Planning & Parties Blog

smiling wedding couple

Wedding Stress: Keeping Everyone Happy Including Yourself

Jenna Nelson |  November 30, 2015

Wedding stress is inevitable. You're basically planning a party with a hundred-some guests and committing yourself to spend eternity with one person. What's to stress about? Like I said, planning an event that requires seemingly insurmountable details will bring about stress that is unavoidable.

beach wedding

The Do's and Dont's of Beach Weddings

Jenna Nelson |  October 26, 2015

A slight breeze flowing through your veil as you walk down the aisle. Palm trees gently swaying in the background. An oceanside view welcoming guests as they filter into their seats. Dolphins frolicking with one another in the distance.

instagram collage

Our Favorite Instagram Posts 10.23.15

Jenna Nelson |  October 23, 2015

It's time for our weekly Instagram round-up! Each week, we start hunting for wedding-related photos that catch our eye. It could be beautiful food presentation, the intricate details of a wedding gown, lovely stationery, or wedding cake. Cake always catches our eye.

couple's processional

Simple, Affordable Wedding Ideas for your Budget

Kathy Jonas |  October 7, 2015

You don’t have to mimic George Clooney’s wedding extravaganza in Italy to have a beautiful wedding that is a reflection of you and your fiancé. The experts you work with – caterers, planners, florists– are as cost conscious as you are and know the importance of the bottom line.

hair stylist

Etiquette of Tipping Vendors

Jenna Nelson |  October 1, 2015

Just when you think you finally have the wedding costs under control and paid for, your wedding day arrives. And you realize that you forgot to account for tipping your vendors on the day of the wedding.

winter proposal

5 Ways to Propose that are Completely Cliché

Jenna Nelson |  September 22, 2015

Let me start off by assuring you guys that I am a hopeless romantic through and through. But I'm also a self-proclaimed realist and the purpose of this blog is to be real and to tell you what's up. I'm writing this on a Monday in between aimlessly scrolling through my Facebook newsfeed. And you guys know what Facebook Monday's are all about. 

Autumn Garden Wedding: Intimate Meets Elegant Romance - Central Indiana Issue 3 2015 Cover Shoot

Samantha Ashworth |  September 15, 2015

Often times, brides limit their fall weddings to autumn-inspired colors. We gained inspiration from the entire color palette and the garden scenery, provided by the venue. To incorporate an upcoming 2016 wedding trend, we used bronze elements mixed with other metals and wooden accents. This wedding is a combination of elegant, repurposed and romantic design styles.

A Fresh Arrangement: A Style Shoot That Transforms Chaos Into Beauty

Gabrielle Cheikh |  September 15, 2015

Every space has its own story that can be incorporated into your special day. This style shoot “A Fresh Arrangement” plays with turning ordinary, every day spaces and the chaos within them into a fresh, personalized event. 

Train Station Sophistication: Northern Indiana Issue 3 2015 Cover Shoot

Jenna Nelson |  September 15, 2015

Stepping through the majestic oak doors of Baker Street Station in Fort Wayne, visitors are immediately transported back in time to an era when railroad transportation thrived in the early 1900s. The surroundings of the historic train station are invigorating as you imagine the bustling travelers hurriedly rushing through the crowd to catch their train. Back then, the train symbolized the pursuit of opportunity and a passport to a new life for travelers. 

The Wedding Story of... Ellen & Stephen Sexton

Kathy Jonas |  September 15, 2015

Ellen Schoenle and Stephen Sexton met through their older siblings and went to school together at Marian High School in Mishawaka. They started dating at the end of their freshman year and dated for 10 more years.