Event Planner Blog Posts

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Jon & Iliana Carmon's Wedding

Jon and Iliana found me on The Knot and knew they wanted to book either the Mid Size or Full Planning Package. They needed help so we discussed the different options and they landed on the Mid Size Planning Package.

We started right in on planning as they chose the venue, caterer, and photographer as the three vendors I would help with.

I emailed them lots of different options for the reception venue. They had already chosen their church for the ceremony. They wanted an industrial design for something modern and dark/moody vibes. I immediately thought of Carmon’s in downtown Champaign. It was still under construction when we started working together but underway enough that they would get the idea.

Jon and Iliana live in Chicago so I called them on FaceTime to give them the initial tour of Carmon’s. Luckily they trusted me and liked the video images enough to move forward without seeing it in person. That’s one reason it’s so important to trust your planner! We always have your best interest in mind so you can rest easily.

Iliana has an auto-immune disease that makes her extremely tired very quickly. They knew they wanted to have a two day wedding weekend as everything in one day would be too much. The ceremony was set for Friday and the reception set for Saturday.

Once we nailed down Carmon’s we decided on a general timeline outline to give us an idea for the menu. They were originally thinking a brunch reception (YUM) and landed on soup, salad, and sandwiches from Pan and Cake Catering. THE BEST. What a fun and unique menu. They had their tasting and fell in love so they booked immediately.

Lastly, they wanted help choosing their photographer. They wanted a photographer who captured the day with real emotions versus so many posed photos. I knew right away that Anna Longworth would be the perfect fit. We got more information from Anna and they fell in love with her work. They had an engagement session with her in Chicago too and those photos turned out amazing. Jon and Iliana were engaged in Chicago so they wanted the pictures taken there. Very sweet!

Throughout the process of them deciding those vendors we were also emailing back and forth to check in on their planning with the other details. This is included with the Mid Size Package. I keep the client on planning track by providing a planning check list broken down by month and then I work through that with them. I checked in almost every other week to see if they needed help or had questions or needed recommendations for vendors.

I never actually met either until their wedding weekend! So crazy. After tons of emails and a couple video calls the weekend was finally here.

It was a beautiful and cool fall weekend. The church where they had their ceremony runs a tight ship and I love working with Donna there. Jon and Iliana incorporated some very cool elements into their ceremony. First, they had grandparents read different Bible verses. Iliana’s family is from Puerto Rico so they incorporated “El Lazo” into their ceremony. This is when the family comes up and wraps a lasso around the couple to signify the couple becoming one.

The ceremony was on Friday so I set up the reception at Carmon’s on Friday morning then went over for the ceremony. Saturday was the reception so I set up finishing touches on Saturday morning and helped run the reception.

Some of my favorite parts from the weekend:

  • Jon’s dad has several vintage cars so they used one as the getaway vehicle at the church. Another they drove inside Carmon’s for their grand entrance. Carmon’s has a large garage door so we opened the garage door and in they drove!

  • Iliana is in a wheelchair and her and Jon took dancing lessons for their first dance. It was awesome!

  • Another Puerto Rican touch was the party favor. Called “Coquito” it’s a Puerto Rican rum drink that the couple made for everyone.

  • Instead of taking Jon’s last name or hyphenating they created a completely new last name. Haven is their new last name as they aspire to be a safe haven for those in their life. LOVE THAT! Such a wonderful idea!

The bridal party and family were a HUGE help for set up and tear down. Jon and Iliana brought in most of their own decor so it was very awesome to have help with everything.

What an amazing weekend and it worked so perfectly to split things up between the two days. I am so happy they knew themselves well enough to do that so they could fully enjoy their wedding. Cheers to the new couple!

Vendor Team:

  • Day Of Wedding Coordinator - 618 EVENTS, Maggie

  • Photography- Anna Longworth

  • Florals- Flowers by Kristine

  • Ceremony Venue- Wesley United Methodist Church

  • Reception Venue- Carmon’s

  • Catering- Pan and Cake Catering

  • Hair and Makeup- Allure Salon and Spa

  • Dresses- Dantela Bridal Couture

  • Tuxes- Suit Shop

  • Signature Drinks- Common Good Cocktails

  • Videographer- Forevermore Films

  • Glassware Rentals- Herriott’s

  • Donuts- Industrial Donut

  • DJ- Deephouse Entertainment

Maggie Farchmin