Audrey & Blake Champaign, IL, Wedding
Vendor Team:
Full Scale Wedding Planner - 618 EVENTS, Maggie Farchmin
Ceremony & Reception - Pear Tree Estate
Ceremony Quartet - Vine St Ensemble
Hair & Makeup - Thrive Salon and Spa
Dresses - Marie Gabriel Bridal & Michelle's
Tuxes - Michelle's
Photographer & Videographer - Elle & Ashton
Florals - Flowers By Kristine
DJ - Nate Jones
Cake - Hunny Bunny
Guest Transportation - Peoria Charter
Invites & Day Of Signage Calligraphy - Apricity Ink
Fireworks - J&M Displays
Bentley Rental - Andy's Limo
Starting in August of 2024, Audrey and I met most Monday or Wednesday mornings around 9am upstairs at Harvest Market. It was such a highlight of my week. Good coffee, great company, and fun planning discussions! Audrey hired me as her full service wedding planner which meant I was working with her from start to finish to help with all the details.
With my full service clients, I like to meet consistently (could be in person or over video call) to discuss our monthly checklist. One thing I love about the monthly checklist we created is it breaks down the tasks in a very manageable way. No overwhelming “here’s everything that has to get done!!!” At our meetings, clients can ask questions and we discuss what needs to get done, status of tasks, etc.
Funny story- when I first met with Audrey and her mom, Susie, for a consultation, I mentioned I was pregnant and due in early May with my second. So I knew we would get started planning and take a break for several months during my maternity leave then jump right back in. Setting expectations up front is SO important. They agreed this was totally fine and signed the contract. We had our first official planning meeting on April 8 from 4-5pm. Unbeknownst to me I was going into labor during that meeting and by 7:30pm my second son was born! I couldn’t believe that just a few hours prior I had been sitting in a meeting with them! He came a month early so it was a shock for everyone. Audrey and Susie kept things moving along during my leave and we sure did hop back in come August after my leave.
Audrey and her mom were a DREAM to plan with! They were so on top of things and had great questions, insights, opinions. They knew what they wanted but they trusted my insight and professional opinion too. It was a joy to serve them! In August after my leave, Audrey had gotten a big chunk of vendors booked which was awesome to ensure the people she wanted she had secured!
During our planning time together, Pear Tree announced their new chapel they were building for ceremonies. They were requiring all clients to have their ceremony in the chapel starting Spring 2025. This was very exciting news but also can be hard for some couples to be surprised like this. Pear Tree’s chapel is STUNNING so Audrey and Blake were excited about the new addition to their venue!
Audrey really wanted a nice guest experience from the moment guests arrived to the grand exit. She wanted the day to feel very thoughtful and intentional to her and Blake as a couple. We talked through how to make this happen, vendors to hire to ensure the best experience, and a day of schedule that fit her and the guests comfortably!
One thing that really stuck out to me while planning with Audrey is how selfless she is. She was constantly thinking of others (her family, wedding party, parents, guests) while planning and that is truly a show of character. This is the one day you are technically allowed to be so selfish and yet she wasn’t!
I was personally invited to the rehearsal dinner at Hamilton Walkers (YUM!) the evening prior and it was such an honor! They mailed me an invitation and I of course told Audrey and Susie that I typically don’t attend the dinner because it’s such a personal evening but they INSISTED as I had played such an integral role in the wedding planning and wedding weekend. It was very touching and meant to much!
There’s a reason June weddings are really popular- the weather is just so wonderful! Audrey and Blake’s day truly was so perfect. The day ran so smooth (huge thanks to Pear Tree and their team who work SO incredibly hard to serve all their clients)!
The evening ended with a BANG with a stunning fireworks show and a vintage Bentley for their getaway car. How fun!
I got to catch up with Audrey a few months following their wedding and she told me about their Hawaii honeymoon and how married life is going thus far. Both their families are local to CU (Audrey and Blake went to Champaign high schools) and they love having family so close. It was so fun to see Audrey and catch up girl-to-girl post wedding!
So happy for Blake and Audrey and truly honored to have served them in the planning process and on their wedding day!