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.
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!
Perhaps you’ve scoured the pages of the newest issue of CS Brides and noticed the humbling presence of Bliss! If not – you must check it out! If you’re unable to get your hands on a hard copy, check out the digital edition here!
One of my favorite projects of this year was a photoshoot that the editors of CS asked us to be a part of. The challenge was to put together a celebratory scene using the colors blood orange and tangerine. The interpretations among the three planners were pretty fun to see!
While I’m still waiting for heaps more photos from the shoot, I wanted to share the few I have. Check out the feature here on page 170!
The late spring day was spectacular! When approached to be involved, we immediately claimed my favorite little locale – Ava Terrace at Public.
The beautiful vintage china, flatware and glassware was from a favorite new vendor, Small Masterpiece, who flew in from LA for our shoot.
My New Years Eve wedding is presently featured and I’m so enjoying reminiscing about all of the gorgeous details and fun we had planning Emma and Tom’s wedding.
In an effort not to bore you with a double feature – you can check out more of this stunning candlelit extravaganza here and here.
Another stunning Bliss Wedding was featured on Style Me Pretty the other day! This wedding was about as dreamy as it could be, in my book. We all know I’m quite partial to garden parties and tent weddings!
The wedding was held on the family property. The estate boasted acres and acres of verdant lawns and towering trees. Tents were erected, gardens were tended and no detail was overlooked. Renny was instrumental in the couples planning and partnered with my design love, Jesse of Event Creative to execute brides vision.
The bride selected a color palette of lavender, green and white. Perfect for her spring wedding. While the bride adored flowers, she wanted it to feel like a lovely garden party – not something that was too opulent or stuffy.
Here are some of the gorgeous photos from the day.
Due to questionable weather, a separate ceremony tent was added to the plan the week of the wedding. Jesse created a custom rich wood arbor under which the bride and groom stood as they repeated their vows. Florals including gnarly grapevine, hydrangea, peonies, smilax and lilac adorned the structure.
The aisle was simply noted with pomanders of bun moss and button pomps suspended from silk ribbons.
The darling programs featured a quatrefoil pattern that was repeated throughout the event. All printables were created by favorite Cheree Berry.
Fragrant lily of the valley {my absolute favorite} was fashioned into a bouquet for the bride and a charming boutonniere for the groom.
For a client earlier this year, I hired an artist to paint a live rendering of the reception. It’s become our latest obsession. Renny knew it would be perfect for this client! Here, the artist captured the ceremony as it was happening.
Jesse designed a couple of free-standing moss hedges that repeated the quatrefoil pattern.
Guests seating assignments were slipped into organza ribbons hand-sewn into pockets.
The cocktail hour was held in a third tent and featured rosemary lemonade cocktails and delicious bites passed on custom lucite trays.
Dinner and dancing was held in the largest tent, complete with darling lavender pennant flags.
Lush and gardeny florals detailed each of the dining tables, all presented in varied white ceramic vessels.
Featured flowers included hydrangea, viburnum, lilac, peonies, allium, hyacinth and hosta foliage. Gorgeous, gorgeous!
I love the unexpected sculptures Jesse added to the tablescape.
In addition to the stunning tabletop decor – floral, candle, lantern and branch laden pieces were suspended over guest tables throughout the tent. Sight-lines are certainly never a concern with floating centerpieces!
The cutie place card for the bride and groom…
In addition to the quatrefoil pattern that made multiple repeat appearances, a custom motif of an actual tree on the property was used for a handful of items. Here, the custom illuminated bar featured this personal motif.
Whimsical desserts were offered along with darling custom towels.
The guests enjoyed every bite of the meal provided by Jewell Weddings.
Without the constraint of venue end times, the guests were able to dance until the wee hours of the morning.
The newest issue of CS Brides {the Chicago Brides’ go-to for all things dreamy in the local wedding world} is out! I was thrilled to have a favorite client wedding featured on their glossy pages.
The incredibly romantic wedding of gorgeous young couple Emma and Tom was too much fun to plan! The couple came to me in the very earliest stage of planning…post engagement. They had been to very few weddings, weren’t quite sure about colors and stylings and wanted a partner to help shape their New Years Eve wedding vision into something romantic, formal, wintry, festive and current…
{haha}
I had such a wonderful time working with the blissfully happy couple {and the brides’ incredibly fabulous mother} that I wanted to share a bit more about their day.
I started playing with a few color combinations to get conversations going. With only mere deliberation, we landed on a palette of creams, greys, dusty blush and golds. Here was the inspiration board I created to use as a planning tool throughout the process.
After quite the hunt, the couple fell in love with an intimate private club, The Racquet Club of Chicago, and thought it was the perfect location for their winter wedding. The club has such a charming, residential feel – absolutely perfect for the intimate guest count of 100.
