An invitation that was simple, elegant and inexpensive was our goal when announcing our wedding. Blake Graphic Arts was recommended by a friend who was pleased with her wedding invitations ordered in the spring. Expecting a grueling search, my husband and I were pleased to find Blake’s organized-providing multiple design books for us to review. Flipping pages for over an hour we both pointed to our winner at the same time! Everything was printed and ready for pick up within the week.

Of course my regular stylist had to provide my hair and make-up treatments on the wedding day, but being an hour away in my home town posed a problem. Never fear, my stylist offered to make a house call to St. Louis on the morning of the ceremony to prepare me for photographs. That sort of service is worth the drive every six weeks for a haircut.

While my engagement ring was purchased at Tiffany’s in New York City, we purchased both our wedding ring in St. Louis location at the Plaza Frontenac. Our sales associate was not only helpful, but practical in assisting my husband determine a comfortable, sturdy band. For a man who has never worn jewelry, this was a lengthy task. For us, we wanted the best and believe Tiffany's lived up to that expectation. We continue to have our rings cleaned at this location and know that our certified diamonds were worth every penny.

For a couple that wanted to spend their honeymoon exploring the wonder and romance of Italy-Trafalgar provided the perfect experience for us. Selecting an ideal escorted tour is easy to do online-with the ability to contact a company travel agent at any time. We ended up taking a 14 day “Best of Italy” tour all accommodations and most meals provided for approx. $5,000 without airfare-it is less expensive to book this separately. Our guide was phenomenal! Clearly, this agency hires the best employees to embody Italian culture and way of life. Additionally, the agency allows a payment plan for your tour which is easier on the pocket when wedding planning.

When setting up a block of rooms for my guests, I chose Holiday Inn South County Center for its easy highway access and proximity to our reception hall. While the rate was reasonable, I pushed to negotiate a buffet breakfast included in the price-which was approved. Only later did I find out that not all guests had received vouchers for their meals and some ended up paying!

As I travel exclusively for work, I had to delegate many of my planning tasks to family and friends. My aunt, knowing a florist at Hillermann’s came to the rescue when I simply attached a photo to email of the flowers I had in mind for the ceremony. WOW! My bouquet (2 dozen multicolored roses), along with my bridesmaids bouquets (1 dozen multicolored roses) were exactly as I had envisioned. Gorgeous, fresh and fragrant-our flowers even dried perfectly so I can keep them on display. Additionally, the florist allowed us use of four vases for the bridal party table at no charge.

Knowing friends that had hired Complete Music for dances and fundraisers, I called to secure a DJ for our reception. The DJ we were assigned was detail oriented and had one goal: To make sure WE were happy. He was not concerned about bringing attention to himself, playing music that he liked etc. He acknowledged that we did not want certain songs and genres played and touched base with us all night to make sure the music sounded good and in line with our tastes. He even brought in a back up DJ as he had strained his arm several days prior to our wedding-just in case this prevented him from excellence. We ended up with a two for one deal!

For our ceremony, I wanted a live quartet to set the mood of the evening and provide some light music for guests. I happened to come upon Quartette Accord while doing some online research. First, I found their website www.quartetaccord.com to be quite helpful, with plenty of sound samples and clear hiring details. Second, when I did submit a contact form-I received a reply within a day or two at most. Sherilyn Berger, the group business manager and one of the musicians arranged for a meeting at her home where we discussed and listened to standard collections played by the quartet. Taking her advice, the group trio rather than quartet best fit my ceremony needs-the group also hires duo performers as well.

To date, I believe I had the BEST wedding cake of anyone I know. As McArthur’s is a staple bakery in the area, we began ordering their samples of various cake flavors, icings and fillings early into wedding planning. To please the crowd (and ourselves) we ended up selecting a simple three tier design. The layers included a white cake with chocolate mouse filling, a chocolate layer with raspberry filling and a plain white top tier all with white icing. On their website the style is #377. EVERYONE asked where the cake had been ordered, as it was so delicious. As tradition, my mother froze our top tier for our first anniversary-guess what? It was just as good one year later.

After booking our reception at the Lemp Mansion Grand Hall, the facility event planner offered a discount to use the mansion restaurant for my bridal shower. Held on a Sunday afternoon, the mansion allowed my 40 guests full use of the main parlor, providing a sit down family style lunch for approx. $20 per person. The meal was delicious-hot with ample portions. Fees for use of the mansion were waived. We were allowed to bring in our own champagne for mimosas and cake. Service was excellent! The wait staff even carried my shower gifts to the car once guests exited.

I couldn’t have asked for a reception hall with more St. Louis history, classic charm and functionality. The Lemp Grand Hall is essentially part of the turn of the century Lemp Brewery transformed. From the original wood floors to the man operated lift and the narrow stairwells-it’s like taking a trip back in time. All of our 200+ guests had plenty of space for dancing, drinking and visiting. For those who need some fresh air-an attached veranda deck allows guests to step outside without really leaving the party. Our bartender was friendly and generous. The food was tasty and ample. Perfection! Perfection! Perfection!