Michelle and Jason

When I first met Michelle and Jason they told me they wanted an intimate wedding in a modern space with about 200 people...but as time went on things changed. Their ultimate goal was to be a family as soon as possible so they decided to scrap the plans that we started on and go to a destination with their closest family. That too changed. They called me on a Tuesday and said they wanted to get married in St. Louis in 10 days! I had some work to do. I pulled together the venue, the florist, a photographer and videographer while Michelle got a dress for herself, her sister and her daughter. PHEW, the worked fast! I had to find a venue that was intimate enough for a total of 8 people so we ended up at the Conservatory in Old St. Charles. It was perfect!






My next event for them was a reception to be held 4 months later. They still wanted that modern feel so Lumen was the obvious choice. With a talented group of vendors, we made that happen. Flowers by Artistry Florist, Videography by June Bug Productions, Photography by L'Photographie, Linens by Cloth Connection, Music by DJ Greasy, paper goods by M Haley Design and design by Shelli with Alred Wedding Consultants

Elope in your own hometown...St. Louis!

The why of eloping seems to always be a curiosity?

Couples elope for many personal reasons, some as simple as; one having a fear of standing up in front of a group of people or they just don’t want to wait out the year long planning process! What ever the reason for eloping, Elope in St. Louis package offers an uncomplicated approach to a wedding ceremony while still retaining the non institutional feeling of a civil ceremony.

What are the three fundamental elements that cannot be removed from an elopement wedding?

The Bride, The Groom, The Official Presiding...but why not have it all?

Have you ever considered eloping in your own home town? Working with AWC, we will provide you with all the elements of a large wedding while keeping it very simple. This package is for the couple that wants to keep it simple but wants the bells and whistles of a larger event. This package can only be used Monday-Thursday

In this package, you will receive:

3 Hours of service

An album with edited images

Printed Proofs

Flowers:

You will receive 1 bridal bouquet of the color of your choice using all roses, 1 groom’s boutonniere that matches the bride, 1 bridesmaid bouquet, color of your choice, and 1 groomsmen bout to match

Wedding Cake:

You will receive a 2 tier cake, one layer to cut and eat and the other to save (if you wish). Flavor of your choice, filling of your choice and butter cream icing and a ribbon on each tier to match wedding colors.

Stationary:

You will receive 25 wedding announcements to share with your friends and family.

Honeymoon Suite:

Over Night accommodations at your choice of the Ritz Carlton, The Chase Park Plaza OR the Four Seasons Hotel to use as your honeymoon suite!

Transportation:

A Town Car provided to take you from your reception site to your honeymoon suite!

Along with all of the other wonderful details, you will receive a bottle of your choice of champagne or sparkling cider with toasting flutes and the peace of mind knowing you didn’t have to have a single worry about your wedding day!

Give us a call to help make your Elopement as fun and stress free as possible!

Did you hire the vendors that are best for YOU?

I can't tell you how many times I have received an e-mail from a bride

wanting to know more about my services and before I can call them back,

they hired the first person that returned their phone call. So many brides

rush into making choices on their wedding vendors without choosing the

vendor that best suits them.

Your story doesn't have to sound this way! You can have the perfect

vendors for your wedding without feeling like you spent too much time

researching them...hire a seasoned wedding consultant.

So how do you know if you’ve chosen the right vendors? You came into this not really knowing much about wedding prices or what to expect from wedding vendors. You work a full-time job and are going to school and simply don’t have the time to research all of them and read every wedding book there is on the topic. Let me help you with 5 simple tips!

1) Do they make you feel comfortable?

This is the most critical part of choosing the right wedding consultant.

This means they should be prepared for your meeting, familiar with the

details you’ve already shared with them, some idea of what they can do

for you to make your wedding perfect and a good solid contract that outlines

exactly when and where your event is and what exactly they are doing to

serve you. Not that they have to have the best sense of humor, but you should

enjoy their company and want to work with them when you leave. Being in their

presence should put a smile on your face and put you at ease.

2) Do they seem to understand your vision?

Being understood is a huge part of knowing that your wedding will go exactly as

you wish. Were they paying attention to you throughout your meeting or were they

distracted? Are they excited about working with you or do you feel like just another

bride with them? If you have to correct miscommunication frequently or don’t feel

like they are paying attention while you are speaking, this is not a good sign.

A good rule of thumb is that they should always be repeating back to you their

understanding of what you want for a confirmation that they are on the right track.

