planning

Hiring Friends and Family as Vendors – When to Take Advantage and When to Say No Way!

May 9, 2018 By Sarah Davidson

So your aunt is a florist, or your cousin plays the violin. Maybe you work at a new restaurant that wants to get into catering, or you have a friend dabbling with wedding photography. If you’re planning a wedding and have a need for any of these items, you might be ready to make that ask. One reason could be that it’s a nice way to include them, but you also can’t help but hope you’ll get a better price than you would hiring a third party.

Before going that route we urge you to please STOP and reconsider, as it may be more trouble than it’s worth.

While you might be very chill and easygoing when it comes to your wedding, anyone that will be providing a service to you will want to make sure they are doing the best they can. For a hired vendor, that relationship is easy. You have already paid them or signed a contract for the requested amount that their service is valued at. If they are a good business, they pride themselves in doing well and are also working for your good review and recommendation upon completion. While you may connect personally, it is still a transaction.

When you want to work with a friend or family member however, things can start to get gray. As stated earlier, it’s highly likely that you’re hoping to get a discount by using their services. Off the bat this can put them in a tough situation. If this something that the do for a living, there is likely a well thought out science behind their pricing, and going much lower than that may make it difficult to pull things off well. Additionally, as a business they may get another inquiry that’s willing to pay full price on the same date as yours, which is not always ideal to turn down.

If they are making less to no money from your business, that may also push you down on the priority list. Depending on where you are at in your planning process, that may not be a big deal. However a slower response time than other vendors may bring out some frustrations and headaches. Especially when a certain expectation has been set by everyone else you’re working with. Or it could go the other way, where they’re driving you crazy with questions on what you want exactly, because they don’t want to let you down. It’s hard to address these frustrations though, because you don’t want to make your personal relationship weird either.

While people who are “dabbling” in the industry do need to start somewhere, please have a full understanding of what you are getting into when bringing them on as your vendors. Does your friend who photographs architecture know how important it is to build and stick to an itinerary for the day? Is the new Jamaican restaurant in town prepared for the 200 plates of dinner to sit an extra 20 minutes because he didn’t stick to the timeline? Does your cousin who’s a club DJ know how to vamp when everyone is starving, waiting for their dinner? Maybe, but do you really want to test this out at your wedding?

Finally, do you really want these people to have to be working at your wedding, or would you rather have them enjoy it as guests??

So when does it make sense to take advantage of a talented person in your life? We’d recommend the following:

When the person makes the offer to you explicitly, without you asking. For example, they say “If you want, I’d love to take care of your bouquets for you if you just buy the flowers”. You know what their limit is, you know what the cost is, they understand the scope of work and no one has to feel uncomfortable.
When it very clearly falls in the no stress/more of a favor zone. Your talented violinist friend is probably fine playing 1-2 songs during your ceremony, but asking him to play the entire thing with music before and after without pay isn’t really fair.
Helping with something ahead of time that doesn’t require an effort by them on the wedding day. Examples of this could be stationery or favors, where you’re flexible to work together on your own schedules and they can very much be a guest at your wedding.

The right answer will be different for everyone, and we know you’ll figure it out too. Happy planning!

Chelly + Mark: Tenney Park Wedding

April 25, 2018 By Sarah Davidson

As HUE goes into it’s fourth wedding season, we’re really just connecting with couples who are a perfect all-around fit for how we like to do business. For me, Mark and Chelly were that couple. The first time we met each other, I was newly pregnant and they were in the process of growing their family through adoption. By the time their wedding day came around, just over a year later, we both had brand new babies and together were attempting to figure out this new parent thing one day at a time. By the way, make sure to see photos below of baby Cora, one of the most darling little wedding party members I have ever met!

Tenney Park in downtown Madison was gorgeous as always for these September nuptials. With the addition of rentals from Event Essentials and A La Crate, as well as designs by Sweet Pea Floral, we were able to exactly hit the low-key but elegant vibe they envisioned. You can’t really compete with feeding ducks in the pond at sunset, can you?

Congrats Mark and Chelly!

