It's All About the Shoes

Merry Gnaegy, Wedding Coordinator Hermann Hill Missouri Weddings

For many bridal couples, choosing your wedding attire goes beyond the gown and the tuxedo, and often includes some fabulous footwear.  What the bride and groom are wearing on their feet often makes a statement about who they are.  After all…wedding shoes are a perfect opportunity to show off your individuality.  When making a shoe choice, more brides are thinking about comfort first, since they’ll be spending 8 to 10 hours in their shoes.  Smart brides may choose one pair of shoes for their ceremony, and another more comfy pair for the reception. 

A formal, traditional wedding typically congers up a classic heel, but the classic heel now includes embellishments…and it doesn’t have to be white.  Shoes can provide a pop of color in the modern bride’s look.  Here are some classic heels that a couple of our Hermann Hill brides chose to wear.
 

The "I Do" embelishment was a subtle message to the groom

These shoes were obviously chosen for style and not for comfort

If you’re afraid of tripping down the aisle, or just walking in general, flat wedding shoes may be the right choice for you.  There are plenty of fabulous flats to choose from for your special day, not just for you, but also for your wedding party.    These glittery ballet flats worked for bride, bridesmaids, and flower girls. 

Your bridesmaids will appreciate having comfy flip-flops as a part of their attire.  Hermann Hill has seen plenty of cute options, and they’re not just for the beach anymore! 

 

 

A pair of shoes can make or break any outfit, and wedding shoes are no exception.  The shoes are often a featured item in wedding photographs, as you’ll see here.

 

 



These bridesmaids were strutting a chic western style.    

 

Not all grooms like the shiny black patent tuxedo shoe, and footwear has become a way to show their own particular style.

 

Sometimes, it’s the socks that make the statement.

Whatever you choose to wear on your feet, Hermann Hill hopes that your first steps as husband and wife will be happy ones that lead to a terrific future together! 







An Added Value – Hermann Hill’s Wedding Trail

Merry Gnaegy, Wedding Coordinator Hermann Hill Missouri Weddings

Three times a year, Hermann Hill hosts a Wedding Trail, which is like a full-scale bridal show on our site.  During a Wedding Trail, brides and their families are able to tour our Chapel and Cottages, taste selections from our menu, choose chair bow and table overlay colors, meet with our cake, floral, music, photo booth, and photography vendors, spend time with our wedding coordinators, and get questions answered on specifics like bar and food options.   The Wedding Trail is a means, for many of our brides, for making decisions as part of the wedding planning process.  An additional perk is a personal Planning Session at Hermann Hill, where the couple meets with our Planning Coordinator and their various vendors to iron out all of the details.   This becomes an added value to our brides – their planning becomes a simple process so they can enjoy their engagement without the added stress.   After the decisions are made, Hermann Hill’s wedding coordinators take over, and help coordinate the details, and keep things on track, right up until the wedding day.  Every wedding at Hermann Hill includes the services of an experienced Wedding Coordinator as well as an Assistant Wedding Coordinator. 

Here are photos from last Sunday’s Wedding Trail.  Our next Wedding Trail takes place on Sunday, September 8^th from 11:30 – 3:30.  Come experience a Hermann Hill Wedding Trail, and see how easy we make the planning process for your special day! 

Brides are able to see cake designs and taste flavors from some of our preferred cake vendors, like Melissa from "All about Cakes". 

Here a bride and her mother finalize flower details with Luci from Windy Hill Garden Gate.

 

 This bride and groom enjoyed sampling many of the selections from Hermann Hill's menu.

 

 At a Wedding Trail, brides can see not only the many color options that are available for their

reception tables, but also the various ways that chair bows can be tied!

Broadway Comes to Hermann Hill

Merry Gnaegy, Wedding Coordinator Hermann Hill Missouri Weddings

Weddings at Hermann Hill often involve surprises.  A fire truck parked outside the Pavilion was a fun surprise for one couple’s guests.  Some families put together a special slide show with photos of the bride and groom growing up to surprise the couple.  And a special dance is sometimes planned for the father/daughter dance, or by the wedding party. 

At one recent wedding, the dance actually came as a surprise for the bride.  The sister of groom Hunter Holmes, who is a professional dancer with the Alvin Ailey Dance Troupe, and her partner, who took time off his Broadway performance of Lion King, surprised bride Amanda Bell with a special dance.  They sneaked in a rehearsal when they arrived at Hermann Hill, and our wedding coordinators made sure that the bride was diverted during their rehearsal.   After dinner, the surprise dance took place, and it was a magical moment for everyone in attendance, and a memory that few will forget!   Here is the dance that they presented, with a special appearance by the bride and groom as well – Enjoy!!

To Smash or Not to Smash?

Jill Winkelmann, Wedding Coordinator Hermann Hill Missouri Weddings

At Hermann Hill we hear lots of discussion during the Planning Sessions about whether or not the Bride and/or Groom will smear cake on their newly beloved’s face.   Most often, the conversation sounds something like this, “Don’t you dare!” or “I’ll kill you if you do!” 

