dinner

Vendors We Love: Hampton Inn + Suites Madison Downtown

March 24, 2021 By Sarah Davidson

Last week I partnered with Destination Madison to take part in one of their Madison Minications. This campaign was launched as a way for locals to explore and take advantage of the great hotels our area has to offer and is currently running through April 12, 2021. With Lila turning four this month, we had been searching for an idea to celebrate that got us out of the house but felt safe, and this overnight hotel stay was the perfect blend of both!

While there are many Minication options, The Hampton Inn + Suites Downtown Madison was ideal for us for a few reasons:

We wanted something easy and family friendly. Just having a pool and Lila getting her own bed on the pullout couch would’ve been enough to celebrate, but the downtown parking, hot breakfast, and location ready for exploration really made this for us. Throw in the $30 Food Fight Restaurant gift card and bingo scavenger hunt included as a part of the Minication package and we had an action packed 24 hours!
I refer sooooooo many couples to this hotel for their wedding room blocks! I’ve always been comfortable doing so because of its good reputation and feedback from my couples on their positive experience. However, it makes me feel 1000% percent more excited about it now that I’ve personally gone through a stay there and can speak to my own experience.

Our arrival and check-in process was extremely easy, from parking the car to a smooth and safe check-in at the front desk. As soon as you stepped foot on the property you could tell that they embraced their Madison location and proximity to campus, with tons of local-focused artwork and accents around, including one of the Buckys on Parade (Pucky)! Izzy and Luis at the front desk were extremely kind and even had special birthday treats ready for Lila, which she loved!

We stayed in a King Studio Suite, which included a microwave, mini-fridge, and pullout sofa, on the seventh floor with views of campus. The Hampton has several room options available depending on your needs, and we were extremely happy with how clean and cozy our space was. As you can see below, Lila claimed her space pretty quick! For weddings, the different options and price points would make things easy for anyone on your guest list to find something that works for them.

After unpacking it was time to head to the pool! We were having so much fun I wasn’t able to get great pictures, but this area is perfect for both kids and adults alike. The hot tub has a beautiful waterfall feature and the pool is large with plenty of space for splashing around. The temperature was perfect and we were able to burn a bunch of energy before heading out to dinner.

The Minication package came with a $30 gift card to any Food Fight Restaurant. We opted to spend this on breakfast for dinner at Bassett Street Brunch Club, directly connected to the hotel. While mom and dad enjoyed a bloody mary and spiked horchata (respectively) to toast four years of parenthood, Lila went for the kids menu french toast with a HUGE chocolate milk. Needless to say, we were all pretty satisfied with our choices.

When we returned to the hotel, Luis from the front desk kindly obliged when I asked if they wouldn’t mind showing me their meeting space, which is easily accessible off the lobby. I could tell this would be the perfect space for a wedding party to rent for a hair/makeup getting ready room. That’s a biggie that I didn’t know was an option for this trip, but will now certainly be sharing with everyone!

We ended the night relaxing in our room with a good movie and some snacks. It was the earliest I went to bed all week and felt so good! #momlife

I’m a hot breakfast type of person, which is ALWAYS what gets me excited to stay at a Hampton. They offer FREE hot breakfast to all their guests! When we woke up the next morning I immediately hit up the coffee station upon entering the breakfast area and then we staked out a table to start the morning off right. There was something for everyone, with eggs, sausage, and bagels for mom and dad and Lucky Charms and chocolate muffins for the birthday girl. When we wrapped I sent the other two up to the room to prep for another swim session while I took a minute of peace near the fireplace with my coffee. For breakfast I could tell they had several team members assigned to make sure everything stayed safe and clean, from team members serving instead of self-serve, to regularly wiping down common area touchpoints.

After getting in one last swim, the final thing that we did was the Bingo Scavenger hunt included as a part of the Madison Minication. This was such a fun family activity to complete, sending us all around the hotel to make sure we didn’t miss any unique detail of this place. Definitely don’t miss this part of the Minication package because major prizes are at stake!

I want to thank Destination Madison for the opportunity to take this trip and The Hampton Inn + Suites Madison Downtown for such wonderful hospitality. If you’re a couple hosting your wedding in downtown Madison, we at HUE by Sarah Davidson highly endorse this property as a safe, modern, and comfortable location to host your guests. If you’re into the idea of a Madison Minication and want to figure out which one is right for you, check out this post.

Until next time!
Sarah

Chief Strategist and Creative Director of HUE by Sarah Davidson, Sarah is a sought after event industry consultant, planner, and strategist based in Madison, WI. Follow her work on Instagram at @huebysd.

Bianca + Jeffrey: The Lageret – Stoughton, WI

January 20, 2021 By Sarah Davidson

Looking back now and knowing that destiny was only going to let me coordinate one wedding in all of 2020, I AM so lucky I had the chance for it to be Bianca and Jeffrey’s!

