Jan 14, 2019 | vendors
You can have that freshly made-up look without harming your skin!
Sometimes you get that emergency call and you have to be prepared. This time, it was from a bride who was getting ready for her engagement session. She said that she doesn’t usually wear much make-up, but she wanted to wear make-up for photos. The problem was that she had such sensitive skin that she couldn’t find anything that worked for her. Did I know of anyone who could help?
Fortunately, I do know someone: Jenny of Lena Rose Beauty. When I’ve talked to her, I have always been impressed by the breadth of her knowledge about cosmetics and their ingredients. She is passionate about making sure that everything that goes on your skin is safe and non-toxic. And she has built that passion into a full-service spa and beauty boutique.
One of the things I really like about her approach is her commitment to sticking to the science. She can tell you all about parabens (for example) and why they shouldn’t go on your skin. That always gives me the feeling that her knowledge can be trusted, and that is not a quality that is always easy to come by.
So, if you need clean make-up or other beauty services, or if you want to support an eco-friendly local business, now you know where to look first.
Sep 17, 2018 | vendors
One of my favorite Evanston weddings was at the Levy Center in South Evanston. Photo by Danielle Heinson.
If you’ve been following along, you might remember that I’ve covered a lot of different wedding and party planning resources in Evanston. I’ve talked about venues, florists, caterers, bakers, musicians, photographers, and restaurants with party rooms. What’s left? Well, everything else.
How about a wedding officiant? If you’re in the market for an Evanston officiant, you might like to know about Chosen with Bonnie Cortez, a non-denominational Life-Cycle Celebrant and Officiant. I met Bonnie years ago through a friend, and then we reconnected recently because our lines of work are so similar. She has the most interesting resume of any wedding vendor I know of, and I know that her varied experience means she brings an unusual depth to her job.
Maybe you’re looking for resources for sustainable events. We have some of those in Evanston, too. If you need composting services (for your home, your business, or your event), the people to get in touch with are at Collective Resource. They have both a minimalist event service, consisting of just drop-off and pick-up of composting buckets, and a full-service option: They can send a person with a compost tote who will make sure that everything possible will get diverted from the landfill. It’s a great service and an easy way to green your events.
Another way to make your events more sustainable–and also located right here in Evanston–is Random Acts of Flowers. This is an organization (I believe it’s a non-profit) that will take flowers left over from your event and send them to a health-care organization to brighten the day of someone who needs some cheer. Please note: If you want RAoF to be able to take your flowers, you have to get in touch with them several weeks in advance and do some paperwork. But if you have leftover vases, they will happily take them any time. Take a look at their website for more information.
Finally, you might be looking for a planner for your wedding, party, or event. As it turns out, I am not the only planner in Evanston. The other one I know of is A Fresh Event.
But don’t forget that I’m also local and available to work in Evanston–or anywhere in the Chicago area. As much as I love my home town, I’m happy to travel where you need me. But if you’re having an Evanston wedding or party, definitely get in touch because there is nothing I love more than working in my home town.
Sep 3, 2018 | vendors
The people who carry stuff from place to place rarely get the credit they deserve.
I’m always happy to celebrate Labor Day, and all the working people who make possible much of our good lives. Here are the people I really appreciate when I’m on site at a wedding: the kitchen staff; the bartenders; the florist’s set-up and tear-down crew; the building engineers who take care of heating and cooling and make sure the lights are working; the security guards; the people who set up and clean portable restrooms; the delivery drivers; anyone who carries heavy stuff from a truck to a room or back out again; the sound engineers; the good people who come in at the end of the night to clean the floors and take out the trash.
Most of the time all of these excellent people are invisible to an event. They aren’t glamorous. But they are all indispensable. Today is a day to celebrate their contributions to your party, wedding, or other event. Happy Labor Day to all of you!!
Aug 27, 2018 | vendors
A sample of Evanstonian BLURfoto’s work. (I didn’t get to work with this lovely couple, though.)
I’ve covered venues, food, florists, and music so far in my survey of Evanston wedding and party vendors. Another big category is photographers. And, once more, Evanston delivers the goods. I found a generous handful of event and wedding photographers here. I have not yet had the pleasure of working with most of them, but maybe one day I will.
I did get to work with Aubrey Navarro of BlurFoto just a couple of weeks ago on a wedding. I haven’t seen the photos yet, but Aubrey was great to work with and really helped me to work out the photography schedule with the couple when they asked for a lot of photos in a very short amount of time. I can’t wait to see the photos! I’m betting that they will be great, based on the website galleries.
