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A love so deep – Featured Weddings – Chicago’s Emily and Craig

Emily Miller and Craig Mandell have been together since they were 18. They met 8 years ago at college and both went to the University of Wisconsin-Madison, but were from nearby Chicago suburbs. They have been living in Chicago, mostly together, since school. Craig is an attorney and Emily is in Healthcare Consulting. StrictlyWeddings.com would like to thank the lovely couple for sharing their beautiful wedding with us.

Photography: Jai Girard Photography
Video: Larry Wayne Evolution Video
Flowers- Kehoe (Vince)
Planner- Barbara Moss Events
Band- Larry King Orchestra
Dress: Divina Sposa
Bridemsaid dresses- Jenny Yoo
Rings- Cy Fredricks
Makeup- Cynde Cosmetics
Hair- Jessica Gryz
Venue: Fairmont

Jeweled Tone Wedding – Chicago’s Mike and Lexi

Chicago photographer and StrictlyWeddings.com partner Rick Aguilar shared these photos of his good friend’s wedding. The couple, Mike and Lexi, chose streamlined looks. Lexi wanted to make sure her bridesmaids looked fresh and cool (check out their shoes!). No beige or white. Lots of black all night. Lexi is a jewelry designer and knew that purples and jewel tones were the right fit for her wedding. One very fun touch was the candy table designed by Linda Alpert.

Photographer: Rick Aguilar Studios

Location: Chicago’s W City Center Hotel.

Wedding Planner: Magnificent Milestone.

Florist: Scarlet Petal.

Cake: Take the Cake.

Wedding Gown: Ungaro.

Featured Wedding – Casey and Chris Wickham

A beautifully chic bride, a handsome groom, a warm summer night in Dallas, Texas. Sounds like the beginning of a story …a fairytale story. Coloring this tale are the unusual, yet unique colors of peach, soft yellow and pinks with an accent of navy.

The wedding was held at Christ the King Catholic Church and the reception at the historical Belo Mansion, lent a neutral backdrop, with a warm candlelight LED room wash that created an intimate and elegant reception venue. The lush floral arrangements designed by Jordan Payne Events brought together this joyful wedding evening.

The wedding cake by Frosted Art was adorned with navy rhinestone encrusted brooches, a perfect accent to the peach icing. At a Jordan Payne wedding you’ll often find brooches and rhinestones incorporated “anywhere she can” to bring unique touches to the event!

Ceremony: Christ the King Catholic Church, Dallas, Texas
Reception: Belo Mansion, Dallas, Texas
Photographer: Thisbe Grace
Cake: Frosted Art
Wedding Planner: Jordan Payne Events

Featured Wedding: Shivani Sharma and Aalap Shah

“My husband and I met Tom Kehoe through our wedding planner, Sabrina Hans of Sabrina Hans Events.  I still remember the day we went in to discuss our ideas with Tom.  He showed us a few pictures of prior events he had done and we were instantly sold!  We briefly discussed our personalities and some ideas we had and left the rest up to the team at Kehoe Designs,” glowed bride Shivani Sharma-Shah.

From the brief discussion Shivani and fiance, Aalap, had with Tom, they desired clean and simplistic, with touches of their Indian tradition. The couple chose Marriott Oak Brook Hills Resort for their venue; Tom transformed the room into a sumptuous getaway, using extensive white fabric treatment creating a bright glowing feel throughout the room. The ceremony hosted a towering ceremonial mandap which dramatically showcased hundreds of floating green orchids, all of which surrounded a suspended vintage-inspired chandelier. Bright pink floral balls were a unique twist for their aisle décor, while guests wore brightly colored sari’s, all the pieces tied together for a design that married elegance & tradition with lightness & modernity.

“We gave very few suggestions and basically left all the decisions up to the Kehoe team.  They did such a fabulous job! The team at Kehoe Designs is not only the most professional vendor we dealt with, but they are perfectionists.  Every area of our venue was decorated perfectly.  We were totally in love with the décor at all of our wedding events.  We loved everything about our décor and our guests raved about it for months after our wedding,” said bride Shivani.

Décor & Floral: Kehoe Designs, Event Producer: Tom Kehoe
Venue: Oak Brook Hills Marriott Resort
Location: Oak Brook Hills, IL
Photographer: GS Photography
Wedding Coordinator: Sabrina Hans Events

A Red Wedding – Drama! Glitz! Glamour! – Amanda Alexander & Matt McMurphy

Red! Red! Red! Who says weddings should be “Pretty and Pink” …certainly not Amanda Alexander. When she and fiancé Matt McMurphy began making plans for their March 3, 2009 wedding, visions of “Blush and Bashful” never entered Amanda’s mind. “Drama! Glitz! Glamour! Passion!” exclaimed the bride-to-be at the couple’s first meeting with DFW Events in-house Designer, Nelson Robinson, who quickly seized upon one word that seem to say it all: RED!

