Chicago Bride-to-Be

I'm back

2011-07-13T08:16:00.000-07:00

So many things have happened since my last post. Some of the highlights of what we've been up to:
• went to Europe
• got new jobs
• sold our place in Chicago
• moved to a new city
• had a baby

Life is moving fast. I miss Chicago dearly.

I know, I know

2010-01-06T11:15:00.000-08:00

Totally delinquent on many things, including, but not limited to a wedding recap, vendor reviews, general updates and links to new Chicago wedding blogs. It's been just over a year now since I got engaged, and five months since the wedding and I can't believe how fast time has flown. It's funny, though, that as recently as yesterday I was thinking about the wedding and how much fun we had. I can't promise that I'll deliver on the aforementioned anytime soon, but will give it a go!

photo from our most talented photographers, One Love Photo

Deelish

2009-10-21T07:04:00.000-07:00

Wedding cake pops on Bakerella

Oh boy oh boy oh boy

2009-09-29T12:17:00.000-07:00

Just a preview...

that's me on One Love Photo

Instead of calligraphy...

2009-08-30T06:52:00.000-07:00

how about a typewriter for your outer envelopes?

via Style.com

Good deal!

2009-08-28T15:21:00.000-07:00

There are some things I won't skimp on, including but not limited to: a good hair cut (my hair is weird, temperamental and a cheap cut means 8-10 weeks of misery), running shoes (mostly because I have super flat feet and less expensive ones do awful things to my knees) and handbags (I don't have a lot of them or anything, and rarely even carry one, but I just like the real deals- no fakes). In general, though, I hate paying full price for anything and love the feeling of a good bargain.

Even in this down economy, while planning our wedding we didn't find too many outright bargains for the major things. Maybe in better times we would have had to pay more for "extras" (another bar, an additional hour of photo booth time, etc.), who knows. Anyway, a few places I was able to save:

1.) The dress
From the start I was really into the idea of a J. Crew wedding dress. I think their dresses are pretty, practical and can be reasonably priced. I did buy one from jcrew.com on sale for $75, but a week later found one on eBay that was more my style. Original price: $495 / Paid: $115

2.) Accessories
Being too lazy to go from store to store to find jewelry, I'd been looking on the Carolee website and had picked out this necklace:

I was wandering around the Loop one evening after work and found the exact same necklace at Loehmann's for less than half the price. I did have to buy the matching earrings at Bloomingdales for full price, but I did get a ton of compliments on the necklace at the wedding. Original price: $50.00 / Paid: $19.99

I never wound up wearing it, but I did get a good deal on a Jennifer Behr flower for my hair thanks to Lucky magazine's Lucky Break. Original price: $175 / Paid: $127.50

Other good deals:
-Fannie May Cubbies chocolate bars for out-of-towner bags
They are typically $1.50 each, but if you buy 10 or more, they're $1.00 each.
-Out-of-towner bags
Finding good quality bags that weren't too big or too small proved a bit more difficult than I initially thought (we went to two different party stores thinking they would have them), but finally found exactly what we were looking for at the Dollar Tree on Addison ($1.00 for two)
-paper/printing
I rarely buy anything online without checking for coupon codes on RetailMeNot.com, CouponCabin.com, CouponMountain.com. The codes came in handy for purchases on Zazzle (custom stamps), VistaPrint (save-the-date postcards) and even the Source!

Married

2009-08-23T19:22:00.000-07:00

...and now we have time to breathe.

The day was beautiful, wonderful, perfect and made me so happy and grateful to be surrounded by those I love. We have some time before our pictures are in, but I will re-cap the weekend soon and share about our vendors who helped make our vision come true.

Kid stuff

2009-08-14T13:50:00.000-07:00

The lucky little buggers at our reception get these for placecards:

...can get crayons out of this jar (I love the chalkboard and it was only $3.99 at World Market!)

...and will get a mini-suitcase full of treats:

I don't have pictures...

2009-08-13T19:23:00.000-07:00

but I wish I had taken pictures of us this morning stuffing our out-of-towner bags an hour before we had to leave to drop them off at the hotel. We've totally run out of time on everything, so this was a rush job and had to be done while neither of us was in the best of moods. The best part about it is that we stuffed all 30+ bags on the curb next to our parked car right on the street. We live on the third floor and were not about to haul 70 bottles of water and other assorted goods up only to bring them back down, nor were we going to move the car to a less busy street for fear of losing a good parking space. That's how you roll in Chicago when you live near Wrigley Field and it's about an hour away from the start of batting practice.

Anyway, bags are dropped off, guests are arriving, got my no-chip manicure, our parents have finally met, and I am exhausted.

Last-minute DIY

2009-08-10T07:16:00.000-07:00

We registered at Bed, Bath & Beyond, which means not only have we been receiving wonderfully practical kitchen items, but scads of purple ribbon. I'm such a pack rat for that sort of thing, so what better way to put it to use than lollipop stands for the kids room at the reception.

This is my quick-and-dirty unfinished version:

And Cheree Berry's gorgeous version and step-by-step tutorial from Martha Stewart weddings:

Cheree is also now selling the lollipop stands on her website starting at $125 for a small one. I guarantee you they will look 100 times more beautiful than one I could ever make, but I also spent just $3.99 for the styrofoam cone at Jo-Ann. And I get to re-use ribbon!

OOT Time

2009-08-04T05:13:00.000-07:00

It's hard for me to believe that we've been working on this wedding for just about eight months. That sounds like a long time, but with just 11 days to go I can barely remember the good old days when I still had time on my hands. (By the way, that card box got decorated then tossed because it looked so awful. A talented and generous friend has made me one instead).

