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wedding ceremony

Ice House Louisville Wedding Feature: The LaMasters

February 26, 2019 by icehouse Leave a Comment

Every so often, there comes along a couple who possesses such a charisma that you can’t help but admire them together. Kellie and Michael LaMaster are one of these couples. Their connection is undeniable and we were thrilled that they chose the Ice House in downtown Louisville, Kentucky to host their reception. Continue below to see details and photos from their day!

Kellie + Michael chose to be wed in St. Mary of the Annunciation Catholic Church

“Working within the wedding industry over the past seven years, I thought surely planning my own wedding would be a piece of cake, when in fact it made things a little harder. Everything seemed so over-done in my eyes—I’ve seen it all! That’s why I tried my best to create a very unique wedding.

Michael and I met on Match.com four years ago. We were each other’s first date for the rest of our lives! Eventually we moved to southern Indiana, so it made perfect sense to have our wedding in Louisville, KY where we were building a life together. And, why not enjoy both sides of the Ohio River! Ceremony took place at St. Mary of the Annunciation Catholic Church in New Albany, IN for its beauty and architecture—then we held our Reception at the Ice House in Louisville for its industrial, modern feel that fit us perfectly. We fell in love with the Ice House the moment we walked in!

Making our wedding the most unique was truly my inspiration, down to every detail. Dreaming of a late fall wedding, I chose jewel-toned colors for the dresses and my color palette.  Each bridesmaid wore different color/style dress, while my sister (MOH) wore a sequin dress. The groomsmen had little hoop boutonnières to mimic the bridesmaids fun hoop bouquets—which was my absolute favorite detail! 

Looking back on our magical windy day, I wouldn’t change a single moment.  It turned out more perfect than we ever could’ve imagined, and we’re so grateful. The Ice House team of experts are incredible and made everything so simple. Their stress-free planning process all the way to perfecting our big day—they nailed it! Christina, Erica, Morgan, Spencer, of the Ice House and Crushed Ice Catering crew were absolutely amazing and I appreciate everything they did to make our big day perfect.

I had the best vendor team all around! That is my best piece of advice to brides—you have to find/hire the best team who will make it all possible.” – Kellie LaMaster

Kellie and Michael’s Vendor List:

Church:  St. Mary of the Annunciation Catholic Church

Reception Venue: Ice House Louisville

Photographer:  Stacy Able Photography

Florist:  Amy Jo Goforth at Merci Bouquet (New Albany, IN)

Videographer:  Alyssa & Ryan at Paper Crane Cinema Co.

DJ:  Jason Shields at Music in Motion of Kentucky

Cake:  Sweets by Morgan

Hair:  Paige Brigman

Makeup:  Ashley/Lola B Beauty

Dress:  Modern Trousseau

Shoes:  BHLDN

Bridesmaid Dresses:  Bella Bridesmaid

Filed Under: Additional Amenities, audio, Bella Bridesmaid, BHLDN, Crushed Ice Catering, draping, Event Planning, Event Spaces, Exclusive Caterer, Fall Wedding, Ice House draping, ice house uplighting, Lola B Beauty, Louisville Catering, Louisville events, Louisville Wedding, Merci Bouquet, Music in Motion, Paige Brigman, Paper Crane Cinema Co, Rooftop Event, RoofTop Wedding, St. Mary of the Annunciation Catholic Church, Stacy Able Photograph, Sweet by Morgan, Uncategorized, uplighting, Wedding Ceremony, wedding draping, wedding dress, Wedding Inspiration, Wedding Reception, Wedding Trends, wedding uplighting Tagged With: additional amenities, audio, Bella Bridesmaid, BHLDN, Crushed Ice Catering, Downtown Wedding, draping, event planning, event spaces, exclusive caterer, Fall Wedding, Ice House draping, ice house uplighting, Lola B Beauty, Louisville catering, Louisville events, Louisville Wedding, Merci Bouquet, Modern Trousseau, Music in Motion, Paige Brigman, Paper Crane Cinema Co, Rooftop Event, rooftop wedding, St. Mary of Annunciation Catholic Church, St. Mary of the Annunciation Catholic Church, Stacy Able Photograph, Stacy Able Photography, Sweet by Morgan, Sweets by Morgan, Uncategorized, uplighting, wedding ceremony, wedding draping, wedding dress, Wedding Inspiration, wedding reception, Wedding Trends, wedding uplighting

