This time of year is what many of us in the wedding industry call engagement season. It was a term coined in the US since a lot of couple's tend to get engaged starting around Thanksgiving, through the Christmas and New Year's holidays, and finally ending on Valentine's Day.  What that means is newly engaged couple's are starting to plan their weddings. As a planner, this time of year I am coming across couple's who are lookin...

If you have followed anything wedding the past few years, chances are that you have stumbled across a styled shoot. A styled shoot is where a team of wedding vendors come together and flex some of their creative muscles. A lot of times they are done as a marketing tool to showcase the vendors work.  I look at it as a a fun chance to play with a concept and show prospective clients ideas.  Usually they are set up as a small wed...

October of 2017 marked a milestone for H&K Weddings and Events. It was my last official wedding with Kacy as a partner in the business. We couldn't have picked a better couple to celebrate this occasion with.  The wedding was also our first one in the town of DuBois. Sally and her groom, Matt, lived out of state; but Sally's is from DuBois and her parents still reside there.  I could tell right away that our bride was proud of...

There is something special and fun about an at home wedding. Its a chance to get to know a couple on a little bit more of an intimate level. Cristin, who lives in Ohio, contacted me for a wedding she planned to have in a property her parents purchased in the Jersey Shore area (that is the city Jersey Shore in Pennsylvania, nothing you would see on a beach).  She explained the grounds had a barn but no house yet, as her parents...

2017 was a whirlwind of excitement and changes for my wedding planning company, H&K Weddings and Events. My business partner Kacy, decided to step away after finishing up a few previous booked weddings; so half of my weddings were without her by my side. In light of this changed, I worked on freshening up the business with a new logo, website, and re-structured how I sell my services. I also started this blog! Then their were...

I remember the first conversation with bride-to-be Stephanie (nicknamed Stevie) very well.  She had this over the top, larger than life, personality but was also warm and caring. I smiled hearing her talk about herself and tell the story of how her and her soon to be husband met. She's the type of person you could never be bored in her company. Stevie has a history in theater productions and wanted a wedding dramatic and jaw d...

Having a big sweet tooth, the wedding cake is one of the fun parts of the wedding planning process. The engaged couple gets to try multiple flavors; and its a part that they can express some creativity and personal style. It is interesting to me how cakes have evolved over time and even in recent years. When I got married in 2011, the cake was all about a unique design. Thanks to shows like Cake Boss and Cake Wars, b...

The weather in Central Pennsylvania is unpredictable. Here it is, the end of July and my husband still has to mow our grass. Usually by now its dried out and hasn't been touched in weeks. I don't feel there have been that many days filled with the oppressing July heat we typically see. In fact, its been a pretty wet summer. Though it keeps my yard and flowers looking beautiful, it can cause problems when it comes to weddings....

When I tell people I do wedding/event planning, the response I hear a lot is, “Oh my God! That is so cool! That is something I have always wanted to do myself!” It seems like being an event planner has become the new every girl’s dream job. About every couple months, I get an email or phone call from someone who wants to pursue event planning; and asking me I am hiring or offer internships. I speak to several people, and some...

One of my favorite parts of  the wedding decor? The flowers of course! There are so many wonderful flowers out there that come in a variety of sizes, colors, textures, and fragrances. I marvel at the ability of florists to combine these beautiful gems of nature into something special for a wedding. To me see the bouquets is the most exciting part of the floral experience on a wedding day. 

Most brides probably don't even k...