The esteemed annual awards program recognizes the top local wedding vendors from the WeddingWire Network who demonstrate excellence in quality, service, responsiveness and professionalism within the wedding industry. While many industry awards are selected by the organization, Dishy Event Planning was selected based on its stellar reviews from past newlywed clients.

Dishy Event Planning is recognized as part of the top five percent of wedding professionals in the WeddingWire local vendor community, comprised of over 200,000 wedding professionals throughout the United States and Canada. The Bride’s Choice Award recognizes the best local wedding vendors across 20 service categories, from wedding venues to wedding photographers, based on their overall professional achievements throughout the past year.

“WeddingWire is thrilled to honor the success of the top-rated wedding professionals within the WeddingWire Community,” said Timothy Chi, CEO, WeddingWire. “Since the launch of the Bride’s Choice Awards™ program four years ago, thousands of outstanding wedding professionals have been recognized by the bridal community for their supreme service and dedication to the wedding industry. It is with great pleasure that we congratulate Dishy Event Planning for their continued professionalism and commitment to enriching the wedding planning experience for engaged couples.”

We are happy to announce that Dishy Event Planning is one of the very best Wedding Planners within the WeddingWire Network, which includes leading wedding planning sites WeddingWire, Project Wedding, Brides.com, Martha Stewart Weddings, and Weddingbee. We would like to thank our past clients for taking the time to review our business on WeddingWire. Thanks to their positive feedback we were able to receive the WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards™ for 2012.

For more information, please visit our WeddingWire Storefront today at http://www.weddingwire.com/biz/dishy-event-planning-st-louis/5ffe5d0e28400bbe.html.

To learn more about the Bride’s Choice Awards™, please visit www.WeddingWire.com.

About WeddingWire, Inc.
WeddingWire™, the nation’s leading marketplace serving the $70 billion wedding industry, is the only online wedding planning resource designed to empower both engaged couples and wedding professionals. For engaged couples, WeddingWire offers the ability to search, compare and book over 200,000 reviewed wedding vendors, from wedding venues to wedding photographers. WeddingWire also offers a comprehensive suite of online planning tools for weddings, including wedding websites and wedding checklists, all at no charge. For wedding professionals, WeddingWire is the only all-in-one marketing platform for businesses online and on-the-go. WeddingWire offers one simple solution to build a professional network, improve search visibility, manage social media and reach mobile consumers. Businesses that advertise with WeddingWire appear on WeddingWire.com, ProjectWedding.com and other leading sites, including MarthaStewartWeddings.com (NYSE: MSO), Brides.com and Weddingbee.com.

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It’s pretty typical for the whirlwind excitement of an engagement to be met with the all too common question: “Where do I start?” The process of planning your wedding will undoubtedly  be one of the more stressful, yet most enjoyable experiences of your life. And with the right tips and strategy, you can streamline your planning to make it a smooth process for all involved. Here are a few quick tips to get you started down the right path!

SET THE DATE. Let’s say you’ve been engaged for a month, a week, maybe even a DAY  what’s the first question everyone asks you and your fiance? When’s the big day? Have you picked a day yet? When are you getting married? Answering these questions over and over is always easier when you have a date in mind! So what are you waiting for? Pick and day and set it in stone. Plus, the sooner you pick a day, the sooner you can start the fun process we like to call planning!

SET A BUDGET. For many couples setting the budget can be a touchy subject. No matter how limited or unlimited your budget is, you need to put it down on paper and make a conscious effort to stick to it! We’re not just talking about budgeting for the big things here. When we say budget, you should include every little detail including wedding party gifts, printing programs to snacks/food for the big day. Knowing what you’re planning to spend upfront always makes saving or making payments that much easier. Below are some useful tools for putting together your budget, and of course an Excel works too.

• The Knot Budget Tool
• Martha Stewart Weddings: Planning & Tools
• Project Wedding: Calculating your Wedding Budget

HIRE A COORDINATOR. As an event planning company, of course, we would suggest this. But even if you don’t hire US, make sure you hire SOMEONE to help either plan your wedding from start to finish or to take over a few weeks out. Why do you need a coordinator, you may ask? Because it’s critical to have that expertise and coordination on your side! Trust me! Need a little convincing? Check out some of our favorite articles on the topic.

• Andrinique Special Events: Please Hire a Planner!
• Stella Event Design :Why you should hire a professional.
• A Delightful Day: Why to hire a wedding planner.

START LOCATION HUNTING NOW. Finding a location EARLY is so important to having the perfect setting for your wedding day. In every city around the nation, St. Louis is no exception, venues book up fast! In order to secure your dream location, book soon, sometimes even a year or more in advance. Some of St. Louis’ most popular venues are booked already for 2012 year so keep that in mind as you start your planning. Check out the St. Louis Wedding Planner to see a few of our favorites!

ATTEND A BRIDAL SHOW. Bridal shows are a great way to meet local vendors, taste food, find deals and enjoy an all around great time with your girls (or your fiance if he’s up to it). There are  several bridal shows in the St. Louis area each year and most are inexpensive (and sometimes FREE) to attend. So find that next big bridal show in your area and plan to attend! Not sure where to look to find out about bridal shows? If your in St. Louis (like us!), try these:

• St. Louis Bride Magazine
• Perfect Wedding Guide – St. Louis

SETUP A WEDDING WEB SITE. I know what you’re thinking, why on earth would I need a wedding web site? Well, here’s why – your guests need an easy way to find out information about your wedding day – without having to call you (or your parents) on a regular basis! There are several FREE sites out there that allow you to setup your own wedding web site where you can post pictures, information on wedding events, where you’re registered and some even help track guest RSVPs! Here are some of our favorites:

• The Knot
• My Wedding

HAVE FUN! Moral of the story here is HAVE FUN with your planning! Don’t stress too much over the little things (I know it’s hard, but you have to try)! In the end, it’s all about you and your fiance starting your life together. People are less likely to remember what the flowers looked like. But they will certainly remember how much fun they had with you!