While I don't think we're quite at the point of the penny-candy-in-a-Ziploc yet, getting stuff together for the out-of-town guest bags is making me nuts and I will be relieved when finished. At this point I'm planning on just filling them with the usual stuff: water, pretzels, Wrigley gum, possibly Girl Scout cookies that may or may not have been sitting in my freezer for six months, etc. If time and budget allow, I would also love to include mini gooey butter cakes as a nod to my hometown of St. Louis, Garretts, Fannie May Cubbies chocolate bars and/or Frango mints (acceptable to me now since they are being produced in Chicago again).

I'm also a bit nervous about everyone getting their bags. I know I have to trust the hotel to do a good job on this one. Our hotel charges $5.00 per bag to be placed in a guest room (or we can leave them at the front desk and up to chance). At first I was a little put out by the charge since we're spending a good chunk of change there already. But a friend of mine in the hotel biz (whose hotel charges $6.00 per bag!) said it's a pain to do put the bags in each room. Who knew.

Oh, Paper Source, why must you hurt me so?

2009-08-02T17:25:00.000-07:00

Every time I go to Paper Source for wedding-related paraphernalia, I swear it will be my last. Not because I don't love the paper and could stare at the shelves of cards and envelopes dreaming of different color combinations for a long time, or because I have a running debate in my head about whether or not I should own something called a Crop-a-Dile.

I'm trying to wean myself off the Source primarily because I really don't need to be taking on yet another craft project this close to the wedding, nor do I want to be knee-deep in Curry colored 4-bar cards three years from now. I've spent enough hours and dollars at the stores in Chicago (and even in Kansas City while on a business trip!) over the past six years and with an increasing frequency since I got engaged.

When I started my wedding-related Paper Source purchasing earlier this year, I started keeping my receipts, because I was curious about just how much paper craft spending I was going to do. I haven't totaled it lately, but it's been a lot.

Collecting these receipts came in handy last month during the "spend $30 get $10 off your next purchase" promotion, because I loves me a good deal and also because I started doing our color-coded placecards in gold, silver, khaki and bluebell.

Of course ran out of placecards this weekend, plus am considering a new project (I know) that requires vellum, so made yet another Source run this morning. Unfortunately I forgot my receipt with the $10 off coupon. Boo. And even though I'm in their system, they wouldn't honor it. Double boo.

I left with my (non-discounted) purchases, and stopped by Paper Boy on Belmont. Where I found even prettier vellum, by the way. This may be it for me and the Source. We had a good run.

Coming down to the wire

2009-07-30T04:55:00.000-07:00

I don't know where the time went. The wedding is just over two weeks away now. Between the boxes of weddings gifts and other wedding-related stuff, our condo is closing in on us. There are many things still to be done, including a lot of picking up of things (my dress from the tailor, our wedding bands, etc., and while we're at it, should probably get that pile of clothes from the dry cleaners too), appointments of various kinds (facial, haircut- just a trim!) and more planning. Then there's the matter of work, our full-time jobs that are allowing us to pay for this wonderful celebration, which are inconveniently getting busier and busier for both of us as the wedding approaches. Despite all the craziness, I feel fairly calm and just keep thinking:

Please Be Still

Chocolatey good deal

2009-07-17T14:00:00.000-07:00

We aren't doing a candy buffet, even though it would make total sense since I'm such a candy freak. We will be putting candy into our out-of-towner bags, however, so while I was checking online last night for any good candy deals, I discovered that Hershey's Gifts is closing. Boo...sad. But the good news is everything is now 25% off until July 31 including these:

Wedding day

2009-07-09T05:09:00.000-07:00

Not the wedding day, but earlier this week the fiance and I took a day off from work and accomplished the following:

1.) Obtained our marriage license from the Chicago City Clerk. All things considered, this was much less painful than we imagined. I've spent hours in that same City Clerk's office before trying to get a copy of a birth certificate or passport or something, so I was expecting a long wait, a lot of form-filling and general unpleasantness. But I think we were out of there in 10 minutes, and the woman helping us was nice.

2.) Picked our wedding cake. Our Blackstone Hotel reception includes a cake from Take the Cake, which I'm even now more excited about since we met with Mary Winslow. I'll save the details for the post-wedding vendor reviews, but will just say if I had to grade Take the Cake now it would be an A+!

3.) Purchased our wedding bands. We went back to the jeweler that the fiance worked with (secretly) to custom design my engagement ring. Again, will save the details for review time, but really nice people to work with and produce some beautiful jewelry.

4.) Food tasting at the Blackstone. We asked two friends to accompany us to our tasting, one for her food allergy knowledge and tendency to voice her opinions (and I mean that in the most loving way :) and the other chosen by the fiance for another guy's perspective. It took us about three hours, but we settled on five passed hors d'oeuvres and the four entrees from which our guests will choose.

It was a long day, and at the end of it I was completely full and didn't think I'd be able to eat again for a few days (of course I was able to eat two pieces of pizza for lunch the next day just fine, thank you!). Totally well worth it, and now I can't believe how fast the real wedding day is approaching.

The invitations part II: the outside

2009-06-23T10:41:00.001-07:00

I fully intended to create a customized stamp to go along with the airplane/Chicago invitation theme. Actually, I got as far as creating the stamp:

Our would-be Zazzle stamp

but in the end we would have lost a few days, and were already behind in getting the invitations out. I'm actually glad now we went with the good old $.61 USPS wedding cake stamps. A6 size envelopes aren't that big, and between the stamp and calligraphy, the envelope would have gotten pretty crowded.

