Marketing Archives - Laurel Wedding Co.

WHY you should have an engagement session with your Photographer!

August 19, 2020 By Erin Bacon

Engagement photos!

I’ve answered this question a few times with my brides and why I encourage them to schedule an engagement session with their photographer. Instead of answering it on the blog as your planner, I want to tell you about our experience and why it meant so much to me as a bride!

For our wedding, we were planning the event living outside of Philadelphia but to take place in my hometown, Williamsburg, VA later that year. One thing I knew right off the bat is I wanted one of my right-hand girls to be our photographer, Olivia Rae Photography! Luckily, she lived in our area so we were not limited by traveling over state lines to take our photos, only by the weather!

Olivia was not just a friend though, she is a trusted professional so I knew our wedding photos would be in great hands right off the bat! Having that trust in your photographer is SO important, and hiring a professional is equally if not more so important!

I also knew she would be great at what I pictured my fiance and my’s dynamic to be. I was excited and bubbly and couldn’t wait to have our photos taken! My fiance at the time was LESS than excited for a photo shoot. I hear this from my brides as one of the main reasons they don’t want to do the engagement shoot – their fiance really doesn’t want to, nor does he see the point. He is not alone in that, and that is OK! Or if you as the bride feel that way, it’s OK!

But. Your photographer needs that time and chance to get to know you both, behind the camera. You all will learn how to best communicate, your endurance for photos (trust me that’s a thing), plus you end up laughing through the whole session as you learn fun facts and jokes about one another creating authentic smiles!

Your engagement session turns out to be a little practice session for your wedding photos. On your wedding day, your photographer will be just as close and personal with you along your day as we will be as your planner (I’m talking zipping up your dress personal! ;))

You want to know them, trust them, feel comfortable, and not think twice about anything else with them – only focus on saying “I do!”

To sum it up, as my girl Olivia says:

“I love engagement sessions! They give me a chance to get to know my couples and my couples to get to know me. I am able to teach them some core poses and as a result, it gets them comfortable in front of the camera. It truly is a practice round for the wedding day. I tell my couples that an engagement session is pretty much a one-hour cuddle session 🙂 I mean, who doesn’t want that?!”

Now that you’ve scheduled your engagement shoot, its time to go shopping!

We have seen some great outfits and inspiration for engagement sessions. In fact, we created a whole board on Pinterest here!

But, my advice: error on the side of chic but still comfortable. Don’t be afraid to dress up a little! We love a good Maxi, or skirt that twirls (should out to our November Bride!). And if you want to have two looks, your second can be a little more casual like jeans and a flowy sweater. Whatever you wear, make sure you are comfortable in it. Feel beautiful in what you have on and the rest will take care of itself!

Tip: be sure to let your photographer know if any vendors help contribute to your engagement shoot! It’s fun to tag the boutique your dress came from, or your hair and make-up help!

Still wondering about an engagement session? Check out this blog post by Renee Nicolo Photography on what the experience might look like so you can know what to expect!

Still wondering what to wear for an engagement session? Check out this blog post by Olivia Rae Photography (OUR photographer!) who breaks it down for you with links, and seasonal inspiration!

Oh, and if you want to see the end result from OUR engagement session now knowing our dynamic, here you go 🙂

Coffee Chat Series: Ask a Florist!

July 1, 2020 By Erin Bacon

Who doesn’t love flowers?!

This time of year, everywhere you look we are seeing Summer in FULL bloom so I am super excited to share this week’s #weddingwednesday Coffee Chat Blog is a Q&A with Kristin of Pickell’s & Posies! I got to know Kristin this Spring and she is a gem. Grab a cup of coffee & enjoy this chat – it will inspire and remind you of all the good things in life that flowers bring, and especially what they bring to a wedding! Enjoy!

First, meet Kristin!