Forks are sometimes used for those who are more formal.  However, for those who choose to use their fingers, we do have a napkin handy.  And, more often than not, cake on the face just happens!   And our couples just roll with it.  It makes for great candid shots, with their photographer’s capturing surprise, shock, revenge, and (usually) utter joy.  After all, it is tradition, and it is the Wedding Cake!

 

 

Centerpieces - What Centerpiece reflects your Hermann Hill Wedding Style?

Merry Gnaegy, Wedding Coordinator - Hermann Hill Missouri Weddings

During a Hermann Hill wedding planning session, the first question we ask a bride is “What one word would you use to describe your wedding?”  Often, that word (whether ‘traditional’, ‘elegant’, ‘rustic’, ‘vintage’, ‘fun’, or ‘romantic’) is exemplified in their reception centerpieces.  And centerpieces aren’t just about flowers anymore.  Couples are using a mix of photos, florals, candles, props and unexpected twists to express their wedding style.   For a romantic wedding, the mood can be set with candles – short and tall, grounded by tealights.  Nothing says romance like long-stemmed roses, as shown in this photo. 

For a whimsical woodland theme, one of our brides chose birch-wood vessels, placed on a cross-section of a tree stump, surrounded by gnomes, and accentuated with small votive candles. 

To stretch their budgets, many of our brides will utilize their chapel decorations, such as pew arrangements, as centerpieces on their reception tables. This was done by bride Brenna Michael when she chose personalized wooden boxes containing wooden flowers in her colors to hang on each pew, and then be placed on the reception tables. To stretch her budget even farther, the wooden flowers were wrapped in ribbon attached with a photo charm of the couple, and served as favors for their guests to take home.

Some brides will choose to create their own centerpieces, but there are some tasks which should be left to the pros, or at least the unengaged.  Be realistic about what you can do yourself, and enlist the help of talented, dependable friends or the pros wherever possible.  Don’t plan to arrange the centerpieces on the tables yourself.  Appoint a member of your family or wedding party to work with a Hermann Hill staff member to make sure everything is placed where you want it.  This will help minimize last minute stress, so you can relax and just enjoy your day. 

A simple, but showy half-stem of a gladiola submerged in water and topped with a floating candle invites everyone’s attention. 

A trio of floating candles in multi-height vases surrounded by photos of the couple and their new family made both a great centerpiece and a conversation piece for their guests. 

Here are some examples of centerpieces that our Hermann Hill brides have chosen for their receptions.  When choosing floral arrangements, it’s best to use seasonal flowers – peonies in May, purple anemones in winter, lilies, roses or hydrangeas in summer.  Professional florists, such as Windy Hill Garden Gate, will let you know what flowers will be in season on your big day, and can help create the perfect centerpiece to express your style! 

Amanda and Jesse

One month!!!  That's all the time this couple had to plan for the wedding and they thought it couldn't be done.  Thanks to the staff at Hermann Hill everything turned out great.  This couple had a gorgeous wedding and we are very privileged to have know them.  Their smiles were infectious the entire ceremony and throughout the reception. 

Once the festivities were over the bride and groom settled down for a cozy night in their honeymoon suite. They had a great photo shoot in the room by Arms Up Photography.  They needed a good nights rest since they left early the next morning for New York.  Amanda was starting her new internship there and welcomed the comfortable room and the arms of her man.  Hermann Hill wishes them the very best and hopes that we see them for many years to come.  Congratulations from all of us here!


Jill Winkelmann, Wedding Coordinator Hermann Hill Missouri Weddings

Adam and Danielle

You have never met a more lively group than the friends and family of Adam and Danielle.  Many of the events during the wedding and reception make you appreciate the lives of these two people coming together.

The flower girl, Alex, kept herself occupied with her own private wedding.  The dolls she played with provided hours of entertainment.  She was then promptly whisked away to don her new hairdo.  Although, the life of a flower girl is always on the go, Alex takes some much needed time and stops to enjoy the baby.

The cake provided by Sugar and Spice was a sight to behold.  With multiple tiers and 7 different flavors, the bride and groom as well as all the guests were thoroughly impressed.  Many thanks go to Laura and her husband for creating this divine delicacy.

The ceremony held many unique aspects that were captured on this momentous occasion.  Adam's grandparents, who have been married for 61 years, joined the celebration and wished the couple a wonderful life.  Alex, the groom's daughter, shared a special ceremony in which Danielle made specific vows to her.  A beautiful picture of how this family has bonded together and will continue to grow.

The groomsmen certainly made an impression!  They, and the groom, have been childhood friends and you could definitely tell.  Between dancing to the YMCA and leading the ladies to the dance floor, you can certainly tell the level of friendship shared by each of these young men (there's no need to feel down.)

Hermann Hill was proud to be a part of this special event and many warm and wonderful wishes goes out to Adam and Danielle and their future.  We wish you the very best and can't wait to see what the future holds for you.


Jill Winkelmann, Wedding Coordinator Hermann Hill Missouri Weddings