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February 11th, 2013
Gretchen and Dan tied the knot on a beautiful spring day in April. The special day began with a sweet & intimate first look between the bride and groom on the terrace of the Peninsula Hotel. The couple then exchanged vows in front of 250 of their closest friends and family at a beautiful ceremony at Holy Name Cathedral. After the ceremony, it was time to party! As guests arrived at the Chicago History Museum, they were greeted with delicious hors d’oeuvres including Mu Shoo Duck Crepes & Seafood Ceviche catered by Jewell Events. Guests sat at dining tables adorned with stunning green and ivory lush florals designed by ArtQuest Ltd. They dined on Lemon Rosemary Chicken & Herb Crusted Filet and nibbled on cannoli wedding cake provided by Il Giardino Del Dolce before hitting the dance floor. Fig Media spun Gretchen and Dan’s favorite tunes and kept guests entertained throughout the evening. Thanks to Dayna Schroeder Photography for capturing all of the beautiful moments of this amazing day!
Wedding Vendors
Wedding Ceremony: Holy Name Cathedral
Reception Venue: Chicago History Museum
Caterer: Jewell Events
Floral: ArtQuest Ltd.
Lighting: Frost
DJ: Fig Media
Photographer: Dayna Schroeder
Videographer: Cinaesthetic Films
Wedding Cake: Il Giardino Del Dolce
Makeup: Juli Valdez
Hair: Sharon Daniels Salon
Posted in bouquet, bridal party, bridesmaid dress, cake, Clementine, floral, food, shoes, spring, Uncategorized, wedding, wedding dress, Wedding planning | No Comments »
April 11th, 2012
Planning Katy and Alex’s October wedding was a wonderful experience. I just loved working with Katy (and her fabulous Mom, Mary Lou), she is so full of life, always smiling and laughing and she was casual about the details. She was very trusting and flexible and it was a fun time! I didn’t actually get to meet Alex until the very end of the planning process because he was a bit of a slave to his residency schedule. He was a real trooper though and gave his opinion when he could. He really trusted Katy and she was always thinking about things that he would and wouldn’t like. When I finally met Alex, it was honestly one of those great moments, I just knew they were a perfect match.
Katy and Alex got married at the historic Holy Name Cathedral on State Street in Chicago on October 1, 2011. The Church was only a few blocks from their condo so they felt right at home in the neighborhood. The sky was so blue and the sun shined down upon them on such a special day.
The amazing, wonderful and talented Olivia of Olivia Leigh Photographie went with the bridal party all over Chicago and took some fantastic photos. Everyone had such a great time celebrating the newlyweds!
Even though the sun was shining, it was a chilly, brisk, Chicago day! Thank goodness the bridesmaids had these adorable wraps to keep them warm!!
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Dan Murphy from Pastis Designs created all the gorgeous bouquets and floral arrangements. Katy’s vision was simple, elegant and clean to match the event space. She chose a yellow, white and gray color palette and it looked very fresh! They held the reception at Terzo Piano at The Modern Wing of Chicago’s Art Institute. They took some pictures in and around the museum before cocktail hour began.
One of Katy’s bridesmaids owns a graphic design company, Atheneum Creative, based out of Houston, Texas. These little tags are the place cards which all have different symbols to match up with her table numbers. All the ”numbers” where places that were special to the couple. The guests had a blast walking around from table to table reading all the stories about why each place was a memorable location for the couple. The grey board that the place cards were pinned on was a huge map of Chicago. Once all the pins were removed, you could see it more clearly and it was really cool!
Bon Appetit Catering provided all the food and beverage for the wedding. Some of the hors d’oeuvres highlights included: mini white cheddar grilled cheese with fig jam, chilled mussels on the half shell with yellow curry and mushrooms stuffed with sundried tomatoes and asiago cheese. For the full seated dinner guests dined on wild mushroom soup and a roasted squash salad for the first course and bacon wrapped pork tenderloin for the entree. Everything was fantastic!
Tipsy Cake designed both the wedding cake and the grooms cake. The flavors Katy and Alex chose were out of this world: The top layer was white cake with pina colada American butter cream, the second layer was white cake with passion fruit filling and American butter cream and the bottom layer was almond cake with caramel and American butter cream. The groom loves chocolate cake so Katy surprised him with chocolate devils food cake with a chocolate toffee crunch filling, he loved it!
Katy LOVES to dance, and she is quite good at it, a real natural. Alex doesn’t love to dance but he was by her side all night long and they had a blast! The expert DJs from Cage and Aquarium kept the dancing floor packed all night.
I had the best time getting to know Katy, Alex and their wonderful families. Clementine wishes the a lifetime of happiness!
