Gretchen & Dan – Chicago History Museum Wedding

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

Eunice & Andrew – River East Art Center Wedding

January 21st, 2013

It was a beautiful day in May 2012 when Eunice and Andrew tied the knot.  The day began with a a touching and emotional ceremony at Holy Family followed by a stylish and sophisticated reception at the River East Art Center.  The tables were dressed in silver linens adorned with lush ivory centerpieces designed by Kehoe Designs.  The guests dined on tenderloin and scallops catered by Blue Plate and finished on a sweet note with wedding cake from Amy Beck Cake Design. Eunice and Andrew, along with all of their guests, danced the night away to music  by Sounds Abound.  Thanks to Chenergy for sharing theses beauitful images of Eunice and Andrew’s wedding day!

Wedding Vendors

Wedding Ceremony: Holy Family

Reception Venue: River East Art Center

Caterer: Blue Plate Catering

Floral & Decor: Kehoe Designs

DJ: Sounds Abound

Photo & Video: Chennergy

Wedding Cake: Amy Beck Cake Design

Photobooth: Shutterbooth

Hair & Makeup: Sonia Roselli

Renee & Brian – W Hotel City Center Wedding

January 7th, 2013

Renee & Brian tied the knot on a warm and gorgeous day in March.  They celebrated with 150 of their closest friends and family with a very chic and sophisticated wedding at the W Hotel City Center.  Renee & Brian said their “I Do’s” in a romantic candlelit ceremony while standing under a beautiful white chuppah designed by Studio AG.  They treated their guests to an elaborate cocktail reception with sushi & carving stations followed by a delicious dinner of herbed chicken and seabass.  The guests danced throughout dinner to the sweet sounds of the Arlen Band, Indigo.  They kept the dance floor packed all evening…it was a beautiful night!

Thanks to photographer Andrea Kerbuski for these amazing photos!

 

 Wedding Vendors

Ceremony & Reception Venue: W Hotel City Center

Floral & Decor: Studio AG

Ceremony & Reception Music: Indigo

Photographer: Andrea Kerbuski

Wedding Cake: Alliance Bakery

An Outdoor Affair – Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum Wedding

April 27th, 2012

Goldbarg and Drew truly had the most beautiful day for their wedding at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum.  The sun shining off the pond was the perfect backdrop for their wedding ceremony, which took place outside in the Ravine.  Immediately following the ceremony, guests were greeted with a Rhubarb – Prosecco specialty cocktail and nibbled on tasty hors d’oeuvres prepared by Blue Plate Catering.  Guests were treated to a delicious Persian inspired menu (to reflect the bride’s background) while dining alfresco on the terrace.  The terrace looked stunning with dining tables adorned in ivory and raspberry shades and simple, yet elegant floral arrangements designed by Eva’s Flowers.

The cake cutting was no ordinary cake cutting ceremony!  It is a tradition in Golbarg’s family to do the Persian Cake Dance.  The purpose of the cake dance is for the couple to retrieve the cake knife by offering money to the dancers who posess the cake knife.  The bride and groom continue to offer money to try and get the cake knife. A little back and forth, and a few dance moves later,  Goldbarg and Drew retrieved the cake knife and cut into their beautifully designed cake by Take the Cake.

The rest of the evening was spent dancing to the beats of DJ Sultan from PMI Productions.  After a few hours of dancing, the guests refueled with late night snacks including mini hot dogs, sliders and gyros.  The evening was truly magical and J. Brown Photography did an amazing job capturing all of the special moments throughout the event.

 

Ceremony & Reception Venue: Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum

Caterer: Blue Plate Catering

Wedding Cake: Take the Cake

Florist: Eva’s Flowers

Photographer: Allison Williams from J. Brown Photography

Videographer: Edward Fox

DJ: PMI Productions

Modern Love

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!!

\

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! 

 

For the Boys – Custom Kicks!

