Princess Dreams Come True

Posted on February 24, 2009 by Greatest Expectations

Prom is an extra special time in a teenagers life. I suspect in most cases it is the most important thing to happen to a kid up to that point. Because there are so many young girls out there that cannot afford to purchase a prom dress, some of these kids will not be able to attend the prom.

I received an email from a good friend of mine who was contacted by her local school district (Plainfield). This is what the school sent out:

“The economy will make it very difficult for some high school girls to be able to afford prom dresses and take part in this special high school event. To that end, the Plainfield South High School Student Council will be collecting gently used promor bridesmaids dresses in the school commons from 3:30-6 p.m. on February 26 and March 5, 2009. Check out your kids’ closets – or your own – and make a donation. The dresses will be given to the Prom n’ Aide program. Kudos to the PSHS Student Council for supporting this initiative.”

We will be collecting dresses at our office if you would like to donate anything to this fantastic cause. The deadline for the Plainfield donation is March 5th but you can donate to the following organizations throughout the year.

You may also consider a donation to one of these two fantastic organizations that provide the same type of service.

The Glass Slipper Project is another local Chicago organization. They are not only looking for dress donations but volunteers for the Prom Boutique where the girls “shop” for their dresses. This is an excellent opportunity to get involved and give back!

The Princess Project is a website that has combined resources to help you find an organization close to you!

Bling for the Big Day…

Posted on February 17, 2009 by Greatest Expectations

I am not sure about you, but nothing makes me feel more beautiful than a really fantastic piece of jewelry. After all Diamonds are a girls best friend! Well, there is no reason you should not feel like a celebrity (or a princess) on your wedding day! There are some really wonderful options for wedding day bobbles.

Here are two trunk shows sure to knock your socks off …

The Left Bank

Hosts

A Haute Bride Trunk Show

February 20th | 11 AM – 8 PM

February 21st & 22nd | 11 AM – 5 PM

The Left Bank | 1155 West Webster

Haute Bride creates custom couture wedding jewelry and hair accessories

I personally think the best part is the Champagne and Chocolate Bar they serve all weekend!

To schedule an appointment, please call
773.929.7422 or email at theleftbank@sbcglobal.net

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And don’t miss this amazing show either … a chance to shine all night long!

Tejani Jewelry & CS Brides present the

Tejani Bridal Collection

Tejani is bringing their NYC based couture Bridal Jewelry Collection to Chicago!

February 27th & 28th | 9 AM – 7 PM

March 1st | 9 AM – 4 PM

The Peninsula Hotel | 108 East Superior

Visit the Peninsula Hotel to view Tejani’s 250 piece bridal jewelry collection in person! Try on your favorite bangles, earrings and necklaces while shipping champagne (again, my favorite part!) in the lap of luxury.

Purchase during the Chicago Trunk Show and receive a 15% discount off the entire order!

To schedule and appointment please visit Tejani on the web or email info@tejani.com

2009 Bride’s Choice Awards!!

Posted on February 16, 2009 by Greatest Expectations

We are very proud to have received WeddingWire’s 2009 Bride’s Choice Award. Please see our press release below and thank you for everyone who helped us earn this fantastic accolade!

WeddingWire, the nation’s leading wedding technology company, just announced that Greatest Expectations Special Events & Weddings, Inc. has won the 2009 Bride’s Choice Awards™!

In its inaugural year, the Bride’s Choice Awards recognizes and honors vendors from the WeddingWire Network that demonstrate excellent quality of service, responsiveness, professionalism, value of cost and flexibility. This year’s recipients represent the top three percent of WeddingWire’s vendor community, which includes over 100,000 wedding vendors from across the US. That means Greatest Expectations Special Events & Weddings, Inc. is one of the very best event and wedding planners in Chicago.

Unlike other awards in which winners are selected by the company, the Bride’s Choice Awards are determined exclusively by recent newlyweds through surveys and reviews.

“We are excited to launch this annual award program to honor high-performing vendors based solely on the experiences of our WeddingWire community,” according to Timothy Chi, WeddingWire’s Chief Executive Officer. “This year’s recipients have set the bar high, exhibiting excellent service and expertise in the wedding industry.”

Greatest Expectations Special Events & Weddings, Inc. would like to thank our past clients for speaking on our behalf and helping us win the 2009 Bride’s Choice Award!

Vendor of the Month: Larry King Orchestra

Posted on February 6, 2009 by Greatest Expectations

When it comes to wedding bands, all is not created equal! Perhaps it is be because I was born with “music in my bones” (as my father used to say) or maybe because I have exceptionally good taste (as my husband would tell you) but I have seen and heard a lot of wedding bands in my 13 year career and there is no sound that compares to the Larry King Orchestra.

When you combine extraordinarily talented musicians with state of the art production and sound you get what is undoubtedly the best possible outcome for your wedding entertainment! All of the musicians involved with The Larry King Orchestra are uber talented and the coolest part is they all have “day jobs” in the music industry (yes … that means they are not your every day “wedding band” and they really prefer to be called a “Society Band” but hey, this is a wedding planning blog so we’ll go with that)! These guys have played with the likes of Mel Torme and The London Symphony Orchestra, Destiny’s Child and Beyonce Knowle, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and Soul Asylum just to name a few!

Larry King began his music career at the age of seven and was even featured in 5 commercials before age 13!! I am sure you have heard Larry’s silky voice on radio commercials (think WNUA) and never even knew it! Larry is an amazing song writer and has written some beautiful pieces for his “non wedding band” Soleil Moon as well as other talented musicians. One such song White Cotton Dress is one of my all time favorites. Long before it was picked up by Woody Bradshaw it was a stand out favorite for my client Sara and Greg Pittenger. In fact, when Sara and Greg first went to meet Larry they walked in and he was playing this tune on his piano. When they heard it they knew this was the right band and in fact White Cotton Dress was their first dance song!

I always like to put Larry on the spot in client meetings and ask him to play the piano and treat us all to his smooth sound … How could anyone resist that voice!!

I have to be fair though, one of the best parts of working with The Larry King Orchestra is having Mike Weber (the man behind the band … fantastic!). Mike really knows his stuff and works his tails off to make sure the sound is absolutely perfect. And for a real treat he does all of the “rap” for the band. My all time favorite is when they perform Justin Timberlake’s Sexy Back. They sound spot on to the CD and Mike makes the whole thing outstanding. I can promise you if we are working an event with LKO and this song comes on, my entire staff takes the time to enjoy it!

To listen to some LKO music check out their website The Larry King Orchestra, I promise you will not be disappointed!

And here are a few fantastic pictures from the always amazing Gina DeConti with Imaginative Studios. Just a little sample of how much fun people have when LKO is performing and a few shots of the band!