Thanks so much to ChicagoStyle Weddings for featuring Megan and Eric’s “Wedding with the Stars” at the Adler Planetarium last October!
The amazing photos of this gorgeous event were captured by Eric and Melissa Snoza of SnoStudios! We simply loved working with Food for Thought, Amy Beck Cake Design, Hello Darling and the Chicago Catz!
Our favorite wedding shop, The Left Bank Jewelry & Wedding Shoes, is hosting a
Martinez Valero Wedding Shoe Trunk Show!
These shoes are gorgeous, sexy and tons of fun!!
The show is one day only and you simply do not want to miss it if you are still searching for your perfect glass slippers!
Thursday, July 2nd ~ 2pm – 8pm
1155 West Webster Ave.
Trunk Show Special ~ All Martinez Valero Shoes will be 15% Off
Prices range $145 – $175
Martinez Valero began creating high end women’s fashion footwear in the early 1950′s in Spain. The Spanish influence of his designs lives on today and comes to life through the sexy yet sophisticated detailing in their unique bridal shoe line. The use of delicate detailing and crystal embellishments make these bridal shoes unforgettable.
As I was going through some files in my office this week I discovered a pile of really lovely thank you notes I have received from clients and their parents. I thought it would be nice to share some of them with you (none of these are featured on my website at this time). It just gives me the nicest warm fuzzy to read these and I hope you enjoy them as well.
Dear Heather,
Thank you so much for all of your great ideas and insight. Thanks for making this planning process go as smoothly as possible and for shielding me from any “unpleasantness” that may have occurred. I had a blast with you and will definitely recommed you to friends! You’re the best!
Love, Christina
Heather -
We wanted Jairon and Makayla’s wedding day to be perfect. Thanks to you – it was even more! Simply perfect!!
They are such a special couple and with your help, they were able to enjoy their day and allow everyone to see what we have seen for years, they are perfect together.
Your help created wonderful memories for them as well as us and we cannot thank you enough for that.
Dan & Kelly (Parents of the Groom)
Dear Heather -
Chris and I cannot thank you enough for all you did to make our wedding day truly unforgettable. Having you there allowed us to truly sit back and enjoy every moment.
It was a spectacular day for us, our family and our friends and we could not have done it with out you and your staff.
Thank you for making our day so special!
Kate & Chris
Dear Heather,
Thank you so much for taking care of George and me. We could not have asked for a better event. It’s too bad I can’t have a few weddings because you are the best!
Warmly,
Diana and George
Dear Heather,
Thank you so very much for all your hard work, words of reassurance, encouragement and guidance. We most certainly would never have survived these past months without your expertise and energy. I feel like we have become family and hope to stay in touch.
Again all our thanks,
Karen & Emil
Dear Heather,
Thank you so much for helping make our dream wedding come true! We could not have done it without you. The wedding was everything we had envisioned and we throughly enjoyed the journey to make it happen. It was a pleasure working with you. Take care and keep in touch!
Love,
Nikki & Bob
WOW! That is all I can say about the beautiful event hosted by Blue Plate the week before last. The event was a way to say “Thank You” to some of their clients and also an opportunity to show off some brand new menu items. The entire event was just mind blowing from the start but I really should give credit where it is due to their Head Chef, Paul. The meal was mouth watering (and this from a pregnant girl who cannot eat much of anything that is not a starch!). My stand out favorite was the main course of Pan Roasted Black Cod with Toasted Barley Risotto, Pickled Mushrooms, Baby Bok Choy and Miso. Honestly just thinking about it makes me want to throw my own party just to have that on the menu! Paul, you truly out did yourself!
Ok now on to all of the other eye popping details! The event was held at The Ivy Room at Tree Studio’s which is Chicago’s hottest venue these days (if you have not checked it out I suggest you run not walk, they book up fast). There was a long list of other vendors who participated in the event including the outstanding event and floral design of Botanicals (I am totally in love with the peacock feathers they used through out the room, I so need a client that wants to go all the way with those!) and lighting design of Sound Investment. We actually had the extreme pleasure of being seated with Matt and Peter from Sound Investment, these guys really know what they are doing and they are a total blast to have a meal with so I am sending a big Thank You to who ever did the seating arrangements! The amazing invitations, place cards and menu cards were done by Elizabeth Grace. I am not joking when I tell you they were the most stunning stationery items I have ever seen (and I have seen a lot of really beautiful things). And the evening topped of with live entertainment from The Ken Arlen Orchestra. Because the evening was intended to be a social event for professional Event Planners, we were invited to bring a guest. My guest, of course, was our own Katherine Brown. It was also a lot of fun to see some of our counterparts in the Chicago planning world. It really is a small community and I do enjoy spending time with so many of them! We had the most incredible time and we just wanted to properly thank Blue Plate and all of the other vendors for an incredible evening!!
