guests

Nina + Tommy: Fluno Center – Madison, WI

June 23, 2021 By Sarah Davidson

U Rah Rah, Wisconsin! Today we’re diving back into the details of Nina and Tommy’s early June nuptials, the first wedding that we were lucky enough to be a part of at the Fluno Center, in the heart of UW-Madison’s campus. It was easy to tell how much love was in the room for these two!

Red and white vibrant hues of love and romance as well as UW colors were seen accented in their cake, ceremony, and all table accents on their special day. We find that floral arrangements made this wedding richer and brighter. Contrasting the deep wood of the interior with white linens, fabrics, and cake really made them stand out. Of course, the stars of any wedding are the family, friends and the happy couple!

Congrats Nina & Tommy!

The Dream Team:
Wedding Coordination: HUE by Sarah Davidson
Photography: Lewis Photography
Venue: The Fluno Center
Florist: Sweet Pea Waunakee
Cake: Gigi’s Cupcakes
Rentals: Madison Party Rental
DJ: Jukebox Bandstand
String Trio for Ceremony: Lucia String Quartet
Transportation: Gallant Knight Limo

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.

Alexandria + Nathan: Caribou Bay Retreat – Coloma, WI

April 28, 2021 By Sarah Davidson

A blog 3.5 years in the making, Alexandria and Nathan, I am SO excited to finally share the details of your beautiful Wisconsin Northwoods wedding!!

Alexandria and I first met back in 2017 at a different wedding where I was the coordinator and she was the photographer. At that wedding, when all the vendors were hanging out and eating dinner together she asked for my card, so she could reach out when she started to make her own wedding plans. And then low and behold, she actually did! I was ecstatic!

Although the weather was touch and go — it was literally about to rain the entire day — everything was able to go on as planned! And oh there were several fabulous things planned for their big day. Their dog, Kida, was a stunning ring bearer with a gorgeous floral collar and Nathan’s mom expertly sewed Alexandria’s dress herself.

After the ceremony, celebrations commenced and the party truly started. No one went hungry between great Wisconsin fare from Moose Inn Supper Club and pie for dessert, provided Nathan’s Grandma Carol.

By the way, these two are trained ballroom dancers, so for their first dance they pulled out all the stops — wardrobe change, dance moves, and all. It was crazy fun to watch!

Congrats Alexandria and Nathan!

The Dream Team:
Wedding Coordination: HUE by Sarah Davidson
Photography: Brooke Alania
Videography: Bella Hill
Venue: Caribou Bay Retreat
Catering: Moose Inn Supper Club
DJ: You Had Me at I Do
Beauty: Kasha Rodig
Rentals: Wautoma Rentals

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.

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

A Roadmap to Planning Your Event from a Distance

October 26, 2016 By Sarah Davidson

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!

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

The Dreaded Seating Chart

November 25, 2015 By Sarah Davidson

Sometimes you need to get creative when it comes to having fun with wedding planning. After you’ve chosen your colors and centerpieces, partied with your pals and said yes to the dress, there are still a few logistical details that need to get taken care of. One of these details is the seating chart.

While casual cocktail receptions are becoming trendier these days, a majority of weddings still choose to do a formal seated dinner as a part of their evening. There are many reasons for this, including a proper platform for welcomes and toasts and providing a nice dinner as a way to thank your guests for traveling. When planning a formal dinner, it is customary to plan the seating chart as a way to help your guests socialize with ease during your event. This can include keeping your arguing aunts away from one another, trying to squeeze that last person at a table who won’t fit, or having no idea where to put your groomsman’s random date.

First of all, we highly recommend creating a seating chart for your guests.
EVERYONE will be happier.

There are many reasons to have a seating chart including:

1) Less awkwardness for your guests. Instead of Crazy College Roommate Joe ending up with Great Aunt Meredith, you can make sure that the college gang all has a spot reserved to reminisce while your family members are able to easily gaggle over how they remember you in diapers.
2) Waaay more efficient for your timeline. Trust us, there will be several things you’re going to be trying to cram into that dinner hour (welcomes, toasts, serving food) and at that point every small pocket of time available matters. If your guests know where they are going, it just allows you all to get to the food (and the late night party) faster!
3) The ability keep your rental count tight, and not end up with random empty seats around that you built “just in case” people weren’t comfortable next to each other and needed options.

So where do you even start? Half the tables are probably pretty easy – coworkers, parents and grandparents, cousins, etc. What happens after that though? Where do you put those four neighbors from your childhood or that couple from your mom’s book club? What about those family members that have been out of the picture for a while but now you’re both trying to repair relationships? Unfortunately there is no good answer, but there are steps that can be taken to make it easier.

It is absolutely okay to accept help.

If parents are helping to pay for the wedding, they may or may not be involved in the guest list as well. Feel free to ask their advice for those family members or acquaintances that you are not as close with. It’s likely that they will be happy to advise because they don’t want their own friends to feel weird either. In addition to getting help, also make sure that you are using every piece of knowledge at your disposal. You don’t need to put people together just based on blood or social relation. Are there three different couples that have all traveled to the same country? Perfect talking points. Got two or three study abroad friends who you haven’t seen in years? They’ll fit in well with your college gang. You’ll realize this seating chart thing is easier than you think!

Counterpoint – your guest list is likely composed of mature, friendly, adults… can’t they just find a spot and sit politely through one dinner? The focus is going to be on you and you’re probably providing them with plenty of free beverages, so what’s the big deal? To be honest, sometimes it isn’t a big deal. I’ve known a number of couples that have opted to not do a seating chart for various reasons: not enough time, not a high priority, guests all know each other, etc. While it’s not recommended, there are a few things to keep in mind if you decide to go this route.

The most important thing? Plan for a few extra seats.

As much as we hope everyone can just get along politely, your guests are human and there is bound to be some awkwardness if the only seats left for your college roommates after they grab drinks from the bar is with your partner’s boss or kid cousins. Extra seats (we usually recommend 5-10 depending on your attendance) provide a buffer when needed and won’t even be noticed in the long run.

Build some extra time in your schedule between inviting your guests to be seated and when they should ACTUALLY be in their seats.

With assignments your guests know exactly what they are looking for, but with open seating there will be a bit more meandering around to find a good spot.

We hope these tips help you feel a bit more prepared to take on this next step of wedding planning. It’s only a small piece in the grand scheme of things, but one that if done properly, can set everyone’s mind at ease. Good luck and have fun!