The Beginning of a New Chapter ...

My Final Wedding.

Excuse me bloggers, while I am quite sure that I will become misty-eyed while writing this blog. This is, indeed, my last blog to write for the Wellington Banquet and Conference Center. *Tear*. I am so sad to be leaving this place, but so happy to have gained the knowledge and experience that I have. As some of you read in my earlier blogs, I came to the Wellington to complete my work-study hours here to go toward my degree in Restaurant Hospitality Management with my concentration being in Meetings and Events Management. My time is now up and I will be returning to Tuscaloosa, Alabama. You guys don't have to lie to yourselves; I know y'all will miss me. But, enough about me, let's get on with this past weekend's reception, shall we?

My last wedding reception here at the Wellington was for Taryn and Grant Rogers. These two were a precious couple and had such a wonderful reception. Their ceremony took place at Our Lady Queen of Peace and their reception immediately followed around 4 in the afternoon. For the first hour, guests enjoyed a cocktail hour in our foyer and boardrooms. Kim Southard with The Swanky Thang was the planner for this event. She did a FABULOUS job on the decorations! It was absolutely breath-taking with the lime-filled vases topped off with roses painted of pinks, red and purples. My favorite sight, though, was probably the bridal portrait display table covered with pictures that showed off Taryn's beautiful dress and cute and quirky personality. The guests anxiously awaited to see what was in store through the ribbon-tied doors leading into the grand ballroom. 5 o'clock arrived and the doors were opened! The Band, A Formal Affair, began to play some soft dinner music while the guests enjoyed passed hors d'oeuvres. After the wedding party arrived and were announced, Taryn and Grant shared their first dance as husband and wife to Gavin Degraw's "Belief". I don't know if it was the beauty of the moment, or if I was getting sentimental with it being my last wedding, or the lethal combination of the two, but I began to weep like a baby. In fact, all of the staff was tearing up! It was such an amazing moment! The food was catered by some of my favorite ladies from Bistro Express. Their food is always to die for and they are such a joy to work with. Meegan Weaver was the photographer for the evening. She always does such a great job! (We will post her pictures here as soon as they arrive! :) )

You would think that a wedding reception beginning so early would wind down early as well. But, no, Taryn and Grant's reception was so much fun that no one wanted to leave! It was amazing! I have to admit, I was a little jealous that I was working and not a part of the wedding. I definitely would have loved to bust out to some Journey with Taryn and her friends! Taryn and Grant had their send off with their close friends and family tossing birdseed as they ran through the entrance of the Wellington. It was a wonderful send off!

When the night dwindled down and it was time to clean up, I became very sad. I wanted them to stay longer so that my last wedding here would never end. However, what a wedding to end with! The reception was amazing and definitely one for the Wellington books. Congratulations Taryn and Grant! We all wish you guys all the best! Thank you for being my last wedding and for being so fabulous!

On this note, it is time for me to say farewell. I shall always miss writing this blog and filing everyone in on the details of the weekend's previous events. I hope you all will miss me, too! Thank you to everyone who read my blogs!

Ricka and Blaine

What better way to start off the month than with a ceremony AND reception! July 1, 2011 we had the great honor of hosting the Ricka Garlington and Blaine Willett wedding here at the Wellington! Ricka and her mother, Diane, did all of the decorations themselves and did quite an impressive job. We draped purple and silver fabric on the east wall of the terrace where they were married in front of about 260 friends and family members! Ricka and Blaine did not stop the Texas heat from keeping their ceremony from going exactly as planned! The flower girl was just as cute as she could be. She did not throw petals down the aisle as most do, she rang a cow bell! Ricka was escorted down by her mother to Carrie Underwood’s’ “Mama’s Song.” It was so sweet. After Blaine kissed his bride they danced their way back down the aisle to Smashmouth’s “I’m a believer” and then everyone headed into the ballroom to get the reception started! Monarch did an excellent job on the food. They served chicken fried chicken and steak with mashed potatoes and fried okra. It was super tasty! For dessert we had wedding cake (of course) and peppermint ice cream in honor of Rickas’ late father. Rickas cake was gorgeous and four tiered with purple flowers that sat on top of it to match the centerpieces on the tables. Blaine’s cake made sure to show his appreciation to his second great love, golf. It was served with chocolate chip cookies. The DJ really knew how to keep the party going! He played everything from Steve Earle’s “Copperhead Road” to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.” A big thanks goes out the wedding coordinator Julie Caldwell with “I do Weddings” for helping keep the night fun and run smooth. Another thanks to Ms. Geri Merrick, the photographer for the evening, for taking such great pictures all night. We got to know Ricka and Diane pretty well since last October when they first came in and toured the facility. A lot of planning went into this event and we are very happy to have got to be a part of it and meet such wonderful people. We wish Blaine and Ricka the best of luck on their new lives together.

