**** HAVEN!!!*****

[Blair138]

Since you live up in my neck of the woods-I wanted to ask you a question about planning your wedding.

I would LOVE to get married July 4th next year and being a teacher I want to get married in summer too.

How hard was it to find vendors etc. for your wedding? I met a newly engaged girl last night and she was telling me "everything is booked around here" and I have kinda been freaking out because BF hasn''t proposed yet but he is going to soon. I KNOW things can be planned and it can be done-but I just wanted to see what you went through because I know you got engaged at the end of summer and are getting married July 4 this year!

THANKS!!!

 

[Blair138]

bump

 

[neatfreak]

I know she is/was headed to Greece for a few weeks to chaperone a field trip, she might have left already. But she is also moving into a new house this weekend, so she might not have internet. HTH!

ETA: I planned my wedding in about 6 months, and my best friend is doing it too right now. It can totally be done as long as you can be a bit flexible with locations, etc. But there are PLENTY of things still available 10 months out!

 

[Blair138]

thanks Neatfreak! I know my fears are probably a little over the top-I talked to one of my friends who is getting married in a few weeks and she reassured me with the same thing you just told me-It seriously gets crazy with people planning weddings 2 years out and now with the special dates-7/7/07, 6/7/08, 8/8/08...it seems like everything is snapped up ASAP! It''s just getting SO CLOSE to FF proposing that now I am getting anxious-but I''ll survive and I know it''s coming soon so my LIWitis has simmered down too!

 

[Haven]

Hey, Blair!

Sorry--We are in the process of moving in to our new house in HP so I am literally surrounded by boxes right now! I think this is the longest I''ve gone without checking PS! (Thanks for jumping in for me, Neatfreak!)

Anyway, I had absolutely no issues planning our wedding and finding vendors, in fact it felt like we had our pick of vendors. The 4th is on a Friday this summer, so I don''t know if that has anything to do with it, but I don''t think many people get married on the 4th. We''re doing everything in HP and not the city, though, so that might make it easier, too.

I''d be happy to give you all of our vendors'' information--and then once we''re married I can tell you if I''d still recommend them. (I''m hoping they''ll all turn out great!)

Okay, here''s who we''re using, I can dig out numbers for you once I unpack some boxes.

Caterer: Hel''s Kitchen (DELICIOUS!)
Band: TVK Orchestra
Photographer and Videographer: RB Photography
Stationer: Crane & Co. (worked with a rep at Papyrus in Northbrook Court. LOVE my invites!)
Cake: Probably Froggy''s of Highwood, haven''t chosen one yet, though.
Rentals (chairs/tables/etc): Halls Rentals
Flowers: Proflowers.com (definitely NOT a local vendor, but they were super easy to work with.)

What am I missing? I''m sure a lot!

Oh, I bought my dress at Vanessa''s Modern Bride in Arlington Heights and they are AMAZING. I love them. And I adore our jeweler, Burdeen''s Jewelry in Buffalo Grove, just in case you want to check them out for a wedding band. They are incredible.

What day is the 4th next summer?

 

[FrekeChild]

The fourth is a Saturday next year...

(Don''t mind me...)

 

[Haven]

Thanks, Freke!

And *bump* for Blair.

 

[Blair138]

Thanks for all your FABULOUS information Haven-I read it all at work today but being a teacher I get freaked out about posting because they can read everything-I''m sure you can relate haha

ANYWAYS-I am still ''patiently'' awaiting the proposal...but I picked up the new Wedding Guide Chicago at the gym today so hopefully there''s some good ideas in there I will DEFINITELY let you know when I get engaged and then you can bestow more of your fabulous information on me!

 

[Haven]

Haha, I know all about not wanting to do much at work because "they" are watching you. I post anyway, because I figure if anyone has the time to read what I''m doing, well, then they need more work to do.

ANYWAY, I wish we could get together in person so I could give you all of the gazillion wedding mags that I have!

I''ll keep you updated on the vendors after the wedding in case any of them are stellar, or totally need to be avoided. Our band is going to rock the house, I can tell you that much. Hey, if you''re interested in them they''d probably tell you to come check them out at one of their gigs--wouldn''t it be funny if you ended up checking them out at our wedding?

I can''t wait to read your I''M ENGAGED!!!! thread!

 

[Blair138]

OMG-that would be too funny-too bad we leave for our cruise on the day of your wedding-I''m a little bummed that we won''t be here for the 4th, we''ll be in Miami-but I''m hoping we can find something fun to do there!

I know you OBVIOUSLY will-but as soon as you get back from your honeymoon and settle down you MUST post pictures of how your wedding turned out! I am always looking for fabulous ideas and I''ve been tracking your threads so I can''t wait to see how everything turns out!!

Also-I''m really interested in your cake because that''s what FF is super concerned about-almost every wedding we have been to has had a really crummy cake that we haven''t even eaten. I KNOW we probably will go to a bakery because he is so picky-he is trying to get me to not have a cake, but I''m still deciding (and we''re not even engaged yet

)

 

[Haven]

My sister (who works in catering) chose Froggy''s because they do something called "side cakes" which apparently taste much better than a regular wedding cake. I can''t say I completely understand what she told me about them, but she''s catered hundreds of weddings and she recommended Froggy''s, so I''m trusting her!

Link to Froggy''s

 

[Blair138]

Those look AWESOME!!! I will totally have to go check that place out when we start planning! THANKS!!!