Below are some beautiful photographs taken at the event by the extremely talented Jai Girard and staff. These photographers are so much fun to work with and as you will see below, their work speaks for itself!
To top it all of my dear Friend Ken was sweet enough to provide me with a copy of the floor plan from the event. It just gives you a full view of the entire room and how much work was put into the whole thing!! Thanks Mr. Doll!!
There is no good excuse for the extremely late posting of this beautiful wedding (ok, fine … If you want to count being super busy and pregnant there might be a slightly good excuse).
We loved working with Makayla and Jarion. They are just the sweetest couple ever and it was a total joy to get to know them and help plan their perfect day. Makayla was so sweet she even watched my kids a few times (and I am pretty picky about the people that watch my babies!).
The inspiration for this winter wedding came from one of Chicago best restaurants Carnivale. After dining there, the bride and groom completely changed their wedding design and we could not have been more thrilled. I honestly think it was the most beautiful color combination I have ever seen and it afforded me the chance to do something I have not done in years … Use multiple linen colors. We showered the venue with hot pink, teal, royal blue and deep purple. By combining the linens with colored glass votives from Cudge (my favorite place to purchase votives) and the beautiful floral designs of Fleur, Inc we created a fantasy world of color. It really was gorgeous.
Below are some of my favorite images. You’ll have to forgive me if there are too many floral shots, I was just in love with the color and design. I even included a super cool shot of the votives and a rare picture of me with the Bride (I am always so honored when they ask to take a picture with me). These beautiful images were taken by Rob Warner from Warner Foto.
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.
The Michelle Rahn Bridal Salon is hosting a can’t-be-missed Bridal Fetette for brides only …
Saturday, May 9th, at 12 p.m.
211 North Green Street
Brides will hear experts from the fields of Floral Design, Beauty, Styling, Cake Artistry,and Michelle Gertzman will be on hand to cover Gowns.
Come and sip champagne, learn and enjoy!
I just got the word that Michelle Rahn is offering a 10% discount to brides that attend the show on May 9th.
The discount can be applied to a gown or accessories purchase, and does not need to be made that very day. But you do have to RSVP so there is room for you!! Send an email to alicia (at) michellerahn (dot) com.
Have fun!
Greatest Expectations is pleased to introduce you to Katherine Brown our new Event Manager. Katherine comes to us with loads of event experience, a beautiful warm smile and tons of fantastic ideas!
We thought a little Q&A was in order to allow you to better know Katherine
How does it feel being part of the Greatest Expectations team?
It feels great! I have been lucky enough to jump right in and meet most of the clients and vendors. Working with Heather and Jade has been fantastic!
When did you first realize you wanted to work in the events industry?
This was something I fell into when I was in college, at Purdue University. I was a volunteer for a statewide mentor organization and found myself in the chapter president position. I was responsible for coordinating fundraising events, as well as programming for the organization participants and I loved it! My last semester in college I was an intern at Kohl Children’s Museum and helped to coordinate all different kinds of events from casino nights to black tie galas. I’ve had some really great experiences!
What interests you most about wedding planning?
My background for most of my professional career has been in meeting planning. Wedding planning is such a refreshing departure from that. A planner is able to be so much more creative and innovative with weddings. I also love meeting the bride and groom and learning their story. It’s pretty special to be involved at such an personal level in a couple’s most important day!
You just got married, what was your favorite part of the planning?
Oh gosh, I loved planning my wedding – it’s so hard to pick one favorite part. I think my favorite part was picking out the flowers. That was the part that brought everything together for me, color-wise and design-wise.
Least favorite part?
I think my least favorite part is probably the same for a lot of people – the budget. It’s always so hard having those conversations, but of course it’s a vital part of planning a wedding
Favorite vendor?
My favorite vendor was Stephanie Slovak, at The Chicago History Museum, which is where we got married. Since I did not have a planner (sorry, Heather) Stephanie was wonderful and really helped us out. She was friendly and hard-working and made us to love the venue even more.
Favorite color: Green
Favorite movie: Empire Records
Favorite phrase: It’s gonna be great! (This is actually my husband Adam’s favorite phrase, but I think it so expresses how life should be every day…)
Tell us one thing no one else knows.
I was deathly afraid of my shadow when I was little. Weird, I know…
What have you enjoyed the most working with Greatest Expectations?
Well, in the short amount of time I have been with Greatest Expectations I have really enjoyed the people I’ve met. Whether it’s vendors, clients or families of the clients, it’s been fantastic to begin to build new relationships. I so look forward to all of the people I will continue to meet in the future!
Here is a picture of Kath with her new husband. Look how cute they are!
