Finally!  We've broken through the winter/spring rut of groggy days and murky weather to beautiful sunshine and warm temps...REALLY warm temps!  Yesterday, my (non-airconditioned) office thermostat let me know that it was a lovely 87 degrees.  While us summer brides may love the warmth, our guests may have mixed feelings about traveling or sitting outside on a summer day.  And while the day IS in fact for the bride and groom, ya gotta keep those guests happy as well.  Children, pregnant woman, or elderly guests can are more easily affected by extreme temps as well. 

Here are some tips to keep those guests cool and happy...

1) Alert your guests to the fact that your wedding is outside, if that is the case.  Knowing ahead of time that they will be sitting outside in July will give guests a chance to make appropriate outfit choices.

2) Consider portable shelters or air conditioning.  It's amazing how far venue supply rentals have come.  You can rent tents that have misters or even air conditioning units to keep the cool air flowing. 

3) Avoid metal.  Some rental companies offer metal chairs which could burn someone if left out in the sunny weather.  Opt for plastic or wooden chairs if possible.  Heat can easily scorch someone's bare skin or even go through some lighter clothing. 

4) Give out "cool" favors such as sunscreen, blotting papers, handkerchiefs, fans, parasols, or water bottles. 

5) Keep the cool drinks flowing.  Iced beverages taste especially nice on a hot day.

So this is just a start... There are tons of other things that you can do to keep your guests happy!  Remember - happy guests equal great photographs, good groove on the dance floor, and fantastic memories of your wedding day! 

Every wedding is carefully laid out (or half-hazardly laid out) to reflect the personality and style of the couple.  Favorite things, hobbies, inside jokes, and special places are often incorporated somewhere into the wedding ceremony, reception decor, or menu.  This makes sense because, after all, the day should be about the bride and groom, so why not let your guests indulge in a few of your favorites? 

While we were planning our wedding, I had countless ideas of things that I thought were lovely, clever, or charming, but I had a hard time at first finding something that we could incorporate that would say US.  Don't get me wrong.  I don't think my husband or myself are boring people...it's just that we're so different.  I'm a non-stop talker who likes to shop for antiques and dabble in graphic design while my husband is a much more quiet handyman and sci-fi fanatic.  Hmm...so what did we have in common that could be used at our wedding?  Well, we both like good food and drink, so we decided to draw our guests into our world by offering them a favorite local beer alongside of our delicious food.  A small gesture that we thought would not make that much difference but made us happy turned out to make EVERYONE happy.  We added a keg of Bent River Brewery's Mississippi Blonde pilsner to our bar menu.  Guests who were from around here recognized a local favorite, and our out of town guests were totally thrilled with the delicious beer option that sat along side other favorites like Bud Light. 

It got me thinking about what other locally made items could our Quad City brides and grooms add to their long lists of wedding details.  Here are a few that I came up with:

Local Drinks: Bent River Beers, Lavendar Crest Wines, Blue Cat Brew Pub Beers,

Local Candy/Food:  Lagomarcinos, Produce from the farmers' markets, Whitey's ice cream

Local Music:  Your favorite local band or musician!  (We have a really great band that we used that I'll be posting about soon!)

So this is a small sad list to start out with, but let's add to it!  What local items do you love and could see being incorporated into someone's wedding (maybe your own)?  I'll add items as they are suggested! 

We aren’t huge drinkers, but this afternoon, we decided to pick up a “sipping” beer which is what we call it when we just want a beer to leisurely hang around for the afternoon without risk of a hangover in sight.  Today we picked a nice German pilsner called Warsteiner (pronounced “Varstiner”) which was introduced to us by my beer loving brother and his German wife. 

Having had a couple of these delicious beverages, I feel the need to expound upon how alcohol factors into your wedding.  This has been a debated topic for us since day one.  We’ve considered so many options for the bar including everything between “cash” and “open.  If you’re not savvy with those terms, a “cash” bar would be where the bride and groom do not sponsor any drinks and guest are responsible for paying for what they would like.  An “open” bar is the opposite where the bride and groom are footing the tab for all their guests’ drinks. 

Arguments have been made for both sides with fans of the open bar accusing the cash bars of being cheap and fans of the cash bars accusing the open bars of being lushes.  So let’s get this straight up front, I can see reasoning for either side which is why we still haven’t made a decision about our own reception’s bar.  We don’t want people to be partying so hard that someone gets sick or gets into a fight or something, but we do want our guests to feel relaxed and taken care of while at our wedding. 

photo by Jennifer Schumacher Photography

Here are some pieces of advice that were suggested to us by our vendors, friends, and family:

-          Give a certain number of drink tickets out to your guests that will be sponsored by you.  One those have been “spent”, the tab is on the guests.  This route was chosen by one of my very best friends for her reception as she and her now-husband are non-drinkers so a fully hosted bar was not a priority for them. 

-          Sponsor beer only since it is the most popular and most inexpensive drink.  Suggested by my brother who loves beer, and my father who loves his dollars.  J

-          An open bar will encourage “experimentation” and half-drunk drinks lying around at the end of the night.  Noted by my wedding planner. 

