‘Tis the Season…Peonies!

Peonies are in season! I yearn for this time each year. While we are in transition with many spring blooms as they start to become less and less available…we wholeheartedly welcome The Peony.

Like many, peonies are one of my most adored flowers. They are romantic, they are gardeny, they are classic and sophisticated.

I just couldn’t pass up these vibrant raspberry sorbet colored peonies {pictured}…Ten stems have proven the perfect pick-me-up. A vintage trophy urn sits next to my bed hosting a handful of ruffly stems, accented with their natural foliage…what a wonderful way to drift to dream and later awake! A single stem used on my vanity adds charm for no one but me (my husband could care less!), and a tiny bud vase hosted one bloom on my desk that grew to the size of a melon!

Peonies can be used en masse for a bountiful, ruffly look or can be used mixed with other seasonal flowers like hydrangea, ranunculus and sweetpea for a remarkably textural look.

Versatile peonies are a wonderful selection for bouquets, for large focal arrangements, used singly floating in a beautiful dish, or used in centerpieces.

Brides beware – while many claim that most flowers are available year round – peonies are not one of them. Choose your wedding date wisely, lovelies, as I have had many clients disappointed with the news that we can’t create a peony-laden féte in early September! While in Chicago, peonies start to become available in the winter, the variety availability is quite limited, the quality is often disappointing and the prices are hefty. May and June (especially late May and early June) are wonderful months for the best and most voluminous blooms, for the best prices (although never a bargain, I fear) and for the most inspiring color and variety selections.

The season is upon us – enjoy!

{photo credits: peony urn, my own. blue bud vase, a client wedding with botanicals – a branch of hm designs. outdoor centerpiece and peony bouquet, martha stewart. dreamy white peonies, carolyne roehm}

Real Wedding: Rachel & Gray

Today I’m featuring a charming wedding that I paired up with the lovely Marina Birch of Birch Design Studio to design.

The wedding took place at The Ivy Room, at Medinah Tree Studios – in the heart of the bustling city.

Our clients adored the venue and wanted to honour it by incorporating lush, naturally inspired designs with loads of varied verdant foliages – including much ivy, of course! – and detailed with crisp white flowers.

The bridesmaids carried petite bouquets of open creamy spray roses and seasonal viburnum.
The {hoped for} outdoor ceremony had to be moved inside due to weather. We created a stunning chuppah to frame the ceremony, laden with woven foliages and vines and detailed with hundreds of white roses, hydrangea and casablanca lilies.
A custom frame in-set with moss was suspended from the back of the chuppah and later used to display the couples’ custom Katuba.
Beautiful richly stained wooden boxes hosted a textural hedge of ferns, adding a natural background to the indoor setting.
Luckily, the weather cooperated enough to allow guests to enjoy the beautiful courtyard oasis for cocktails. Crisp pintuck linens were detailed with miniature vintage rusted urns and petite arrangements of spray roses and ivy.
Because the ceremony ended up taking place in the same room as the dinner, the wonderful Calihan Catering staff, Marina and her army of helpers and my amazing Botanicals team transformed the room into a warm candlelit setting for dinner and dancing, all while guests sipped champagne and mingled during cocktails.
Chandeliers were suspended from varied hang-points in the room and completely enhanced with fresh foliages and flowers, adding to the natural, formal and intimate feel the clients originally dreamed of.
Floor to ceiling curtains were brought in to frame each window, detailed with fresh ivy tie-backs and whimsical pomanders.


Dennis from Frost Lighting added beautiful ambient lighting in amber-tones along with textured projections shone around the perimeter of the room to soften the lines of the space.

Some centerpieces were designed in richly stained wooden boxes, while others were displayed in footed rusted urns. Flowers included roses, hydrangea, lilies, lacy queen anne’s lace and succulent plants were presented against a bed of textural foliages including dusty miller, ferns and ivy.
A ring of ivy adored each white hemsitch {love} napkin, and graceful fern fronds were submerged in water and topped with floating candles to add to the romantic glow of the room.
Rachel and Gray were an absolute stunning couple with a wedding to match.



{photo credits: all images compliments of birch design studio}

Modern Wing Fabulousness

My good friend and fellow wedding connoisseur, Frank Andonoplas of Frank Event Design invited me to join him in a private preview of the gorgeous new Modern Wing at the Art Institute of Chicago, opening to the public May 16th.

The space was designed by world-renowned architect Renzo Piano. With this new addition to the existing Art Institute, the whole campus is now the second largest art museum in the States.

Additionally, there are some incredible green features including the bizarrely unique “flying carpet” – that helps filter daylight to light the upper levels of the museum, significantly saving on electricity consumption.

Various spaces of The Modern Wing are available to rent for special events. Perfect for the urban chic bride {eco-savvy or not!} looking to make a wonderful statement with her venue selection – I can’t wait to design an event here!

Whether you are in search of a new private event venue or simply craving some art and culture, you must visit the new Modern Wing!

{photo credits: building images taken from the art institutes’s website, http://www.artic.edu/aic/. lush and verdant tree images taken on my visit to the modern wing}

Happy Mother’s Day!!

This weekend I honour my mother, my very best friend. Not only is she the most beautiful woman I know, she is the strongest and most inspiring. And in all those things, she is still the goofiest woman I know! I am so blessed she is mine!!

Also, a special Happy Mother’s Day extended to all my girlfriends who are recent 1st time mama’s – this day is also in celebration of you ladies!

{photo credit: gerber and scarpelli photography}

Kara’s Current Obession…Clementine Paper + Ink!

Today I am thrilled to feature one of my favorite local paper design studios: Clementine Ink + Paper {formerly known as Flourish Invitations}.

