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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 »
November 2nd, 2011
From the first moment I met Genny and Alex they knew exactly what they wanted for their special day…..an open air dinner on a sunny August day. During all the months and months of planning we, of course, made sure we had a plan B in case Chicago decided to rain on their special day. Amazingly enough, they got a perfect sunny day and everything else just fell into place.
Genny and Alex tied the knot at the stunning Old St. Pats, it was a very beautiful ceremony. They held their reception at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum. They were able to utilize the entire building. They hosted cocktail hour in the main lobby and outside on the outdoor ravine. Dinner was upstairs on their outdoor terrace and dancing was in their south gallery that has floor to ceiling windows. The Nature Museum is so beautiful and all the butterflies and flowers helped make their special day all the more magical.
The reception had a great romantic and whimsical feel, Hello Darling outdid themselves with so many great custom touches.
Between Blue Plate Catering and Hello Darling the dinner tables were stunning. They incorporated really interesting vessels including custom made birch bark and pine boxes, wooden circles with hand painted numbers, mason jars and glass lanterns. I just love this Willow Twist linen provided by BBJ Linen.
The dinner portion of the evening was spectacular. They served an amazing menu of beef tenderloin, jumbo shrimp, mixed vegetables and roasted baby potatoes. They started the night with a beautiful and colorful sangria salad with goat cheese, pine nuts, mandarin oranges and fresh peaches. The menu was perfect for summer and the guests really enjoyed the meal. The service staff provided by Blue Plate was top notch, the guests were truly wined and dined.
Beyond a wonderful meal, the atmosphere was like a fairytale thanks to Frost Lighting for hanging cafe lights over all the dinner tables. The Gentlemen of Leisure provided a 5 piece combo for dinner music which helped enhance the atmosphere.
Tipsy Cake custom created this beautiful wedding cake for Genny and Alex. They were able to hand pick the flavors of the cake. The chose three delicious flavors: white cake with milk chocolate buttercream, chocolate cake with raspberry jam, cream cheese and chocolate buttercream and white cake with coconut cream. It was fantastic.
The band expanded to an impressive 15 piece dance band and the guests had a blast. Alex and Genny had their first dance under custom fabric treatment and chandeliers provided by Hello Darling and Frost Lighting.
It was such an amazing day and I was so proud of this event. Genny and Alex had a vision from the beginning and I’m so happy I was able to help them bring all their ideas to life. I wish them all the best!
The talented Kurt Gerber of Gerber and Scarpelli provided all these stunning pictures. Kurt really captured their special day.
Additional vendors that participated in this wonderful event: Magnificent Milestones custom designed their invitations, Windy City Trolley provided the transportation for the wedding day and Red Eye Photo Booth kept the fun going all night with their photo booth.
Posted in bouquet, Bridal show, cake, cake stand, Clementine, cocktail, color, Dancing, details, environment, escort cards, floral, food, fun, invitations, lanterns, music, Photography, roof deck, venue, view, wedding, wedding dinner, Wedding planning | No Comments »
July 13th, 2011
Andy and Judy tied the knot over Memorial Day Weekend at the Groom’s parent’s home in St. Charles, Illinois. The back yard was a beautiful backdrop for the special event. Even though it rained almost all day, the event went off without a hitch!
Clementine was fortunate to work with such an amazing family. We met Andy and Judy last year at Andy’s brother’s wedding which we coordinated at the Danada House. We were so happy to get to work with such a wonderful family again.
The couple wanted a low key, casual affair that focused on good food, good music and good fun! They put a lot of effort into creating such a lovely event. The bride made all the adorable centerpieces which also served as the table numbers.
These fantastic place cards matched the invitations; they shared the same pattern and color. They were sitting on little bamboo holders. I just love how the event style is both backyard BBQ yet it also reflects the bride’s Vietnamese heritage. The two style came together nicely.
They handed out mason jar mugs and individual servings of tea for the party favors which were a big hit! Many of the guests were drinking beverages from their mason jars all night. Once coffee and dessert was served, many guests asked for hot water so they could enjoy their tea.
After feasting on a delicious and hearty meal of BBQ roasted pulled pork, au gratin potatoes, fresh spinach salad and orzo pasta salad, they all enjoyed an amazing dessert spread including wedding cake, mini cookies, french macaroons and mini fruit tarts.
They danced the night away and everyone had so much fun. The rain even stopped and it was a clear and beautiful night.
All these amazing photos are thanks to the talented Julia Rendleman, Louisiana-based newspaper photojournalist available for travel and destination weddings. She has done over 100 weddings in the Chicagoland area.
Posted in bridal party, bridesmaid dress, bright, cake, casual wedding, Clementine, color, Dancing, details, DIY, escort cards, food, fun, lanterns, outdoor ceremony, party favors, Rain, Umbrella, wedding, wedding dinner, wedding dress, Wedding planning | 1 Comment »
April 14th, 2011
I love the fresh vibe you get at The Danada House, located in Wheaton, Illinois. The grounds are so beautiful and include lots of fresh flowers, green grass and horse stables. The Danada House has so much fantastic charm, it really is the perfect setting for a summer wedding.
Robyn and Matt exuded a fresh, laid back, style and it was perfect for the venue. The bride was stunning with flowers in her hair and on her dress. Jenna Bruhn from Avant Gardenia creative an amazing bouquet that fit the bride’s style perfectly.
The groom and groomsmen looked sharp and cool on such a hot day! I am convinced this wedding happened on the hottest day of 2010.
The ceremony was held outside and was surrounded by trees, grass and sunshine.
The reception details really kept with the overall theme of the wedding. It was just beautiful and the vibrant green matched the green of the trees in the back ground nicely.
These centerpieces were perfect for the look and feel of the wedding. The reception dining room had floor to ceiling windows and there arrangements helped bring the outdoors inside.
It was just such a lovely day and I’m so glad I got to work with Robyn and Matt.
The amazing photos are courtesy of the talented Jessica Strickland Photography.
Posted in accessories, bouquet, bridal party, bridesmaid dress, cake, color, details, floral, go green, Jewelry, lanterns, outdoor ceremony, style, venue, view, wedding, wedding dress | No Comments »
April 23rd, 2010
I truly believe that everyone loves lanterns! There are so many fantastic ways you can use them at your wedding or social party. They are an extremely cost effective way to add a lot of punch to your decor.
The picture below is a wedding that was held at A New Leaf in Chicago. These lanterns are highlighting the couples fantastic global food stations. The lanterns are also a great way to feature the urban architecture of the building.
This fabulous east coast wedding was held in a stunning tent that was surrounded by water. The couple chose navy as their main color with accents of white and green which helped enhance the natural beauty of the surrounding landscape. The lanterns really added a lot of dimension and style to their white tent. The lanterns helped to draw the eye upward to more color which heped to create a warm environment.
This chic LA couple chose to feature a cluster of chocolate brown lanterns right over the dance floor. The look created a lot of drama in the center of the room. Their decor was bold and vibrant with splashes of fuchsia and orange (not shown). They had chocolate brown linens and these lanterns added to the richness of their overall look and feel.
Talk about romantic, these lanterns have been hung in the trees with lights for a garden style reception. Some lanterns can be lit from within or you can light them from afar with pinspotting. Lanterns do not need to be lit, they are stylish either way. They can be used indoors or outdoors.
The great thing about lanterns is that they are really versatile. They can add texture and color to any style event. They are very cost effective and they can be re-used for another party down the road.
Posted in budget, Clementine, color, details, environment, lanterns, style, tent, wedding | No Comments »
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