It’s rare I get a moment to share these days! Between juggling my favorite little man and a full load of fabby clients, the balance is a constant work in progress!
…..I swear I’m still around!…..
And still FULL of gorgeous ideas and inspiration. In fact, I wanted to share some of the Inspiration Boards I’ve created to help support the planning process for a few clients this year.
Enjoy!
One of the coolest clients ever, this bride loves an industrial, edgy look – with vintage touches and beautiful oddities.
Natural, romantic, muted and marvelous! This early fall garden wedding oozes style and natural beauty [like my bride!]
And this sweet bride was inspired by the ring her dreamy man proposed with: A generous oval solitaire – an example of classic beauty, with an element of unexpected style. Her clearly romantic palette of creams, blushes and metallic golds will warm up her sleek venue beautifully!
And remember this favorite? Stay tuned for the unveiling of the wedding photos – both here and on the Bliss Blog!
Today we will be celebrating a gorgeous couple, Elizabeth and James. They are a match made in heaven and I can’t wait to see the look on his face as she makes her way to him at the altar.
The wedding will feature varied shades of dusty and muted greens, dark rich navy/eggplant tones [found naturally in berries, succulents and foliages], punchy saffron and surprising pops of a fiery coral.
I’m busy with preparations for another client wedding this weekend. In fact – as I eluded previously, this is officially my last wedding of the summer season!
Tomorrow’s Ivy Room wedding is certain to inspire indulgent romance in us all. The brides’ style is very much shaped by visions of Romeo and Juliet – above was the inspiration board I created months ago.
My long-time partner in crime, Jesse of Event Creative, will be bringing her inspiration to life with lush florals in subtle pastels spilling to the tables, billowing chiffon curtains framing the Ivy Room’s Juliet balconies, and a chuppah woven with vines, florals and fabric so fitting it’s as if the charming courtyard was responsible for it’s growth, overnight.
I’m also excited for the special and incredibly delish menu created by Entertaining Company. The restaurant-style meal will include custom orders taken table-side for an elegant and personal touch.
And that’s just the beginning…
Hope you have great weekend plans, filled with loads of romance of your own!
A favorite client of mine is having her wedding in a beautiful tented pavilion this summer. This bride has absolutely impeccable style and I am beyond thrilled to be working with her and her lovely family.
She initially came to me with a color pairing of emerald green + white (which you know I adore…so Kate Spade!) That said, there was a part of me that wanted to play around with ‘summertime’ a bit: take advantage of the bright, warm hues that are so seasonally inspiring…We swiftly came to a color story of peaches/apricots, coral/melon, creams and bright kelly greens.
She wants her design to feel a bit shabby chic, so we’re working with soft gauzy fabrics for the outdoor ceremony, eclectic vintage containers including cut crystal and milk glass to highlight guest tables and the inclusion of fresh summer fruits like peaches and apricots for added dimension and depth.
Attached is the inspiration board I put together for her day…Makes me shiver with anticipation of warmer temperatures and summer breezes!
I love love love it when I have the opportunity to work with clients that come to me looking for major guidance and direction with color composition. To my delight, I have had a few recent lovelies that have allowed me to play with color combinations – with just a hint of direction – granting me the freedom to play…
Here, for a spring client that hoped for a collection of colors that read soft, pretty and slightly unexpected, I played around with dusty peaches and apricots, pairing it with grays and graphites and grounded it with an accent of richer navy.
As the snow continues to dust our layers of packed powder, here in Chicago, this board helps me to keep the faith…
Bliss had an absolutely nutty event this past weekend, we’re dying to share! The event was in celebration of a fantastic couple’s 25th wedding anniversary – and the inspiration was Animal House. {Well…Animal House designed to the nines and planned to perfection!} As guests were encouraged by the charming invitations Renny and Cheree Berry designed, they all arrived in full toga costumes – some fashioned from simple bed sheets, others seemingly put together by guests’ talented stylists.
The event was held at one of my absolute favorite venues, the Ivy Room. Not only is the ballroom versatile and elegant, but there is an outdoor courtyard that is truly an unexpected oasis in the heart of the city…and on top of it all – we really just love love love working with the dreamy duo that run the Ivy Room, Donna and Matt!
Guests arrived for cocktails in the courtyard, serenaded by the ethereal strummings of a harpist.
A crisp color palette of white and gold popped against the lush ivy backdrop of the courtyard.
Oversized garden-urns-turned-highboys further reflected the serene surroundings.
Stone statues were brought in and nestled into the scenery…they could not have looked more comfortable in their urban home for the evening if they were ancient ruins in Greece!
Guests moved inside to the themed setting dressed and draped to perfection by Erin at Heffernan Morgan.
Intimate lounges were created with sky-high cabanas complete with sofas, upholstered chairs and ottomans.
Billowing gauzy fabrics cinched by golden tassels added to the glamorous, festive feeling.
