Jazziest of Fourths

I hope you enjoyed your holiday weekend!  Mine was absolutely perfect – packed with family, friends, fireworks and so so SO much fun!
I’m excited to share some photos from our Bliss 4th of July Celebration!  All of the photos [shot by the adorable Katie from Studio This Is] are featured  here, where you can also read a bit more about our inspiration…but I wanted to share a few of my personal favorites:
As I described in the feature on Strictly Weddings, we wanted our 4th of July celebration to ooze with glamour and have an ultra fancypants feel.  Sequins [along with our stripes]!!  So we decided to host the evening on the rooftop of Katie’s home – under the stars, with jazz in the background, the skyline in the foreground and plenty of fun – all loosely inspired by the allure of the Golden Twenties.
Our single dining table was dressed in a dazzling rose gold sequin linen, layered with place-settings of gold, personalized placards featured each guests’ silhouette in gold foil and a rich navy box was  mounded with dozens of the most beautiful Red Charm peonies I could have ever daydreamt of. 
Martini’s and bubbly, for the most indecisive guest!
 Cheers!
The most richly-hued [and deliciously-tart] cherries, ever!
A sparkler bar to illuminate the night after the golden sun melted past the horizon.
Katie and I can never. shut. up.
We Bliss Belles and Beau always love a fun party game!  Here we tried to match the preferred cocktail to each appropriate person.
Dinnertime!
And the evening continued waay past all of our bedtimes…but we simply couldn’t have it any other way!

Inspiration Board

A favorite client of mine and I just wrapped up a week of Wedding Planning Bootcamp.  The busy bride took the whole week off for planning meetings and to eat, speak and dream wedding details with me.
This was the inspiration board I created for her wedding look.  We are LOVING the color palette of kelly green, crisp white, rich magenta, navy and metallic gold.  
I will have to wait to share more of the wedding details until after her fall wedding, this year.  But, for now, I truly can’t get enough of this palette and my darling bride with impeccable taste!

Happy Father’s Day!

This weekend we get to celebrate DADDIES!  
Today we honour the studs in our lives who help keep us sane, grounded and laughing.  We celebrate the effort they make with our little ones and have a blast watching the bonds grow deeper by the day.  
We also celebrate dads of our own who taught us about right and wrong, success and failure and how to Dream Big, always with a sense of humor.
Happy First Father’s Day, J!  We love you!
Xx!

Real Celebration! Kara’s Baby Shower

Although my sweet little prince is over eight months old, yesterday’s lovely Chicago weather reminded me of the day that Renny, Katie and Jesse hosted my baby shower last year.

I have yet to post any the beautiful photos, and while I honestly can’t quite remember what life was like before Carter Jackson stole my heart, I do vividly recall just how many special and stunning details The Gang put into my special day.  
In a surprising turn of events, Renny, Katie and Jesse decided on a nautical-themed baby shower of Navy, White and Yellow for me.  I honestly giggled with glee and shouted my adoration as tears of appreciation and joy trickled down my face.  
And here’s why:
A custom navy and white cabana was erected on Renny’s lawn, providing a luxurious backdrop for the single, long dining table contained within.  A perfect lunch was put together by Renny, Katie and the help of Nicole of longtime favorite, Blue Plate Catering.
Jesse designed all of the flowers – an undulating collection of perfection in whites, yellows, navy and green.  Jesse used milk glass, crystal and hammered gold for all of the pieces and knew precisely what flowers would make me nutty with love:  Ranunculus, fluffy roses, hydrangea, whimsical chamomile, privet berry and velvety geranium foliage.
A darling beverage station was set-up in front of the hedges and included mango mimosas, wine, blueberry lemonade and sparkling water.
Guests were encouraged to fill out cards of advice for me.  [HELP!]
Even the area to collect gifts was perfectly staged!

The day was nearly as special as my wedding day – knowing how Joel and I had deeply longed for a child.  Renny, Katie and Jesse put on the most beautiful and spectacular shower a gal could ever dream of!

SO much love and appreciation to my dear, dear friends!

Xx.

Lately

Well, dear friends, I made it!  
After an absolutely crazy month [3 amazing weddings in 2 weeks, stacks of paperwork, proposals, comparison charts and so. much. more….] I feel as though I may soon start to regain a bit more balance.