Posted in bouquet, bridal party, bright, cake, Clementine, cocktail, color, Dancing, details, DIY, escort cards, floral, food, fun, music, roof deck, style, venue, view, wedding, wedding dinner | No Comments »
March 27th, 2012
Want your groom and his groomsmen to be comfortable but still stylish on the wedding day? Ditch the dress shoes and let them rock custom kicks! Converse allows you to customize their shoes – you can pick the sneaker style, colors & pattern to make each pair unique. You can match the sneakers to your wedding colors or personalize each shoe to each groomsmen’s personality with their favorite colors. It even allows you to “Tag” the sneaker with a personal ID, so you can personalize each shoe with their nickname. These make great groomsmen gifts and add a little fun to the wedding day (plus they make for great photos!).
Check out the Converse website and get started on your custom kicks! There are over 30 different sneaker styles ranging from $67 – $90/pair.
 www.aricandcasey.com  www.katherinophoto.blogspot.com  www.loveandlavender.com  www.eleigh.com  www.theknot.com And don’t forget about the ladies – kick off those heels after the ceremony and put on a pair of customized “Bride” sneakers!
 www.yourbestwedding.blogspot.com
Posted in bridal party, bright, Clementine, color, converse, details, fun, groomsmen, personalize, shoes, sneakers, style, Uncategorized, wedding | No Comments »
March 8th, 2012
Spring is just around the corner…flowers will be blooming, birds will be singing and the sun will be shining! The weather will be beautiful on your wedding day, but you are wondering how to keep your guests and bridal party from squinting in the sun during your outdoor ceremony. Why not shade them with cute personalized parasols??!!!
Parasols are a great way to add some fun and flair to your event. They can be used for decor, favors or simply for a really cute photograph! They come in a variety of colors to complement your wedding. There are various ways to customize the parasols to make them unique to your event. Personalize them with cute phases such as ”Just Married”, “Thank You”, “Love”, “Mr. & Mrs.”, “I Do” and “Amore”.
We love the idea of painting the names or initials of each bridesmaid on their own parasol (as seen in these photos). Not only will your bridesmaids look stylish, but the parasol will keep them cool and their makeup fresh! These particular parasols were handpainted and designed by Laura Dro Designs: http://lauradrodesigns.blogspot.com/
Posted in accessories, bridal party, bright, Clementine, color, destination wedding, fun, outdoor ceremony, party favors, spring, Umbrella, Uncategorized, wedding | No Comments »
February 13th, 2012
We at Clementine ADORE color…especially any shade of orange (hence the company name “Clementine” - clever, right?!). Well, we were jumping up and down when Pantone released the 2012 Color of the Year – Tangerine Tango! It’s a gorgeous shade of reddish orange that is sure to bring energy and sophistication to any event. Now just because Tangerine Tango was named Color of Year, it does not mean you have to drench every aspect of your wedding in this shade. There are some fun and subtle ways to add this pop of color to your wedding.
Bridesmaid Dresses
Instead of dressing your dining tables in this hue, adorn your beautiful bridesmaids in this radiant color. They are sure to make a splash when making their debut down the aisle.
Lela Rose Dress Style LX160; Dress shown in Clementine
Groomsmen Attire
We can’t forget about the guys! You can “tie” in the hot color with a very dapper tangerine hued bow tie. This will compliment the ladies dresses and will pop against any suit color including tan, grey and black. Who doesn’t love a man in a bow tie…especially a gingham bow tie!
Men’s Gingham Bow Tie
Wedding Cake
We love the idea of incorporating this color into the wedding cake. If you are not afraid of going bold - go all out with a tangerine colored cake. Or if you are looking for something more subtle, a white cake accented with tangerine colored ribbon or oranged hued flowers will be fun and fresh. If you have a particular motif or pattern that is weaved throughout the wedding, add that design to the cake in tangerine.
Cake Photo from amouramour.com.au
Signature Cocktail
What does every good party have? A fun & festive specialty cocktail! Incorporate this bright and bold color in the libations. Serve the drink in a fancy glass and give it a catchy name and your guests will be ordering this cocktail all night! Here’s a delicious recipe for a tangerine inspired cocktail:
Tangerine Drop
Posted in accessories, bridal party, bridesmaid dress, bright, cake, Clementine, cocktail, color, spring, style, Uncategorized | No Comments »
February 3rd, 2012
I’m sure everyone remembers how unbelievable the weather was this past fall, especially since this winter has been pretty nice as well! Anne and Dan got married on October 22, 2011 and it was a super sunny and warm day, it felt like June!
