HUE By Sarah Davidson

Madison, Milwaukee Wedding Planner

flowers

Madeline + Ben: Madison Museum of Contemporary Art – Madison, WI

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Summer is heeeere and we’re feeling good, especially as we reminisce on Madeline + Ben’s contemporary wedding day in the heart of our beautiful city. Pups? Peonies? Prosecco? What more could you want!

Make way for bright and inviting hues at Madison Museum of Contemporary Art! The greenery, light brown wood paired with the white and light pink peonies transformed and softened this contemporary venue both for the rooftop ceremony and reception. The reception included an abundance of natural light through huge windows overlooking Madison. 

Now let’s talk about the food that went with that prosecco, catered by Fresco. Hand-passed hors d-oerves, decadent dessert, and dancing all under the same roof (more like on the roof!).

Congrats Madeline + Ben!

The Dream Team:
Wedding Coordination: HUE by Sarah Davidson
Venue: Madison Museum of Contemporary Art
Catering: Fresco 
Photography: Heather Cook Elliott
Rentals: A La Crate
Floral: Daffodil Parker
Strings: Yahara String Quartet
DJ: C’est La Vie
Hair: Bella Station

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

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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

A Roadmap to Planning Your Event from a Distance

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Planning from a distance.  Those few words may cause stress at a first glance, but as an event planner that is the last emotion I want you to be feeling. Whether you are planning a wedding, bridal shower, birthday party, corporate event, etc., I can assure you that it is possible to coordinate your event without being physically present!

Photo: Anda Marie Photography

How does someone plan an event from out of state? Some challenges will inevitably arise -the difference in time zones, inability to meet with vendors on a whim, and wanting to see venues or have a tasting may make it seem like planning is impossible to complete. Let’s talk about a few things that can be done to alleviate these:

  • Hire a local planner to be your eyes and ears. We’ve been lucky to work with many couples that live in different states. With ties to Wisconsin, these couples dream of having their big day in The Badger State and want to make sure it’s done right. We typically have flexible schedules to accommodate trips, errands, and meeting times (even with time zone differences). We know the vendors already to save you tons of time on Google searches hoping that you made the best decision. Finally, we know the area and can give insight on places for guests to visit, hotels to stay in, and transportation methods to get around town. While it is sometimes an investment into the budget that couples don’t consider at first, I guarantee you no one has ever regretted the service. Planning should be fun!
  • Plan a few trips to your destination before the big day. You’d be surprised by how much you can get done in one weekend. Whether it’s touring venues, meeting with florists, timing the walk from ceremony to reception, or making sure the hotel is up to par, your vendors are happy to accommodate your travel schedule. According to TheKnot.com, in 2015, 49% of couples were married over 200 miles away from where they live. We are all used to weekend or evening meetings as needed to accommodate your schedule, and honestly no more than 2-3 would be needed for most.
  • Enlist the help of a local family member or friend that understands your vibe. While a local connection may not replace the knowledge and experience a planner can bring, it never hurts to have a personal touch. Want to send mom on the tour with an iPhone and Facetime? Perfect. Even if you can’t be here, we’re happy to work with another designated decision maker in the area. We just pre-warn you to make sure you trust this person and know you are on the exact same page for vision, so that there isn’t $1,000 worth of flowers at the ceremony you weren’t expecting.

Planning an event, no matter where it is located, is an exciting and elaborate process. It requires time, patience, and decision making, but can be simple and enjoyable! When deciding to embark on the planning of your special event just remember that while you can’t be there, your planner and others can be there for you. Your event will be spectacular and your guests will be “wowed” just as if it was all coordinated in your own backyard.

Featured Image: xo azuree

Florist, Farm or Fake?

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This week I would like to focus on one of the prettiest parts of your day – flowers! Depending on what you want, this cost can be one of the highest variables when planning your budget. Also, depending on how creative you’re feeling, you have a few different options as to where they come from. Today let’s take a look at the three most popular options out there, and hopefully by the end you’ll feel better prepared to decorate your day!

Photo: Megan Yanz Photography Floral: Courtney Joy Floral Creative Direction: @viorlandi (IG)

Hiring a Professional Florist

Hiring a professional to pull together your arrangements is definitely the easiest way to go. Typically this person has years of experience, knowledge as to what is in season, what is available, and can provide advice on how to work with your budget. They also have a natural eye for design and can provide loads of ideas after just one meeting together. This does all come with a price, however. Professional floral can cost upwards of thousands of dollars given experienced labor, ordering costs, rentals, deliveries and more. If it is something important to you though, it can be totally worth the splurge.

Photo: Tim Fitch Photography, Floral: Daffodil Parker

Testimonial:

Several reasons came up for us to use a professional florist, but the biggest were the beautiful look and great fragrance. I’ve had friends who head to the farmer’s market and it turned out very nice, but I didn’t want to take the risk on what might be available that day or spend the morning stressing about it. Instead it was spa time with my sister and my groom golfed with his brothers. Plus I loved the rich look that floral professionals can put together. I don’t have that skill set to do that! I’m a fairly frugal person, but when it came to flowers I wanted what I wanted, which was an interpretation of my grandmother’s garden.

Average budget for traditional wedding floral in Wisconsin (personal flowers, centerpieces, and a few accent pieces): $3,000-$6,000

Flower Farms/Farmers Market

If you still like a fresh look, but want to save a bit, another option is to purchase flowers in bulk either from a flower farm or at the local farmers market. This decision requires more work on your end, but if it’s something you or a friend/family member enjoys, it may be no trouble at all. There are some risks that come with it, including not as much guarantee as to what’s available and the potential added stress of finding time to put these together before your wedding. It does however save you quite a bit, and could mean more personally during the day.

Photo: Red Wave Weddings Floral: Abundance Acres

Testimonial:

 I chose to do my own arrangements mainly because I thought that approach would save money. I wanted real wildflowers to be consistent with the fall garden theme of our ceremony, and I wanted them arranged in a way that fit with our quirky reception venue. My flower vendor wasn’t very communicative with me, so I ended up with some bunches that didn’t work for the final arrangements (meaning they went to waste). But I do think I saved quite a bit of money overall, especially since I picked up the flowers from the vendor and my dad delivered them to the wedding venue.

Average budget for Flower Farm/Farmers Market floral in Wisconsin: $300-$800

Artificial Flowers

The ultimate DIY option is to create your own arrangements (or purchase pre-arranged ones) in advance using artificial flowers found either at craft stores or online. These are MUCH cheaper than fresh flowers and from a distance the rouse isn’t obvious You could also start putting these together at any point in the planning process, giving you plenty of time to test out different ideas to see what you like the best. Be cautious though, especially when ordering online, as photos on a website may look very different than what actually shows up on your door. If you have the time though to go through the entire process, well-done arrangements can be an easy lasting memory of your big day.

Photo: Brooke Alaina Photography, Floral: Bride, Alexandria Odekirk

Testimonial:

Being a fall wedding, our selection of live flowers was limited and we didn’t want to have flowers shipped to our house. We really liked the idea of being able to keep our flowers instead of them dying on us. It was a huge stress relief actually – we had all of our flowers done a month before the wedding. Make sure you read reviews online and look into what kind of material the flowers are made of. We bought two sizes of flowers from the same place and it turned out they didn’t match. Many craft stores also offer sales and coupons. We didn’t pay full price for anything and returns are pretty easy.

Average budget for artificial floral in Wisconsin: $100-$200

Ultimately it all depends on your budget and your comfort level, but there are plenty of options available to match your needs. Good luck!

Featured Photo: Tim Fitch Photography, Daffodil Parker