Clementine’s Royal Wedding!

June 28th, 2011

 

Angela and Andrew chose the wedding date of April 30, 2011 long before the date of the Royal Wedding was announced to be on April 29, 2011.  With all the hoopla of the Royal Wedding it was refreshing to participate in the wedding of Angela and Andrew, who were super low key.  They were really focused on family and fun for their big day in Chicago. 

Shelley from Cage and Aquarium captured all the special moments from their wedding day! 

 

They got married at St. Clement in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood.  It turned out to be a really beautiful day. 

After the ceremony was over they gave each other a little toast while they drove around the city taking pictures with their closest friends.  Trolleys are one of the best ways to celebrate while taking photos. 

Lynn Fosbender from Pollen created these stunning bouquets.  The flowers were huge and they matched the bridesmaids dresses perfectly.   Pollen is an eco-friendly floral design company located in the Ravenswood neighborhood. 

The reception took place at the gorgeous Newberry Library, located in Chicago’s Gold Coast neighborhood.  The Newberry Library has so many amazing features, including this beautiful staircase.  Inside the ballroom they have hardwood floors, huge windows and three really ornate light fixtures. 

During the cocktail hour the wait staff greeted guests with trays of Bellinis.  The guests also enjoyed a nice assortment of passed hors d’oeuvres. 

The reception including a lot of nice details incluing these adorable place cards.  The flower on the place card not only matched the flowers on her menu cards, invitations and ceremony programs, but they also helped the servers know what the guests were eating for dinner!

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Occasions Catering outdid themselves with excellent service and a creative menu.  The guests dined on their choice of beef short ribs or roasted pepper and asparagus stuffed chicken breast! 


                                                                                                        

The bride and groom danced the night away to the music stylings of DJ Victor of Cage and Aquarium.  It really was a fun crowd and everyone really enjoyed themselves. 

Thank you to Angela and Andrew for letting Clementine be a part of their wedding day!

Posted in bouquet, bridal party, cocktail, color, details, DIY, eco-friendly, floral, food, menu cards, spring, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Smart Decor

July 19th, 2010

Hotel Sax was the home of this fantastic wedding ceremony.  I love the placement of the flowers and the really bright colors.  The room is decorated in neautral colors so the pop of color really stood out nicely.  The flowers created an excellent focal point in the room.  This wedding was in April, a season bursting with life.  It was the perfect month to really showcase vibrant colors as guests were  so ready for spring after all the bleak months prior. 

The best part of the decor was the ceremony arrangements were then reused as the centerpieces for the dinner tables.   Reusing arrangements is a great way to really jazz up a ceremony site for very little extra money.  Not only is this cost effective but it’s “green” too.  At the end of the day the client had less waste after the event. 

I strongly suggest using arrangements more than once if possible.  I have a lot of clients that reuse their alter arrangements for the place card table or gift table.  It’s a great way to extend the budget, plus it would be a shame to have such gorgeous floral/decor only to be used for 30 min! 

Daniel Gin Photography took these fantastic pictures.  Stay tuned to the Clementine website, this wedding will be featured soon on our gallery page. 

The floral was designed by Tony Polega with Bukiety Floral in Chicago.

Posted in bright, budget, Clementine, eco-friendly, floral, go green, spring, wedding | 1 Comment »

Tuesday Tip: Try Paperless Post

June 22nd, 2010

If you haven’t heard of Paperless Post you must check out their website.  It’s a perfect way to send invitations and save the dates in an affordable, modern and eco-friendly way. 

 

You can create & design any type of invitation you want.  It is perfect for wedding showers, bachelorette parties, save the dates and even wedding invitations.   Paperless Post is much more polished and professional than sending an informal Evite. 

Paperless Post makes sending invitations very easy too.  Once you design your mailing you create an account and buy “stamps” and “coins” for a very low price…..approximately $20.00 for 250. 

The best part is that you can track each invitation to see who has opened their and guests can directly RSVP to send a note to the host. 

I strongly recommend trying them out for any upcoming party you might be hosting!

Posted in budget, Clementine, DIY, eco-friendly, invitations, save the date, Tuesday Tips | 1 Comment »

Delicate Bites for Summer

May 21st, 2010

Comfort food has been really popular the last few years in menus all over town, especially private events.  There is something really fun about serving mini burgers and fries at a glamorous wedding.  However, I’m really drawn to fresh, delicate bites for summer.  When it is hot outside all I crave is fresh fruits, veggies, fish and meats.  The last thing I want is grilled cheese and tomato soup, even though the mini version is so cute. 

These adorable beet and goat cheese hors d’oeuvres not only have a fantastic presentation they are also very refreshing.  These bites will be a nice compliment to your guest’s white wine or champagne cocktail that they’ll be enjoying during cocktail hour.  Serving delicate foods will encourage your guests to taste and try many different foods without feeling full or bloated from all the salt. 

If you plan to serve a plated meal for your guests, choose a really fresh, light entree that is full of flavor.  Skip the heavy sauces and rich potatoes and choose something your guests can feel good about eating.   Fish, chicken or  lean beef served with fresh herbs and natural ingredients instead of heavy creams that are full of fat and butter will leave your guests feeling healthy and happy.  They’ll be more likely to hit the dance floor after eating since they won’t feel like they have a brick in their stomachs. 

I don’t think it can get more comforting than ice cream!  Instead of serving milk shakes or ice cream sundae stations, consider serving little ice cream cones.  You’ll still get the same fun, summer vibe and your guests will love the cold, refreshing treat on a hot summer night.  These little bites are so cute and won’t overwhelm your guests.  They are also bite sized which is great for avoiding a mess. 

You can have a delicious, creative menu without all the heavy starch, salt and fat.  Summer is full of so many fresh ingredients, take advantage of it.  Ask your caterer to use local produce when possible, not only is it better for the environment it will taste better too.  Your guests will leave your event feeling satisfied and full of energy. 

Posted in Clementine, eco-friendly, food, healthy, treats, wedding | No Comments »

Eco-Friendly Restaurant: Perfect for your Next Party

February 18th, 2010

I have been to Province in the West Loop a few times and I’m really impressed.  

Province is an eco-friendly & sustainable restaurant with a farm-to-table cuisine, that supports the Chicago Green City Market and many local Midwest Farms, we are an American Café with the culinary influence of Spain & South America.

The decor is very modern, chic and elegant.  I love all the clean lines and the bright pop of energetic pink. 

It is absolutely perfect for a rehearsal dinner or a social/corporate party.  They have a beautiful private room that will seat 40 guests comfortably.  If you are thinking of having a casual cocktail & hors d’oeuvres party the room can hold up to 50 guests.  The entire restaurant is beautiful and if your party is big enough, you can buy out the entire restaurant; which is becoming more and more popular for actual wedding receptions. 

 Look at all these delicious menu items; everything is so fresh and so well thought out.

  

  

I strongly recommend Province for your private event.  I think it has so much to offer; fresh & creative menus, excellent service, modern and sophisticated atmosphere.  It is a unique setting; give your guests a real treat with this fantastic restaurant.

Posted in Clementine, eco-friendly, environment, food, go green, healthy, rehearsal dinner, wedding dinner | No Comments »