They started their day taking pictures around Chicago with their bridal party. They really enjoyed being outside on such a surprising October day. These great pictures were taken by Cadence Cornelius Photography.
The Bride and Bridesmaids carried petite bouquets from Anna Held Flower Shop, they looked really nice with the bright blue dresses.
Anne and Dan got married at The Ravenswood Event Center, also known as The Ravenswood Billboard Factory which is located on Chicago’s northside in the Ravenswood neighborhood. This amazing atrium space was beautiful during their sunset vows. By the time the ceremony was over, the sun was completely set and the candles illuminated the room. It was very romantic. I just love the huge windows and the unique architecture of the space, there really isn’t another space like it.
The Bride made these adorable ceremony programs. She chose a few different patterns of paper to mix it up a bit and they looked great.
After the ceremony the guests were invited downstairs for cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. Food for Thought provided a delicious assortment of passed hors d’oeuvres including: Ginger sesame beef on pappadam crisps with chili aioli, lemongrass chicken on sugarcane skewers and pear & brie quesadillas with fresh mango salsa.
For dinner the guests enjoyed a beautiful sit down dinner in this cool loft space. Guests were able to choose their menu and were offered garlic and thyme marinated beef tenderloin, citrus rubbed french chicken breast and savory vegetarian crepes. The food and the service staff were excellent and guests really enjoyed themselves.
Anne collects salt and pepper shakers and this vintage cake topper is actually a set of shakers! The groom’s sister gave the newly engaged couple the gift as a Christmas present and the Bride loved them so much she decided to use them for her cake topper. It is a really cute personal touch. The beautiful (and tasty) wedding cake was designed and created by Dinkel’s.
After their amazing three course meal, the guests were invited back upstairs to the atrium which had turned into a dance floor and bar during dinner. Guests partied the night away with the talented DJ from Okyne Media Lab.
A really fun surprise was when the servers passed around Dairy Queen Blizzards!! Talk about an awesome late night snack.
As guests were leaving the event there was a table near the exit with party favors thanking the guests for coming to celebrate their big day. Inside the boxes were white love bird salt and pepper shakers. I thought it was a sweet take away and they will surely get a lot of use.
Anne and Dan’s wedding really went off without a hitch and it was such a fun day from start to finish. Clementine really enjoyed getting to know them and we wish them all the best!
Posted in autumn, bouquet, bridal party, bridesmaid dress, bright, cake, Dairy Queen, details, DIY, escort cards, floral, food, party favors, salt and pepper shaker, Uncategorized, venue, vintage | No Comments »
January 19th, 2012
Brenda and Joe are a crazy fun couple! I had the best time getting to know them over the course of the planning process. Lucky for me, one of my past clients (who got married at The Shedd Aquarium October 2010) referred them to Clementine!
Here is a sneak peak into their fantastic wedding day, which was filled with style, love and lots of laughs!
Thank you to the talented Jason Brown of J. Brown Photography for providing these amazing photos.
Brenda and Joe got married on September 10, 2011 (also known as 9.10.11). They had their ceremony and reception at Gallery 1028 which is located on Goose Island in Chicago. When I took them out to look at venues I had a feeling they would fall in love with the space because it has both modern and rustic elements . It was actually the very first space we saw and they ended up comparing every venue the rest of the day to it… so they decided it was the perfect spot!
They had chosen to take their pictures before the ceremony and boy did they have a good time gallivanting all over Chicago in their party bus, provided by Classic Chassis!
When they arrived to Gallery 1028, guests were already seated and ready for the ceremony. The mini bus pulled right up to the venue and we lined everyone up on the bus for the processional. The parents and grandparents were already lined up in the front room of the venue so it was very easy to get things started.
Brenda and Joe knew from day one they wanted a chic, modern wedding but they didn’t want it to feel cold. They wanted guests to feel welcome so we landed on yellow, green, gray and white was the main colors. Erin Foster from A Stem Above wowed us with her ideas to bring their vision to life. Brenda knew she loved a lot of rustic materials like natural grass, moss and branches and with Erin gave her exactly what she wanted!
Brenda and all the bridesmaids walked down the aisle on a fresh grass aisle runner which looked awesome on the original wood flooring of the venue.
After the ceremony, guests were invited into the front room where a custom bar and lounge vignettes waited for them, provided by PJ Acosta of Studio AG. Nicole Fitzpatrick from Calihan Catering created an amazing menu including passed hors d’oeuvres of Moroccan spiced lamb pizza, pear and brie quesadillas and spicy chicken wontons.
Erin from A Stem Above created this stunning arrangement to hold all the place cards so guests could easily find their way to their seats for dinner.
