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From the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum… For Jen and Alex, the only thing more romantic than falling in love in high school Shakespeare class may have been their wedding day. Jen and Alex’s wedding started with the inspiration of an eclectic mix of vintage elements that were reminiscent of a French market and whimsical, wild flowers.  Tucked away in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood, the couple selected the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum as the venue to showcase their inspiration.

The spring showers only enhanced the romantic details of Jen and Alex’s wedding day. Nature was brought indoors as the couple wed under a stunning chuppah created by Cornelia McNamara, set against a wall of windows in the Museum’s Lobby framing both Lincoln Park’s North Pond and the Museum’s Courtyard that was full of new spring blooms.

Walls of glass windows lined with candles illuminated the rain droplets, creating a one-of-a-kind romantic glow for the couple’s reception in the Nature Museum’s South Gallery. One of the favorite details of the reception were the two French Country inspired Etegeres from Tablescapes that LOLA set together and fashioned as a dessert station filled with sweets from Blue Plate and cupcakes from Sweet Mandy B’s. The Etegeres provided a layered feeling for the sweet station with different levels of shelving and drawers that were pulled out and filled with multi colored Sevres dessert plates, also from Tablescapes. Another favorite touch was mismatched vintage Heirloom flatware from Tablescapes that were wrapped with hemstitch napkins and bundled with raffia.

Guests were able to write wishes to the couple at a DIY post card table that LOLA set together, adorned with vintage photographs from the couple’s parents’ and grandparents’ wedding days. The postcards will be mailed throughout Jen & Alex’s first year as newlyweds, bringing to mind the details – and the romance – of their wedding day.

Wedding Photography: Jen Lynne Photography with Yazy Raclawski / Wedding Flowers: Cornelia McNamara / Event Consultant: Lauren Carter, LOLA Event Productions / Wedding Venue: Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum / Catering: Blue Plate Catering / Linens: BBJ Linen / Special Event Rentals: Tablescapes / Ceremony Musicians: Mary Monica Music / Reception DJ: Chris Somera, Mary Monica Music / Cupcakes: Sweet Mandy B’s / Hotel: The Elysian Hotel

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Post tags: BBJ Linen, Blue Plate Catering, Chicago, Cornelia McNamara, Illinois, Jen Lynne Photography, LOLA Event Production, Mary Monica Music, Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, Sweet Mandy B's
Post categories: Chicago Weddings, Illinois Weddings

I have a huge, Italian family that mainly lives in Chicago so we knew it would be easiest for everyone to have the wedding there. Ever since I was little, I wanted to get married at Holy Name Cathedral because it is the most stunning church I have ever seen and the Chicago Cultural Center really fit in with the vintage glam theme.  The tiffany domes and architecture throughout are breathtaking. Also, the guest list was over 300 so we needed somewhere to accommodate everyone.

The NASCAR race season begins in the beginning of February and ends in mid November so we knew it would be a winter wedding. Once we started looking at the calendar New Years Eve was the date that seemed to make the most sense.  With the date set I started building the theme around that.  New Years is very glamorous and I have always loved the old Hollywood glamour.  I wanted to stick with darker tones since it was winter and purple is one of my favorite colors so I chose plum.  I also really love feathers that I have seen incorporated into weddings but I took it more to the extreme creating a full feathered bar and having ostrich feathers on my wedding dress! Also, my bouquet and the bridesmaids’ had feathers in them.

We had a traditional Catholic wedding and followed the tradition of not seeing each other on the wedding day until I was walking down the isle. I was really happy we did that because when the huge doors opened at Holy Name Cathedral and I saw my soon to be husband standing at the end of the very long aisle waiting for me it was truly a breathtaking, unforgettable moment.

