It’s been a few weeks, since I’ve done one of these, so real quick like let me explain…. I love working with vendors I love.  So when it comes to your wedding planning process I thought I’d interview some of the best wedding vendors in the area to help you get to know them a bit and maybe expose you to some new ones you have not heard of.  Also, I just added a new “Vendors” section to my website.  Click the link up top for a complete list of people you have to consider working with when planning your wedding.  So, now that you know the scoop, here are a few photos form The Belgium House, then it’s on to the interview.

How did you guys get started?
In 2000 my daughter Jennifer and her fiance Shane found a place similar to The Belgium House in Austin to use for their wedding.  I fell in love with it and felt that Longview needed a place like that.  After several years of design and research, we knew it would be something that our town and surrounding areas could benefit from. 

How long have we been doing this?
The Belgium House has been in operation since December of 2007.  I have been working with brides for fifteen years or more.  Before I was a coordinator, I sewed for the public, which involved wedding dresses, and much more.  I coordinated weddings for my church for a while, then opened The Belgium House.  I have always loved being involved in the excitement felt by a precious bride. 

 What is your favorite part about your job?
There are so many things we love about our job.  The look on the couple’s face when they first see the house is pretty amazing,  We love seeing what girls and their mothers can come up with that is unique for there special day.  We get to do all the decorating and creating for the wedding day, which is a delight, then finally on wedding day when the bride and her family see the results of all the ideas and designs brought together, making for a very happy time.  As many weddings as I have witnessed, I still cry at that very special time in a couple’s life when they are pronounced man and wife. 

What is the craziest thing that has ever happened at your venue?
Some of the questions asked in this interview needed a little thought before I answered, but this question was easy.  Our craziest wedding was September 17, 2008, the same weekend we had the hurricane.  The Belgium House lost electricity for eight days.  I called the bride and gave her the news.  I offered to reschedule, or even refund, but NO she was determined to get married.  As always, it is the bride’s decision, so I said, “OK baby, come on!!!”.  We planned for generators, worked with the caterers to prepare ahead, added more candled to the decoration, and expected an unusual event.  One hour before the bride was to show up, our electricity came on.  WOW were we excited, and the bride was ecstatic to say the least.  We had a wonderful wedding and it was definitely one we will never forget.   

What are some things brides should look for when looking for a venue?
1. A bride and groom need to choose a place that will fit their personality and the mood they are trying to set for their wedding day.
2. Consider the manual labor it will take to make that venue work for them.
3. Is the date available?  For a spring wedding, venues will book as far as one year out.
4. Will the size accommodate the guests? 

What is something unique to your venue that you are extra proud of?
We are proud of the fact that this facility is service oriented.  We are family owned and operated, and we are all here during the event to make sure the bride and her guests are given special treatment.  Both my daughters, my son, each of their spouses, along with my fiance and I, and now even my niece are here to serve.  We feel it a privilege to be a part of a wedding day and we don’t take that responsibility lightly.

 
For more information, visit their website or give Jan a call.
Happy Planning!

The Belgium House
http://www.thebelgiumhouse.com/
Jan McClung
903. 660.0125

Continuing my little list of Vendor Interviews I thought I’d let everyone hear from Casey Brown. I have been working events with him anywhere from 5-10 years now. He is by far my favorite DJ in the area and super professional.

Brides listen closely while I let you in on a little secret. No other wedding vendor has the ability to “ruin” your day quite like a bad DJ can. They can be rude, awkward, clumsy, and totally kill any mood that your ceremony and or reception has. And they can do all of that while holding a microphone and pumping the sound out to your 300 guests. :) Seriously, this is one area you what to know what you are getting. This person is the “voice” of your wedding. From announcing you when you come in, letting everyone know about the cake cutting, telling everyone where to go line up for your get-away, they are who people will be hearing through out the night.

I have attached a little video at the end of the interview to show you what could happen. Watch the whole thing. It’s painful. (It’s also not CMB)

Here are a few shots of Casey in action and then it’s on to the questions…

How did you guys get started, how long have you been doing this?
I began DJing in 1993 at KLIS 96.7, a top 40 station running Rick Dees Weekly Top 40 on Sunday afternoons. I was a junior in High School at the time. From there, myself and the other DJs at the station started mobile DJing teen birthday parties. In 1995 I formed CMB Music Productions, and have been loving it ever since.

What is your favorite part about your job?
The favorite part of my job, is seeing the faces of the bride and groom and their guests having fun on the dance floor. Whether it’s fast dancing, slow dancing, doing a line dance or group activity. Because I know, that I’m doing my part to create those memories with them, on their wedding day.

What is the craziest thing that has ever happened at a wedding you DJ-ed (this of course does not mean that you were responsible for the crazy.)

It’s a 3 way tie!

1, multiple fights broke out after the reception while we were packing up.

2, The most absurd and inappropriate speech by a best man ever!

3, a bridesmaid fainting during the ceremony….twice. And yes, I caught her both times. (don’t wear heels for outdoor ceremonies, and don’t lock your knees!)

