Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Superdawg Wedding!


After writing a blog post about hot dogs, I was compelled to have one for dinner last night. We were out running an errand and, lo and behold, hound ourselves on Milwaukee Ave. As soon as my kids realized where we were, a shout went up for "Superdawg!"

While we sat at a table and watched the sun set behind Maurie and Flaurie, I realized that I completely forgot to mention Superdawg in my post about hot dogs at weddings.

This is an institution from my Chicago childhood - I can't believe the omission! I'm hanging my head in shame right now.

So, I offer my sincerest apologies to Superdawg. And Maurie and Flaurie, those adorable giant mascots.

Naturally, I mentioned that it would be pretty cool to have a wedding at Superdawg. My husband joked that I could do the ceremony over the drive-in intercoms. (I don't think so.)

When I got home, curiosity got the best of me and I researched the Superdawg wedding idea. And guess what! A couple just got married at the newest Superdawg location in Wheeling!
According to an article in the Daily Herald, just two weeks ago, Brittany and Eddie McKee became the first couple married at Superdawg.

Way to go, Brittany and Eddie!

Now, if there's anyone interested in being the first couple to be married at the Superdawg in Chicago, call me! I know a Celebrant who would love to create a cool ceremony for you.
(Um.... I mean me, just FYI)

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Hot Dog! It's a Wedding!


July is Hot Dog month. As it well should be. Being a born and bred Chicago gal, I love a good hot dog.

But, I will tell you right now that I am a ketchup lover. And (prepare to gasp) I positively HATE mustard.

Now that I've gotten that off my chest, we can move on.

So, when I heard that this is Hot Dog Month, I immediately thought, "Hot dogs at a wedding!" because that's just how my brain works. But really, wouldn't that be fun?

This doesn't have to be limited to an outdoor wedding, either. There are companies that will bring the dogs to you!

Have you ever had a hot dog from a cart on a hot summer day? Mmmm... there's nothing better. Unless maybe it's a hot dog cart at your wedding! Check out Carts of Chicago for one of their nifty mobile hot dog carts. Just make sure they have extra ketchup.

Here's another idea - the folks at Portillo's can cater your event. They even have an amazing chocolate cake. In fact, one of my grooms last year insisted on chocolate cake from Portillo's for the wedding. It's that good. Heck, I'm starting to think you should have your wedding AT Portillo's!

If you really like hot dogs, they can even be your wedding theme. I found cute hot dog wedding products offered by Wedding Pop, including invitations.

Now that I've told you about this, I think I'm going to go have a hot dog for lunch. You should, too.

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Elise and Ed's Wedding - Featuring a Mixed Drink

A few months ago I had the honor of marrying Elise and Ed, one of the nicest couples around.

They had a lovely ceremony, held at Hotel Baker in St. Charles, also the site of the reception. Hotel Baker is a fantastic spot for a wedding - and just about any celebration! Built in 1928, this historic hotel is in downtown St. Charles and sits right on the Fox River.

The original plan was to have the ceremony in the rose garden, on the patio overlooking the river. But, rainy weather forced us indoors. The good news is that the Rainbow Room ballroom is gorgeous - and boasts a light-up floor. It was a lovely place for the ceremony!

One thing I loved about Elise and Ed's ceremony was that they opted for a unique unity ritual. Rather than a sand ceremony or a unity candle, they chose to share a drink. Now, sharing a cup of wine is pretty common, but they did something that was a little more "them." They took their two favorite beverage, iced tea and lemonade, and poured them together to make an Arnold Palmer. They then shared the concoction - a perfect unity ritual!

And one more great detail - they had personalized bottles of Jones Soda as party favors for their guests. Love it!!

Monday, July 11, 2011

Highlights from Under a New Moon

Over a month has gone by since Under a New Moon took place. The June 1st civil union wedding was so wonderful! I've been wanting to write about and share all the details but it seems that I can never find the right words to convey all the emotion. I literally start tearing up every time I talk about it in detail!

So, I've decided to let a video clip show you what an amazing night it was, and I'll just share a few random impressions.

I'm still completely blown away by how generous all the sponsors were. Not only did people jump at the chance to donate their services, what they provided went way beyond anything I expected. The flowers by Pollen were exquisite. The sweet table provided by Luscious Layers was gorgeous and delicious (I still daydream about those coffee-flavored whoopie pies). The food served by Entertaining Company was wonderful. Bleeding Heart Bakery's cake was spectacular. Toast and Jam DJs made sure everyone was out on the dance floor (especially me). And I Do Films made sure to capture all the special moments (hopefully not the ones where I was on the dance floor!)

And Jeremy Lawson, our fantastic photographer, was so vital to this event turning out as it did. From the beginning, he was instrumental in getting other folks on board and was the most enthusiastic supporter and advocate. And the pictures..... wow! The ones I've seen so far are incredible! Well, except for the one of me dancing. We won't talk about that one.

The amazing thing is that no one asked for anything in return. A guest at the wedding asked me why there weren't business cards on the tables to advertise the various sponsors. And I realized that no one had even asked to do so. It just wasn't about that. The whole night was about celebrating civil unions and, most importantly, our great couples.

And speaking of the couples...... I can't believe that we found twelve wonderful, nice, deserving people! Seriously, each of them was a delight - and so gracious. They were such a pleasure to work with and made everything so much more fun. And what's really cool is that they all bonded right away. These were twelve strangers - they all had different stories and came from different backgrounds, but they hit it off. It was incredible to see them become the "Under a New Moon Family."

And finally there are the three people I will be forever grateful to:

Lauren, from Catalyst Ranch - my tireless partner and voice of reason throughout all the planning. Without Lauren, none of it would have been possible.

Beth from SQN Events and Heather from Greatest Expectations - they took the reins and never looked back! There is no way the night could have been so wonderful without them. I can't even list the many ways they helped, but they truly kept things moving (and kept me sane). Wedding Planners are amazing - and Beth and Heather are wedding planning goddesses.

This whole experience has been wonderful. It was more work than I had imagined, turned out bigger and better than I could have ever dreamed, and was worth every second of effort.

As corny as it sounds, this was truly a labor of love. Everyone participated out of love and gave their very best. Everyone involved, from the couples to the sponsors, have given me so much joy..... and now I'm gonna cry again.

So I'll stop writing and you can watch the video.....

Sunday, July 10, 2011

You Shoulda Put a Ring On It...


Candy ring, that is. Check out these incredible candy rings featured on Martha Stewart Weddings!

And there's even a how-to. For you crafty folks out there, it looks like these might not be too tricky to make. (For you, that is. For me it would likely be a crazy, sticky mess.)

How fun would it be to have these as party favors at a shower or bachelorette party?

And if you have extras...... I WANT ONE!! Please. And thank you.