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September 15th, 2011
We have all been to about a million bridal showers, here are some new fresh and fun ideas! Clementine was thrilled to work on such a fun project. Thanks to the talented Olivia Leigh for capturing all these great photos!
Natalie Walsh from Hello Darling created this amazing table-scape incorporating interesting textures and colors; mixing whimsy into every last detail.
Kara Gordon of Magnificent Milestones custom designed the invitations and menu cards. She kept with the whimsical and colorful theme. They are the perfect blend of modern and retro.
 
The guests were greeted by this fantastic display of goodies. The place cards were pinned to the large rainbow lollipops which were surrounded by fun treats including cake pops, mini doughnuts, mini pies and cookies. All the adorable bites were provided by Jewell Events Catering. Hello Darling custom designed all the fabric covered boxes which we then used as serving platters.
The ladies got to help themselves to a bellini bar. Each flute was filled with champagne and fresh berries, then the girls chose their preferred juice. They all had a great time mixing and matching the flavors.
Most importantly everyone had fun! There were a lot of laughs and tears and good times!
Thank you to Jane’s restaurant for providing such a lovely space and a delicious menu.
Posted in bridal party, bridal shower, bright, color, details, floral, food, fun, invitations, menu cards, style, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
August 23rd, 2011
Maggie and Fred had a very festive event this past July; which was very fitting, since they are both so full of life. Their friends and family brought a really special energy to the event, it was a really wonderful day!
They had a traditional wedding ceremony at Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago and if was just beautiful.
After the ceremony the Bride and Groom drove around Chicago taking pictures with their bridal party. They ended up getting a spectacular sunny day so they really took advantage of the weather and took all their pictures outside.
They had their wedding reception at the ever popular Newberry Library, one of Clementine’s favorite venues!
Maggie and Fred chose multiple shades of pink and gray for their wedding colors. Flowers by Steen created these beautiful, natural centerpieces. Jewell Events Catering dressed all the tables as well as provided a fantastic menu and incredible service for all their guests.
Bittersweet designed this simple and elegant wedding cake. It looked AND tasted amazing.
Fred and Maggie came up with a cute and creative party favor; little bottles of Haitian rum! Fred’s family is from Haiti and this was surely a treat for all the guests as they left the event. I don’t think there was one bottle left!!
Fred and Maggie danced the night away to festive latin music and hip hop. Mark from DJ Chicago really kept the dance floor going all night. He played all their favorite songs and the guests had a blast!
Congratulations to Fred and Maggie! We hope their first year of marriage is just as fun and full of life as their wedding day was!
The talented Photography by Margo captured their special day and shared all these photos with Clementine!
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August 12th, 2011
Jessica and Aaron got married on June 25th 2011 at the beautiful Rookery! From the moment I met them I knew their wedding was going to be a very special and elegant.
I knew just who to suggest for their floral and boy did they deliver! Scarlet Petal created the stunning bouquets; I was in awe when I first saw them, they were exactly what the bride wanted. I loved all the texture and the blooms were so big and fresh!
Kenny Kim Photography (assisted by Bob Davis & Collin Pierson) captured their wonderful wedding day. He was fantastic to work with and these images are just amazing. He really did a great job telling the story of their special day.
The ceremony was spectacular! The bridal party entered from the front of the building (which was behind the guests); they walked down the aisle. Jessica surprised everyone when she entered down the main stair case, directly in front of the guests. It was very beautiful, and very grand.
After the ceremony, the guests enjoyed cocktail hour on up on the balcony. Jewell Events Catering served delicious and adorable hors d’oeuvres including shrimp wrapped in peapods and lamb crepes with cherry balsamic fondue.
While the guests were mingling and sipping on cocktails, the catering staff, floral team and Clementine helped to flip the room from ceremony to dinner. Scarlet Petal created these stunning centerpieces. They added the bridal bouquets to the base of the arrangement on the bride and groom’s table.
Jessica and Aaron had the most impressive five tier cake from Take the Cake. The cake was so perfectly done that Jessica was speechless when she saw it. It was of course equally as tasty as it was pretty. They chose the classic combination of white buttermilk cake with strawberry conserve and cream cheese filling. The entire cake was decorated in buttercream.
Jessica and Aaron wowed their guests during their first dance! Xixi from Chicago Wedding Dance taught them a beautiful dance and they looked so natural and confident. They really had a good time with it, the guests got up on their feet for the special moment.
Jewell Events Catering prepared a decadent meal of beef and lemon scallops paired with sautéed spinach, whipped potatoes and asparagus spears, what a treat!
They really had a wonderful time and all their guests enjoyed toasting and dancing the night away. Clementine wishes the newlyweds all the happiness in the world! They were so wonderful to work with and we wish them all the best.
