NORMALIZING WEEKDAY WEDDINGS

You guys, I have some (more) AMAZING humans to share with YOU!
Today, Oak Hill Farm’s is here to chat about normalizing weekday weddings! If you haven’t had the opportunity to see their property, please drop what your doing and GET ON GOOGLE! It’s stunning and magical all wrapped into one. The property is spacious, well kept and you can literally have a wedding and reception all in ONE SPOT. Yes, you read that right!

So, check out Becky’s response to some of these amazing questions as we transition into wedding season during COVID-10.

 “Hi, my name is Becky Riedl and I opened our venue, Oak Hill Farm, in 2000. We started with just ceremonies, then added cocktail hour and soon after the reception as well. Over the years, we have transformed the property in many ways…adding outdoor ceremony locations, ponds, gardens, miniature donkeys (seriously!) and in 2020 we built a pavilion to replace our canopy tent. My husband Doug and I met and worked at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Chicago prior to opening Oak Hill (the service industry is in our blood!). I couldn’t be happier raising my children, growing a business and sharing Oak Hill with others. You’ll find me drinking coffee (and wine), hiking with our kids & dogs, and organizing weddings. Simply put, I am so grateful to live a life where I can give love and laugh lots.”

What’s your favorite thing about being a wedding professional? 

1. The couples… I absolutely love meeting new clients, finding a connection with them and developing a relationship throughout their planning process.

2. The hospitality… Sharing our unique property gives me great joy. Oak Hill has been in our family for many years. I have spent my lifetime loving this farm and I adore seeing other people feel the magic.

3. The details… I belive that details make all the difference. There is such satisfaction in helping couples personalize their wedding and witnessing all the planning come together on their wedding day.

4. The vendors…Working with other wedding professionals who bring the best out in one another and who want to provide a superior product/service to our wedding couples.

How has COVID-19 impacted your business?

 This pandemic has affected all of us so much on so many levels. Every professional in the industry has suffered as well as all the couples (and their families) who are living with uncertainty and negativity during what should be one of the happiest times of their life. At Oak Hill, we are working with each couple to find an option that works best for them. We are offering elopements, micro-weddings, shift weddings, the option to hold a future date, rescheduling with no fee, etc. Thus far we have rescheduled 47 weddings…some later in 2020 but most moving to 2021.

Any advice on rescheduling a weddings?

Number one: postpone, don’t cancel! Your day may look a bit different but you will still marry the love of your life and it will be meaningful and heartfelt and magical. Regardless of where or when. Don’t let this situation break your spirit—just take a deep breath, and begin putting together a Plan B.  Be flexible, stay positive and remember that we are all in this together. This moment in time won’t last forever. We will get through it. We will come out stronger.

Perks to rescheduling your wedding on a weekday? 

First of all, you will have the date of your choice! You will also save money as most vendors discount mid-week weddings. Additionally, most of your vendors will likely be available. Think about a Thursday or even a Monday…both of these weekdays bump up against a weekend. If you have guests who are traveling they have the weekend to do so.

Any tips for couples during the wedding planning process? 

Yes, my biggest tips (I’m not good at choosing just one of anything!)

1. Hire professional, highly rated vendors and listen to their input

2. Base your wedding plans on your values as a couple. It will make decision making so much easier! A short list of your and your fiance’s values in-hand will help you filter through all your decisions with more ease and joy

3. Discuss the budget candidly before doing anything! Who is paying? Parents, the couple? This makes planning easy and eliminates any gray area or misunderstandings.

4. Be sure to communicate effectively with your bridal party and vendors. Good communication will minimize the chances of your expectations being broken.

If you have more questions for Becky or curious about open dates, click here!

Blog photo by Orange Anchor Photography and map credit goes to Christine Ross