Greatest Expectations Special Events & Weddings, Inc.

We spend a lot of time talking about sending thank you notes. But what happens when it comes time to thank the experts that help make your wedding day perfect? That’s not as easy as it sounds!

That’s why we fell head over heels in love with CARDiology’s beautiful letter press “Wedding Expert Appreciation Kits.”  They have two different sets of note cards complete with super creative ways to thank your Baker, Caterer, Tailor, Florist, Hair Dresser, Band or DJ and every other vendor you can think of! Not to mention they are letter pressed on to beautiful, luxurious paper (as an official paper addict I can say this is something really special!).

Two of my favorites are the Florist: “From the Bride and Groom thanks for making our day bloom” and Photographer: “A little gratitude for capturing our attitude.”

These super fun cards can be purchased at Smitten Boutique (an adorable little shop in the West Loop area).  Smitten is also the home of Magnificent Milestones Custom Invitations Studio.  They even carry the Bride-to-Be, Wedding Party Appreciation, Bachelor, Baby, New Mother and Essential Thank You Collection Cards from CARDiology (all incredibly cute!!).

So you ask me … What could be better than rushing out right now to purchase these adorable cards (and everything else you fall in love with at this fantastic shop)?  I have just the answer!!  Kara, the owner of Magnificent Milestones, is giving a set of the Wedding Expert Appreciation Cards as a gift to any bride that sets an appointment to look at custom invitations. You read that right, a free gift … Oh and the deal gets even sweeter … There is no purchase required. That’s right!  Make an appointment with Kara to look at invitations and you walk away with these adorable cards no strings attached!  It’s that easy!

We are confident you will love the invitations at Magnificent Milestones and everything at Smitten Boutique … Shop, enjoy, write thank you notes.

There is something about turning five that is extra special.  It is that transformation between being a baby and a big kid.  So we thought this special occasion called for a Royal Ball!!

The invitations, done by Handmade By Pink, featured a castle in the clouds (in Orange, Purple and Red – the birthday girl’s favorite colors) and were mailed in gold mailing tubes.  All of the royal guests were asked to wear their favorite Fairy Tale attire and anticipation built for a really great party.

As the guests entered they were announced by the “Fairy Grandmother” … “Princess Olivia has arrived”

The perfect spot for this royal event was Francesca’s Fiore in Forest Park.  The staff there is amazing and waited on our tiny royals (and their parents) wonderfully.  The private room already had a rather “castle” like appeal to it and with just a few special touches it was the perfect ballroom!!

First we created “windows” that looked out onto the Royal Grounds and featured the birthday girl’s favorite princess things.  The paintings were done by local artist Sarah Lamlech.  A couple of my favorites are below.

A beautiful Throne was created out of Red Velvet and Jewels for the Princess of Honor to sit on and a King’s table was decorated with goblets, royal gifts, jewels and candles.

The little guests were entertained with a dressing room full of princess outfits, royal manicures, games, tattoos and tons of crafts!

I must say, however, the piece de resistance was the amazing castle cake!!  This cake was beautifully designed and decorated by Flour Cake and Pastry in Oak Park.  Janet and Nicole are extraordinary and really outdid themselves with this cake!  The children were enthralled with it and the birthday girl (who was even treated to a cake tasting to make it even more special. Not to mention she selected chocolate cake with fresh raspberry mousse filling, this is a five year old with excellent taste!!) was just in awe.  We almost did not want to cut into it!!

So feast your eyes on these beautiful pictures and get inspired!  I want to be five again!!

Donna Albertson from The Ivy Room at Tree Studios!

Here at Greatest Expectations we love The Ivy Room and we are pretty sure a good reason is because it allows us to work with Donna!  She is such a fantastic, talented woman and we will take any excuse we can get to spend time with her.  I cannot tell you how many times I have had clients tell me that she is one of the main reasons they chose The Ivy Room and we could not agree with them more.

Tell us about The Ivy Room at Tree Studios.  What makes it so special?