Scheduled for a Leap Day wedding, this adorable couple had their own set of wedding planning challenges they had to work through, even before Covid rocked our world. They were victims of the closure of Noah’s Event Venue in early 2020 and were left without a venue just three weeks before their wedding. Never fear though, as our event community is fierce when it comes to supporting our couples, and with a big thanks to Dana from Wedding Planner + Guide, they were able to secure The Lageret as a beautiful backup location. With the location change, I was honored to step in to make sure no other surprises ensued, so these two could finally relax, enjoy, and celebrate.

If there aren’t photos and videos to prove it – did it really happen? Good thing East Elm Photography as well as Sotography Productions were there capturing the memories created during my favorite wedding this past year.

The happy couple’s reception was professionally prepared and displayed by Upstairs Downstairs. Decadent desserts including a three-tiered wedding cake and assorted cupcakes were baked and designed by Mia Stav Cakes.

Rich, warm hues were an ode to this former tobacco warehouse with event decor provided by Event Essentials, highlighting the historical Stoughton venue.

Saving the best for last, since what truly makes weddings magical is the community involved to create lasting memories. Bianca and Jeffrey’s family and friends came together to provide their ceremony coordination, grazing table, floral arrangements, and table decor.

Congrats Bianca and Jeffrey!

The Dream Team:

Wedding Coordination: HUE by Sarah Davidson
Photography: East Elm Photography
Videography: Sotography Productions
Venue: The Lageret
Catering: Upstairs Downstairs
Desserts: Mia Stav Cakes
Rentals: Event Essentials
Ceremony Coordination, Grazing Table, + Floral/Table Decor: Bianca & Jeffrey’s Community
Special Shout Out: Dana from Wedding Planner + Guide

Traditional v. Casual Receptions

April 27, 2016 By Sarah Davidson

Being a wedding planner these days as taught me the same thing over and over again.. it’s your wedding and you can do WHATEVER you want. Skip the white dress! Have pie instead of cake, and who cares if you don’t register? One of the biggest trends that I’ve seen especially, is the transition from having a formal seated dinner reception to an appetizer heavy, casual cocktail reception instead. There are a few different reasons I’ve found for this trend – read on to see if it’s something that might be a good fit for your big day.

One of the main reasons people go the casual route is because they do not want to be on display for any more time than is absolutely necessary at their wedding. Yes, there is probably a ceremony where you need to stand in front of people, but after that, without a seated dinner, you’re pretty much in the clear. You can still throw an amazing party with plenty of food, drink and dancing but spend your time working the crowd at your leisure and not having to worry about having all eyes on your as you put food in your face. You eat those potatoes girl!

Another reason I see people opt for longer cocktail receptions is not out of choice, but out of necessity either due to venue restrictions, guest list size, or both. Since another major trend happening these days is non-traditional venues, there are many couples out there who need to make sacrifices to have their entire guest list fit in their location of choice. I am working with a couple this summer who’s venue is a beautiful art museum that can only seat 75 people at once for dinner but their guest list is 200. Instead of cutting the guest list or giving up their location, they are adding more cocktail tables and casual seating, and still able to invite everyone they want comfortably. Many venues will typically even offer a cheaper price if you’re not doing a full dinner setup, so if you think you might be interested it’s definitely worth asking!

The only downfall I tend to see with casual receptions is that it is much harder to gain your guests full attention for things such as speeches by VIPs or anything else that you actually DO want them to see. When everyone is seated for dinner they’re quieter and typically all faced one direction expecting to need to pay attention to a few things. When they’re spaced all around just chatting and not sure when things are happening, you need to try a little harder to get a message across. Still doable, just harder.

We always recommend keeping in mind how many of your guests may be elderly and for sure require seating. In general, we still recommend actual seats available for around 50% of your guest list minimum.

So which one is right? That’s for you to decide! Sound off in the comments with why you made your decision, or if what you’ve liked or haven’t liked about different styles. Cheers!

Featured Photo: Audre Rae Photography

Let’s Talk Turkey (or Tofurkey)

December 2, 2015 By Sarah Davidson

When it comes to planning an amazing party, whether it be a wedding or your grandmother’s birthday, what are the guests going to remember? The dress? The favors? No, let’s be real here, it’s the food. Your meal could be a talking point among your guests for years into the future and we highly suggest putting effort into what you serve. While it is important to take into consideration meal options that please the masses, what we’d like to focus on for this post, are those guests with dietary restrictions. A dietary restriction could be any number of things including, but not limited to, vegetarianism, gluten-free, allergies, etc. How does your average well-meaning Jane or Joe accommodate?

It’s pretty simple actually. When planning your menu, accommodate your guests. It’s as simple as asking for any dietary notes on RSVPs. Way too many people leave vegetarians to settle with bread and salad, when they could very easily ask their caterer to provide a handful of specially tailored meals. Every good caterer will be happy to do this for you, we guarantee it.

It’s perfectly fine to serve steak and lobster or even have a taco bar at your wedding. Just consider having avocado tacos as an option, or have some eggplants available to grill as well. While it’s understandable that you’ll have a million other things to plan for this event, getting creative with dietary requests is something that both you and your guests be thankful for in the long run. And maybe you’ll learn a great recipe along the way!

Featured Photo: Audre Rae Photography