I love to make things that are perhaps a bit annoyingly girlie when heading to super bowl parties…
While Petit Fours got the call last year, this year I made darling Powder Puffs! Petite sponge-like cakes that hug sweet fillings like red plum jam and vanilla bean whipped cream.
The boys can have beer and wings…I’ll stick with champagne and French treats!
I had the absolute pleasure of working with the most gorgeous couple for their unique {and shall we say unexpected?!} winter wedding in December.
Nadere and Jeff were engaged only a handful of months before their wedding day – the two have been together for ages and knew they didn’t want a long engagement. They also acknowledged early on that they wanted the wedding to be less about the spotlight, the show and teeny tiny details, but more about a celebration of the clear and complete love they share. When one jokingly suggested they should host a surprise wedding, they both giggled at the thought. And then they stepped back, individually, and let the ‘silly’ idea sink in a bit. They were sold.
With only their parents, their best man and matron of honour in the know, Nadere and Jeff began the preparations for the surprise of a lifetime. Under the false pretense that the couple was going to get married privately in the Caribbean this coming spring, they decided to host an “engagement party” for all friends and family to locally share in the excitement of their future nuptials…
It was an icy, wintery Chicago day – but the sun was shining as the couple shared their ‘first meeting’ in their cozy room with a view, at Trump.
The couple dressed in their wedding attire for their first meeting, but had to change into cocktail attire before leaving their hotel room in case anyone were to spot them en route to the venue.
Dressed and ready {wedding dress sneakily in tow} , the couple made their way over to Prairie Productions.
Midway through the cocktail hour, we discretely stole the bride, groom and family away to prepare for the ceremony. The charming grandfather of the groom addressed guests with what started as a lovely toast to the couple…but swiftly changed gears as he clued everyone in on the big secret. Simultaneously, the curtains were drawn to reveal a second room, lit by dancing candlelight and set for a wedding ceremony.
What started as confusion, progressed momentarily with caution, and then rapidly morphed to disbelief and sheer enthusiastic excitement. Guests charged the ceremony area like bulls gunning for the red cape.
A glammed-up Olga clearly couldn’t contain her excitement, either.
The dapper officiant was a long time friend of the groom, able to provide insightfully heartfelt and honest touching words about Nadere and Jeff {artfully wedged in between witty cracks}.
The dazzling ceremony lasted less than 30 minutes and had guests riveted and beaming with excitement the whole time.
Mazel mazel.
After the ceremony, guests were ushered back to the foyer for a second cocktail hour {fun or trouble?!} as we all pitched in to transform the ceremony room into the simple and elegant reception. The lovely Amy of Blumen had perfectly chic collections of monogfloral bundles of white flowers including lisianthus {above}, orchids and roses detailing the varied white linen-clad dinner tables.
The sweet-as-pie matron of honour {and owner of the fabulously popular neighborhood hotspot – and personal fav – Gemini Bistro!} was beyond thrilled to finally speak openly about the true excitement she had to suppress during her months of secrecy.
To call the love and adoration, between Nadere and Jeff, evident, is quite the understatement. It simply radiates off each of them!
The night continued to buzz with excitement, guests danced and danced and danced and danced {to the fantastic sounds of Front of House} and this couple will certainly live happily ever after…
Nadere and Jeff: Thank you for letting me in on your little {big} secret – it was a blast from start to finish.
I recently read an article about a lovely hostess gift composed of exotic salts. Loving the unique idea I thought I must sample a few first before gifting them to a worthy recipient. I was delighted when they arrived yesterday. I started with a few of the more basic options:
Natural Sea Salt
Wild Garlic
Black Sea Salt
And I’m now inspired to make some of these:
Chocolate caramels dusted with sea salts…
Moist salt-baked potatoes…
Thyme and salt focaccia…
Hearty pot-pies…
Now I just need a free afternoon to play in the kitchen!
{image credits: all lone salts my own images. caramels from taken from gourmet. potatoes and focaccia from saveur. pot pie by ina garten
A beautiful couple, Yui and Bill, hired me to help plan their wedding in mere months. The bride had visions of her ceremony in a lush, outdoor setting, while they both wanted the reception to feel cool and contemporary – leading us to choose The Ivy Room, as the setting for both the ceremony and reception.
We enlisted fab photogs Dana and Spencer of Dana Rossini Photography to capture their day…here are a few of the artful images, showcasing their chic and modern urban wedding.
Dana and Spencer had a blast scouting unique and special locations for the hours we allowed for photos around the city, prior to the ceremony.
A fun spin around town also happened prior to the wedding…not quite married yet!
The groom was sure to tailor his attire to his typical taste…tough guy.
The bride was sure to tailor her ensamb to her taste…sky-high heals were a must!
The early evening ceremony took place in the charming courtyard of the Ivy Room. The bride, from Bangkok, wanted to incorporate traditional elements of her heritage so the ceremony was a beyond beautiful combination of both Thai and Western traditions.
{all floral and decor provided by the lovely renee of kehoe designs}
Dressed in custom traditional Thai for the ceremony, the bride and groom said their vows as the early fall breeze just barely made itself known.
Monks from the couples’ temple ensured the ceremony was incredibly memorable.
A lengthy, but special, shell ceremony encouraged participation for all guests during the ceremony by pouring holy water from beautiful conch shells over the couples’ hands and passing along their individualized well wishes for the bride and groom.
Guests moved inside for the chic, lounge-style reception. A combination of seating styles featured varied lounge vignettes, custom leather tall tables and cocktail tables to inspire movement and a true party atmosphere.
