Amber + Zach Amber and Zach had just finished college and were starting real life when Zach proposed on a mountain in Colorado. Amber and Zach grew up in the Greater Houston, TX area, but met and live in Colorado, so they relied a lot on Amber's Mom, Robin, to help with planning their very special downtown Houston Wedding. There are so many moving parts in planning a wedding. It can easily become overwhelming, so Robin decided she needed professional help. She reached out to my company over Facebook and we agreed to meet in person for our Initial Consultation. We met at a Panera Bread, and I will always remember the large binder Amber brought with her. She was a mom on a mission! Amber joined us over the phone, and we talked for an hour about Amber and Zach's story and wedding day vision. They booked and we brought Amber and Zach's Dream Wedding to life at at their very unique wedding venue. The Vendors Both Amber and Zach are chill people, so they wanted a down to earth wedding that reflected who they are. They had booked their venue, Station 3, before contacting me. It was the perfect location for their intimate wedding. With its central location, most downtown hotel shuttles would travel to the venue free of charge. This was a huge bonus for Amber and Zach’s guests. Station 3 is also known as Stonewall and it was one of Houston’s very first fire stations! It was built in 1903. According to Station 3, the fire station originally operated by horse drawn wagons and steamers. The venue is one of Houston’s Historical Landmarks. Station 3 has 2 floors. We used the 1st floor to host Zach and Amber’s Ceremony. We then invited all guests to the terrace outside for Cocktail Hour where drinks and fruit/cheese was served. During this time, my team worked hard to flip the ceremony space. We needed to clear everything out for later in the night. Guests were then invited to the second floor for an intimate dinner, cake and toasts. Afterwards, guests were invited back to the 1st floor for dancing, and then back to the terrace for the Send-Off. I will admit that the up and down was a bit inconvenient, but was well worth it when considering the location's rich history. Before moving on, I must mention one of the coolest things about Station 3- they have a fireman’s pole! Guests are not allowed to use it because drinking + sliding down a 2 story pole just is not very wise; however, the venue allows the Bride and Groom the opportunity to slide down the pole prior to drinking if they would like. One of the first Vendors we booked was their Videographer, Cinematic Saviors. I first had the privilege of seeing David’s work when I worked as an event host at a local Wedding Venue. He and his team were very professional and down to earth. I knew Amber and Zach would love them and the overall vibe they would create on their wedding day. Cinematic Saviors has a way of creating absolute MAGIC with their videos. Their wedding highlights are so vivid, clean and crisp. They have talent- for sure!! When it came time to book a Photographer, Amber and Robin asked me for recommendations for a true to color photographer. I couldn’t help but recommend Pedigo Photography. Chase is so good at what he does. Photography, especially editing, seems to come so naturally to him. In fact, he even edited some photos during the dancing part of the reception to give Amber and Zach a gorgeous sneak peek before they even left their wedding!! He did all of this during dancing- on his phone- on the dance floor- with his camera around his neck so as to not miss a special moment. Chase is calm, yet silly and so fun to have around on your wedding day. FUN FACT: Chase really helped me to jump start my business in 2018. After getting certified as a Wedding Planner, he recommended me to his clients that did not have a Coordinator. I offered my services for free to one of his clients and he gave me their full gallery to help me start my social media. Probably one of my most favorite parts of Amber and Zach’s planning adventure was when Robin and I went to several BBQ restaurants to taste test the best BBQ for their Texas wedding. Every single “joint” was amazing, but we agreed that Dickey’s BBQ in League City was the best. They served us the tastiest brisket I had ever had and the cheesiest macaroni that has ever existed. I have not worked with them since, due to most of my Clients not wanting to serve BBQ at their weddings, but I highly recommend them for both event catering and dine-in eating. Apparently they have locations in 42 US states! We had several meetings with Leslie, The English Florist, prior to the wedding. She was incredibly sweet, and had many photos of past work to show Robin. Amber joined us for one facetime call, but ultimately let me and her mom decide. She did know that she wanted to have lavender florals, and a romantic overall feel. All of Leslie’s work could be described as romantic, so this task was made very easy for us all. Ultimately, we gave Leslie the floral budget and listened to her recommendations. We ended up selecting roses and lush garlands. Mulberry Basket is a small rental company in Angleton, TX. The owner, Connie Bennett, is one of the sweetest ladies you will ever meet. She has always worked hard, and has even bent over backwards to help my Clients get what they want. Mulberry Basket provided the linens (tablecloths and napkins), as well as the votives and water glasses. Bavarian Cakery hit it out of the park with an amazing cake and cupcakes. There really is not much to say other than they arrived on time, set everything up flawlessly and the sweets tasted heavenly! Would I recommend Bavarian Cakery again? Absolutely!! Amber and Zach also had their DJ, DarkerSide DJs, booked prior to meeting us. They provided dj/music, mics and uplighting. They kept the party going all night. It was so nice to watch Amber and Zach enjoying their special day without a care in the world. Wedding Day Vendors RECAP Venue: Station 3 Planner: Next Chapter Weddings Videography: Cinematic Saviors Photographer: Pedigo Photography Caterer: Dickey's BBQ Florist: The English Florist Decor Rentals: Mulberry Basket, LLC Cake: Bavarian Cakery DJ: DarkerSide DJ's Wedding Day Details The day started off site since the venue does not have enough space for the wedding party to get ready for the day. (Note: There is a small room/closet for the Bride to put on her