The founder and designer of this adorable and versatile studio, Jenna Plonka, works directly with all clients to create lovely paper creations, worthy of any special occasion.

Jenna worked with me to create my custom-designed wedding invitations {a design that she now turned into a studio line, available to all and featured on her website{see image below}. I was absolutely obsessed with my charming letterpress invitations! She and I worked to create the perfect visual and graphic balance that gave guests a bit of a sneak peak into our wedding day style.

From there, Jenna tackled all printables for my wedding – designing looks that were cohesive yet unique from one another. Jenna respected my direction in regard to budget, creating budget-savvy options for my consideration. She helped with everything from the programs, to the table cards, menu cards, table numbers and additional random signage. Here are a few images featuring our wedding printables…

{Our charming invitations!}

{Our programs!}

{Our table cards!}

{Our menu cards!}

{Signage for croquet!}

Since the wedding, I have used Clementine for a handful of personal projects {shower invitations, anniversary invitations etc.} and she has continued to excite and impress me. She can also be incredibly valuable by offering thoughtful verbiage and proper etiquette. Also, you may want to take her up on her addressing + mailing service. For a nominal fee – you can sleep at night knowing that your invitations were stuffed, stamped, sealed and mailed off to perfection!

Whether you need help with your save the dates or your baby announcements {or anything in between!} – Jenna Plonka of Clementine Paper + Ink will assure that your printables are beautiful and flawlessly executed with no drama and no fuss.

I’m obsessed.

{photo credits: snapshot of clementineink.com, other images compliments of gerber and scarpelli photography}

Wedding Weekend

Off to a client wedding…
I am so excited – the flowers are stunning, the weather is finally worth celebrating and love is in the air.

In the meantime, here is a little eye candy…

I adore this simple and sophisticated cake created from my friends at Cake Girls.

Also, here are a few dreamy images from one of my favorites, Carolyn Roehm. I was inspired to post these in honour of today’s client…a couple who loves natural designs, textural elements and a fresh green and white color palette. I’m sure I’ll post their wedding images in the future.

If only Chicago offered settings like the image below… {le sigh}

{photo credits} lone cake: cakegirls.com, dessert table and centerpiece perfection: carolyn roehm

Simple Solutions – Felix Doolittle!

One of my favorite online stationary boutiques, Felix Doolittle, offers cutie {classic and preppy} solutions for many needs.

I often steer clients to the adorable website for assistance with show-worthy printables when things like the standard worn and smudged silver-framed table numbers or menu mysteries simply won’t make the cut.

Here are a few of my favorite uncomplicated motifs offered for table numbers…Perfect for when you want to let your guests know what table they’re seated at in style. Choose a motif that fits the look of your tablescape and you’ll look like you’ve custom created the perfect accent for the tables! {see images below}

While you’re at it, select charming menu cards to match! {see images below}

And when you return from your worldly honeymoon travels and you’re craving more motifs and darling design – have Felix Doolittle put together fantastic return address labels, donning your new name and local. {see images below}

The fun doesn’t stop there – check out Felix Doolittle for stationary needs from bakers labels, to note cards, to moving announcements, to gift tags and more!

{photo credits} all images from www.felixdoolittle.com

Lust-worthy Luxe: Marchesa!

I wholeheartedly adore the brilliant looks created by gorgeous Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig of Marchesa. From Sienna Miller to Jennifer Lopez to Anne Hathaway {even to my recent bride!} the Marchesa ladies have become one of the most sought-after designers for those who know and adore fashion.

Many of the dresses are seemingly so simple, while many also capture such a wonderful balance of drama, art, sophistication and style. Here are a few of my favorite dresses from their 2009 Resort Collection.

I find this collection a fantastic answer to a brides constant quandary – what to wear to my own rehearsal dinner?! These dresses would also be the perfect additions to one’s honeymoon collection, be it sunning in St. Tropez, sailing around Santorini or relaxing in Rio De Janeiro.

While my own honeymoon wardrobe was not composed of runway-ready frocks, I did have fun hunting for the perfect finds that would allow me to don a different dress every night…Perhaps if I only would have scaled back on my floral decor from the wedding, I may have found one of these lovelies in my Hartmann hanging bag…but then again…who am I kidding – how would I ever scale back on flowers!

I am also incredibly fascinated by the Marchesa co-founders’ muse – Marchesa Luisa Casati – Europe’s most scandalous, notorious and eccentric celebrity at the start of the twentieth century. A woman who wanted to be a living work of art, a woman who thrived on drama and intrigue and mystery. A woman who wore snakes as jewelry, trotted next to cheetahs she held by diamond leashes and who had nude servants gilded in gold leaf attending to her needs.

Knowing this interesting inspiration for the gorgeous Marchesa girls, I love studying each of their dresses, hunting for the curious links to their original muse.

Enjoy!

{photo credits} all dresses found on marchesa.com

Reader Inspiration Board: For the love of Mom!

A reader, Melinda (also a past client and wonderful industry friend!), was telling me how she recently put together an inspiration board for a girlfriend that is getting married this fall.

Her adorable mother loved what Melinda had designed for this friend so much that she immediately requested that one be created, specially for her!

Melinda told me that her mother is a simple mid-westerner, with dreams of living on a picturesque farm in the country. Here is the beautiful board that Melinda put together for her mother. {See below}


I love how Melinda selected images that have a peaceful, sleepy, rustic and real feeling. The balance of man and nature is truly inspiring. The simplicity certainly makes me consider giving up the fast-forward city life! (OK, perhaps every other weekend is all I would need…)

Thanks Melinda!

{photo credit: barn silhouette: ohiobarns.com}