Alison + Mitch: Part One

November 3, 2011Leave a comment

I first met Alison and Mitch at a Starbucks in River North. Although Alison have been engaged for only a month, she had a binder filled with wedding plans. One of her wishes was to make sure someone was there to allow her to relax and be in the moment. I am so glad I could be apart of their special day and fulfill her wish!
Ceremony and Reception: The Museum of Contemporary Art
Catering: Wolfgang Puck
Florists: A Stem Above
Hair + Make-Up: Beauty on Call
DJ: Okyne Medialab, Inc.

Photography: Artisan Events
All photos by Artisan Events.

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Alison with her sister before she put on her dress. Alison’s sister was a wonderful matron of honor.

Alison and Mitch each carried a monogrammed handkerchief to wipe their happy tears throughout the day.

After getting dressed, it was time for the first look.

The first look was in Olive Park. Their wedding was over Labor Day weekend and the weather could not have been better!

After Olive Park, they were off to get a classic city line picture.

It was was finally time to get married. The ceremony in the gardens behind the MCA was beautiful!

Following the ceremony and formal pictures, Alison and Mitch met alone with their adorable dog, Monster. They had their dog walker drive him to Seneca Park to have a quick moment. Being a dog love, this was my favorite detail!

And then one quick photo to enjoy the artwork out front of the Museum before the reception.

I will post about the reception tomorrow!

Ali + Josh: The Details

February 11, 20102 Comments

Yesterday, I posted about the wedding. Here are all of the fabulous details.

Ali’s wore sparkly pink heels that complemented her dress.
Her romantic bouquet included peonies, hydrangeas and ranunculus.

The Ketubah was a whimsical painting of the bride and groom.

The aisle was dotted with bunches of pale pink hydrangea. Flowers also decorated the four corners of the chuppah.

Their programs were printed on fans and accented with a pink ribbon. Luckily it was a beautiful September day, though Chicago weather is fairly unpredictable. (It was almost 90 when I got married in May!)

Ali’s mom brought these candies from Cincinnati. Plates were placed on each dinner table.

An artist created canvases with each guests’ name and seating assignment.
The bride and groom asked me to create maps in calligraphy illustrating the location of each table.

Their cake featured beautiful brooches and bows.

For centerpieces, milk glass vases of various sizes were clustered on each table. A coordinating canvas illustrated the table name. A pale pink ribbon was placed on each plate below the napkin.

Who doesn’t love a late night snack? The couple offered cupcakes from Sweet Mandy B’s. Yum!

Ali + Josh

February 10, 20103 Comments

It’s such a great compliment when a couple refers you to a friend! Meagan, whose wedding I coordinated in June, referred me to her bridesmaid, Ali. It was great to be able to hang out with Ali and Josh and get to know them a bit better before their own big day. They were a great couple to work with!
Cake: Cake Girls
Ceremony + Reception: Museum of Contemporary Art
Caterer: Wolfgang Puck
Photographer: Agnes Malorney
Videographer: Megan McDonough
Hair: Kiva Salon
Makeup: Adriana Aude
Musicians: Dave Ivaz Music
Florist: Asrai Gardens
Lanterns: Event Creative

All photos by Agnes Malorney.

Many of our couples meet for the first time before the ceremony begins. These private moments are very sweet. And, from a practical standpoint, you often have more time for photos. Here they are in the honeymoon suite at the Ritz-Carlton.

The ceremony and reception were held at the Museum of Contemporary Art. The front steps make a bold backdrop.

Each of Ali’s bridesmaids purchased their own short black dress, one they truly will wear again! The variations make for some interesting pictures. (Have you noticed that I love photos? If I were only a bit taller, I may have become a photographer!)

This looks like it was taken on a romantic tree lined street somewhere in Europe.

How adorable is this?!

Ali and Josh chose to get married in the garden behind the museum. The rocks are laid out in a geometric pattern. We actually had an aerial view from the suite at the hotel. The cocktail hour was held on the patio above.

This was the guests’ view during the ceremony. I heart Chicago!

Can we discuss Ali’s fabulous dress by Amsale? Pale pink, shorter in the front with a beautiful brooch… I’ve never seen a dress like this before. Not off the runway, at least.

The dinner took place in an exhibit hall featuring color panels and light installations. Ali also had some paper lanterns strung throught the space. It created a softer, more intimate feel perfect for dinner.

Josh’s siblings gave a joint “toast”.
Their funny skit explained to the guests how the bride and groom met and fell in love.

They shared their first dance as husband and wife to “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”.

Tomorrow, I’ll highlight some of the details from their wedding.

Real Wedding: Meagan + Matt

November 12, 2009Leave a comment

Yesterday, I posted about the Meagan and Matt’s wedding morning and the photos that the couple took around the city. Here is the second post of photos from the ceremony and the reception at Hotel Sax.

All photos by Agnes Malorny.

The intimate ceremony reflected the couple’s Catholic and Jewish backgrounds.

In lieu of a guest book, the couple had a wishing well.

A Wishing Well is much more personal that a book full of signatures!

The design of the ballroom was completely modern.
The tabletop had clean lines that reflected the design of the ballroom.

Let’s talk about chairs, shall we? Hotel Sax offers some modern black and white chairs.
It is a refreshing change from the typical options.

Petite cupcakes were brought out for the dessert course.

There was also a ton of tiny desserts. They were all delicious.*

*OK, I may have tried two. Three. Fine, I tried Four. What does it matter?
That is the beauty of a buffet. No one shall ever know the truth!

The band, Maggie Speaks, rocked out!

The dance floor was packed!

Thank you Meagan + Matt for including us on your beautiful day. It was so great to celebrate with the both of you. Congratulations!!

For other real wedding posts, click the tag Real Wedding.

Real Wedding: Meagan + Matt

November 11, 2009Leave a comment

In the middle of our engagement, one of my friends from college (and former roommate), Meagan, was engaged in my FAVORITE city in the States, New Orleans. Tres romantic! When they came back to Chicago, the planning began. Meagan and Matt wanted a modern wedding where everyone could have a great time. They succeeded. The wedding was centered around the celebration of the day. It was a beautiful celebration. I was so happy for the both of them!

Of course, Meagan needed a coordinator but I wasn’t available since I finally got to be a wedding guest. (I love attending weddings!) I suggested that she use Marilyn, who coordinated my wedding. Marilyn did a fabulous job!

Band: Maggie SpeaksBridesmaid Dresses: Vera Wang
Ceremony + Reception: Hotel SaxDress: Monique Lluilier
Florist: Anna Held
Hair: Marianne Storkirk
Make-up: Adriana Aude
Officiant: Chicago Weddings
Musicians: Accolade Musicians
Photographer: Agnes Malorny
Transportation: Chicago Trolley

All photos by Agnes Malorny.

Meagan got ready in her suite with her bridesmaids. I loved this picture of her with her sisters!

Meagan took some gorgeous portraits. Agnes, the photographer, has a true talent for portraits. While I usually enjoy photos that are less posed, these portraits are stunning.