The Ivy Room at Tree Studios has a really beautiful history; it has housed artists and cultural events since the late 1800’s. The courtyard is so unique and unexpected- it’s a little bit of Europe in the middle of the city and the ballroom is a great mix of traditional and modern.  I think the best thing about it though is how much it changes with each event- it allows each couple to really express their personal style and taste and I love that.

What did you do prior to working at The Ivy Room?

Just prior to working here I was an Event Producer at Kehoe Designs. Before that, I was The Director of Private Events at Park Hyatt Chicago.

If you could “do” anything you wanted, what would your career be?

Hmmm…right now this. But if I wasn’t doing this, then something that made it my job to travel around the world and have fantastic dinner parties with all kinds of interesting people. If you know about something like that- send it my way.

I sure will Donna, but you have to promise to let me work with you!

What is your favorite …

Season?

Impossible to choose. I grew up in California without any seasons so they’re all novel….fresh fruit in the summer, leaves in the fall, lilacs in the spring, first snow of winter …

Restaurant?

Oh my goodness….changes all the time….I always love Sepia though.

Flower?

Anemones, Amaryllis, Ranunculus….so many….

Movie?

Dangerous Liaisons- Kissing Jessica Stein if I need to laugh.

Song?

Anything sung by Etta James.

Vacation spot?

India, Brazil, Hawaii, Paris, London, NY

Wow- that’s a lot… Are you secretly trying to set me up? This sounds like the Match.com questionnaire.

You totally figured me out Donna, the whole thing is a set up!  I will be sure to note in your profile that you are clearly a little afraid of committing to one word answers as is proved by the above responses! You know I love you!

If you were an animal what would you be and why?

Some kind of Seabird- I need the ocean, and who doesn’t want to fly.

Tell us one thing about yourself that will totally surprise everyone.

I came very close to becoming a doctor.

I have to admit, that did surprise me!

What is your favorite part of your job?

My favorite part of this job is the people. The clients and the vendors- I’m surrounded by happy, creative, inspiring people all the time.

What is your least favorite part of the job?

I don’t have a least favorite part anymore- that’s what I hired Matt for!

For those of you who don’t know, Matt is Donna’s super wonderful right hand man!  He always gets the job done well and I don’t think I have ever seen him without a smile on his face.

What is the busiest season at The Ivy Room? When can you get the best deal?

Well, we’re only 2 years in and so far we’re packed from April-December…but you can get a great deal January-March.

So there was your hint all you newly engaged couples.  You can, in fact, score the hottest venue in Downtown Chicago with just a little creative thinking!

Why should your brides and grooms hire a wedding planner or day of event coordinator?

Because you don’t want to work on your wedding day- because it goes so fast and you want to have time to pay attention to the important things- because you should turn your cell phone off and because, it only happens once- it’s worth hiring an expert to make sure it goes right.

We could not agree more!

What is your favorite thing about working with Greatest Expectations Special Events & Weddings, Inc?

Heather … And, how much her clients love her- it’s really nice to be around that energy.

Awe, thanks Donna!  That means a lot but I have to give props to my entire team.  We work so well together and each event is truly a team effort!

Here is a beautiful picture of Donna with the fantastic Courtyard at The Ivy Room in the background.  Below that is one of my favorite shots taken in the space from a past event.

Donna thank you for taking the time to chat with me!  I look forward to several more glasses of Champagne with you!

The Left Bank Jewelry & Wedding Shoes

Annual Sample Sale!!

I love sample sales because it provides you a chance to buy something extra special that you might not otherwise be able to afford and if you don’t already know about the wonderful things at The Left Bank there is no better time to go and check things out.

All Shoes 10-75 % Off

Wedding Accessories 10%-50% Off

Hair Gems & Headpieces 20%-50% Off

Monogramming Special 20% off

All Storewide Gifts & Jewelry 10-50% Off

The sale is this weekend only

Friday – Sunday, November 6-8, 2009

SPECIAL STORE HOURS:

Friday Noon -8 p.m.

Saturday: 11am – 5 p.m.

Sunday:  Noon – 5 p.m.

