All photos were taken by Tuan H. Bui Photographer.

Here is the lineup of amazing Poladora retailers:

This show had it all! Do-it-yourself crafts, a fashion show, wine and beer pairings, tasty bites, sweet treats, and an amazing group of people. I get teary eyed just thinking about how wonderful these wedding industry folks are and how their passions are bettering weddings and the Earth!

Check out all the fun:

So, without further adieu, congratulations to our winners Mike and Becky!

Mike and Becky’s love story is filled with so much sweetness, and I was inspired right away. Tuan and I can’t wait to get started on something really wonderful for this adorable couple. Enjoy their contest entry below:

“We met at the special needs school were we both work at. A year went by when we finally got the courage to go out and then fell in love- Michael proposed with a song he wrote and performed at a show with our friends and family.”

This booth had it all while providing inspiration to couples and information about Naturally Yours Events. We had a “guestbook” (that doubled as a portfolio) where couples signed up for more information, a card box where couples could grab all the necessary info, and an area for favors (handmade bath melts from CALM).

Stephanie, with Flowers by Stem, did an amazing job putting the finishing touches on the booth with succulents, moss, and a pop of orange flowers.

We partnered with Tuan H Bui Photographer to offer another Free Stylized Engagement Shoot to one lucky couple. But you’ll have to come back to find out who ;)

It’s always fun to see how creative everyone is in this industry. I met some lovely new industry peeps, checked in with friendors, and drooled over everyone’s beautiful displays. Hat’s off to you Indie Wed!

ENTER TO WIN A FREE STYLIZED ENGAGEMENT SESSION!

To enter, stop by Naturally Yours Events’ booth at Indie Wed on February 2^nd. Or if you can’t make it to Indie Wed, you can enter HERE – contest closes Saturday, February 9th. We’re asking for the normal stuff – your names, wedding date, a way to contact you if you win, and we want to hear your love story (i.e. how you met, how’d you pop the question, or what’s the most unique/interesting thing about your relationship?). With this information we can really customize a unique engagement session to fit your style.

We got to know Chelle and Dave and found that they are truly kids at heart. Many of their dates and most memorable moments (like when Chelle and Dave got stuck in the rain under a viaduct on their second date) involved picnicking near Lake Michigan. So, we took the idea of a picnic a step further as they built a “home” out of blankets, right off Lake Michigan complete with skyline views – and spaceship sheets!

Vendors for Chelle and Dave’s shoot:

coordination + styling: Naturally Yours Events // photography: Tuan H. Bui Photographer // videography: Bokeh Line // desserts: Fritz Pastry // hair + makeup: Saleha and Safaa with Alluring Artistry

Fine Print:

• Enter to win by visiting Naturally Yours Events’ booth at Indie Wed on February 2nd or HERE
• This contest closes February 9th
• Winners will be announced by February 16th
• Winners will meet with Sponsors by for their consultation session
• Only one entry per couple
• You must be 18 years or older and engaged to enter
• You must not have booked your photographer or wedding planner yet (we don’t want to step on any toes)
• You live in or near Chicago, or are willing to travel to Chicago for your engagement shoot

Maybe *actually* posting in my blog should be my resolution for 2013?!!?!

Inspiration: French Tea Party Shoot

photographer: Julia Franzosa Photography

Inspiration: Boardwalk Empire Shoot

photographer: Tuan H. Bui Photographer 

 Inspiration: Hunger Games Photo Shoot

Full post is up! 

Kpoene got into weddings by chance after being asked to design a dress for a bride out of New York. She found it intensely rewarding to get to know the bride and work with her to create the dress of her dreams. Because Kpoene works so closely to custom design a dress for her clients, they have more input on the style of the dress. Most of her brides do not want the “princess” experience but want to look gorgeous on their wedding day. She works with a lot of plus-sized brides, lesbian couples, and women who are not looking for the typical wedding experience.

Mignonette Bridal is also very sustainable. Kpoene likes to use environmentally friendly fabrics and she loves working with Tencel (fabrics made from wood pulp cellulose) and bamboo. She explained to me that fabric is actually difficult to source, so she has found ways to reuse fabric from estate sales and pieces that otherwise would have been on their way to a landfill.

If you haven’t aready been by her shop in Lakeview, definitely check it out. Kpoene opened shop last year and offers everything from jewelry to menswear- and of course, lovely dresses! This talented lady is a one-stop resource for indie couples looking for something unique for their wedding.

For more commercial candy products made in Chicago, check out these options:

Brach’s Confections was founded in 1904 by Emil J. Brach who opened his first successful candy store and factory in Chicago. Brach’s is known for Candy Corn, Mallowcreme Pumpkins, and Neapolitan Coconut Candies.

The Ferrara Pan Candy Company is a candy company based in Chicago. Their popular confections include Lemon Heads, Jaw Busters, Atomic Fireballs, Original Boston Baked Beans, and Red Hots.

