Postponed Wedding? Capture the Original Date with LoriSapio Photography!

The pandemic might have swept your plans to the side and your special day to change its course, but you can have your wedding day captured!


Lori Sapio Photography is offering you and your fiancé(e) the chance to commemorate your original wedding day.
Lori will meet for a 15 minute mini-shoot to

These fantastic offers includes:
  • 15 minute mini photoshoot which includes 5 edited digital images with printing rights for $125
  • 30 minute photoshoot which includes 8 edited digital images with printing rights for $200


If you’re looking for a more extended session, there are additional options!


Contact Lori Sapio Photography to schedule your shoot.


Happy Earth Day!

Earth Day is here! Earth Day is an important reminder that we all have to do our part to promote the health of the planet. 
Honeybee Weddings is a proud member of the Green Wedding Alliance where every day is Earth Day
 Green Wedding Alliance is a nonprofit organization that connects a growing community of environmentally and socially responsible event vendors with the conscious consume for mindful weddings, commitment ceremonies and social events. Their collaborative network of over 40 members constantly strives to inform others based on responsible and eco-friendly business practices.
Happy Earth Day! Go Green!  

WIN FREE BEER FOR A YEAR!

Do you have to postpone your wedding due to the coronavirus pandemic? Busch Beer is here to help you get the party going—just at a later date! Your wedding plans may be on hold, but Busch Beer wants to offer you the chance of a lifetime—FREE BEER for a whole YEAR!! 



Sally O’Donnell Photography

All you have to do is post a photo of you and your soon-to-be spouse, jot down some info about how you’re planning to (eventually) celebrate your BIG DAY—and don’t forget to include the hashtags #BuschWeddingGift and #Sweepstakes for your chance to WIN! 

Act fast because the contest ends at 11:59 p.m. EDT on May 1st! The very next day, 250 random WINNERS will be selected to receive a full YEAR’s supply of BEER!! 

Aren’t looking to get married? The Busch Beer company says ANYONE can take a friend and use the #MyFriendsWedding and #Sweepstakes for a chance to WIN limited-edition Busch merchandise! All winners will be selected on May 2nd—don’t miss out on your chance to WIN BIG! 

Click here to read the complete list of rules.  

The Ultimate Survival Guide to Postponing Your Wedding

Having to postpone your wedding is awful! You have been planning for months, maybe years, and right now it might seem like everything is ruinedbut it doesn’t have to be! This comprehensive list will provide you the steps necessary to efficiently postpone your wedding with GRACE & STYLE! 
Photo by Caili Helsper Photography

As a soon-to-be-married couple, the decision to postpone your wedding can be overwhelming, particularly in a time of crisis, such as COVID-19. REMEMBER: At the end of the day, all of this extra hard work will be totally worth it when you finally get to come together with your loved ones, marry your partner and celebrate your LOVE!


TALK WITH YOUR WEDDING PLANNER

Now is the time to lean on your resources. This is why you hired a wedding planner! Contact your wedding planner to begin the postponement process. There are a lot of moving parts when planning a wedding, let alone postponing one! You have to change the date, contact family members and guests, draw up new contracts with vendorsthe list goes on. Don’t drown in a sea of information, let your wedding planner be your life raft! 

READ YOUR CONTRACTS

Before contacting any vendors, re-read all your contracts! Check the fine print for their cancellation and/or rebooking policies, as well as the “act of God” or force majeure clauses. This information will determine how you will proceed with your vendors. 

If you invested in wedding insurance, that’s AMAZING! Contact your insurance company and check what your policy will cover. If you don’t have insurance, no big dealbut now that you see the value, be sure to have a policy set up for your postponement date!

SET EXPECTATIONS

It is important to understand that changing the date of your wedding is also going to increase the potential for extra costs. Most vendors are going to try their hardest to meet your new date at the same cost, but it is not always possible. They will have to exert extra time and resources, so the payments may not be able to remain the same. 

Some vendors or services may not be available if you are moving your date to another year. Try to be flexible and work with your vendors. You can still have your BIG DAY with the perfect florist or the photographer you always wanted if you are willing to COMPROMISE. 

