Your Wedding Team

When most brides dream about their wedding, they never dream about their wedding team. After this past Saturday night I encourage every bride to put serious thought into who they hire to work their wedding. Saturday night we had two weddings, both of which were just starting dinner, when the storm knocked out the power to us and a large portion of the Carlisle Pike. Luckily dinner had been prepared and was being served. Of course everyone was surpised but I have to admit the ballrooms looked amazing with all the candlelit centerpieces! Our Wedding Maitre d's and staff did a fantastic job to continue with dinner service while myself and the management team immediately got to work to fix the situation. Where the wedding team comes in is that the dj's we had that night were Tony, owner of Celebrations DJ & Photography, and Mike Miller, owner of Mixed Up Productions. Obviously they had no power but were tremendous in working with us to entertain the crowd during the outage and then work with us to connect to our back up generators. I couldn't have asked to have been surrounded with better dj's during this situation. I think it is so important that a bride and groom surround themselves with vendors that are proven. Avoid the cheapest vendor because you're probably getting what you pay for!

Personalize your wedding reception

Not many events in your life get much more personal than your wedding reception, yet very few people take the time to have their receptions really reflect their personalities. Adding special touches help make your event unique to you and your fiance. A couple getting married here this June had their first date at an ice cream shop so we are having a Root Beer and Cherry Coke Float Station at their reception. After their cake has been cut their Float Station will open, complete with a soda jerk! I encourage brides and grooms to be creative! We love to to think outside the box and bring your ideas to life on your once in a lifetime day!

Bouquets of Hope

There are many things to think about when you plan your wedding, but here is a program that is worth taking a few minutes to learn more about. Most brides have a huge amount of flowers left at the end of their reception which they try to give to anyone that will take them. "Bouquets of Hope" is a program run by PinnacleHealth Hospice where they will come to your reception site and pick up and leftover flowers and the next day deliver them to hospice patients. Your beautiful wedding flowers will help make a terminally ill patient's day brighter. You can do this regardless of where in the Harrisburg area your reception is being held, just call Stephanie Schaefer at PinnacleHealth Hospice at 717-782-2300.

A fantastic look!

Every bride and groom wants their event to be unique and look fantastic. One of the hottest trends right now is uplighting. This can be set to any color and can transform any room into a work of art. Our lighting packages are very inxepensive but will make people say "WOW!" when they walk into your ballroom.

Great decorating ideas

If you're looking for some great decortaing ideas, take a look at the pictures I have attached. Chiavari chairs add a fantastic look to any event, and they are almost the same cost as a satin chair cover. Another great idea is colored linens and napkins rather than traditional white. Don't be afraid to put some color into your event, just a little bit of color throughout your ballroom can really make things pop! I always encourage brides and grooms to personalize their receptions. In this case, Sara & Andy's families took the time to make over 96 dozen cookies!

Bridal Show

Our bridal show is just like a wedding, we plan it for months and then it seems to be over in a blink of an eye! Thanks to all the brides, grooms and vendors that made our show a huge success. Brides and grooms were treated to more food and cake they could eat, and great fashion shows that featured cakes from Sweet Confections Bakery and the latest gowns from David's Bridals. Our emcee Tony, owner of Celebrations Disc Jockey played the perfect music to make the fashion shows fun to watch. One by one as the cakes went on stage brides heard about the amazing flavors, icings and overall creativity that Sweet Confections puts into every cake. The most anticipated part of the show was the gowns and dresses David's Bridals and they did not disappoint! I heard nothing but rave reviews from everyone that was here. Brides and grooms loved how easy the flow of traffic moved throughout all four ballrooms, and our vendors enjoyed having plenty of space and time to be able to speak with our brides and grooms. Mark your calendar for our next bridal show on September 18, 2011!

It's Bridal Show time!