Styled for Romance: An In Depth Look into our Winter Styled Shoot

November 29, 2018 by icehouse Leave a Comment

As winter seems to be making an early appearance in the Louisville area and given us proper dusting of snow, our sights are set on the upcoming winter bridal season. And even more so are we looking forward to the winter weddings celebrations taking place here at the Ice House. To stoke the fire of our team’s imagination, our Event Decor and Design Coordinator, Spencer Freeman, conjured up a dreamy matrimonial vision and brought it to life. Showcased in our winter wedding styled shoot are some of our favorite hues, textures, and local Louisville vendors for this coming season.

                      A list of our treasured vendors:

Venue: The Ice House

Calligraphy & Florals- Lauren Wilhite Art

Hair & Makeup- Siera Phillips

Furniture Rentals- Southern Classic Rentals

Catering & Cocktails- Crushed Ice Catering

Dress- Rebecca’s Wedding Boutique

Photography- Drake and Eliza Photography

Stylist- Spencer Freeman

 

Well wishes to you and your inspiration,

Morgan Blake

 

Filed Under: Cocktails, Crushed Ice Catering, Drake and Eliza Photography, draping, Event Planning, Event Spaces, Exclusive Caterer, Fall Wedding, Farm Table, Ice House draping, Lauren Wilhite Art, Louisville Catering, Louisville events, Louisville Styled Shoot, Louisville Wedding, Planners, Rebecca's Wedding Boutique, Rooftop Event, RoofTop Wedding, Styled Shoot, Uncategorized, Venue, Wedding Ceremony, wedding draping, wedding dress, Wedding Inspiration, Wedding Planning, Wedding Reception, Wedding Styled Shoot, Winter Florals, Winter Wedding Tagged With: catering, Crushed Ice Catering, inspiration, Louisville Bride, Louisville Wedding, wedding, wedding ceremony, wedding florals, wedding planning, wedding reception

Featured Wedding of the Week: Sara and Steve Stifano

August 7, 2018 by icehouse Leave a Comment

For most couples, when they start planning their wedding they don’t plan on making it “eh” or “just alright” they want to “knock it out of the park” and that is just what this week’s Featured Wedding did. Sara and Steve first met on a softball team so they made sure to add plenty of personal touches such as: a Louisville Slugger bat that everyone signed instead of a traditional guest book, Crushed Ice Catering Crushed Ice Events, event planning The Ice House wedding baseball theme wedding ceremony wedding coordinators wedding planning wedding reception wedding reception and they even had a team huddle during the reception!

A common struggle when it comes to wedding planning is how to make your day as personal as possible. Sara and Steve had no problem with that. To get their family and friends involved, instead of having the DJ make all of the announcements, they had three friends introduce the wedding party, father-daughter dance, and cake cutting.  This is just one example of how you can get your loved ones involved.

For Sara and Steve their wedding planning process was slightly different from most. While they both live in Rhode Island, Sara is from Kentucky and that’s why they decided to get married here in Louisville. They only had an opportunity to see the venue twice in person before their wedding. Thanks to plenty of emails, Facetime sessions, and phone calls, when it came down to it “the entire day was practically perfect, our guests were raving about everything, especially the food!” – Sara Stifano

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, it takes a village to pull off the perfect day and we could never do it alone. This wedding was no different. Here is a list of all the vendors that help make Sara and Steve’s day so special!

Photographer: BG Photography

Florist: Nanz & Kraft

Planner: Ice House and Crushed Ice Catering

Dress: My dress was from Lara’s Bridals & Formals 

Shoes: Kelly & Katie (from DSW)

Hair and Makeup: The Blushing Belle

Bridesmaids dresses: Morilee

Venue: Wedding and Reception were at the Ice House

Music: Family friend

Officiant: Family friend

Cake: Gigi’s Cupcakes

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Filed Under: Crushed Ice Catering, DIY, Event Planning, Event Spaces, Louisville Catering, Louisville events, Louisville Wedding, Planners, Rooftop Event, RoofTop Wedding, Uncategorized, Venue, Wedding Ceremony, Wedding Planning, Wedding Reception, Wedding Trends Tagged With: Crushed Ice Catering, Crushed Ice Events, event planning, Louisville catering, Louisville events, Louisville vendors, Louisville Wedding, Main Hall Package, mezzanine, The Ice House, wedding baseball theme, wedding ceremony, wedding coordinators, wedding planning, wedding reception

