See You at Indie Wed - This Saturday!

Who's going to Indie Wed at the Ravenswood Event Center on Saturday? I AM!!! And if you're getting married, you should, too. 

While I won't be a vendor this year, I will be there visiting my pals and checking out all the amazing wedding goodness! Click HERE to see all the fantastic artists you'll get to see - and meet. 

Click HERE to get your tickets online.

See you there....

Erica & Brook's Greenhouse Loft Wedding

I had the honor of creating Erica and Brook's ceremony last October, which took place at the beautiful Greenhouse Loft. 

The couple met when they were both living in North Carolina, and eventually Erica's work brought them here to Chicago. They are such a great couple, who love to travel and and enjoy sharing many adventures. They have an incredible and exciting life ahead of them and I know it will be filled with laughter and love. 

Erica and Brook, I wish you all the best! In the words of Carl Sandburg, "Not always shall you be what you are now. You are going forward toward something great."

Take a look at their lovely wedding HERE, which included gorgeous flowers by Pollen. 

Photo by Greenhouse Photography

Getting Married? Get Committed!

Getting married? Looking for ways to keep it eco-friendly? Then you need to come check out Committed! 

This is a fantastic wedding show featuring wedding vendors who are all members of the Chicago Green Wedding Alliance. (Like me!) Not only will you get to meet some great like-minded wedding folks, there will be plenty of food to nibble on, drinks to sip, and more! 

While you're there, be sure to visit to the Rumpus Room, where there will be fun, hands-on activities. That's here I'll be hanging out as a volunteer for the event, so be sure to stop by and say HI! 

For tickets, click HERE

DIY Flower Crown

Just saw a tutorial on Offbeat Bride with showing how to make your own flower crown for your wedding. 

The process is pretty easy and the results are so pretty! 

Check it out HERE, my crafty friends!

Beautiful "Fish and Bird" Wedding

Look at this gorgeous wedding, inspired by the Tom Waits song, "Fish and Bird." It is featured today on the Wedding Chicks blog.

When Janelle and Chris were first dating, Chris sent Janelle a note with the lyrics to the song. This became the theme for their gorgeous backyard wedding. 

There were so many amazing elements, including succulents (!!), a jellyfish backdrop, and even pie.

Not only do I love all the beautiful details of this couple's wedding, but they happen to be two people I know and absolutely adore.

Congratulations, Chris and Janelle! I wish you a lifetime of love, laughter, joy, and game nights with friends! 

Check out the full gallery of photos by Julia Franzosa Photography (one of my favorites!) HERE.

Green Wedding Tips from Sierra Club

I just came across this post on the Sierra Club website - 10 Steps to a Green Wedding and wanted to share.

The article had some great suggestions, including:

• Avoid "blood diamonds" in favor of vintage rings, or even wooden bands
• Choose a venue that require less travel 
• Serve organic wine
• Use a florist that offers local flowers and greenery

One of my favorite tips was celebrating your marriage with a shower of biodegradable confetti!

Ecofetti offers confetti that is environmentally safe - and comes in a variety of colors, as seen below.

How fun is that? 

So, as you plan your wedding, keep in mind that there are many options that will allow you to have a wonderful, unique event, and still remain environmentally responsible. 

Wonderful, Intimate Wedding

I had the great joy of participating in this incredible inspiration photo shoot of a beautiful, intimate wedding, which was featured on Style Me Pretty! It was so lovely, I had to share a few of the gorgeous photos by Julia Franzosa Photography.

The ceremony included a handfasting.

The grooms also participated in a Blessing Stone ritual.

And look at this hot cocoa bar!!

There were so many fabulous details, thanks to the creative genius of Greatest Expectations Special Events & Weddings. The delicious sweets were created by Truffle Truffle, with beautiful flower decor by Pistil and Vine. Be sure to check out all the photos in the complete gallery!