Speaking of calligraphy, I love the way ours turned out:

Calligraphy by Cristine

Rather than sealing up the envelopes up all the way, we stuck a big label on the back. It was easier, plus I thought it would be more likely that people could see the beautiful envelope lining :)

Copycat Alert!
I saw these Pica Press labels on Brooklyn Bride ages ago:

Here is our version, also designed and printed by Pica Press. I had them made waay before we had even decided on colors, which is why they don't really match anything, but I was at the peak of my just-got-engaged-and-must-buy-things-online phase:

Next up: the RSVP

The invitations part I: the inside

2009-06-20T12:40:00.000-07:00

Within the last 48 hours, we have picked up the invitations from our designer, bought $100+ worth of stamps, picked up envelopes from our calligrapher then lined them, stamped, sealed and sent the invites on their way!

The envelopes are from Paper Source (of course!) in Bluebell. I bought their envelope liner template kit ages ago and was glad to put it to good use. I started off lining the envelopes with World Map Wrapping Paper, since the invites have an airplane/map/travel theme to them. Then I found paper with vintage airlines and vintage planes at Paper Studio, which were perfect:

Next up...the outside!

To Do (or, Things that the InStyle Weddings Planner Tells me I Should Have Done by Now)

2009-06-19T07:40:00.000-07:00

Soon after I got engaged, I picked up InStyle Weddings, which included a handy-dandy pullout Wedding Planner checklist. I haven't looked at it in months, but pulled it out the other day. Um...

We just passed the two-months-to-go mark and there are many, many things on the to-do list (yes, we actually do have one) that have yet to be done. Prepare to be amazed and horrified. (Fellow brides-to-be with their s**t together, seriously, you may want to avert your eyes.)

10 Things That We Haven't Done Yet That the InStyle Weddings Planner Tells me I Should Have Done by Now:

Mail the invitations
OK, we're a few days away from this still. I miscalculated the timing and so while we have the invites now (yay!), they are still being addressed.
Hair and makeup trial
Don't really have an excuse for why this isn't done yet.
Get dress altered
My two dresses (still haven't figured out which one I'm going with yet) have sat, unaltered, on a chair in our dining room for the last few months. I have plans this weekend to take one in to a tailor this weekend, so there's progress on this in that I thought about it.
Buy shoes and accessories
I keep going back and forth between buying ridiculously expensive beautiful shoes that I will most likely remove two hours into the night, or just getting pretty practical ones.
Book hair and makeup appointments
Don't have an excuse for why this isn't done yet either, except that I don't know what I want to be doing or where I want to be on Wedding Morning (will I want to sleep in? get up early and work out? will I be at the condo or the hotel?).
Schedule a rehearsal
We're doing a non-denominational ceremony, that we expect to last 20 minutes or less. I'm sure we'll rehearse, but at this point scheduling something might be a bit premature.
Choose menus
We've still haven't decided between a sit-down dinner or buffet. But we have scheduled a tasting, so I think we're halfway to this one.
Reserve honeymoon flights
Kind of hard to reserve flights when you don't know where you're going.
Finalize all decor for your ceremony and reception
Yeah, ok. Need to do this.
Order and size wedding bands
We have plans to take care of this next weekend while we're in St. Louis for a wedding, so we can avoid the ridiculous Chicago sales tax.

So there you have it. Clearly most of these things aren't done because of indecisiveness...and maybe some laziness. I promise to come back to this post-wedding and either lament or applaud my own tardiness.

Paperless Post

2009-06-11T17:19:00.000-07:00

Too late, my invitations have gone to press. But I couldn't do without my fonts and paper, could I?

Shower weekend

2009-06-05T11:44:00.000-07:00

I'm off to a bridal shower this weekend for one of my bridesmaids who's getting married later this month. The shower is being thrown by her little sister (and the bridesmaids, so says the invitation). I haven't heard a peep from the sister, however, despite emails and a phone call offering to help. And I'm a bridesmaid! Sigh. This is but one reason why I am not a shower fan, and politely refused any myself.

On a good note, our invitations are just about to hit the (letter)press. I'm having the envelopes calligraphied? Calligraphy-addressed? Well, whatever. They'll look nice!

Speaking of envelopes, I'm sure I've seen these at Paper Source a million times before, but I guess they're just more relevant now, and I love them:

Paper Source envelope liners

Happy weekend all!

DIY Done: bookmarks

2009-05-31T09:12:00.000-07:00

I finally finished the photo booth bookmark favors hoo-ray. Since we're not getting anything printed on the photo strips themselves, I printed Paper Source khaki-colored paper and labels (I started with labels, then moved to the paper since it was easier) with info:

then wrapped them around the bookmark:

I now have a stack of 191 ready to go (nine were harmed in the making of the bookmarks):

Six degrees

2009-05-29T10:19:00.000-07:00

Our guest list is inching toward 200. We're not inviting a lot of extended family, so most of our guests fall into a distinct category: immediate family, work friends, college friends, high school friends and Chicago friends we've picked up along the way. There's not a lot of crossover, since we grew up in different parts of the US and went to different colleges. I've always loved "six degrees of separation", though, and I bet if we put our heads together long enough we'd figure out there are connections between our guests (aside from the connection to us, of course).

I just found this from an amazing Newport Beach, CA wedding:

Jonathan Canlas Photography via Grey Likes Weddings

It made me think of this, which I stumbled on early in my wedding planning and still love:

My ideal Chicago engagement pictures

2009-05-24T14:28:00.000-07:00

We did Bike the Drive this morning. I've always wanted to do this annual Chicago ride, but always seemed to be out of town on Memorial Day weekend (or didn't have a bike).