The William Wrigley Jr. Company is a company headquartered in the Wrigley Building Downtown. They are known for Juicy Fruit, Spearmint, Doublemint, Big Red, Extra, Winterfresh, and Orbit (just to name a few)

Tootsie Roll Industries, Inc. is headquartered in Chicago and known for Tootsie Rolls and Tootsie Roll Pops.

Here are some handcrafted sweets that are also made right here in Chicago:

Flora offers traditional and contemporary French-inspired confections.   All of their products are hand-crafted, without preservatives, and contain locally sourced ingredients.

Rich Chocolates and Candies make all their confections by hand and use local ingredients wherever possible.

Terry’s Toffee is inspired by grandma’s recipe and world travel. These award-winning toffees are truly exotic and unique.

Whimsical Candy began out of pure love of candy and now makes sure that their products are both sustainable and delicious. You can’t go wrong with whimsical swirls, white chocolate nougat, and sea salt caramel hand-dipped in premium dark chocolate.

Truffle Truffle specializes in handmade confections with ultimate personalization. From local truffle flavors (redline espresso truffle or halfacre beer truffle) to hand-finished packaging, you are getting personalized service down to every detail.

Katherine-Anne Confections uses local and organic ingredients and contains no artificial flavors. Their twist to the typical truffle is definitely in their use of farmer’s market ingredients and unique flavor combinations like Apricot Basil or Strawberry Balsamic.

If you don’t want to worry about putting all the details together, leave it up to your wedding planner or one of these candy professionals:

Amy’s Candy Bar

Candyality

Suckers Candy

Windy City Sweets

Get Local Chicago

The space fits one hundred for a seated dinner, or more with a cocktail setup. Meghan Rutledge, RevBrew’s Event Manager, gave me a tour, and I loved how warm and natural the space feels. With exposed brick, dark woods, and a large wall of windows, the space has a lot of character that needs little decorations. The built-in fireplace and shelving would be perfect for a winter or fall affair. You could add vintage photo frames of family members on the mantel, or adorn it with amazing floral pieces. What’s even better is everything can be moved and rearranged to fit any style of event.

So, I can’t help myself, let’s talk food… and beer. Revolution Brewing uses their own in-house chef for their private events, and the menu can be completely customized for certain tastes or dietary restrictions. One of their upcoming weddings is a completely vegan affair! On top of that, they use local ingredients as much as possible, and some of the items are made using their own local brews. Of course, a wedding or event at Revolution Brewing comes complete with all of their beers on tap (it doesn’t get much better than that!).

All in all, for the award-winning beer, food and beautiful space in a cool neighborhood of Chicago,­ this place is a steal. I won’t get into price here, but they can work with almost any budget. If you are looking for a unique venue or just need to unwind with a brew, stop in and check them out.

Marion Street Cheese Market created a fantastic five-tiered cheese wheel cake, similar to the one Primrose gave Katniss on reaping day. At the feast we included scones, fresh baked galettes, and cookies baked by Bleeding Heart Bakery. Also included were rolls of bread, forest berries, fruits and nuts.

My vision was to show the opposites of Katniss and Peeta’s life thrown into the capital and their life in District 12 by incorporating very glamorous details with rustic elements. The color palette reflected the silvers and blacks of District 12, the royal purples and golds of the Capital, orange since this is Peeta’s favorite color, and red for the “Girl on Fire.” 

Our florist Pistil and Vine handcrafted the kokedama favors, which are moss globes with bunches of primrose planted within. For the centerpieces we brought in flowers with sultry shades, velvet textures (since Katniss loves velvet) and balanced with rustic elements placed in two black trophy urns. The table was crafted from two columns of pallets with a fur runner, curly willow branches, and velvet red chairs to accent.

We used a gold birdcage as the card box adorned by more primrose kokedama.

To honor family and friends, we added a displaying photos of loved ones with the saying “we remember” near the card table. Julie Hanan Designs and Reenie Rose applied Peeta’s love for painting by teaming up to create the escort cards from a floral painting. Guests would find their seats by removing the painting piece-by-piece, to then reveal the hand-painted saying “may the odds be ever in your favor.”

For the cake table we stacked wooden pallets with fur, moss, branches, and candles tucked between the layers. The black “mockingjay” feathers hang from branches like a chandelier above the cakes. These traditional whipped cream cakes from Lutz Café were inspired from the bakery that Peeta grew up in and where Katniss found “the Boy with the Bread.”

And since the wedding tradition of District 12 was mentioned in the book, I wanted to take a couple shots of this bread toast ceremony.

The second dress change went from the black Mockinjay inspired wedding gown created by Mignonette Bridal, to a red pleated gown from Lovey by Isha inspired to fit the “Girl on Fire.” The stunning cameo necklace and broach hairpiece from Broad Street  included a single rose detail.

Everyone involved in this shoot poured over every detail to make this beautiful and relevantly themed. To see my inspiration boards for this shoot, visit my Pinterest page. Also check out my inspiration board as a featured winner on The Knotty Bride.