SVM_Sauk Valley Weddings 2021-2022

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PUBLICATION

2021-22

Sauk Valley Events saukvalleyevents.com

McCormick Event Center · Brandywine Banquet & Event Center · Candlelight Inn · Barnacopia

Whether it’s our place or yours, we can accommodate all of your needs.

About this cover ~ Page 4

CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED PRSRT STD U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 440 Sterling, IL 61081

BRANDYWINE

BANQUET & EVENT CENTER

Elegant atmosphere and delicious cuisine

Weddings • Receptions • Celebrations • Events • Fellowship • Corporate Meetings Top-of-the-line cuisine Fully customizable menu Buffet and hand-plated meals available Building-wide PA system Two full-service bars

Three large wooden dance floors Multiple rooms for any event Floor-to-ceiling room dividers Capacity of 400 guests Dimmable lighting

Our service sets us apart.

441 IL Route 2, Dixon, IL 61021 • 815-284-8484 • event@saukvalleyevents.com • brandywinedixon.com •

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Our Talent

Your Style

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Mike Venier grades a diamond at the family jewelry shop, Venier Jewelers, in downtown Dixon. The round cut solitaire has been the most popular style for many years.

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It was an anniversary custom fit for Venier Jewelers: its diamond anniversary.

For 75 years, four generations of the Venier family have not only supplied special gifts to celebrate milestones and memories, but their wares have gone hand in hand with countless celebrations of love.

But before a couple can say “with this ring, I thee wed,” they have to find the perfect fit for their finger.

That’s where Venier Jewelers comes in, helping fiances-to-be make sure that when they pop the question, it isn’t a bust.

Partners Mike, 61, Bob, 59, and Anthony, 32, bring a wealth of experience to their roles, while also keeping up-to-date on the latest jewelry trends, to help men on a matrimonial mission pick out the perfect ring for their soon-to-be fiancee’s tastes.

“We’re not just here to sell you a ring, we’re here to help you get engaged,” Mike said. “It can be one of the most trying and scary purchases that a young man makes in his life.

VENIER cont’d on page 9

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 

ABOVE: The staff at the family-owned Venier Jewelers brings a wealth of experience to one of their most important tasks at hand: wedding rings. Four generations of the family have been part of the operation, from left: Mike Venier and wife Marguerite, Louie, Bob and Anthony. “We started with small means and continued to build it over the years based on trust, based on understanding our customer needs, keeping everything specific to our customer needs, and providing great, honest customer service,” Mike said. RIGHT: For more than 30 years, Venier Jewelers founder Lorenzo Venier (left) owned his store along with his sons, Joe and Louie. Joe started with the business when it opened in 1945, having recently returned from stateside service in World War II; he retired 2 years ago. Louie began working there as a high school student in 1950, and has been with the business for 70 years. LEFT: Venier Jewelers opened at 226 W. First St. in Dixon in 1945. It moved one block east, to 117 West First St., 20 years later, where the family built a new store.

VENIER cont’d from page 7 The shop’s success over the past three-quarters of a century all boils down to one thing: taking care of people the way they want to be taken care of, Mike said.

“We started with small means and continued to build it over the years based on trust, based on understanding our customer needs, keeping everything specific to our customer needs, and providing great, honest customer service,” Mike said. “We focus on making sure our customers are satisfied, and if something isn’t to their perfect liking, then we make sure that it is.”

Like any multigenerational family business, an appreciation for its history is important in maintaining trust with its customers, and the showroom is a showcase of Venier history.

Mike’s son Anthony is the latest generation to work for the business that his great-grandfather Lorenzo started in 1945, and brings a modern twist to the operations. He got the store’s website going and also handles the business’ online component, which now includes online video conferencing, a new service born of necessity, brought upon by

the pandemic.

And while the pandemic was a surprise the business wishes it didn’t have to contend with, it’s ability to adapt to the unexpected is part of what makes the job exciting for Anthony. Every day brings a new surprise, he said.

“Waking up in the morning and not really knowing what the day is going to bring truly is what keeps me excited,” he said. “The unexpected and the unknown of our industry really is exciting, and not knowing what kind of day we’re going to have is a lot of fun.”

While online shopping doesn’t provide the same sort of experience in-person shopping offers, it has seen an increase in recent years, though Mike says there’s still nothing quite like getting some face-to-face time, instead of FaceTime, when buying a engagement or wedding ring.

“You come into Venier’s and say you want to get engaged today,” Mike said.”You see the stone, you see the ring, you like these two and we can have them put together for you in about an hour and we can have it fit to her specific size.”

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VENIER cont’d from page 9 “There’s a quality factor about a brick-and-mortar store, being able to come in and physically being able to see the product, and even have her try things on,” Mike said. “It’s a whole different element. We want you to be a customer.

We’re not here to push you to spend more, or up your budget, or upsell you; we want you to be comfortable with your transaction.”

But whether the shopping is done on screen or in person, Venier’s will provide the same level of personal service that’s kept it a part of Dixon’s business landscape for three-quarters of a century.

Another plus of personal service: It’s awfully difficult to fit a ring online, Anthony said. Having rings sized with the right tools by a trained jeweler assures a proper fit.

Cutout size rulers from the Internet, Anthony said, are “never as accurate as going in and being sized by the jeweler who’s going to be cutting and doing the work to your ring.

That’s how you get the best fit.”

“It’s not like fitting a T-shirt,” he added, “It’s something that you’re going to be wearing every day, so you want that to fit good and fit right.”

While the last names of the business partners are the same, each one has a different role. Louie, 84, is president and CEO, and the buck still stops with him, even as he’s handed off much of his work to his sons and grandson. He started working for his father as a Dixon High School freshman in 1950, and still makes it to the store at least once a week.

“Working with my family is a big thing,” Louie said. “It’s always good to come to work and be with your family and make a living.”