Etched golden votives twinkled as feathery maidenhair ferns danced in the bustle of the party.
Food stations were positioned around the room, each paired with perfect alcohol partners…Sushi and sake, greek flavors and ouzo and latin with tequila! The party atmosphere took no time to kick into high gear – guests took full advantage of Entertaining Companies’ delicious displays.
Living statues were positioned both in the garden and in the ballroom – a fabulous and playful addition!
And…the one and only Otis Day surprised guests with tunes from the iconic movie!! He was an absolute blast – the dance floor has never been more packed! {and…he LOVED Renny!}
The party went on and on and on…and I can’t tell you how much we love loved the absolute fabulousness of this themed event as it paired perfectly with a to-die-for sense of humor that kept smiles on our faces all night long!
{event credits} floral and decor: heffernan morgan, catering: entertaining company, lighting: frost, venue: the ivy room, invitations: cheree berry, band: underwater people and otis day
Cristina’s wedding was recently held at The Chicago Cultural Center, one of my absolute favorite venues in Chicago.
Cristina was inspired by natural design, slightly organic in it’s elements and style. She loved the idea of sharing an evening inspired by the sumptuous beauty of Napa Valley with family and friends.
I was immediately inspired by her vision and was thrilled to help pull the visual details of her wedding ceremony and reception together.
The reception took place in Preston Bradley Hall, with the massive east windows overlooking the incredible view of Millennium Park.
Simple champagne colored linens provided a sophisticated neutral backdrop for two centerpiece designs.
Guests were seated at rectangular tables, as opposed to the more expected round tables, allowing for the art of conversation.
The remarkable mosaic detailing is breathtaking. The simple addition of up-lights highlighted the detailed craftsmanship.
The elevated centerpieces were woven with silvery blue fresh olive branch, laden with the seasonal, ripe fruits. The base of the custom-made trees hosted a landscape of knobby roots and grapevine along with fern foliage, dahlias and roses.
Rustic mason jar votive candles dangled from branches adding a gorgeous glow around the room.
Renny hired Frost Lighting to pin-spot each centerpiece, letting the gorgeous designs really stand out when guests entered the room.
The lower centerpieces were designed in custom richly stained wooden rectangular boxes. David Gould (Botanicals head designer and my personal hero!) was the hands-on master that took all of the gorgeous elements that I proposed and created a rolling landscape composed of wood stumps, fresh grapes, hydrangea, dahlias, roses, purple fountain grass and gorgeous gorgeous folaiges including fern plants, woolly lambs ear and dusty miller to name a few. Rich burgundy pillar candles were nestled into the design and flickered just below eye-level.
The wedding was stunning, the couple looked like they were floating on air and Bliss Weddings and Events pulled off another seamless and dreamy affair – thanks for including us!
{photo credits} event images taken by erica barraca
Some may recognize this board…I created it earlier this winter for my oldest and dearest friend, Caroline.
After over a year of long distance planning from San Francisco, Caroline and Gene became husband and wife this past weekend.
While the newlyweds are off on their honeymoon get-away…I’d love to share a few images of their stunning decor.
Caroline and Gene both appreciate design – Caroline is a landscape architect and her husband, Gene, is an architect. Caroline adores texture, depth and movement and appreciates interesting foliages accented with fluffy and bold blooms. We went with a color palette of 75% varied green tones, highlights of saturated melon hues and cool periwinkle tones.
The wedding ceremony and reception took place at the iconic University Club, a charming haven for relaxation, sophistication and socialization. Caroline’s family has been members for years – so the intimate Michigan Room became the setting for the love-filled nuptials and celebration.
The bride carried a gorgeous, textural clutch-style bouquet designed with white and dusty grey hues. Elements included peonies {in varied stages of development}, lisianthus {with their cutie undeveloped buds}, sweet pea {in honour of a nickname her mama used to call her}, fragrant lilac, grey brunia berries, velvety lambs ear and dusty miller foliages. The bridesmaids carried striking coral/melon peonies accented with unexpected grey dusty miller and plum colored cotinus foliages. {see image below}
Because the ceremony and reception took place in the same room, the catering staff and my Botanicals staff had to ‘turn’ the room. We wanted a different feeling for the ceremony and reception, so we decided to keep the ceremony simple and romantic. We closed the heavy drapes along the east and south walls and created an aisle framed by a pathway of flickering candlelight. A pair of rich wooden columns hosted graphic white lacquered vases topped with verdant fern plants to simply flank the couple. Finally, we always ribbon off the last row of chairs to encourage guests to be seated down the sides. The ribbon is untied before the processional for added drama. {see images below}
Guests exited the Michigan Room after the special and unique ceremony and made their way past the place card table to the Presidents Bar for wine and cocktails.