While the guests were enjoying cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, the Clementine team, A Stem Above and Calihan Catering flipped the room from ceremony to dinner. A Stem Above provided three different centerpieces and even custom made real moss table runners.
Naomi Levine from Tipsy Cake provided this adorable cake and the flavors included: carrot cake with cream cheese filling, almond cake with raspberry filling and chocolate cake with peanut butter filling.
As a surprise Brenda had these bobble heads made! They look just like them and the guests loved it!
During dinner their friends and family gave many amazing toasts to the newly wedded couple. Between the toasts they dined on cedar planked salmon with risotto cakes and flat iron steak with scallion buttermilk mashed potatoes. Needless to say, nobody left their event hungry!
Spencer from Style Matters DJs kept the dance floor packed all night. Everyone had a blast and everyone partied until the very last song. It was truly a great time.
As guests left the event they were given glass bottles filled with spices as a party favor. Brenda and Joe love to cook together and wanted to share their love of cooking with all their guests.
Brenda and Joe were truly worthy of the paparazzi on their big day! They are a wonderful, loving and fun couple and I’m thrilled I was able to be a part of their special day.
Posted in Bicycle, bouquet, bridal party, bridesmaid dress, bright, cake, Clementine, details, floral, lanterns, lounge, party favors | 1 Comment »
December 29th, 2011
Katherine and Jonathan got married at The Chicago History Museum on August 20, 2011. Their wedding day was picture perfect. Every moment and every detail was just as sweet as they are. I just loved working with them and getting to know them over the course of the year.
The fabulous Brett and Kiri of Pen/Carlson provided all these fantastic pictures!
The Chicago Air and Water show was just wrapping up while the bridal party was out taking pictures. If you look closely, you can see that half of the bridal party is looking at the jets flying right over their heads! The bridal party was a great group of people, everyone was having fun and sharing loving memories of the couple all day.
I just love the bridesmaids dresses! Not only is the color so rich and beautiful, but the shape of the dresses were classic yet trendy and flirty all at the same time.
They decided to have their ceremony inside the Chicago Room where it was nice, quiet and intimate since the Air and Water show was earlier in the day there was a lot of foot traffic outside. It was a very special and beautiful ceremony.
After the ceremony guests were invited outside to enjoy cocktails and hors d’oeuvres on the patio. The weather was perfect so guests were very comfortable sipping their summer cocktails. Blue Plate Catering provided a wonderful variety of appetizers including baby lamb chops, goat cheese tartlets, tuna tartar and panini lollipops.
After cocktails the guests were wowed when they re-entered the museum to find this stunning place card table. Hello Darling provided all the floral and decor their wedding. Katherine was so beyond thrilled with the look of the reception, it was exactly what she always dreamed. Natalie from Hello Darling really listened to what Katherine wanted and the outcome was a little modern, a little vintage and a lot of romantic charm.
Once all the guests were seated for dinner, Dustin from Toast and Jam invited the newly weds to join their party! They kept the momentum going as Jonathan whisked Katherine directly into their first dance.
Shortly after they danced they cut into their wedding cake. Katherine’s one wish for dessert was to have a small chocolate cake from her favorite Evanston bakery, Tag’s Bakery and Pastry Shop. She also ended up surprising Jonathan with a custom groom’s cake of his favorite team’s stadium. Bleeding Heart Bakery did an outstanding job. He was really surprised and couldn’t believe Katherine was able to sneak this little detail past him since he was involved with every vendor meeting the entire planning process.
Hello Darling and Blue Plate Catering made the Chicago Room of the Chicago History Museum sparkle with such amazing color and texture. Every detail from the flowers, to the crystal candles and vintage cut glass vases to the linens and glassware all went together perfectly, the room really looked spectacular and the bold colors fit the couple’s fun personality as well.
This is one of my favorite pictures, this pretty much sums up the feel of the entire night! Love, laughter and good times. It was an amazing night.
Posted in bridal party, bridesmaid dress, bright, cake, Clementine, cocktail, color, Dancing, details, escort cards, floral, food, fun, Photography, sparkle, style, Uncategorized, unique vendors, vintage, wedding | No Comments »
November 9th, 2011
Megan and Bobby are from the Chicagoland area (Naperville and Fox River Grove) but they are currently living in Philadelphia. They wanted a wedding planner to help them plan their wedding from long distance. They hired me before meeting me and when we finally met in person I met not only the bride and groom but also their parents and siblings! I spent the entire day taking them from venue to venue hoping to find the perfect spot. Not only did we find THE spot, but I feel in love with them and their families.