Louie’s brother Joe, 95, was with the business up until a couple of years ago, and was still working with the delicate tools of the trade into his 90s.

Bob enjoys the backbench role, where skilled hands provide the precision work that gives each piece its unique style.

“I like the tradition that my grandfather and uncle started for us, and doing my part to make it continue, and whatever it takes to make it happen,” Bob said. “They gave it their heart and soul, forever.”

The Veniers not only sell jewelry, they do repairs, too.

Other services include sizing, custom work, remounting, watch battery installation, engraving, rhodium plating, eyeglass repair and bead stringing. The store also can appraise various jewelry and clocks.

Doing a lot of work in-house has kept them competitive within the industry, Anthony said, and it also “gives a lot of confidence to our customers, knowing that we’re not outsourcing a lot of our work. It’s done here,” he said. “When you’re dealing with precious jewelry and family heirlooms, it gives some quality and peace of mind to the customer knowing that their precious goods aren’t being sent all over the place.”

VENIER cont’d on page 11 Unlike other shops, Venier Jewelers still does a lot of work in house. “It gives a lot of confidence to our customers, knowing that we’re not outsourcing a lot of our work,” Anthony said.

“When you’re dealing with precious jewelry and family heirlooms, it gives some quality and peace of mind to the customer knowing that their precious goods aren’t being sent all over the place.” In the top photo, Louie works on a watch. In the next two photos, Bob works on designing a band for a ring. The store will design and repair any number of jewelry pieces and watches. At bottom, Anthony works on a watch.

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Stackable wedding bands are a popular choice right now.

VENIER cont’d from page 10 Thousands of pieces of jewelry go in and out their door every year, but sometimes the Veniers can recognize pieces they’ve sold just by remembering the people they sold them to. Many pieces last for years, and they’ve seen pieces brought in for a tune-up that originally were purchased when Louie was young.

“We’ve had people that have bought rings from us and move out of town,” Louie said. “They wait until they come back to Dixon for a visit before they bring it anywhere to get it checked or get a repair on it.”

The Veniers intend to keep the business in the family for as long as they can.

“It’s pretty rare to see four generations get along and be able to stay in business for as long as we have,” Mike said. “There’s an appreciation for what our grandfather and our uncle started, and we want to see that tradition carried on to not only the level that they started, but to take it to another level.”

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STERLING – When DJ BigBoi wraps up a wedding, he likes to leave the couple with a smile on their face and a song in their heart – and not just because it’s good customer service For DJ BigBoi – aka Gustavo Medrano – it’s also about playing an important role in helping couples make memories that will last a lifetime.

The music at a wedding reception, he says, is one of the most important parts of making the gathering of friends and family a success.

“For months, you’re planning, you’re talking about that big day, and when it comes, you’re just watching it all come together,” Medrano said. “I’m a part of their day, and they’re going to remember that for the rest of their life. A lot of people aren’t going to remember the food, they’re not going to remember the centerpieces, but they are going to remember the DJ. “The DJ is what makes or breaks the wedding.”

That’s why he takes making that special time fun for everyone so seriously.

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BIGBOI cont’d from page 13

Gustavo Medrano, aka DJ Big Boi, knows how important music is to a wedding reception. That’s why he takes great care and pride in helping couples pick a playlist that’ll be music to their ears. “For months, you’re planning, you’re talking about that big day, and when it comes, you’re just watching it all come together,” Medrano said. “I’m a part of their day, and they’re going to remember that for the rest of their life.”

Playing the music is one thing, but finding the right rhythm for the reception, that’s a whole other affair. There’s a lot that goes into setting the tone for the receptions. Music not only hath charms, but it can set the mood. It can provide a backdrop for the reception. It can jerk a few tears of joy when that special song plays. It can bring the newlyweds together for a slow dance, or speed things up to get everyone on the dance floor.

Medrano said that knowing what songs to play and when to play them provides a transition from one tune to the next and can set the mood for the whole event.

But playing music isn’t his only job. He interacts with guests and keeps things moving along.

His job starts well before the wedding. He works with couples to come up with a playlist, make suggestions, and help guide them through the process.

“You figure when you got a whole wedding and 200-plus guests, the music genres are going to be everywhere and diverse,” Medrano said.

BIGBOI cont’d on page 15

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BIGBOI cont’d from page 14 Most couples have an idea of what kinds of music they want to have played at their reception, but Medrano can fine tune a lineup to incorporate genre specifics or perhaps even offer some suggestions based on his wealth of musical knowledge – the 35-year-old is familiar with everything from big bands to Little Richard and from The Beatles to BTS. But he almost got hooked on heavy metal.

After graduating from Sauk Valley Community College in 2011 with a welding degree, he worked with his sister, Erma Quinonez, to throw a graduation party at the Latin American Social Club in Sterling. The equipment, which Quinonez owned at that time, was left there afterward, and it gave the folks at the club an idea to see if Medrano could utilize that equipment to help out an upcoming party there.

“I didn’t really know a whole lot about it. It’s just something that came up all of a sudden, and they were wanting to pay so much dollars for me to come in. I figured, why not?”

When Medrano saw the Facebook posts from that party, and the compliments that came with it, he knew he had something good going.

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“It’s been a journey from there,” he said.

Then the calls started the flow. El Paraiso, a neighborhood bar on Wallace Street in Sterling – the old Latin American Social Club – wanted his services on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. While that experience was a fun one for him, he often drove by larger crowds that gathered at the bars downtown. The thoughts would then come to him about making it big in town, and he started making the rounds at local bars. He also started hanging around other DJs One of the those DJs was DJ Hollywood, who often worked the Bullseye in Sterling – where The Factory is today. Medrano approached him about what it would take to make it big as a DJ and was told to talk to bar owners. After a few solo gigs at Bullseye, Medrano eventually got to work side-by-side with DJ Hollywood, nights which became very influential to him.

