Meet Elizabeth & Chris.
Elizabeth and Chris are delightful people with the two cutest boys. This family happened to be Marsha’s neighbors at the time! Elizabeth was pregnant at the time that they hired Marsha as their wedding planner, so they were able to walk through the phases of pregnancy, delivery, parenthood, and wedding planning with Marsha there to assist along the way. It was beneficial to have that additional wedding planning support, especially during such a wild life transition to having two young children.
This wedding was a Covid reschedule, as were many others who got married in 2021. Elizabeth and Chris were patient in waiting for the wedding day of their dreams, hoping that they could have a beautiful wedding with all of their favorite people. Luckily for all of us, the weather cooperated perfectly that day, allowing for a stunning outdoor ceremony under sunny skies.
Photography by Natasha Grace Photography
How Distinctly Yours planners shared duties to pull of this wedding.
They were a full planning client, so Marsha did all the planning for this one during the course of their engagement. On that same day, Marsha was also executing a wedding at Willow Springs Garden – it was a double wedding weekend. This is a time where we’re so thankful to have a deep bench!! Alex was the day-of wedding coordinator and did a fabulous job guiding the day smoothly, and was in great communication with Marsha beforehand so she could allow for the entire day to run smoothly.
Most important factors going into wedding decisions:
Since Elizabeth and Chris had to wait longer for their wedding because of the global pandemic, their goal was simply to be married. Their wedding planning priorities mostly centralized around a simple, beautiful wedding with plenty of help, which made life easier for this busy couple with two young children. They really wanted the wedding to go smoothly, and to be simple and lovely.
Sentry was the perfect venue for this vision, because frankly, you can just show up and everything is beautiful and taken care of. The golf course, the architecture, the flowers – it is all gorgeous all the time, so weddings can be breathtakingly beautiful without the bride and groom having to creatively DIY decor. The aesthetics are gorgeous from the start, so everyone can just show up and enjoy a stunning location.
They were able to just enjoy the day – enjoy each other, enjoy their families, enjoy the scenery, because they had us to carry the wedding day along, and Sentry to provide such a lovely place for a wedding day. We worked with their extended families to make sure that the new mom and bride-to-be was able to focus her attention on her young children, and the rest of the family and us could take care of the wedding details that were able to be delegated.
Favorite memories from the ceremony
One of Alex’s favorite memories from the day was how they incorporated their little ones into the ceremony. This beautiful moment extended beyond Chris & Elizabeth, and allowed for vows that included all 4 members of their family.
We also LOVED the live musicians during the ceremony, the Van Tiem Players! The Van Tiem family is full of beautiful musicians, and they do such a fabulous job performing at weddings. We highly recommend them and have only had great experiences working with them.
Planning and executing a wedding at SentryWorld
We have a million great things to say about planning weddings at SentryWorld. For starters, everything is beautiful – it’s impossible to take a bad photo if you’re anywhere on the premises, indoors or outdoors. There’s lots of staff who are so customer focused; the team is so accommodating to whatever needs the couple may have.
Sentry has a wedding coordinator on staff who specifically works in helping plan wedding logistics, and we loved this feature. The coordinator’s job is to take care of the venue, and we (Marsha & Alex) take care of the rest of the wedding needs. Marsha laid out the ceremony, timeline, design, and other wedding elements, and then she communicated that information to the Sentry wedding coordinator, who made sure that the venue was prepared for all aspects of the day. Here’s an example of this working well.
One of Elizabeth & Chris’s wishes was to have photos taken at the “flower hole”, and we were happy to communicate this over to Sentry. For this to happen, some logistics need to fall into place! The site coordinator made sure to block off a time where the couple can get photos on the golf course without being hit by a golf ball, of course! They also coordinate the golf schedule, ensuring that there’s a golf cart and driver ready to take the bride and groom out for photos, as well as the photographer and videographer. Sentry has been around the block for years and knows how to work with couples and wedding planners to make sure their venue can suit the wedding dreams, and they do such a nice job making sure those dreams come true.
Outdoor Bride & Groom Photos
Indoor Reception Photos
Elizabeth & Chris's Vendor List
Click on the business name below to be directed to their website.
Wedding Coordinating: Marsha & Alex from Distinctly Yours Wedding & Events
Venue: SentryWorld
Hair Stylist: Intermission Salon
Makeup Artist: TK Beauty Studio
Photographer: Natasha Grace Photography
Florist: Flowers of the Field
Ceremony Musician: The Van Tiem Players
Baker: Sweet Retreat
DJ: Midwest Sound DJ
Gelato: Fun Factory Sweets
All our love to you, Elizabeth & Chris!
We send you all our love, and thank you for allowing us the privilege of planning your wedding last summer, Elizabeth and Chris. We look back on that perfect day with such fondness, and hope you have experienced such a rich, deep, joyful marriage in your first year. And of course, all our love to the boys, too!
XO,
Marsha, Alex & Team