That’s all for now. And as always, feel free to contact us to setup a complimentary consultation to see how Dishy can help! Cheers and happy planning!

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We have high hopes for 2012 as we step back from some of our extra obligations to put more focus on our clients and weddings this year! We’ll also be exploring new advertising outlets and can’t wait for The Knot announcement of Best of Weddings 2012!

Congratulations to all of the newly engaged couples out there! Wishing you all a safe, happy and very prosperous 2012! Cheers!

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It was so hard to pick my faves from the dozens of photos Ben Trevor shared, but I managed!

And they lived happily ever after…

Many wonderful vendors made Kate and David’s wedding day so very special, and I’d like to extend a HUGE thank you to them for being so amazing!

• Longview Farm House – Venue
• Benjamin Trevor Photography – Photographer
• Villa Farotto – Catering
• The Special Event Florist – Tina Barrera – Florist
• Delicately Bold – Make Up
• Pixies Hair Design – Hair
• The Cup – Cupcakes & Wedding Cake
• Bill Lenihan – Guitarist& Band

And of course, most of my wedding days aren’t possible without the help  of my fabulous assistant, Amanda! You rock girl!

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2011 was kind of a whirlwind year for me (in more ways than one), so I’m grateful that all my hard work was so well received, not to mention I got to send several happy couples down the aisle! I’m raising my glass this holiday season to my 2011 brides and looking forward to many more amazing weddings in 2012, 2013, etc…you get the picture!

Look for the official announcement to come out on January 23, 2012 from The Knot! Hip hip hooray!

And congrats to my fellow planner and good friend, miss Kristin Weis, on her selection too!

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Photos taken from: The Female View, Without a Hitch,  Wedding Obsession and Wedding Later.

Happy Halloween! Don’t eat TOO much candy now ya hear! Cheers!

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Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased online via EventBrite – http://wuwgalasaintlouis.eventbrite.com/. Individual tickets are $100 with tables at $1,000.

We’re also seeking items for our silent and live auctions – anything from products, services and more importantly unique experiences! If you have something to donate please reach out to our fundraising chair for more details, stlouisfundraising@wishuponawedding.org.

Big thank you in advance to all of the vendors below who are going to help make this evening to special! NOTE: This is a running list and will be updated regularly!

• Artistry Florist – Floral Arrangements
• Coronado Ballroom – Venue & Food
• Exclusive Events, Inc. – Lighting & Decor
• Focus on Design – Floral Arrangements
• Push the Limit – Band
• Sal Cincotta Photography – Photography
• Sarah’s Cafe & Bakery – Late Night Snack (Cupcake Truck)
• Sitting Pretty/Party Arts – Linens & Napkins

And to our chapter board members and committee members, especially event planning and fundraising, we can’t do any of this without you! So another BIG thank you goes out your way!

P.S. Here are a few fun photos from last year just to give you a tiny taste of what you might be in for!

Photos from People.com. And big shout out to Modern Family for kicking butt! I love that show!

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The average break between a ceremony and the cocktail hour/reception is one to two hours. Any less is a bonus for your guests and any more can be quite the doozie. Now, I am without a doubt always down for having time for great photos but I’m not always down for a three, four or five hour break. I try to advise my clients against it because finding filler activities for that long can be quite difficult AND people start to poop out after a while, YOU and the guests!

If you’re considering a longer than average break time between your ceremony and reception, here are a list of tips to help ensure your guests don’t lose their steam:

• Provide a List of Activities. If you’re like most couples, their wedding guests come from all over the country to celebrate their special day. If you have a lot of out of town guests, be sure to share a list of activities and places they could visit during that break.
• Host an Open House. Have a lot of out of town guests? Maybe a family member or close friend would consider having an open house to entertain your guests during that time. It’d be a great way for people to start to mingle and enjoy themselves!
• Pick a Nearby Hotel. If your guests end up getting a little tired/bored during the break, it’s always nice to have planned ahead with a wedding block at a nearby hotel. Guests that are staying there  can simply head back to their room to relax or take a nap!
• Consider an Earlier Cocktail. Starting a cocktail reception a little earlier with drinks and hors d’oeuvres is a nice touch for your guests. Plus, it’ll get them a little pumped and ready to start the party for when you arrive!
  

Now I know that some breaks are unavoidable…I’ve been to/worked a few Catholic weddings in my day so I know they have set ceremony times. But if you’re considering a long break for photos only, then I usually recommend that you get some photos in before the ceremony. Plus you’re guaranteed some great natural light at that time anyway!

So that’s that…some advice from little ol’ me. Remember to be courteous of your wedding guest, especially those from out of town! Cheer!

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From fabulous chair sashes, to cupcakes to go…I love it all! Special note to Austin Wedding Blog (where I found a lot of these) and Style Me Pretty. And away we go!

Happy Friday! Everyone have a great weekend! Cheers!

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