A recent book advised, “Do what you love and the money will follow,” and that philosophy has held true for Cassie Yoder, the wedding coordinator at Allerton Park and Retreat Center, Monticello. “I started out by helping a couple of friends coordinate their weddings, then they started telling people, and it turned into a year-round occupation,” said Yoder, who began working at Allerton in June but has been planning weddings since May 2002. A native of Sullivan, Yoder earned degrees in radio/television broadcasting at Lake Land College and in corporate communications at Eastern Illinois University and worked for a Decatur radio station for about five years. Yoder also is a new bride, having married in September. Yoder and her husband live near Sullivan, where they grew up, and are parents to three kittens and a beagle.
Do you have training in the field of wedding planning?
I am working toward becoming a certified wedding coordinator through the Association of Bridal Consultants. I complete portfolios of the weddings that I coordinate instead of doing an internship.
How many weddings does Allerton host every year?
For 2006, we had about 20 weddings in the mansion alone. We’re now booking events in 2008 and 2009.
We hold events in the mansion and in the park. We have a variety of different locations where we could have ceremonies and receptions occurring simultaneously. The mansion is great for indoor ceremonies and receptions and the Sunken Garden, the Brick Walled Garden and the Fu Dog Garden are the most popular outdoor locations, but anywhere in the park is a possibility. It’s not out of the ordinary to have seven or eight weddings going on.
My favorite location is the House in the Woods because it’s such an intimate setting. The couple, their families and bridesmaids and groomsmen can stay overnight in the house, and hold the ceremony in front of the house and the reception on the adjacent lawn.
We can fit 150 people inside the mansion. On the adjacent lawn, we’ve accommodated 250 people or more. It just depends on the size of the tent.
Do you handle the entire wedding?
Once the couple chooses their ceremony and reception locations, I handle all of the details from start to finish. I sometimes work with private consultants, or one-on-one with the couple or the bride and her relatives.
We have couples come from California, Chicago, all over. To say you got married on the Allerton estate is unique. Allerton is very remote. The wooded areas, the formal gardens with the sculptures and the mansion are exquisite and something you won’t get from any other location.
Have you had any odd requests?
One couple wanted to imitate a celebrity’s wedding, which included a rose archway and diamond-encrusted placemats, and that was their dream – until they saw the cost estimate and changed their minds. For other families, the sky’s the limit. I think it’s a big misconception that you have to spend a lot to have a great event. People on tight budgets can have elegant weddings.
What are some of the creative or unique ideas you’ve used?
One couple used all the cards, dried flower arrangements and other mementoes that the bride had received from the groom throughout their courtship as centerpieces. A card that explained the circumstances behind it accompanied each keepsake, and the guests really enjoyed that because it made them feel they knew the couple better.
What special features did you incorporate into your own wedding?
I’m a big Wizard of Oz fan, and I wore ruby-red slippers, which appeared on just about everything. I tied the red into the flower arrangements, the place settings and napkins, and the men’s ties and vests.
Do you ever get any ‘bridezillas’ or have fiascos to contend with?
Oh, yes. Even with the greatest planning, things go wrong: a strap breaks on a dress, a groomsman goes missing, a florist forgets the boutonnieres. I think I must have been blessed with a lot of patience. I stop and ask myself: ‘If this were my wedding, what would I want done?’ Then we fix it, and go on. Guys have duct tape as their all-purpose repair tool; I have found that safety pins do a heck of a lot – fix dresses, hold flower arrangements together.
People think that planning a wedding has to be stressful. I have to develop trust with them. It’s fun to get wrapped up in the details, and it’s great to connect with people by creating good memories for them.