Thanks for including me in this Coffee Chat! So let’s talk about flowers and a little bit about myself and this journey I’m on with Pickells and Posies! I’ve always had flowers and gardens in my life which I give credit to my Grandmother and Mom. Growing up they both had such beautiful gardens and were always creating arrangements for dinner parties with friends and family. Having this influence constantly around me got me to start making arrangements for my friends and family. As I went through my twenties and saw how many people needed flowers for wedding showers, baby showers, birthday parties, etc I kept taking each job as they came.

I got my Floral Design Certificate from Temple University and started to get serious with designing flowers. A couple of good friends trusted me for their wedding flowers and that’s when I started taking this ‘side gig’ to the next level. The feeling I felt after completing a full-service wedding by myself was just the BEST! The confidence and feeling of accomplishment was something I had been missing since working in corporate America. I don’t limit myself to just weddings, I try and take advantage of every job that comes my way to keep growing and learning. I specialize in floral design for any occasion because I love the ambiance a simple arrangement can make to any space.

Most popular question you get from brides?

I have to say the most common question I get is ‘can I get all of this for $1500?”. Truth is, the bigger the wedding party the harder it is to keep your flower expenses down. How many centerpieces? That can add another big chunk of your total expense. Arbor? Ceremony? Yup, add all that in. Most arbors and ceremony installations are completed on-site so that takes a good amount of manpower. Any extras, just keep adding up. Budget is always a big topic for both the Bride and the florist so it’s good to start that conversation right away.

Let’s talk Seasonal! Best flowers for a Spring or Fall wedding?

I love doing seasonal flowers whether it’s in the Spring or the Fall. There are so many options to pick from anymore! I always like to include a statement flower in my bouquets, which is your peonies or dahlias. Being in the suburbs of Philadelphia, both peonies and dahlias are grown locally which helps keep every sustainable. Peonies have such a quick season in PA, but when I get to work with them they always steal the show. Not just the pinks or white peonies, but the beautiful coral peonies. Dahlias have been gaining so much popularity that they have become a great staple in Fall flowers. These flowers can be spotted in many backyards, but cut flower farms in the area are growing all sorts of varieties. Then there are all the filler flowers that are grown locally each season. Throughout the Summer and into the Fall you can spot cosmos, zinnias, celosia, sunflowers, coneflowers, etc blooming all over. All of these flowers add such beautiful color and texture to any bouquet. These are also some flowers you can grow in your gardens!

Tell me about centerpieces – what is your favorite kind, or the most popular flowers to use?

Just like I said above, I love to have at least one statement flower in my arrangements. That can be a peony, dahlia, garden rose (check out the David Austin Juliet Garden Rose!), hydrangeas, sunflowers, and so on. These flowers offer such a wonderful texture and occupy a lot of space with their big flower heads. To accent these statement flowers, I love to add spray roses and ranunculus. They have become such a staple for me while designing, they’re easy to work with and add a great look to any arrangement. Astilbe wins the show for me, it’s so fluffy and feather-like, but it can be tough when it doesn’t have enough water. But my favorite flowers, or shall I say greens to work with, is a mixture of all the green foliage. The many types of eucalyptus are always something people are asking, silver dollar, gunnii, parvifolia, seeded. I love mixing these textures with other greens like Italian Ruscus and asparagus ferns. Greens are the most fun to work with and can save a lot of money!

Let’s chat Bridal Bouquets! Do you have a favorite trend or a favorite you’ve created?

After figuring out my own style I’ve come to realize I make bouquets that are garden-like, flowing, but tight and lots of greens! I love designing new color combinations that Brides challenge me with. The most fun is when I get to work with a Bride that has a color theme but lets me run with the design. Those kinds of bouquets have been the most challenging to design but the absolute best when they come out! My last wedding before the quarantine was a moody and deep red color scheme with accents of succulents. It was such a jump from light and airy colors that I was nervous to see it come together. It turned out even better than I thought and is definitely one of my top favorite bouquets!

Last question: WHY go with a professional and not your friend who offered to do your flowers?

