Jun 27, 2016 | Budget Planning, vendors
Need a menu printed?. Photo by hannahelaine photography (hannahelaine.com).
When you’re planning an event or a wedding, you might find that you need printing services. If you plan to send paper invitations, you’ll need invitations, envelopes, and reply cards. You might also want to have a program for your guests or a menu at dinner. And you could want signs to direct your guests to the location.
There are many options for all of these items, but some of them are expensive. Traditional engraved invitations, for example, are costly. They can also take several weeks to be printed. But it turns out that the place where you can get inexpensive business cards is the same place where you can get some or all of your wedding or event printing done: Vistaprint.
A recent client of mine used Vistaprint for her invitations, place cards, and signage, and she was very happy with the service–and, especially, with the turn-around time.
The only drawback to the service is the designs. If you like their designs, then it is a convenient service. If you don’t find one to your taste in their gallery, you can upload a design for them to print, but that means that you still have to get the invitations designed. It’s great if you are a designer yourself and can do the work. But if you’re already working with a designer, then you probably also want to use whatever printing services they recommend.
You might not think that a service that is primarily thought of as a business service would be good for weddings and events, but it turns out that under some circumstances, it can be both convenient and economical.
May 2, 2016 | vendors, wedding planning, Weddings
I just worked with a band again recently, and I have to tell you about them. The Lisa Rene Band is definitely one to consider if you want a great wedding band. They have everything you need. Not only will they play all your favorite songs and keep the dance floor hopping, but they will do it with style. They bring their own sound and lighting equipment, set it up, and create a fun party atmosphere.
The thing that warms my logistical little heart, though, is their utter professionalism and ability to keep everything on track. Need to finish your family dances before the photographer leaves? With this band, it will happen on time. They show up early, set up, and do their sound check long before your guests arrive. And then, they make your party come alive with great music!
Feb 22, 2016 | vendors, Weddings
One of the best things about this business is the sheer quantity of fabulous and talented people I get to work with. One of my new favorites is Ipomea Floral Design. There are a lot of good florists in this city, and Sheila Jung of Ipomea is definitely one to consider. She does beautiful work and is, in my experience, most helpful, friendly, and accommodating. What more could you want? Take a look at some romantic arrangements from a wedding last year. (All photos by T & S Hughes Photography.)
Oct 19, 2015 | vendors
Firehouse Chicago has this great, vintage spiral staircase.
I posted some photos last week from a recent wedding at Firehouse Chicago, but I really need to say more about this venue. Ever since I visited it at its first open house, I knew I needed to work there. It is an honest-to-goodness retired City of Chicago Firehouse and is located on the far north side of the city in Edgewater.
The venue consists of one large room with a generous, well-appointed kitchen at the rear, with a beautifully kept side yard. There is a private room upstairs for dressing. The venue will hold about 100 people.
But the thing thing that sets the Firehouse apart from other small venues is service. Not only is the venue manager, Michelle, most helpful, but she has instituted policies that make planning easy. For example, the venue owns a tent for the side yard and the use of it is included in the rental price. All you have to do is let them know a day in advance if you want it or not. That puts an end to guessing three days out whether or not you need a tent. There are other helpful extras included in quite a reasonable fee.
Also, the venue is committed to sustainable practices. If you order their candle package, you get all soy candles. The owners installed radiant heat in the floor. Everything is as sustainable as possible.
I can’t say enough nice things about this place. If you’re looking for a venue for a small event, keep it in mind.
Jul 27, 2015 | vendors
Drapery and lighting by Art of Imagination. Photo by T & S Hughes Photography.
There are two kinds of party/wedding planners: the ones who do logistics (me) and the ones who are decorators. It’s not that I can’t make your party pretty; I can do that for you. But some people are really, really good at decorating a party venue. When I need someone to do that for me, I call Deborah at Art of Imagination.
Deborah and I have worked together more than once, and I like what she brings to the table: an elegant design sensibility with enough creative imagination to make a wedding or a party look unique. She also has a warm and thoughtful presence that makes working with her a pleasure. Best of all, she has the very specialized skill of hanging things up: lights, pictures, draperies, disco balls, and so on. Believe it or not, that’s a tough job, and not everyone can do it and make it look effortless.
If you’re looking for a planner who knows a lot of vendors and can guide you through all the details of event planning, be sure to give me a call. If you also want fabulous decor, you know who I’ll be calling.
Dec 8, 2014 | vendors, wedding planning
The cake design from Swedish Bakery echoed the invitation design for the wedding.
I’ve walked by the Swedish Bakery in Andersonville for years, but it was only this past summer that I had the pleasure of working with them on a wedding. I gave my clients the names of several bakeries, and they ended up having tastings at two of them, the second being Swedish Bakery.
I was able to join my clients at the tasting, so I saw first-hand how well the bakery works with clients. Not only were the cake and the frosting delicious (and, according to my clients, much better than the other bakery where they had a tasting), the bakery’s wedding specialist also did a great job helping my clients with the design process.
On the day of the wedding, everything from them went perfectly, too. They delivered on time and with the cake in perfect condition. And it was gorgeous! The cake itself tasted as good as the tasting cake, too. Everyone was happy with it.
You might pass over Swedish Bakery thinking that it’s an ethnic specialty shop, but, in reality, it is a bakery with a wide range of capabilities. Their wedding cakes are delicious and beautiful to look at. What more could you want?
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