Ever After Bridal Event

We are proud to be a part of the Ever After Bridal Event at the Woodlands!!!  

Come see me at the show on

SUNDAY, January 9th 

11-4pm

to visit about your wedding plans and to gain inspiration from yours truly!

photo:  leslie lukas by  lauren brown

• be ready for sensory overload with our fresh floral designs--inspiration for 2011 brides
• see why BRIDES magazine recognizes us as a top vendor of the mountain west and chooses to publish our work again and again
• purchase our DIY floral kits, and make sure that you are well on your way to the perfect wedding day.  
• get insider tips on planning the perfect wedding

 This is a show you won't want to miss!  There will be several other vendors representing all areas of expertise to help you plan the perfect day!

Budget do's and don'ts for your Montana Wedding

I often see my brides and grooms contemplating the many choices they have in front of them while they plan their wedding.  The most common errors occur with budgeting...leaving some important things out to make room for the more frivolous expenditures.  I call these things the "wants" vs "needs" and I am here to help you sort it out.

Be sure the following has room in your budget!!!

Needs:
--a divine photographer
--a planner you can trust, check their references or it's a waste of your time and money***at least 5 brides from the current year and at least 5 vendors that have been in the industry more than 3 years
--a florist that will create a day that is a reflection of you***references and samples are a must!
--a venue that meets your needs
--a stylist to make you look your best for your wedding day
--a beautiful gown for you and a snazzy suit for him
--cute shoes
--stationary and printed items that pull your look together
--a smart caterer that will work with you and all those fun ideas.  One can really express themselves with food!  go for it!
--music, live band, DJ or an ipod, no matter which direction you go, this can set the mood and theme for your event just as much as other details do.
--cash bar, at the least!
--the marriage license
--someone to marry you and a plan for the ceremony. This is often an afterthought and I would hate to see the ceremony just disappear all-together. Come on, this is why you are having a wedding!

This icecream truck was only $50 to come to the wedding site, and we only paid for what the guests wanted!  It was such a great addition and at such a low cost! 

Things such as special transportation, favors, make-up, and the bar are negotiable items to nix or cut back on in the budget and not a necessity.  A bride and groom can get to the wedding in a family vehicle, you can make your favors (even bake cookies), do your own make-up, and not host a bar all night....you can go without these things...no really, you can!~  

If you enlist the help of a professional, it is up to them to spell out for you where your money is going, and creative ways to make it go farther....

Here is a smart list from BRIDES magazine that I thought I would share with you....
Do's
--do consider dates that fall outside the wedding high season
--do look into having a day reception. You can serve a lighter meal and expect a lower bar bill*** a morning wedding with a brunch reception would be divine and uncommon.
--do pick a fully furnished site to avoid rental costs on chairs, tables and linens, which can add up*** The Woodlands, Chico Hot Springs, Lazy B Farm, and Gallatin Gateway Inn are great examples of this...
--do pick a venue that doesn't specify which vendors you must use in their facility, instead, choose on that has a wide list of approved vendors in a range of prices.
--do pick a planner that can offer you discounts on a range of services, often they have insider deals that no-one else can touch.  http://www.leslielukas.com/ can do just that! 
--don't get married during a holiday weekend--hotel costs for you and your guests will be at a premium as well as flights and vendor fees.


Flowers & Decor
--do reuse the bridesmaids bouquets at the reception, they can be used on the head table, slipped into vases on the escort card table or decorate the powder room.
--do take advantage of seasonal sales to buy items like candles
--use masses of candles you bought in bulk
--do not order out of season flowers that need to be flown in
--don't spend money decorating reception areas that won't be heavily trafficked, such as staircases and hallways.  Put your money where guests will see it. 

--don't think of centerpieces have to be classic floral arrangements, a glass bowl filled with water, rose petals and candles is a luminous, low-cost alternative, especially for decorating the bar, escort card table, and more.

Trendy new montana wedding idea, rustic elegance

Have you ever completely fallen in love with a magazine spread of a beautifully set table, ripped it out of the magazine, and taken it to your wedding planner, only to be disappointed in how much it will cost you per table? 

My job as a designer is to pull something together that I know you will love, in a price point you can afford.  Not everyone can afford exactly what jumps out at them from a magazine, but don't be discouraged, use that photograph as a tool to give your florist or planner inspiration....

The following perspective was beautifully photographed by Morgan Lamare.  Lauren Brown also shot this table, and I will unveil her perspective later in a photographer comparison shoot!  

I love the old post vases that I have custom made here in Ennis, MT.  They fit small blooms perfectly and don't cost a lot to make a large impact.

