Victorian Beauty

The St. James Hotel, built in 1875, retains a lot of Victorian charm. One of my favorite spaces to hold an event is our Historic Lobby area. This space includes: the Victorian Dining Room, the Historic Lobby and the Historic Library. Also in this space is the Grand Staircase which is the original staircase from 1875!

Let's start with the His

toric Lobby. 14' ceilings, Victorian furniture and the original front desk. Today, that front desk makes a great bar. A

ll the furniture in this room is movable, so it can be transformed into a variety of spaces. A few weeks ago we had a wonderful couple hold their

ceremony in this space. The Grand Staircase is one of our most popular photo spots in the hotel.

As the original staircase it is a great piece of history, but it's also a great way to show off your beautiful train!

Off to the right of the Historic Lobby we'll find the Library. Not only is this a perfect place to cozy up with a

good book on a rainy afternoon, but it's also a gorgeous s

pace to hold a ceremony and a beautiful b

ackdrop for photos. This rich space is always set with luxurious leather chairs and a crackling fire.

The last space in the Historic area is the Victorian Dining Room. This room, with ornate 14' ceilings is an ideal space for a small reception.

This Historic section of the hotel is one of my favorite, mainly because it embodies the spirit of the St. James Hotel so much. There is so much character in these rooms that are a perfect addition to any wedding.

StyleMePretty Inspiration Board

Style Me Pretty recently launched their 'Style Circle' which is awesome! I adore it. Their inspiration board builder is fantastic, in fact, I'm re-posting it here! I apologize if it is a bit small, so head on over to SMP to check it out!

When I think of a historical space, like the St. James Hotel where I work, I think of richness and decadence. But I've seen the 'historical' aspect go too far to the point of an "old timey photograph" -- the kind where no one smiles. This dress has a few frills that resemble a traditional petticoat and corset. My idea of 'historically chic' is: always structured at the core, but frosted with lace, gargoyles or any other kind of decor. At its base is a simple shape, flower or silhouette, but it is layered with beautiful embellishments.

I Love Flowers.

This may seem obvious, but seriously, flowers make it happen. They add so much depth to the event. We had a wedding this past weekend here at the St. James with some great flowers on the cake. The cake was from Hanisch Bakery in Red Wing. The flowers are by Glenda from Flair Your Affair.

The thing I love about flowers the most? They photograph so well. It could be because I'm a garden freak, but I just am always thrilled with photos of flowers. The colors are so vi

brant and they have so much depth. Flowers look spectacular when paired with: detail shots of the wedding dress, detail shot of tablescapes, detail shots of the rings and not to mention, shots of just the flowers themselves.

A nice thank you...

Anyone who knows me well will tell you that I love weddings. I love everything about them. That would be my primary reason for being a 'wedding coordinator.' We had an awesome wedding here at the St. James Hotel about 2 months ago up in our Summit Room. Not only was the wedding wonderful, but everyone had a great time. The mother of the bride sent us the sweet note:

Our sincerest thanks for an incredible St James experience at our daughter Katherine's wedding reception on June 26! I have so many areas I'd like to mention but perhaps you have a survey that you'd like me to take. I'd be more than happy to.

Our personal thanks to you Chef Michael also.. I am sorry I missed you the morning after the reception. I was up in the Summit Room de-decking the halls. I want you to know that the food was outstanding, from the hors d'oeuvres to the main entrees of leg-in Chicken Marsala 'a la Michael' and the Salmon Florentine. Many, many of our guests have raved about it and thanked us for a 'lovely evening' VS a great wedding reception. The 'lovely' evening was our goal, but you, Michael, and your staff exceeded our expectations. Our dinner was, by far, the best we have ever had the pleasure of eating at any wedding reception, any type, anywhere. I would

love to come back some time soon to enjoy and savor it again.

Katherine's reception was very relaxing, classy, paced perfectly with yours Ashley and Michael's assistance in the planning stages knowing that it was imperative to stay on time to achieve the outstanding result we did.

Additionally, each time we came to the St James we were welcomed, greeted,

sought out, paid personal attention by you and Chef Michael. We couldn't

have asked for anything nicer, more personable, more reassuring, and instilling confidence each step that we would be very happy on June 26. We were not just happy, we were thrilled, elated. I am still reliving the entire event and our stay at the St James on June 25 and June 26.

I would recommend the St James to anyone and we are thrilled that we chose the St James Summit Room. Please thank all of your staff involved in our reception. They were impeccable--friendly, helpful, gracious, no task or request was beyond them. We so appreciate the excellence that the St James displayed!

Stay tuned for pictures from this fabulous wedding!