“They put me in on a Tuesday or Wednesday night just to try me out; and when I first started, I didn’t know much about music,” Medrano said. “I didn’t know much about country. I didn’t know much about classic rock and stuff like that. Hollywood was real helpful in getting me to know all of the popular songs, especially the ones that were played there.”

BIGBOI cont’d on page 16

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BIGBOI cont’d from page 15 When they kissed, they could feel the sparks fly. DJ Gustavo Medrano recently added sparking fountains to Sauk Valley DJ’s repertoire. The fountains have fast become a favorite of clients and their wedding photographers.

Photo courtesy of Photography by Jami photographybyjami.com/

The calls kept coming, and before long DJ BigBoi was in business. His first wedding reception came in 2012 at the Wagon Wheel in Sterling. With a lineup of mostly ’80s music on the docket, the wedding experience involved more control over the atmosphere, and that meant more time on the mic, talking to the audience.

After shaking off some initial jitters, it turned out to be an amazing experience, he said.

“Now at weddings, you won’t get me to be quiet,” he joked.

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BIGBOI cont’d from page 16 Sound isn’t the only things that Medrano can bring to the fun. He can add quite the sights. Always trying to incorporate something new, he recently added sparkling – and non-flammable – fountains that can shoot sparks 16 feet in the air.

He tried it out for the first time last January, and was surprised at just how much of a crowd-pleaser it was.

“I just gave it a go, and I’m still wowed by that. Even a year later, I could still hear it, I could still see it.

They now love it. Photographers love it. It’s something new.”

In addition to weddings, Medrano can DJ private parties, dances, karaoke, clubs, corporate events, birthday parties, just about any event,indoors or outdoors. He’s done more than 500 weddings, including some in Chicago, Wisconsin and Iowa – a state that has been the big go-to for him with the recent coronavirus pandemic slowing business down in Illinois. But even with business from across the border, 2020 was still a struggle for Medrano, with cancellations and reschedules.

Bookings are starting to trickle in a little more these days, and Medrano can’t wait to get the party started once again.

“We’re all unique in our own ways,” Medrano said. “As far as being a DJ, I want to say that I have a really good character and a good personality. Not anybody can just book a wedding, or multiple weddings. I like to give the bride and groom exactly what they want.”

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The Perfect Fit for Your Special Occasion!

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Photo: Alex Paschal | Illustration: Rusty Schrader/Sauk Valley Media

Getting married and looking for a bar where you are? This is the duo who can make it happen. Pub 225 owners Jamie Emmert and Jason Schmidt can bring their bar’s signature menu of martinis and more to your wedding reception, via their mobile bar. “[People] love the fact that we have such a huge selection and that there is a certified mixologist who can make signature drinks for their special day,” Emmert said. “Just being asked to be a part of a bride and groom’s special day is an honor.”

You know what they say about getting married: It’s for better or worse, in sickness and health, and for richer and … pour-er.

It’s that last one where a Milledgeville bar can help. Pub 225’s owners can fill your glass for that special wedding toast no matter where you’re at, serving up martinis and other drinks for the new Mr. and Mrs., courtesy of the pub’s mobile bar.

The bar cart is available for weddings, and husband-and-wife pub owners Jamie Emmert and Jason Schmidt have made the rounds at several events since hatching the bar cart idea 2 years ago. Some of their gigs have come courtesy of referrals from other weddings.

Mobile martinis from Milledgeville for the Mr. and Mrs. – add up all those M’s and they spell m-m-m-m-m, which is what couples and their guests will be saying when they get a taste of the drinks the owners of Carroll County’s only martini bar can mix up.

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PUB 225 cont’d from page 21 Some of the popular martinis on the pub’s menu include a Drunken Pumpkin martini, described as pumpkin pie in a glass; a Sugar Cookie with frosting and sugar; and other varieties such as Dill Pickle, Plum Crazy, Chocolate-Covered Strawberry, Chocolate-Covered Raspberry, and the Missile – an orange martini rimmed with black sugar.

The list of martinis goes on: there’s the usual Dirty martini, Cosmopolitan, Appletini and Lemon Drop, but also After Dinner Mint, Caramel Apple, Cherry Blossom, Chocolate, Coconut Creme, Cucumber Citrus, Gummy Bear, Just Peachy, Mai Thai, Ocean Breeze, Pineapple Upside-Down, Salted Caramel, Shamrock Shake, Sour Apple Jolly Rancher, Sunrise, Werther’s Original, as well as Lime and Strawberry Margratinis.

New mixes are featured on Pub 225’s Facebook page when they pass the couple’s taste tests.

“You don’t think you’re drinking alcohol,” said Emmert. “The chocolate martini tastes like chocolate milk; it goes down that smooth. You don’t get hit with this alcohol flavor and then the sudden aftertaste. It’s all that flavor, what it’s supposed to be, up front.”

Emmert and Schmidt, of Dixon, can set up their mobile bar at your wedding and serve up more than 30 different martinis.

They’ll also come fully stocked with up to 10 different beers and wines, and over 20 premium spirits. They also offer custom, personalized cocktails.

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When Pub 225 first opened, it was more of neighborhood bar where people could grab a beer and a shot. Today, it’s still a neighborhood bar, but owners Jamie Emmert and Jason Schmidt, have found a new niche: specialty martinis, and the can bring their talents for mixing to your wedding. A few examples, from left: Cosmopolitan, After Dinner Mint, and an Appletini.

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PUB 225 cont’d from page 22 Based on the number of guests at a reception, couples can choose from different martini options.

“The couples appreciate that they have the owners there to maintain quality and professionalism,” Emmert said. “There’s quite a bit of work between getting permits, supplies, staffing, planning phone calls, etc. It is all worth it in the end when you see the happy couple.”