-          You can figure on one drink per person per hour (including drinks) as a good estimate of how many drinks will be consumed.  Figure in your taxes and gratuity and bar fees, and figure out if your estimated bar tab falls within your budget.  Suggested by our event coordinators at our reception location.

In the end, we decided that we would sponsor a light beer, a heavy beer, a red wine, and a white wine while leaving mixed drinks and what not to be paid for by our guests.  While there will be a small percentage of guests who only drink a mixed drink, most guests will be pleased as punch to have a good beer or a nice glass of wine.  We are expecting about 125 adults and 25 kids, and our reception will last approximately 4 hours.  If we were to follow the afore mentioned equation, we would need to budget for 600 drinks.  With the prices quote to us, plus the tax and gratuity, it falls right within our budget range, so we think this is a solution for us…

What did you do to figure out the bar situation? 

Oh, do I have a treat for you today, boys and girls.  I know that I often put teasing photos on my posts of places that only exist in our QCA imagination, but today, we have a bona fide luxury hotel property to show off that 1) IS in the Quad Cities, and 2) IS available for QCA brides!

Today on the blog, we are introducing the newly renovated Hotel Blackhawk which is simply a dreamy slice of posh sitting right smack dab in the middle of downtown Davenport.  Nestled right next to the River Center, the Hotel Blackhawk is in the neighborhood of places such as the Figge Art Museum, the Bucktown Center for the Arts, and the riverfront area. 

I recently had the priviledge to pick the brain of Tim Heim, the Director of Marketing and Sales for the Hotel Blackhawk who filled me in on just how this delightful place is going to be a much needed luxury property that will suit the needs of so many brides and grooms.  Check out all the juicy details in our interview below…

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JB:  When a bride and groom decide to book their reception with the HB, who will they be working with (also the person they should contact if interested in booking or a tour)?

TH:  For the time being, the couples can contact me directly.  With the opening of several hotels and the execution of QCA bridal shows, I have had extensive direct experience in the QCA bridal market.  As the Director of Sales and Marketing, I can say that the Black Hawk Hotel is positioned really well.  Our staff understands the bridal market and we are offering high end services and amenities.   Our goal is to  create fairy tale weddings to our QC brides and grooms. 

We are soon bringing on an event coordinator who will be a great addition to our team.  This person has worked at luxury properties in major tier cities and is very familiar with high end services and amenities in the bridal market.  Together, we have over  fifteen years of bridal experience. 

JB:  It sounds like the staff of the HB knows their weddings!  How does the HB property tie in to the “fairy tale wedding”? 

TH:  You should come down and take a look!  The HB is truly going to be a luxury style boutique hotel with an old meets new type of feel:  high end furnishings and amenities.  Our sleeping rooms have a modern feel and our atmosphere is similar to high end hotels in larger markets.  The Hotel Blackhawk will be a very unique property to the QC area. 

JB:  With not all weddings being the same, what size of weddings can the HB accommodate? 

TH:   We can accommodate any size of party!  On the larger side, we can hold up to 300 people for a reception, and we even have space on site for the wedding ceremony.  We have a built in stage for a dance floor and a mezzanine area as an overflow area for cocktails and hand passed hors d’oeuvres.  If a couple is looking to have a smaller wedding or if they are looking for a smaller space for a rehearsal dinner or other gathering, we can do that too!  We have the Club Davenport room up on the 11^th floor that can hold up to 60 people, and we have other break out rooms as well!  We even have an 8 lane bowling alley that can be used.

JB:  A bowling alley?  That is so unique!  I could see that being a really fun place for a bachelorette party!

TH:  Yes, or even if the couple wanted a place where children can  go hang out during the wedding. 

JB:  Great idea!  So many of our couples are looking for something different in their reception catering.  What kind of banquet is the HB equipped to host? 

TH:  We do all of our catering in house here at the HB.  We can do anything from a plated dinner, buffet, action stations, heavy hors d’oeuvres, cocktail receptions, brunches, gift openings, you name it!  If a couple would like to know more about our menu, they can send me an email, and I will send info along to them. 

JB:  It sounds like you guys can do anything!  Beyond food, what services are included in a reservation and what services can be added?

TH:  We have all the tables and chairs that a couple would require, and all of the tables will be covered in linens.  All the china and glassware are also included with their booking of the catering services.  We also include the cake cutting service in most of our bridal packages.  We also have some audio/visual equipment that the couples can rent. 

JB:  If there is a service that the HB doesn’t provide, for example a DJ, do you make recommendations for the couples?

TH:  Definitely!  I have worked extensively in the QCA bridal market over nearly a decade, and depending on what a bride and groom needs, I can definitely steer them in the right direction.  We have established relationships with many local vendors and will even help the bride and groom by making contact with the vendors when the wedding approaches to ensure that all details of the day are covered. 

JB:  What about services beyond a wedding?  What information should brides and grooms know about reserving a block of rooms for their guests? 

TH:  We like to make the wedding guests happy too!  A block of rooms can be reserved for a Friday or Saturday as needed.  All rooms include wireless internet, shuttle  service to the QC airport, and access to the pool and fitness room.  We have valet parking available as well as concierge service to help our guests feel at home in the QCA. 