I had such a great time planning with this crew. Their parents were so happy and joyous for their children, and as a group we would all discuss what was best for the big day. It was really wonderful how they attended every single meeting as a group, they made a great team and I’m so happy I could be a part of it.
They were able to incorporate so many wonderful special touches to represent and honor their family members.
Megan and Bobby had their August 27th ceremony at the bride’s family church in Naperville. It was a beautiful and traditional ceremony with one very special twist; the father of the bride sang a solo during the ceremony! Another special touch, the bride tucked a red flower into her gorgeous purple calla lily bouquet to represent her grandmother who had recent passed.
After the ceremony the bridal party had a great time taking pictures in downtown Naperville. The bridesmaids all chose different dresses and they looked so great with the flowers provided by the very talented Jenna from Avant Gardenia.
They held their reception at The Patrick Haley Mansion in Joliet. The mansion is so stunning, these pictures do not do it justice. The guests were able to walk through the mansion during cocktail hour. Megan and Bobby brought about 20 picture frames filled with family photos that we placed all over the house. It was such a great way to make the mansion feel like it belonged to them.
The dinner and dancing portion of the evening was held in a stunning atrium. It was dressed with chandeliers, crystal and custom gold chargers on every dining table.
Megan and Bobby treated their guests to a five star plated dinner of apricot chicken. The menu and the service was exceptional, the guests were truly treated like royalty. During the meal the father of the bride and groom each gave special toasts. They also welcomed the maid of honor and the best man to toast the bride and groom, there wasn’t a dry eye in the room!
Not only did they serve wedding cake but they also had a huge sweets table with everything you could ever want and more.
After all the formal and traditional moments throughout the day they danced the night away (thanks to DJ Chicago) and let me tell you….it was THE party of the year! Everyone had so much fun and it was amazing to watch Megan, Bobby and their entire families celebrate!
I’m thrilled I was able to get to know such a wonderful couple and to help them plan the wedding of their dreams.
Thank you to George Street Photo and Video for providing these wonderful pictures.
Posted in bouquet, bridal party, bridesmaid dress, cake, floral, food, fun, wedding dinner | No Comments »
October 18th, 2011
Megan and Chris planned to have a fun, laid back event and boy did they succeed! The moment I met the two of them, I knew their big day would be so much fun! They both have really fun personalities and they let loose on thier wedding day!
Michael Monar Photography captured all these amazing moments.
Megan and Chris got married on July 23rd, 2011 and I’m sure you don’t remember the weather but it was very HOT that day. What better way to cool off during the photo session than stopping at an ice cream truck! I cannot believe Megan chose a colored popsicle for her treat! Talk about laid back!!
Both the ceremony and reception were held at Gallery 1028. The venue really fit the couples overall style with the rustic yet modern vibe it presents. Megan had the girls wear any gray dress of their choice so the bridesmaids could reflect their own style. I love how Chris is the only guy wearing gray, it really helped him to stand out and the yellow socks are just so much fun!
Studio AG helped bring their style to life with this stunning ceremony decor. I love how illuminating the candles and chandeliers were in the dark event space. It was very romantic and modern.
Some of the fun details provided by Megan and Chris: Custom made slap coozies for the guest’s drinks! Guests had fun slapping them onto their drinks and wrists all night!
Their welcome table really set the tone for the event. This is the first thing guests saw when the entered the venue. The pattern on the welcome sign matched their linens perfectly. The mailbox for their gift cards matched their personality! They also had a guest book with fun papers and patterned/colored tape that guests could mix and match.
They had three different table designs throughout the dinner space, this is a picture of the head table which was a large feasting table. The runners were custom made by the bride herself! Calihan Catering provided really fun dinner stations including amazing dishes of paella, tacos, custom pasta, gazpacho and much more!
After dinner Megan changed into an adorable and sassy party dress! She looked fantastic! They had Record A Hit provide a flip book station which was a huge hit, both at the booth AND on the dance floor. The guests loved it and it was a nice change from the ever popular photo booth. Cage and Aquarium kept the dance floor packed all night thanks to DJ Tyler.
They topped off the night with Chicago style hot dogs provided by Calihan Catering. Another perfect summer treat!
I think it is safe to say that not only did Megan and Chris have the time of their lives, but so did all their guests. They really stayed true to who they are as a couple and it worked out wonderfully.
Clementine was so happy to work with such an amazing couple and we wish them the best!
Posted in bridal party, bridesmaid dress, casual wedding, Clementine, Dancing, details, DIY, floral, food, fun, guest book, short dress, tapas, treats, Uncategorized, unique vendors, venue, wedding, wedding dinner | No Comments »
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