My first Wedding

 

Photo taken by Lost Creek Photography

I don’t know where to begin with this roller coaster of an event. The bride and groom love adventure, and this wedding was definitely one itself. 

I started working with the bride about 11 months before the wedding. At the beginning, she already had her colors she wanted and the date was set in stone. Our first challenge was location. Their preferred location, where they met, was ideal for what they wanted. Elegance with a hint of pirate. Which was fitting for the couple. But after months, we came to the conclusion that it would not be. The owners of the venue did work with us some, by letting us host their first ceremony there. So I guess one outta two aint bad.

The sign at The Grand the day of the weding

Stress was building toward the end of 2016 when the bride and groom hadn’t found their location yet. And knew without the location, catering and décor rentals were still on hold.  With fears of having to postpone the wedding another year, luck rained down on us. A venue in the bride’s home town opened back up and we booked our tour on January 2^nd.

Now this place wasn’t the castle they had originally wanted, but it was beautiful. The new owners had brought it back to its glory from the 1920’s. And we all agreed, it would be perfect. The contract was signed and we had our venue, and photography. What were the odds that the owner was also a photographer?



The Grand

       After that, everything started to fall into place. The dress was bought, shoes were found, (or as I call them, the disco balls) the cake was being made by the grooms grandma, and décor was slowly being bought and rented. But that left us with bridesmaid’s dresses, alterations, and catering. I and the bride’s mother decided we could do alterations on all the dresses. With her many years of sewing experience, we had it covered. The bride decided dinner should be DIY, so we became the catering team too.

       Sixty days till the wedding and we were all ready…except for some important parts…dresses. We had found the main dress the bride needed. But she had a small ceremony the day before that needed a different style, one we all thought would be super easy to find, wasn’t. She had 1 matron of honor, 2 bride’s maids, and a flower girl that still needed dresses, not just one dress each, but 2 dresses each. So the hunt was on, we scoured bridal shops, thrift shops, outlet stores, and even online. The stress was building. We finally found all 8 needed dresses. And with little time to spare, all dresses were altered as needed for the girls.

The backdrop for the wedding ceremony.

We thought catering would be easy. They decided on a 4 course meal, appetizers during a cocktail hour, a salad course, a choice of 2 different main courses, then dessert. Our main courses we kept simple, Chicken Marsala or Slow Cooked Beef. Both options came on a bed of white rice, served with steamed vegetables and roasted green beans and potatoes.

Less than a week till the wedding, the bride’s mother and I are at a local grocery store buying enough food for 80 plates. Cause that’s how many people finally RSVP’d. Which getting those was an event in itself. Plans were made, and we started cooking the day before the wedding. Everything was ready for the venue at 3 am the morning of the wedding. Yes, we still had that first ceremony the day we cooked everything. And it was beautiful. I wish I had pictures.



The tables before the candles were placed

The big day started for all of us at 6 am. By 8:30 I was picking up the rentals while the others towed food and purchased décor. Our rehearsal was that morning, and the wedding at 3. We were to start rehearsal at 9…. But it was closer to 10.

As the girls got ready I decorated and prepped, with help from some guests who arrived early, as well as some family members. Even some of the bridesmaids came down to help.  Now, note we thought 80 people were coming, so we set 80 place settings, and rented for such.  But none the less, once the candles were placed, and the lights dimmed like she wanted, the dinner space was beautiful.

The bride and groom at the head table

We were behind for the entire day. The Wedding was to start at 3, but we delayed it 30 minutes in hopes to get some before wedding photos and hope some of the guests showed up. Of the 80, only about 30 came.

The colors were plum and grey, which worked well with the “hint” of pirate. I say it like that, because by the big day, the pirate took over. But it was more the couple that way. The vows were just, can I say perfect again? They used a treasure chest as part of their unity ceremony. With some key items, to help with an adventure on their first anniversary.

·        A bottle of Rum to enjoy when they reach their destination.

·        A map with a secret location marked chosen by the bridal parties.

·        A compass so they don’t get lost

 

 

Most of our problems came with dinner. We had a case of misunderstanding and guests were informed it was a self-serve dinner. Luckily we were able to remedy the situation before it went crazy. 



The cake table. The table also has the guest book. Guests wrote a message on a little peice of paper, rolled it up and tied it with ribbon, then dropped it in the big clear bottle. By the end of the night the bottle was full!

 

The bride and groom using a cutlass to cut their cake

 

 

Some foods we planned to make, never saw the light of day, like the spinach artichoke dip, while others became the stars of the dessert table. I didn’t get to taste the cake, but I have to say, the groom’s grandmother did an amazing job, it was beautiful.

I heard so many compliments for the homemade cheesecake bites, that I think they were the crowd favorite. My personal favorite was the strawberry shortcakes!

The couple weren’t without their charm, as the time came to cut the cake, instead of the traditional cake server, they used a cutlass to cut the first slice. To be honest, we expected cake to I loved the way they enjoyed the day even with all the problems we had. More than I shared I assure you. But every wedding will have their problems. But this couple sailed through like they were nothing. They both enjoyed their night and as did the guests. I loved working with them and pray they have a long, happy, and loving marriage. I was, and still am honored, to have had this creative and very unique wedding as my first wedding.

