2014 is gonna rock!

Happy 2014 to all my past and present clients! I am so thankful for each and every one of you! Thank you for making my business a sucess in 2013! I am really looking forward to 2014 and hoping it's as much of a sucess as 2013 was for us. To recap some of this years highlights, here is a little overview: we did some really fun weddings with some wonderful brides and grooms and some of our major events were Philstock, Greg's annual huge halloween bash, Tom's 69th Bday Party, Avery's 1st Bday Party, Orceil's 1st Bday Party, Skyler's 4th Bday Winter Wonderland Party, and the IHMA Holiday Party. These parties we will never forget and hope to repeat some of them in the future. Right now if you are looking to book a wedding or event with us please call or email asap as we are booking up quickly! You will recieve 15% off any package if you book a free consultation by 1-31-14.

Happy Halloween from Weddings and Events by Kristin

As we are getting ready to work a huge halloween party this saturday, just wanted to reach out and say Happy Halloween!!! Hope everyone has a safe and fun week ahead! As a little spooky fun I am offering a combo offer of a $25 gift card from massage envy if you book with us by November 15, 2013. Hope to hear from you soon! Please email me at weddingsbykristin@yahoo.com or call at 708-268-7528 to book your free consultation as we are booking up quickly 2014!

Fall Wedding Planning Special!

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding! Hope all your wedding planning is going well. I am a wedding and event planner and right now am offering a 15% off special till November 15th, 2013. I offer 4 packages, an hourly rate and can customize a package to fit your needs! I specialize in wedding day coordination and promise to work with you to fit your needs and budget. Act soon as I am booking 2013, 2014 and 2015 weddings and Events. Whether it’s just some friendly advice or planning your whole wedding, I promise to make your dreams come true. You can email @ weddingsbykristin@yahoo.com or call me @ 708-268-7528. Also you can check out my facebook page at Weddings and Events by Kristin. Hope to hear from you soon to setup your free 30 min consultation.

End of Summer Event and Wedding Special!

Since the summer is winding down its time to get down to business in your wedding and event planning so I am offering a special $50.00 off any package of your choice! Book a free consultation by Sept 15, 2013 and you will recieve $50.00 off! That is a huge savings. Please hurry as 2014 is filling up fast! Call me at 708-268-7528 or email me at weddingsbykristin@yahoo.com to book a consultation now!

Thankful!

After an amazing year so far I just want to say Thanks to all my clients past and present for making my job a dream job come true! Right now I am booking up like crazy for 2014 so please pass the word along and I will honor a 15% off any package of their choice. Again, Thanks to everyone for this incredible year!

Invisible Budgeting

We hear brides say how much they want a big wedding, but it is hard to do on a small budget. We are happy to tell them that with careful planning and some creativity, it can be done. A budgeted wedding does not have to mean cheap. Let us show you how to have a lovely wedding on your budget. • Consider invitations that are on quality paper but are not genuine engraving. • Have the wedding of your dreams within your price range. We can help you find exactly what you want. • For décor drama in the church or reception area, consider using rental greens in place of large floral arrangements. The greenery adds an elegant touch and provides a perfect background for flowers added to set or reflect your color scheme. Be sure that you choose flowers grown locally and in season. • While a band for dancing may be your first choice, know that a good DJ can provide music and entertainment for far less than a band. • Disposable cameras on the tables can cut back on the photographer’s bill, but you will still want a professional at the helm to insure that the critical photographs you will keep for a lifetime are beautifully done. • Consider having an hors d’oevres /cocktail reception rather than a sit down dinner. In addition to being less expensive (depending on how much and what you decide to serve) it keeps the party moving as guests nibble and move among tables. Call or email us for more ways to have the wedding you want without going over your budget.

I- Phones at your wedding

The proliferation of camera phones has raised a new point of discussion for brides and grooms hoping to capture the essence of their wedding through a professional photographer of some distinction. How to handle wedding guests with cameras in their phones and preserve the privacy and security of the wedding events is a growing challenge. Social media are changing the rules around the ceremony that was originally about the bride and groom. As Kim Ode of the STAR TRIBUNE said “On a day planned down to the mints, social media allow for random acts of mindlessness.”


While some couples may embrace the technology, others wonder “how to keep their vows from going viral”. This concern has prompted wedding planners, coordinators and consultants to formulate some guidelines covering social media at weddings.