I'm kicking myself that I never thought of it, but I totally would have had our engagement pictures taken during Bike the Drive. I'm told the light at that time of the morning is perfect for photography, and when else are you going to be able to get pictures in the middle of Lake Shore Drive? For me the big downside would be probably not being able to get my hair and makeup done because it's so early (I can't do my own. I just make a mess.), but I bet it'd be worth it.

D-I-While I still give a care, part 2: the CDs

2009-05-19T15:03:00.000-07:00

Because I am a former mixed-tape-making geek, I want to do a CD favor for our wedding. Knowing how I tend to quit on long and involved DIY projects, however, I decided to break it down and just make them for the wedding party. That seems manageable enough...for now.

I can't remember how I found Jewelboxing (perhaps here?):
Plus I was excited to learn that they are Chicago-based so I can support my local peeps.

Initially I wanted to Photoshop the fiance and I into a cheesy 70s kind of album cover, but I couldn't find one suitably cheesy enough. So I think I'm going with Plan B to Photoshop a Chicago album cover. So this:

may become this:

You're welcome!

2009-05-16T09:03:00.000-07:00

I've made lots of wedding-related online purchases in the last few months. I'm getting better now, but for awhile there if it being sold on Etsy, I was buying it! Anyhow, what I love almost as much as seeing the packages arrive in the mail ("the daily box", as my fiance has taken to calling them) are the personal thank yous, pretty paper and even free samples (my favorite:) that accompany the order:

Chicago Brides.com event

2009-05-12T07:44:00.000-07:00

When I bought my condo a couple of years ago, I think I went to the Bloomingdales Medinah Home Store at least once a week. They've got everything you need for kitchen/dining and even have furniture on the top floor, which is so convenient for us city-dwellers.

This Thursday, May 14 they're having a Brides.com event from 5-7pm. You can also meet Jaime of It's a Jaime Thing and Ami Price from Elizabeth Anne Designs.

How cute are these?

2009-05-08T05:15:00.001-07:00

Naughty Knickers indeed! I saw them on 100 Layer Cake yesterday and already have an order in.

Ho-hum

2009-05-08T04:58:00.000-07:00

Three+ months to go, I have nothing (wedding-related) to do. There are things left on the check list: still need to get my dress altered, flowers need to be ordered, should get a hair and makeup trial at some point, food to be tasted and 10 lbs. need to be lost (by me). But I'm pretty much DIY-done (except for the sad, plain card box that's sitting on our floor). The invitation wording has been sent to our designer so she can work her magic. Our vendors have been hired and deposits paid.

I can't tell if this is wedding burnout or I'm just forgetting things that really need to be done. For now, I guess, I will just enjoy the calm.

Baby steps

2009-05-01T07:39:00.001-07:00

Wedding day is just over three months away now, so my quest to lose 10 lbs. is starting in earnest. I've really slacked off on the fitness thing for the last two years. I've never been any good at it, but I used to run, and even managed to haul myself over a few full marathon finish lines. I'm heading West this weekend and will be running the 5K part of this:

I hope that the run will jump-start my renewed interest in working out!

This dress would just make me hungry

2009-04-26T09:05:00.000-07:00

Via New York Times

New J. Crew

2009-04-23T08:58:00.000-07:00

I think I'm sticking with my sale J. Crew dress ($79 plus tax and shipping!), but I still like to see what else they're putting out there:

Horizontal stripes aren't my thing but it sure is purdy:

I love wedding dresses with pockets, not so much for the look but because they are so practical for me (gotta have lip stuff at all times):

Something for the Bridesmaids

2009-04-16T18:28:00.000-07:00

I finished the Bridesmaids Guides. We've postponed the Non-Shower, so I'm going to put them in the mail at some point in the next few days (hopefully).

These RuMe bags were a "Today's Delight" on Delight.com a few weeks back, so I snagged one for each of the five bridesmaids in different colors:

I also had a custom rubber stamp made from Impress Rubber Stamps with our date and "Chicago, Illinois" (that's what the two blobs at the bottom of the heart say, I promise):

and stamped some 5x7 muslin bags to package everything up:

*with thanks/apologies to Bunny Cakes!

35% off Erin Condren

2009-04-14T15:06:00.000-07:00

This is such a great deal that I had to pass along: 35% off your total Erin Condren order through the end of April!

I ordered some personalized thank you cards from Erin Condren that I just love:

(Plus my order was shipped in a cute printed box *and* included personalized samples and I'm a sucker for both!)

Sale details at Erin Condren.

Duh-I-Y

2009-04-13T20:01:00.000-07:00

We are having a photo booth at our reception, the kind where guests will leave one copy for the guest book and take the other home. I thought it'd be nice to give the guests a vinyl bookmark sleeve for their photo, and to pretty it up, put some printed paper in the sleeve.

I spent a couple of hours this weekend carefully cutting up some Martha Stewart paper:

Idiot that I am, I cut the strips the exact width of the vinyl sleeve...which I didn't get until today. Why I thought the paper would slide easily into the sleeve, I have no idea. And so tonight I spent some of my evening trimming:

Pretty trays

2009-04-05T18:15:00.000-07:00

I've been coveting these custom decoupage trays from Ben's Garden for years:

Since I've been on a crafting kick lately (and in anticipation of my own wedding photos I'll have later this year), I thought why not make my own? I found Behrenberg Glass online and bought a few glass trays of varying sizes, all for under $10 apiece!