Our bridal show is always my favorite time of the year! The fun, excitment and overall energy at our bridal show is unmatched by any other show in the area! What a great time to come see the area's best vendors to help plan your once in a lifetime event. Our maitre d's are on hand to talk with you about the pampering they give to each and everyone of our brides and grooms. In addition to meeting and chatting with the area vendors, you can sample a ton of free food and cake, not to mention over $2,000 worth of prizes that are given away!

The best part of this show is the fashion show that David's Bridal will be putting on! The latest styles, trends and fashions are ALWAYS at David's Bridals, and you will see them!

Don't miss this show!
Sunday, February 20, 2011
11:30am-3:00pm
Waterford Ballrooms at Park Inn Hotel
5401 Carlisle Pike
Mechanicsburg, Pa 17050
717-697-0321

Great wedding band!

Earlier this week I had the opportunity to reconnect with an old friend who plays in a band that I used to work with a lot at a previous wedding venue. Pat Colgan is the keyboard player of the Colgan-Hirsh Band and leads the band. Their song list is a great variety of fun, upbeat music from the Beatles, Rolling Stones,
Z.Z. Topp and Jimmy Buffet just to name a few. They also have a great softer sound throughout dinner, but when it's time to kick it up and get the party going, they make it happen! Their eight pieces include an amazing horn section that just adds to their overall sound and fun. By all means check them out if you're looking for something different than the typical wedding dj. Their price is reasonable and you will not be disappointed. You can see them, their song list and more info at http://www.colganhirshband.com/Home.html.

Fashions by David's Bridal at our Bridal Show!

I have been working on this for several weeks but late yesterday I finally got confirmation that David's Bridal will be doing the fashion at our upcoming bridal show! We all know that David's is the leader in the wedding industry for not only the most amazing wedding gowns, but special occasion dresses as well. I have known Kristina at David's for several years and couldn't be happier to finally have the opportunity to be working with her for our fashion show. David's Bridal is located at 5125 Jonestown Road, in the Paxton Town Center in Harrisburg and can be reached at 717-657-0035. Our bridal show is coming up Sunday, February 20th, call me at 717-591-1603 for tickets before we are sold out!

Ashley & Tyler start planning!

Last November I had the pleasure of meeting Ashley & Tyler who were planning their special day for March, 2011. After meeting with them and following up a couple times around the holidays our communication ended. I know how busy the holidays are and know that sometimes brides and grooms will change their date when they feel it is coming up too quickly. This past Monday I got a phone call from Ashley telling me she loved our Terrace Ballroom and our wedding packages, and best of all, they wanted to have their wedding here on March 5th, 2011! Luckily the space was still available and I was able to get them booked into the Terrace Ballroom which has a big beautiful fireplace. The roaring fire will be beautiful for her March wedding! The point to all this is to reassure brides and grooms that even though time is short, you can still plan an unforgettable once in a lifetime event. Ashley & Tyler have about four weeks to put this together, but with our list of preferred partners along with planning help from Lindsay and I here at the hotel, not only will they get everything they want, they won't break the bank getting it! Congratulations Ashley & Tyler!

Congratulations to Brooke & Elvis!

Yesterday when I met with Brooke & Elvis I knew they were looking to have their special day on December 17th of this year, and luckily we had that date available. My 13 years as a Wedding Specialist tells me though that a wedding that close to Christmas can not only stress out the bride and groom, but also all the guests that are planning to attend. After spending time with Brooke & Elvis I suggested a New Year's Eve wedding. The fact that everyone wants to go to a great party on New Year's Eve gave them something to think about. Along with having a great wedding reception, the free balloon drop, champagne toast and party favors at midnight made the choice very easy! Congratulations Brooke & Elvis! I look forward to planning a fantastic New Year's Eve party and wedding reception with you!

20th Annual Timeless Elegance Bridal Show

Mark you calendar for our Timeless Elegance Bridal Show.  This is going to be our 20th year and it will be a great show.  You can get your tickets at our wedding website http://www.weddingsharrisburg.com/