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.

Wedding Weekend – An Affair to Remember

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!
Xx!

East Coast Inspired in the Heart of the City

I am so excited for my clients’ wedding this weekend!  
The bride and groom were initially inspired by their hometowns on the east coast, rustic but refined details and a feeling of relaxed formality.  We’ve got a wonderful day planned with photos in the gardens of the Art Institute, a traditional ceremony at St. James Cathedral and a group walk led by our newlyweds to the celebration at one of my favorite venues, the Ivy Room.  
Here is the inspiration board I created months ago to help guide us through the design process – can’t wait to see it all come together!
[click here for more events at the ivy room]

Real Wedding – Yui & Bill!

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.
{all printables provided by jenna of clementine ink+paper}
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!
{image credits}  all images taken by dana and spencer of dana rossini photography

All Dressed Up…!

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

For the Love of…

I was having coffee with a favorite industry friend, Donna, when I asked about her colleagues recent engagement.  Donna and Matt work together at one of the hottest Chicago venues, The Ivy Room.  I had spoken with Matt about the details he had thoughtfully planned – before the big day – and shamefully hadn’t followed up with him!

Donna mentioned that Matt had enlisted the help of popular Chicago photographer, David Wittig, to captured it all, and many of the gorgeous images were featured on The Brides Cafe.

I wanted to share a few of the beautiful, artfully romantic images…

Matt proposed to Sarah on a chilly winter day, in celebration of their 5 year anniversary.  Set against the stunning backdrop of Millennium Park, the perfectly orchestrated details culminated with Matt on bended knee, asking his love to spend her life with him.
It seemed like the moment was just for the two of them…(Thanks to Donna on the other side of the bridge, playing bouncer to the public!)
 
I simply adore Chicago!
After the successful proposal, the couple floated on air with a few laps around the picturesque skating rink.

 
  

 
The evening ended with a lovely meal at Boka {one of my fav’s in Lincoln Park}, where the two likely started to dream about their future life together…
Best, best wishes Matt and Sarah!
{image credits} artwork by act one scene five.  all photographs taken by david wittig photography via the brides cafe

Real Event – Consultants Dinner at The Ivy Room!

We were thrilled to be invited to participate in a wonderful event a few weeks ago. Blue Plate Catering {one of my favorite special event caterers here in Chicago!} invited a collection of the most influential wedding and event consultants to an evening of culinary inspirations, stunning decor {all provided by Botanicals!}, lively entertainment {compliments of the amazing Ken Arlen Orchestra!} in the wonderful setting of the Ivy Room.

My partner in crime, Jesse Deckard, took care of pulling nearly all of the details together while I was crazy busy fine-tuning Caroline’s wedding details {only two days later!}. Because we designed the event, Blue Plate graciously invited us to enjoy the evening along with all of our favorite planner friends. The night was incredible, one to remember!
The weather was spectacular, allowing us to cocktail in the charming courtyard. Simple crisp white pintuck linens dressed the tables. High boys were cinched with fresh moss cuffs, and each of the tabletops were accented with a white lacquered urn hosting a solid sphere of mosses. {See image below}

When guests were invited to dinner, we unveiled a room dressed in peacock hues. We framed each of the windows overlooking the courtyard with blue and teal toned taffeta curtains, each accented with a crystal chandelier. The 9 dinner tables were each highlighted by an oversized sphere of solid peacock feathers, hung with precision just feet above the center of each table. {see image below}

Centerpieces were kept low, balancing out the drama occurring overhead. Generously sized white lacquered boxes hosted copious amounts of fresh green viburnum and plum hued sweetpea. Our custom tables were used in place of rented dinner tables. The white square tables were inlaid with a true platinum leaf finish, reflecting the abundance of candlelight. {See image below}
Chic lucite ghost chairs allowed the decor to be on show. {See image below}


A contemporary and comfy lounge setting was positioned in front of each window. Our pintuck covered couches were adorned with teal and blue throw pillows, hedges of purple iris enhanced the cocktail tables along with inset peacock feathers and a cozy circular rug lent a rest from all of the geometric lines of the room. Custom end tables provided yet an additional spot to place one’s {17th!} cocktail. {see images below}
Our white tufted semi-circular bar became a focal with a larger peacock feather orb suspended overhead. Peacock feather projections added a textured movement around the room. {See image below}

This was certainly one of the most fun industry nights to date! Special thanks to Matt from Sound Investments for providing the stunning lighting for the event, to Donna at the Ivy Room for her gracious hospitality, The Blue Plate Gang for pulling everything together, Ken Arlen and his wonderful full orchestra, Elizabeth Grace for her perfect printables and to all of the consultants that made the evening such a blast!
{photo credits: all images shot by erica barraca}

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}