Cool blue and purple hues saturated the room for a surprising contrast from the garden-like ceremony.
Clean arrangements of lilies and orchids subtly enhanced the setting.
The brides background continued to play into the evening through simple and small details. Here, a VIP lounge was a respite home-base for the bride and groom.
While a delish popcorn bar was set-up for late night bites inside the ballroom, we had individual bags of the gourmet goodness bagged for guests to take on their way out.
{all food and beverage provided by melissa and the fabulous blue plate catering team}
In addition to the savory saltiness, it was important that there were lovely sweet treats for guests to indulge in, in between dances.
The couple beamed with love and appreciation for one another and for the gorgeous day they shared with their closest friends and family. I had TOO much fun working with Yui and Bill and miss them terribly!
Sunday was marvelous. I spent the day, alone, working on a bit of a project in the guest bath…A dear friend and favorite client once referred to powder rooms as ‘Little Gems’ because in a teeny tiny space you can dream big and bold without over-committing. Well, it was time to take my b.l.a.h. guest bath to a new level. {Stay tuned…}
Additionally, I finished my project {for the moment} in time to actually sit and watch the Golden Globes – the first true opportunity I’ve had to watch an awards show in what must be years. The red carpet was inspired! I had a handful of absolute dreamy favorites, a smaller handful of those who I thought may have played it safe {with no major offenses} and a few that I thought were simply lame…here is my personal recap.
The blissfully beautiful…
Obsessed. Emma Stone wore Calvin Klein Collection in the most bold, brave coral/apricot. The sleek silhouette was the perfect compliment to the bright hue.
{photo from harper’s bazaar}
Angelina is rarely at the top of my list, but I loved the retro style of her emerald green Atelier Versace gown.
{photo from life}
Claire Danes donned an electric pink gown also by Calvin Klein Collection.
{photo from life}
Anne Hathaway’s Armani Prive was spot on for the classic beauty. Loved the rose gold hue with her dark locks!
{photo from in style}
I adore the soft pleats of Dianna Agron’s simple and elegant J. Mendel gown. I see Grace Kelly in this.
{photo from in style}
Kyra Sedwick looked stunning in of-the-moment orange. The Pucci gown looked beautiful paired with her drop earrings.
{photo from harper’s bazaar}
And the looks I felt were just a bit too safe...
Carrie Underwood’s Badgley Mischka Couture gown was beautiful, but quite simple and needed something more show-stopping with either accessories, make-up or hair.
{photo from harper’s bazaar}
Mila Kunis’ Vera Wang left something to be desired…again, no major offense.
{photo from harper’s bazaar}
While Leighton Meester made many ‘worst dressed’ lists, I thought her Burberry Prorsum dress was well suited for her. Perhaps for a premier as opposed to the Globes…
{photo from Harpers Bazaar}
And the downright disappointing…
Sweet Michelle Williams’ Valentino seemed a bit more Drew Barrymore circa 1995.
{photo from Harpers Bazaar}
Halle: We know you have a fabulous figure…but there are classier ways to showcase it than this Nina Ricci number.
Wonderful photographer, Becky Hill, recently told me that a wedding we did together this summer was featured on Elizabeth Anne Design’s blog and I wanted to share a few of the images as a way to inspire us to keep the faith this chilly winter weekend…summer will in fact make it’s way back to us, and it is so very worth the wait!
The sunny August day could not have been more picturesque – it was a day that girls dream of from early ages when the only weddings attended were hosted in the backyard in honour of favorite stuffed animals. Chelsea and I worked together to design a wedding that was simple, elegant, refined and sophisticated. A romantic and classic color palette of creams, ivories and champagnes were subtly highlighted with dusty antique pinks.
The traditional ceremony took place at the charming neighborhood church, St. Mikes in Old Town. With a bit of time between the ceremony and reception, the bridal party and Becky toured the city in search of beautiful photo ops – copious to be had.
The bride and groom were among the first to arrive at Hinsdale Golf Club for just a few moments to themselves before the celebration continued in the formal gardens.
The gorgeous ring {on loan from her jeweler} was just the perfect shade of soft pink.
The dinner and dancing was held in the beautiful dining room overlooking the verdant golf course.
A trio of centerpiece designs {by great friend and designer extraordinaire, David Gould} enhanced guest tables around the room. Here, a low silver-footed bowl hosted abundant collections of open roses, spray roses and hydrangea. Understated hints of seeded eucalyptus added a bit of depth and texture.
The cake was created by local bakery Toni’s Sweets, and accented with silk ribbons and crystal brooches.
Chelsea and Adam started the evening off with a first dance to the sexy Sade song, By Your Side. {Music provided by Mary from Toast and Jam}.
It was a pleasure to work with such a beautiful couple in such a lovely setting…Many happy years, Chelsea and Adam!
While luxe fashion house Lanvin gowns may not normally be in our budgets…if you were going to splurge, it certainly could be for the biggest fashion moment of your life – your wedding day!
Lucky for you, both Lanvins’ US flagship store on the Upper East Side of Manhattan and net-a-porter now offer a small a handful of the fashion-forward creations designed by Alber Elbaz, possibly perfect for the fashionista bride. {And guess what! Some are nearly as affordable as a JCrew gown! Perhaps two will be necessary?}
Silk charmuse strapless gown. Fluid and light for a boho-chic bride.
Silk blended bustier dress. Romantic and charming for a more casual garden wedding.
Ostrich feather-trimmed georgette gown. Simple yet dramatic for a snowy Chicago winter wedding.
Silk charmeuse shift dress. Uber classic in silhouette with a modern length.