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

 

Tradition, Love and Family

March 13th, 2012

Eleana and David got married on October 14, 2011 at The Columbus Park Refectory in Chicago.  Their wedding date wasn’t just a random October day, it held special meaning to the bride and her family.  Her parents got married on October 15th, her grandparents got married on October 16th and her great-grandparents got married on October 17th.  Since it was such a special date the entire wedding was really focused on love, family and tradition, it was all very romantic. 

 

Their wedding day was a windy, chilly, Chicago day and yet everything went off without a hitch.  Every detail and every moment was memorable and special.  They held their ceremony outside in the pavilion attached to the main refectory building which had a great view of trees and nature. They had a live quartet provided by Quartet Parapluie which really helped set the tone for the ceremony.  Right before the ceremony started we sprinkled rose petals down the aisle, we were worried they were going to be blown away but they held out long enough for Eleana to make it down the aisle to her handsome groom who was dressed in his Marine Corps uniform. 

After the ceremony, the guests came inside for a beautiful sit down dinner provided by Phil Stefani Catering.  The guests were treated to an amazing menu of chicken ricotta and braised short ribs.  After dinner the guests were spoiled with endless sweet treats of brownie sundaes, mini molten lava cakes and chocolate ravioli all provided by Phil Stefani Catering.  Their stunning and elegant wedding cake was designed and provided by Sarah’s Pastries and Candies. 

Asrai Garden enhanced the space with rich, bold, autumn colored flowers that were so fresh.  Since family and tradition was such an important aspect to the Bride and Groom on their big day, they had family wedding pictures as part of their center pieces with flowers flanked on either side.  It was a very sweet, special touch. 

Eleana and David spent the rest of the night dancing and celebrating together and with their friends and family.  It was a very joyous occasion filled with love and romance.  Clementine was honored to have gotten to know such a wonderful couple and family! 

Special thanks to Erica Rose Photography for providing us with such lovely photographs. 

Additional vendors that helped make their day special:

DJ Sasha Savic

Turning Point Video Production

5 Star Valet

 

Personalized Parasols

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/

 

Summer, History….and Airplanes!

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. 

 

Chicago Botanic Garden Wedding

November 22nd, 2011

Jiyoun Bae and Keunsuk Lee got married at the Chicago Botanic Garden on Sunday, June 5, 2011.  It was such a beautiful day and we were so happy we could be a part of their special day.  The grounds at the Chicago Botanic Garden seem endless and they’re the perfect backdrop for pre-wedding photographs.  Not to mention, it’s an extradordinary experience for all the guests, especially those who have never been to the gardens before.   

The talented Steve Koo captured all these amazing photos and we’re so thankful he shared them with us!

 

Jiyoun and Keunsuk had their ceremony and reception in McGinley Pavilion overlooking the water.  Their ceremony was so romantic and sweet, they started with a sand ceremony.  They had live ceremony music performed by musician Jeff Chan.  The Bride carried an absolutely stunning bouquet created by Flowers Flowers

 

The reception was a lot of fun and the pavilion looked great!  The Bride really got into the DIY projects.  She made the table numbers and ceremony programs  among other personal touches.  I just love this “Just Married” sign that they hung at the entrance to the pavilion. 

 

Culinary Landscapes, the exclusive caterer at The Chicago Botanic Garden, provided some delicious hors d’oeuvres including tortilla cups filled with smoked chicken and topped with mango salsa and avocado cream as well as pork tenderloin with blueberry balsamic and brie.  The presentations were just mouth watering as the taste!  During dinner the guests dined on sweet garlic glazed fresh chicken breasts with mushroom filled brioche charlotte and roasted fingerling potatoes and fresh asparagus. 

 

The Bride changed out of her gorgeous wedding gown and into this fun party dress for the reception.  She even wore a pair of fabulous royal blue shoes!  Their wedding cake, provided by Rolf’s Patisserie, matched the overall decor perfectly.  I love how Jiyoun kept all the little details in the classic black and white pattern. 

The Bride and Groom clearly had a blast at their wedding!  All the guests had a wonderful time dancing the night away thanks to DJ Brent Rolland from Fig Media

 

It truly was such a lovely event and we just love working at the Chicago Botanic Garden.