Bridesmaid's Guide

2009-04-01T19:45:00.000-07:00

I'm starting to put together treats for my five bridesmaids. I have a feeling that our time together during the wedding weekend is going to be a bit chaotic, so next month when we get together for my Non-Shower I'd like to give them a few small thank you gifts.

During a recent Paper Source shopping spree, I bought a mini accordion kit:

While I was hibernating/crafting last weekend, I finally assembled it, and it's now a prototype for a Bridemaid's Guide that I'll make for each of the ladies:

In addition to an overview of their duties (which basically consist of them showing up and having a good time), there are Bridesmaids Dos and Don'ts ("DO take time to enjoy being in Chicago", "DON'T let me eat or drink too much!") and a phone list. Most importantly the guide has a note telling the gals why they are important to us, and what it means to us to have them standing by our sides on our wedding day.

This prototype took about 20 minutes to assemble, so I'm hoping this is one DIY project I can handle without too many blunders.

Snowy Sunday

2009-03-29T13:05:00.000-07:00

Chicago Tribune photo

Blech. Will spring ever come? It was a good weekend, though, to stay in and line some envelopes:

Don't ask me why the envelopes and cards are orange and green. I love them-- they're from Erin Condren, but we don't really have a color scheme going and highly unlikely it will include orange and green, so I don't know where those two came from. Anyhow, I used Martha Stewart scrapbook paper for the lining, which matched perfectly.

Two things to note in the picture above (three, if you count the banana that needs to get thrown out. Gross.) : my new Fiskars paper trimmer and Orla Kiely tote (with blue flowers) . This afternoon the fiance picked up both of those things for me (plus some other crafting tools) as a surprise while he was at Target. I've said before my fiance rocks, and I really mean it!

DI While I still give a care

2009-03-26T18:59:00.000-07:00

There's about four and a half months until the big day, and since we've knocked most of the big stuff off the to-do list, I'm feeling a bit weird about having time on my hands. I have a short list of DIY projects that I want to do, but I'm a little nervous about doing them so far ahead of time because I'm afraid I'll change my mind about what I've done and I'll probably find myself the night before the wedding throwing penny candy into Ziplocs and calling it an OOT bag.

Oh, and there's also the matter of me being not-so-great at crafting. I could spend hours at Paper Source or online admiring the handiwork of genuinely talented people. I have good intentions. I even have equipment! I bought a Xyron on eBay and I own a bone folder!

But what usually happens is that I'll start a project, then I'll get distracted by work...or maybe Make Me a Supermodel is on. Or else I'll get in way over my head, like I did for my sister's wedding a few years ago (Oh what? You need me to bake, ice, bag and label 250 personalized cookies for your reception? No problem.).

I guess the card box I just bought isn't going to decorate itself, so I should get on it. Right after 30 Rock.

Happy Engagement-versary

2009-03-24T13:45:00.000-07:00

Before we moved in together last May, my fiance and I dated long-distance for almost three years. Our every-other-week commute (we took turns):
According to American Airlines, the flight between O'Hare and LAX (or SNA; we switched between the airports depending on the fare) is approximately four hours and 29 minutes. Factor in (for me) a 45-60 minute Blue Line ride to O'Hare on a Friday afternoon, and for my fiance, about the same amount of time racing up (or down) the 405 to get to the airport, plus parking the car and shuttle ride to the terminal. Add to that the less-than-stellar on-time rate for airlines, particularly for Friday night flights. And should there be any inclement weather, all bets were off.

The fiance had to go back to Southern California this week for a work trip. As soon as he landed, he sent me a text message: "How the f did we do this for all those years?"

I don't know how, but I know why. I know why we appreciate being able to have dinner together any night of the week now-- not just on Saturdays, or the fact that Sundays are no longer abbreviated by a return trip to the airport.

I know exactly why we made those mad dashes to the airport, suffered in middle seats next to a crying baby/someone who really needed two seats/in front of a seat-kicker, delayed/diverted flights and compressed weekends where we fit two weeks of togetherness into about 40 hours.

That's devotion, baby.

Thank you very much!

2009-03-22T17:11:00.000-07:00

Once I had registering on my mind, I also started thinking about thank you notes. Since we haven't settled on an invitation design yet, I didn't have to much to go on but knew I wanted the thank you notes to reflect the Chicago theme of the wedding.

The inspiration for the thank you notes was this vintage Chicago postcard:

I did a little Photoshopping and made them into this (excuse the poor photo quality...this is a new camera and clearly I need to read the manual):

They're printed on a thick linen paper, and overall I think turned out pretty well for about $1 per card from Vista Print. The one downer, which I didn't know about until I got the cards back, that it was printed on the back side:

I may cover that up with a monogram sticker. I also need to line the plain white envelopes, and think this may be the perfect opportunity to use up random Chicago maps I've amassed over the years.

Bride guilt and stuff

2009-03-16T13:58:00.000-07:00

About registering...I'm not sure how grooms-to-be tend to approach this. The scant few of my married male friends who I've heard even mention it just said they loved the registry gun, but that's about all they had to say on the subject.

My fiance and I are in our mid-30s. We've have lots of stuff. In fact when we moved in together last year, we both got rid of lots of stuff. Nevertheless our Chicago condo, originally purchased to house just me and my stuff, is rapidly reaching maximum capacity. So there's a space issue.

On the other hand, it would be nice to have some new stuff. Or supplemental stuff. Or the kind of stuff I will see in a store (eg a KitchenAid Stand Mixer) , but am too practical to buy for myself.

The fiance is bothered by the very idea of registering and the suggestion that You Must Buy Us These Gifts on This List. I agree to a certain extent, and we even talked about going down the "Your presence is our present" route (but were talked out of it by people who told us that despite that our wishes, we were going to get gifts anyway-- and not ones we would ever even think of putting on a registry).

