Welcome!
I’m Deanne, the owner and lead planner at Elegance and Ivory. Before we jump in to all things wedding planning together, I think it's important that you know a little bit about me. I strive to provide each of my clients with the best possible experience, and that means starting with a solid team. Pro tip: planning your wedding is all about having the right team in place, planner included! It can be tough to get to know your vendors before you book with them and part of my job is to make that easier for you, so why not start with myself? 😊
About Me
Wedding planning is my passion, second only to the most precious thing in my life; my family. I am a lover of books, dogs and adventures, which for me usually involve something outdoors-y or travel related. In my free time, you can catch me on a hike with my husband Pete and our dog Maverick, or volunteering with my favorite organizations to build strong women and resiliency in girls. I’m so excited to have you here and to guide you seamlessly through your wedding planning adventure!
The Proposal
It all started in 2013 when Pete took me to Chicago for my birthday. I had no idea what his plans were, and although I should have recognized all the signs of a proposal, I was blissfully unaware...so much so that when Pete suggested going to Navy Pier (where we had our first date) all I wanted to do was get into the Shedd Aquarium and see the penguins. Oops! When he finally convinced me that we could come back when the line was shorter, I reluctantly walked with him to the end of the pier. On that chilly November day at the end of Navy Pier, my soulmate and best friend asked me to marry him! His proposal was perfect. I said “omg are you serious?! YES I will marry you!” and, of course, I cried through the whole thing.
We had a blast during our engagement photo shoot!
Making Plans
After getting engaged, we decided that we would plan every detail of our wedding on our own (a little crazy, I know). Pete is a spreadsheet loving engineer and I had been in charge of planning social events for my sorority in college along with helping friends and family plan their weddings before I got engaged. Based on that, were pretty confident we could do it. Throughout the planning process we had a lot of successes and a few hiccups, but what I realized along the way was three fold. First, planning a wedding takes a lot of time and effort, which can be exhausting and stressful when it isn’t the only thing you have going on. Second, it is always a good idea to get input from someone outside yourselves, because tunnel vision and Pinterest black holes are real, ya’ll! And last but most importantly, I was absolutely in love with the world of weddings!
As a fun way to add a personal touch, we chose to incorporate Pete’s love of motorcycles into our save the date cards.
Our Wedding
Pete and I got married in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin on a gorgeous day in May in 2015 and the day went off without a hitch. I can say that, not because every tiny detail went perfectly, but because we planned so meticulously that even when things went a little astray we were prepared. We were surrounded by friends and family who traveled from around the country to celebrate with us, and we danced our booties off with a full dance floor of guests until the DJ played our third and final “last song”. If I could relive that day over and over again forever, I absolutely would! From that point on, I knew wedding and event planning was in my heart and soul.
Happiest moment of my life.
Getting Down to Business
I started getting more heavily involved with events for my friends and family, helping plan their wedding days by sending them the planning materials I created when Pete and I got married and talking to them about how we managed our budget. Before I knew it, I was making their wedding day itineraries, setting up for receptions, and even doing the mother of the grooms’ makeup! I found myself rushing home from my day job so I could plan with my friends and their families. The more time went on and the more weddings I helped with, the more obvious it was to me that I needed to follow this passion.
CELEBRATE!!
So I took the leap and a few short years later, Elegance and Ivory was born! It is my sincerest wish for you to have the wedding of your dreams that you’ll talk about excitedly with friends and family for years to come. Think we would make a good team? Fill out an inquiry form here. I would love to chat with you about your wedding day! Happy Planning!
Love,
Dee