I have an iPod, why should i spend money on a DJ?
With an ipod, you lose so much control. Someone is constantly having to go and change the song, and the playlist you create in advance, may not be appropriate in the order you chose before the wedding. You lose the control of music programming in real time to suit the events happening at that moment. Imagine this, it’s time for the father daughter dance, and the person you pick to operate the ipod mis-cues and starts the YMCA instead. That steals from the moment. And an ipod doesn’t make your announcements, and keep your reception on track. This YouTube video best shows you what you get with an ipod wedding.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLBWFlmuo-Y

What are some things brides should look for when looking for a DJ?
Brides should look for a DJ that is professional, competent, and one whose personality and music style meets that of the bride and groom. The important thing to remember is to ask questions when interviewing. What music do you have? How many years have you been in business? How many weddings have you done? If we want songs that you don’t have, will you get them? Don’t be afraid to ask the DJ questions. It will help you make the right decision on your wedding entertainment.

What is something unique to your set-up/services that you are extra proud of?
I really could quote my top 5 reason to choose CMB here. But you can see that on our website. Our main feature is…..BACKUP. Between 4 staff DJs, and networking with other qualified DJs in the Tyler and Dallas areas, if there is an emergency it will likely be a short one. We also have backup equipment. Each CMB DJ that does a wedding takes 2 computers, and 2 hard drives. So if one or the other fails, all we have to do is swap a few cables, and the music continues.

Anything else you wanna say?
Wedding music entertainment is important. Be sure to ask questions beyond how much they charge. And go with the DJ company you are comfortable with to take the wheel on one of the biggest days of your life. With weddings, there are no do-overs.

Here is that video as promised, but 2 quick things before you watch it.
1. As awkward as it is to watch, it was way worse for those who were there.
2. This is NOT Casey. :)

CMB Music Productions |http://cmbdjs.com/|Phone: 903.724.3192

Just because you are getting married in “East Texas” does not mean you are limited to 1 of the 4,283 tiny Baptist churches in the area. There are some AMAZING venus around and they offer a lot of advantages when planning your wedding. They have a staff that takes care of little details, they typically have 1-2 sometimes 3 weddings per week so they know the ins and outs of a wedding day, and many of these places provide an on-site coordinator that help your day run smooth and let your mom/aunt/sister just enjoy the day rather than plan and worry up to the last minute. Anyway, here is a little info on one of my favorites, Elmwood Gardens.

This place is out of a fairy tale. Seriously, it’s like an enchanted garden that you could spend a month at and still not explore every place.  

Finally, a little Q & A with the owner Dee Dee Turnage.

How did you guys get started, How long have you been doing this?
My son and his fiancee were the first wedding and gave us the idea. Since 2001. 

What is your favorite part about your job?
Being able to be creative.

What is the craziest thing that has ever happened at your venue? (This of course does not mean that you were responsible for the crazy.)
Groom arrived by helicopter while a gunfight was taking place.  (call for details) 

What are some things brides should look for when looking for a venue?
A manager and staff that are professional, courteous, and put the bride’s needs first. 

What is something unique to your venue that you are extra proud of?
The natural layout of our beautiful gardens and statuary, and the way they blend with the architecture of our buildings.

Website: http://www.elmwoodgardens.com/
Phone: 903.724.5619

Oh, and in case you need any more convincing, take a look at this smoking hot couple who choose to get married there way back in 2002. :)  

One of the cool things about being a wedding photographer is getting to work with so many great vendors week in and week out. Over the next couple of months I will featuring a few vendor interviews with some of my favorites in the area.

First up are Debbie & Joyce, the lovely ladies at Edible Art in Longview. If you are looking for a fun/unique/great tasting cake, you have to consider them. I stopped by their shop on day on my way to an engagement sessions and snapped a few shots of them hard at work.  

How did you guys get started, how long have you been doing this, why cakes?
“Edible Art Specialty Cakes & Cookies” has been in it’s current location for 18 months. Debbie was a cake decorator trainer years ago in college for a grocery company and later with Wilton Inc.  In college, she was a commercial art/graphic major until a counselor suggested to change her major to business which she did.  Joyce was also a published book author of many artistic works and worked as a manager in the corporate world for 20+ years. Both total strangers left their corporate jobs to raise a family. When our daughters started kindergarten a mutual friend introduced us.  Debbie was making a few cakes and cookies for her daughter after being unhappy with the quality of cakes available in our area. When you take a really cool 3 tiered lipstick cake to your daughters 5th birthday party, watch out other moms notice!  From that one cake,  10 moms ordered their children’s birthday cakes that year.  After those 10 cakes, a client following began.  Debbie asked Joyce one day when dropping the girls off at school if she wanted to help bake and decorate a couple of days a week while the girls were in school. Joyce said “Absolutely!” From that moment a friendship and mutual respect was born. We baked and decorated from home while researching the business.  After a few months, equipment, a building and business plan came together.  We were told bakery’s were a high risk business much less a custom cake & cookie shop and no bank would want us since neither of us had worked in over 5+ years. One day, we were prepared to visit a dozen banks with our research and business plan in hand. Our prayer was answered when we heard “We want this little business,”…it did help that we had made a cake for their grand opening a year before this presentation. The loan officer and vice president had seen and tasted our product. When the bank asked about our husbands co-signing, we both said “No” because we didn’t want them to tell us how to run our business.  Well, Bancorp South of  Longview gave us the green light. The dream of a custom cake & cookie shop was now a reality! Career women to mommy’s to business owners, what a dream!

