Greatest Expectations Special Events & Weddings, Inc.

It was such an honor to interview my long time friend and treasured vendor, Kelly Marie Uss from Fleur, Inc.  Kelly has worked in the floral industry for twelve years.  She loves working with unique blooms, pulling inspiration from cloud formations in the sky, ripples in raindrops, hidden clovers in grassy patches and the glow of the flowers themselves.  She pairs a modern and clean approach to design, softened with a versatile, whimsical wild-flower-esque touch.  Her background in painting and printmaking gave her a non traditional training in floral design and that is apparent in her sensitivity to texture and color.  “Nature offers us so much, often in the whirl-wind of life we miss the small details. I feel it’s my job to help people recognize time to slow down and enjoy the intricacies all around us” say Kelly Marie.  “There is so much beauty out there!” she says with a sigh and a smile.  And she definitely keeps us noticing.

Read all the way through the interview to discover what Kelly is giving away to one lucky Chicagoland reader!

How long have you been in the floral industry?

Twelve years! It is really amazing to think about it.

When did you open Fleur, and how has it grown?

Eight years ago. In fact, April 8th is Fleur’s golden birthday! We’ve grown so much it’s mind boggling. From just a little bucket shop to a new location. We started with just a small storefront and now have a new location with a private meeting room for clients. Also, our style has really changed from modest arrangements to stylized centerpieces, and all the designs in the middle. It’s so fun to keep pushing the boundaries. In addition to working on just spectacular weddings and events, our storefront offers a boutique style shop with new selections almost everyday. We’ve also begun carrying vintage vessels, gorgeous hand crafted jewelry and beautiful plants.

I can say from first hand experience how creative and fun Kelly’s floral concepts are!  I always love it when she calls to tell me she has a “new idea” because I know it will produce something amazing for one of my clients.

What is your favorite flower?

I have three. Peonies and lilac, because they remind me of my Mother’s garden growing up. And mimosa which resembles the softest little, butter yellow cotton balls. All three have incredible fragrances and do not last long, which makes them so very special and a reminder to me to stop and enjoy little moments.

Describe the perfect wedding centerpiece?

Right now I am just obsessed with vintage milk glass, or rather, vintage vessels in general. I love varying heights and shapes of containers, teacups and saucers filled with clusters of exploding movement and texture or one single bloom. I’d like to see dogwood blossoms, helleborus, peonies, ranunculus, jasmine, lots of buds, fun textures in a sherbet palette, with pillar candles! I’d love to place them on top of old, hardcover books, or sew a little “place-mat” out of vintage fabric. How bright and fun!

Like Kelly, I am currently obsessed with the look and style of vintage weddings.  I think they are so romantic and fun!

What is your favorite venue in the city?

I like open space and natural light, so I think it might have to be Prairie Productions because it is just a blank palette waiting and there is so much room for so many options. Salvage One is also just so eclectic and amazing!

Awhile ago I “sipped champagne” with the bride from a wedding Kelly and I did together at Prairie Productions. Check out some pictures from the event in my interview with Alyssa.

If you could travel anywhere in the world where would it be and why?

Everywhere!! I want to see it all! But if I was planning my next little holiday I think it would be in Nova Scotia. I’ve never been to that part of the world and would love to see the maritime culture. I just know I would be so inspired and filled with design ideas after a week there.

If you were an animal which one would you be and why?

Recently I read that my spirit animal may be a crab (!?), but I think I’m a little more like squirrel. I am always forgetting where I hide my keys, and I like to use acorns in arrangements. They’re also all over Chicago, and I feel like that these days with all my running around, I am too.

What is your favorite song or musician?

I don’t think I have a favorite song, but I really love singer/songwriters. Will Oldham, Bill Callahan, Tim Buckley, Linda Rich and so many more. It’s nice to come home after a long day of work to some soothing guitar melodies. And I play the banjo, so almost anything that has an accompanying banjo usually wins me over.