gown, but definitely not room to sit down with your Bridal Party and Hair + Makeup Team to get you all dolled up.) Amber and Zach had different hotel rooms where they spent the morning sipping mimosas and enjoying time with their closest friends. All Vendors spent the morning setting up Station 3 for the couple’s arrival for their First Look. Zach is a crier, and he did not want to risk crying nonstop at the Ceremony after seeing his lovely Bride for the first time, so we quickly decided that a First Look would be beneficial for the couple. It took place upstairs, along a window and brick wall. Amber came out in her modest gown and glided across the room with so much grace and a sweet smile glued to her face. She tapped Zach’s shoulder to cue him to turn around and he fell in love all over again. I guess I don’t know this for a fact, but the look on his face would confirm my suspicions. Their Photographer captured it all and the day with nonstop smiles started! After the First Look, they continued taking Wedding Party photos until guests started to arrive. The aisle and altar were lined with candles. I had the Wedding Party lined up upstairs and released them according to their spacing for the Ceremony Processional. Due to the design up the staircase, I was able to see a little more than half of the aisle. Amber was a gorgeous Bride and had a unique and flawless stride throughout the day. As she walked down the stairs, her peace and excitement radiated. Honestly, it has been one of my most favorite Processionals! Since the space was smaller and quiet, I did not want to risk distracting anyone by coming down the stairs myself, so I never saw if Zach actually cried, but I heard that he did in a sweet and beautiful way. What more can a girl ask for? After directing guests to Cocktail Hour, we began a quick flip of the room. The venue removed the chairs, the Florist repurposed some of her florals and my team put away the candles, cleaned the space, checked on guests and provided the Bride and Groom with water. Dinner was delicious and breezed on by. The Maid of Honor and Best Man gave Toasts, and we quickly moved to the cake. Amber and Zach just wanted to dance, so we intentionally moved past all the upstairs formalities as quickly as we could. We made our way downstairs once more, then Amber and Zach had their First Dance. Finally, the party began! And this crew DANCED!!! Everyone had a blast and were moving nonstop at this unique wedding venue. It was such a fun night. Amber + Zach moved on to the Next Chapter.

Weddings can be expensive. That is just a fact. With millions of dreamy Pinterest inspo photos floating around, it can be easy to dream about a big, lavish wedding with flowers dripping off the ceiling and a million candles lighting up every corner. In no time at all a $20,000 wedding can turn into a $60,000 wedding. Or a $60,000 wedding can turn into a $100,000 wedding. Or a $100,000 wedding can turn into $150,000 wedding. You get the picture. Expenses can add up quickly. So should hiring a Wedding Planner really take priority on your wedding planning to-do list? 2023 Association of Wedding Planners- Houston Chapter Board Members. Photo by Studio HTown. While I can genuinely understand the temptation to skip the Professional Wedding Planner to save money, I am here to tell you- DON'T!!! Before becoming a Wedding Planner myself I worked for a popular wedding venue near my hometown. I gave tours, sent out contracts, responded to emails, and supervised MANY weddings- sometimes 4 per week. The events that had professional Wedding Planners or Coordinators were by far the more organized, peaceful and enjoyed events by not only the couples getting married, but also their wedding parties, families and guests compared to the weddings that had a friend or family member running the show- or even worse: no one at all! I promise it was like night and day. Cats and dogs. Black and White! In my position, I was required to write notes on the event at the end of the day, and my notes were almost always at least twice as long for the weddings that did not hire a Wedding Planner. It only encouraged and pushed my passion to become a Wedding Planner, because I saw the true value of the service. Hiring a Wedding Planner is an investment. Having a wedding BFF is worth it's weight in gold. Do you really want to spend a year or more planning, and your hard earned money on producing a large event to risk it all falling apart because Plan B and Plan C were not put in place by an experience Wedding Planner that is ready to tackle any challenge that they are fully prepared for because, well, experience. It all comes down to the famous say, "You don't know what you don't know." Do you really want your wedding day to become a learning experience? You're only planning to do this once, right? Don't be the guinea pig for someone's first time planning or coordinating. A good Wedding Planner will help you find the best Vendors to avoid unwanted situations. They also act quick on their feet, and swiftly find solutions to unexpected problems. With all this said, I must note that creating a budget and staying in budget is vital. I highly recommend hiring a Wedding Planner, but at a minimum, you would be doing you and your family/friends and other Vendors a huge service by at least hiring a Wedding Coordinator (a professional that executes what you have planned or your wedding) also known as a Wedding Manager. Summary: Should You Hire a Wedding Planner? Organized, Peaceful and Enjoyable Event for Couple, Wedding Party, Family, Guests and Vendors. Experience (Your event is not the guinea pig.) They help you find the Best Vendors. They are resourceful- find solutions to problems quickly. I believe in hiring a Professional Wedding Planner/Coordinator so much that if my company, Next Chapter Weddings, doesn't feel like the right fit to potential Client, I strongly encourage other amazing Wedding Planners! This year I am serving as the Secretary for the 2023 Association of Wedding Planner- Houston Chapter Board. Everyone in the group believes in community over competition and holds one another to high professional standards. For example, we each insure our businesses. So even if I am not your gal, I highly HIGHLY recommend hiring a Wedding Planner. Moments before being introduced as the 2023 Secretary for the AWP Houston Chapter. Photo by Studio HTown