Wedding Backup Plans: What To Do and Why They’re Important

July 30, 2018 by icehouse Leave a Comment

Anyone that dreams of the perfect outdoor wedding with the perfect flowers, the perfect pictures, and a perfect first dance under lights strung from trees, also has nightmares of rain and storms. What can you do to insure that your day goes off without a hitch? Aside from a traditional rain dance, or saying a prayer to the Big Man upstairs, there is not much you can do to stop mother nature.  This is why it is CRUCIAL to have a back-up plan! Just ask J-Lo she would know all about this…

No matter what venue you choose, make sure you discuss weather back-up plans. These can be anything from rain delays where you wait it out, tents, or moving the entire ceremony/reception inside. At the Ice House we have multiple back up plans. If you are planning on having your ceremony or reception on our roof-top garden or outdoor terrace, we can always move it inside to our mezzanine or to the main hall. Most venues will have an indoor back-up plan as well, just be sure to ask them about it.

Tents are always a good back-up plan, just know that with most companies they usually have a 24 hour notice policy to guarantee they have time to set the tent up properly. This is not always the case, of course it varies from vendor to vendor, but if the chances of rain on your wedding day are high it’s usually better to play it safe rather than sorry. However make sure to plan for the tent in your budget. It will be much easier on your stress level to have money left over instead of not enough money to pay for the tent.

Rain is not the only weather issue, cold fronts and heat waves can play a major role in outdoor weddings as well. If that is the case there are always heaters, blankets, fans, misters, etc… Not only will the guest appreciate your efforts to keep them comfortable but there are plenty of ways you can work these items into your décor or theme. Pinterest will be your best friend for cases like this!

If it’s going to be a hot outdoor wedding these are just a few options to keep your guests comfortable and cool! Fans make great programs/wedding favors, refreshment stands are a perfect option to keep your guests hydrated, and make for a great photo-op!

               

If you’re afraid it might get a little chilly depending on the time of year, there are plenty of options when it comes to keeping your guests warm. Such as: using blankets as your wedding favors, setting up a hot chocolate stand, or having a s’mores station set up around a fire pit!

             

So no matter the weather just remember, it’s your special day and nothing can rain on your parade! Not even the rain…

 

(Photo Credits: Pinterest)

Filed Under: Budget, Catering Off-Site, Crushed Ice Catering, DIY, Do it Yourself, Event Planning, Event Spaces, Louisville Catering, Louisville events, Louisville Wedding, Planners, Rooftop Event, RoofTop Wedding, Uncategorized, Venue, Wedding Ceremony, Wedding Planning, Wedding Reception, Wedding Trends Tagged With: cold wedding, Crushed Ice Catering, Crushed Ice Events, event planning, hot wedding, Louisville catering, Louisville events, Louisville vendors, Louisville Wedding, Main Hall Package, mezzanine, outdoor weddings, pinterest, Rooftop Garden, rooftop wedding, The Ice House, wedding back up plans, wedding catering, wedding ceremony, wedding planning, wedding rain, wedding reception, wedding tents

To The Bride on a Budget

October 11, 2016 by icehouse Leave a Comment

To the Bride on a Budget: Top Cost Saving Techniques When Planning Your Wedding

As sales people, and more importantly, Louisville wedding planners at the Ice House – we often hear “how can we cut our budget?” – “is this charge really necessary?” – “the estimated event total is much more than we expected”.

We get it. Budgets are undeniably important, yet often difficult to stick to – and the total overall cost does not come without a great deal of sticker shock. It is our goal to not only exceed your expectations, but to ensure no one goes homeless, broke or hungry throughout the planning process.

