Upcoming Event: DIY Summer Flower Arrangements

June 21, 2019Leave a comment

DIY Summer Flower Arrangements
July 17th, 9 am – 10:30 am
Green City Market Lincoln Park
1817 North Clark Street

Green City Market is hosting a DIY Summer Flower Arrangement class with Louise Soucie from The Flower Garden, a local MPS-ECAS sustainably certified flower farm. Louise will teach you how to make your very own handheld flower bouquets, and share her experience as a sustainable farmer.

Tickets are $60, and the proceeds will benefit Green City Market, a nonprofit organization that aims to support small farmers and make local, healthy, and sustainable food more available.

Christa + Nicholas’ University Club Wedding

February 2, 2018Leave a comment

Christa and Nicholas had a beautiful summer wedding that incorporated many of the best parts of the city. From their gorgeous ceremony to the lively reception at the University Club of Chicago, every part of the day showcased their love for each other. Their elegant celebration was full of fun and personal touches, all captured beautifully by Kassia Phoy Photography.

Reception: University Club of Chicago

Photographer: Kassia Phoy Photography

Hair and Makeup: Pin Me Up Chicago

Lighting: Frost Lighting

Cake: Sweet Mandy B’s

Decor: Steve’s Flower Market

I had such a wonderful time working with this lovely couple and am so happy that I was able to be a part of planning their special day.

Jaisa + Charlie: The Morning and Ceremony

August 6, 2012Leave a comment

Cafe Brauer has been a long time favorite venue of Chicagans. After seeing these gorgeous photos, it is very apparent why brides swoon as soon as they walk up the stairs to the main room. Jaisa and Charlie hired Shelly almost immediately after booking the venue. We really enjoyed working with this delightful couple.

DJ: Toast & Jam

Florist: Kloeckner Preferred Flowers

Hair: Dave Fonseca Stylist

Make-up: Laura Black

Ceremony: Saint Michael’s Church

Cake: Take The Cake

Photographer: Jeremy Lawson Photography

Reception: Café Brauer

Transportation: Windy City Limo

Caterer/Linens: Blue Plate

The gorgeous dress hanging up in the hotel suite.

Jaisa’s lovely bouquet. I love the texture given by all of the different flowers.

St. Michael’s is such a beautiful church!

Shelly carries that gorgeous train!

I love that Jaisa carried her bouquet to the side so that you can get a full view of her stunning dress.

Gorgeous picture of the couple at their church.
Jaisa’s cathedral length veil drapes the floor.

I love how the guys not in perfect order. Don’t they all look so happy (and handsome)?

City photos!

The bridal party! Do you prefer photos will the bridal party is staggered?

Or, do you prefer the symmetry of guys and girls?

Jaisa takes a lovely bridal portrait.

Jeremy is always great at taking shots of the tiny details, like cuff links.

I love Jaisa’s necklace. Diamonds are very traditional but the key is unique.

I will be posting more photos of this lovely wedding tomorrow!

Christine and Marc Part II: Ceremony and Reception

April 12, 2012Leave a comment

Yesterday, I blogged about Christine and Marc getting ready. Today’s post focused on the ceremony and reception. If you haven’t been to the W City Center, the W is very unique compared to other hotel ballrooms. There is a smaller ballroom for the ceremony and a large ballroom for the reception. Both ballrooms are on the same floor on the mezzanine level, overlooking the gorgeous lobby. It was a perfect fit for Christine and Marc!

All Photos by Dennis Lee Photography.

The aisle had bright flowers, which was exactly what the bubbly Bride wanted.

The aisle was lined with tall arrangements

Christine had a custom unity candle made for their ceremony.

The monogram on the programs was designed by Christine’s Mother.

Marc walking up the aisle with his parents. Both families were involved in the family. It is so wonderful when everyone participates in the planning.

Marc waiting for Christine.

Christine walking down the aisle with both of her parents.

The very chic bridesmaids all lined up.

I love a photo that catches a moment like this, during the ceremony.

