10% Of Sales Donated To Animal Rescue

During the month of January, we are donating 10% of our sales to help Randy’s Rescue Ranch rebuild after a horrific fire devastated his animal shelter. Around 11:30 p.m. Saturday night, fire crews were called out to Randy`s Rescue Ranch in O`Fallon, Illinois where abused, neglected and aging animals can take refuge.

“It`s been my dream since I was a kid,” said founder Randy Grim.

At Allegro Entertainment, we LOVE weddings, and we LOVE our couples, but we also LOVE ANIMALS with all our hearts! We want to help Randy rebuild, but we can’t do it without you! WHEN YOU BOOK Wedding Services with Allegro Entertainment during the month of January, 10% of the proceeds will be donating to Randy’s Rescue Ranch. We offer Live Music, DJ Services, Lighting Decor, & Event Planning. We’re looking forward to working with you, and to helping our little furry friends at RRR♥


READ FULL STORY:https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/local/illinois/randys-rescue-ranch-fire-ofallon-illinois/63-9c58cd0a-1850-40f0-9ba6-d2e3112f0f7b

Venue Spotlight: Barnett On Washington

Barnett on Washington is a sophisticated and beautiful event venue that specializes in hosting an array of special celebrations, from weddings to corporate events. Barnett on Washington offers a unique hundred-year-old Spanish mission style elegance, while providing modern amenities. Contact our team at events@barnettonwashington.com or 1-844-GO-BARNETT to start planning your next fabulous event! You can also learn more about our space and schedule a tour at barnettonwashington.com.

  • Parking and handicap accessibility
  • State-of-the-art sound system
  • Guest wi-fi available
  • On-site security
  • Valet parking available
  • Full assortment of tables, bar stools, and chairs
  • Private cigar lounge
  • Bridal Suite
  • Groom’s Lounge
  • Restrooms available on all three levels
  • Two outdoor patio spaces available
  • Premium liquor selections (Bar Packages under Rates and Packages tab)
  • Liability Insurance
  • On-Site Event Coordinator

Contact our team at events@barnettonwashington.com or 1-844-GO-BARNETT to start planning your next fabulous event! You can also learn more about our space and schedule a tour at barnettonwashington.com.

Venue Spotlight: Defiance Ridge Vineyards


Discover why Defiance Ridge is the perfect setting for your romantic wine country wedding.

Rooted in the rolling hills of Historic Missouri Wine Country, the 42 acre property boasts a vineyard, tranquil lake and lush garden landscape. Breathtaking views of the sweeping Missouri River Valley are captured year round from the terraces and veranda surrounding our historic farmhouse. Easily accessible from Hwy 94 as you enter the Missouri Wine Country corridor.

Defiance Ridge reflects our combined passions for wine, vineyard to table cuisine, warm hospitality and an authentic celebration of people and place.

Just as our wine and food tells the story of this land, events at Defiance Ridge can tell your story and reflect your personality and vision. With accommodations for any size wedding for up to 350 guests, Defiance Ridge is one of the most versatile and adaptable venues in Missouri’s Historic Wine Country. We offer a full catering menu featuring chef-driven, seasonal artisan cuisine. Our accomplished chef and event staff will help craft a menu and event that your guests will never forget.

Ready to have your perfect event at Defiance Ridge? Fill out the info below and one of our event managers will reach out to you quickly.

P: 636-798-2288 ex.2 E: events@defianceridge.com www.defianceridge.com

Winter Wedding Centerpieces

Winter is an often overlooked wedding season. There are so many beautiful options and if you get lucky enough for snow on your wedding day, the newly fallen snow sets the perfect backdrop for a gorgeous winter wonderland setting. But how do you bring that beauty indoors? Amazing centerpieces could answer that question.

Depending on your tastes, there are many options. While some may opt for a Christmas theme with Red Ribbons and Evergreen, others may go for a glitzy option with diamonds and silver. Jewel tones always look stunning in the cold winter evenings and gold is always a classic. The possibilities are endless!

Contact our friends at Sisters Floral Design Studio to help bring whatever your wedding day vision is to life! Call (314) 821-0076 or email designteam@sistersflowers.net today!