The place card table hosted a collection of varied vases and apothecary jars – each hosting different elements…some showcasing bold arrangements, other elements contained within the walls of the jars like terrariums. Richly colored plums and grapes were used for a beautiful visual and textural contrast against the varied green and melon tones. Finally, we provided four shallow white lacquered boxes hosting a tailored bed of fresh mosses upon which guests’ seating assignments were displayed. {see images below}
When guests’ re-entered the Michigan Room, we unveiled a stunning urban backdrop of Millennium Park by opening the Clubs’ existing curtains. Guest tables were dressed in crisp white pintuck linens, pre-set with the Clubs’ crested charger plates {a wonderful benefit of a private club!} and accented with crisp apple green bengaline napkins.
We created two centerpiece designs: A single white urn hosting a full, lush and crazy textural collection of varied foliages including meandering jasmine vine, feathery maidenhair fern fronds, oregon ferns, broadleaf geranium foliage, grey dusty miller and plum colored cotinus {I’m a total foliage snob and was obsessed with the selections!} Gently punctuating the rich foliage base were coral/melon peonies, fluffy viburnum, melon godetia {super cost effective bloom!}, green spider mums, lotus pods, succulents, seed pods and periwinkle scabiosa. Rich plums and tumbling grapes finished the sizable arrangements.
The alternating guest tables featured a collection of pieces placed in the middle of the tables. A mid-sized white urn hosted a petite version of the other centerpieces. Extending the design further, our cutie miniature white urns hosted varied floral/foliage pairings.
It was important to Caroline and Gene that they got to share their dinner with the bridal party – but also wanted to make sure there was room for dates/spouses. We lined 3, 8′ long rectangular tables end to end to create a grand setting. Guests were seated all around to add to the intimate feeling.
A long shallow and narrow box {measuring 12′ long!} was positioned in the center. Varied glass cylinder vases were either used to display the bridal party flowers or were swirled internally with artful fern fronds and topped with floating candles. The exaggerated box housed a little landscaped world of foliages and flowers used throughout the event.
Caroline and Gene shared their special day with just over 100 guests. The day was tailored to fit the the two of them – from start to finish. A day filled with love and emotion, style and beauty. A day to inspire them for the rest of their lives.
{Special thanks to: my wonderful Botanicals team – who pulled everything together while I was busy0 getting my hair and make-up done, to Lisa Zimbler Events for her day-of assistance, to the University Club for providing the wonderful setting for the day.}
You’ve heard me say it before…but you can find inspiration almost anywhere! You may recognize some of these events from posts past, but they were fantastic examples of brides finding inspiration for their wedding design by looking beyond the pages of the glossy and coveted Grace Ormonde Wedding Style Magazine. Here are a few places my clients have looked for inspiration:
Frenchy Feast: A client wanted her wedding to have a charming Frenchy Feast feeling. I combined bold flowers and lush foliages in raspberry, royal purple and green hues with textural and unexpected plums and cascading grapes. Everything was designed in varied silver containers and lined down the tables, creating a rolling landscape of lusciousness for their wedding.
Movie; De-Lovely. I had one client that was inspired by the movie De-Lovely. She longed for a wedding design that was opulent, had vintage-inspired details and that showcased her coined phrase ’A Beautiful Mess’. Before creating her proposal, I put together an inspiration board, capturing the essence of my vision. This is a great way to see if we’re heading in the right direction, initially. For her wedding, we used graceful ostrich plumes, cascading phalaenopsis orchids, vintage crystal pendants, candelabras and vintage silver. The bride looked radiant and even wore a stunning vintage headpiece to complete her Lovely vibe.
Interior Designer; Kelly Wearstler: Another favorite client was completely obsessed with the eclectic stylings of ‘It Girl’ interior designer, Kelly Wearstler. Her modern glamour style inspired a color palette of whites and golds. In addition to the monochromatic white centerpieces, I detailed the tablescapes with eclectic pieces: gold lacquered coral, geometric sculptures, bamboo flatware and gold gilded crystal stemware to name a few.
The current issue of one of Chicago’s hottest wedding magazines, Chicago Social Brides is on stands now.
I was pleased to find that one of my past client weddings was featured. As I have already talked about this wedding in an older post “Client Inspiration – Movie & Era” where I showcased her Inspiration Board; I will spare some (but not all!) details. Here was the full page spread…
The bride is the owner of one of the trendiest boutiques in the city, She Boutique, and had absolutely no free time – but did feel loads of pressure to fulfill a vision of an uber striking wedding – not to mention the hundreds of expectant guests, all awaiting a smashing display of the brides style. With a bit of simple direction (inspiration from the movie De-Lovely, a white, black and silver color palette and a love for all things sparkly…) I created a current, chic design with a nod to timeless style and charm…worthy of the fashionista herself.
Thanks to Cloud 9 Weddings, and The Drake Hotel – and my amazing Botanicals staff who took care of every last detail of the set-up while I happened to be walking down the aisle myself!