• Recognize that most couples make a distinction between the wedding ceremony and its more solemn aspects and the reception with its feel as a celebration.

• If the bride doesn’t want people to see her in her gown before she goes down the aisle, she needs to make sure her attendants understand that uploading photos of her in that special dress before the ceremony is forbidden.

• Consultants suggest putting a notice in the program itself which clearly states that this is an “unplugged” ceremony. Reinforce this request by asking the officiant to remind the guests to silence their electronics.

• Some brides have posted signs at the entrance to the ceremony asking people to refrain from using electronics. Placing a sign at the spot where the guest book is placed is another option.

Social media at the reception seems to be more acceptable. Photo-sharing sites enable guests to down-load reception photos into a designated wedding album which makes it nice for the couple to see lots of the action at their party. As one consultant said, the electronics made it possible for one couple to livestream their wedding to friends and family who could not make it to the wedding. If you have any questions or need ideas, call us at 708-268-7528 or email at weddingsbykristin@yahoo.com.

Huge Wedding planning and gift card combo celebration

Right now that wedding and event season is in full swing. I want to take a moment to thank all my awesome clients this year and let everyone know this will be our busiest season yet. Thank you for trusting in me to plan your weddings and events! Right now to celebrate I am offering $100 off any package of your choice and also any bride that books a package with me will recieve a $25.00 gift card to Victoria's Secert. Hurry this offer will end soon, so call or email today to book your free consultation. 708-268-7528 or weddingsbykristin@yahoo.com.

Creative ways to personalize your wedding

Because the push to be unique is increasing important to our brides, here are some of the more creative ideas we have seen.

• If yours is a smaller wedding, consider including a personal note with the invitation.

• With help from the US Postal Service you can create your own stamp.

• Stats have shown that social invitations are opened more frequently on Saturdays. Time your invitation mailings to arrive on Saturday if possible. You’ll receive more RSVP responses.

• Pick a monogram and use it throughout the planning process.

• One wedding planner suggests choosing a unique start time for the ceremony. For example use the date you met (5:23) or the date you got engaged (7:04) or other key dates in your lives.

• Take lots of photos during your engagement and pre wedding planning period and use them as table decorations at the reception.

• Create an entrance at the wedding – something that says WOW and let’s guests know they have arrived.

• Include your parents by having their wedding photos on display at the reception. Include grandparent photos too if they are available.

• To keep everything moving, plan a “surprise” for guests at the reception every 30 minutes.

• If you are planning a Dessert Station at your reception, ask family cooks to bring a dozen or two of their favorite treats. These will add variety to the selection and invest family in the reception.

Spring wedding and event planning special!

Book a free consultation now and recieve $100 off any package of your choice. That is a HUGE savings so book now as we are booking 2013 and 2014 weddings and events! You can email me at weddingsbykristin@yahoo.com or call 708-268-7528 to take advantage of this huge savings! Happy Planning! Offer good till May 15th, 2013 so call now!

What to ask your planner?

If you have decided to enlist the help of a professional wedding/event planner to assist with your wedding, you want to make sure that you are hiring the best. Schedule an interview with him/her and ask important questions. The answers to those questions will help you decide whether or not this person is right for you. The certified wedding planners, who are members of Weddings Beautiful Worldwide, are likely to be the standard against which you evaluate the planners you interview. They suggest that you review this list of questions and ask those that are important to you before you make your final selection.


• Have you worked with any of the vendors or venues that I have in mind? If yes, what do you know about them? If no, are there similar vendors that you would recommend? Why?

• How many weddings my size have you done? Can you tell me about one or two of them?

• Who are your favorite caterers, florists, bands, etc? Why do you like them?

• Please show me a portfolio of previous weddings you have done.

• What is your role? What is mine? Who has what responsibility? Who has the final say?

• How often do you expect to meet with me before the wedding?

• How many hours do you work the day of the wedding?

• How many weddings can you handle in a month? Do you have the staff to handle them all?

If staff members will be involved in my wedding, can I meet them first?

• How do you charge? Is it a flat fee or are there add ons?

• What kind of experience do you have? How long have you been planning weddings?

• Tell me how you handle emergencies or dicey situations?

Upcoming events and limited time offer!