The Dream Team:

Design, Planning & Coordination: Harmonious Union Events
Photography: Audre Rae Photography
Venue: Tenney Park
Catering: Eldorado Grill
Rentals: Event Essentials and A La Crate
Floral: Sweet Pea Floral
DJ: TKO DJ Entertainment
Cake: Carl’s Cakes
Hair and Makeup: Cinema Hair Studio
Shuttles: Gallant Knight Limousine and The Madison Concourse Hotel
Rehearsal Dinner: Marigold Kitchen
Morning After Brunch: The Madison Concourse Hotel
Hotels: The Madison Concourse Hotel and Hampton Inn & Suites Downtown Madison

The Truth About Backyard Weddings

April 11, 2018 By Sarah Davidson

You’ve said yes! Or popped the question! Or both! You and your betrothed have shared the news with everyone and already gotten way too much marriage advice. You’ve found the perfect wedding planner that just gets you (hint, hint) and the next decision to make is a big one – where is this all happening?

“That’s easy!” you say. “My parents have a big, beautiful yard and would be honored to host. We’ll just get a tent and do it there. It’s sure to save us a ton of money too!”

Don’t worry, we’re here for you.

A well done backyard wedding can be absolutely beautiful. It is the perfect unique venue that has both flexibility and sentiment. You have the opportunity to take photos among the apple orchard you used to climb around and many guests already know their way there. You don’t have to comply by any complicated venue rules and the party can last as long as you want. You also have the built in house itself, either used during the day or at least for emergencies.

Now the tough stuff. It’s a TON of work, a fair amount of stress, and probably won’t be much cheaper than a traditional venue.

Think of how you might clean your house to look nice for a simple dinner party. Now think of that effort multiplied by the fact that this is the biggest dinner party of your life. And you probably don’t actually want people coming in the house that much, so what you really want to look good is the yard. The acres and acres of yard. Are people going to go in that area or do this activity? They might! I want to give them the option! The amount of prep work to be done sometimes seems endless, and typically falls on the location host.

As far as cost goes, the rentals that need to be brought in usually add up to roughly the cost of an average venue. These can include but not be limited to – tent, tables, chairs, restrooms, heaters, fans, and flooring. If you think about it, to plan for weather and keep guests comfortable you essentially need build your own DIY venue.

And don’t forget the logistics. We’re talking about where the ice for the bar comes from, how to prevent bugs, where everyone will park, and how to avoid neighbor noise complaints. These are all things a venue would have covered, but without experience or a manager can sometimes be easily forgotten.

A backyard wedding can be exactly the right fit for you, and please don’t let us talk you out of it. Just consider everything that goes into it as you are making your decision, and don’t hesitate to ask for all the help you need. Happy planning!

Working from Home – The Ultimate Luxury or Productivity Killer?

March 14, 2018 By Sarah Davidson

It’s 2018, and I am currently one of the lucky people who has the luxury of working from any place that has Wi-Fi. There are many occasions where that might be a remote office or a coffee shop, but the majority of the time it means one main location – my home. I’ve been doing this for two years now and for the most part, I wouldn’t trade back for office life. However, there are a few key considerations to take into account if you’re looking at a position within this realm.

1) Discipline

Everybody knows it, but let’s just get it covered. When you’re working from home, there’s no one there to judge you or keep you on track. You don’t have to get dressed. You’re on your own schedule. And you can watch Netflix all day if you want (which I may or may not be doing while writing this post). You can also take care of household chores or errands during the day. While it’s nice to have this freedom and flexibility, it’s amazing how quickly any of those things can take away from how much work you’re actually getting done. If you have family or other activities that you’re committed to in the evening, those hours that you have during the day can be especially precious. Working from home doesn’t mean you have less work to do than those in an office, and those who do it will find more success if they are disciplined and pointed about how their work gets done.

Personally, I try to take each evening to write down the tasks I want to accomplish the following day and evaluate my schedule to determine how they will fit in. Some days I sit at my computer for 8 solid hours and other days I travel about to a variety of meetings and appointments. I absolutely do take advantage of the lifestyle by scheduling in personal things during weekdays such as workouts or haircuts, but understand that this may mean I work during an evening or weekend instead. Due to my industry, my schedule is very fluid seven days a week, but there are others who have very set office hours as well.