SELECT A NEW DATE

Selecting a new date can be tricky, especially in a time of crisis when we don’t really know what is going to happen yet. At this point, you have to consider your PRIORITIES. Every postponement decision is going to be based around what is absolutely necessary for you to have on your wedding day. Start with what is MOST important to you (i.e. family, venue) and move down the list from there. 

Ask yourself: 
What are the best possible new dates for us?
Will our VIP guests be available to attend?
What dates can our venue accommodate?
Are our priority vendors available?
Will the remaining vendors be available? 

Be prepared to be FLEXIBLE. Remember, you are rescheduling your wedding into a future season that is already partially planned, so prime days at popular venues may not always be available.  

ASSEMBLE YOUR NEW WEDDING TEAM 

Now that you have chosen a new date and contacted your priority vendors, take a moment to make sure everyone understands the changes that are being made. Don’t worry: Your wedding planner will gather the addendums to the former contracts to document these changes. 

Use all the hard work you and your wedding planner have already done as an outline. Communicate with your vendors and confirm that they will stick as best they can to the original plans. Moving forward with the postponement is so much easier once everyone has a shared understanding of the situation. The goal is to plan you a wedding as similar as possible to the one you were planning all along: YOU CAN STILL HAVE YOUR DREAM WEDDINGjust on a different date

ANNOUNCE YOUR NEW DATE

Once you have chosen a new wedding date, send out a formal announcement to inform your guests. What you do next depends on where you are in the wedding planning process: 

If you haven’t sent out invitations yet, you may want to consider sending a digital ‘Change-the-Date’ rather than the traditional paper card due to sanitation concerns related to COVID-19. Then you can follow up with the traditional timeline sending the paper invitations 6 to 10 weeks prior to the event. 

If your invitations have already been mailed and you don’t want to spend a fortune re-sending cards, consider digitally sending revised invitations matching the original design. Or if you feel your wedding has moved a far enough date, scrap the original and choose a whole new invitation entirely. This is still your day, and after all the strife you have been through for this wedding you deserve a BEAUTIFUL invitation to match the occasion!    

TAKE A MOMENT 

Postponing and re-planning a wedding can be one of the most stressful experiences of your lifethis is a big deal, it is your WEDDING DAY after all. You wanted everything to go perfectly, but a wrench got thrown in the plans. If you are feeling distressed or overwhelmed, take a moment to RELAX and take a few deep breathswhatever is currently stressing you out will still be there in a few minutes, it can WAIT

Remember to take time for yourself. You will be better off if you give your mind a moment to rest. Don’t waste your time getting caught up in the disappointment of having to postpone. Channel your energy into the areas where you will need it most, like planning your awesome NEW wedding! At the end of the day, all this hard work will be totally worth it when you and your loved ones celebrate safely on your BIG DAY! 

Getting Married During COVID-19? DON’T CANCEL— POSTPONE!

COVID-19 got you down? Planning a wedding is difficult enough as is, now you’ve got to deal with this? Seriously?! 

Right now it is easy to feel overwhelmed. No one anticipated the sheer magnitude of COVID-19; the extent of the pandemic is only just starting to set in. Until further notice, we have been told to practice social distancing and restrict gatherings. If your wedding is off the table due to this crisis, REMEMBER: don’t cancel your wedding— POSTPONE!


During this state of unrest, it is understandable to be apprehensive. Times are tough for everyone and right now we don’t really know how things are going to pan out. However, in the long run, moving plans to a later date is always going to be easier (and less costly!) then starting from scratchnot only for you, but for everyone else involved in making your wedding SPECTACULAR! 

During this turbulent social and economic time, it is important to stay positive and look toward the future where one day we will come together again and CELEBRATE! This is still going to be your wedding after all, and your event is IMPORTANT & SPECIAL to everyone involved. From your wedding coordinator to your vendors, we in the event industry are working tirelessly, so everything is PERFECT for your BIG DAY!