It's petty, I know, but for more than 14 years now I've been to, hosted and bought presents for more showers (baby and bridal), engagement parties and weddings than I can remember, and so a stubborn part of me thinks it's my turn now.

And that's when my bride guilt kicks in. I am grateful every day that I'm gainfully employed in these tough economic times, and that I have so many blessings to count-- including my health, family and friends. And I would not be the least offended if someone attending our wedding didn't get us a gift, especially the out-of-towners, because they are spending money to travel. Blech. Who knew the gifty part of things could be this hard?

Chicagoing

2009-03-12T06:46:00.000-07:00

I've been trolling etsy again...this time for Chicago-related stuff, since the city is a theme. Etsy has not disappointed! Check out what I've found:

Maybe these Retro Cubs note pads for out-of-town bags?
I'm a long-time CTA rider, so maybe these CTA map buttons?

Not sure out-of-towners would get this one, but I do love these Chicago flag bowls:

City skyline, of course:
OK this one is a bit of a stretch, but the fiance loves Abe Lincoln:

Perspective

2009-03-10T18:50:00.000-07:00

Love this response on Sara's blog to a recent David's Bridal press release about its store opening in NYC. Having written my own fair share of press releases a million jobs ago, I recognize it's generally just not a great one, but the sentence I do take issue with is: "Amidst troubling economic times, a wedding is still the most important day in a couple's life. " Really? The most important day? The most planned out one, maybe. Or maybe the most unforgettable (and I'm just saying that because I feel like I've emblazoned "8-15-09" on a million labels, envelopes, etc. lately. It's quite possible that in 40 years our anniversary date may or may not slip my aging mind :).

I'm also a bit bothered by the suggestion that--tanking economy be damned!--you should not skimp on wedding costs. That's totally a personal choice. My fiance and I are practical people. Even if the economy was in better shape, I'm pretty sure I would still have bought my dress on sale, and still wouldn't have considered venues I know are $200+ per person. And why? Primarily because I guess I just don't believe that one day out of our many to come together is going to be the most important.

Quotes for inspiration

2009-03-09T06:56:00.000-07:00

I love the power of a good quote. I was reminded of this when I saw this Maya Angelou quote on A $10,000 Wedding. We are having a non-denominational ceremony. It's doubtful we'll even be doing readings, but I'm thinking quotes will play a role somehow, whether on the back of our invitation, a program, table tents or somewhere. I'm starting to collect them now, starting with this one:

"At night, there was the feeling that we had come home, feeling no longer alone, waking in the night to find the other one there, and not gone away; all other things were unreal. We slept when we were tired and if we woke the other one woke too so one was not alone. Often a man wishes to be alone and a woman wishes to be alone too and if they love each other they are jealous of that in each other, but I can truly say we never felt that. We could feel alone when we were together, alone against the others. We were never lonely and never afraid when we were together."--Ernest Hemingway, A Farewell to Arms

No-Chip Manicure II: the results are in

2009-03-06T13:53:00.001-08:00

It was exactly three weeks ago yesterday that I got my first No-Chip Manicure. I am very pleased to say that, true to its promise, my manicure did not chip or split once! By the end, my perpetually ragged cuticles were just about at their usual state, but the nails still looked pretty good. There were some tiny cracks, but I also think that next time I get one I will hang around under the dryer a little bit longer. What was nice, too, was that I actually didn't have to use the remover they gave me at the salon-- I easily peeled the polish off each nail. So there you have it; I officially endorse the No-Chip Manicure!

Vendor feast or famine

2009-03-05T10:28:00.000-08:00

We've gotten most of the big wedding stuff out of the way already, so I've moved on to invitations, flowers, hair and makeup, etc.. I only contact a potential vendor after I've done at least 40 hours of exhaustive research. OK, that may be an exaggeration, but if you name a wedding blog or publication, betcha I've read it in the last few weeks.

Anyhow, it's been feast or famine with the vendors for me. This may not be the best approach, but what I've been doing is contacting (or trying to) my top vendor choice. When I don't back from him or her in two or days or more, I move on. So of course what's been happening is I'm now hearing back vendors I tried earlier. Or I'll have a great conversation with a potential vendor and then they'll drop off the face of the earth for a week or so, and I'm already talking to someone else.

None of this would be a problem if I was better about saying "I'm sorry I'm now working with someone else." (Oh and by the way, you snooze, you lose!) 99% of the time I return a vendor's phone call or email within 24 hours...is it too much to expect the same?

Poster love

2009-03-02T14:02:00.000-08:00

I just love the idea of poster-as-invitation:

so I was very excited to find invitation posters (and save-the-dates and other items) in Unless Someone Like You's etsy shop. And even better that the talented designer, Leslie Hamer, is practically in my own back yard. This is one of my favorites:

And now, thanks to Leslie, I have my own version with the Chicago skyline (our names and dates are hiding)!

The design will probably be showing up on our photo stamps, guest book and goodness knows where else.

Updates

2009-02-27T04:59:00.000-08:00

Wedding things we accomplished in February:

Booked our venue
Made a wedding website
Sent out the save-the-dates
Hired a photographer
Hired a DOC
Booked a photo booth
Booked our rehearsal dinner spot
Bought a dress online

Whew. In just 28 days, that's a lot of wedding website viewing, check-writing and decision-making. And I haven't even started on the DIY projects I think I'm going to do. Speaking of which, I'm off to Paper Source.

ps. the No-Chip Manicure is holding tight!