Coming up with all those creative concoctions isn’t easy: They have to be mixed carefully with just the right amount of ingredients, and Emmert is pretty good at shaking things up. In fact, she’s a certified mixologist, and that’s not just some self-anointed title. Emmert has taken online courses to earn it. “[People] love the fact that we have such a huge selection and that there is a certified mixologist who can make signature drinks for their special day,” Emmert said.

“Just being asked to be a part of a bride and groom’s special day is an honor. We have meet a lot of great people.”

To get the certification, martini-making alums have to have an understanding of different types of liquors, different flavor profiles, different colors, different combinations, and how to adjust them for a sweet or bitter taste.

What goes into a good martini? Simply put: It’s the right balance.

“That is all that it is,” Emmert said. “It’s not about how much liquor is in it, not about how much filler is in it.

When you take that sip, can you get the right balance to taste like what it is supposed to taste like? If you’re claiming that it’s a coconut martini, that first taste better be coconut; and it better be the real coconut.

“If you want something to have a peach flavor, believe it or not you would add cranberry juice. It’s strange, but it’s just about learning about the different types of liquor

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and everything about them, and how they interact with others.”

Pub 225 has drawn customers from more than just the county; they’ve come from throughout northern Illinois and eastern Iowa, too.

And it’s not just the martinis that bring them back; it’s the friendly atmosphere. The owners have a simple motto at the bar: “Come in as strangers, leave as friends.”

“We go for simplicity,” Schmidt said. “We’re simple, quaint, comfortable, and have a laid back crowd.”

Pub 225’s story began 3 years ago when the couple sought to keep the building an active part of the downtown. Relatives own the building and didn’t want it to become run down. Today, after some repairs and renovation – including a restored tin ceiling – it’s become an important part of Milledgeville’s business district.

Even its name is a nod to the history of the city it calls home. The pub’s name comes from the first three numbers of Milledgeville’s telephone system.

As popular as their martinis are, they weren’t always a big part of the mix.

When it first opened, the bar served up the usual offerings of beers and shots – which customers can still get – but the couple knew that they couldn’t make it on that alone.

“I said, ‘We need to have a couple of martinis on the menu,’” Emmert said. “We started with five basic martinis. It took off, and people started saying, “You needed to add this one, and this one.’”

Emmert and Schmidt listened, and today those dozens of martinis have added up to a reputation of being able to mix drinks to please anyone’s taste, a reputation that’s helped them expand their business and take their show on the road, wherever the spirits move them.

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Bombshell Bride Head-to-toe beauty services for your wedding day: • hair • makeup • nails • facials • waxing • massage

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When love is in the air, Maggie Love is there to work with brides’ hair.

Making sure brides look their best as they walk down the aisle on their way to saying “I do” means a lot to Love, who has created her own style of hair flair for the past 7 years at Dixon’s Fusion Salon, 220 W. First St. Love, one of five stylists at Fusion gets a lot of requests to tailor, twist and turn hair for weddings. She worked her magic on brides in 36 weddings in 2019, the last full year of appointments before 2020’s pandemic cut into the hair styling business. That’s not a bad number for someone who initially wanted to go into the world of art – but she said she’s glad to be where she’s at, where she can still tap into her inner artist while focusing on clients’ outer beauty.

“It just gives a creative outlet,” Love said.

“Styling is one of my favorite things to do. It’s just a different way to be able to create something. That’s why I enjoy it a lot.”

person for come a go-to lon or on be s ha , on ix D at the sa on Salon in ide her services fferent a stylist at Fusi Maggie Love, ‘dos for brides. She can prov do,” she said. “It’s just a di lot.” to joy it a wedding-day e of my favorite things That’s why I en . ng hi on et is m g so lin to create site. “Sty way to be able

FUSION cont’d on page 28

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Taking classes and learning about colors and styles wound up being a plus for Love when she turned to beauty school and began styling hair.

Working with hair is sort of like three-dimensional art, particularly with weddings, where popping hair up has been a traditional style for many years. However, updos aren’t always the go-to ‘dos for brides these days.

Downward styles, half-up and half-down and Bohemian “boho” styles are popular lately, Love said.

“It’s just the time,” Love said. “The beachy waves and that kind of thing are in right now, and more people are going more natural with their styles for weddings. People still get updos, but even when they do, they’re just more loose and unkempt.”

Don’t know what style works? Love recommends trial runs to find that perfect coiffure. Most brides come in having an idea what they want, she said, but that often changes when they take a seat, and take a few different styles for a test spin.

A lot of brides-to-to-be also turn to the internet for ideas. Overwhelmed by all your pins on Pinterest? Show Love what’s there, and she can copy the style, or maybe you’ll put your heads together and come up with your own take.

FUSION cont’d from page 27

Karey Kastner works on a clients hair at Fusion Salon. Kastner is one of five stylists at the Dixon salon. Fusion Salon, owned by stylists Karey Kastner and Kami Lappen, has about 75 years of combined experience among its five-person staff. They also do cuts, colors, facial waxing, extensions and Brazilian blowouts. Makeup services also come with wedding appointments.

FUSION cont’d on page 29

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FUSION cont’d from page 28 “If they come in and they don’t really know what they want – they have an idea in their head but don’t know exactly what they are going to be – we just go through and we try a couple of things until they like something,” Love said. “Usually we can figure it out with the trial.”

Even things such as wedding dresses and veils can make a difference on what hair style works best.

Fusion Salon, owned by stylists Karey Kastner and Kami Lappen, has about 75 years of combined experience among its five-person staff.

They also do cuts, colors, facial waxing, extensions and Brazilian blowouts. Makeup services also come with wedding appointments.

“Since we have so much experience, we’ve dealt with all kinds of people in all different phases in life,” Love said. “We offer a lot of different services, and even travel to brides sometimes.”