While time with my baby son is always the priority, I am giddy thinking about the flexibility I [should?] now have to truly enjoy the summer with family and friends…to actually hunt for inspiration again, to relish in the warmer temps with alfresco meals, countless walks and open windows…and hopefully spending a bit more regular time sharing ideas and inspiration with ya’ll.

Here’s a little glimpse of what’s been goin’ on…

Sweet Baby C is starting to practice his balancing skills!

He experiences the ticklish feel of grass on his tootsies for the first time….and LOVES it!
Carter’s first trip to the floral market as he helped me with the preparations for one of my best friend’s baby shower, that girlfriends and I hosted over the May 5th weekend…a Cinco de Bébé theme, of course!

Carter Jackson’s first root root root for the home team [they lost…obviously].

Every now and again, Chicago Spring showed it’s face.

Very Serious Smiles.

Cocktail locale for one of my weddings and the surprise of a lifetime from my bride to her groom….a bucket-list item checked off his list….a ride in a sidecar [complete with riding goggles and scarf].

Said best friend has her beautiful baby girl……..and names her Vivian Harper.
Carter is already planning their first date.

A quick visit to celebrate a friends son’s 1st birthday.

And finally, more recent Snuggles.

Real Wedding – Taryn & Kori!

Taryn and Kori are madly in love.  When the bride’s family hired me to plan their wedding, I was so excited to be a part of something so solid and deep.  
The planning started with the bride’s unique color palette:  Saffron, teal, grey and white.  They were hoping to find a venue that would feel right with such a strong color story, a setting that was warm and had character and a slight rustic vibe.
We decided on the Skyline Loft at Bridgeport Art Center and here is how the day unfolded…
  The bride dressed at the Sofitel, a hip mod hotel in the heart of the city.
Their first meeting was planned earlier in the day, allowing the couple to join their bridal party for fun photos around the city, before heading to the venue.
The brides’ delicious bouquet, created by Floral Goddess Cornelia McNamara, was composed of lush specialty blooms including cattlaya orchids, fragrant garden roses, oriental poppies and ranunculus.  Peeks of velvety dusty miller foliage added texture to the naturally controlled bouquet.  I’d call it as close to perfection as possible!

Guests were transported to the 5th floor ballroom by a massive open-air freight elevator, the perfect clue that Taryn and Kori’s wedding would be anything but cookie-cutter!

The touching Jewish ceremony was witnessed by the couples closest friends and family.

During the cocktail hour, guests enjoyed a gallery wall of vintage photographs of the couples relatives on their wedding days.
Waiters passed a signature cocktail, the Izze Clementine Mojito – a nod to the couples’ current home in Colorado.
Postcards, doubling as escort cards, were strung from timber beams and secured with small clothes pins.  Later, guests scribed playful and heartfelt notes to the bride and groom – the postcards were then collected to be mailed to the couple over months following the wedding.

After cocktails, guests were welcomed to an evening of dinner and dancing by the sounds of Ken Arlen Orchestra.  Square and rectangular tables were dressed in deep teal linens, topped by custom grey and white runners.  Some of the tables were highlighted by soaring foliage arrangements on vintage birdbaths.

The tables also featured petite collections of milk glass, subtly metallic vases and trophy urns filled with garden roses, billy balls (the brides’ favorite!), parrot tulips and orchids.

A touching surprise – the young brother of the groom hopped up on stage and played the sax alongside Ken Arlen.
Guests enjoyed a huge table layered with heaps of sweet treats – all homemade by friends and family.

The night ended as the photographer snuck the bride and groom to the roof to snap some photos with the weekend’s unique ‘supermoon’ in the backdrop.  

Kori and Taryn had so much fun celebrating their new beginning throughout the evening – an evening that so perfectly suited them.  Oh, how I miss them so….

[image credits]  all wedding photos by Jai Girard Photography

Let’s Have a Kiki!