After their initial meeting, Nelson presented Amanda with a detailed sketch that illustrated her ideas. “He captured Amanda’s dream to perfection,” recalls Mindy Rives of DFW Events, who coordinated Amanda and Matt’s wedding. Amanda took one look at Nelson’s rendering and said, “That’s it!”

Nelson joined forces with Junior Villanueva at the Garden Gate and together they made Amanda’s ideas become reality.  The beautifully dramatic locals of Christ the King Catholic Church and The Ritz-Carlton Dallas were the backdrops for their elaborate plans.

For her own gown, Amanda found the perfect “princess dress” in a bejeweled soft white satin Kenneth Pool. It featured a strapless neckline softened by a flutter of pleated organza and mermaid silhouette. The entire gown was opulently embellished with silver and gold bullion, Austrian crystals and caviar beds.  A gown fit for a princess! She gowned her attendants in black satin, ideally suited to showcase eye popping red bouquets.

After the formal ceremony, Amanda and Matt’s guests were treated to a sumptuous five course seated dinner where the couple’s characteristically singular attention was focused on the menu.

Amanda and her design team considered every detail. The Ritz pastry chef, Morgan Wilson, created a magnificent wedding cake that replicated Amanda’s gown and was topped with a glittering marzipan M. Ornate mirrored stands supported the massive bouquets of white lilies and cascading orchids embellished with crystals tear drop votives. Stands of crystal beads extended from the ceiling. Diamantes encrusted the cake knife and server.

Luxurious red was integrated into almost every glamorous feature. An embroidered canopy hung over the expansive head tabled swathed in red linens where the bride and groom were seated on a tufted red brocade love seat. Guests danced away the evening on the red Lucite dance floor flanked by curved red silk sofas festooned with throw pillows. The band, Bullet Proof Brass, played in front of a red backdrop screen decorated with a distinctive AM monogrammed designed especially for the occasion. The monogram was repeated on the wall behind the cakes as well as the napkins and menu cards. The entire ballroom glowed red with a dramatic wash of lights.

By the time the couple made their late night getaway in a stunning vintage white Rolls Royce, every guest’s eyes glittered with the sparkle of Amanda and Matt’s perfect evening.

Source: Nina Nichols Austin Weddings

Photography by Karlish Photography

A Green Wedding – Kathryn Rolewick & Kurtis Peterson

Kathryn and Kurtis really wanted to make it their day and together planned a wedding that would touch on who they are and the things most important to them as a couple.

Kathryn tells the story of her wedding …

The ceremony site was an easy decision… it was outside in the Hedge Garden at the Morton Arboretum, which is where we had our first date, and where Kurtis proposed. The Reception was at Hotel Arista, which initially caught our interest with its clean and natural, yet modern, style (similar to ours). We were more than sold once we tried their food, and when they were named the only LEED certified Hotel in Illinois, it couldn’t have been a more perfect fit.

Being the detail oriented people that we are, almost every aspect of the day was personal in some way, and being the outdoorsy people that we are, the garden feel that started at the Arboretum naturally spread into the entire day.

My favorite color is yellow and Kurtis’ is orange, so we wanted to stay in that range. Once we found the perfect color in the bridesmaid dresses, everything grew from there. I call it marigold.  We like to match, so we really didn’t stray from that color… from the bowties down to the soup.

The monogram took on a life of it’s own. We both love symmetry, so the reversing the second “K” for symmetry was an idea I had had for months, the bracket effect with our final design simply won out over the hundreds of options we designed. The save-the-dates and invitations stemmed from the monogram, and I designed the cake to match the invitations.

We made the corkboards (to display the place cards) ourselves, mostly from corks we had saved for years, to show our love for wine and it tied into our “green” efforts.  The table numbers were painted on rocks, our signature drink was made from organic vodka, and in lieu of favors, we made a donation to our local forest preserve district.

We opted for a sand ceremony which was only appropriate for two beach lovers in the Midwest, and it allowed our family and friends to have a role in the day, representing they roles they have in our lives.

My dress was the second one I tried on, and the only one that made my mother, Aunt, and MOH cry.  Our flowers were calla lilies – white and “marigold” only.  I wore my grandmother’s bracelet that was a gift from my grandfather and the necklace my mother wore the day she married my father was wrapped in my bouquet. My favorite photo of the day was taken right at the spot Kurtis proposed in the Spruce plot at the Arboretum. We didn’t plan our August 1, 2009 wedding with a theme, but I think our earthy, yet classic style showed through in the end.

Ceremony: Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL
Reception: Hotel Arista, Lisle, IL
Photographer: Artisan Events, Inc.
Videography: Artisan Events, Inc.
Cake: Cocoa Bean
Florals: Expressions
Band: Al Sofia
Bride’s Attire: Rivini
Groom’s Attire: Perry Ellis
Invitations: Thia & Company

A Fairy Tale Wedding in Scotland

The story for this wedding is wonderfully romantic and storybook …but very long. I’m told young girls don’t like to “read all that stuff” and would prefer big pictures. So, my apologies to the bride and groom, I really shortened this one, but I encourage everyone to take the time and read the full story here.