FusionSalon,220W.FirstSt.,Dixon,isopenfrom8a.mto 7p.mMonday . throughFriday,andfrom8a.mto . noonSaturday.

Cash,creditanddebitcards,checks,PayPal,ApplePayand Android Pay are accepted.

Gotofusionsalondixon.com,finditonFacebookorcall 815-288-7900 for more information.

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Rock Falls’ riverfront used to be a place where a lot of things were made – nuts, bolts and a host of other products.

Today, it’s a place where couples getting married can make memories, and let someone else take care of the nuts and bolts of their big day.

That someone else is the experienced staff at McCormick Event Center, the perfect place to host a wedding.

While industry used to be the engine that drove the city’s economy, these days the city has switched gears and its riverfront has undergone a renaissance. Gone are the smokestacks and rumbling machines that towered over the Rock River, replaced by a hotel (with another on the way), a park, a premier event center, and before long, a new restaurant.

The McCormick Event Center, at 205 E. Third St., opened early last year, and despite a pandemic that put just about everything on hold, business is picking up, and McCormick’s manager said things are only going to get better.

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MCCORMICK cont’d from page 31 The center is the largest event venue in the Sauk Valley, and it’s been booking events fast since it opened, manager Matt Prescott said. Postponements due to the COVID-19 also are factoring into the availability.

“We’re booked because things keep getting pushed back,” Prescott said. “As they push back, they fill the times. When this place opens back up [at full capacity], it’s going to be bonkers.”

As 2020 drew to a close, nearly half of the events scheduled so far are weddings.

“When you’re the new place, everyone wants to go to the new place,” Prescott said.

But Prescott knows that the novelty of new will come and go, and that in order to have staying power an event venue needs to have what it takes to host all sorts of functions, big or small. The McCormick fits the bill.

Work wrapped up last summer on the event center, which features four large rooms that can be booked individually or together. The largest room holds about 230 people, and when all four are opened up, they can accommodate 750 guests. A River Tool and The former Rock cCormick Event garage door allows vehicles and larger equipment to easily be brought the M into the facility, and the parking lot can hold 120 vehicles. The center Die building, now a complete renovat en rw de ht it a is also wired throughout to accommodate electronics – a winning Center, un McCormick boug y rr La r ne ow r te strategy to attract functions like a high-tech gaming convention. do tion af to d te an ry w few years ago “Lar community and felt “If you wanted to have a party for 200 people, the closest places e th r fo od go you can get to [aren’t in town]. Our location, our quality – of not only e this,” something for something lik the facility but also the quality of food and service you’re going to get there was a need Center manager Matt in our facility – we believe we can put it up with anybody.”

McCormick Event uldn’t be prouder of As for couple’s big day, the McCormick Event Center and weddings Prescott said. “I co complished.” what they ac are a perfect match. It has a huge dance floor, a building-wide PA system with wireless microphones, free Wi-Fi, screens, two full-service bars, floor-to-ceiling room dividers and dimmable lighting.

Need help planning the reception? Leave the details to the staff at McCormick, which has three event coordinators who can work with couples on their menu, setup, and other components of your event, including staying in touch with your vendors for setup requirements. They’ll work with you every step of the way, all the way up to the wedding march. All you have to do is walk down the aisle and say “I do.”

MCCORMICK cont’d on page 33

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MCCORMICK cont’d from page 32 Prescott and his staff, which operate several event venues in the area under the Sauk Valley Events umbrella, expects to host about 100 events a year at McCormick. Flexibility, capacity and a central location make the place attractive to customers, he said.

Not sure what room fits your needs? Call a single telephone number – 815-284-8484 – or go to saukvalleyevents.com to explore options from all of Sauk Valley Events properties: McCormick Event Center, Brandywine Banquet and Event Center, Candlelight Inn, and Barnacopia. Sauk Valley Events is a one-stop shop for weddings and other functions, where you can find a caterer, book a venue, set up a rehearsal dinner – it’s all a phone call or mouse click away.

Building owner Larry McCormick bought the former Rock River Tool and Die building a couple of years ago and renovated and expanded it to near completion before the pandemic hit.

McCormick also tapped in to the talents of high school students from the Creating Entrepreneurial Opportunities program at the Whiteside Area Career Center to generate ideas on how to put a bring a uniquely local flavor to the business. The CEO students came up with the names of the businesses, as well as the names of the rooms – including the Grande Room and two Tool and Die rooms.

It’s a far cry from a factory. Now that the former Rock River Tool and Die has been revamped and renovated, there’s plenty of room for wedding receptions big and small. McCormick Event Center features four large rooms that can be booked individually or together.

According to manager Matt Prescott (above), the largest room holds about 230 people, and when all four are opened up, they can accommodate 750 guests. Whiteside Area Career Center students helped name the rooms, including the Tool and Die Room.

MCCORMICK cont’d on page 34

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The McCormick Event Center is well equipped for your wedding. It features a huge dance floor, a building-wide PA system with wireless microphones, free Wi-Fi, screens, two full-service bars, and more

MCCORMICK cont’d from page 33 “Larry wanted to do something good for the community and felt there was a need for something like this,” Prescott said. “The city’s been great, and everyone we worked with has been great.

“Between Larry and our contractor, they just did a phenomenal job. They were great to work with, and I couldn’t be prouder of what they accomplished.”

The Industrial restaurant shares space at the site. It’s owned by Prescott, and he runs it along with business partner Tim Kendrick. Prescott is working on The Industrial’s menu to bring different entree choices to the area. There also will be a full bar, a slots room and catering services – but for now, people will have to wait a little while longer to pull up a chair at Prescott’s tables. He doesn’t plan to open until the state allows restaurants to operate at full capacity.

The McCormick Event Center soon will have a second riverfront hotel to help boost business. Local developer Pete Harkness plans to build an $8 million hotel at the RB&W site on East Second Street, next to the events center. He is working with South Dakota-based My Place Hotels to build the 46-unit hotel.