Wedding Planning: Big City Bride / Venue: Chicago Cultural Center / Church  & Church Musicians: Holy Name Cathedral / Caterer: Blue Plate Catering / Photography: Robyn Rachel Photography / Cinematography: Indiana Motion Pictures / Bride & Groom Transportation: Flying Lady Rolls Royce / Guest Transportation: Windy City Limousine / Hair: Nicci Plachno / Make-Up: Juli Valdez / Rock Violin Show: The Cover Girls / Wedding Cake: Amy Beck Cake Design / Lighting:  Video, Light, Sound, Inc. / Floral + Design:  Heffernan Morgan Event Design / Band: Larry King Orchestra / Linens:  Carousel Linens & BBJ Linens / Rentals:  Tablescapes, Halls Rental & Classic Party Rentals / Invitations: Kustom Kreations / Menus, Signage, Place Cards: DG Invites / Interactive Place Card Table:  Redmoon

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Post tags: Amy Beck Cake Design, BBJ Linens, Big City Bride, Blue Plate Catering, Carousel Linens, Chicago, Chicago Cultural Center, Classic Party Rentals, DG Invites, Flying Lady Rolls Royce, Halls Rental, Heffernan Morgan Designs, Holy Name Cathedral, Illinois, Justom Kreations, Larry King Orchestra, New Year's Eve, Peacock Feathers, Robyn Rachel Photography, Tablescapes, The Cover Girls, Traditional Elegance, Windy City Limousine
Post categories: Chicago Weddings, Illinois Weddings, Traditional Elegance

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From the Bride… Our inspiration came from my engagement ring and our love for all things old. We had my engagement ring made by Fuenfer Jeweler in Winnetka, IL to look like a vintage early century piece by oxidizing the platinum/diamond band and setting to appear blackened where a rare orange/pinkish padparadscha sapphire was set in.

We were on a fairly tight budget but felt that the wedding location would basically determine the overall feel of the wedding. The moment we walked into Salvage One in an industrial area near downtown Chicago I knew that the architectural salvage warehouse was the place. The venue was at the top of our budget but we justified the cost because it included mismatch chairs and tables that didn’t require linens and tons of decor and charm which meant less rentals and headaches for us. All the paper goods I printed and designed myself with the exception of the invitations which I custom ordered from an Etsy artist Letter Box Inc. Both my husband and I are chefs (him – a chef, me – a pastry chef) so we decided to use pastry ingredients as our centerpieces which was metaphoric to our recipe for love. We collected Brett’s grandmother’s vintage bowls and vessels to put them in. I bought burlap from Joann’s fabric and created runners with them. I also made the homemade fig jam for the favors and asked our food industry friends and family to make cookies for the cookie bar. It was all DIY.

My dress was from the 1960′s and the first dress I tried on at Silver Moon in Chicago where Liz Meyers (a stylist for the likes of Aerosmith and Paul McCartney) specializes in vintage wedding dresses. We reworked the dress to a strapless with a sweetheart neckline and removed a hideous gold sequined stretchy band from the waste and replaced it with a pewter chiffon sash. The silk chiffon dress was made of a beautiful champagne color not seen today in wedding dresses. It was also incredibly affordable at $770 with alterations. The 1920′s cream fur shawl we picked up at the last fitting with Liz. My necklace was a cameo that was last worn on Brett’s Mother’s (Robin Swartzman) Bat Mitzvah 50 years ago, the diamond earings were also from Robin, and the gorgeous bracelet was from her mother who gave it to her sister Beth who then gave it to her before she passed.

Brett’s suit was the best find of all. We strolled into a resale shop in Evanston, Il  by the name of Classy Closet and were met by the owner who was reminiscent of Bernie Mac in a double breasted black suit and a fedora. We walked out with a custom Oxxford Suit for Neiman Marcus circa 1980 for a bargain price of $50. The only catch was that it was a size too small so we took it Saks Fifth Ave. and had it tailored for $160. And that’s were we picked up all his other accessories.

The food was everyone’s favorite part at the wedding. We heard statements all night, “Best wedding food EVER!” All the food ingredients were donated by Brett’s best friend and food purveyor/owner Patrick Fitzgerald of Midwest Foods. Blue Plate Catering did the rest and I can’t tell you what an amazing job they did. We are still receiving compliments to this day. And, the beautiful vintage laced cake with pewter ribbons and whimsical peachy grey peonies was a wedding gift from a dear friend of mine Mary Winslow who owns Take the Cake.