Amy & Anthony's Summer Wedding at the Shedd

This summer I had the joy of marrying two lovely people, Amy and Anthony. We met when they were checking out the Shedd Aquarium as a potential venue and I was getting ready to officiate a ceremony. 

Anthony and Amy were so great to work with - sweet, thoughtful, and really fun! 

The photos of their wedding are featured on the Angel Eyes Photography blog, so be sure to check them out HERE. Hilda knows how to get people to relax and have fun and you can see it in her beautiful pictures.

Here are a few that you just have to see:

And did you notice the gorgeous flowers? Can you believe they were silk?? Neither could I - as you can see by my reaction. 

Congratulations, Amy & Anthony. I wish you a lifetime of love and laughter!

Hope to run into you at Panera some time! 

Fun, Flower-less Bouquets

As much as I enjoy flowers, not everyone is into the idea of carrying a bouquet on their wedding day. So, I always love seeing ideas for alternatives to the traditional flower bouquet. 

I just came across this article from Equally Wed, which has some great suggestions! 

Here's my favorite...... the lollipop bouquet!

Be sure to check out all the great ideas HERE. And for you DIY folks, this should be right up your alley.

Love Never Fails 2012 Wedding Giveaway!

I just came across this wedding giveaway and wanted to help spread the news!

It's the Love Never Fails 2012 Wedding Giveaway

All you need to do is share your love story in order to be considered. 

Details on entering can be found by clicking HERE


The winning couple will receive:

• Wedding day photography coverage and a custom designed photo album from rojo foto//design 
• A complete wedding ceremony floral package from Forget Me Knodt, including bouquets, boutonnieres, corsages, and ceremony décor 

Photography AND flowers?!? How cool is that? Now go enter. And good luck!

In the meantime, check out the story of Gina & Jordan, last year's winners. 

Festive Flower Food

Written by guest blogger Maya Furukawa.

Flowers. Every human being grows up surrounded by flowers and their pure, innocent beauty. Like love, flowers start as small, insignificant seeds, soon blossoming into gorgeous symbols of beauty. Likewise, love starts small but soon spreads, infecting the entirety of its person. Like flowers, love is beautiful. Like flowers, love brings joy.

On the left is an amazing example of a flower wedding cake - indeed, it is not a cake at all, but potted flowers in the shape of a cake. I love this unique "cake" which blends the wedding guest "goodie bags" with the notion of cake. And look - all the cake, with more beauty and zero calories! This lovely example comes from the blog Little Cakes.


Here are some more standard-looking flower cakes. This one appears to be decorated with orchids. The artistry used to make the flowers on these cakes appear realistic is incredible. The one on the right is from Wedding Cake Pictures.







Here's a more traditional flower wedding cake. However, it has a less-natural and more Asian feel to it. The design is beautiful, from the carefully crafted flowers to the gold-plated wrap around the base of each layer.










On the right is one final flower-coated cake. The little flowers are sakura, or cherry blossoms. In place of the traditional bride and groom are two hearts. This photo comes from Deviant Art. What a beautiful flower-coated cake!

Indie Wed Favorites - Part One

I had a great time checking out all the sights and sounds at Indie Wed, not to mention all the little tastes! So, it's been more than two weeks, and now I'm finally getting around to writing about it.

Just thought I'd mention a few of my favorites. These are in no particular order, mind you.

First, I finally got to meet Jeremy Lawson, a fantastic photographer who also happens to have a very cool blog. I've heard so much about him for so long, I felt like I already knew him, but it was fun to actually see him in real life. He had a lively circus-themed booth that he shared with makeup artist Nika Vaughan. As fun as Jeremy and Nika both were, the clown at their booth scared me a teeny bit.

Go to the blog. You'll see what I mean.

On the opposite side of the show, I made my way over to the (cacao) folks, so I could check out their offerings. They had some tempting samples, but you know I was immediately drawn to the darling little cupcakes. My weakness.

I tried the adorable little Bellini cupcakes and they were amazing! Yummy!

