Wisconsin Bride - Best of 2017

WI Bride Best of 2017

Wisconsin brides, Madison brides in particular, are tremendously fortunate to have access to so many wonderful wedding professionals. Over our thirteen years of planning, we have been honored to get to work with many talented wedding vendors. We wanted to recognize some of the professionals we have worked with over the last year or so. 

Please take a few minutes to cast your ballot for Wisconsin Bride’s Best of 2017!  (Voting closes March 3...so get your votes in while you still can.)

VOTE HERE!

Jayme and Katie

Florist

Daffodil Parker

FUN FACT:  We did our first wedding with Erin at Daffodil Parker WAY back in 2006! Tracy, our sweet bride, was also a labor and delivery nurse at the time and ended up being Erin's nurse while she was having her daughter!

Flora Designs by Jamae

FUN FACT: Jamae is one talented and BUSY woman! She has three beautiful kids, one of which is an infant whom she sometimes has strapped to her while creating some of the most gorgeous arrangements we’ve ever seen!

Sweet Pea Floral

FUN FACT: Working with Cathy is a hoot! That girl is so talented, but also so fun to work with. We absolutely adore her and her beautiful creations.

Venue

Bishop’s Bay

FUN FACT: We may have shed a tear or two when Cheryl, the Events Manager, left Bishop's for a short period. We are thrilled she is back!

The Lageret

FUN FACT: Although we have not worked at this lovely venue as many times as the other Madison venues, it has quickly become a favorite of ours for many reasons.

Madison Club

FUN FACT: Emily, one of the banquet managers, could be a member of our family...gingers rule the world! She and Katie went to the same high school together!

DJ/Entertainment

Celebrations Entertainment

FUN FACT: Geoffrey is our non-profit hero! That man donates so much time to working with various charities.

Mueller DJ Service

FUN FACT: We have known Scott since before we started doing weddings… he even did Jayme and Dean's wedding!

Rentals

Event Essentials

FUN FACT: Event Essentials was one of the first vendors we ever worked with WAY back in 2004!

A la Crate

FUN FACT: A La Crate is one of Katie's favorite places to go because antiques and vintage are her jam!

Invitations

Sugar Pear

FUN FACT: Kathy recently adopted one of Katie’s dream dogs… a Bernese mountain dog!

Cake/Desserts

GiGi’s Cupcakes

FUN FACT: Lindsay, the lead baker at GiGi's, is one of the coolest people we get to work with! She is funny, sweet and talented all rolled into one.

Craig’s Cake Shop

FUN FACT: Jayme and the ladies from Craig's Cakes were on a TV show together in 2010! We absolutely loved their white chocolate shavings.

Bloom Bake Shop

FUN FACT: Bloom Bake Shop is such a unique treasure in Madison. They truly create beautiful and delicious desserts!

Hair and Makeup

Kendra Gassner

FUN FACT: Kendra, in addition to being an amazing hair and make-up artist, went to school with Jayme’s husband Dean!

Kenzie’s Kuts

FUN FACT: Mckenzie, is a true talent who also happened to school with Jayme’s brother Brad!

Rik RakSalon

FUN FACT: Colie is a talented hair designer with the biggest heart. This is where Katie gets her hair done!

Wedding Planner


The Darling Wedding Co

FUN FACT: We like to think that we are pretty organized, dedicated, detailed, crazy, and fun! J

Catering

Upstairs Downstairs

FUN FACT: In all our years of doing tented weddings, we have by far used Upstairs Downstairs the most!

Underground Food Collective

FUN FACT: The wonderful people at Underground helped us pull off two tented weddings in one day! We would have never have been able to do it without them.

Blue Plate Catering

FUN FACT: Katie’s family is best friends with Tim DiMenna and his family, co-owners of Blue Plate! Their staff is always friendly and very responsive.

Bridal Apparel and Accessories

Marah’s Elegant Bridal

FUN FACT:  Both of Katie’s sisters have found their dresses at Marah’s. Marah and her sister have such a wonderful selection of gowns!

Vera’s House of Bridals

FUN FACT: Jayme worked as a bridal consultant for Vera’s in both Madison and Janesville when she was 19!