3) Do they have a quality product?

In many of these businesses, the product is not simply what they are making or

the final outcome of their services. Their product is also themselves. They should

be professional, well dressed and make a good impression at every meeting and

on every phone call. If they are ever disrespectful or bossy, this is not the right vendor

for you. If they are acting in ways or are dressed in ways that shock or offend you,

this is not the right vendor for you.

On top of the impression they give you of the business, their products should be

award-winning as well. Make sure you can see or sample their products and make

sure to check those references before committing to anyone!

4) Are they within your budget for that area?

You don’t have a budget!! This is definitely the time to put one together! EVERYONE

has a budget, even if you think you don't! If you say you don't have a budget and you

tell you vendors that you don't have a budget, the first thing that comes to mind it to

make this wedding over the top! Once you see the number associated with "over the top"

you will realize that you do in fact have a budget. Budgets don't mean that you don't have

money to spend...budgets mean that you would like to stay within a certain dollar figure

and you won't have to cash in your families retirement to pay for it. All of the vendors that

we work with will tell you what areas to cut back on but still get the same look at feel.

5) Do they seem to have your best interests in mind?

When all of these areas come together, you should feel really good about those

people you have hired. They make you feel comfortable, they understand your

vision, have quality products, and have stayed within your budget. Are they willing

to suggest ways to save money? Are they willing to suggest great vendors to you

that also fit all of these characteristics? Do they seem comfortable around you and

treat you like you are valuable to their business? Do they do everything in their power

to give you a good impression and make you happy? If you were able to answer no

to any of the above criteria, it may be time to rethink your vendor decisions.

If you are interested in learning more about Alred Wedding Consultants, please

feeel free to call us to set up a no obligation consultation.

It's a new year and there are a lot of new vendors that we have not had the opportunity to work with. If you are a new (or established vendor) we would like to meet you! You can contact me at shelli@alredweddingconsultants.com.

Coffee, e-mail or phone, I would gladly meet with you!

Mona and Milan

Mona and Milan came to me with their wedding. They had already booked Moulin Meetings and Events, which was the perfect place for their Egyptian/ American reception. With the love and support of their families, we planned an absolutely amazing three days for them. We started off on Thursday with a ceremony at the Worlds Fair Pavilion. Mona wore traditional Indian attire that her mother-in-law to be picked out for her directly from India. Having a ceremony at the Worlds Fair Pavilion is easy! It is such a beautiful landmark in St. Louis. We created a large square in the center for a fabulous lunch that was provided by Westwood Catering.

Friday was the Indian reception that took place at the Contemporary Art Museum. This event was a little harder because we had to find a caterer that could make fresh Bombay street fair food. We had Exclusive Events completely transform the CAM. The walls were washed in colored lights, overlapping gobos, sari's hanging from the ceiling along with Moroccan lanterns. We did long family style seating to maximize the space. The tables were draped with colored linens from BBJ and the florals were provided by Artistry Florist. They had flown in a sitar player that has played Carnegie Hall and dancers entertained the guests as they ate.

Saturday night was to pay tribute to Mona's Egyptian heritage. The reception took place at Moulin Meetings and Events. Exclusive Events created a grand entrance for the bride and groom. The entrance was draped with a lush orange crushed fabric and dry ice smoke was blown in to create a dramatic entrance. A traditional Egyptian band came in from out of state to parade Mona and Milan in as a part of the zeffa. Their wedding cake was provided by The Cakery Bakery, flowers again from Artistry, CJ's DJ's provided dance music, and of course, the design and wedding day coordination from Alred Wedding Consultants

Mona and Milan are the proud owners of the Queen Anne Bed and Breakfast in Denver, CO. If you ever find yourself in Denver, please check them out!

Elope in your own hometown...St. Louis!

What could be more romantic that an elopement in a historic house, a place that is special to the two of you or eloping in a park? We can help! With our 'Elope In St. Louis' package, you can still have the wedding of your dreams on a smaller scale. This package includes all of the details of a large wedding but the intimacy of the two of you or 25 of your closest family and friends.

You will get a photographer and wedding album, a bouquet and boutonniere, an officiant, a town car, cake and an overnight stay in one of St. Louis' most luxurious hotels. After the wedding has ended, you will also be given wedding announcements to send to those who are nearest and dearest.

Give us a call for more details.

We have our very own QR Code!