Two's a company... Three's a crowd... Unless it's a dog!

The Wellington was the place to be on Saturday June 18. We had the honor of hosting the Jordan Haggart and Dustin Jackson reception. Jordan was quite crafty, coming up with most of the decorations and theme herself. The colors were different shades of champagne, chocolate, and ivory which matched the ballroom very well. They draped the most gorgeous fabric down the walls and really made this place look like their own. It was very much a cocktail reception, because the couches and tables that were brought in from Liland’s Special Events out of Dallas. Thanks to Dustin and Jordan’s friends, and day of coordinators, Keeley and Carmen, everything came together beautifully. John Johnston was the florist and really out did himself with the centerpieces in the foyer. The white flowers matched perfectly with the white couches that sat in the foyer as well. The arrangements were over four feet tall! Sally Harlow with Big Tyme Catering out of Iowa Park did a great job with the food! We had heavy hors d’oeuvres served on china. There was shrimp, beef, and a very delicious pasta! The cakes were provided by Aunt Glenda’s and Jordan’s actually sparkled. After dinner the night really got started thanks to The Tyler Rushing Band. They kept the dancing going until it was time for the party to end. Especially when they covered Lil Jons’ “Get Low.” One of my favorite things from that night was when Jordan and Dustin shared their first dance as Mr. and Mrs. Jackson, they had a special visitor come join them, Dustin’s dog, Cody! He is a border collie mix and super friendly. He was a little scared of the bright flashes from the cameras, but that didn’t stop Kelly Trimble from getting some good pictures of the dancing trio! On a more sentimental and admirable note, Jordan and Dustin made a donation in the name of every guest that attended their wedding to the American Cancer Society in honor of Jordan’s late mother, Judy Haggart. All of us ladies here at the Wellington had a great time planning this event. Congratulations to Dustin and Jordan Jackson! We hope you two had as much fun on your honeymoon in the Caribbean as we did getting to know you and helping making your big day a successful event!

What-a Wedding Weekend!