Mazel tov!

The escort cards were also the favors!

A little special something for one of the guests?

Is this not the most amazing cake? Yes, it is a cake. Christine really wanted their dog to be apart of the wedding day but realized that it wouldn’t work out. So, to surprise Marc, she had TipsyCake make a cake to look just like him!

The room set-up for the reception.

The room was decorated with two different centerpieces.

Christine wanted pops of color with black and white. The colorful centerpieces were so vibrant in the grand ballroom.

The cake was decorated with skylines of Chicago and Cleveland as well as swirls. Christine came up with the clever design herself!

The hora is always my favorite part of the evening.

Congratulations Christine and Marc! I had such a wonderful time being apart of your wedding day.

Dreaming of Peonies

August 19, 2011Leave a comment

There isn’t a flower I wanted more in my bouquet than peonies. A few of them together give off the exact look that I have dreamed about having for my wedding…dense, puffy, romantic, soft. I used the picture below as my inspiration for the florist. Unfortunately, peonies are out of season and very difficult to get in December (meaning very expensive). At my appointment, I had to come up with a another bouquet option.

I was so set on using peonies for my bouquet, it was difficult to come up with a Plan B. I don’t want roses or calla lillies. I couldn’t find an images of a bouquet that I loved so I am piecing together a bunch of ideas.

I love the size. I want a small, dense bouquet.

This is too big, but I love the fullness of the bouquet and the hint of green within all the white.

These two bouquets are pretty close to a second option. I like the mixture of different types of flowers. I don’t like the anemones in the top bouquet…for me!

For my bridesmaids, I knew I wanted small bouquets that were mostly green but with a few white flowers. Then, I saw this bouquet and fell in love. The anemones are a beautiful, yet simple touch and I think will look wonderful against their black dresses. The only change is less white and more green.

I’m so looking forward to the moment when the flowers are delivered to the hotel room!

E+N: The dreamy details with lots of amazing DIY!

August 18, 2011Leave a comment

Yesterday, I posted about E+N’s gorgeous wedding. Today, we’re showing off all of the fabulous details!

The lovely rings

Special touches on the bouquet

Amazing DIY skills of E, she made program/fans that included a crossword puzzle

The interior of the restaurant

E+N had a wonderful tablescape

Presents for the children is always a nice touch

Did I mention the brides DIY skills? She handmade books for every guest.

The couple lives in New York, so the New Yorker was used for table numbers.

Scarlet Petal made this gorgeous arrangement.

I had the most fabulous time working with E+N. My only regret is that it took me ages to blog about this wedding. Elizabeth Anne Designs posted about the wedding last year. I am still catching up on all of these fabulous weddings that need to be blogged!

Jen + Brendan’s A New Leaf Wedding, the details…

November 2, 2010Leave a comment

Friday, I posted about Jen + Brendan’s beautiful April wedding…
Today’s post is all about the details!

All photos by Olivia Leigh.

Jen’s bouquet was the perfect example of how simple can be stunning.

A New Leaf announced the wedding via a chalkboard.

I love the rustic look of the couple’s ceremony, it was perfect for the venue!

Guests were able to put wishes on branches for the couple.

The programs looked homemade.

The cake’s four tiers were decorated with calla lilies.

The outdoor space is so warm and inviting.

Congratulations!

Clare + Tommy, The Morning…

June 18, 20102 Comments

Clare used to be roommates with my sister-in-law, Briana. So my initial consultation with Clare and Tommy was a breeze. We met at an awful coffee shop on a Sunday afternoon to talk about their wedding plans. They uttered the words that I heard all of the time, “We are non-traditional”… but this time, the couple meant it! There was to be no bridal party introductions, first dance, and they wanted to see each other before the ceremony. I appreciate the fact when a couple does exactly what they want.

