• Posted in: Out and About

We can hardly believe that another year has passed by, but we are SO excited for this year’s Wedtoberfest! This will be the fifth of its kind, and we’re convinced it’ll be the best one yet.

Cage & Aquarium Photography

For those who are not familiar with this event, here’s the 411: Wedtoberfest is a unique wedding show + beer festival hybrid, founded by Carlene Smith (owner and boss lady of Naturally Yours Events) and produced in conjunction with Kelly Horvath of Indie Wed. This one-of-a-kind wedding show allows couples to plan their wedding in a cool, laid-back atmosphere while drinking delicious beer, cider, and bubbly.

Ryan Moore Photography

This year’s event will be taking place at Artifact Events (AKA Architectural Artifacts) on Thursday, September 21st. Couples have the choice to purchase general admission or VIP tickets (individual tickets are available as well). VIP guests will be admitted early, enjoy additional beer samples, and will receive some pretty cool upgraded swag bags!

Cage & Aquarium Photography

All guests will receive a swag bag and branded tasting glass. In attendance will be tons of local wedding vendors including photographers, florists, caterers, planners, bakeries, stationers, and plenty others. It’ll be the perfect opportunity to meet the vendors you’ve seen online but haven’t decided on yet. Oh, and did we mention there will be snacks and live music? We’re telling you, it’s gonna make planning your wedding fun!

Ryan Moore Photography

If you are an engaged, craft beer lover in Chicago, you can’t miss this event! Grab your honey and enjoy a fun date night of wedding planning. Make sure to visit the Wedtoberfest website for more information, and click here to purchase your tickets today. See you there!

+ add a comment

• Posted in: Client Wedding

Our favorite type of wedding is the kind where it just oozes aspects of the couple’s combined personality. Mallory and Jimmy’s summer wedding at Room 1520 did exactly that. They took their love for music festivals, dream catchers, and even pizza- and created their perfect, boho wedding day. Take a look at these awesome photos of their perfect day by Jennifer Shaffer Photography:

How stunning was the bride’s succulent bouquet by SucculentlyUrban?

Pitchfork Music Festival was happening just down the street from Room 1520, so they went into the fest to take some pre-wedding photos! They incorporated their love for music festivals into their seating chart and their table numbers. 

Mallory and Jimmy personalized their wedding ceremony by incorporating a unity dream catcher. Their ceremony was officiated by Bernadette O’Brien.

Their matching dancing shoes were so rad!

As much as we love wedding cake, we love wedding pizza even more! Mallory and Jimmy cut into a pepperoni pizza and with it had their first bites as husband and wife.

The couple incorporated the dream catcher theme into their “guest book” as well. Each guest was encouraged to take a feather and attach it to this collection of dream catchers. We love the uniqueness of this idea! 

Music for their wedding day was provided by Lucky Dutch (cocktail hour) and DJ Calvin (reception). Their delicious dinner was served by Sweet Baby Ray’s Catering, and alcohol was provided by Prestige Drinks. G Spot did the ladies’ hair and makeup.

+ add a comment

• Posted in: Client Wedding

Marguarette and Andie got engaged while sailing, so it was no wonder that they wanted to get married at near proximity to the lake. The Adler Planetarium turned out to be just the perfect place for them to tie the knot: not only does it essentially sit on Lake Michigan, but it also boasts one of the best views of the Chicago skyline. The couple had a medium-sized (150 guests), more traditional wedding that incorporated some fun personalized details. Take a look at the photos below by Ann and Kam Photography to take a glimpse into their special day.

Since red is the color of luck in Chinese culture, Marguarette and Andie decided to incorporate it into their personal floral. The beautiful blooms were provided by Becca Blue Flowers.

I mean, could you ask for a better ceremony backdrop? 

One of our favorite details were the escort cards, which doubled as wedding favors. Each card was actually a scratch-off lotto ticket, so that guests could try their luck! They were held up by cute little golden elephants.

We loved their family photo display!

The couple incorporated their love for travel into their “guest book”. Instead of using a typical guest book, they used a hand painted globe (purchased through Etsy) and encouraged guests to sign it. We love this idea because it can be easily displayed in the couple’s home after the wedding, as opposed to sitting in a drawer! 

Other vendors not mentioned above who helped make their wedding day special were Food for Thought, West Town Bakery, Cage and Aquarium Productions, Atmosphere Events Group, Aries Charter Transportation, Super Sitters, and CHYLArtistry.

+ add a comment

• Posted in: Helpful Tips

Addressing wedding invitations isn’t always super straightforward. Especially since snail mail is no longer a common form of communication, couples tend to find themselves confused when faced with addressing their wedding invitations. Some take addressing etiquette very seriously and follow it to a T, and others say “to hell with the old school rules!”. Either way, it’s ultimately up to you and your personal preference. Here are some common etiquette rules to consider when addressing your invitations.  

Tuan B & Co.

1. Use your guest’s title and full names (no nicknames).

2. Take note of guests’ relationship statuses and properly address them as such. There is a lot that goes into how you address the person depending on if they are married, married yet kept their maiden name, or not married but living together. This link is helpful in answering some of those questions.

Rebecca Marie Photography

3. Spell out everything except for the zip code-  street, direction, apartment, and state. Old school etiquette also suggests spelling out the street numbers (for example: One North State Street Chicago, Illinois 60601).

Julia Franzosa Photography

4. List everyone invited. If you are offering your invitee the option to bring someone who you might not know, put “and guest” after the person’s name. On the other hand, if you know your guest is in a long term relationship, you should list their partner by name and not just “and guest”. For families with children, you should also list the kids by name (girls should have a ‘Miss’ in front of their name and boys do not have a title). If it is a large family and you do not have space to list everyone, it is okay to just put “and Family” after the adults’ names.

For more tips and guidance on how to properly address your wedding invitations, click here. Happy planning!

+ add a comment

• Posted in: Client Wedding

Last summer, we had the pleasure of working with Shannon and Liz on their wedding at Bottom Lounge. The ladies, who were living in Brussels but met in Chicago, wanted their wedding to be fun and unique to them. Their goal was definitely achieved, and it turned out to be a gorgeous day filled with love and special details. Take a look at the photos below by ZW Photography.

Shannon and Liz got their hair and makeup done by the wonderful Debra Petrielli.

We love the couple’s reaction to seeing the space for the first time!

The bistro lights, catering, and bar (of course) were all provided by the venue. It all came together so lovely.

Instead of cutting into a wedding cake, they decided to get a big donut instead! The donut was provided by Glazed and Infused. They also served mini donuts as dessert. Yum!

The pops of floral in repurposed wine bottles were done by Beth Keonig.

Their “table numbers” were photos of places of significance to them. We love the Chicago one, of course!

A friend of theirs officiated the ceremony on the rooftop of Bottom Lounge. It was a gorgeous, sunny day with not a cloud in the sky.

One of our favorite parts was when Shannon and Liz had their first dance to XO by Beyonce. It was completely romantic and adorable! Cheers to the happy couple and their (almost) first year of marriage.

+ add a comment

« Older posts