Quite often, you will hear your Ice House and/or Crushed Ice Catering team member say – “trust us”. Trust that we know what is best for you and your event. Trust that we know our venue best. Trust that we know some of the best cost saving techniques when it comes to food, beverage and venue costs. Share with us your budget – it eliminates the guess work and allows us to get down to the bottom line. It is your day – and you should have it exactly the way you want. We are here to offer some of our best techniques for cutting costs, without cutting out your vision:

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Every Bride and Groom should set a realistic budget

#1 – Negotiables versus non-negotiables: Just as important as your guest list, begin a list EARLY on in the planning process of what items are must-haves (non-negotiables) and which items are flexible (negotiable). Perhaps it has been your dream to have a live band and that is #1 on your non-negotiable list. But you and your fiance aren’t big on cake. Forgo the cake – and hire the live band! Just remember to offer your guests another dessert option (more often than not, at a lower price).

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Deciding what is important, may be the most important thing you do.

#2 – Expectations versus reality: We live in a Pinterest driven event world. More often than not, clients come to us with inspiration boards from Pinterest from high-end weddings taking place in New York, Los Angeles, Hawaii, etc. It is difficult for us to explain that yes, we can execute that look – but for a substantial cost. Keep it realistic. Pinterest is wonderful tool for inspiration. But understand that while you can shoot for the moon, your budget may not permit.

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Pinterest is a great tool, but proceed with budgetary caution.

#3 – Beer and Wine Darling is Fine: It is perfectly acceptable to offer beer and wine only. By eliminating liquor from your bar package, you are not only saving a few bucks, but you are also saving some of your guests from the dreaded hangover the next day. If your caterer is as cool as Crushed Ice Catering, we can even have one or two secret bottles stashed for Wedding Party only, or your Bourbon Loving Dad.

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Your guests will be satisfied with a limited bar.

#4 – Off-season is in: Check with vendors for special off-season or non-peak discounts. Typically, Friday and Sundays are cheaper than Saturdays, and off-season months will save you some big bucks (as long as an outdoor wedding is not in the picture – remember guest comfort should be your #1 priority).

#5 – The Guest Count Debacle: By far – the easiest way to cut your budget is to trim your guest list. From our experience, this may be the easiest cost-saving technique, but it is BY FAR the toughest on this list. Discuss with your fiancé your “rules” for who is invited and who is not, and stick to your guns – no matter what your future MOL might say (unless she’s fronting the bill, of course). Here are some of our suggestions for who makes the cut:

 

  •                 Have you met this person before?
  •                 Do you allow a plus one if you know they are not in a LTR, engaged or married?
  •                 Have you sat down and had a meal with this person in the last 2 years?

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Who do you want to share in your special day? Spend some time on the guest list!

#6 – Hire Local: In hiring local vendors, you are not only supporting the local economy, but you’re saving a few bucks along the way. There is no charge for travel expenses, accommodations, etc. Also, many caterers offer discounts for vendor meals, so be sure to ask! Inquire about the Ice House’s list of suggested vendors for some of the top local talent!

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Local vendors are the best vendors!

#7 – Shop Smart: Shop for Bridesmaids dresses, wedding weekend outfits, shoes, and all of those other important fashion accessories on discount designer sites such as Hautelook, Zulily, Gilt. You can often find designer items for 50-60% off the full price. If you are okay wearing last season Badgley Mischka’s (who sees your shoes anyways?) then this is a great technique to cut your budget, but maintain your style.

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Online savings are the way to go!

#8 – Forgo Favors: Favors are a great way to say “Thank You”. But let’s be honest – who really needs another koozie to add to their bar collection? Favors are typically cheap, so you aren’t trimming too much fat from your budget – but a couple hundred bucks saved here can go towards something higher up on your non-negotiable list.

#9 – Chaaaa Chinnnnng, Make payments with credit cards: Why HELLLLLLLLO points! Want your Honeymoon paid for? Make your large wedding related purchases with that little piece of plastic and relish in the points that you earn. Depending on the card and their rewards, you could get your airfare, hotel and dinners paid for on your Honeymoon.

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Rack up those rewards with your credit card’s point system.