Just a reminder to join us at the Hyatt in Lisle, IL this friday Feb 22,2013 for their Wedding Soiree! It is from 6-9pm and hope it will be a great turnout! It will be a great time for everyone to meet great vendors. Also, for a limited time only! Weddings and Events by Kristin have teamed up with Sahara Sun tanning in Glen Ellyn, IL and right now if you book any package with us you will get 50% off any tanning package and $15 airbrush tans! Call now as we are booking up fast 2013 and 2014 weddings. Take advantage of this great opportunity! Make sure your skin looks great for all your upcoming wedding events. For more information call me at 708-268-7528 or email me at weddingsbykristin@yahoo.com.

Valentine's Day wedding planning special

Since Valentine's Day is right around the corner take advantage of this special offer. I am offering 15% off any package or hourly rate of your choice now till the end of Febuary! Weddings and Events by Kristin will make all your dreams come true. We are a full service wedding planning business and have been in business and making dreams come true for over 5 years so please call or email asap to setup your free consulation. weddingsbykristin@yahoo.com or 708-268-7528.

2013 Hyatt Lisle Wedding Soiree!

Come join Weddings And Events by Kristin at the Hyatt in Lisle for their wedding soiree on Friday Feburary 22nd, 2013 from 6-9pm. I was asked to join this great event so send all the brides and grooms you know to check it out. it will be a fun evening of sampling and wedding vendors to help make your wedding day unforgetable! If you book a free consulatation you will get 15% off any package of your choice!

Elegance on a budget

Even if your wedding budget is smaller than you would like, there are ways to create an elegant event.


Our expertise is helping brides have the wedding of their dreams. We work with a bride to really understand the impact and image that a bride dreams of for her wedding. We help the couple establish a budget and work with them to live within that budget as the wedding is planned. Determine what you can pay and then stick to it.

Some of our advice and guidance encourages brides to:

• Tap personal resources. Are any friends photographers? Does the couple have unused frequent flyer miles? Are any friends caterers or do they own a large home with a yard that could host a wedding event?

• Think outside the box. Plan a wedding for a Sunday afternoon or other unusual time. Don’t select prime time for your wedding. Plan an afternoon cocktail reception instead of a sit down dinner. Get married in the morning and plan a buffet brunch for the reception. Look at unusual places, times and options that can save money but still offer an elegant environment.

• Remember that it’s your wedding, not an entry in the social calendar. If you are visualizing your wedding as a way to impress people, you are sure to overspend. Instead, think of your wedding as a way to celebrate your new life with someone. Keep it personal not fodder for the evening news.

• Reconsider décor items. Repurpose bridal and bridesmaids bouquets as table centerpieces, skip the aisle runner, keep your invitation simple, choose in season flowers, fill space with rental greens and choose a signature cocktail instead of an open bar.

• Consider the impact of texture. It tends to imply luxury more than a glossy or flat finish. Incorporate texture in the invitation paper, in table cloths, in napkins, menus, place cards, programs.

For ideas, contact us to discuss your plans by calling Kristin at 708-268-7528 or email us at weddingsbykristin@yahoo.com.

Wedding Trends for 2013

According to several sources, including emilypost.com , brides this year can expect to see weddings that reflect these changes and influences.


• Personalized Weddings continue to be important to couples who are looking to include elements that have personal meaning to the couple. Ceremonies and receptions can reflect multi –cultural and/or inter-faith statements. Monograms remain important and reflect the couple’s first names.

• The Internet continues to play an important role in wedding planning. High tech access is used in vendor selection, gift registries, information sharing, guest information sources and communication with members of the wedding party. Note: Emailing invitations and thank you notes is still not considered correct or classy.

• The importance of color continues in bridal apparel. While white and ivory remain favorites, wedding gowns are showing color touches, shoes are colorful (with blue the odds on favorite) and floral decorations carry the color theme throughout the wedding plans.

• The role of grooms in wedding planning continues to grow. There are more and more joint decisions being made by the couple (who tend to be older and funding their own weddings).

• While the formal structured wording of the wedding invitation is still customary, more couples are choosing to individualize their invitations with colorful papers, ribbon trims and unique wording. It is important to note that even if the format of the invitation is unique, it should still contain all the information guests need plus be grammatically correct.

Brides need to remember that no mention of gifts, even “no gifts, please” is ever made on a wedding invitation. It is acceptable to mention a website on an enclosure card and that website can contain information about gift registry options. The phrase “black tie” may appear on the reception invitation, but is not printed on a wedding invitation.

For more ideas about making your wedding plans unique, contact Kristin at 708-268-7528 or email me at weddingsbykristin@yahoo.com.