Upstairs, I had the chance to say hi Sarah from wedding creativo, the

talented photographers you may remember from their beautiful work on Lisa & Ben's wedding. The had a great display, which was an Venetian Carnivale theme.

While wandering around with my fellow Celebrant, Michele Rose, I ran into other great vendors I've worked with, including photographerJason Kaczorowksi, and deejay Harsh Singh. They were just visiting, like Michele and me.

I also ran into a friend from high school who is planning to a vow renewal ceremony in November. How cool is that!

While wandering around, I came across The Button Florist. Loved it!! Her bouquets are gorgeous!

I love the fact that she makes her own ceramic buttons (which are fabulous!). but also uses vintage buttons and other recycled materials. The end result is a really beautiful bouquet - or centerpiece - that lasts forever. Love it!

All in all, it was a great afternoon with lots of things (and people!) to see. I'll share more tidbits in an upcoming post.

AnitaWeds Giveaway - Honorable Mention #1

The Giveaway ended on Monday and then the hard work began - selecting a winner! I received such fantastic entries, so I had a hard time deciding. I narrowed it down and then enlisted the help of my website guru (aka - my husband!) and my logo designer (a brilliant artist who happens to be my BFF). We finally came to a decision. We also felt that it was necessary to also have two honorable mentions. They were just that good!

So, before I announce the winner on Friday, I'll tell you about the entries who made it so darn hard to choose.

The first:

Cori and Steve, getting married on 9-10-11

They're planning on a ceremony that will be "a bit of

sweet and a dash of funny." They come from different religious backgrounds, but plan to include her Jewish heritage by ending the ceremony with the breaking of the glass. As Cori put it, "...honestly, who doesn't love to stomp on glass till it breaks and yell out Mazel Tov! Sounds like a good time to me!"

Their reception will include other personal touches. For example, the customized cake topper. As you can see from the photo, they're Hawks fans, especially Steve.

In fact, the Blackhawks even had a role in their engagement! Just look at their engagement photo, if you have any doubts! Well, the wedding cake topper will feature a bride and groom made to look just like them..... with Steve in a Hawks jersey- and both of them perched on a hockey puck!

Cori's favorite flower is the orchid, so she'll be carrying a bouquet with the beautiful blooms. The picture here is a photo that inspired her choice. Steve will also have an orchid boutonniere. And since they both like bamboo, they'll have bamboo in the centerpieces and will offer guests mini "lucky bamboo" as wedding favors.

Cori said, "We're hoping some of our luck in love will rub off on our guests!" How can you not love these people?!?!

She also mentioned that their "ultimate favorite thing" is their families, explaining, "Without our family's love and support we don't know where we'd be!" They plan to include special items from both of their families into the ceremony and reception. So sweet!

See why it was so hard to choose, with fabulous couples like Cori and Steve?

Details on the other Honorable Mention will follow tomorrow. And the WINNER will be announced here on Friday! Stay tuned.....

DIY Wedding Ideas from my Close, Personal Friend, Martha

Okay, she has worn down my resistance. I love Martha!!! I can't help it. I received a subscription to Martha Stewart Living and when it comes in the mail, everything else gets tossed aside. It's like a drug! Now you know my secret shame.

So, I am now compelled to share the latest DIY projects from her wedding website - ideas for spring weddings. My favorites? So glad you asked!

Personalized tea bags - take-home treats for your guests

Flower girl parasols, which could also be for bridesmaids or the bride!

Flowers-to-Go Favor Bags - What are you going to do with all those cut flowers? Let your guest enjoy them at home after the wedding!

Pom-Pom Car Decoration - Seriously, do you really want old gym shoes or rusty cans trailing your car?

See all the spring wedding ideas here. Enjoy - and say hi to Martha for me!

Beautiful Corsages for Your Wedding

Okay, I admit that, up until recently, the thought of a wrist corsage made me cringe. But that probably goes back to an incident a long time ago, when I went to a dance with a friend (I didn't think it was a date - we were going with a group of friends) and he presented me with a wrist corsage. I wanted to die. It didn't help that it was a big purple orchid and wearing it made me feel like someone's grandma.