The week of June 6th-12th, we had an amazingly crazy/fun time up here at the Wellington! On Thursday, we got to witness a new WBCC first! Mason Vailes proposed to his sweet girlfriend Marie Augustine out on our terrace! It was the sweetest thing. They had been considering marriage and she thought she was coming in simply for a tour. As the tour finished up on the terrace, Mason had flowers on our mantle with a card. He got down on one knee and the song "Marry Me" was played through the out door speakers. Stephanie, Meghan, and I could not stop ourselves from spying on these two through the windows. The moment was so perfect and gave my chills! It was a real first for us. We always get to see and help out with the weddings which is a super special day, but it was nice to see that first moment for a change! After we cleaned up our tear stained faces, it was time to get back to work for our Friday wedding for Patricia and Sean Thompson. Congrats to Mason and Marie, we are SO excited to have your wedding here next June!
The following day, we had the pleasure of hosting Patricia and Shawns ceremony and reception! Patricia did a fabulous job with her wedding! Strands of small Christmas tree lights were wrapped around each column outside. When lit, the terrace looked stunning! The two had the ceremony take place on our terrace. At the end of the ceremony, the couple played the infamous Grease song "We go together". The bridesmaids and groomsmen danced their way down the isle to proceed into the reception. It was so cute! Monarch provided chips and fruits while Kocks provided the kegs. The cakes were created by Darling Cakes by Hannah. The grooms former roommate and close friend, Jason Talbot was the DJ for the evening. Everyone was having such a blast! We even got to meet a girl who turned 21 at midnight! We witnessed her first legal drink! The photographer was Brittney Hunt. As the reception dwindled down, it was time for Meghan and I to get our rear in gear to prepare for our Saturday ceremony and reception!
Saturday was Courtney and Chad Trietsch special day! Courtney and Chads ceremony and reception was absolutely beautiful! Paula Hill with Designing Spaces was the decorator and did a wonderful job on the arrangements! The wedding was very summery using pinks, oranges, and greens everywhere! The ceremony took place on our terrace. Courtney had a wonderful idea to provide water bottles for everyone to survive this awful heat! The bottles each were given with the cutest koozie which had the couples name on it as well as the date. On one side, the koozie read "to have and to hold and to keep your drink cold". Now how cute is that?! One of the bridesmaids sang Carrie Underwoods "Mama's Song". She was amazing! Monarch catered the event with a live carving station and all sorts of heavy hors d'oeuvres. The wedding was an absolute blast! The DJ, Chris Widener, kept everyone on their feet and played some great songs. At one point in the night, Courtney led a conga line throughout the entire ballroom! Benny Daniel made both the brides and grooms cakes. DeeAdra with photo[e]motion was the photographer. She has posted a ton of great pictures from the wedding on her facebook page! It was a great night, however, now Stephanie and I really had to focus and concentrate on our round 3 ceremony and reception on Sunday.
Marlene and Chad held their ceremony and reception with us. It was such a sweet wedding! Being concerned for the well being of their guests, Chad and Marlene kept the ceremony inside and was taken place on the dance floor. It turned out beautifully. Monarch provided an ice cream bar which was so much fun for everyone! Each person had the choice of vanilla or chocolate ice cream. There were topping galore set out! There were sprinkles and candy bars everywhere! You name it, it was there. The family made the brides cake. Rather than cake for the groom, he requested cobbler! (which was also made by the family) I helped to serve the cobbler while Stephanie and Kelly helped to serve the cake. The cobbler smelled amazing. It took every ounce of my being to hold back and not eat it. I can still imagine the smell. As the night wound down, the couple ended their reception with their first dance out on the terrace with just the two of them. I am a sucker for romantic stuff, and let me tell you, my heart melted a little. It was so sweet and romantic! The wedding was so great.
We want to congratulate each of our amazing couples! It was such a blessing to be a part of each of your special moments!

On Friday June 2nd, and Saturday June 3rd, we had the pleasure of hosting Lauren and Brady Penartz dinner reshearsal and wedding reception. These two were so sweet and so fun to work with. On Friday night, the dinner rehearsal was held on our Terrace. Although it was scortching hot that afternoon, the night turned out to be very nice. The tables were topped with beautiful yellow and white roses with daisies and other beautiful flowers. Candles were definitely not lacking for this evening. The setup was absolutely beautiful! Monarch catered the dinner as well as the reception. For the rehearsal dinner, they prepared chicken parmisan and a cajun salmon pasta with tiramisu for dessert. The food was loved by all! At the end of their meal, the couple played a slideshow as everyone gathered around to watch. Lauren and Brady (being the sweet couple they are) brought gifts for everyone who was involved in their wedding and who had an impact on their lives. Each gift was given with a speech. Some speeches made me tear up a bit. The night was perfect!
The next day began their big day! Lauren and Brady had a daytime reception begining at 3:00pm. Kelly Bretschneider did an amazing job decorating for the rehearsal as well as the reception. Each seperate table had a different arrangement of antique pieces. It was such a unique wedding. Rather than a guest book, a long time friend painted a wonderful tree for each guest to put their thumbprint on and sign. Lauren and Brady told everyone that this would be their new artwork for their home. I absolutely adored how unique her ideas were. Monarch provided sliders, shrimp, fruit, a chip station, and sushi. The cakes were provided by Aunt Glendas and David Molina. The wedding was so much fun for everyone! Lauren created a playlist on her ipod for everyone to enjoy. Everything turned out wonderfully! The two changed and were waved off to enjoy their new life together as husband and wife. Congratulations Lauren and Brady! We wish you all the best for your future!