Who is your favorite artist?

As for artists, I love Paul Klee for his whimsy and color, and Winslow Homer for his nature and palette. They’re perfect descriptions of my realist and abstract sides.

What is your favorite restaurant?

Lula Cafe. Yum! Although, Avec is a close second. Oh gosh, I’m getting hungry right now, thinking about them.

What do you like most about working with Greatest Expectations?

As we all know, the wedding industry can be stressful for both the bride and the vendors. Working with you and your team is so fun that the stress is just eliminated! We can laugh and joke all the while figure out plans and develop a completely unique and personalized celebration for each and every client. You are always coming up with the most fabulous new ideas and your standard is a perfect pairing of good fun, humor and superb professionalism! It is always a delight to work with you and your staff.

Thank you Kelly!!  It warms my heart to hear such kind words from you.  I consider myself extremely blessed to not only work with you often but to call you my friend.

Kelly has generously agreed to giveaway a $100 vase arrangement to one lucky reader!!  The arrangement will be made in a vintage container and include wonderful blooms of the season.  The picture below is just an example of Kelly’s work.  The winning item may resemble this piece.  In order to win just post a comment to this thread telling us what you enjoy most about having fresh flowers in your home! A winner will be selected at Random on March 8th. You do not have to be a Greatest Expectations bride to win

I am so excited that I had a chance to interview Susan Jablonski from The Left Bank (one of my favorite stores and wedding mecca’s in Chicago!).  I have known Susan for many years and she is truly exceptional!  I love walking into The Left Bank and seeing all of the beautiful and inspired items she has available.  The customer service is top notch and I promise you will feel extra special the entire time you are there!  The Left Bank has a fantastic website where you can purchase many of the fabulous items sold in the downtown Chicago shop.  You should also check out their outstanding blog Everything But The Dress!

Because Susan is so amazing, she has provided the most beautiful brooch for us to giveaway to one truly lucky reader. (I will have a hard time parting with it.  I have it placed lovingly on my desk just to soak it in while I still can.  This is a beautiful piece of jewelry)  Read through the interview to discover how to win the brooch!

You have been in business a long time – how did The Left Bank get its start (and where did you get the name)?

The Left Bank is turning 15 years old on May 1 of this year! We began importing jewelry from France and as word got out about our unique jewelry, brides soon followed.  I’ve been a Francophile for nearly my  entire life, so I named the business after one of my favorite neighborhoods in Paris that is filled with petite boutiques, cafes and great nightlife.

How is it different today than when you first started?

Through the years, we’ve evolved and added a tremendous collection of veils, headpieces and those tough to find wedding shoes.  I believe the key to staying in business is to constantly evolve and embrace change.

What is your favorite thing about owning the shop?

Meeting wonderful people and sharing stories. When I first began, I was worried about not meeting people and expanding my friendships, but I was completely wrong.  We’re a small business, so it’s wonderful chatting with our clients and getting to know them.

This is exactly how Susan and I first met.  I purchased my wedding head piece at The Left Bank and we just became fast friends!

What is your favorite thing you sell?

My favorite things are our one-of-a-kind pieces that are crafted out of vintage components and turned into modern luxe jewelry.

Personally, I own way too many things from the shop

You got married not too long ago (congratulations!), what was your favorite and least favorite part of the planning process?

Ah, we’re 2 year newlyweds.  I was fortunate that I relied a lot on friends in the industry but did not make my mind up until the month before.  Being in the business I was inundated with friends asking me questions about the details, which was a bit tiresome, but a natural question.  I make very fast and efficient decisions, and with so many wonderful choices out there, I waited.  That goes without saying that I would not recommend this type of decision making to those outside the biz!

And neither would we!  Ladies, do not follow Susan’s example here!

What do you like most about married life?

Married life is great, but I’ve been independent since I was 4 years old (my sisters say!) so it’s taught me more patience.  I’ve married someone the complete opposite of me which keeps me more balanced.  I definitely believe in the “yin/yang” factor with relationships.

