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Finding the perfect gown
“It’s flattering because ruching goes down and around and shows off a small waist,” says Fuhrman. “A corseted string style, which crisscrosses in the back, is also amazing for an hourglass figure.” Avoid a column, which falls straight and covers up your curves.

About Capital City Wedding 2017
Thanks to Karen Ackerman Witter of Springfield, who assembled and edited this year’s wedding guide, while writing many of the articles. Karen helped plan her daughter’s wedding, which took place on July 9, 2016, at the Washington Park Rose Garden with a reception afterwards at Illini Country Club.

Using an officiant to lead
Weddings in Illinois must be “licensed, solemnized and registered.” Couples often choose to have their wedding “solemnized” by someone with whom they have a personal relationship. For many, this is their pastor, priest, rabbi or other clergy member.

Wedding advice from a pastor
One of the most important decisions a couple must make in planning the wedding is determining who will conduct your ceremony and where it will be held.

Picking a venue and staying on track
Location, cost, size, ambiance and amenities are all factors in selecting a venue for the ceremony and reception. In addition, it’s important to understand how much you will need to do versus what the venue will handle for you. Most people are planning a wedding for the first time and don’t fully appreciate the many details involved.

Great places to get married
Pinterest is a great resource for creative ideas to make your wedding day special. However, not all suggestions are easy, cheap or successful. One positive example is a “message in a bottle guest book.” This is something that can be done easily at a nominal cost, using things you likely have on hand.

Washington Park – a unique wedding venue
Springfield offers a wide range of venues for your wedding ceremony – from beautiful churches to lovely outdoor parks, from museums and historic sites to banquet halls and clubs, from formal to casual, large to small, and intimate to expansive.

Diet no more
I wanted Michelle Obama arms when I walked down the aisle in my strapless dress nine years ago. I worked with a personal trainer and tried to eat healthily, with smaller amounts of beer and frozen yogurt, my standard treats. But I have never been a good dieter.

Worth a thousand words
Your wedding day will pass in a flash, but your wedding photographs will last a lifetime and be passed on to future generations. How can you make sure photos of your special day will be everything you imagined? Select your photographer carefully, and seek your photographer’s advice.

Hiring a professional florist
Michelle O’Neal-Babicky, owner of Petals and Co. in Rochester, loves weddings. She’s worked in the floral industry providing flowers for weddings since 1982 and founded Petals and Co. 21 years ago. She now averages more than 100 weddings each year, and O’Neal-Babicky says she is never finished learning.