Our day-of coordinator was our friend Millie Harper who was the catering director at Brett’s country club. It was her wedding gift to us since I made her grooms cake earlier that year for her wedding. Besides Spencer Lokken, our awesome DJ who played none of that generic or hokey wedding music, we hired a college kid from UW-Madison Miles Comiskey to drive down to be our guitarist/soloist for the cocktail hour and ceremony. And a friend was our Elvis impersonator later on in the night.

Wedding Photography: Robert Wojtowicz Images / Wedding Venue: Salvage One / Wedding Caterer: Blue Plate / Wedding Gown: Silver Moon / Wedding Cake – Take the Cake / Florist – Asrai Garden / Wedding DJ – Style Matters / Soloist/Guitarist: Miles Comiskey / Rabbi – Michael Sternfield / Hotel – TheWit Hotel / Wedding Coordinator: Friend of the Bride / Jeweler: Fuenfer Jewelers / Wedding Invitations – Letter Box Inc.

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Post tags: Asrai Garden, Blue Plate Catering, DIY Inspired, Fuenfer Jeweler, Letter Box Inc., Michael Sternfield, Miles Comiskey, Robert Wojtowicz Images, Salvage One, Silver Moon, Style Matters, Take The Cake, The Wit Hotel, Vintage, Vintage Chic, vintage wedding dress, Whimsical Wedding Details
Post categories: Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Vintage Chic

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Eat, Drink and Be Married

Innovative passed hors d’oeuvres can provide a quality, budget-friendly alternative to a sit-down dinner. Taking a more creative approach to culinary and imaginative presentation truly impresses guests. For instance, the Quail Vesuvio served in a mini white china skillet or the Lobster Thermidor on a miso spoon is a delightful surprise for your guests.

When your guests taste the sweet potato off the chrome tasting spoon they’ll be sure to ask about the secret ingredient–homemade marshmallows!

No matter what your culinary vision happens to be, Blue Plate’s experienced culinary team can help you do it with style!!

Thank you SO much to Blue Plate for guest blogging on Style Me Pretty!!

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Post tags: Blue Plate Catering
Post categories: Wedding Style

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How to Choose the Perfect Venue

As you know, picking a reception location is one of the biggest decisions you will have to make; the venue sets the tone and theme. Just like the wedding specialists at Blue Plate can guide you to a venue that perfectly complements your needs and desires, you should always check with your vendors to see what their favorite venues are…

For instance, one of the wedding consultants from Blue Plate recently guided a bride and groom through an array of venue choices, ranging from intimate gardens, historic museums, grand ballrooms, and iconic restaurant locations.

The wedding consultant fully understands budgetary limitations and can lead you to your perfect location with budget conscious options.

More from Blue Plate to come! In the meantime, we’d love to hear what YOUR favorite hometown wedding venue is…whether it’s a gorgeous farm, a stunning hotel, an old loft…anything goes!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2008. | Permalink | 8 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Blue Plate Catering
Post categories: Wedding Style

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A Modern, Fresh Wedding Theme from Blue Plate

Creatively weave your theme into every aspect of your wedding–from décor and atmosphere to your choice of menu. A dedicated wedding consultant can help you make your vision and theme a reality. You don’t have to jet to the east coast to experience a Cape Cod wedding. This eastern, sea shore wedding took place in Chicago and was created by Weddings by Blue Plate.

An underwater experience was created with Lucite tables at the head table and food stations, courtesy of our friends at Kehoe Designs.

The modern Cape Cod affair inspired the menu–small plate samplers and stations. In a tribute to the New England style, guests tasted Cumin Crusted Diver Scallops, Seared Halibut and Red and Yellow Beets.

YUM!! More from Blue Plate throughout the day!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2008. | Permalink | 5 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Blue Plate Catering, Cape Cod, Chicago, Kehoe Designs
Post categories: Wedding Style