Oh well, the night was a disaster and thus, my disdain for the wrist corsage was born.

But....... that ended when a couple I married last year ordered a corsage for me to wear when I officiated their wedding. I was really flattered - and it was a beautiful corsage!

Then, a few months later, another couple gave me a wrist corsage. Wow! These sweet gestures changed my mind.

And then - I just checked out a post on Martha Stewart Weddings. She's done it AGAIN! Check out these luscious corsages!! The article even gives you ideas for sweet little guest corsages, delicate crepe paper flowers, even flower rings for your bridesmaids! Most of these ideas include instructions to make them yourself, so they won't cost you a fortune.

And they're so pretty!!!

Okay, I admit it - I was wrong for a long time. I encourage you to get corsages for everyone! And don't forget me. =)

Patty & Jessica's Rustic Barn Wedding

When I arrived at Byron Colby Barn for Jessica & Patty's rehearsal, the bridal party and family members were busily putting up decorations. In fact, some folks were hammering the frame of the canopy when I arrived, while others were hanging lanterns in the trees. This was definitely one cool, crafty DIY wedding!

I have to preface all the details of the big event by saying that Patty and Jessica are one of the most fun couples I've met. After talking to them and then reading their questionnaires, I was really excited to work on their their ceremony.

It turned out to be sweet and funny - and I even got to use Twilight references. Heck, the ceremony started with a quote from the Princess Bride. They were definitely my kinda gals!

But, I have to admit that I adored them even more when I saw all the wonderful details Patty and Jessica had planned for their rustic fall wedding. There are so many delicious tidbits to share, that I'll have to let the pictures tell the story. But, here are a few of my favorites:

• Buckets of birdseeds for the guests to throw after the ceremony
• The button bouquet (made by Patty!) and coordinating button-aires for the guys
• Pitchers filled with citrus fruit as table decor, serving as the table markers
• Jars of jam as table decor - and guest favors
• An impossibly cute flower girl and ring bearer duo
• A wonderful wooden chest with a gorgeous quilt - a wedding gift for the couple!
• The gorgeous yellow, orange and green handfasting cord - also made by Patty
• Photo display with lots of great pictures of Patty & Jessica

Congratulations Jessica & Patty! It was such a joy to be a part of your special day. I wish you a lifetime of joy and laughter!

Create an Intimate Setting for Your Ceremony

If you are trying to create an intimate setting for your ceremony, you may want to consider a canopy, or chuppah. Commonly used in Jewish weddings, a canopy can be used for any wedding to create a more intimate atmosphere.

So, with that being said, I just had to share a picture of this beautiful chuppuh, or canopy, created by the wonderful Pollen Floral Design in Chicago.

The great news is that this lovely creation can be rented for your own ceremony!

Pollen will customize it to your specifications, using locally grown organic flowers or greenery, or Fair Trade products. This is a company that specializes in green weddings and uses eco-friendly products, so you can feel good about your choice.

Plus, the results are gorgeous! I've seen Pollen's work and you will definitely not be disappointed.

Can't you just see yourself exchanging vows under this beautiful canopy? If so, contact Pollen be clicking here.

Wedding Profile: Mangesh & Raquel's Colorful Spanish-Indian Celebration at Baha'i Temple

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of officiating the wedding ceremony of Mangesh and Raquel at the Baha'i Temple in Wilmette.

Mangesh, a native of India, and Raquel, from Spain, had a wonderful, multicultural ceremony. It was such a delight to be a part of this celebration!

The ceremony included readings in Spanish and Hindi, as well as a reading of Seven Wishes, as a nod to the tradition of the Seven Steps, or Saptapadi, of Indian weddings. Seven of their friends shared blessings for the couple, in English and Spanish.

