’t be complete without the ever-popular jordan almonds. At Totally Nuts, owner Mary Miller and her team provide treats complimentary to any wedding celebration. Their jordan almonds are available in pastel coating as well as silver and white. Mary explained, “We can package the traditional jordan almonds, along with their wedding legend, in little wedding boxes or pillows for a special touch on the big day.” Small treats, such as nuts and candy, have become popular accessories for wedding cakes and favors for guests to take home. Totally Nuts provides almonds, cashews, pecans and walnuts in sweet and salty varieties. Mary said, “Our cinnamon-roasted nuts are always a unique and crowd-pleasing addition to any event. Guests love the sweet flavor combined with the crunchy texture of nuts.” To cope with wedding planning stress, Mary suggests their chocolate-covered nuts and blueberries or floating a few dried strawberries in champagne. She also advised, “Don’t forget to laugh and enjoy the process of all things wedding! Believe in Joy!”
The stress of wedding planning should never impose on the joy and purpose of the day. Stress accumulates when brides are unable to trust their vendors to realize their vision and take care of executing that vision on the wedding day. As do all the vendors we mentioned, we recommend people who we know are capable of exceeding your expectations for your special day. Each aspect of a wedding should reflect the character of the couple through customized details and imaginative effort. Just as in business, the right team can bring about an end result greater and more special that you could have anticipated.
Congratulations and best of luck make sure you check out these great vendors when you prepare to tie the knot!
Lincoln Tent – Tent rental for all types of events, in the midwest, & around the country.
A Sound Impression – Event & Wedding DJ Service, Videography, Storybook & Love Story Videos
It’s All Roses – Show your appreciation for your existing clients with roses that last forever!
The Towers – Lincoln’s Newest Elegant Events Venue for Any Event. Call 402.770.2140
Azurite Bridal – See Lincoln’s most dazzling wedding gowns & designs. Click here to view.
Julia Kleeman Master Tailor – Get a perfect fit, email me your needs & I’ll provide you a bid.
The EVENT Lady – Event Planning & Management For Social, Business & Corporate Events!
Abloom – Flower arrangements artfully designed. Order flowers online with same day delivery
Hallow Candle Co. – Browse, buy & ship your favorites from the comfort of your own home!
Sandra Larsen – Buy Smarter. Sell Smarter – Let me sell your home for only 3.5% and save!
Katie Kimbrough – Be Flawless On Your Wedding Day A Special Bridal Session With Mary Kay.
FOTObrations – Get a Photobooth to make your event awesome & then capture it in pictures.
Totally Nuts – Crowd-pleasing almonds, pecans & cashews cooked to perfection. Order online!
James Arthur Vineyards – An Exceptional location for company retreats, events or occasion.
Aesthetics at Tiffany’s -Microdermabrasion, chemical peels, facials, eyelash extensions.
Favor It! – Get an unforgettable customized candy buffet for your special event. Get info here!
Art Glass Unlimited – Unique one-of-a-kind giftware made right here in Lincoln. Classes starting!
I?S Salon – ELLE Magazine Top 100 Salons in America! Consultations are always free.