Before I started doing wedding flowers I would have answered this question and said to use a friend. But let me tell you, there is so much more that goes into wedding flowers than just designing. The designing is the fun part, and everything else is the hard work. Because you are dealing with one of the biggest days in someone’s life, you want to make it right. The stress of that day alone can make people go mad, but that’s why you leave it up to the professionals. We’ve done it before, we’ve seen what can happen, and we’re able to make sure the day goes on without any problems. We can literally make your dreams come true through flowers. Yes, flowers are beautiful no matter what you do to them, but they can be transformed into such beautiful statement pieces that can change a room instantly.

I told you you’d enjoy Kristin! Be sure to give her a follow, and if you are a bride in the city-Philly-Central PA region, you know who to call!

@pickellsandposies

Guest Blog Post for Renee Nicolo Photography

April 23, 2020 By Erin Bacon

What I Do Know & What I Am Loving During this Pandemic Season

When Renee asked me to be a guest on her blog, without a shed of doubt I said YES – and what an honor it is to be featured by another friend/wedding vendor, as we say “friendor,” whom I love, admire, and respect both personally and professionally! That was over a week ago, and up until this morning I had no idea what I was going to blog about.

I love reading blogs like Renee’s or other wedding vendors, especially photographers – I mean, who doesn’t love reliving a wedding through sweet stories and pretty pictures?!

I’ve written blogs, both personally and collaborations like this, I have experience, I have stories to tell, and yet days went by… still no words. I would brainstorm out loud, in my journal, over a glass of wine.. Nothing. Anyone who knows me knows I am rarely, if ever, at an actual loss for words!And then, it hit me. As usual, on the day my blog was supposed to be done, my morning quiet time came through! (can anyone else relate?!)

There has never been a time or season of life where I am painfully unaware of what I do not know.

Did you catch that? I’ve never been made to be silent, made to not have the words, to realize the one thing I am trying to convince myself isn’t true: I don’t have all of the answers.

As a Wedding Planner, I pride myself on – you guessed it – having the answers. Timeline questions? Got you covered.Vendor referrals? Ask away.Need to get that dirt off your wedding dress? Emergency Kit to the rescue!

The reality is, wedding planner or not, our world has been rocked these past two weeks thanks to COVID-19, Coronavirus, a.k.a. what I now call, Corona. (Let’s face it, it’s more fun referring to this pandemic as a yummy-summer-beach-beer, than a terrible virus – right?) Corona has reminded me that we don’t have all the answers.

Why was/is this such a hard concept for me to grasp of not having the answers? Maybe because in one way, the answers are technically all around us: The news is full of information about Corona. TV in general is all about it: interrupted shows, special programs, there’s Q&A sessions everywhere, on every network. And if there aren’t, there’s TV shows being conducted from home to remind us of the times (thank goodness for Jimmy Fallon, right?!).

I’ve received numerous emails from great wedding organizations like HoneyBook with special helpful resources and “tool kits” on how to answer questions and operate during the pandemic. I’ve listened to great podcasts (Shout out to The Goal Digger Podcast!) that have both challenged and energized me to be productive during this “slower” time from updating my website to cleaning out my inbox. I’ve seen thousands of social media posts from wedding vendors and friends with great suggestions and answers to questions about the pandemic, and also encouragement for getting through this time (go follow @goodnews_movement on Instagram if you don’t already!)

Don’t get me wrong, I have great resources and am helping many brides postpone and reschedule weddings, and am finding great JOY in that work! I love planning weddings, and if you are a bride facing postponement or rescheduling, I would LOVE to chat with you and walk alongside you during this crazy season of life!

I’m talking about the bigger questions, needing deeper answers – giving encouraging answers that I am challenged to give as a wedding planner during a not-so-encouraging time. We know this too shall pass, but we don’t really know the rest, despite ALL the answers that are all around us.