JB:  Well it looks like you’ve got all angles covered!  If brides and grooms are reading this and are interested in more information on booking, how far in advance can they contact you?

TH:  The couples should call as early as they like to see which days we have open that can accommodate their needs.  We have our official opening this December, and we have already booked several wedding and events all the way through 2012!  We can also show brides and grooms some sample storyboards with swatches to help them visualize their wedding ideas.  We are still developing our website, but couples can have direct access to our services by calling me at 563.639.9124 or by accessing our Facebook page where we continually add information, pictures, and updates! 

JB:  Well what can I say?  The HB property is gorgeous, the service available is superb, and I’m definitely going to have to come down and try out that bowling alley!

TH:  Please do!  We are so pleased to be able to offer our QCA brides and grooms a high end luxury property that can accommodate any gathering with impeccable attention to details and service! 

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Talking to Tim was such a delight, and I can tell you that whoever decides to book their event with the Hotel Blackhawk is going to find themselves in very capable and stylish hands.  Give Tim a call or stop in to the Hotel Blackhawk after its grand opening in December.  Remember that you can book today, and with a property this hot, the dates won’t stay open for long!  Happy Planning!  J

As my fiance falls neatly under the stereotypical male, he has had little to no preference in the wedding planning topics that have come up thus far.  Flowers?  Invitations?  Linens?  "Whatever you like best." has become my guy's mantra.  While this is nice that I have nearly full creative control over these ideas, this wedding is not some glorified party for me, and I want my fiance's personality and taste to be reflected some how in the finished product.  Where oh where can this happen? 

Luckily, my fiance came to the resque over this internally-played dilemma.  "I just want good food, drink, and entertainment."  Okay!  Now we are getting somewhere.  After he told me this, I definitely felt considerably less guilty about making decisions on tealights and doilies without his stamp of approval. 

This past weekend, we had our menu tasting at TPC Deere Run, and believe me; this was my fiance's time to shine.  As a previous fancy schmancy country club waiter, my fiance knows his fine food and wine pairings.  Compared to him, I know squat about food.  My food basically falls into two food groups:  1) tastes good, and 2) doesn't.  My guy on the other hand, knew all the specifics to ask during our meeting with the food and beverage coordinator.

Before our taste testing, I called to initially discuss the menu options with Richard, the food and beverage coordinator at TPC.  I told him that our rehearsal dinner menu had already been set and that we wanted something different so that we weren't eating the same things two nights in a row.  Other than that, I wanted him to suggest items for our menu that they did best.  Richard could name several entres that we might like, and he even remembered that my fiance's nieces have a peanut allergy and made mention that nothing that had any kind of nut product would come close to our menu.  Within about five minutes, we had a great menu line up.  Richard made suggestions for some of their most popular menu entres and veggies that would be in season around our wedding.  It sounded good to me, so we set up a date for my fiance and me to visit TPC to taste everything. 

When we arrived at the menu tasting appointment, we were greeted by Colleen, the new event coordinator, and she led us to a table which was set up for us with a number of different napkin and place setting options.  As a new member of the team, Colleen chatted with us and played a little catch up with us by going over our information file and asking us some clarifying questions.  Richard soon joined us, and our taste testing began with the chef himself personally bringing out our appetizers and entre.  Everything that was brought out to us fell in to my "tastes good" category, but I was really happy to see that my fiance was totally impressed and loved all the food and wine choices. 

In the end, we only ended up making one minor change in that our appetizers were served in portions that may not have lended themselves to "easy finger food" which was needed as the appetizers would be served as people were mingling during our cocktail hour.  No problem for the amazing staff at TPC Deere run; they simply made a note to halve the portion size served on our wedding day. 

Here are some tips I wanted to share with you all as you plan your menu tasting or conversations with your caterers:

1)  Your caterer should be a good listener and be able to adapt for your audience.  He or she should also know what they do best and be able to make suggestions so that a great menu can be created.

2)  If you are able to do a menu tasting, do it!  You will feel so much better knowing that you have verified that everything is delicious, or if it turns out not to be what you wanted, that you were able to speak up well in advance of your wedding. 

3)  Your experience with your caterer is about so much more than food.  It is also a relationship that revolves around service and comfort which, when combined with delicious food, will make your guests have an amazing experience at your wedding reception. 

After the tasting, Richard and Colleen gave us a little tour of how the reception area would be arranged.  With delicious food and wine in our bellies, I saw my fiance's wheels start to turn, and for the first time, I heard him speak up about how he envisioned our wedding day.  Maybe it was the wine that got him talking, but I could tell that he really has been taking note over these last months as I spewed wedding ideas.  I walked away with a huge smile as well after having finally been able to watch my fiance become truely excited and engaged in a major planning piece of the wedding. 

So here are my questions for you today, lovely readers:  What experiencies and/or questions can you share about menus and tastings?  OR, what wedding topics have gotten you both working together on creating the ideal plan for your wedding day?  OR, what menu items were a big hit for your wedding day??