What is your favorite part about your job?
The stories are always the final inspiration of all the cakes & cookies. We laugh and learn and meet so many people with stories to tell. Some examples:  the guy that wants his dogs sculpted in 3-D for his groom’s cake because he proposed with the engagement ring on a shoe lace around the pets neck. Pit-bulls “G &  Miss Daisy” can be seen on the website, notice the edible shoe lace and ring around “Miss Daisy’s” neck. Then, we have our regular “Mr. B” that comes by every few weeks and purchases 12 cookies to hide them under his bed so his family want eat them. Then, he has to find a new hiding place because a sticky note was left in an empty cookie box “Daddy, you know you aren’t suppose to have these!”  Next, the little kids that come in with a hand colored drawing of their dream cake and we get to bring it to life…what an honor!

What are some of the more fun and creative WEDDING cakes you have done?
We love the one of a kind, never before made, over the top crazy wedding cakes! Once we were asked to make a pink “Fantasy Garden” design with butterfly’s and ranunculas flowers (on the website site under Wedding Cakes). Then, there was the copper, gold, bronze and pearl glossy: The “Royal Della” was a 29 hour hand painted cake that took all of us painting with #1 paint brushes all night to complete. Personal favorite was the young couple who wanted their vows written on the sides of the cake.  The young bride-to-be brought her vows by a month before the wedding but her groom was in the service in Iraq. When this handsome solider arrived in Longview early one Sat. morning, he came straight to the shop from the airport, in uniform to hand deliver his wedding vows.  WE were the first to see him before his family and future bride because he came home a day early! What an honor to read and write this couples vows to each other on their wedding cake before anyone else in the whole word knew what they had written. There was not a dry eye on the Edible Art Design Team as we were preparing this wedding cake.

How many eggs do you go through in a busy week?
Lots of crazy cracking on a busy week. We don’t believe in frozen eggs at “Edible Art.” If we could ,we would have a hen house out back for super fresh eggs…being across from City Hall and inside the city limits, well, we guess the hen house is out of the question. On a busy week we go through about 200+ eggs.

What are some things brides should look for when looking for someone to bake their wedding cake?
There is so much more than meets the eye! Open those eyes and LOOK around the place.  Is it clean, employees professional, do they have hairnets on, clean finger nails, what are they working on while you are there?  If they answer the phone, do they wash their hands before continuing to decorate an order . Are the displays current or old? Does the place smell fresh or stale. Can you taste the product? If not, RUN!!! They have something to hide. Do they make the cakes fresh or frozen for a month? Ask to see current pictures. Ask around town before you book any special event cake, make sure you know who you are hiring for this once in a lifetime day. Do they have a payment plan for wedding cakes? Can the designer sketch your dream cake so both of you envision the same wedding cake design? If they can’t sketch on the spot, chances are they do things straight by the book without custom one of a kind, WOW!  Yes, price is important but the quality of cake both inside and out is what is the best value. Don’t settle for anything less than what YOU want on YOUR DAY!

Anything else you wanna say?
“Edible Art Specialty Cakes & Cookies” is by appointment only. First, because we are mom’s.  Yes, we lock the doors and run to school party’s and events with our kids. Second, because each cake is an honor and we want to sit with you to plan your ideas into the design you have in mind. What a blessing to be asked to make a wedding cake, then their baby shower cake and next a first birthday cake.  What about those Sweet 16’s that come to us for that coming of age design. WOW, 50 Year Anniversary cakes…we always want to interview these couples and ask how they made it 50 years without killing each other.   The lessons you can learn by listening to these married couples. Then, you have those 70, 80, 90 and what about 100 year old birthdays.  Every time we touch a cake, we truly think about the person we are making this one of a kind cake.  Is it the best cake of their life, maybe the first or eve
n last…what an honor to be asked to be a part of a special moment in someones life.

Alex, you asked why cakes? “THE CAKE” is the gift God gave us to share with others.  This is a love and passion that is not taken for granted especially in today’s economy. It is truly a gift from heaven when you find your God given passion and can share it with others.  Every “CAKE” made is a gift to someone special and each of us on the “Design Team” is so grateful to be a part of this moment in another person’s life.  Truly blessed!!!!

Contact Info:
Edible Art Specialty Cakes & Cookies 
www.EdibleArt.zoomshare.com
504 W. South Street Longview, TX 75601
903-234-2114