Devotion To Detail

June 2nd 2012 Wedding

alison — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 11:01:01 +0000

Always a favorite moment, as the bride and groom depart from their ceremony!

I coordinated a wedding in Iowa City & North Liberty on June 2nd and while I was a little worried it would not go due to the bride’s flight in being cancelled, it ended up being a huge success. The lessons I learned from it were these:

1) Don’t be intimidated by outside forces, be aware and adapt. The Iowa City Arts Festival was going on and the wedding was downtown Iowa City, so I knew parking and traffic could be a real bear. However, because we knew this, planned for it and educated everyone about it, we all adapted, made sure to have time for parking, and on the day of the wedding I got a prime parking spot so I was happy as a clam!

2) Don’t be in too big of a hurry- sometimes I worry about brides and grooms as they rush around in their day- that did not really happen with this wedding, and while no one was really on time, in the end it worked out and the stress level of the couple was not too bad as they did not push themselves to do what they could not. I admire them for that and think they may know something I do not!

3) Great food always makes for a good reception! We were treated to dinner at the North Liberty, Iowa Brown Bottle for the reception- it was a great dinner, so much so I am taking friends and family back there for a dinner next month! I always think that with great food comes happy guests, and I know that was the case with this reception. They used a limited menu but you still were allowed to choose your entree which also was a fun treat. For a smaller reception – 75 and under, this is a great option in Eastern Iowa Weddings.

Smiles- Alison @ Devotion to Detail Event Planning

Enjoy preparing for your wedding!

alison — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 17:29:21 +0000

Enjoying the process leading up to your wedding is highly recommended!

As you work to get all the details finalized for your BIG day, remember you need to enjoy the process of preparing for your wedding. Here are my three top tips on how to enjoy this process:

Take a break - This means go do something fun, go to the art museum, go make a beaded bracelet to make your favorite shirt, hang out and play games with your sweetie. By getting away from all the details, you will be refreshed when you next look at your options and know which ones you are really wanting to have, and which you were just feeling obligated to do.

Recruit help - Doing this by yourself does not have to be – you have friends, family or even a very friendly wedding planning ready and willing to assist to get all the details worked out. Most of all, venting to someone will get it out of your head and allow to work through some of the tough issues you are facing while planning.

Remember there is life besides your wedding! I know as a wedding planner you would think that I would not want to emphasize this, but I love my engaged couples too much to not want to remind them that there are other things they can be focusing on at times besides the wedding. If you burn all your creative thoughts as well as friendship bonds out on this wedding, you will be too stressed out to even enjoy your wedding. So take a little break, breath deep and relax. It is going to go AWESOME!

Try a fun wedding menu instead of “wedding chicken”!

alison — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 15:51:09 +0000

“If you’re not a traditional chicken or fish couple, coming up with satisfying catering menu ideas can be a daunting task. While you might be tempted to go traditional for the sake of simplicity, the food at your reception is a great way to express your personal wedding style.”

This quote from a fellow wedding blogger sums up what I am trying to convey about planning a fun wedding menu. Try something you love, tie in the theme to your food, don’t just have ‘wedding chicken’ (a traditional chicken breast with potatoes and green beans). As a wedding planner, I have eaten at many, many receptions. And the ones where the food is unique and great tasting are always such a fun meal for guests to experience. I love when I hear “oh the food was so good.” Like guests were expecting to come for a poor meal since it was a wedding.

A colorful meal fits well with a colorful wedding theme.

Here is example of plain "wedding chicken" meal plate.

I also think having mini versions of items is a great idea, because people can’t fit large portions of everything on to a plate so they have to choose two things, but with miniatures, they instead get to try a little of everything. I also think that guests will tend to be more comfortable as they won’t feel obligated to eat large amounts to finish their meal. We want those guests out and dancing.

“But, Alison, how do you please everyone?” I can just hear you saying. Don’t think about pleasing the masses when planning your wedding. Stick with your loves, your wants, and try to have a few options for perhaps the less adventuresome. I say, let them thank you for getting them to try something new. Most of all, try to make the meal not one you will get to eat everyday of your life. This is a huge celebration, and why shouldn’t the menu be a fun part of that day of celebrating!

Peace and love, happy wedding planning,

Alison D.

2011 Weddings- the year of outdoor weddings!

alison — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 13:13:08 +0000

I am really excited as the clients I have worked with this year have been some of my favorite events. Every client is interesting to get to know, and I learn something from each event I do, but being in beautiful places to do weddings, now that is a real treat. The three places I am talking about are Fireside Winery, North of Williamsburg/West of Amana; Amana Golf Course and Lake Iowa State Park. WOW!

All three are such beautiful displays of nature, that I wanted to alert future brides and grooms to check them out! Doing an outdoor wedding was something I used to worry about, but now that I have 3 in one year under my belt, I think, wow- these were truly some beautiful weddings, partially thanks to the beauty contributed by mother nature.

Take a moment to see and feel what beauty can be found for a wedding at any of these 3 locations! I know I felt blessed to be at these locations seeing their beauty while work

Believe in your wedding and yourself!

alison — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 02:42:10 +0000

As I reflect on what I have learned from the weddings I have done this year already, one thing comes to mind- believing in your vision! When you have one and stick to it, your wedding willl be a success. Without one, you will waffle back and forth until the wedding is as mixed as you feel. Being a decisive bride and/or groom is a good thing – stick to your beliefs in what you want for your event, and you will be thrilled with the result. And remember what I always say- guests take their cue from the bride and groom, if you are having a good time- so will everyone else!!