One of my favorite touches was that Raquel's wedding flowers were presented as a part of the ceremony. Rather than walking in with a bouquet, she was given flowers after her entrance, by her parents and sister, and Mangesh's parents and brother. The long-stemmed roses were gathered in a bunch and Mangesh tied them together with a red scarf - from Raquel's hometown in Spain. It was a beautiful symbol of the joining of their two families and cultures.

And, last but not least, take a look at Raquel's incredible dress! Mangesh brought it back for her from India this summer. It was unbelievably beautiful, with delicately intricate beading and embroidery. I made sure to take a picture so I could show my mom. As a seamstress, I knew she would appreciate the amazing details. And she did. (There was much ooh-ing and ahh-ing.)

The wedding was a spectacular sight - a gorgeous feast of colors amidst the grand beauty of the temple. A wonderful experience I'll never forget!

Congratulations, Raquel and Mangesh!

I wish you all the best - I know you will have a long and happy life together!

Attention Crafty Brides: Make Your Own Bouquet!

Let me tell you a tale of woe. It's the sad saga of my wedding bouquet.

So....my sister said she knew someone who could preserve the flowers from my bouquet. I handed over the flowers after the wedding, so they could do their magic.

A few weeks later, my sister presented me with a beautiful wreath, created with the flowers, which had been dried. It was so pretty. I was thrilled! I hung it on my wall and thanked my lucky stars for granting me a thoughtful sister.

Now the sad part. The person who "preserved" the flowers actually didn't. I'm guessing now that the flowers were just put somewhere to dry. A car trunk maybe? Okay, I know that's a little snotty, but as they hung on my wall, they began to disintegrate. There was always a little pile of dust on the floor every few days and I realized that the flowers were falling apart. Grrr.....

So, with that sad story in mind, I got all excited when I saw this fabulous project at one of my favorite wedding blogs, Offbeat Bride.

Then I realized, "Oh wait a minute. I'm already married." Darn. Not that I don't love my dear hubby, but man, this is one cool DIY bouquet! So check out the article How to DIY Your Own Button and Bead Bouquet. Although it may take some time, it's not difficult. Even I could do it! (And I just may......)

Plus, you can have this bouquet as a keepsake..... forever!

By the way, my sad bouquet story does have a happy ending. My husband took a photo from our wedding to a floral shop and had them make a wreath with the same flowers that were in my bouquet- this time with silk flowers. He gave it to me for our first anniversary. Yup, he's a keeper. I'm gonna go give him a big smooch right now.

Wedding Tips to Enjoy With Your Cup of Coffee

My favorite thing about Sunday morning is what my family calls, "Big Breakfast" which we enjoy while sharing the Sunday paper. While drinking my coffee and enjoying one of my husband's fantastic homemade scones, I happily discovered that today's Chicago Tribune featured a Wedding Survival Guide.

I paged through it and found some great tips for brides and grooms. An article definitely worth checking out is Wedding Clothes That Fit Your Bottom Line, offering several good tips such as:

• Shop the bridesmaids dresses for your gown. They often have the same styles available in the wedding gown and bridesmaid dress categories.
• Look into non-bridal shops for dresses. Places like J.Crew and Ann Taylor have dresses that make beautiful wedding gowns and bridesmaid dresses - at lower prices.
• For groomsmen, let them wear their own suits, in coordinating colors.
• For bridesmaids, pick a color and let them pick out their own dresses. They'll save money - and have a dress they can wear again.

Another helpful article I came across was Ahh...the Smell of Freshly Saved Cash, which offered suggestions on saving money on wedding flowers. One of my favorite tips was to create simple centerpieces by using mason jars with bouquets of seasonal flowers. I can just picture a bunch of peonies for a summer wedding - it would be a lovely, fresh display. (That could also be because I just spent Friday afternoon digging up weeds and planting peonies!)

Be sure to check today's Trib for these helpful hints, as well as ideas on writing the perfect toast. That means you, Best Man!