#10 – Don’t blow your life savings on one night: Yes, your Wedding is the biggest day of your life thus far. It is a fleeting moment that will be enjoyable for you and anyone that loves you no matter what amount of money you spend to make it one-of-a-kind. Remember what is important throughout the process – and that is the fact that you get to marry the love of your life and start your lives together. You don’t want to start the beginning of forever in financial peril. Your guests may not remember the gold flatware, or letterpress invitations two years from now (unless all of your guests are planners J). What they will remember is the two of you beginning your journey together, and being a witness to a phenomenal thing called love.

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In the end, remember the real reason for the festivities.

Keep in mind, these are merely just our suggestions to the common questions and concerns that we hear daily. It important to set a realistic budget, and even decide how much wiggle room you will allow for overages, if any. Ultimately, remember throughout the process to have fun, love each other – and accept help (and offers of help) from anyone.

Cheers and Happy Planning!

Erica

Filed Under: Bar, Beer, Budget, Cocktails, Crushed Ice Catering, Discounts, Do it Yourself, Event Planning, Event Spaces, Louisville Catering, Louisville Wedding, Planners, Venue, Wedding Ceremony, Wedding Planning, Wedding Reception, Wedding Trends, Wine Tagged With: bar, Crushed Ice Catering, event planning, Louisville catering, Louisville events, Louisville vendors, Louisville Wedding, Main Hall Package, rooftop wedding, The Ice House, wedding catering, wedding ceremony, wedding planning, wedding reception

Our Favorite DIY Projects

July 26, 2016 by icehouse Leave a Comment

Over the Past few years, new websites like Pinterest have provided us with a treasure trove of Do-It-Yourself ideas for home, life, events and more. Taking on DIY projects to use at your wedding is a great idea but it can be a little overwhelming when you see how many ways an old wine bottle or wooden palette can be used in a new creation. Before you stress and become a wine bottle hoarder, let the ladies at the Ice House and Crushed Iced Catering share a few of our favorite projects that we’ve seen online or in our Louisville venue!

 

DIY Party Favors: Party favors aren’t a necessary item for your wedding, but sometimes it’s nice to remind your guests that you truly thank them for sharing in your special day. There are so many cute, inexpensive ways to DIY small party favors that everyone will use and love. We love “living favors”, plants, seeds, etc. Succulents are very popular right now and look so pretty in your home. Why not gather up some small pots/buckets, have a planting day with your bridesmaids and put together some personalized pots for your guests to take home. Find cute paper that matches your colors and just wrap the little plastic pots they already come in- easy enough! Plus, succulents can go a long time without water and will be a perfect hardy option for your favors!

Pack up seeds for your party favor!
Seed from your favorite flowers are a fabulous and small favor for your guests

Wrap your pots in paper to match your theme.
Step by step wrapping for your little pots!

DIY Guest Book: Although the traditional Guest “Book” is a nice and classic way to have people sign and give their well-wishes, couples are experimenting with more fun options that reflect their personality and the theme of their day. Louisville loves their bourbon. If you do too, then maybe having guests sign a painted bourbon barrel head is a fun option for you. Frame your favorite quote or new monogram on heavyweight paper and have your guests sign around  it. Let your guests have a little fun adding leaves to your “tree of life” or go movie themed and have them stamp a balloon! Choose a design that allows you to hang it up or display back in your home instead of storing on a dusty shelf. All you need to make these is just a steady hand and a little creativity!

A "Tree of Life" guest book option
These little wooden shapes can be ordered at most craft stores and put together.

Use guest's thumbprints and names to create your picture
If a storybook romance is up your alley, then try something like this!

DIY Menu Boards: Let your guests know what thy’re loading up their plates with by labeling your menu. This can be one simple board at the front of a buffet line, or place cards by each individual item. The Ice House and Crushed Ice Catering use items as simple as small square mirrors with a paint pen/chalkboard pen. Grab your friend with the best handwriting and toss her a pen! Cute handwriting adds a personal touch and saves you money on printing fees. You can use whatever items you can find that go along with your theme.

Mirrors with chalk pen used for menu board.
Mirrors are a good way to reflect the lighting inside the venue.

Chalkboard bar menu.
Chalkboards are always a good option for listing out drinks or food items.