Styling shoot....creating a memorable montana wedding

I recently had the privileged of doing a styling shoot at the Double T River Ranch with a fist full of talented event professionals.  My goal for this styling shoot was to show a table, beautifully set, in three different versions.  Here is a bit of that hard work in action. I will price each look out in a future post.  You can see by each photo, the use of different materials.

 

First Look: The Bouquet

Rarely do I get to see the big moment when my bride first sees her bouquet...this is largely due to the details I am tending to at the reception site or putting the finishing touches on the ceremony.  I love to make my brides bouquets as it leaves my signature on the event and is one of my most favorite things to do!

Nicole married the love of her life, Alex, two weekends ago at Chico Hot Springs.  You may remember the engagement shoot that I posted a while back.  Here are some priceless images from Morgan Lamare showing the "first look" of her bridal bouquet!

A country carnival wedding...

The most amazing thing happened this past year.  I was able to work with a most fabulous lady, Cassie LaGreca and her fiance Chris Bailey, originally from Billings, now residing in Chicago.  This couple was anything but ordinary and they wanted to make guest enjoyment a high priority on their wedding day--from a special MP3 event, to relay games, and a beer garden.  Now, I have seen blogs and magazine spreads on country carnival themed weddings, but this was the first of its kind for so many reasons. 

Cassie works as a graphic designer for an event planning company called Kehoe Designs in Chicago....and the photo story by Nashan.com below will tell you a lot, but let me explain a bit of the rest at the end of this photo display....

The day was filled with so many details that flowed flawlessly together by the wonderful vendor team that was in place.  Cassie and Chris are a true DIY couple and exhaustively created so many of the parts and pieces to this unique wedding that there are too many to count!  It had an MP3 event during the ceremony where guests were asked to go on a journey with the cupids of love, all the while a duck race down the creek unfolded the "winner" and what last name Cassie was to take or Chris was to take (Lagreca, the brides maiden name, won and the groom is now Chris LaGreca!)  The bride, also a burlesque dancer, was serenaded by her "girls" late night, and oh....if you could have only been a guest!

Whatever your dream plans are, be sure to enlist the services of an experienced wedding planner to help all your carefully made props, decor, and details come together on the wedding day.  Cassie and I had a ball working on this wedding together....hope it inspires the DYI'er in you!

Ingredients for this perfect day:

Leslie Lukas Weddings & Events--event planning, day of management and decor assistance

Nashan Photographers--Melanie Nashan

Montana Epicurean--unique country carnival fare! and provided the bar, too!

The Bad Larry's--the band

Moonstone Pictures--videography

Montana Party Rentals--event tents

Kehoe Designs--unique event props, signage and video story booth

Ice Cream Truck---awww, you'll have to call for the source!

Elles Belles--unique pies, cupcakes and other desserts

Roys Barn--venue

Tonic Salon--Hair and Make-up

Dresses--Vintage Couture

A special new spot...Big Sky Resort

So, in all my years of wedding planning, I have never come across this view of Lone Peak...

mainly because I am not a down-hill skier and to typically get this view, you need to be one!  This image was captured by none other than Melanie Nashan, owner and much published and accredited photographer of Nashan.com. I am very happy that I got the opportunity to ride the lift and organize this very beautiful and intimate wedding.

Thanks so much to Natalie Miller, who hired me to plan and facilitate her intimate Big Sky Wedding. I was in for the treat of a lifetime.  While I love large affairs and celebrations, there is something very humble, intimate, and lovely about small weddings.

Natalie and Shawn chose a beautiful day in late July (7.23) and wanted a vast mountain view to take them into wedded bliss.  They are both avid skiers and love coming to Big Sky.  When they started looking for places, and telling people what they wanted to do, they happened to come across a gentlemen that worked the lifts at Big Sky Resort and told them of this serene place with a larger than life view of Lone Mountain.  It required them to purchase a lift ticket for each guest, and the friendly staff at Big Sky Resort gave them discount passes for the group.  The staff also drove the ceremony chairs up the mountain for us...and the florals.  If you are looking for a resort atmosphere, with an incredible view, look no further than the top of the world (at least that's my name for it) at Big Sky Resort. 

The other really wonderful thing about their wedding is they chose to be married on a Friday, so that they could enjoy the weekend with all of the guests, with several planned activities and a trip to Yellowstone National Park.  So, the wedding day schedule went like this:  Ceremony took place in the early afternoon at Big Sky Resort and then their dinner reception took place in a rented Penthouse at Moonlight Basin Resort. I turned them on to Private Chef, Sarah Knecht, to prepare their meal, and voila!  A perfect and intimate Montana Wedding!

Here's me, spreading petals moments before guests arrive...tee hee, you never get to see pictures of me actually working...so here you go!

 To view more photos of this wedding go to http://nashanclients.com/RedCart/ and select the Brown.Miller wedding by Melanie!  Cheers!