wedding vendor

Michael + Lucie: Backyard Wedding – Milwaukee, WI

August 4, 2021 By Sarah Davidson

Whenever a couple tells me that they plan to host their wedding at their own home, I always like to kindly ask them if they are sure about that 🙂 For all the reasons listed in our blog post about backyard weddings, it can be a huge undertaking that may or may not be worth the payoff in the end.

But when it’s done right, it can really be something magical. And let me tell you, Michael + Lucie did it RIGHT.

As the couple dressed for their special day, so too did they dress their home for the occasion. From table settings to food displays to lighting – attention to all the details added up into something perfect.

Introducing structure with different areas to encourage mingling added to the transformation. Thinking outside the box, literally, including outdoor lounges brought about multiple layers of comfort and style.

Congratulations Michael + Lucie!

The Dream Team:
Wedding Coordination: HUE by Sarah Davidson
Photography: DJDAHL Photo
Catering: Hidden Kitchen MKE
Dessert: Miss Molly’s Cafe and Pastry Shop
Floral: Avenue Bloom
Vintage Rentals: Relics Rentals
Band: Professor Pinkerton and the Magnificents
Hair/Makeup: Beauty by Michelle Senuor

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.

Considerations for your 2021 and 2022 Wedding

July 21, 2021 By Sarah Davidson

Weddings are BACK here in Wisconsin and coming in bigger and better than ever. Hosts and guests alike are all overjoyed to be together after a long year apart and things have picked up right where they left off.

As people start to plan again though, there are many new timing considerations that need to be made, especially to secure your dream team of vendors that will work to execute your vision. After sitting dormant in 2020, demand for event services is now higher than ever, forcing many couples, as well as vendors, to reevaluate what is most important to them as they are moving forward. Given this, some advice from us:

If your wedding is still in 2021

If you still have anything or anyone that you need to book, DO IT NOW. At this point we’re seeing many vendors with closed availability through at least the fall, if not longer, thanks to all the postponements from 2020 into 2021. And we’re not only talking about small businesses like photographers, planners, etc. Even large businesses with great capacity such as rental companies are stretched thin.
Given the above, be prepared to be flexible. You may need to bend on either vision or pricing depending on your situation. That being said, there are always creative solutions that exist!
Continue to have grace with your guests, and be understanding about any feelings or concerns that may still linger about the safety of gathering in a large group.

If your wedding is in 2022

We recommend booking things sooner rather than later. There were quite a few postponements also from 2021 into 2022, as well as people who got engaged in 2020 that waited to start planning until they knew things were safe. In our area of Southern Wisconsin, typically booking vendors a year in advance is enough time to get who you want, but at this point you more likely need to be booking 15-18 months in advance to have that assurance.
If you have not yet set a date or booked a venue, consider that you may have more flexibility and feel less pressured by setting a date in 2023 instead, if that is an option.

Moral of the story – the time to plan is now! Additionally, sending out those Save the Dates will be more important than ever, with everyone’s calendars starting to quickly get full again. We always recommend sending those out 6-8 months before your wedding date.

Are you currently planning a wedding and experiencing what we’ve detailed above? Drop your comments below!

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.

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

July 7, 2021 By Sarah Davidson

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

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