Posted in bouquet, bridal party, cake, Clementine, cocktail, floral, Photography, Uncategorized, venue | 1 Comment »
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 »
June 21st, 2011
I just love this guest book idea. I’ve seen something similar before but I really like how the guests made their own leaf. Everyone really got into it, by the end of the night the tree was very full with lush multi-colored leaves. Now the bride and groom have a custom canvas for their home.
My client, Kate, found this great idea on Chicks n Hens (Where Happy Brides Gather) on Etsy.com.
Jeremy Lawson Photography provided these great pictures.
Posted in details, DIY, guest book, history, Uncategorized | No Comments »
June 10th, 2011
When I first met Leah I just knew we would really hit it off! She is about a sweet as it gets and her personality can light up any room. When I met her amazing new husband, Bob, I knew right away that it was going to be a very special wedding. They are so perfect for each other and I was honored to be a party of their special day.
Leah and Bob tied the knot at St. Clement Church in Lincoln Park. Their family was so close and you could just feel their love for one another. I just love this picture of Leah’s dad right before the ceremony was about to begin. 
Leah was full of excitement. She was cool as a cucumber the whole morning and when we got to the Church she just beamed with pure joy. I love this photo because it captures her fun personality perfectly.
Leah looked stunning as she walked down the aisle. Her wedding day “look” was absolutely perfect for her and it only enhanced the Church and the venue that much more. 
The new husband and wife! After the ceremony was over the couple celebrated with their friends and family. They loaded up a trolley and rode around town noshing on Potbelly’s sandwiches. Everyone had a great time.
The reception took place at the gorgeous Elysian hotel in Chicago’s Gold Coast. The service, menu and style of the hotel were all top notch. The guests dined on a creative menu including oysters, beef carpaccio, pork belly, fresh halibut, beef tenderloin and risotto.
These beautiful floral arrangements were designed and creative by Renee Price of Kehoe Designs. The blooms were huge and very fragrant, the room was filled with fresh floral aroma.
Leah, Bob and all their guests had a great time dancing the night away with the music styling of DJ Drew from Fig Media!
Clementine had a wonderful time meeting all their friends and family and we hope we can cross paths again some day! We wish you all the best! Congratulations to the happy couple!
Special thanks to the talented Joseph Mark Photography (located in Dallas, TX) and Joseph Ryan Martinez of Fig Media for providing memorable photos and video to document such a wonderful day!
Posted in bouquet, cake, cocktail, details, floral, sparkle, spring, Uncategorized, wedding, wedding dinner, wedding dress | No Comments »
June 1st, 2011
I was beyond thrilled to work with Leyla and Charlie for their May 21st wedding at The Rookery in Chicago. They have such fun, creative personalities which really added a lot of personal touches to their fantastic wedding. The wonderful and talented Laurie Peacock Photography captured all the special moments and details.
They became husband and wife at Assumption Church in Chicago. They couldn’t have asked for a nicer morning, especially since May was such a rainy month in Chicago this year.
The reception was filled with little details that are special to the bride and groom. New Orleans was the un-offical “theme” of the event and the bold colors really looked fantastic in The Rookery. It was a nice contrast having the bold style of New Orleans alongside a Burnham built building that has intricate gold stenciling by non other than Frank Lloyd Wright!
These gorgeous centerpieces were created by Blumgarten and they captured the brides vision perfectly. They gave away chocolates in the shape of the fleur-di-lis which is a French symbol associated with New Orleans.
The dinner menu was even NOLA inspired with beef tenderloin and BBQ shrimp with creole ssauce served over creamy stone ground grits. The talented chefs at Jewell Events Catering did a great job, the entree was fantastic and a big hit among the guests.
Take the Cake designed the beautiful and elegant wedding cake. The design reflected the style of the bride’s wedding gown and it was  just stunning. Guests exclaimed it was the best wedding cake they’d ever tasted!
Please view this awesome video filmed by Kinema Group Films - they edited it during the reception and surprised everyone with a quick show and the bride, groom and guests had many tears.
http://vimeo.com/24093511
Posted in accessories, bridal party, bridesmaid dress, bright, cake, cake stand, color, details, floral, fun, history, menu cards, party favors, spring, treats, Uncategorized, venue, view, wedding dress | 1 Comment »
May 20th, 2011
I had the pleasure of meeting the fabulous owners of Glo last week at an event hosted by Beauty on Call. Glo was founded by Jaclyn Gamboa and Kristi Gabrione in 2009.
While planning their own weddings they tirelessly tried to find the perfect solution for the perfect wedding day glow and ended up creating a custom airbrush tanning company. This service is perfect for brides and bridesmaids because they’ll come directly to your home which makes it super easy and time efficient for busy brides.