Photographers

Twig and Olive Photography

FUN FACT: Bobbi, Doug and Courtney are the best… we have so much fun working in collaboration with them and their talented visions!

Errin Hiltbrand Photography

FUN FACT: Errin is from the same small town as our extended family… making her apart of our family!

Krakora Studios

FUN FACT: Michael and Heather are honestly a couple of dream photographers. We have shared so many memories with them over the past thirteen years!

                    VOTE HERE!

Getting to Know Us Part 2

Photo: Maureen Cassidy Photography

The second member of your DWC dream team is our Designer and planner extrodinaire...Katie Paulos!

Katie Paulos 
Designer | Planner

Katie started working for Beyond Elegant Events, now The Darling Wedding Co, while still in high school. Her infectious smile, a happiness that runs bone deep, and an impeccable style allowed her to fast become one of their most trusted assistants.

Photo: Amanda Red Photography

After graduating with a degree in interior architecture and design from the University of Wisconsin - Madison, Katie went to work for a local design and rental company helping couples with their event designs. In addition, she continued to assist Jayme and the DWC team plan weddings. In 2012, Katie took on her first lead planner role and knocked it out of the park. In the years following, she took on more and more weddings for DWC before moving to Washington, D.C. to work with a high-end event design company. In 2015, Katie moved back to the Land of Bucky and returned as a planner to the DWC.

As an avid dog lover, Katie cherishes spending time with her adorable puppy Lilah, a medium english goldendoodle she adopted this past year. In addition to leading some amazing weddings with DWC, she is also a designer with Bella Domicile (you may see her on TV every now and then with Bella)!

Katie’s unwavering sweetness and keen design style makes her a tremendous member of The Darling Wedding Co. team. She makes her couple’s dream weddings come to fruition with a grace and style unparalleled by most planners.

Fun Facts About Katie:

Cat vs. Dog – Dog (Katie is unfortunately allergic to cats) but she is an extreme dog lover.

Passion: If she was not a designer, she would most definitely be an animal conservationist (ideally helping dolphins)!

Design Aesthetic: Katie has a love for the reclaimed, vintage style and is often repurposing furniture and shopping at antique stores.

Most Embarrassing Moment: Katie had the privilege to drive in a presidential motorcade, where she accidentally crashed into white house military.

Getting to know us

"Getting to know you, getting to know all about you."  This week we will be introducing ourselves to the world...kidding!  We thought it would be fun to give you the low down on our two senior planners, Jayme and Katie.

First up is our principal and planner...Jayme Galanos.

Jayme Galanos

Principal | Planner

Photo By: Tim Fitch Photography

When Jayme began the business, formerly known as Beyond Elegant Events in 2004, she was anxious to combine her knowledge of project and budget management with her experience in the wedding industry. From working at several floral studios as well as operating as a bridal consultant, Jayme’s passion is for all things planning, organizing, and making things pretty. While her career began in the technology world working for leading corporations such as Berbee/CDW and Alliant Energy, it was her love for creativity in conjunction with her impeccable organizational skills, which eventually led her to the event industry.

Jayme handles each wedding as if it were her own. She understands how important it is for each and every client to sit back and cherish every moment on their wedding day.

Photo By: Twig and Olive Photography

As a mother of two children and one very spoiled “fur baby,” Jayme is very adept at multitasking and handling any issue that might arise on the special day. In July 2017, Jayme and her husband, Dean, DWC’s CIO and heavy lifter, will celebrate their 13^th wedding anniversary (the year of lace)!

Jayme thrives on providing personal attention to each and every client. This boutique approach is what makes DWC unique. As principal, Jayme strives to make you a part of the Darling Family!

Fun Facts about Jayme:

Hobbies: Knitting, crafting, and experimenting with make-up

TV vs. Reading: Reading all the way - she always has a book with her!

Dog vs. Cat: Both, but since her husband and daughter are both allergic to cats, she has small fluffy dogs who will cuddle with her.

Guilty Pleasures: Watching vlogs and beauty gurus on YouTube, cute office products (Target!), and anything chocolate!

Family: Jayme and Katie are actually cousins. They are part of a large family headed by Dean and Donna who recently celebrated their 65^th wedding anniversary.