By now, we are two weeks in. I can honestly say (and hope that I’m not alone), I’ve eaten too much, I’ve watched too much TV, I’ve been productive and at the same time lazy, I’ve relaxed and at the same time felt anxious, I’ve laughed and cried – all of the above. And I am thankful it took this time and this blog for me to finally knock it off and stop trying to find the answers, or even convince myself that what I’m doing is giving myself all the answers. Sure, I can offer what I’ve learned, but the ultimate answers to everything going on, how I’m feeling and what I should be doing, are answers I already knew before all of this even started.

Instead of writing a blog to try to give advice and give you the answers, I thought I’d share what I do know and what I am loving during this pandemic-season.

The first thing I know is what was put on my heart this morning: My Identity.

I am a child of God.I am a new creation. I am a friend of Jesus.I am created by God to do good.I am free in Christ.I am chosen and loved.I am not ruled by fear.I am forgiven.I am God’s possession.I am free from the desires of the flesh. I am a light in the world.I am secure in Him.I am loved by God.

List from Rhythms of Renewal, Trading Stress & Anxiety for a Life of Peace & Purpose. Believer or not, I recommend this book by Rebekah Lyons, especially during times like this! This list came from her, but there’s also other great truths and information shared that I hope you will also find encouragement in! (fitting title for right now, don’t you think?!)

The second thing I know is there is such a thing as “Information Overload” and it’s okay, even wise, to take a break.

It only took me a couple of days into this pandemic to pick a fight with my husband, break down, and go a little crazy before realizing I needed to put up boundaries. Now, we don’t watch the news every day, I took a weekend off of social media, and ever since, only periodically check. Instead of cooking dinner to the TV in the background, one day we just had music going and it totally helped my mood stay positive!If you find yourself going crazy, start small with a break from the news or social media for just one day before going back to it. Almost like a mini “news fast,” and it might be good for your soul. And when in doubt, play this instrument of “In Da Club”, instant mood changer.

The third thing, and what I’m loving during this season, is something we are seeing everywhere: working out is medicine, and should be followed by a good meal.

Anyone who knows me knows this was not a truth I needed to learn from the pandemic – although it has challenged me to run a little further or work out a little longer. Thanks to a few longer workouts, I’ve been able to try a couple of new recipes and if I can cook them, and even my husband likes them (picky eater anyone?), then you can too! Cajun Shrimp Pasta Crock Pot Deep Dish Pizza (even YOU can make homemade pizza dough)Sausage Alfredo Zoodles (yes, zucchini noodles can be delicious!)

I hope this is a little piece of encouragement for you today, and if nothing else, thanks for scrolling all the way down to read to the end!While I don’t have all the answers, remembering the answers I do have is good for my soul, and I hope it gives yours a little boost, too.

What does a Wedding Planner actually do?

May 31, 2019 By Erin Bacon

If we do our job well, you will see us “all over the place” and won’t even know what we were doing!

I have received lots of questions and inquiries lately wondering what we actually DO you as your Wedding Coordinator. What better or more fun blog topic to share a little bit of our behind-the-scenes action with you!

Yes we plan at least up to 2 months, if not more, leading up to your wedding day. We coordinate with your families, bridal party, and vendors. We create a detailed, extensive wedding (weekend) timeline with you. We perform your timeline coordinating your entire day… but that’s just the beginning! Some of our favorite wedding coordinator tasks include:

We check in with you first thing in the morning to wish you a happy wedding day!

You will have plenty of texts from friends, family members, and maybe even co-workers, but seeing our name pop up first thing in the morning is our friendly reminder that we are not only excited to celebrate you today, but we are at your disposal for your entire wedding day! Anything you need, we are just a moment away.

We bring you drinks!

There’s no lines for you on your wedding day! You can be sure you’ll have a drink waiting for you after the ceremony, during pictures or cocktail hour, and definitely at your table for wedding toasts!

We bring you snacks!

Eating can be tricky when trying to mingle and greet guests. We love to bring you and your groom snacks from Cocktail Hour, maybe even make you a dinner plate from your buffet so you can sneak some food into your bellies and be sure to be ready to dance the night away!

We keep you moving!

