For the past weeks, we have been busy planning weddings for next year while simultaneously rescheduling this year’s weddings to new dates in 2021. This time has felt like a rollercoaster with changes and frequently updated regulations, but we have experienced again and again how wonderful our couples are and how much trust they have in their teams of professionals.
One of the couples whose weddings we have rescheduled from October 2020 to October 2021 is Mia Colona and Mak Kemenosh. Mia and Mak were supposed to celebrate their wedding day at one of our favorite Philadelphia wedding venues, The Horticulture Center, and after careful consideration they decided their best decision was to reschedule.
Because they’ve kept such an open mind, we were thrilled to watch Mia and Mak on Modern Luxury Wedding’s Instagram Live series, Wed Talk Live, a few weeks ago. M+M filled their talk with so many great points. We thought we would share a recap that showcases how they have been planning their wedding with us, how they decided to allocate their wedding budget, how they have handled postponing their wedding, and much more. Keep reading!
( Side note – Mia works with clients BHLDN and Urban Outfitters so the photos are from a shoot she ( and Mak!) did for them – these are not her wedding photos! )
Why they hired a wedding planner:
One of the questions we hear often when couples are first starting to plan their wedding is should we hire a wedding planner? For Mia and Mak, their answer was a resounding “yes!” They were living in Los Angeles when they first started planning their wedding, but they knew they wanted to host their celebration in Philadelphia. For them, working with a planner who lived in and knew Philadelphia well was key.
Before they ultimately chose to work with The Styled Bride, Mia took to the internet and Instagram to research potential planners in the area. She used both sources to take a peek at pros’ past weddings, and then she scheduled meetings. In the end, as Mia notes, it’s important to work with a wedding planner whose personality closely matches your own.
How they reacted to postponing their wedding:
When the pandemic was only first starting to worsen back in March, Mia and Mak opted to have a wait and see attitude when they thought about their October wedding day. When conditions weren’t improving, they began to realize they may want to postpone. So, we took their first step and contacted their team of wedding professionals.
The key when contacting vendors, according to Mia, is to be honest. And, we agree! You should be able to express concerns (and anything else!) with your wedding professionals, and most will be receptive to your thoughts. Then see what the options are.
Their decision to postpone, as Mak said, came down to the fact that he and Mia want to welcome their guests to the wedding they originally planned. As Mak mentioned, “A wedding is only as fun as everyone’s comfort level.”
How they chose their wedding venue + vendors:
When they walked into The Horticulture Center, Mia said both she and Mak knew it was their wedding venue the moment they stepped inside. They both love having the ability to make the space their own, plus it matches their vision for a vintage and romantic celebration with botanical vibes.
Mia and Mak also said they loved the process of talking with vendors. Before contacting pros, however, they decided on their “must-haves” and their “nice-to-haves”. In other words, creating a list of what wedding details were most important and would therefore require more of their budget and where they might be able to cut back or go in another direction. For Mia, stationery and flowers (they’re working with Papertree Studio and Devon & Pinkett, respectively) are most important, while a CTO band tops the list for Mak.
Where is Mia shopping for her dress?
Mia may look familiar because she’s a model ( and boss lady- she has a line of jewelry at Urban Outfitters here), so it’s not a surprise that Olivia asked Mia where she’s shopping for her dress. Mia mentioned she loves Nicole Miller and BHLDN for relaxed, affordable styles. She also said she hasn’t found her gown yet! We cannot wait to see Mia in her wedding dress next October.
Make sure to pick up the current issue of Modern Luxury Weddings Philadelphia, and watch Mia and Mak live on Modern Luxury weddings here!
