Vendors We Love

Why HUE?

April 3, 2020 By Sarah Davidson Leave a Comment

We know that there are a million wedding planners out there that you could choose from, so why choose us?

No wedding we do looks the same

We’ve planned weddings indoors, outdoors, at theaters, summer camps, museums, backyards, hotels, barns, and probably almost anywhere else you can think of. Every wedding is a personalized experience for our clients from start to finish, and our services will fit exactly what you envisioned it to be.

But if you are looking for a specialty.. We tend to lean a little bold and edgy

We can’t help it, we want everyone’s wedding to stand out against the rest! Whether it’s through design, entertainment, or traditions, we like to dare our clients to be different and not just follow the norm of what they’ve seen at every other wedding they’ve attended.

We live for logistics

It takes a lot of effort to make something look effortless, and that’s the kind of stuff we live for. We focus on all the steps that need to be taken to provide a smooth and beautiful end result so that when the wow moment comes, all you need to do is take it in.

People enjoy working with us

Check out our reviews and ask your other vendors their opinion of us. Personal relationships are the single most important thing to us in the world and we take every measure to maintain those to the fullest. We aim to make planning a wedding a thoroughly enjoyable experience for all involved.

We are experienced

Our team has held a variety of positions in their careers including as planners, coordinators, venue managers, caterers, and florists. We’ve all been working in the wedding industry for nearly a decade. The only real way to gain true experience and knowledge in events is by being a part of them. Ask us about past situations we’ve transformed from big deal to no problem in a matter of minutes. From tornado warnings to forgetting the rings, we’ve seen it all.

Ready to work together? Contact us today to get started!

Vote for HUE! – Wisconsin Bride Awards

March 4, 2020 By Sarah Davidson

It’s that time of year again! Every year, Wisconsin Bride Magazine wrangles the best wedding vendors in the area based on reputation and popular vote and bestows upon them the title of “Best Of”. It’s something that we at H UE by Sarah Davidson have strived for since day one!

We’ve been SO lucky to have been making our wedding couples happy since 2015.

Would you be willing to take five minutes to vote for us in the Wedding Planner and Top of the Tiara category? (Write-in vote) Here’s how:

Link to vote for Wisconsin Bride Magazine Best of 2020 Awards

4 Simple Rules

One entry allowed per email address; each ballot must include a first and last name and contact information.
Voting Ends May 4, 2020.
Voters must vote in at least 10 categories to have their ballot counted. (Let us know if you need recommendations for who else to vote for!)
Write-in “HUE by Sarah Davidson” for Best Wedding Planner and Top of the Tiara Categories.

Thank you for all your love and support!

Sincerely,
Sarah and the HUE Team

Featured Photo: The Still Life Photography

Welcome To A New Era: Introducing HUE Business Coaching & Consulting

February 18, 2020 By Sarah Davidson Leave a Comment

You all have been so supportive of this new era in my business life lately and I cannot thank you enough, but once again, thank you.

And with this post, I’m excited to introduce a service that now aides in supporting the other side of my audience, small creative business owners and vendors in the event industry! This has been a long time coming and we’re excited the day is finally here.

Introducing: Business Coaching & Consulting by HUE

The launch of our business consulting branch is the brainchild of nearly a decade of experience in the event industry, as well as the following facts about myself:

I enjoy working with vendors just as much as clients
I’m pretty good at effectively pushing creative ideas forward
I love my life as an entrepreneur, and want to share the love with others who are also following their passion

From there it was a pretty simple question. What can I offer that encapsulates it all?

So who is this service for? I’m looking for creative entrepreneurs and event based business owners who:

Have business ideas that they want to develop but need help or don’t have the time
Need help organizing their systems and processes to stay on track with business goals
Need someone to brainstorm with, bounce thoughts and ideas off of, and provide accountability on a regular basis
Have general business administrative tasks they’d like to hire someone for, but they don’t want to have employees
Are looking to break into or grow further within the wedding market

Do you fit one of these criteria? If so, take a peak for more info here.

And let’s all work together to keep moving Wisconsin Events Forward.