According to Jaclyn and Kristi “Airbrush tanning is the only safe way to receive a beautiful, golden brown tan in just one session. Glo’s solutions are organic and do not contain alcohol or any artificial fragrances. The active ingredient, DHA, is an FDA approved sugar cane derivative that provides a safe alternative to UV tanning.”
“Glo is dedicated to customizing a specific needs of our clients. After a skin consultation, technicians will vary the shade, depth, and color of your tan according to your skin type and preference. Glo’s innovative system uses two separate airbrushes. Unlike spray booths, their airbrush experts contour your body by hand, ensuring an even flawless tan. Their will never be an orange streaky mess and your hands and feet will look naturally tan.”
“Whether you would like a single in-home appointment or a tan party for your entire bridal party, Glo can customize the perfect tan for brides within 30 minutes per session.”
Clearly Glo isn’t only for brides and bridal parties, it is perfect for anyone who is looking for a healthy way to have a sun-kissed look in any season.
Posted in color, fitness, healthy, sparkle, style, Uncategorized | No Comments »
April 22nd, 2011
You’ve already purchased your wedding dress, shoes, accessories and you’ve chosen your hair style for the big day, but have you thought about your makeup yet? Makeup artist, Nika Vaughan, has a really fresh approach to makeup; she wants you to look like YOU! A lot of my clients are concerned about their makeup looking too heavy or too glamorous, they really just want to look fresh and polished. If this is the look you’re going for, Nika Vaughan is the perfect makeup artist for you!
Don’t be fooled though, Nika also does a lot of fashion makeup too, so she can certainly handle fantastic, dramatic looks as well!
Nika has been sweet enough to give us all a few little makeup times that we can put to use this spring!
“I think this is a great time of year to add a little something new to your tried and true makeup routine. If the same face you wear to work is always the same face you wear for a big night on the town, then it might be time to skip a new pair of shoes and do some spring cleaning in your makeup bag.”
Tip Number One:
“You don’t have to have a Gaga makeover to try something new, but if your already comfortable with a rich brown eyeliner for day, for night try a true black like Bobbie Brown ‘Black Gel Ink Liner’ or Make Up For Ever’Aqua Eye Black Pencil’ Keep the line the same thickness as you would wear for day, and if you line your bottom lid, do it softly so that the liner on your upper lid is still a little bolder. Your eyes will look bigger, lashes fuller, and best yet, you’ll look more wide awake no matter when your day actually started.”
Tip Number Two:
“Try cream eyeshadow for super easy to apply color. If you’re short on time, apply a cream eyeshadow like “Shiseido’ Hydro-Power’ in Spring Plum with just your ring finger, and you’ve got a great sheer, shimmery wash of color that lasts all day. For a more nude look, try a matte version like Bobbi Brown ‘Long Wear Cream Eyeshadows’ in Malted or Cement. Most cream shadows are very smudge and water resistant, so don’t be afraid to wear them into summer. You can even layer a powder eyeshadow over them for a quick makeup change from day to night.”
Tip Number Three:
“If you’re torn about investing in a new fun lip color, but you’re afraid it will just end up living at the bottom of your makeup bag, try a bold color in a sheer gloss or lipstick instead. Look for something in a great color, that will hydrate without being too sticky. It should be packed with color so that a little goes a long way. If you have a less-is-more makeup routine, you might love just a sheer wash of fun gloss like ‘Scandal’ or ‘Babe’ from NARS. But if you’re no stranger to Sephora, you can always add a matte lipstick or (my favorite) Make Up For Ever ‘Aqua Lip Liner Pencils’ underneath your gloss for a more dramatic look.:”
You can reach out to Nika…..
773-220-9959
nika@nikavaughan.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/nikavaughan
Twitter: http://twitter.com/NikaVaughan
Tags: makeup, natural style
Posted in bright, color, style, Uncategorized, wedding | No Comments »
February 11th, 2011
Are you looking for a way to have a little fun? Are you stressed out and need to find a way to “let your hair down?” Are you tired of being good all the time? Now is the time to get a little naughty and show off your amazing body! The relatively new craze of real women having boudoir and pinup photo sessions is hot hot hot!
Vavoom Pinups is Chicago’s premier boudoir photography studio. The entire staff is all female and they’ll help bring out the sexy in you! Your experience will include their amazing hair and makeup team plus a fantastic wardrobe and advice for poses that will flatter your look, style and personality.
These Chicago women are having fun and being sexy! They are not models, although they do look like them.
This is such a fun idea for your gift to your groom! If you’re not engaged what a fun idea for Valentine’s day or to just celebrate yourself. Vavoom Pinups can host parties as well so bring all your friends and have fun together.
I just love the concept of real women having fun and feeling like a million bucks!
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
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