I bought a dress today

2009-02-19T10:08:00.001-08:00

I don't know if it's *the* dress, but if it pans out it will have been the item on my budget that I would've overestimated the most because it was a whopping $79 (plus tax and shipping) from J. Crew:

And, while not really a shoe person, I would totally splurge on these:

No-Chip Manicure

2009-02-12T19:30:00.000-08:00

After reading about CiCi Nails No-Chip Manicure in Daily Candy earlier this week, I had to try it. I'm generally tough on my manicures, and am amazed if I can manage to leave the salon without smudging, let alone go for five days without a chip. This No-Chip Manicure promises to leave your polish intact for up to three weeks. That would mean I could get through my wedding, honeymoon and maybe even a week back at work with polished nails! Crazy!

Until then, now's a great time to try it for yourself because if you mention Daily Candy between now and March 9 you get 25 percent off, so it's a pretty good deal (it's regularly $50). If you do go, a couple of things to note:
-they use "organic gel", not polish, so forget about picking out your go-to OPI or Essie colors. Fortunately the gel colors aren't too bad, and the one I picked actually looks just like Angel Food, Ballet Slippers or similar light pink
-it isn't that quick a process. I sat through the end of Wheel of Fortune, an entire episode of Ugly Betty and half of Grey's before my manicurist determined I was free to go
-the hand massage part of the manicure comes at the end. I love the massage and was a bit disappointed when I thought I wasn't going to get one. So don't despair!

I'll report on my mani status in three weeks.

Again?

2009-02-11T08:48:00.000-08:00

The US Postal Service is raising rates again effective May 11. Guess I'd better get my stuff with these stamps out the door.

Very P.O.S.H.

2009-02-10T15:53:00.000-08:00

I love P.O.S.H. Chicago. They moved downtown a few years ago, so I don't get to the store as often as I did when they were closer to home. But I do check their website every now and then, especially for the Chicago-related items. If I was more creative, I think I would find a way to incorporate these Chicago Athletic Association ice cream dishes into our reception decor somehow:

Venue update!

2009-02-08T14:34:00.000-08:00

Did you hear that huge sigh of relief whooshing through Chicago last week? That was just us after finally signing the contract on our wedding venue. We're getting married at the Blackstone Hotel!

Even though the hotel idea was really sort of last-minute, the more hotels we toured, the more we started liking it. It was also reinforced last weekend when we we told a friend (who will be one of the many out-of-town guests at the wedding) that the ceremony and reception will be taking place all in one convenient location, and her face lit up like a Christmas tree.

One of the great things about the Blackstone is the Crystal Ballroom, where most of the action will be taking place. It's gorgeous and has a wonderful view of Michigan Avenue and Grant Park:

And the space! We also get this hall:

and one just like it one floor above. Yippee!

Checking in

2009-02-04T04:48:00.000-08:00

In the next day or so I think we're going to have a signed contract with a venue! I won't talk about it now, for fear of jinxing it, but it's gonna be good. In the meantime, read recaps from Tina's wedding. They're cracking me up and giving me some good inspiration.

Hot(el) or Not? The venue search continues

2009-01-27T18:29:00.000-08:00

When we started talking wedding, AF and I agreed that a unique place that would be fun for everyone was key, so we focused on Chicago special event venues. We also knew that it was going to be a kid-friendly wedding, because our siblings have children of various ages whom we adore, as do many of our friends.

At this point, our guest list is about 25 percent children under 10 and 70 percent out-of-towners. To make a long story short, we're now considering hotels for our ceremony/reception because it makes sense on several fronts. Availability doesn't seem to be an issue, unlike the museums we've been targeting. And the whole venue-to-hotel transportation dilemma is obviously non-existent.

On the downside, I'm afraid we're giving up the uniqueness we were looking for and the freedom to really make it our own. Oh, and it will probably work out to be $5,000 or so more. So far we've seen the InterContinental Chicago, Sofitel Chicago Water Tower and Westin River North.

As I told AF last night, I've lived in Chicago for more than a decade now and not once have I ever imagined myself having a wedding at one of the hotels here. This is not a knock against hotel weddings or Chicago hotels, but it's just not something I've ever considered for myself.

If you have an opinion or experience with hotel weddings, would love love love to hear about it!

I don't mean to brag, but...

2009-01-24T06:17:00.000-08:00

My fiance rocks! After sensing how disappointed I was about not getting the Chicago History Museum the other night, he sprang into action. He called the other venues that we liked to find out what dates were available, as well as came up with some new possibilities.

We met for dinner last night, and AF came armed with his own spreadsheets with venue information cross-referenced with the 2009 Cubs schedule (because we want to give our out of town guests the chance to see a game). How much do I love this man? We ate and reviewed the lists, dates and city maps, and by dessert we had a pretty good pro and con list for each. I'm excited again now, but more so about being married to AF.

You snooze, you lose

2009-01-22T18:59:00.000-08:00

After looking at five potential wedding venues in the last two weeks, AF and I decided that the Chicago History Museum would be the right place for our ceremony/reception. Unfortunately, we found out today that it's completely booked through the end of the year (except for a few random winter weekends here and there). When I first inquired, there were a couple of June 2009 Saturdays available, and they were still open when we toured the space. What we didn't know about was the importance of the "hold"- vitally important when trying to schedule a summer wedding in Chicago. Totally a rookie mistake, I know!

Lesson Learned:
If you see a venue you like in Chicago and it's available for the date you want, put a hold on it. Some places (like Cafe Brauer) will let you hold for a week. Others, like the Chicago History Museum, will let you hold onto it, but if another couple wants your date, they can go to contract on it. You'll get first right of refusal, but then have to make your decision maybe more quickly than you would like.

