What was the style inspiration for your wedding?
When planning our wedding, we wanted a very romantic and somewhat whimsical feel to the decorations. We had an abundunce of candlelight, Italian ruscus and eucalyptus greens, roses, and dahlias. Soft champagne color satin draping with garlands of fresh greens behind the ceremony spot/head table and at the ballroom entrance added to the romantic and beautiful setting for our day.
What do you admire most about your husband?
Jason has such a caring and warm heart. He puts others before himself and goes above and beyond for friends and family. I admire his kindness and selflessness. He is my better half and makes me want to be the best version of myself.
Tell us more about your wedding. Is there a great proposal story? How did you choose your location? Any DIY tips? What else would you want everyone to know about your wedding?
Our wedding day was perfect! Every vision I had came to life exactly the way I had dreamed. The fresh greens and abundance of flowers, the warm candlelight, and the small touches of our personalities incorporated in every aspect throughout the ballroom were perfect. We wanted to share some of our favorite things with our friends and family throughout our wedding day. We incorporated a few of our favorite foods- chocolate chip cookies, homemade mint chocolate cookies, a popcorn bar, and confetti cupcakes! We also had glimpses of my favorite movie, Harry Potter, and Jason’s passion for racing mixed into our decorations- painted signs with quotes, checkered flags, and a replica racecar door panel as our guest book.
It was important that we had a great party for all of our friends and family. We kept the party going from ceremony through cocktail hour and right into the reception with a great DJ and plenty of champagne. This helped make our decision easy when choosing the Doubletree Hotel as our venue. We decided to host the ceremony and reception at the hotel to be accommodating for our out of town guests. The coordinator, Ashley, and the entire staff at Doubletree Hotel were exceptional to work with and helped make it easy to plan everything.
Our day was beyond perfect and if we had to do it all over again, we’d do it the exact same! A few tips that helped me:
- When booking a photographer, look through their photos and if you don’t absolutely love them, then keep looking. Remember, they are putting their best work out there for you to see and if you don’t love it, then you may not love the way they photograph your wedding. Also, look for a photographer that is just branching out on their own. I found our photographer as he was beginning to advertise under his own name instead of a larger studio. The cost was lower than standard wedding photographers, but the quality of work was excellent.
- Make a list of all of the photos you want to make sure you get on the day of your wedding. The day gets a bit chaotic and you’d hate to realize after everything is done that you don’t have any photos of just you and your parents.
- If you are providing your own decor, but not placing everything then have a family member or personal attendant or coordinator keep a list of all the decorations and where you’d like them to be placed. It will ensure everything is done the way you envisioned. Also, add personal touches into your decorations that really show your personality as a couple.
- Consider writing your own vows. It brings such a personal touch into the ceremony that you will never forget.
- Spend the money on a great DJ! Worth it to keep the energy going all night.
- Dance and have fun!
What was your experience with Adore?
I found my dream dress while looking online and knew I had to find a store to try it on right away. I called Adore Bridal and they were able to squeeze me in for an appointment with Brea. The minute I walked in the front door, I knew I loved Adore! The entire staff was welcoming, friendly, and accommodating. The girls were so fun to work with and were knowledgeable in every aspect of the dress. I appreciate the extra mile they went to make sure my dress was perfect for our wedding day.
Are there any vendors that stood out to you as top notch? Who and Why?
All of our vendors were exceptional! We were fortunate to find awesome vendors and also have friends that offered their services to make our day beautiful and capture the memories.
Who did your hair & make up?
Hair by Kate Hartnett of Element Salon-Nashville, TN and Makeup- Morgan Matlock- Moda Salon Bloomington, IL
Who was your florist?
Anya Irons of Ioerger Farms of Minonk, IL
Are there any other vendors that we can give a shoutout to? Rentals? Linens? Cake? Videographer?
Linen and Draping Rental- Palace Events
Photographer- Kevin Kienitz Photography
Videography- Totally Kreative Video
Florist- Anya Irons of Ioerger Farms
Venue- Doubletree Hotel by Hilton– Bloomington, IL
Desserts- LA Gourmet Melissa Hawkey Cakes
DJ and Photobooth- Absolute Light and Sound
Thanks for giving us a glimpse into your GORGEOUS day Abby!
XOXO,
The Adore Staff