Sep 22, 2014 | Budget Planning, DIY, Weddings
If you have the time and skill, you can go all-out and make a chandelier, as this bride did.
I’m still thinking about DIY weddings, and about when DIY is a good idea and when it is not. One of the most successful kinds of do-it-yourself wedding planning is in the area of decor.
There are some kinds of decor that are better left to professionals. Things like flowers (see my thoughts on that here) and lighting fall in that category. If you want to hang large objects from a ceiling, I would recommend hiring someone for that, too.
But there are lots and lots of things that are suitable for DIY: table runners, table numbers, card box, place cards, photo props, menus, programs, favors. Especially if you are planning unique decor, it may be easier and cheaper to make it yourself, rather than hunting down the perfect item at craft shops, second-hand stores, rental shops, and the internet.
Of course, it takes extra time–sometimes lots of extra time–and a little skill to do it all yourself. As always, plan carefully and leave yourself enough time. You don’t want to end up like a friend of mine who was frantically hand-writing place cards late on the night before her wedding. Plan to have it all done early and get help if you need it.
Sep 8, 2014 | Weddings
I just coordinated this very fun wedding at the Adler Planetarium (one of my favorite venues!) It was a gorgeous evening with the ceremony outdoors and reception indoors, all with beautiful lake and skyline views.
The ceremony was right next to this sculpture/sundial, which is the Adler's signature.
Kloeckner Preferred Flowers did the floral arrangements outdoors, as well as the ones for the tables.
The chuppah is all ready for the ceremony here.
Here's how the ceremony looked. How's that for a backdrop?
And a close-up.
Indoors, the tables were beautifully set by the Food for Thought staff.
In case you couldn't see the centerpiece well enough.
The guest book was a hand-drawn tree for the guests to sign with a thumbprint.
Did you catch the sign by the guest book? These people have a sense of humor.
Favors were handmade soaps, made by a friend of the family.
More amusing directions from the wedding couple.
The end.
Aug 18, 2014 | Day-of Coordinating, wedding planning, Weddings
I do a lot of day-of coordinating, so when I get the chance to do full planning, I’m like a kid in a candy store. Recently, I was fortunate to plan the wedding of two really wonderful men at Cheney Mansion in Oak Park. I was pretty busy that day, so I didn’t get a lot of photos, but these few might give you an idea of what it was like.
The ceremony was on the lawn at Cheney Mansion.
The patio is ready for cocktail hour.
I didn't get a photo of the bar, but it was here in the beautiful solarium, right off the patio.
Dinner was inside the mansion. Food Obsession was the caterer.
Here's the head table. You can see the centerpiece and mantlepiece flowers from Mille Fiori.
Swedish Bakery supplied one of their delicious and beautiful cakes. (Can you see the cute cake topper?)
The DJ was from Toast & Jam, and Stitely Entertainment provided a trio of violin, cello, and guitar for the ceremony. I hope to have professional photos from Agnes Malorny to share with you before too long.
Aug 4, 2014 | Weddings
I coordinated a really nice wedding recently. The morning ceremony was at Howe’s Chapel in Evanston, and the lunch reception was at Caro Mio restaurant in Ravenswood. Here is a tiny taste of what the day was like:
Howe's Chapel is on the Northwestern Campus. It seats about 40.
Inside, the chapel is a miniature Gothic church. You can see the flower buckets decorating the aisle.
A program and a cowbell waited for each guest on the pews.
The luncheon at Caro Mio was a warm, happy, low-key party.
Jul 21, 2014 | Weddings
Remember when I said that backyard weddings seem to be a trend? Well, here are photos of one I coordinated recently. The amazing thing about this wedding was how much of it was put together by people close to the bride and groom. While it was a very personal wedding day, there was nothing about it that was anything but classy and well done.
The bride's bouquet and the bouquets for the mothers are ready for the processional.
The garden was exquisitely prepared for the ceremony.
Here's a side view of the area for the ceremony.
A talented friend of the family created flower displays for the yard, including this one along the walkway.
These flowers adorned the back steps leading to the yard.
After the ceremony, there was a toast and time for the guests to mingle before heading off to the reception.
The reception proper was at SPACE in Evanston, a perfect place for a dance party reception.
Jul 7, 2014 | Weddings
I had a fun one recently: a wedding in the forest preserve–and a big, old rainstorm. Fortunately, it all turned out well.
The welcome table at the ceremony set the tone: hand-made, offbeat, colorful, and fun.
The bride had made about a hundred pom-poms on sticks to line the driveway to the picnic shelter.
Home-made banner garland hung on the backs of the vintage chairs.
Inside the picnic shelter, there were more colorful decorations.
And more garland hung from the roof.
Here's the cake table, with photos of the couple hanging behind it.
Here's a close-up of the flowers on the cake table.
On the patio, there was more vintage furniture, creating a pleasant lounge area.
There were also games on the patio.
Inside the tent, the picnic tables were set up for eating, once the food trucks arrived.
Everything was going wonderfully: There was beautiful sunshine for the ceremony; the food trucks (tacos and gelato) kept everyone fed; the cake had been cut; and the guests were starting to trickle out. And then….
The skies opened up!
It rained and blew for about 40 minutes.
After about two inches of rain had come down, the sky cleared. The rest of the guests were able to leave, and everyone agreed it had been an exciting day.
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