Weddings require a lot of preparation and planning. So when it comes to wedding venues and vendors it’s important to hire the ones that best suit your style, taste and most importantly understands your needs.  Choose a venue that fits your vision, has the amenities that fit your needs and you feel confident can execute your reception.  Along with that you’ll be selecting wedding vendors.  DJ or band, bakery for wedding dessert, officiants, photographers, videographers, florists and decorators are some of the key players you’ll be working with to help make your dream day a reality.  Read reviews, ask for personal referrals or find out what other couples have used for vendors.

So you’ve searched, researched and found your perfect venue, ceremony location and vendors….now what?  Simply put; trust them.  You’ve found the pros.  Now explain your vision. Tell them what you like or don’t like and let them guide you to the day of your dreams.  Most importantly if they advise against something, it’s because they have experienced enough weddings to know what works and what doesn’t.  If you want your day to involve less stress and to be a success…trust in their advice and guidance.  You won’t regret it!

It’s back and better than EVER!!  Join us on Sunday, January 9th, 2022 from 10am to 1pm for the most lavish open house yet.  If you’re recently engaged and looking for the perfect venue for your dream wedding, look no further.  A wedding open house is the perfect way to help you envision your wedding day.  All our signature preferred vendors help us recreate weddings for both our Marquette Ballroom and Wisconsin Room.   We’ll be decked out with the latest decorative trends and delicacies.  Meet our DJ/photobooth vendor, florist, decorator, photographer and videographer all in one stop.  If you want an idea on the high quality food we create, you can sample hors d’ oeuvres, desserts and sip on mimosas.

This is in keeping with our philosophy of making wedding planning easier on you.  Meet all the key wedding vendors and our onsite Wedding Director to get all of your important questions answered.  You’ll feel secure in knowing what you are getting for your special day.

Advance registration is required for this FREE event at:  bridgewoodweddingopenhouse.eventbrite.com

We look forward to seeing you there!

Place cards!  You’d think they should be easy to do.  Not always.  I’ve seen many challenges with place card creation.  Especially when you are assigning tables.  So here’s some ‘insider’ information to help get you through…the simpler way.

1. First, place cards are not needed if you aren’t having plated entrees. Ask yourself if you should be doing place cards?  Do you want to assign tables or not?  If you do but don’t want to make place cards then consider other alternatives such as table assignment boards.  This is less work and more compact than doing lots of place cards.  If you don’t want to do place cards for each guest but want them to be able to save their seat, consider make-your-own place cards.  Guests simply fill out their names on blank cards and place the card at their table spot.
2. If you’ve decided you either love assigning tables or need to in order to keep loved ones together, then move on to the next step. (c;
3. Make sure you have enough time to create the place cards.  In other words, set your RSVP date far enough out from your wedding date to finalize the card information prior to printing.  In other words if you are assigning tables you will need to get a layout from your venue to see what table you want your guests to go at.  Check with your venue coordinator on when final meals are due and the place card vendor as well.
4. In the meantime as RSVP’s come in, start grouping your guests per table.  Don’t assign a table number until you have all your guest RSVP’s in, then let coordinator know total guests or tables needed.  Some venues may allow you to dictate the numbers on the tables, I typically prefer to do the layout and send to the client to ensure tables will fit accordingly.
5. Once tables are verified, assign the table number desired to each group of guests.  If you are having plated entrees, make sure to do either a symbol(picture of chicken), word(chicken) or letter(C) identifying the entree type the guest has chosen.  I recommend avoiding colors just in case staff at the venue are color blind.  (We actually have a server that is.)
6. After you’ve received or completed your place cards, organize them in alphabetical order.  It is the easiest way to ensure guests find them.  Shown in picture above.
7. Lastly, if you are doing tent-style place cards, make sure you fold them prior to your wedding day.  If you don’t they may not display nicely.  Adding a small decorative touch such as a photo or floral arrangement also breaks up the monotonous look of lines of cards.  The blog picture says it all.

So help yourself and help your guests enjoy your wedding day.  Keep it simple.

Hitting your wedding budget and not the bank!

Weddings can vary significantly in size, wants AND budgets!  How can you pull off the wedding of your dreams without breaking the bank?  Here’s some tips from past experience:

1. Use the complimentary items the venue offers.  We offer many items such as centerpieces, card box, table numbers, linens, napkins and more!  Using these items or enhancing them with your own decorative touches can save you money.
2. Book on a Friday, Sunday or the off-season when venues offer special incentives or deals.  Our venue offers great perks as do most.  Off-season for us is November 1st through April 30th.  You can expect lower food minimums, waiving or reduction of set up fees, better guest room rates to name just a few perks of booking on these dates.  Enjoy the dream look and feel without spending peak season rates.
3. Venue planning assistance.  Some venues offer planning assistance or coordinators.  They can help guide you throughout the planning process and with set up to avoid hiring an additional planner to do so.  Save not only on money but also stress!
4. Prioritize your budget.  What matters to you most:  Great food, beverage, entertainment, decorations?  Make sure you prioritize what you want to spend the most money on and how much for each.  Then start shopping around for the right fit.  Most venues, including us, have a list of preferred vendors that fit various different budgets.  Utilize them as a resource.
5. Time is money!  We’ve heard this time and again.  Save on travel expenses by hosting the ceremony and reception in one location.  How much extra money do you spend hiring vendors for extra hours by travelling from one area to the next.  Some venues, including ours have scenic grounds for pictures too! Guest accommodations at a discounted rate are important.  We offer a complimentary stay for the couple!

Remember what matters most.  The two of you!  Regardless of how much you spend, a wedding day is above all a reflection of love and sharing it with family and friends.  Find a venue and vendors that can create it for your most special day.