The riverfront park has been a work in progress for nearly a decade, located on the grounds of the former Russell, Birdsall and Ward (RB&W) Bolt and Nut Co., later Reliant Fastener. A former Burlington Northern rail line once ran through the center’s west parking lot.

Prescott hopes that the success that built Rock Falls can be maintained or improved upon with the presence of the events center and nearby hotels.

“If you get someone from out of town and they book 100 hotel rooms, and have a big event where people are eating or dining in our restaurants, and spending money in our area, that’s a big win for our communities,” Prescott said. “It’s a big win for our tax base, and we hope to see some of that.”

It’s an hour to 90 minutes away from Rockford, the Quad Cities, Peoria and the western Chicago suburbs.

“I think it will be the premier event venue for 50 miles around.

You got to go a long ways to have a venue like this.”

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VENUES cont’d on page 36

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At an age when most young girls are thinking Barbie dolls and tea parties, Terrinaka Weltle was thinking high-profile social gatherings.

Weltle, a certified wedding planner, is the owner of Anytime Elegance, a wedding rentals company based in Rockford.

She and her husband, Marcus, are in the process of opening Studio VI, located at 609 W. Third St. in Dixon, in which their wares will be on display. A soft opening was held Jan. 4.

Terrinaka was pointed toward her professional calling in life while sound asleep some 36 years ago growing up in Chicago.

“The Lord gave me a dream that I designed a wedding, and now that I’m older, I can identify the people in this wedding,” Terrinaka said. “It was for Beyonce and Jay-Z. At the age of 5, I didn’t know these people existed. It was in New York. The wedding was amazing. It was over the top. I knew then this was a gift that God had given me. It wouldn’t go away.

“At home, I find myself strategically placing things; it’s the designer in me coming out.”

The Weltles opened Anytime Elegance in 2018 as a wedding rental business, but wanted to have a site in which they could not only show off those goods, but also host small events.

Initially, the thought was to have that building be close to Anytime Elegance in Rockford.

When a suitable site couldn’t be found, Terrinaka got on Marketplace and expanded the search. That led her to Dixon and the building on Third Street.

STUDIO VI cont’d on page 42

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STUDIO VI cont’d from page 41 “I ended up coming out here, visiting the space, and it was everything that I could be asking for,” Terrinaka said.

The finishing touches are being put in for a kitchen area, to accommodate small gatherings such as birthday parties, baby showers and anniversary parties. The Weltles have done several of these outings in the past, but weddings are what they have their sights on.

“We love to cater to the wedding industry,” Terrinaka said. “That’s the main thing – to saturate the wedding industry. The ultimate goal is to become one of the top 10 chosen banquet halls. I started Studio VI so people can have an idea of what I do and I can have a central location. I want to have something small and intimate, where people can enjoy friends and family worry-free.

“Me and my husband, we’re very involved in what we do. We want our clients to be a guest at their own celebration.”

The only wedding the Weltles have coordinated thus far is their own, in 2019.

They had 120 guests, and Terrinaka said it went off without a hitch.

Helping her clients plan the perfect wedding is dream come true for Terrinaka Weltle, a certified wedding planner and the owner of Anytime Elegance, a Rockford-bases wedding rentals company. Now, she and her husband, Marcus, are expanding the business into Dixon, at Studio VI, an event venue and shop where she can display her wedding wares. “We love to cater to the wedding industry,” she said.

STUDIO VI cont’d on page 43

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When Terrinaka Weltle planned her wedding in 2019, the results, she said, were amazing. “When the guests came, they actually thought that the venue provided all of the centerpieces and table decor, but I actually did it myself.” She brings that same talent to her wedding businesses, Anytime Elegance, based out of Rockford, and Studio VI in Dixon.

STUDIO VI cont’d from page 42 “That went amazing,” Terrinaka said. “When the guests came, they actually thought that the venue provided all of the centerpieces and table decor, but I actually did it myself.”

Anytime Elegance has been listed on two wedding coordination websites, The Knot and WeddingWire, since June. The Weltles have gotten a lot of inquiries, despite the wedding industry being slowed a bit due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I can only imagine, once it opens up, the number of inquiries that are going to turn into clients,” Terrinaka said.

“With the pandemic, a lot of people have postponed weddings,” Marcus added. “Once we get back to the old normal, it should start to open up and there’s going to be a lot of people that need service.”

Marcus is confident Studio VI is going to take off, due in large part to what his wife brings to the table. She has coordinated smaller events for family and close friends, but is now looking to take on bigger projects – weddings.

“It’s 100 percent Terri’s personal touch,” Marcus said. “She’s 100 percent detail oriented, from all the way down to which way the napkin is turned. It’s a labor of love for her. She’ll take the clients’ suggestions, the clients’ wants and the clients’ color choices, and she’ll talk through and get what they want. She absorbs that and pours herself into that. One hundred percent of what sets us apart is Terri and Terri’s eye for design and love for the business.”

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DIXON – The Willey Flower Company and couples in love have something in common: They both want to grow. The Willeys want to grow their business and the couples want to grow old together – and just so long as customers help the business and the business helps the couples, everybody wins.

It’s all in the power of the flower.

The seeds of the family business were planted when the Willeys teamed up with the Dixon Chamber of Commerce and Main Street in October to open a brick-and-mortar business at 115 S. Hennepin Ave. The one-story, 1901 building is an incubator owned by the Chamber Main Street, designed to help fledgling businesses get started and grow to where they can make it on their own.

Whether it’s dahlias, ranunculuses, zinnias or sunflowers, ask the Willeys to plant it and they’ll have it ready for your weddings in 2022. Much time needs to go by for flowers to grow from seedlings, but it’s worth it when the Willeys’ flowers come into bloom, a quality that will make those wedding flowers really shine.

