Wedding Trend Report – Nonfloral Bouquets!?
Hello, Lover.
More Inspiring Blooms…
I had a lovely time at the flower market this morning, wandering the aisles to select a few bright and bold bunches of the seasons’ finest. Renny and I have a photo shoot tomorrow and I’ll be putting together just a few modest arrangements to liven our setting. I do have to admit {as long as my workload allows!} I always love an excuse to play with flowers.
Press Feature…Who ME?!!
I was honoured to be selected by The Knot magazine as one of their Style Stalker Features in their current Spring/Summer 2010 issue.
They reached out to me months ago, hoping for loads of information about my personal wedding style – and after 5 pages of written beauty and design goodness that I passed along, The Knot narrowed it down to a few simple questions and {some paraphrased} answers. I thought I’d elaborate just a bit.. {but please forgive me for any overlapped details from previous entries!}
Real Wedding…Ours!
Thanks so much to the wonderful editors of Brides Chicago for selecting my very own wedding to feature on the glossy pages of their publication! The Spring/Summer issue is on stands now. Here are just a few of the details highlighted by the Brides Chicago feature…
Our wedding took place on the grounds of the charming and beautiful country club where my family has been members for years, Hinsdale Golf Club. The ceremony was initially intended to be set in the gorgeous manicured gardens, however, in an unsurprisingly Chicago turn of events…weather forced us inside for the ceremony and cocktail hour. A second chuppah was created out of the fabric backdrop behind the band in a mere 20 minutes as guests were arriving.
My girls wore adorable party dresses from JCrew and carried bold magenta peonies {number one favs of my mother and I!}, accented with charming dusty miller and camellia. Our custom letterpress invitations were produced by the lovely Jenna from Clementine ink + paper.
My mother in law and I surprised my husband {and our guests} with a serenade by the Cubs Dixieland Band for the duration of the cocktail hour.
Dinner and dancing took place in an elegant {and massive!} white tent set in the middle of the golf course – guests arrived via chauffeured golf cart and open air trolley.
Petite cabaret tables were positioned on the lawn outside of the tent where we had croquet and cigars available for guests, once the weather cooperated. These cocktail tables were dressed in yellow linens and surrounded by white chiavari chairs with custom black and white striped cushions.
Back in 2006 {just after we got engaged} I chose a color palette that I had yet to execute for a client…Frenchy black and white accented by sunny yellow {ok ok, so since then the color combo has been a bit overdone…} The tables were set with graphic black and white linens from BBJ and topped with centerpieces set atop ornate lacquered stands and garden urns. Flowers included cattleya orchid blossoms, casablanca lilies, open roses, fragrant peonies and barely-in-season viburnum. We had beautiful yellow silk ribbons detailing each guest napkin that perfectly framed our menu cards.
Partytime Productions provided the tent and gorgeous lighting – pin spots highlighting each centerpiece as well as textured projections shone on the canopy above. The tent ceiling also featured suspended votive candles that twinkled above guests as they danced and a black chandelier noted our family head table.
The sweltering day and unexpected weather did not disappoint. The day was about love. About life. About family and friends. It was absolutely overwhelming to look around the tent knowing that every person in attendance was there to celebrate and support Joel and I.
Forget dreams of a McMansion, luxe cars and expensive jewelry – can I throw a fabulous wedding-themed fete each year? Please…?
{credits} images taken by gerber and scarpelli. tent and lighting by partytime productions. linens provided by bbj. tables, chairs, chargers, goblets etc. provided by tablescapes. all floral and decor executed by my former home…botanicals. my gown by the amazing alice padrul.
Oh So Thankful!!
One of my favorite holidays is upon us. Although the tradition has shifted a bit for me over the past few years as we now kiss chilly Chicago goodbye to visit my husbands grandparents in FL, I still appreciate {and very much miss} the harvesty, familial essence this day exudes.
Today, more than most, we reflect on what’s important. On what we love, what we cherish. I have so much to be thankful for this year: as always THE most important is my family, the love and friendship we share is mind blowing. I’m also grateful for my other lovely friendships that continue to grow and strengthen as the weeks and years go by. I adore {and miss!} our gorgeous pooch, Illiebelle. I’m still giddy with excitement about the shift in my planning and design career with Bliss and am already obsessed with my new clients! I’m grateful for my stylish neighbors in the blogging community, who continue to inspire me and keep us all fresh and focused. Gosh, I’m thankful for so many things; I could write an entry each day for a year and not even scratch the surface…
And so, while I sit poolside under a canopy of rustling palms, I share a few images that represent a more traditional Thanksgiving scene:
A simple vase of pheasant feathers can create an unexpectedly seasonal setting.