Occasions at the Mansion

       Our first Venue showcase. This article will tell you a little bit about a local venue in the area. Our first location in this series is Occasions at the Mansion. 



Puterbaugh Mansion

Now let me tell you, the photos in this blog do not do this place justice. I had the honor of visiting this location twice now and loved it all.

Leadership Oklahoma class of 2016 banquet in the Conservatory.

First, let's start with some history about the mansion. The mansion was the family home of  J.G. and Leela  Puterbaugh from 1902 and then his second wife, Alene. The entire estate once spanned over an entire city block and was the social and cultural center of McAlester. In the 1980's the Ardeneum foundation became in charge of the estate. As a historic site of Mcalester, the Puterbaugh Mansion was kept a center for social events and meetings.
     Last January,  renovations began to bring the mansion back to its former glory. Styled like it would have been in the 1930's and 1940's, a wonderful balance of rustic style and elegant charm was achieved. Keeping with J.G Puterbaugh's love of outside living and dancing, the Conservatory was built to highlight the style and grounds of the historic location.
  

Wrought iron arbor in the
Ardeneum Garden

 I got to speak with Robin Woodley about the venue and ask some questions to learn more about this breathtaking venue. Since opening the location, Robin and her partner, Cara Bland, have done about 10 weddings at the Puterbaugh mansion. When I asked Robin what her favorite part about the location and working on weddings was, her reply was nothing short of inspiring.  "I have fallen in love with every square inch!"  You could hear the smile in her voice as she spoke about the mansion. " I love the front sun room cause I love seeing everyone's faces as they walk in and get that connection... I love when they say 'I can see myself here!' I love getting to know the couples and their families and being a part of one of the biggest days of their lives. They always put new spins on things. Every wedding is always new and different!" 
 

   We talked about some of the things Occasions at the Mansion has to offer. They have inside catering, and have a menu and price list of what they offer, but are more than happy to do a custom menu, but couples can use outside caters too.
   Remember when we talked about pets in weddings?  They love the idea!  With just a few guidelines,  your family pet can be a part of your big day! And of course, service dogs are always welcome!

The Pavilion

As we talked, Robin told me so much about this place. From some of the history, to some things she hopes to see in the future. She told me "We are not just proud, but happy to have people come here.... We're not just a business,  but part of the community. " I couldn't agree more. This place is like a time capsule of beauty and grace. And any wedding here is sure to be breathtaking. 

       Did you know the gardens are on the Oklahoma Historic list? And let me tell you when I toured the first time, I couldn't keep my jaw off the ground. The gardens and the interior play together beautifully!  I can't wait to see it in the spring in full bloom!

       This venue was honored by the Knot as the 2017 pick Best of Weddings. They did a wonderful article that showcases more of this beautiful estate.

A photo I took during my first tour of the grounds

   Whether you visit for a tour or book your wedding, you will always remember this amazing place. the staff is welcoming and more than happy to answer any questions you have. Be sure to stop by and visit, and tell 'em I sent you, and take a picture for me!

Photos were provided by Occasions at the Mansion, and were taken by Lamon photography and Jessica Elle photography

Hello!

   Hello, everyone!  My name is Leilani Mutchler, and I wanna tell you a little bit about my business, Creatively Unique Weddings & Events. 
   I just finished school to become a certified wedding and event planner. Which is something a year ago today, I never thought would have happened. But it did, twice technically, cause I am twice certified.
   Last July,  my cousin began planning her wedding, and being a wedding planner was something I had thought about, but I had also thought about being a meteorologist, a baker, and craft store owner. In other words,  I was 23 and still had no idea what I wanted to be. I asked if I could help, surprisingly, she said sure! And that was when it all started. 
I sat with her for a couple hours talking dresses, colors,  theme, you name it. In that 2 hours, we had almost all the little details figured out. And I loved it.
   After that, planning her wedding was like a whirlwind!  From wedding shows to venue tours, we seemed to get together with her bridal party every month.  But try as we might, it seemed my cousin was cursed.  The one venue she wanted, kept putting us through loops. And it was pretty hard.
   Every venue she loved, was sky high on her budget.  And for a long while, we thought we were going to have to postpone the wedding. 
   It was August when I had decided to go to school to become a wedding planner. With all the work I was doing for my cousin,  I found I actually loved it! I battled with myself for awhile, cause I always loose interest in things and I was afraid the money I would spend to get the course would be wasted.
   It wasn't til December that good luck found us. A new venue opened up in our hometown. In budget!  And is this place awesome! The people who own it are amazing and worked with her. On January 2nd, we had a venue! And only 5 months left.
   And that brings us to here. My wedding planning days are short....very short. But I love everything about it!  I've  designed invitations and RSVP cards. I've worked on floor plans, and even got compliments from other wedding planners that I had the imagination for the job! I guess that's what kept me going and got me to graduate early.
   My goal with this business is to help all the busy brides and grooms to be. Cause I know how busy one can get with planning a wedding,  and when you work 40 plus hours a week, you hardly have time to work on anything else.  To be able to help couples enjoy their wedding just a little bit more is my goal.
I can't wait to see where this journey takes me. Whether I make $1 or $100,000, I know I'll be happy. And if you love your job, you never work a day in your life.