A detailed look at our wedding management offering with a real Piece of Cake couple, Rachel and Graham. This post takes you along on our planning journey and their wedding day.

Groom Bride Wedding Day Sunset Photos.jpg

Rachel and Graham are the perfect example of a couple who loved handling their planning logistics, but wanted a professional planner there managing all details on their wedding day so they could enjoy.

We first talked with Graham about three months before his wedding. Right from the get-go, it was apparent that with their very organized, detailed personalities, and many tasks already accomplished, the wedding management service was the right fit for them. With this package, Piece of Cake is more consistently part of your journey closer to wedding day, but we’re checking in throughout to see how planning is going! In the earlier months, Graham had some questions about décor rentals, organizing their décor list, and timeline items, which we were happy to discuss.

We then connected about six weeks before their wedding to create their wedding day timeline. They had a great idea of how they wanted their day to flow, and we created their personalized timeline to fit their vision. Once that timeline was locked in place, they were then able to finalize details with their vendors. At this point in the process, we also distribute the timeline to all of your vendors, so everyone knows where to be and when on wedding day!

Erica, their lead planner, met them in person the week before their wedding to connect on all of the final details. We strategically meet couples about 10 days before their wedding for this meeting because all wedding details should be wrapped up and final at this time, but it’s still a few days before your wedding in case we need to make any changes or help you confirm final vendor or décor items. Plus, we want you to be done with all to-do items come wedding week! We met at Five Watt Coffee Lyndale, which is a cozy spot! This meeting took about two and half hours, which is what you can expect. With all of our Piece of Cake couples, meeting you in person before your wedding day is so important to us! It allows us to see how you interact with one another, have an open dialogue and confirm all wedding details, plus it’s fun to get to know one another! Rachel and Graham were so apparently head over heels in love, and it made us even more excited for their special day!

At this final meeting, couples need to come prepared with their final items. Rachel and Graham had their final timeline, a detailed décor list, vendor list and reception layout to share and discuss. We reviewed and discussed each item in detail. This meeting serves as the hand-off of items; you’ve completed them and provide to us to execute. We also contact each vendor the week of the wedding to double confirm they have their timeline, that they have everything they need from the couple, and that we’re all set for wedding day!

Outdoor Wedding Ceremony Gardens of Castle Rock Minnesota Wedding Planner.jpg

Wedding Day

Rachel and Graham’s wedding was late September – it was gorgeous and HOT! A perfect example of unpredictable Minnesota weather! Their wedding venue was The Gardens of Castle Rock in Northfield, Minn., which is a stunning garden-style venue, but primarily outdoors, so we made sure people were eating and drinking water all day. Our wedding management service includes eight hours of coverage with one Piece of Cake lead planner, and Rachel and Graham elected to add additional hours to include teardown management as well.

Erica arrived onsite a few hours before the ceremony and began to set-up their décor. Rachel and Graham chose not to see each other before their ceremony, so Erica also played a lot of interference to make sure they stayed separate for pre-ceremony photos. Pre-ceremony involved confirming all ceremony and reception décor was set, touching base with all vendors as they arrived, and checking in with Rachel and Graham to make sure they had everything they needed. The florist wasn’t onsite, so we also helped affix boutonnieres and corsages – a skill we’ve perfected over the years! Basically, if there’s a job to do, we jump in to help! And best of all, Rachel and Graham were able to stay in the air-conditioned suites with their family and friends and rest before the ceremony! As they should!

We lined everyone up for the processional and got them down the aisle. Graham and Rachel seeing each other for the first time was one of the highlights of the day! Once the ceremony started, we confirmed logistics were set for cocktail hour. Due to the heat, the appetizers couldn’t be set-up where they were intended, so Erica worked with Gastrotruck to make a new plan. The wind also kept blowing out the reception candles, so we relit them and rehung pictures that had blown away; making sure everything was picture perfect! Following the ceremony, Rachel, Graham and their wedding party were able to sneak away for pictures, and the guests enjoyed cocktail hour! They had chosen to sprinkle rose petals along the ceremony aisle, which we then picked-up following the ceremony. Erica then found Rachel and Graham following their sunset photos, and was able to sweep them into the bridal suite for a private moment together before their reception. Water and food waiting for them! Next, we corralled the wedding party for the grand march, who were joined by Graham and Rachel – ready to kick-off the reception!

Wedding Party Outdoor Dog Bride Groom Mint Black Suits.jpg

Erica worked closely with the live band on all music cues and emcee announcements throughout the evening, so guests knew what was coming all night long. The couple also added in a few speeches, so Erica communicated this update to everyone to keep things flowing smoothly. Their live band put on one amazing dance, and we managed cleanup of all items so no one had to miss out on the fun! At the end of the dance, we worked with the videographers to line everyone up for a grand sparkler exit! This becomes a trickier task than you may think! Everything ran beautifully, and guests started saying their goodbyes as we finished teardown inside the reception tent. When the goodbyes were over, so was cleanup. We loaded the décor into parents’ vehicles, and everyone was on their way well-before the teardown hour was over.

This is just a sampling of all the items we manage on wedding day. We believe our couples should be the guests of honor on their wedding day, not the hosts, and we make sure of that. As Rachel said to Erica, “My only regret is not meeting you sooner.” Stop! We just love our couples! Each wedding planning experience will vary slightly, as we work with our couples to create an enjoyable experience that centers around them, their wedding and their personalities. Hopefully this glimpse into Rachel and Graham’s beautiful day gives you an idea of what our wedding management service offers, and demonstrates the importance of having a professional planner on your side for your big day!

“Erica was amazing during our wedding. We had only contacted her during the last few months of the process and she jumped in without hesitation. We used her as a day of coordinator and she truly had an impressive handle on the happenings during the day of. All of our vendors were contacted by her to make sure they were in the right place at the right time. She ensured that we had a moment of peace after the ceremony to debrief with just each other. During the clean-up, she was phenomenal. Things were organized and picked up quickly when the night was over, and she made sure all of our guests were out safely by the time discussed with the venue. 10/10 would recommend.”

— Graham and Rachel