Beautiful boxes bound in grey velvet ribbons awaited guests that traveled from near {the brides’ dearest friends and family were from Indiana} and afar {quite the trip for the grooms’ friends and family who traveled from England}. The boxes contained indulgent treats hand-picked by the couple including a bottle of Veuve Clicquot, Garretts Popcorn, Luna Bars, nuts, mints and much much much more…
The bride wore a dramatic full gown by Vera Wang and her ladies wore Jenny Yoo in a gorgeous slate grey {my favorite alternative to black}. The brides’ bouquet was inspired by the bouquet her mother carried years ago and was composed of individual white phalaenopsis orchid blossoms. Her bridesmaids had petite bouquets of cream garden roses, dusty pink lisianthus, velvety grey dusty miller and subtle hints of winter green.
The groom, wanting to dress as a proper Englishman, wore tails.
We arranged for the couple to have their first meeting in the charming and intimate library of the private club where the wedding ceremony and reception took place.
The ceremony was held in the card room at the Club. My dear friend and fabulous designer, Jesse Deckard of Event Creative, took care of all floral, lighting and decor. Here, Jesse’s staff custom built a shelving unit to perfectly slip into the window frame, allowing us to display copious amounts of candles to provide the romantic evening ceremony backdrop.
The couple floated on air, as they recessed as husband and wife.
Both the cocktail hour and dancing took place in the living room, walls of windows overlooking the gorgeous Gold Coast residential street.
The dining room featured two exaggerated, long tables, each set for 50. The heavy beams above were cascading with suspended candles, twinkling above guests as they dined.
The tables were dressed in grey damask linens and topped with countless candles and floral arrangements in containers ranging from cut crystal and vintage silver to white peeling birch bark. Florals included a creme collection of hydrangea, garden roses and orchids, subtly accented with dusty pink pepper berry and lisianthus, bleached peacock feathers and snow-tipped pine cones.
Unique flocked succulents adorned the tabletop, with worn votive cups flickering in the backdrop.
Because there were only two tables from which to assign guests their seats, we had each menu card hand calligraphied with each guests’ name. Guests were encouraged to wander the room, taking in the insanely gorgeous setting, as they found their seats.
Charming signs reminded the couple of their location.
The main bar was set in the library after the couples’ first meeting. Jesse custom designed this bar to look as if it was a piece of furniture – perfectly fit for the charming setting.
A gorgeous and indulgent spread awaited guests after dinner, set in front of the fabulous trophy case. Cupcakes were from Sweet Mandy Bs, petite fours, home made marshmallows, macarons and a croquembouche were done by Vanille Patisserie… and that only supplemented the heaps of candies I also arranged for!
Following a loving toast from the groom, waiters passed out flutes of champagne and individual packs of golden confetti. As the clock struck twelve, everyone celebrated to a rowdy version of old lang syne {a decidedly English tradition}.
This young couple is simply mad about one another. Their will be no secrete to their success – they’ll always have each other {and the memories of their fantastic affair on New Years Eve!}
The Fairytale begins with a bride, as most stories do. In this vision though, blue cotton candy grows on trees, pink tutus adorn pirouetting ballerinas, and white candles fervently flicker as she dreams about her wedding…
Here are a few more images from the dreamy project that showcases our avant-garde yet whimsical interpretation of a woman’s evolution into a bride.
With a mere blink of an eye, elfin ballerinas appear to gracefully tend to our bride as she begins to dress for her wedding.
The exaggerated fullness of the gown requires the additional aid of a golden ladder.
A frenzy of fluffing.
The entourage is on the move…
With a few more top-like twirls, we approach the ceremony.
Followed by a cloud of feathers, she makes her way down the illusory aisle.
An abundant bouquet of subtly sweet lavender sweet pea sends her thoughts spinning…
And suddenly our bride finds herself in her dream-spun reception. A bouquet of cotton candy in hand.
Where to begin?
Perhaps at a table set for two, dressed in confections and crystal and fanciful flowers under the shaded protection of a tree – canopy dense with teal tufts of cotton candy.
Only then, in another flurry of feathers…has she found: Her Prince.
May you all find your prince…and live happily {and oh so indulgently} ever after.
Studio This Is and Bliss Weddings have worked together on a multitude of client weddings over the recent years – and each time we are continually inspired by the level of sheer talent and crazy creativity we see in one another {not to mention, we always have a b.l.a.s.t!}. So, when not too long ago, we were approached by said favorite photographer, Jeremy, to partner up without the common goal of a clients’ vision – instead on a collaboration that we all dreamed and directed ourselves – we were as giddy as Cinderella, upon introductions to her dreamy wish-granting Fairy God Mother. After a few brainstorming sessions, after a bit of visual and verbal banter we knew the direction we sought…an avant-garde interpretation of a bridal fairytale.
I initially want to start by giving you a sneak peak into this day-long photoshoot…Here, in some behind the scenes photos you can see our Dream Team composed of Jeremy Bustos and the Studio This Is gang, Jesse Deckard of Event Creative and Renny and I {hard?!} at work.