New guides for brides in Eastern Iowa!

alison — Mon, 23 May 2011 14:57:30 +0000

A professional wedding planner's guide - how valuable!

I am back! I just wanted to let all my bride and other wedding loving followers know that I am back and ready to get brides filled with knowledge and wisdom. One way I have decided to do that is develop Eastern Iowa Wedding Guides- the first is: A Guide to Eastern Iowa Wedding Ceremony Locations. This guide includes 10 premium locations to check out for your wedding ceremony location as well as 10 other ideas of locations you should consider when trying to find a wedding ceremony location. If you are interested in purchasing this guide, just email to devotiontodetail {at} msn dot com to let me know and I will send you a paypal Invoice so you can receive it today!

What’s the cost? For just a mere $9.99, you can purchase one guide. Once I have more developed, each one you purchase goes down $1- with a minimum price of $5.99. I am so looking forward to imparting information on the brides of Eastern Iowa and getting you all the information you will need to find the great vendors in our area.

Happy Royal Wedding Day!

alison — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 09:16:29 +0000

I could not resist getting up so early and enjoying all the royal wedding coverage. I am so excited to see Kate’s dress and all the other details that make this event so unique!

Hope you too are enjoying the Royal Wedding across the pond! Smiles, Alison

Cash Gift Registry

admin — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 11:00:05 +0000

More and more, I am asked by brides if saying a couple would like money for their gifts is acceptable. I recently received a shower invite that stated where they were registered and then stated, any cash will be used to purchase their wedding china. Seeing that, I was happy to give a cash gift. I say, why wouldn’t you tell your guests what you really wanted? Most would value the savings in time to shop, wrap and ship your gift when you think about it.

Another way to do this is Deposit a Gift, a gift registry website that is for cash gifts. This is a fun website and one of the nicest I have seen to do this. For a fee of 7.5% (roughly what tax would be, and you choose who pays the fee – giver or receipient) this website allows you to set up an account and get gifts which, when received, can be cashed out. I see this as a refreshing way to “register” and there is not the hassle of how to transport all the gifts.

Good luck with deciding on your registry plans! Remember with cash gifts – very few returns necessary!

Things I Love – Lilac Weddings

admin — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 11:00:53 +0000

Here are some inspirations for those May weddings that you can use lilacs for. I think these are great ways to incorporate lilacs and you can even get them off the bushes outside your house if you time it just right (good luck!)

Lilac Wedding flowers

Lilac flowers

Lilac invites

Link to invites here.

Guest Blog – Accent Photographics

admin — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 11:00:59 +0000

I am honored to have Shuva at Accent Photographics giving her views on photography today on my blog. I love all things weddings, and getting different perspectives on how weddings should go is just another great thing I do. Here are her insights as well some great pieces of her work:

I LOVE working with people in love. And the opportunity to document their day is a privilege and thrill for me. In the process, my couples hire me not just to take photos – but also to be a resource to them. Here’s some answers to a few questions about how I work.

What time frame do you recommend for wedding formals?

Generally, I allocate 1 hour for formals, but not because I think formals will take an hour. A full hour allows cushion time for what I call the transitory or unexpected situations – such as the mom of the bride forgetting something or chasing down a missing groomsman. Realistically, I like to get formals done within 30 to 40 minutes. I also encourage couples to get formals done before the ceremony – which means the bride and groom would do a First Look (usually 15 to 20 minutes prior). Doing all formals beforehand allows a couple more photos for their wedding, makes for a more relaxed ceremony, and energizes the bride and groom before the reception.

What type of wedding or couple do you work best with?

My ideal (and favorite) couples are ones that take an active interest in their wedding planning together. In addition, I love working with couples that genuine care (with my guidance) are willing to showcase their love without reservation during an engagement session. They are the most enjoyable to work with through the entire wedding.

What is your favorite moment of the day to watch and enjoy (through the lens of your camera of course)?

My favorite moments of any wedding day are the unscripted, unexpected and intimate moments between a bride and groom. For me, these shots alone are worth the entire wedding day.

What is your strength in wedding photography?

My strength is the emotional investment I put into each relationship I get to know and ultimately document, from the engagement session to finalizing a wedding album. At the end of the day I want my couples to look back on their wedding photography experience with fondness for the rest of their lives.

Why is it important to have a professional wedding photographer?

Anyone can buy an expensive camera and take photos. However, chances are those images will look like those of many inexperienced shooters – lacking vision and creativity. An experienced wedding photographer has dealt with different lighting situations, has a strategy for shooting the day, and carries backup gear that includes extra cameras, lenses and batteries. More importantly, an experienced professional can shoot images that represent your day without missing a beat, producing photos unique to your wedding day that are high quality, creative, unique and treasured mementos for generations of you and your family.

Shuva Rahim is a nationally published photographer specializing in documentary weddings, children, families and weddings in the Iowa City, Cedar Rapids and Quad Cities. Her most recent posts about her work and life can be viewed at www.shuvarahim.com. She is the owner of Accent Photographics – www.accentphotographics.com.