Another photographer whose name has come up in discussions of Evanston vendors is Jeremy Lawson. He appears to be based both on the West Coast and in the Chicago area, but I still think he counts as local–at least part of the time. While I haven’t worked with him, the thing that catches my eye about his work is that he has not only an eye for setting and character, but his photos are full of humor. I chuckled as I went through his galleries. To me, that’s a huge recommendation.
I go by Jill Norton Photography‘s studio frequently, as she is in my neighborhood. It looks as if she does mainly portrait work and social event photography, but she does showcase wedding work on her website.
And this is just a sample of the photographers in Evanston. If you know of others, or if you are a wedding photographer in Evanston, please comment so I can find the rest. I’m always interested in working with local people!
Aug 20, 2018 | vendors
Photo by Studio Finch.
We are so lucky, here in Evanston, IL, to have not one, not two, not even just three, but a minimum of four wedding bands in our little city. And those are just the large, splashy companies that have a variety of ensembles, large and small, and even DJs. There is a wide variety of musical talent here.
First, the big outfits. I have to give pride of place to Stitely Entertainment, because I’ve worked with them the most often, although mainly their top-notch DJs. But I know the quality of their music from having heard owner Jeff Stitely, a drummer, play in various venues. He’s a serious musician and he hires other musicians of the same caliber.
But if Stitely is booked on your event day, try Arlen Music. I used to work with them when I worked at Navy Pier and they played there, and they were always fun to have play.
Also in Evanston is Bill Pollack Music. I don’t think I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with them, but I know that you don’t stick around for 20 years in this business without getting good reviews. Another band I have not yet worked with is Rendezvous Music.
If you are looking for something completely different, you might want to have Jutta and the Hi-Dukes play at your celebration. They are right here in Evanston, and they play a huge variety of ethnic music (and teach the dances that go with the music, too). They are the only band I’ve ever heard play klezmer music and Danish folk music–on the same program.
I have to wonder if the quantity and quality of musicians in Evanston has anything to do with the fact that Northwestern University’s music school is turning out amazing musicians every year. In fact, if you’re looking for a small ensemble, you can hire NU musicians to play. I have not had a chance to do this yet, but it looks like it would be a good deal for everyone.
Whatever the reason, Evanston musicians are worth a look and a listen. I have the feeling you can’t go wrong.
Aug 13, 2018 | vendors
Yum! (Photo by Christy Tyler Photography.)
I was very surprised to learn, as I researched this subject, that there are only a few caterers doing business in the city of Evanston. That’s not to say that you can’t find a caterer here, because any of them will come to Evanston, but, for some reason, almost no one has set up shop in town to do catering. I do know of a few, but the funny thing, for me, is that I’ve never worked with any of them. I think I’ll have to work on that! Here are the ones I know about.
The first one I heard of is Feast & Imbibe. They have a space in northwest Evanston, and it looks as if they are on the verge of opening up a venue there, too. I like the vibe they give off. It feels very Evanstonian.
There is also The Caterist, which I’ve also heard good things about. It’s kind of amazing that I’ve never crossed paths with them, since they work at a lot of venues where I’ve worked regularly.
And then there is a catering company that is entirely new to me. I knew that Foodstuffs has a store selling gourmet groceries on Central St. in Evanston. It has been there a long time (30 years, according to their website), and I’ve been by there many times. What I didn’t know is that they also have a catering division, Foodstuffs Events & Catering, that offers full-service catering. Who knew? Now we all do.
In addition, we have a plethora of good bakeries in Evanston. My neighbor, Tracy Sampson, runs Yum Squared Bakery. From everything I’ve heard about her, this is a bakery worth considering. I love the fact that she uses organic ingredients when possible and offers both vegan and dairy-free options. And her Instagram is slathered in photos of beautiful cookies, cakes, and cupcakes.
Another option for lovely-looking cookies is Primadonna Custom Cookies, a small-batch baker in town. (Link is to Instagram. I couldn’t find a website.)
And, of course, I can’t overlook the old stalwarts of the Evanston bakery scene. Bennison’s Bakery has been on Davis St. in downtown Evanston since 1938! They are a solid, old-fashioned bakery of the best kind. The lines are always out the door on Saturday mornings. And Tag’s Bakery has been on Central St. since 1937. (This one was my hangout after school when I was in middle school.)
Again, I am only scratching the surface of bakeries. There are small and specialty bakeries all over town. Everyone has their favorite. We’re lucky to live in a city that has so many resources and so many talented people who have decided to set up shop here. One things is for sure: Evanston eats well!
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