If you or your groom tend to get super chatty, we are the ones who will make sure you keep moving during your reception as you mingle and greet all guests who came to your wedding. We can even buffer time in your reception because let’s be honest, it always takes a little longer and we’d rather have you greet your guests than leave any tables out!

We work with ALL of your vendors.

We are just one part of a team of very special vendors during your big day. We not only confirm and connect with vendors before your wedding day, but we keep everyone on track and working together throughout your event so YOU don’t have to! We might hold a light shield for your photographer or help with family formals, we might help fill vases with water to set up florals, and we may even help clear plates if needed! We keep all vendors working together for a smooth event for you, and for us, behind the scenes.

We’ve got you covered.

You can be sure between us and our emergency kit, we will have you covered. We will help you sneak away if you need to touch up your make-up, we’ll safety pin you or your bridesmaids if a zipper breaks, and we’ll even have special cleaning supplies to clean your makeup off of your groom’s jacket 😉

Aelish Lascoe Photography

There are many special moments we get to experience as your Wedding Coordinator. Second to none are the final moments before we send you down the aisle. We love a grand entrance, but even more we love a good final fluff of your dress to send you to become a Mrs!

It is truly our pleasure to serve you on your wedding day! Contact us today for these special traits and more included in all of our Wedding Packages. We can’t wait to work with you, cheers!

From Then to Now

February 22, 2019 By Erin Bacon

This Friday Introduction is a little different than my normal, fun-loving, random fact filled Instagram post! I want to share a reflection as my first blog post of 2019: this time this year, verses this time last year. As we begin the New Year together, I look forward to sharing both personal and professional happenings, just like this post, for all things Laurel Wedding Co! Enjoy!

Over the holidays, I had so much fun thinking through goals and ambitions for this year. Before I go any further, this is not a blog that has anything to do with New Year’s Resolutions! I’m not talking resolutions – I’m talking goals. Simple ambitions I came up with that ideally would lead to some kind of personal and professional satisfaction, plus advancement!

I found myself on a run last week, praying and talking to God, realizing the first quarter of 2019 is almost over and I am left feeling like I have nothing to show for it. While I was sort of complaining, the Lord turned that into ambition and I had the most productive run I’ve had all year (after all, it’s been cold and it’s only February ;)! I left my favorite running trail full of ideas, ambitions, and motivation of practical steps to move forward – energetically feeling confident that I can get something done in this first quarter that shows accomplishment. I ended the run wishing I had my journal or planner with me to jot down all the thoughts I’d had just to keep them straight! (and let’s be honest, so I wouldn’t forget them).

In my attempt to not forget all the idea’s I was flooded with, I want to share with you, as my first blog post (in a while) of 2019, just a few recent revelations of my own.

As I am halfway through my second year of owning and operating Laurel Wedding Co. full time, I can’t help but reflect back to how I felt this time last year. I was passionate and motivated, although I like to think today I am even more energetic to “do weddings,” if that is even possible!

However, this time last year, in the midst of the joy and freedom I felt owning my own business, I was also full of anxiety, stress, and time that honestly, I had no idea what to do with. Somedays, I remember looking at the clock at 5pm and feeling totally down, not sure what I had even done all day, not to mention feeling totally unaccomplished.

Slow is normal in the beginning. Expected even.. Slow was and is not my speed, and I had to learn how to accept and operate in the “slow” before I could operate in the fast-paced, exciting environment I desired. My now-husband, but boyfriend at the time, could obviously pick-up on my frustration and confusion as to what was going on. I had just been given the opportunity to take Laurel Wedding Co full time, and after months of putting it off, I finally took the leap! And this time last year, in the midst of what should have been a busy booking season, I had nothing but time without the busyness.

Time can be a great thing. Time is good for rest, time is good to process, time is good to workout and cook healthy meals. But I learned and believe, too much time can be a bad thing.

Too much time can cause us to over-think. Too much time can cause us to actually be unproductive, instead of using our time wisely and efficiently. I, for example, was starting to flirt with too much time, and I was painfully aware of it.