I really love this store from their parisian inspired designs to their custom veils and jewelry you simply cannot go wrong!

1155 West Webster Ave

Chicago, Illinois 60614

773.929.7422

When planning an outdoor garden wedding you assume July 18th will be a safe bet weather wise. Ok, so maybe you expect some serious heat but the last thing you expect is for it to be really, really cold!! Well, imagine our surprise as the date arrives and it is calling for heavy rains and 50 degree temps!!!

But the gods were with us on that day! While it was on the cooler side (low 60’s) it only slightly drizzled and with the rocking band and large guest list everyone considered themselves lucky that it was not 100 degrees!!

This is what faced Vicki and Ben on their wedding day! I must say, the event was beautiful and I think everyone had a fantastic time! After months of planning and painstaking concern with detail, the weather was the one thing we could not control so we just had to roll with it!

Because the parents of the bride had such a beautiful (and large) back yard we were able to create a beautiful and romantic scene for this Elegant Garden Wedding. The Ceremony took place on the patio with an aisle lined by rose petals. We seated some guests on the patio and others gathered near by, surrounding the happy couple.

The food, which was beautiful and oh so yummy, was done by Berghoff Catering Group.  As always they outdid themselves. Because they always have such a beautiful presentation I simply had to show you some pictures including my favorite item you can only get from Berghoff, their Cucumber Lemonade … Oh I wish I had a glass of it right now!  There are also Caprese Skewers, Cheese Cake Lollipops and the bride’s favorite, Chocolate Covered Strawberries!!  Of course this is just a tiny sample of the wonderful foods offered to the guests.

The tent, lighting, floral and other rental items came from M&M The Special Event Company.

The guests partied well into the night (or should I say morning) to the sounds of Colby Beserra and The Party Faithful.  These guys are really good!! I  truly enjoyed working with Colby and was super impressed with their fantastic sound (and trust me, I consider myself a bit of a wedding band snob … The music either makes or breaks your event!).

I think my favorite part of the event was when the sun went down and you could see all the sparkle and glow from the candles and lights.  I think Eric Snoza from SnoStudios did a fantastic job of capturing this beautiful event (yes, he took all of these wonderful pictures).  Here are some highlights from the end of the evening including the favors, wine from the Father of the Bride’s personal vineyard, roses for the ladies and lollipops for the kids.

Last but not least I had to share my favorite picture of the Bride and Groom … It was a really amazing event and I would like to thank Vicki, Ben and their families for allowing Greatest Expectations to be such a special part of making their dream wedding a reality!

Professional choreographer and wedding shoe designer, Angela Nuran,

will guide couples through simple rules and basic steps to turn

the agony of “de-feet” into the thrill of dance victory.

Monday, October 5th

White Chicago | 222 W. Huron Street

6:30 PM Champagne Welcome
Followed by 90 a minute dance class

Early registration is $50 per couple until September 25th.  Thereafter, $65 per couple.

Space is limited
Register by calling 773.929.7422 or email theleftbank@sbcglobal.net

No, not the kind you drink … Well, I actually do love to drink tea but I am talking about “High Tea,”  you know, the traditional English kind!  Nothing makes me feel more girlie and spoiled than having High Tea.  I even treated myself to an extra special High Tea at Harrod’s while on a short trip to London a couple of weeks ago.

Alas, I digress.

High Tea is a wonderful tradition of feminism and elegance.  It is a great way to spend some time with your girlfriends and feel pampered and extra special.  Now imagine combining it with wedding planning.  Well, CS Brides and The Palmer House are hosting just such an event on Thursday, September 17th from 4 pm – 6 pm.

The event will be showcased in The Palmer House’s newly renovated ballrooms (can we say fabulous?!) and you will be able to see the latest trends from Macy’s Bridal Salon.

Oh Indulgence!

You do have to purchase tickets to this event so make sure to call 312.917.3404 to reserve your spot.

Oh and all attending brides are eligible to win a two night stay at the Palmer House!