Did you wear a veil?

Yes, I wore a beautiful Italian Tulle veil which was super soft and draped beautifully over my gown.

I would have expected no less from Chicago’s veil expert!

What is your favorite museum in Chicago?

My favorite museum is the Art Institute and love the new Modern Wing. The AIC has a phenomenal collection and have always loved the Thorne Miniature Rooms.

If you could travel anywhere outside the United States where would it be and why?

Definitely France, I feel completely in my element there.

Describe the perfect Saturday night.

I work weekends, so a nice long bath and a glass of bubbly is heavenly.

I can totally  identify with this!

What is your favorite number?  Why?

Easy…22…my birth date!

What is your favorite saying?

“Make your life a dream and your dream a reality”
“Fais de ta vie un reve, et de ton reve une reality”…  Saint Exupery

If you were a color what color would you be and why?

Lavender, it’s calm, vibrant  and regal at the same time.

We have known each other for a very, very long time … What is your favorite thing about working with Greatest Expectations?

Heather, you always make me smile and I admire how you’ve grown your business and family.  When I meet your clients, they exude the same grace and professionalism as you. Kudos to you for being one of the top wedding planners!

Thank you Susan.  Those are extremely kind words and they mean a lot coming from you.  I do have some fantastic clients as well

Now onto the contest!!  Head on over to Everything But The Dress, look around and enjoy the blog.  Then come back here and post a comment telling us one thing Susan “Cannot live without”.  We will draw a random winner on Wednesday, February 10th.

Congratulations to Sarah our winner of the Ribbon Brooch!

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!

While sipping a glass of champagne with Alyssa Goff Stock … Former client, event planner and good friend!

It was such a pleasure to sit down with Alyssa and recap her wedding experience.  While Alyssa and I have been acquaintances for many years it was not until we worked together on her wedding that our friendship truly bloomed.  I was thrilled when she called and asked me to be her wedding planner.  She is an exceptional event planner and works on amazing large corporate events and festivals. I am so honored to be considered one of her friends, she is an exceptional and talented  person.

How are you enjoying married life? Is it what you expected? 

I am enjoying married life! It is so much better than I expected. I thought that once we got married we would go back to our life before planning a wedding. But something inexplicable changed; we are different, it is awesome

What is your favorite thing about being married? 

I have a good husband.

You recently t celebrated your first anniversary, did you do anything special?

My husband surprised me with a night at The Palmer House, where we spent our wedding night and took me to dinner where we had our rehearsal dinner.  It was perfect and I was so impressed with how much time and thought he put into everything.

What was your favorite part of your wedding day? 

Being surrounded by all of our friends and family. It was so wonderful to have people from all over come together to celebrate with us.

What was your favorite “detail” about the wedding? 

 Our venue was perfect (Prairie Productions in the west loop). We got to do something a little unique while still being a little traditional.

Were there any surprises? 

I was surprised by the things that made me nervous. I was very calm getting ready and then the photographer showed up and everybody started moving around and suddenly I was nervous. Also I was very nervous walking down the aisle but not because I was about to get married, but because I suddenly realized everybody was looking at me.

You are an event planner, was it hard to let go and trust Greatest Expectations to plan the wedding?  

YES. In the beginning it was hard to let go of some of the planning. But I mad a deal with my husband that if we got a wedding planner I would not work our wedding. So I told myself that the second the rehearsal started I was no longer in charge. I have to say it was great. I feel like I was a guest at my own wedding. (That is good news!  It means we did our jobs perfectly!).

Did you enjoy working with all of your vendors? 

Most of them. There was one I was not very happy with but she got promoted and her replacement was awesome. (The caterer was Weddings By Blue Plate).

What was your favorite place to shop for wedding items? 

The internet.  You can get anything and everything online!

What was your favorite part of the planning process? 

Truthfully having a wedding planner. Whenever we got stuck on something or did not know how to do something we had someone to turn to. That makes me smile from ear to ear.  I love hearing that!