You would be hard pressed to find two nicer and more laid back people than Kate and Chris. Working with them was such a pleasure! I think my favorite moment was after the ceremony when they were about to enter the cocktail hour. They had just come back inside from taking pictures with the talented Rob Warner from Warner Foto when Chris turned and pulled me into a great big bear hug and whispered “thank you, thank you for everything you are amazing and this is exceptional. I can’t even believe it” What a great pay off, and from the Groom to boot!
Kate was referred to me by one of my all time favorite brides, Amy Barnes Gollan, which is always a great way to meet a new client. I had an extra good time at this wedding because I got to catch up with the Barnes family (I have done a couple of events with them). We also had an outstanding crew of vendors on this event which always makes the day more fun!
The ceremony and reception were held at The School of The Art Institute Ballroom. The space is majestic and beautiful and the perfect backdrop for such a special occasion. Kate walked down the aisle to the delightful sounds of Amarante Ensembles and they were married by a family friend. Having a personal connection with your wedding officiant is wonderful and really makes the experience more personal for the couple as well as their guests.
Cocktails were held on the upper level of the ballroom with an extra cool musical mix the groom put together. As the guests enjoyed their drinks, we performed a little magic on the main floor and turned the ceremony space into an elegant reception area with a twist. Fleur, Inc. designed contemporary and elegant centerpieces in all white aglow with massive amounts of candle light. Kate and Chris really wanted the evening to be relaxed and unique so we decided to do food stations. Weddings by Blue Plate treated us to retro foods and mashed potatoes in martini glasses (white and sweet!) with all the toppings, just to name a few. Then the dessert station turned everyone into a sweet craving frenzy! I even got an early sample of my all time favorite, the “horizontal tart” thanks to Ken, Sales Manager extraordinaire (I included a picture below, how could I not). The totally yummy wedding cake was made by The Swedish Bakery, one of my favorite old bakeries (nothing beats wonderful tasting cake at an excellent price). All the while guests danced the night away thanks to the very cool and super skilled Rolland from The Sound Lounge.
Thank you Kate and Chris, for allowing Greatest Expectations to play such a special role in this extraordinary day.
Here are a few of my favorite shots from the day, enjoy!
They say rain on your wedding day means good luck. If so, then there’s nothing but blue skies ahead for Pamela and Rich!
The day was stacked with two amazingly beautiful locations starting with the ceremony at the newly renovated Madonna Della Strada Chapel. This chapel is truly outstanding and the location could not be more perfect as it is set on the edge of Lake Michigan. Honestly, I think every couple should stop by for pictures on their big day, the view of the city from the North Side cannot be beat.
Everyone managed to stay dry entering the chapel and they even braved a few outdoor shots because, well let’s be honest, how could you pass this up! Then they were off to the Shedd Aquarium for the reception.
The Oceanarium was already under renovation by the time our event happened (although the new plans look amazing and I cannot wait to get another couple in there!) so cocktails were in the extremely cool Wild Reef, which happens to be a space not normally available for private event rental. This was a wonderful twist of fate for Pamela and Rich as they are really into Sharks and this is where they swim!
Because this was an intimate affair at just under 100 guests, everyone was seated around the Caribbean Reef and the Rotunda (you know the beautiful room you buy your tickets in when you visit the Shedd) was used for the coffee and sweets station as well as dancing. It was a really fun twist on the way the space is normally laid out and everyone enjoyed dining next to the exotic fish.
To add to the creative and fun style of this event we served cupcakes from Sugar Bliss Cake Boutique and yes, they cut a cupcake instead of the traditional wedding cake. Guests were treated to over 400 miniature cupcakes in yummy flavors such as Vanilla Vanilla, Black and White, Chocolate Butterscotch, Cinnamon Carrot, Lemon Drop and Orange Creamsicle. It is worth noting that they left out the Red Velvet which is hands down the best flavor they offer (I may be a little biased, but lets not worry about that). Sugar Bliss has a fantastic little shop open on Wabash, I would waste no time stopping in to tantalize your taste buds by these tiny treats!
The rest of the night went by in a dancing blur thanks to the now famous (at least on this blog) Rolland from The Sound Lounge (can you tell I’m a fan?) and the entire event was documented by the very talented Kelly Moore from KMO Photo. Kelly is an outstanding photographer and is a joy to work with onsite. Below are just a few of my favorite shots. Personally, I think the silver lining to the rainy day is the amazing photographs you can get.
Speaking of Kelly’s, the floral was done by none other than Kelly Uss from Fleur, Inc. and everything was perfect, as usual.
It is also worth mentioning that this was an extra fun event for me because one of the brides maids was a previous client. Alyssa was the one who suggested Greatest Expectations to Pamela and for that I am very grateful. It was so much fun to work with these wonderful friends as they planned their weddings together in the same year.