Featured Photo: Tim Fitch Photography

How to Handle Vendor Contact Transitions

July 15, 2019 By Sarah Davidson

Life happens; people leave jobs and start new ones all the time. However, this doesn’t make it hurt any less when a vendor you’ve loved planning with lets you know that someone else is going to be taking over. Perhaps it’s your amazing venue coordinator, who’s answered all questions within 24 hours of receipt. Or maybe it’s your DJ, who understood your vibe immediately. Losing a connection like this would make anyone understandably nervous.

Any good, quality business wants to make sure their clients feel taken care of at all times. In perfect world, said business (ideally even the old contact) would give you the heads up they are leaving, thank you for your time working together, and introduce you to their replacement. This person will then have notes or been briefed on your plans thus far. Try to be kind and provide the new soul a little bit slack as they get up to speed (depending on how quickly your event is coming up) and then continue on, trusting that they will take just as good care of you to the end.

In the event it DOESN’T happen this way, be patient but persistent. Take initiative to hunt around on who your new point is, even if it means reaching out to a manager/owner or via the general business channels. Remember that many event businesses prioritize their events in order, so if you’re not for another six months it may take some time to hear back, but you’re still owed that communication. If your event is coming up quick, you have every right to bug the heck out of them until getting some response.

Even if you’re working with someone you love, we strongly recommend making sure all vendor commitments during your planning process are communicated in writing. If things are promised in a meeting or over the phone, ask them to follow up with what was said in an email and/or added onto your contract. “Oh yeah, we can do that!” said verbally doesn’t always translate from one person to the next. And for the love of god, please sign a contract with EVERYONE. Not all vendors have them, sometimes just requiring a deposit to hold a date and final payment day of. Sure, they’ve never ever had an issue before, but do you even want it as an option that they could? They’ll likely keep you on the hook for your end of the bargain, so why shouldn’t you do the same?

One other thing to highlight is when the day-of contact is a different person from the one that you’ve planned everything with. This format is pretty common, and as long as everything is communicated properly and they have a good system in place, it turns out fine. Make sure to ask about this before booking, so there are no stressful surprises as your event gets closer.

Finally, BREATHE. Things happen and it’s much easier to enjoy the process when you go in ready to roll with the punches. And if you think it would help to have that extra layer of planning assistance and day-of execution, know that HUE is always here for you!

Featured Image: UEDA Photography

Real HUE Events: Phantom of the Opera Inspired Styled Shoot

May 2, 2019 By Sarah Davidson

As an event planner and designer, we get to part of some pretty amazing collaborations in our area. One of our favorites occurred last summer, when we were approached with the opportunity to coordinate our first ever styled shoot through the Wedding Planner & Guide, one of Madison’s great sources of wedding inspiration.

Our approach to this design mirrored our approach to our business.. bold and different, but beautiful all the same. Looking at past spreads and what was currently trending in design, we knew that we wanted a look that readers wouldn’t be expecting before turning to our page, and that dared to go dark. The Orpheum Theater provided us the perfect backdrop to build around.

This shoot allowed my girl Jessie to make her debut as HUE’s in-house florist, and pull together a few key designs to soften our edges and bring the romance back. Her work, along with favors and stationery from Sugar Pear Design, including specialty acrylic invitations, showed that an elegant affair can truly be pulled off anywhere, as long as you have the right team.

Given how dark we knew the elements of the shoot would be, lighting would play a key role in developing some of the more delicate ambiance details. Chance Productions came through for us, putting the final touches on our focal chandelier piece just days before we came together.

Thank you to the team for such wonderful work!

The Dream Team:
Design, Planning & Coordination: Harmonious Union Events
Photography: Urban Anchor Photography
Venue: The Orpheum Theater
Floral: Jessie-Rae with Harmonious Union Events
Rentals: Event Essentials
Lighting: Chance Productions
Cake and Cupcakes: Gigi’s Cupcakes
Stationery and Favors: Sugar Pear Design

Designed For: The Wedding Planner & Guide

See here for the Wedding Planner & Guide’s blog feature on this shoot!