The hardest part of rescheduling events during a crisis like COVID-19 is the uncertainty. Here are a couple helpful statistics to consider when postponing your wedding: 

  1. 26% of couples are postponing to a later date in 2020. It is understandable, after all the planning and anticipation, many couples have decided to move their wedding date within the same year. Events in this climate are going to look very different than they ever have before, but ultimately the people are going to get to come together and demonstrate their love, even if it is not exactly how they had originally planned. 
  2. 26.5% are moving to 2021. It is a hard pill to swallow, but this pandemic is going to have a ripple effect that will likely alter the state of events for the unforeseeable future. If you are still hoping for a huge blow-out with a lot of guests, it may be safest to re-schedule to the new year.
  3. Only 5.5% of couples are cancelling altogether. REMEMBER: while some couple have chosen to cancel, its is always easier and  more cost efficient to POSTPONE!
  4. A majority of couples (42%) are holding their current date. Right now we don’t really know what future gatherings are going to look like. It may be naive, but if we recover from this crisis in the next few months then retaining the same date couples can just continue as planned. In all reality, even with increased concern over COVID-19, the show will go onjust maybe not as according to the original plan. As long as these couples are willing to remain flexible, retaining an original wedding date is a perfectly good option!
Rescheduling a wedding is no easy task, let alone during a full-blown pandemic. Try to STAY POSITIVE! You had a great wedding plannedand you can STILL see those plans come to fruition! At the end of the day, all the hard work you have put in to overcome these challenges will make this VICTORY even sweeter when you and your loved ones are able to safely CELEBRATE YOUR LOVE together!!

Postponing Your Wedding? Check Out these Cute Ways to Spread the Word!

So you have made the difficult decision to postpone your wedding. You’ve already got in touch with your VIPs, vendors and wedding planner, now it’s time to officially inform your guests. The BEST way to formally announce the news is with a BEAUTIFUL digital or print “Change the Date” card!
Your wedding is still going to be SPECTACULAR, so send a gorgeous re-invitation to fit the occasion! The aesthetic should match your original theme but this announcement does NOT have to be another traditional invitation. Use your PERSONAL STYLE to communicate your unique situation. REMEMBER: Have Fun and Be Yourself! As bad as it seems right now, at the end of the day, all the steps you are taking to ensure the safety of your loved ones will all be totally worth it when you are surrounded by your FRIENDS & FAMILY on your BIG DAY!
These couples took their CREATIVITY to the next level to let their guests know the party is still on—just at a later date! Check out at these adorably cheeky “Change the Date” ideas to get INSPIRED!

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FREE GIVE-AWAY! SERIOUSLY.

Honey Bee Weddings is thrilled to announce that Cage + Aquarium is hosting the “Name That Tune” Challenge, a BIG Spring Sweepstakes and will be giving away a DJ Reception Package to one lucky couple!

There is no catch, anyone can enter and win a free DJ package for their wedding! To take advantage of this AMAZING opportunity all you have to do compete is tell them three songs you and your significant other LOVE! Submit this form by March 31st, 2020. There are only a few days left to enter, so sign up now to win the give-away of a lifetime!! Don’t wait, you won’t want to miss this chance to win!

general | Cage and Aquarium

Bridal Event: Evening of Bridal Luxury

Modern Luxury Weddings Chicago
14th Annual Evening of Bridal Luxury
Sunday, February 23rd 6-9pm
The Modern Wing at the Art Institute of Chicago

Join Modern Luxury Weddings to preview the upcoming designs of wedding dresses, featuring the unveiling of Monique Lhuillier’s Fall 2020 bridal collection


Brides-to-be, don’t forget to grab a luxury swag bag on your way out!


Tickets are $50 to $100. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Bright Pink.

Studio E Unique Onsite Photography

Studio E has recently made a wonderful video showcasing their fun with their on-site photography station. The amount of hats and props they have is endless, and what better fun is getting the whole wedding involved? 


It’s a great way to allow your wedding party to take home a momentum to remember this special day. Along with being able to capture the moment and have some fun with it. They do a wonderful job and I love the enjoyable atmosphere they bring into play! 

If you want to check out the video for yourself, click here!






Chris + Autumn’s Union League of Chicago Wedding

This heartfelt wedding was amazing from start to finish! Autumn began getting ready at her childhood home, as she prepared to get married at her hometown church. It was such a special touch to join together at St. Luke Church in Riverside as Chris took her hand in marriage. All of the glorious details were just magnificent. The celebration continued at the Union League Club in Chicago as they celebrated their love with friends and family! 

It was such a pleasure planning this wedding! Thank you for letting me be apart of your special day! 

Ceremony: St. Luke Church
Band: Triple D Band 
Musicians: Royal Trumpet Works + Brian Ostrega
Videographer: Carisma Films