Cake: Rolf’s
Ceremony: Chicago Temple
Ceremony Musicians: Dolce Strings
DJ: Toast & Jam
Florist: Scarlet Petal
Hair + Make-up: Jen + Stephanie Sonia Roselli
Photographer: Audrey Keller Photography with Bella Pictures
Reception: The Townhouse

Clare was totally relaxed the morning of her wedding.

Bows on dresses always rank high in my book… but it was her Juicy Couture flats that I really adored!

Afll dressed up and ready to leave Sonia’s boutique.

Clare purchased her veil on Etsy.

I really adored the flower that pinned the veil in her hair. Very glamorous!

The couple met and took photos in the city.

Tommy rocked a skinny a tuxedo. I love the look!

How do you not love their shoes?

Clare asked all of her bridesmaids to wear their favorite black dress. I love that the necklines are all very different!

More city shots.

I loved Clare’s bouquet. Paring fuschia with orange could be overkill in a bridal bouquet but Esther made the arrangement so lovely.

After a few hours of photos, the couple headed to the church to get married!

The first look of the muted pink, orange, and yellow color scheme.

Before the ceremony, Tommy gave Clare a twirl.
No one was nervous and everyone felt very relaxed!

The church is absolutely gorgeous!

After the ceremony, the couple walked to the reception!

Photos of the reception will be up tomorrow!

Laura + Steve: The Details

April 18, 20101 Comment

This week I’ve highlighted Laura and Steve’s ceremony and reception. Today, let’s look at some of the special details.

All photos by: Laurie Peacock.

Laura purchased her earrings and necklace from Precious Meshes on Etsy.

The jewelry is made from vintage chandelier crystals and hand-crocheted fine silver mesh.

Did you notice how, when held up to the light, you can see a heart in the crystal?

I love her fabulous birdcage veil!

Each bridesmaid received a vintage handkerchief, perfect to tuck into their pockets on the day of the wedding. I adore dresses with pockets! The hankies were from Kindred Thymes on Etsy and the dresses were from White House Black Market.

Laura made these clutches for her girls. I like the contrast of the fun lining. Tucked inside is the Maid of Honor’s toast.

Laura’s bouquet was wrapped in lace from her mother’s dress and vintage typewriter keys.

Here are the programs. I am a sucker for coordinating paper items.

The unity candle was also wrapped in coordinating damask fabric.

These pomanders were another DIY project. They were a perfectly simple way to line the aisle.

Steve changed into Converse sneakers after the ceremony.

I tucked the escort cards into the blades of grass.

The cake was a real show stopper. We delayed cutting it until later in the evening so as to leave the cake on display. The custom cake toppers are from Goose Grease on Etsy.

Laura and Steve got creative when it came to table tents as well. Each card featured the bride and groom from their cake topper with different items that are reflective of the couple. Photos included Scrabble pieces, Wii controlers, cooking and baking utensils, and books. Their dog, Charlie, was kind enough to model for this one.

The couple purchased bags of granola as favors and packaged them in these muslin bags.

A donation was made to Blue Sky Bakery.

The accordion menus sat at each place setting. They included a thank you note to the guests.

I really enjoyed working with you both. Laura, I am excited to work with you as fellow coordinators as well!

Beata + Josh: The Details

February 25, 20103 Comments

Yesterday, I posted about Beata and Josh’s wedding. Here are some of the details from their celebration.

All photos by Gerber & Scarpelli.

The bride’s heels had just enough sparkle yet did not compete with her intricate gown.

Beata’s bouquet included succulents, green hypernicum berries, ivory lisianthus and seeded eucalyptus berries.

Their rings were engraved with each other’s names.

The beautiful lace on the train of her dress.

Beata opted not to wear a veil and instead pinned beautiful orchids in her hair.

The leaf pattern was featured on all their paper items.

It’s usually best to work with your surroundings.
The brown and green color scheme perfectly complemented the space.

Beata is a Sox fan, while Josh is a Cubs fan. Their save the date featured a photo of the couple wearing their respective teams’ shirts. The same playful sentiment carried over into their favors, Cubs and Sox M&Ms.