2) Your workspace

Due to the size of our house, I do not currently have a home office. Instead, I work mostly from our kitchen table or when the mood strikes me, the couch. I’ll be the first to say that this is not ideal and creating a dedicated workspace is a HUE goal of mine this year.

If you are lucky enough to have the space for a home office, I would highly recommend it for several reasons. First of all, there are many tax benefits, such as deducting utilities, that you can take advantage of. You would also not have to clean up your “work clutter” as a part of cleaning your home. This is a large issue that I run into – my work space constantly taking over my home space to the point where we rarely eat at our dinner table). Finally, having a nice space in your home that you can invite people to can also be much more pleasant for meetings, such as those that would otherwise occur at a coffee shop, bar, etc. It allows you to control your meeting environment and also save on costs of having to purchase something each time.

3) Socialization

Many of my close friends today are people who I have worked with in the past. The job at the time may have been a “whatever” job, but the co-workers made it worth it and we were lucky to develop a relationship outside of work by going to happy hour. This is the angle that without a doubt, I miss the most from working in an office.

Working from home can be quite isolating at times. I remember my first week when I would greet my husband right at the door each night because he was the only person I saw all day. I felt jealous that I was missing out on happy hour invites and the latest workplace gossip. Eventually, I was able to fill the void with a mix of working away from home some days and also joining a few networking groups in town. It took time and everyone needs to find their own solution that works best for their personality and lifestyle.

Special Consideration – Family and Childcare

This may not apply to all of you but I’m sure to many, whether it’s a child or even a pet. When my daughter was born, I naively believed I would be able to take care of her during the day and still get all my work done at home. Fast forward to today, and she is currently in daycare four days a week.

When I tried to do both, I immediately understood that I could not devote the time or attention that I wanted to either area. When I tended to my daughter, I felt guilty that I wasn’t getting enough work done and when I was working, I felt guilty that I should be paying more attention to her. Once we started daycare however, I was immediately given the gift of dedicated work time, and then was also able to plan ahead to the days I had with her and get my work done ahead of time.

My system isn’t perfect, but it works for where my life is right now. I’m sure if you begin a journey like this you will find your own balance as well.

Good luck!

Featured Photo: Tim Fitch Photography

No Wedding Party? No Problem!

February 28, 2018 By Sarah Davidson

2018 is the year of the purge. People are downsizing their possessions, workload, and relationships in favor of less clutter and more happiness. Since weddings trend along with lifestyle, why should they be any different? A handful of our HUE couples this past year chose to have minimal to no wedding party stand up at the altar with them. Here’s some reasons why:

Weddings are expensive – A fact we all know, but still worth stating. Between attire, hair and makeup, gifts and travel costs, a member of the wedding party may spend close to $1000 to be a part of the big day. Of course your family members and besties would do anything for you, but it can be tough to ask this of those who may be tight on finances.
Things are happening a little later – The average age of a wedding couple these days is much closer to 30 than 20. At this point in your life, it’s more common to have a small tight knit group surrounding you than the tons of buddies you hung out with in high school and college. Unhealthy friendships have been weeded out and you have a strong idea about who you really want in your life moving forward. Those who are close to you know where they stand, and don’t need to be a member of your wedding party to be validated.
Weddings are changing – These days, anywhere can be a venue. And the more unique the venue, the more creative you need to be with space which could mean minimal area for a large ceremony or head table setup. Also, many couples are choosing to forgo standard wedding traditions such as the grand march, bouquet and garter toss. They prefer to stay strong and do the day their way with what is most important to them instead of what is “tradition” – which we’re certainly in favor of!

Of course, there’s always going to be a place for those important people in your life. Whether it’s in the party or on the dance floor, they’re just here to support you and celebrate the big day! And with no right answer, you should feel comfortable making the call as to whatever works best for you.

Featured Photo: Tim Fitch Photography