My now-husband in all of his wisdom, thankfully got me out of this rut and helped me to face the dilemma of “too much time.” This worked for me but I can only offer it as a suggestion to those starting out or finding themselves in my position:

When the day ends, give yourself 3 things to accomplish the next day. Start small with making your bed, trying a new recipe, maybe even bodly reaching out blindly to make a new connection with a vendor. 3 tasks might be hard to come up with at first, but don’t be surprised when all of the sudden you have 5-10 things on your task list that are slowly more productive for your business (consultations and meetings will soon outweigh your laundry needs!)

Next thing you know, you might just need to color-code your calendar to keep your busy life straight! At least that’s how I keep my planner organized. (shameless plug, I still love and use a paper planner. I use my phone, I use my computer, but in my opinion there’s nothing like crossing of a task in a planner! Click here for a link to the BEST PLANNERS EVER. Trust me, they are worth the investment.)

From this reflection, I only want to continue to grow and share a little bit of my journey over the last year and a half, in case in might inspire you to take a business risk or lifestyle change that you didn’t see coming either.

Goals and ambitions are great. Needed even, especially when you start out. But, don’t let your goals get the better of you. I started this post with letting you know this was not a post about resolutions, mainly because I’m behind on my 2019 goals already 😉 BUT. When our goals or ambitions start to increase our anxiety or stress, I believe they are no longer making us productive.

For me, this looked like reassessment. Maybe turning what I thought was a short term goal into a longer term goal. Maybe adding smaller goals, more practical, more attainable goals in the short term that lead to the now long term goal.

There is freedom in letting yourself off the hook, especially when life is busier than you expected.

Don’t get me wrong here, there is value in work ethic and pursuing our bottom-line goals, pushing through the busyness – but, only when that busyness is a season you can handle emotionally, mentally, and maybe even physically.

In this new year, I have already chosen to reassess my goals to take the pressure off. And let me tell you, the result has been pure freedom! And increased productivity, if I do say so myself.

From 1 social media post a day, I’ll shoot for 3-4 funny yet intentional posts a week.

From 1 blog post a week, I’ll shoot for 1-2 well written, itnetional blogs a month.

Maybe reassessing now, in a wedding planner’s “slow” season, means better preparedness for “busy” season quickly approaching this Spring?

Time will tell. But for now, from year 1 to year 2, while I can’t wait to share some wonderful weddings we had the privilege to be a part of, I’m most excited to share this emotional and professional growth that happened when I wasn’t even really aware of it until now.

Work hard. Work smart. Reflect, and don’t be afraid to take the pressure off. And then share with me your journey so I can learn from you! After all, I’m not even two years old yet =)

Photography by the amazing, Olivia Rae Photography!

Logo Spotlight

December 21, 2017 By Erin Bacon

logo, branding
I knew exactly what look I was going for when I started drawing out my logo. What I didn’t expect, was a logo that not only looks great, but has some special meaning behind it!

I knew the look of the fonts I was going for right from the get-go that Cynthia was able to create seamlessly! In my first draft of proofs, she added a beautiful flower image to the top of some of them I immediately fell in love with. I am so excited to share the idea she sparked with those proofs in this post!

The Laurel Wreath around the logo gives a beautiful, meaningful nod to the “Laurel” in my company name. This company is named for my Grandmother Laurel, who I was given my middle name for!

The unique flower shown is a Dogwood. This flower gives me so much meaning as it is not only a nod to my VA roots as the state tree, but the Dogwood was my Grandmother Laurel’s favorite flower! I am so excited to celebrate my sweet Grandmother by not only a name, but sharing her flower as our image.

When I looked up the meaning of the Dogwood flower, what it stands for is even more powerful:

durability & reliability
strength & resilience
white petals symbolize purity
pink petals symbolize love!

A special thanks to Cynthia Oswald Design & Creative Services for not only making my vision come to life, but making it more meaningful and significant than I could have asked for!
logo