Real Wedding…Cristina & Shane!
The highly sought-after and always charming Renny Pedersen of Bliss Weddings and Events came to me months ago to help out with her lovely client’s wedding design.
Cristina’s wedding was recently held at The Chicago Cultural Center, one of my absolute favorite venues in Chicago.
Cristina was inspired by natural design, slightly organic in it’s elements and style. She loved the idea of sharing an evening inspired by the sumptuous beauty of Napa Valley with family and friends.
I was immediately inspired by her vision and was thrilled to help pull the visual details of her wedding ceremony and reception together.
The reception took place in Preston Bradley Hall, with the massive east windows overlooking the incredible view of Millennium Park.
Real Wedding: Kate & Mike!
Her late June wedding was a beautiful day that brides daydream about their entire lives.
The charming ceremony was held earlier in the afternoon at St. Clements, situated on a tree-lined street in the heart of Lincoln Park.
Upon arrival at The Peninsula, guests descended the grand staircase and passed through floor to ceiling curtains we added to create a more private, intimate setting for the cocktail hour. The curtains add much drama to the setting, while also framing the beautiful place card display perfectly. Cocktails were held in the foyer outside of the ballroom and on the stunning terrace overlooking the hustling and bustling Gold Coast summer activities.
The cream lamour curtains were held open and cinched with hand-tied bundles of summery flowers including hydrangea, roses and spray roses.
The seating assignments were arranged in a tidy spoke fashion, visually anchored by a collection of beautiful glass vases and compotes hosting varied gatherings of event flowers in muted hues. Varied forms of candlelight looked lovely as the sun began to set later in the evening.
Flowers and elements included open roses, hydrangea, peonies, viburnum, succulents and fresh mosses.
The curtains were closed just before guests were invited to dinner in the Grand Ballroom, to add to the romantic, candlelit feeling. As the sun set later in the evening, the curtains were re-opened revealing stunning city views and night lights.
We did a collection of elevated centerpieces and lower tabletop centerpieces. The lush and tailored garden arrangements were elegant, sophisticated and romantic – fit for Carolyn Rhome herself.
Coordinating flowers were accented by unique foliages including graceful maidenhair fern fronds, velvety broadleaf geranium foliage and muted dusty miller.
The elevated centerpieces will designed atop elegant glass vases – well above guests sightlines. To detail the tabletop, a collection of three vintage glass budvases hosted varied floral gatherings, while a trio of warm amber hurricanes added a twinkle around the room.
The low centerpieces were designed in footed glass compote bowls and hosted equally beautiful gardney arrangements.
The bridesmaids carried adorable bouquets designed with a fluffy base of green hydrangea. Butter yellow, antique pink and warm apricot roses were nestled into the hydrangea for a tailored, rounded bouquet.
I wish Kate and Mike (and their Hollywood-worthy-good-looks!) a lifetime of happiness! Perhaps they’ll renew their vows next year with an equally smashing celebration!
Real Wedding: Stephanie & Scott!
A recent client of mine had her beautiful wedding ceremony and reception at the Chicago History Museum. The ceremony took place outside on the 90+ degree day, squeezed in between spurts of cooling drizzle and rumbles of thunder.
The simple and elegant ceremony was positioned on the terrace of CHM, a custom wrought iron arch created the frame for the bride and groom, laden with apricot and sage green colored flowers and foliages to visually pop against the verdant green backdrop.
A custom runner was pre-laid and secured, while the aisle was noted by simple graphic pomanders composed of green button pomps, suspended by chocolate double-faced silk ribbon loops.
The couples pooches were the stars of the ceremony, standing in as ring-pups. I made adorable floral pillows that were secured on foliage garlands and tied around the pooches’ necks.
The reception took place inside, safe from any weather issues. A world of sage green, apricot and chocolate greeted guests. Copious amounts of polished wood containers and artful manzanita branches were detailed with sage green hydrangea, cutie chocolate brown cosmos and a few varieties of open apricot colored roses and spray roses.
The bride and groom were gorgeous and seemed as if they were floating on air as their careful planning paid off in the form of their dream affair.
{photo credits: bride and groom recessing + pooch picture by elegant videos by kris; remaining photos compliments of erica barraca}