Tag Archives: Fleur

Counting your blessings

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We loved this beautiful Blessing Ceremony to welcome and celebrate a precious new life.

The celebration was held at Cafe de Luca in Forest Park and the ceremony was performed by our good friend Toni Hassett from Unforgettable Ceremonies. This sweet little girl was welcomed to the world with the love and support of her family and close friends.  The tables were decorated with white Chrysanthemums  (the November birth flower)  from Fleur, Inc. and each guest was asked to take a potted Chrysanthemum home to plant, nurture and love just as they would the baby that was being honored.

Each guest was also asked to make a wish for the baby and write it on a blessing stone.  The stones were collected and sent home to surround the sweet baby with their goodwill and blessings.

The baby’s beautiful handmade Chantilly Lace gown was  from Bewitching Stitching.  The adorable cupcakes had monogrammed white chocolate toppers from Flour Cake and Pastry and the pictures are from SnoStudios.

Enjoy the pictures and remember to always count your blessings.

Out-of-the-Box Dessert Reception

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Here at Greatest Expectations we love to get creative weddings. It is so much fun to work with clients who want to do something unique and allow us to really get our creative juices flowing.

When we met with Christine and Tyler, we knew right away they would be a fun couple to work with. Right off the bat they mentioned how important candy was in their lives. Yes … You read that correctly, candy! So we suggested a dessert reception with a few savory bites to complete the evening.

The perfect location for this ceremony and reception was The Chicago History Museum. We work at CHM a lot and always love it. One of my favorite things about this space is that we can make it look completely different for each event and you still get that elegance and timeless beauty that the museum offers.

Most of our events at CHM are held during the “good” weather months because they have such a great outdoor space. It is really rare to find outdoor ceremony space in the city. But this was a winter wedding, so we were inside for the ceremony. I am here to tell you … it was beautiful.

Please don’t consider CHM to be only a spring and summer venue because, with the right decor and set up, an inside ceremony can be completely breathtaking.

We pulled together an all-star group of wedding professionals to make this wedding extra special starting with one of our favorite photographers, Eric Snoza from SnoStudios. We have worked with Eric on several events, and he always delivers an exceptional product at an amazing price. Christine’s response to her wedding pictures was pure joy. She even told me she felt like her pictures were better than any of the ones she’d seen in the million wedding magazines she had been looking through.

If you are a follower of this blog you already know that I adore the pastry chef from Berghoff. Chon is such an exceptional talent and when it was decided that this wedding would be all about desserts we knew it was best to call on the our good friend Nicole and her expert staff.

The menu consisted of about twenty different sweets that were stationed and passed, along with a savory antipasto station and some beautiful savory passed Hors D’Oeuvres. My absolute favorite would have to be the Rice Krispie Station. Picture handmade rice krispie treats filled with fresh strawberries, chocolate chips, peanut butter chips (the bride’s favorite) with options to dip in chocolate fondue and sprinkle with an assortment of mouth-watering toppings!

Of course we had to have mini lemon cupcakes with lavender cream cheese frosting and mini chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter frosting. Chon also did the wedding cake. The bride requested a simple vanilla buttercream cake … But of course the filling had chocolate chips inside. Can we say yummy?

Because they didn’t have a seated dinner, we did cocktail style seating with the most beautiful shantung linen from BBJ Linen and a trio of centerpieces provided by Kelly Uss at Fleur. Kelly truly created something breathtaking by using white and green florals including succulents, sweet peas, hydrangea, garnet dahlias, orchids and black eyed anemones. She even found an adorable tiny succulent for the groom’s boutonniere.

Kelly also designed this beautiful wishing tree and of course the evening would not have been complete without a candy bar and Berghoff root beer floats for the guests to enjoy!

There were some really adorable details captured while the bride was getting ready as well. I was totally in love with the blue shoes Christine wore and the beautiful hair accessory. Check out the hanger her wedding dress was on!

Overall we thought this was a perfect wedding and we thank Christine and Tyler for allowing us to be part of their special day! I’m off to eat something sweet now.

My Kind of Wedding!

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We know it has been awhile since we last posted pictures from our weddings!  We are truly sorry for that but we have been so busy actually helping to plan these extra special events that it’s just taken us tons of time to catch up on the blog. We promise to try and stay on top of this a little better!!

Below is a wedding we thought was just beautiful!  Megan and Rick were a super fun, super unique couple who truly embraced their love of Chicago … It is their kind of town and their kind of wedding!

Thank you to the extremely talented Eric Snoza from SnoStudios for these beautiful photographs … They are, as always, amazing!

The ceremony took place at the always beautiful Fourth Presbyterian Church on Michigan Avenue and their little boy made the most adorable ring bearer I have ever seen!!

The reception took place at the elegant Sofitel Chicago Water Tower where the atmosphere and food are second to none!!  The beautiful floral design was by Kelly Marie at Fleur and they were lucky enough to have two, out of this world, cakes by two of Chicago’s most amazing cake designers … The Chicago Skyline cake was made by Take the Cake and the Guitar groom’s cake was from Amy Beck Cake Design.

The guests loved the photobooth from Chicagoland Photobooth …

All of the pieces were pulled together beautifully with these amazing invitations, place cards, table signs, menu cards and programs from Handmade by Pink.