Soulja Boy that Wedding

When I walked in on this Saturday afternoon I knew I was going to have a good night. Last month (yes, it took me almost a month to write this and I do apologize Mr. & Mrs. Tucker) on Saturday April 23, 2011 we had the pleasure of hosting the Ayres-Tucker reception. Vicki and Amanda Tole with Weddings by Spring Branch were the couples’ planners. Those ladies did a great job with this wedding. It was a very colorful occasion. The tables were covered with black linens and topped with green, pink, blue and yellow centerpieces. The walls were splashed with teal using our specialty LED lighting. The brides’ cake was 4-tie rd with pink polka dots and lime green swirls topped with a turquoise T. The grooms’ cake was the biggest (and tastiest) golf ball I have ever seen! Margie’s Sweet Shop did a great job with the cakes. El Chico’s catered the reception providing chicken and beef enchiladas. And yes, like Kendall, I love my job as food taster here at the Wellington. The chips and queso completed this amazing Mexican feast! Before dinner was served the father of the bride said a prayer and while everyone sat and ate we watched the cutest slide show of the couple. Marissa looked stunning in her wedding gown. The bridesmaids wore matching little black dresses and turquoise heals. The groomsmen wore black suits with turquoise ties and vest. Mr. Tucker himself wore a black suit with a white vest and tie. The photo booth, candy bar, and popcorn maker were outside on our terrace. It is no secret that we Wellington girls like to dance, and thanks to Mad Martin the dance floor stayed packed all night. For the mother-son dance they decided to play my favorite Rascal Flatts song, “My wish.” Now being a huge daddy’s girl, the father-daughter dance always pulls on my heart strings. We dimmed the lights and Eric Clapton’s “Wonderful Tonight” starts to play, Marissa and her dear old dad start to dance and my heart just begins to melt. Then about a minute into it the music stops and we hear “Hey DJ, play something good!” Then to everyone’s surprise the pair pull out their "stunner shades" and we hear this classic Clapton song turn into Soulja Boy’s “Crank that” and they start to show off their superman moves!! It was so much fun! I personally think this was best father-daughter dance in the history of The Wellington. As the night came to an end, everyone waved the couple off as they whisked away in their limo to start their new life together. To Chris and Marissa, congratulations on finding your soul mates and thank you for letting us be a part of your big day! We wish you all the best!

A special thanks to the always amazing Kelly Trimble with Kelly Kate Photography for providing us with these amazing pictures!!

Proms, Proms, Proms!!

After all of our amazing weddings we have had the pleasure of hosting, we were so excited to host something we've never hosted before, PROM. This past Thursday, we hosted Iowa Park's Rave-themed prom. It was so much fun! There were crazy lights everywhere you looked. We were able to hang some black lights over the dancefloor to carry out this super fun theme! Mark Tresnicky with Mobile Music Magic, was the DJ. He was fantastic! They had a video recorder going with the video posted on a screen on the dancefloor all night. It was so awesome for everyone to watch themselves on the screen! They had a fun and unique way to decide on their homecoming king and queen. This was decided by having a dance off. Anyone could join in on the dancing and whoever had the most amazing moves won the crown and became homecoming king and queen! Monarch catered the event providing chips and salsa, an ice cream soda bar, and a chocolate fountain! It was such a crazy and fun evening! two nights later, we got another go around at prom! Hirschi High School had the Romance in Rome themed prom. They had an amazing stage with columns for the homecoming court to stand on as they were being announced! Joshua David and his amazing crew came out to DJ the event. They are always so much fun and absolutely amazing! Again, Monarch came out and catered the prom with chips and salsa as well as the ice cream soda bar. It was just such a fun week and it let me relive my good ole high school days!

These are a few photos from Hirschi High Schools prom, followed by Iowa Park High School.