Bridesmaid Gift Ideas

Not sure what to gift your bridesmaids ahead of your wedding day? We get it. Finding the perfect present that will make everyone happy can be a challenge. Your crew is a mix of different personalities, each with their own style and interests.

The gift itself can differ depending on what you’re looking for, whether it’s something poignant and meaningful like a personalized portrait of the two of you or just fun accessories like a cute clutch for a summer wedding. The choices can be overwhelming, to say the least!

Another fun idea is a “Bridesmaids Survival Kit” that includes the essentials for making their day just as fun and amazing as your own. Including aspirin, band-aids, gum/mints, tape to avoid wardrobe, um, malfunctions (haha), water and flip flops all in a little cute personalized tote bag.

Here at Allegro we can help come up with fun ideas that all of your bridesmaids will love! Just ask!

Venue Spotlight: Wildwood Hotel

The Wildwood Hotel is a beautifully appointed boutique hotel located in the heart of Wildwood in West St. Louis County. Our charming French chateau-style architecture and warm European country lodge ambiance make us the ideal choice for your wedding celebrations, corporate meetings or special events! Boasting over 8,000 square feet of flexible banquet space; one can choose from the Wildwood Ballroom or the highly sought-after Augusta Room for any occasion.

Say “I Do” at The Wildwood Hotel! Let the Wildwood Hotel offer you a unique experience and memories to last several lifetimes on your Big Day! Our team of professionals will assist you in designing your dream day at The Wildwood Hotel. We have custom wedding packages tailored to every bride & groom, experienced on-site event coordinators, beautiful indoor ceremony and reception spaces and preferred group accommodation rates for wedding guests! Our trained professionals can offer advice for your theme, colors, flowers, photography, reception layout and menus. Most importantly, our services include day-of coordination and supervision, so you can enjoy your wedding without vendor interruptions or scheduling concerns. After the ceremony, relax with your new spouse in one of our luxurious bridal suites and plan your extraordinary lives together!

Not only is our wonderful venue perfect for your special day, we also do corporate meetings for small & large groups, conferences, class reunions and other special occasions! Our Corporate Sales Manager is here to assist you in every way!

No matter the occasion, we will work to make sure that it will impress your friends, family or coworkers! The Wildwood Hotel looks forward to the opportunity to make your event memorable! Call our sales office today at 636-733-9100 for additional information! 
MORE INFO: https://www.thewildwoodhotel.com

Wedding History: Breaking Of The Glass

Photo Credit: Maya Meyers Photography

According to MyJewishLearning.com, stomping on a glass is one of the best-known features of Jewish weddings. Traditionally, the groom did the deed; today the couple often share the honor/pleasure, smashing one or two napkin-wrapped glasses.

Few Jewish symbols have a single explanation, and this one is downright kaleidoscopic. The custom dates back to the writing of the Talmud :

Mar bar Rabina made a marriage feast for his son. He observed that the rabbis present were very gay. So he seized an expensive goblet worth 400 zuzim and broke it before them. Thus he made them sober. (Berakhot 5:2 )

In other words, where there is rejoicing, there should be trembling.

The fragility of glass suggests the frailty of human relationships. Since even the strongest love is subject to disintegration, the glass is broken as a kind of incantation: “As this glass shatters, so may our marriage never break.”

The crash of glass ends the hush of mythic time under the huppah, and the world rushes in. Everyone exhales, claps and shouts, “Mazel tov!” The celebration begins.

FULL ARTICLE: https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/breaking-the-glass-at-a-jewish-wedding/

Venue Spotlight: The Cheshire

St. Louis Wedding Hotel

Planning a wedding in St. Louis? Make the Cheshire an intimate part of your plans.This historic hotel is the perfect place to host a bridal event and give your guests a taste of St. Louis history. The convenient location is just steps from Forest Park and less than 10 minutes from downtown St. Louis and 15 minutes from the airport.

BRIDAL SUITE

Reserve one of our Novelty Suites for your special night. Themed around some of the greatest works in British literature, your selection can match your personality! From the hip James Bond suite to the romantic Romeo and Juliet suite, each of these spacious suites features a Euro-style pillow-top bed, premium amenities and en suite Jacuzzi tubs. We can even arrange an in-room couples massage!