“With enough notice, I can grow specific colors, specific flowers, and just a completely different aesthetic,” Brandi said. “I have no doubt that people will love a different design aesthetic than what’s traditionally been done.”

Dahlias – particularly frizzled-shaped sun rays – are the more popular flower for weddings, Brandi said. They are a larger flower with pointy pedals, almost like a starburst with thick stems.

Ranunculuses resemble a rose, but are a late spring early summer flower that come in a wide variety of colors and have a tall, thicker stem.

Dahlias and ranunculuses both are very romantic flowers, Brandi said.

WILLEY cont’d on page 46 It’s wall-to-wall flowers at Willey Flower Company in downtown Dixon, a family business run by Brandi Willey (left) that offers locally grown flowers for all occasions, including weddings. “I just think it’s really super cool to know that the flowers that you have at your wedding were grown here, around here,” she said.

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WILLEY cont’d from page 45 Zinnias are smaller flowers, about 3 to 4 inches around, and also come in many colors. The more popular ones have red and orange centers with the pedals a mixture of yellow, red and orange, providing a bouquet of warm colors, Brandi said.

Sunflowers can come in different colors, too, aside from the traditional look: There are deep yellow, standard yellow, white and burgundy varieties.

“They’re gorgeous; everybody loves sunflowers,” Brandi said.

“They are kind of a symbol of summer. A lot of people generally think of sunflowers as being a fall flower, but in reality they are a mid-summer flower; that’s when they look the best and are really blooming.”

Customers who approached the Willeys for their wedding flowers during their first couple of months in business all had one thing in common: they were looking for “something different” than a runof-the-mill floral arrangement.

WILLEY cont’d on page 47

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WILLEY cont’d from page 46 “When people approached me about doing their wedding flowers, it’s not for traditional bridal looks; they want the wild, more natural sunflowers or multiple colors,” Brandi said. “They don’t always want beige and white or green. People are just looking for something different.”

They can find it in the business’ flower patch, where the shop grows its flowers locally, and where brides can arrange for a tour to help them pick the perfect petals.

“I just think it’s really super cool to know that the flowers that you have at your wedding were grown here, around here,” Brandi said.

The shop grew out of Brandi’s kids’ 4-H project. When the initial plan for the flowers they were growing – using them for the 4-H fair – was halted due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, that led the family to the farmers market, where Cooper, 15, and Owen, 14, have become known for their flower table. Eventually, the Willey Flower Company opened its doors, on Oct. 24. The flowers are still sold at the Dixon Farmer’s Market every Wednesday and Saturday morning, weather permitting.

“I kind of started thinking that maybe it was something that we can make bigger,” Brandi said. “COVID threw in a wrench for plans for the 4-H fair, so we went ahead and the boys started selling their flowers at the farmers market.”

Willey Flower Company offers many unique and interesting plants and flowers to brighten up the room or just add a little green to the scene.

WILLEY cont’d on page 48

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WILLEY cont’d from page 47 Looking for something a bit different, a bit exotic? Willey Flower Company has orchids and other unique flowers. “When people approached me about doing their wedding flowers, it’s not for traditional bridal looks, they want the wild, more natural sunflowers or multiple colors,” said owner Brandi Willey. “They don’t always want beige and white or green. People are just looking for something different.”

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The Willeys, including Brandi’s husband, Jon, include their children in the business aspect. They are learning a lot, Brandi said, and are just as involved as their parents.

“It just kind of turned into a bigger thing for us,” Brandi said.

“It’s been great for them. They’ve learned about growing and managing a business, entrepreneurship, and they’ve seen what it takes to bring all of the things in for a store – how to inventory it and how to manage your pricing.”

The family-based aspect, and having flowers grown locally, were big factors in allowing the Willeys to have the incubator space.

Brandi’s marketing experience at Wahl helped, too.

“It really helped me build a good business plan. One of the bigger parts of my job is to find products that people want, and that’s really played into the things that I brought in.”

The Willeys also plan to offer lines of paper goods, such as cards and puzzles, which are made from seed paper, so they can be planted when they are done – being as “earth friendly as possible,” Brandi said. When you’re done with their business cards, plant them and they’ll take on a second life.

Something different that the Willeys are trying this year is planting organic flowers, which is more environmentally friendly.

It’s a lot of work and planning, especially with record keeping, but the family is up to the task.

“There’s a limitation of chemicals you can use. We want to make sure we support pollinators,” Brandi said. “My personal motto is ‘leave it better than you found it,’ so we have the opportunity to grow flowers, be good to the soil, put a cover crop back on to cover all of the nutrients, that’s the biggest benefit to it.”

Brandi is hopeful her children will carry this on for many years to come.

“My family is a huge part of this,” she said. “If it weren’t for them, we really wouldn’t be doing this. My kids are super important to me and for them to be involved.”

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Love is in the air, and in the batter, for Barb Noble.

For as long as the owner of Noble Cakery can remember, she’s been fascinated with weddings. Now, mix that with her love of baking and you get a recipe for a full-time business at her Oregon shop.

The Lombard native specializes in made-from-scratch baked goods, using whole ingredients and gourmet flavorings for her tasty salted-caramel macaroons, tiramisu mousse, blondes, Oreo gems, and chocolate, white-chocolate and vanilla bean champagne cupcakes.

But when she gets to combine her love of baking with a couple’s special day – well, that’s like the icing on the wedding cake.

Growing up, Noble just couldn’t enough of weddings. She had her mom buy her wedding magazines and she’d tear out pictures and put them on a poster board to plan a mock wedding, she’d watch the Steve Martin flick, “Father of the Bride,” over and over again – she just couldn’t get enough of that marital bliss.

NOBLE cont’d on page 52

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NOBLE cont’d from page 51 Noble wanted to be a wedding planner, but found out it wasn’t as easy as she thought. “It was a lot easier in movies,” she said.