Bliss recently debuted our new darling studio space by hosting a party…for calming all your nerves…
Inspired by the Scissor Sisters song and Sarah Jessica Parker’s feature on Glee, we decided our favorite vendors also needed help calming all their nerves…in the form of a Kiki!
Bliss Belles + Beau

 Ashley Condron + Rachel Reiman = Beauty Dream Team (also reponsible for helping EVERYONE with the prerequisite “Kiki Lip” (a fantastic, bold lip, of course)……

 Guests (boys and girls, alike) were encouraged to leave us a Kiki Kiss!
 Kara’s favorite cocktail was clearly The Maaaaaavelous:  Rosé with chambord, mint and raspberry.
 The surprise professional dancers hired to act like guests – then break out into the ridiculous Kiki dance…AMAZING.
 People danced so much I thought the floor would give way!
The INSANELY talented team that shares the studio with us:  Bliss Weddings, Studio This Is Photography and Reiman Condron Beauty (missing from the pic, Cheree Berry Paper).
This party was Maaaaaarvelous.
{Image credits}  first image from my crap iPhone, remaining gorge photos by Studio This Is

Fashion Fav’s – Oscars 2013

After a weekend packed with festivities and fun, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to snuggle with The Babe and relax as Hollywood’s royalty showed us their best at the 2013 Academy Awards.  Here’s a quick round-up of my favorite looks of the evening:

Via
Naomi Watts was very involved in the design process of her striking Armani Prive gown.
Via
Kerry Washington (I’ve got a bit of a crush on her at the moment) looked sensational in her bold coral Mui Mui dress.
Via
I loved the muted tone-on-tone look of Jessica Chastain’s Armani Prive dress.  The bold lip was instrumental in keeping the old-hollywood glam look current.
Via
Halle Berry made up for past offenses in this strong Versace look.
Via
Oh Man!  The first time my heart skipped a beat for dashing Eddie Redmayne was in My Week With Marilyn – and the mild obsession seems to have continued.  I thought he looked so perfect, as a modern gentleman dressed in Alexander McQueen.  Loved the loafers, too!
Images Via
Jane Fonda looked smashing in this gorgeous yellow Versace gown!
Via
And while cutie Leslie Mann didn’t walk the red carpet, I was a in love with her Vanity Fair party look, dressed in Andrew Gn.

Real Wedding: Lindsay and Philip

It’s been a while since I’ve had the opportunity to properly post, let alone share some wedding photos.  I have found myself with a few bonus minutes and felt compelled to share some photos from one of the more romantic weddings of my year.
Lindsay’s inspiration was pure romance, a la Romeo and Juliet.  The bride loved lush, gardeny wild flowers and arrangements that were loose with layers of texture and movement.  Jesse Deckard (formerly of Event Creative now of BLISS!) helped us pull it all together with beautiful floral, lighting and fabric treatments.
From inspiration (board) to reality:
The stunning bride dressed in a suite at The Ritz, while the groom spent time at home with some buddies.
This was the private moment where Lindsay and Philip met up for the first time on their wedding day.
The girls wore gauzy barely blush dresses and carried bouquets of garden roses, astilbe, fragrant freesia, dusty miller and lisianthus.
Both the ceremony and reception took place at one of my very favorite venues, The Ivy Room.  The seriously gorgeous weather cooperated for their outdoor ceremony, held in the charming courtyard of the venue.  
Guests moved inside for dinner and dancing where a beautiful restaurant – style meal awaited them, compliments of Entertaining Company.  Soft chiffon curtains were added to frame the beautiful Juliet-style doors.  Taupe linens were paired with rustic farm-chairs.    
Two centerpiece designs adorned the dinner tables.  A single low, lush and gardeny arrangement in worn silver footed bowls graced one half of the tables while brushed silver candelabras and smaller, varied arrangements were displayed on the alternating tables.  Flowers included garden roses, delicate chamomile, privet berries, garden stock, astilbe, lisianthus, andromeda and hydrangea. 
 A single ivory majolica spray rose accented each napkin.
The bride loved daisies and had Sarah’s Pastries create the whimsical confection (this was Sarah’s last weekend of producing wedding cakes, tear).
The couple and their LOVELY families enjoyed every minute of their féte, dancing the night away to a unique playlist from Front of House packed with loads of salsa and latin-inspired tunes.
Unlike the brides’ initial inspiration, this love story has simply one of the happiest of endings.

Kate Spade Steal!

Kate Spade is hosting a surprise sale today and tomorrow and I stumbled across this darling locket.  For a whopping $35(!!), it may be the perfect gift for your bridesmaids or besties, as it’s inscription reads: 
partners in crime
Quick!  Pop on over to the Kate Spade website!