If you could have changed anything what would it be? 

I am constantly seeing new wedding dresses and new hairstyles that I like. But truthfully I would not have changed anything. Neither would we.  Alyssa and Eddie’s wedding was just perfect!

Any regrets? 

 No. Again, just what I like to hear.

When you look back, how was your actual wedding different than you had envisioned it being? 

I was never one of those people that had a vision of my wedding day and I think that was a good thing. Truthfully everything turned out better that I thought it would when we were planning it. I have to say my wedding day was everything I could have hoped for and more.

Do you remember how you felt the day after your wedding? 

Happy, sad, tired, dazed. I was so happy to be married, I was sad that everyone was leaving town because I felt like I barely got to talk to anyone, and I was dazed the wedding sort of felt like a dream.

What five words best describe working with Greatest Expectations? 

 Organized, fun, hard working, stress relieving and budget concious  (I know that is more than 5). I think we’ll forgive you the extra word!

Thank you Alyssa for taking time to chat with us.  Below are a ew of my all time favorite shots from Alyssa’s wedding.  The photographs are by Rob Warner at Warner Foto.  The beautiful flowers are from Fleur, Inc.

While Sipping a Glass of Champagne With Darryl Norwood … Personal trainer, friend, and all around great guy!!

I am so excited to be able to share Darryl Norwood with you guys! He truly is fantastic and I just felt compelled to share him and his talents with you.  I hope you are all able to get healthy and have fun with Darryl like I have!  Be sure to read all the way to the bottom to see some special deals Darryl is offering the readers of this blog!!

Now I know drinking is not normally part of a “well balanced diet” but a glass of champagne never hurt anyone!

How long have you been training?

I have been training since 2000.

What made you get into personal training?

I have always been athletic.  I wrestled and played basketball in college but was too small to make the football team.  I always had people following me around asking questions and learning from me and I realized I was already training, so why not do it professionally

What kind of certifications do you have?

I have several certifications including, ISSA (Illinois Sports and Science Association) and Kick Boxing.  I am also stretch and CPR certified.  I am getting ready to  do sports agility certification.

For the record, I personally think the Stretch Certification is the one that pays off the most!  I think about that throughout my work outs and some days that is what gets me through – those stretches are the bomb!!

Where do you train?

I train at a club in Oak Park called B-Fit geared toward kids 8-18 and we also do one-on-one and group training there as well.  I am also able to come to your home or office. I am all about catering to my clients so just give me a date and time and I will be there!  I love to make house calls!

What your favorite thing about training?

I like helping people and I love to see the end result, the transformation.

Why do your clients stay with you?

I am a realist, I believe what you put in is what you get out of it.  But honestly, I really love what I do and I think it shows, it is a personal connection. 

What is your favorite healthy thing to eat?

I love grilled chicken.

What is your favorite unhealthy thing to eat?

Potato chips and beer – my two weakness!  Everyone has a weakness and the key is moderation and self control.

What’s the one movie you could watch over and over?

Independence Day with Will Smith.

What is your favorite band?

The Police.

This really is Darryl’s favorite band … Those of you who know me well may think he said it just for my benefit but alas he just has excellent taste.  Perhaps that is why we get along so well!

What is your favorite restaurant?

Table 52.

What is your favorite saying?

If it’s not hurtin’ it’s not workin’.

Be honest, what is your favorite thing about working with Heather from Greatest Expectations?

Outside of the coffee waiting for me when I get there, I truly enjoy our friendship.  It makes the “work out” seem like “play time”.

Darryl there is always a hot cup of coffee with lots of cream and sugar waiting for you at my house!

Here is a great picture of Darryl hard at work!!

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Purchase a package of 10 or more session and get 5% off! (normal session price is $55 per person, per hour)

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Call Darryl 312-485-0545 or 708-386-5011

Email Darryl trainerdarryl@gmail.com