I'm disappointed. I had already started imagining how we would set the rooms up, and I think too that because I know I can't have it, I artificially want it even more. Oh well. Tomorrow AF and I are going back to our other top choices to see if our dates are available (knock on wood!), and hopefully I will be able to post some better news.

Chicago History Museum: I will not be getting married here

On the docket

2009-01-21T08:12:00.000-08:00

Today's site visits include the Art Institute, Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum and Cafe Brauer. Whee! More later...

UPDATE
We've seen five venues now and are ready to make a decision this week. I would be happy having our combined ceremony/reception at any of the places we looked at, so it's now just a matter of weighing the pros and cons of each and then hoping the place we decide on has availability. Starting with today's venues, here's the current thinking:
Modern Wing of the Art Institute of Chicago
PRO:
-Close to Millennium Park and hotels
-amazing downtown view from terrace
-price is reasonable and includes tables, chairs, etc.
-street parking would be easy if necessary
CON:
-new venue that doesn't even open until May=risky
-if dates coincide with major city event (eg Taste of Chicago) area could be extremely congested

Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum
PRO:
-good indoor/outdoor options
-photo booth on site
-lots to see and do for the kids
CON:
-limited nearby hotel options
-maybe too much space? people might be in every nook and cranny of the museum and we'd want everyone to more or less be in the same space

Cafe Brauer
PRO:
-beautiful space, including great covered outdoor patios
-guests can go to zoo or Lincoln Park Conservatory beforehand
CON:
-limited nearby hotel options
-bathrooms on first floor only
-not sure if we'll be able configure the spaces for the ceremony/reception

Chicago History Museum
PRO:
-fits perfectly with "Chicago" theme
-elegant space that will accommodate exactly what we want
CON:
-limited nearby hotel options
-most expensive of the venues

Architectural Artifacts
PRO:
-unique space
-gives guests a chance to see beyond downtown
CON:
-definitely need to arrange transportation for those staying downtown
-not air-conditioned

Please feel free to weigh in!

Step 1: Picking a place

2009-01-16T11:02:00.000-08:00

I'm itching to send out my save-the-dates, because I know how scarce Chicago hotel rooms can be in the summertime and I don't want our out-of-towners to have to overpay for a room (or have trouble getting one!). Obviously we can't send anything out until we've picked a venue, so AF and I have been on the prowl. I've lived in Chicago longer than AF and know more about different special event spots, so I made a short list of places I thought we should consider.

Off the bat, I really, really wanted North Pond, because I love the place. The Arts & Crafts style architecture of the restaurant reminds me of the Gamble House in Pasadena that AF and I toured together a few years ago. I also thought the Lincoln Park location would be perfect, especially because right in front of the restaurant there's a beautiful view of the Hancock Building that makes a wonderful backdrop for photos. The restaurant size and layout are also exactly what we wanted for our ceremony/reception. North Pond was the first venue I contacted right away and, much to my excitement, they were available for our first choice date. Unfortunately, the cost to buy out the restaurant for the night is $20,000, which was beyond what we want to pay, so we scratched North Pond.

When contacting the venues, I just threw out summer 2009 to see what I'd come back with, but we're flexible. Here's an abbreviated version of my spreadsheet of potential wedding venues (in no particular order):

Art Institute of Chicago	Available; still waiting to tour
Architectural Artifacts	Available; strong possibility
Chicago History Museum	Available; strong possibility
Chicago Cultural Center	Unavailable
Ivy Room	Unavailable
Newberry Library	Unavailable
Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum	Unavailable
River East Arts Center	Available; expensive ($10,000)
Wrigley Field	Available; not sure if right venue for us
Murphy Auditorium	No response

Of all of these I think I would rank Art Institute at the top because (according to its brochure) it seems to be not that expensive, plus it's located near lots of hotel options. Communication with event managers is slow going, though. I've been contacted by three different people already, but when trying to set up a time to see the place, days go by before I hear back from them.

My goal is to have the save-the-dates out the door by the end of January, so I will keep on trucking.

It's my turn!

2009-01-13T19:41:00.000-08:00

After three years of dating (almost two of them long-distance), AF and I got engaged in December 2008. Throughout our relationship, I don't recall ever having picked up a bridal magazine or looking at dresses or jewelry, so I'm in overdrive and wedding information overload and hoping this blog will help me (and maybe you) make heads or tails of all of this.

AF and I are both in our mid-30s, have siblings, went to large colleges, so have spent plenty of time on the wedding and baby shower circuits. We went to a destination wedding together last year, which was a lovely affair, but all in all, quite an investment (think long plane ride, plus hours-long bus ride, plus in-season hotel rates). We ruled out the possibility of the destination wedding for our own within 24 hours of our engagement.

We chose Chicago for our wedding, as it's sort of our adopted hometown. Our immediate families don't live here, but it's a reasonable flight, and (as we reasoned) is practically a destination wedding for our friends who have never been to this fine city.

Aside from the Chicago location, AF and I have decided our goals for the wedding are to:

always remember why we are doing this
keep the planning process and the wedding day stress-free
have a unique, memorable and fun day (and life together)
honor our friends and families who will be there for us
not go broke!

Hopefully our wedding will take place sooner rather than later, but that may be a pipe dream at this point...our ideal (ie non-traditional) venues have probably been booked for ages. So now that we've done most of the post-engagement things we've wanted to get done (call friends and family and tell them the good news, get the ring insured, read the many blogs of the smart and helpful brides who have gone before me), it's time to get down to business.