GUEST ROOM BLOCKS

MORE INFO

Reserve a block of rooms to accommodate your out-of-town wedding guests. Your friend and family will be charmed by our British touches and boutique atmosphere. Pop into Fox and Hounds tavern for an authentic pub feel and a late night drink and take a selfie with our bear! Lounge by our pool in the summer or cozy up to a fireplace in winter; regardless of the season, your guests will love their stay.

BRIDAL LUNCHEONS OR BRUNCHES

We have several spots that are perfect for bridal luncheons or brunches. Gather with your gals or re-group with all your guests the morning after your big event.

REHEARSAL DINNERS & SMALL RECEPTIONS

Located just minutes from downtown and steps away from Forest Park, Upstairs at The Cheshire boast an incredible list of amenities and services perfect for rehearsal dinners and receptions. For smaller receptions of 40 – 70, private dining or a cocktail hour is a popular option before heading to Upstairs or Boundary.

Contact Sarah Heckemeyer for More Info:
https://www.cheshirestl.com/weddings-events/weddings

Do I Need A Wedding Planner?

Photo Credit: Ivanko Brnjakovic

YES! YES! YES!

We strongly recommend hiring a wedding planner for many reasons, and in today’s blog, we’re going to break down the 5 most important reasons why…

why reinvent the wheel?

When entering into the “World of Weddings”, most newly engaged couples only have a rough idea of all the details and decisions that go into planning a wedding. For this reason, the task can be exciting at first, then stressful and daunting after a few months of emails, phone calls, and surfing the internet for information on vendors and “helpful planning tools”.

Hiring a planner helps to alleviate your “wandering into the unknown alone”, by keeping you on track with what you want and need, while sticking to a game plan. A lot of people think, “But hiring a planner is an added expense that I can’t afford”……. when really in hindsight, you end up saving money AND time by working with a professional.

Photo Credit: Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock.com

Planning a budget

Coming up with a grand total ahead of time, creates a financial picture for your wedding day. The budget you create will ultimately dictate how the “must-haves”, “would-love-to-include”, and “can-do-withouts” intermingle with one another.

A professional wedding planner has the experience and knowledge to be able to listen to your vision, and create a version of it, that fits your budget. One of the other advantages they have, is their connections to other wedding professionals. A wedding planner knows who they can go to for different products & services, AND have a good idea of how much things will cost.

vendor connections

It’s good to have friends, and it’s even BETTER to be working with a wedding planner who has a LOT of friends in the wedding industry! When it comes to choosing vendors to provide services for your wedding day, it can be confusing and overwhelming making decisions based on websites, social media, and online reviews. Every company is putting their best foot forward online, so they all look amazing. Having a wedding planner means you may get special treatment and extra perks PLUS being referred to the very best vendors in town.

knowing the flow

If someone were to ask you how the flow of your event would go, you would probably have a good idea of the order of things, but I can promise you that there are so many intricate details that need to happen behind the scenes in order for everything to run smoothly.

For instance, when you go to a restaurant, you know how to read a menu and give an order to a server, but do you now how the server gets the order to the kitchen, or how the kitchen works together to prepare the special entreés and side dishes? Or how the staff is scheduled, and what their job details are? Nope. And that’s OKAY! That’s why you pay to go out to dinner….. To enjoy special experience, and delightful meal out on the town with family or friends without having to worry about grocery shopping, cooking, or cleaning.

Isn’t your WEDDING DAY one of the most important special occasions of your life?
Yes it is. Why would you want to have to figure out the flow of making all the pieces come together on your own?

Divine Events
https://www.mydivineevents.com

hire the crew

Last but not least, it takes a village. As much as I wish they did, linens don’t place themselves on tables, candles can’t light themselves, flowers can’t be arranged on their own, chairs can’t dress themselves in chair covers, nor can these items back themselves up at the end of the night without anyone helping. One of the most common “ideas” is to delegate to-do lists to family and friends to help accomplish the job. The same family and friends who got dressed in heels, hair & makeup hours before your wedding started, who will have been talking, dancing, and drinking with other guests throughout the night, and who will probably not be up for the job when the time comes around. This is why you hire a planner.

Most wedding planners offer packages that include a professional team to help with setup, running the timeline, and packing up decor at the end of the night. This is the best option, because all of the work is done for you without having to “employ” family & friends to help, making it possible for EVERYONE to enjoy your special day, without a care in the world!♥