DIY Centerpieces: Centerpieces are going to be a huge component of your decor. Floral arrangements are most commonly used in the center of a table, but that doesn’t mean that you are limited to using only giant vases full of flowers. Here’s where your wine bottles can come in handy! Find a color of spray paint that will compliment your colors without overpowering, and spray different sizes and shapes of bottles. Place flowers or candle sticks in each. Glitter is also good for bottles or jars. However, before you go buying a bunch of glitter, know that it does not always stay where you place it and that you may be picking glitter out of your hair until the second you walk down that aisle 😉 Be sure to work with the season too! Colorful leaves,  pine cones for fall, or ornaments for winter make for very inexpensive centerpiece additions.

Bottle and flowers as a centerpiece.
Painting old bottles and pulling flowers from your other decor is a great way to make a centerpiece.

Winter centerpieces.
Pulling pine cones and other greenery is the perfect chance to reflect the season.

 

So there you have it! DIY can be a great way to add a fun personal touch to your big day and it could end up saving you some money in the long run (and who doesn’t love that). Have you done a DIY project that you feel the world needs to know about? Share it with us and maybe you can be our next feature! As for now, Happy Crafting!

 

Cheers,

Madeleine

Filed Under: DIY, Do it Yourself, Event Planning, Event Spaces, Holiday Party, Louisville Catering, Louisville events, Louisville Wedding, Rehearsal Dinner, Wedding Ceremony, Wedding Planning, Wedding Reception, Wedding Trends Tagged With: Crushed Ice Catering, Crushed Ice Events, Decor, DIY, Do It Yourself, event planning, Louisville catering, Louisville events, Louisville Wedding, Main Hall Package, Nonprofit event, The Ice House, The Ice House Lounge, wedding ceremony, wedding show

Summer Weddings: Why We Love Them!

July 6, 2016 by icehouse Leave a Comment

Picking a date for your wedding is a big decision. You may be trying to land a specific day, one with special significance to you and your partner, but often times it comes down to what the venue has available. Many couples shy away from summer dates thinking either spring or fall has better Louisville weather, availability, etc. However, there are so many upsides to choosing summer for your big day and here’s why we at the Ice House and Crushed Ice Catering love summer weddings!

WEATHER: Yes, you take the risk of it being a bit hot, but chances are that the day will be warm and beautifully sunny. By choosing summer, you’ve just opened the door to a whole other group of venues that offer outdoor spaces. The options to do an outdoor cocktail hour, rooftop ceremony, or even a garden-party type reception are available. Not to mention the photos ops that are presented for an outdoor space. Which brings us to our next point…

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Guests enjoy cocktail hour on a beautiful July evening at the rooftop garden.

PHOTOGRAPHY: Just think about the fun that your photographer could have being outside! Not only is the natural lighting a huge benefit, but day-of photo op locations are now endless. You don’t need to worry about taking off and putting on jackets, rosy cheeks, or goosebumps, but you can take advantage of the natural greenery, flowers and sunshine through the clouds. You’ll really appreciate the photos after it’s all said and done.

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Photos at sunset create the perfect romantic lighting.

COLOR/DRESS: Fall and winter weddings limit themselves to a darker color palette. Although this could lead to a more “romantic” or upscale wedding, your options for bridesmaid dresses are limited. The decision of long versus short dresses may be made for you. Summer offers a huge selection of color options from linens, dresses, suits & ties, and flowers. Plus, flowers are in abundance and your florist will be excited to put together bouquets or centerpieces full of color to stand out and make an impact.

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We love this bright and colorful tablescape by Crushed Ice Catering.

GUESTS: Most people usually save their vacation days for summer and have an easier time traveling during this time. If you’re expecting more guests to be available, generally summer is a better option.

COCKTAILS & FOOD: When it comes to picking out your food and bar menu, you really can’t go wrong in the summer. Foods and ingredients are their freshest and generally make everything tastier.  Caterers like Crushed Ice Catering and our Chef Lawrence Agnew take advantage of the freshest locally grown foods for a top notch meal. To top it all off, pick a signature cocktail that reflects the personality of you and your significant other. Your guests will surely appreciate a refreshing beverage unique to you!

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Adding a signature Cocktail or champagne toast is a great and refreshing way to add a little something to your summer menu.

HONEYMOON: Now lets not forget about the honeymoon! Having a summer wedding gives you a good chance to schedule your honeymoon directly after the event. More destinations are available during the summer months and traveling back and forth is easier. However, since the weather is good locally, you don’t have to travel to a tropical location. You can have your honeymoon is a big city or out in the country based on your preference.