Then she decided that baking might be the best way to get her foot in the reception hall door.

“I’ve always had a thing for design and certain aesthetics of what I want,” Noble said. “Baking always has been a passion for me, something I grew up doing, and the more I got into it I thought this was going to be my way to get into weddings. I love weddings so much.”

Her love affair with baking began when she was 6, inspired by Nancy Willard’s children’s book “The High Rise Glorious Skittle Skat Roarious Sky Pie Angel Food Cake.”

“It was about a little girl who made an angel food cake for her mother’s birthday, and when she falls asleep angels come and teach her a lesson about being generous and giving,” Noble recalled. “She’s naturally that way, and she feeds them the cake and all the cake is gone for her mother’s birthday. She wakes up the next day and, magically, there’s another cake.”

Not too long after reading the book, she made an angel food cake with her mom.

Noble’s mother would later write all of the recipes she knew and put them in a book “with a chicken in front of it,” she said, for each of her children. They mostly were vintage recipes from more than 50 years ago.

Together, mother and daughter made “anything and everything” – cakes, cookies, biscuits, you name it. Noble learned enough from her mother to whip up delicious treats of her own, and they soon met with satisfied taste buds and lots of rave reviews.

“Cooking and baking was her love language, and it got passed down to me,” Noble said. “I kind of became the friend that was always making the cupcakes, or making the cake, or bringing the desserts.”

All the while, she was making wedding cakes whenever she could. She remembers her first three-tier wedding cake, at first considering it a disaster, but growing to love it.

Weddings aren’t the only destination for her baked goods. She also caters corporate and school events, birthdays, graduations – just about any place where a person needs sweet treats.

Noble’s creations aren’t just praised by newlyweds, her cakes have been highly rated by weddingwire.com, where she received three straight Five-Star Couple’s Choice Awards in as many years for quality of service, professionalism, flexibility, value and communication.

These days, wedding cakes come easier for Noble, but that doesn’t mean she’s one to shy away from a challenge. About 8 years, she tackled making macaroons, a meringue-based confection with egg white, icing and granulated sugar, almond meal and food coloring.

Tackling tough creations is what satisfies Noble the most, but making a living out of it helps, too.

When she lived in DeKalb County, she sold baked goods from home, before moving to Oregon about 3 years ago. Though the state’s “Cupcake Laws” allowed for that kind of baking business, Ogle County wasn’t on board, which disappointed Noble. She eventually found a way to have her cake and sell it, too.

NOBLE cont’d on page 53

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Wondering who makes wedding cakes? Barb Noble, owner of Noble Cakery, says ‘I do!’

— but that’s not all she loves to make, and her culinary creations keep customers coming back for more. “I’ve always had a thing for design and certain aesthetics of what I want,” Noble said. “Baking always has been a passion for me, something I grew up doing, and the more I got into it I thought this was going to be my way to get into weddings.

I love weddings so much,” she said. Some examples of her wedding cake creations can be seen on the previous 2 pages.

Submitted photo

The pandemic has forced couples to scale back their wedding plans, and that goes for their cakes, too – but Noble Cakery can whip up small cakes too — something “sweet and petite,” says owner Barn Noble — like this tabletop two-tier treat, which can serve up to 20.

NOBLE cont’d from page 52 Opportunity knocked on an over door: Space was being vacated at Conover Square in Oregon, and she opened up shop there.

Her open house had a sampling of her culinary creations, which have since grown to gourmet cookie sandwiches (butter cream sandwiched between two cookies), French macaroons, lemon bars, brownies, cake shots, chocolate Oreo gems, mini cheesecakes and Christmas cookie platters.

“Getting feedback about how delicious something was, or hearing how their wedding cake was exactly how they wanted, or how any rave reviews about their cake, that makes me really happy to know that people are enjoying what I’m making for them.”

While Noble’s bakery repertoire has expanded, the wedding cake always will be near and hear to her heart.

“It’s definitely evolved a lot further than I ever planned,” she said. “I never envisioned this. I had a vision, but it wasn’t this. This is so far beyond what I could do.”

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(815) 288-5165 w e d d i n g s

IN THE BAR

Sauk Valley Events Find the perfect location and catering options for any event!

saukvalleyevents.com | 815-284-8484 BRANDYWINE

BANQUET & EVENT CENTER

Just off of the Rock Falls Riverfront.

Seating up to 600+.

mccormickevents.com

Located between Dixon & Sterling.

Seating up to 400.

brandywinedixon.com

On-site in Sterling, Rock Falls or Clinton, or off-site catering with fullservice & drop-off options available.

Event venue, museum & overnite suites outside of rural Polo.

candlelightinnrestaurant.com

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barnacopia.com

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The Bride’s Trousseau

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Bride’s Attendants

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Groom’s checklist

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Getting a Good Reception

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Music

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Venue Checklist Compare Your Costs

Venue Name

Ceremony

Facility

Table and Chair Rental

Food Per Plate

Plates, Cutlery and Chafer Rental

Bar Service

Wait Staff

Cake Cutting

Rehearsal Dinner

Gift Opening or Brunch Engagement or Wedding Pictures Additional Fees and Charges

Totals

Notes

Sauk Valley Events saukvalleyevents.com | 815-284-8484

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Balancing the Budget

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Wedding Blooms

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Gifts

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Gifts

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Photography Checklist

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One of the most unique banquet facilities and barn museums we have ever been to.

David D. Indoor and outdoor event locations Capacity up to 400 guests Private silo suite Separate bride and groom areas Museum featuring collections of farming antiques Choice of vendors Beautiful on-site photo locations 2570 N. West Branch Road | Polo, IL 61064 815-284-8484 | event@saukvalleyevents.com | barnacopia.com | j a n u a r y

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