Wedding Albums???

As a wedding planner, I get asked all sorts of questions...and from a variety of sources...clients, friends and new acquaintances. I also ask bride's all sorts of questions. A hot topic that I often have with clients is "what inclusions does a bride need from a photographer?" And there isn't a right or wrong answer in my opinion. I think that bride's need to speak to their  fiancé about what they want from their wedding photography. I do feel photography is one of the most important elements of a bride and groom’s day. The photos that are captured that day will be with you forever. One of my favorite trends in photography over the last few years is the photographer’s ability to candidly capture the emotions of the day. The right photographer can capture the first kiss to your new husband in a way that you will never forget the emotions you felt at that exact moment. Every bride can imagine a different use for their photos but I think that an album is very important. So if an album is not included in your photography package...make one on your own! An album allows you and your husband along with family and friends a chance to relive this fabulous moment in your lives.


A few photos that I love...

Photography by Alex Claney Photography, Riverbend Studios, and Phil McConville Photgraphy.

Chicago Weddings!

I absolutely love Google...who doesn't!  Today, while browsing the internet, I decided to google "Chicago Weddings."  There were over nine million hits...the top hits directed me to local wedding magazines and the others that I checked out had "chicago weddings" in their webite.  Who knows what 9,000,000 and 1 was regarding... So I thought I would blog about a couple of my favorite websites for brides:

Number 1 - the very elaborate photo gallery on The Knot

Number 2 - Style Me Pretty

Number 3 - Hostess with the Mostess - it covers entertaining across the board!  Great DIY ideas for the creative bride and hostess!

These websites/blogs are filled with great ideas for brides...I spent most of my time on party favors...I found this absolutely adorable idea for an exit favor!

...the perfect box accented with a sticker from My Wedding Labels.  Inside the box are two mini milks and individually wrapped donuts.  So much fun!  Photo courtesy of Hostess with the Mostess.

We love late night snacks...although it was awhile back, this wedding will always share a place in our wedding hall of fame...the wedding guests went home with milk and cookies!  The bride and groom's favorite late night treat.  Both were accented with labels from My Wedding Labels.

Photography by Stephen Green Photography.

Modified Candy Station...

We already know that Candy Stations are a hit at every wedding but sometimes they need to be modified to coordinate with the Bride and Groom's style.  In September, we created a dual purpose sweets station...during the wedding reception, cookies, cupcakes, M&M's, mixed nuts and Hershey Kisses were available to guests to enjoy as they danced the night away.  But these same sweets were also available as a take home treat...a portion of the cookies were individually bagged along with individually boxed up cupcakes...both were accented with custom coordinating labels.  Guests had the opportunity to enjoy each type of cupcake and cookie...some types as wedding dessert and others as a late night treat!

Wedding Cakes!

One of my favorite details of a wedding is the wedding cake!  Brides have so many fun options to select from.  Some opt for traditional wedding cakes and others think outside the box...this bride went for classic elegance!  So in keeping with my "Thinking back in 2009" theme...I love this wedding cake!  It was created by one of my favorite Chicago bakeries, Take the Cake.  The bride's colors were pale pink and white accented with copper.  The wedding reception took place at one of Chicago's most beautiful venues, The Chicago Botanic Garden. 

Although this June wedding was a bit mild, the still guests enjoyed the outstanding view from McGinley Pavilion.  It looks out to the Great Basin at the Garden. 

December...

December is one of the most enjoyable times of year...it is filled with friends and family and holiday spirit!  It is also a very popular time of year to get married.  One of my most favorite stationary moments of this year is occuring this weekend!  We assisted our client with coordinating Save the Dates and Invitations.  Our clients loved the set so much that we carried the designed motif throughout their reception details.  From wedding programs to menu cards, table numbers and programs...there was one coordinating element...the motif...it began with the Save the Date and will continue until everyone says goodnight to the Bride and Groom on Saturday!  One of our favorite photographers (Brian Kinyon Photography) is photographing the wedding and I am looking forward to sharing the details with you!  For great invitations and coordinating pieces, we are consistently using Checkerboard (http://www.checkernet.com/) along with our in-house custom printing system!  We are all about the details and this wedding hits the spot!  Congratulations Amy & Brian!

Candy Stations!

Candy stations have been the rage for many years BUT they don't get old...wedding guests enjoy them and we love designing them! One of our favorites was created for a wedding and reception at The James Hotel (http://www.jameshotels.com/).  Photography by Vrai (http://www.vraiphoto.com/).  The candy was chosen first by color then by type...the table was designed to mimic the color scheme of the wedding.  The guests enjoyed Chocolate Turtles, M&M's, Sugar Peaches, Chocolate Raisins and more...each guest received a to-go candy bag to fill for the ride home.

Candy stations are always being re-invented but like all details, they should coordinate with the reception and of course the Bride and Groom's tastes!  We added To-Go Cupcakes and Cookies to a Favor Station Table in September when we heard those were favorites of the Bride and Groom!  Everyone enjoyed the twist... 

Looking back at 2009...

Wedding season 2009 is officially over for Tying the Knot but our break is short this year...our first 2010 wedding is on January 2nd! 

As I look back at the year...it was filled with weddings of all sizes and shapes!

At each wedding, I take a moment to photograph my favorite details..a little instant gratification and it is a helpful tool to showcase our work immediately to future clients...

Today I am highlighting a beautiful rustic elegant wedding we created in April.  The bride was very detailed oriented and wanted unique touches everywhere...her budget did not allow us unlimited resources so we needed to offer creative solution for her to get everything she always dreamed of...and we did!  The placecard/favors are homemade apple butter jars with yellow gingham fabric toppers attached with twine sitting a top wood logs...the table numbers are hand cut wood boards with brown stamped numbers...the centerpiece vases are mason jars...and the votives are accented with coordinating green ribbon and twine...rustic elegance without breaking the bank!