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Bride and Groom leave for their honeymoon in style.

The Ice House could be the perfect summer wedding venue. From the rooftop garden to the terrace directly off of the main hall, we aren’t short on beautiful outdoor spaces. Our exclusive caterer, Crushed Ice Catering, provides the highest quality fresh food, and summer guarantees the best ingredients for you and your guests. On top of the awesome space and food available, during the month of July we offer a 20% discount for the venue pricing which means more flowers and fun for you! See, summer isn’t so bad after all!

 

Cheers!

Madeleine

 

Filed Under: Bar, Brunch Wedding, Cocktails, Crushed Ice Catering, Event Planning, Event Spaces, Exclusive Caterer, Louisville Catering, Louisville events, Louisville Wedding, Rehearsal Dinner, Rooftop Event, RoofTop Wedding, Uncategorized, Wedding Ceremony, Wedding Planning, Wedding Reception, Wedding Trends Tagged With: bar, cocktail hour, Crushed Ice Catering, Crushed Ice Events, Curshed Ice Events, East Terrace, event planning, Honeymoon, Louisville catering, Louisville events, Louisville Wedding, Main Hall Package, mezzanine, Photography, Rooftop Garden, rooftop wedding, stations and bars, Summer Wedding, The Ice House, The Ice House Lounge, up lighting, Weather, wedding catering, wedding ceremony, wedding checklist, wedding planning, wedding reception, wedding show

Choosing the Perfect Wedding Date

December 9, 2015 by icehouse Leave a Comment

By: Natalie Dedas, Sales & Events Coordinator 

Choosing the perfect wedding date is probably one of the most important decisions you will make in the beginning stages of the wedding planning process, and maybe even in your life. No pressure. There are so many details to take into consideration and what’s more you will want to please everyone that’s planning on attending. Many people choose their wedding date on sentimental value, but will it work? Once you dive into picking the perfect date you may find that one date sticks out more than others and that’s the beauty of the process in itself.  You will find a date that is special to the two people that matter most, you & your hubby to be. But of course, where do you start? With a few insider tips, we hope to make the process as easy as possible to help you find the ideal time to say the two big words “I do.”

Tip #1: Weather & Location

Depending on the location of your ceremony and reception, this is a huge factor in your decision making. Based on your venue for both, it may be good to look at each season individually and weigh out the options. If you plan on hosting your ceremony or any part of the reception outside in the elements, you will want to look at months with the most favorable weather. The weather tends to be favorable in mid-summer to fall, the most popular wedding months tend to be June, September and October. If you’re planning an outside affair these months should be your go to. The truth of the matter is, each season has its pros and cons.

Tip #2: Off-season

If you haven’t considered the off-season or even heard of it, let’s discuss… Many venues offer deals in the off-season months to gain more potential clients. From venue fees to amenities, discounts are offered and can help you save quite a bit to put towards other wedding expenditures. For example, The Ice House offers off-season discounts in the months of January, February, March, July, August and November. If you’re budget conscience this is a great option to help you not break the bank. Bonus: Many wedding vendors also offer off-season discounts on their services. Don’t ever hesitate to ask about details!

Tip #3: Length of Process

Plan your wedding in a feasible timeline. Best advice for the topic on time, decide what are the most important factors to you when it comes to the wedding. Do you have to have a certain seasonal flower? Must you use pieces of your mother’s wedding dress? Is there a certain black truffle from France you need on the dinner menu that’s only harvested in the winter?  Can your favorite Aunt Judy only make the wedding from out of town in the Spring? Decide what factors are most important and plan the timeline accordingly. There’s no rush. And if there is a rush, just know it takes a little extra on all fronts to pull the big celebration off in no time. But of course it can be done! With the right wedding coordinator, vendors and caterer anything can be done.

Taking all of the factors listed above will allow you to fully comprehend multiple aspects of your wedding day such as catering, bar options and decor rentals, which will only help decision making easier in the long run.

Cheers!

Filed Under: Event Planning, Wedding Planning Tagged With: event planning, The Ice House, wedding ceremony, wedding planning, wedding reception

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