Everyone danced the night away to the rocking sounds of The Chicago Catz.  These guys always do an outstanding job … real musicians, playing really great sounding music!! The highlight of the evening, however, was when the groom got up and jammed with the band.  Now you understand the groom’s cake!  Rick is truly talented and it was a pleasure to watch him play with the band!

We just want to say thank you to Megan and Rick for allowing Greatest Expectations to play such an important role in their wedding day.  It was a pleasure getting to know you and your beautiful family!

Moira K Lime Trunk Show at Fleur!

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Stop in Fleur on Saturday April 24th for a trunk show featuring the work of Moira K Lime! Her lines include Botanical, Blumen, Plant, Fiber and Barnacle, so you can only imagine why we are so in love with them!

You will also enjoy a 15% discount on any of Moira’s pieces! From 11am-2pm you can meet Moira and speak with her about her art, sip a glass of red and relax among the blooms.

To sweeten the deal even more, pick up something for Mom handmade by a local artist. If you purchase one of Moira’s pieces and pre- order your flowers for Mother’s Day, you’ll receive 15% off the blooms too!

Happy Birthday Fleur!

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If you are a reader of this blog then you know we simply love the people at Fleur!  They are just so darn talented and we love to work with them.  We Fleur is celebrating it’s 8th birthday and would love for you to join them April 8th 10am-7pm for a little birthday celebration!  Think Cupcakes and Cake from Tipsy Cake. Champagne and Saint Germaine, wine, cheese and jam, and other deliciousness. You might even want to take advantage of the storewide 15% off sale and find something pretty to take home and display on your table!  I wouldn’t miss it if I were you!

While Sipping a Glass of Champagne With …

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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 :)


City Chic Wedding!

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I consider myself extremely fortunate to work in a field I love!  I have been in the industry a long time and have met so many amazing people.  My clients become friends and Kristen and John are no exception!  Off the bat I knew they were going to be a fun and unique couple.  The first call I got was from John (yes, the groom … sometimes it does happen!). Right away I was intrigued; I don’t get a lot of super involved grooms.

We put together a powerhouse of players for this wedding, starting off with the venue  of course (this should always be your first decision). They decided on The Ivy Room. Kristen fell in love with the outdoor space where we planned to have cocktails. This is such a beautiful oasis in the middle of the city.  Truly a hidden gem!

As is sometimes the case with October weddings, the weather simply did not go the way we had planned.  Not only was it unseasonably cold (we rushed out for heat lamps just days before the wedding), it also poured rain a good portion of the day. Now keep in mind Kristen had begged me to do everything possible to make sure cocktails were outside. So I was on constant Weather Channel watch throughout the entire day.  I arrived at The Ivy Room post-ceremony (which was held at the beautiful St. Jospeh’s Church on Orleans) and it was somewhat clear.  I decided to make the call to set up outside.  After all I had promised I would give it a shot! All I can say is, we tried.  About 15 minutes after set up started, the sky opened up and I knew we’d have to take cocktails inside.  So in we went with the soaking wet linens and chairs.  Fortunately when Kristen put her hand down on the wet table cloth she smiled and said “Thank you so much for trying.”  What more could I ask for!

One thing you can say about rain on your wedding day is that there are tons of fantastic photo opportunities! The amazing and talented Belen from Orange 2 Photo had a field day with this beautiful and creative couple!  My favorite picture is at the top of the post (I am pretty sure this is my all time favorite wedding photo ever in 13 years of event planning!). I have sprinkled several of my favorite images throughout the post so I hope you enjoy them!

Knowing upfront how important the band was to the bride and her family I knew they had to have The Larry King Orchestra!! As it turns out Larry knew several of the same people as Kristen so they always had a great time chatting! We even had a guest performance of by Jim Peterik (formally of the band Survivor) who co-wrote the Rocky III theme song “Eye of the Tiger.”  He performed his number one hit and the crowd went wild!!  The band had a blast playing for Jim and it was a real highlight of the night!

The caterer was the always fantastic Weddings by Blue Plate who treated the guests to some amazing food!  The specialty drink was White Sangria made from scratch and wow was it yummy. I did not get to enjoy it at the event of course, since I was working and eight months pregnant, but I had the pleasure at the original tasting!!  Blue Plate always does an amazing job and their food is not only tasty, it is also beautiful!!

The cake was done by Amy Beck Cake Design.  Let me just say Amy is beyond talented!!  The gorgeous ivory fondant cake actually matched Kristen’s dress.  The yummy inside included bourbon chocolate cake, almond cake and carrot cake.  Not a single piece was left, I did not even get a slice (and I live for wedding cake) … It was that good!

We all know that floral is what sets your event apart from the others.  Kelly from Fleur knocked it out of the park with this one. Kristen and John wanted an elegant, natural and organic feel.  Kelly used beautiful manzanita branches with hanging votive candles and wired flowers.  We placed tiny yellow orchids on each of the napkins which added a delicate touch to the tables.  There were candles everywhere and we added an amazing wall pattern and dance floor lighting done by Sound Investment.

Overall it was a spectacular event. Getting to know Kristen and John was nothing short of a pleasure.   Thank you for allowing us to play such a special role in the most amazing day of your lives!

I simply could not leave this post without sharing a few other pictures, I hope you enjoy them!!