Pleasing a three year old princess is a big task!  We think this beautiful garden party did the trick, though.  The birthday girl’s only request was that we use the color yellow.  We did a little combo of yellow and shades of pink.  These beautiful pink peonies were from The Oak Park Farmers Market and we thought they would look great in some old jelly jars we had lying around.  And of course, no child’s birthday party would be complete without balloons.

Because this event was designed to please our smallest guests we thought it would be fun to put all the drinks inside a radio flyer wagon and, in our constant effort to be eco-friendly, the goodie bags were reusable.  The bags were, of course, labeled for each child with age-appropriate gifts inside, including a fantastic book, card games, stickers and tons of other birthday party must-haves.

The children had top notch entertainment from Ms. Tracey and Her Story Telling Glasses.  This is not your average storyteller (you know, the kind that read a book to the kids).  Tracey is an oracle storyteller and she is completely amazing.  The kids are transformed into whatever world she takes them.  Imagine seeing 20 little faces completely transfixed on one woman, and her bag of tricks!!

Of course no party is complete without cake, or in this case, cup cakes from Sweet Mandy B’s in downtown Chicago. As requested, we had some cup cakes with yellow frosting which the birthday girl claimed for herself.  And to top the afternoon off we finished with an ice cream sundae bar from Forest Park’s own The Brown Cow Ice Cream Parlor.  They brought several of their homemade flavors (made with organic milk) and tons of toppings. They even had fun hats for the kids.  I love The Brown Cow!!

Overall I would say it was a smashing success … Ahhh, to be three again!

Give me MORE!!!

I love my job.  There are very few professions where you get treated to such exceptional pleasures as gourmet cupcakes!  The entire office was giggly and gushy when MORE delivered their cupcakes.  We spent the first five minutes glassy-eyed over the pure beauty of them.  These are not just delicious treats, they are works of art.  I cannot imagine the hours and talent it took to make these beautiful things – and we were about to destroy them.

Destroy them we did, and thank goodness because they were so delightful and delicious!  Each cupcake is stuffed with a different filling sure to delight your taste buds.  We sampled nine different flavors and no one was able to select a favorite, they were all just too good. And to think, MORE offers more than 50 unique frosting flavors that are carefully paired with one of 25 different cupcake batter recipes; each cupcake offering has its own carefully crafted flavor profile and personality.  MORE is also the originator of the savory cupcake, while not for everyone they are really fun to experience and they may just blow your mind.  Consider this … Brie and champagne, BLT, and foie gras and cherry, as well as a line of cocktail-inspired cupcakes. These savory cakes stay true to the cupcake experience with unique and delicious flavor profiles.

MORE is a cupcake boutique that elevates the cupcake to new heights of decadence, showcasing lavish flavor combinations and couture styling. The MORE cupcakes shed the traditional swirls and sprinkles you are used to. These cupcakes have evolved into a sophisticated and luxurious indulgence to be coveted — the ultimate statement of style.  You can experience MORE for yourself at 1 East Delaware (State and Delaware,) in Chicago’s Gold Coast neighborhood.  They offer pick up and delivery if you want a large order and, of course, they do special events and weddings.  Truly a fun way to make a unique and creative statement at your wedding or extra special occasion!

I love 1154 LILL – seriously, this is just the coolest store and I think it makes a perfect gift for your wedding party and a great excuse to get together with your girlfriends!

1154 LILL STUDIO is hosting their Blissful Bride Week Monday, September 14th – Sunday, September 20th.

Get 20% off your custom handbag bridal order of 5+ items.  Take your entire bridal party and make a day of it! They even have custom bridesmaids dresses (in Chicago only) by AUDEY, where a portion of all sales go to Equality Now, an International Organization that  works to protect and promote human rights for women around the world!

Be sure to schedule your appointment online or by calling their store at  773.477.LILL (5455)

Oh, and in case you did not already know it LILL does private hand bag parties!!  You can do them in the store or at your house!  This is a fantastic idea for a bridal shower, birthday … anything really! I might have to plan my own private hand bag party … More details here.