Maegan Bardes & Brian Ernsthausen
September 1^st, 2009
Ceremony and Wedding Reception Dinner:
Dalhousie Castle, Bonnyrigg, Edinburgh, Scotland EH19 3JB

Maegan and Brian wanted something different than the normal church wedding and reception. Since they go on a big scale European vacation every 3 years and 2009 was the next big trip, they decided to combine the wedding and honeymoon into their trip to England and Scotland.

The destination wedding was Dalhousie Castle, a castle steeped in Scottish history. Maegan recommends that there are two things to consider if you’re doing a destination wedding: hire a wedding planner and if you have to have wedding VISAS then go through a VISA company. They did it themselves the first time and were denied which added a lot of stress.

Originally, Maegan was going to go the traditional wedding gown, but her mother found a plaid wedding gown that was perfect for her. She found the plaid after extensive searching though a company called Lochcarron of Scotland. She then found a local seamstress to make the dress who had nothing to go by except a picture from the Internet. You can see the results in the pictures.

The wedding party of 15 stayed at the castle. The rooms within the castle are very old and just what you would expect out of a unique venue like this. The castle is run very much like a B&B, so you can wander around pretty much wherever you like. The themed bedrooms are very upscale, just what you would expect from a Von Essen property. Brian and Maegan had the Mary Queen of Scots honeymoon suite which is one of two historic rooms in the castle.

You can organize private falconry displays for your guests during your stay for an additional fee. They also offer “owl delivery” for your wedding rings for an additional fee. Maegan jumped on this, because it was so magical. Their owl’s name was Teddy. So when it is time for the rings during the ceremony, the owl flies down to the Best Man’s glove with the ring bag and “delivers” the rings in the chapel. This is a very cool addition and is only offered to those having religious ceremonies.

Their wedding day would not have been complete without the Star of the castle which was Pipe Sergeant, Andrew Sharp. Maegan sent him 5 songs to play since they didn’t plan on having any other music at my ceremony. He piped in all of the guests and then he came up stairs and met the wedding party in the honeymoon suite. Andrew piped Maegan, her mom, her sister, and dad all the way down the stairs to the entrance of the chapel. Then it was Maegan and her Dad’s turn. Andrew learned a special song for her bridal processional that she had found on the internet.

The entire wedding was a fairytale come true for Brian and Maegan. The castle, the people and their honeymoon was amazing and it was a trip of a lifetime.

• Photography – Gary Donihoo and Kym Skiles F8 Studio www.f8studio.com
• Flowers – Bryan’s Farm Florist http://www.bryansfarmflorist.co.uk/
• Makeup – Jo Bechard Makeup www.jobechardmakeup.co.uk
• Music – Andrew Sharp, Pipe Sergeant (Bag Piper)
• Minister – Reverend William Brown
• Falconry – Falconry Scotland http://www.falconryscotland.co.uk/
• Dalhousie Castle – www.dalhousiecastle.co.uk
• Fit Tailor – Mai – Plano, TX – Park/Preston
• Lochcarron of Scotland – www.lochcarron.com
• Melville Golf Centre – http://www.melvillegolf.co.uk/

Kehoe Designs: Cultures Unite at this wedding celebration

A wedding celebration with the ultimate unity of cultures! This traditional Indian bride and Western groom from Chicago desired aspects of both customs be taken into account. The festive Sangeet (see definition below) held at The Ritz Carlton transported guests into another world, incorporating rich pinks and violets into entertainment canopies, organic hanging fixtures and exciting centerpieces to finish the look. At the ceremony, gorgeous rouge orchids draped the golden Mondap, while mirrored balustrades and lush floral accented the aisle. The formal reception held at The Drake Hotel, showcased traditional crystal centerpieces filled with yellow and lavender floral atop coordinating patterned table linens provided by BBJ Linens. This beautiful weekend celebration harmoniously fused two cultures in every detail.

Sangeet: It’s a Hindi word, meaning music. In the wedding context, you can refer to it as the bachelorette party!  It’s a time for the female members of the marriage party to get together, have fun, dance, sing and basically have a good time.  Sangeet usually takes place the day before the wedding.  The new trend, of course, is to have professional singers, DJs and live music for Sangeet these days.

Floral and Decor, Kehoe Designs, Chicago

Photographer: Phil Farber, Photo Images, Inc

Event planner: Sabrina Hans Events

Unexpected Venues – The Schaufele-Evens Wedding

Is it possible to find a reception site in Dallas for 500 this isn’t a typical venue? Not that there is anything wrong with country clubs, hotels and museums, of course, ….but what if the bride and groom want someplace different for their celebration?

This was the dilemma for Dallas natives Anne Schaufele and Cole Evens when they began their wedding plans. But with a little help from their moms, Lee Schaufele and Janet Evans, the happy couple were quick to find the perfect answer: The Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center!

Even though the Meyerson just celebrated its twenty year anniversary, the magnificent I. M. Pei creation has been the scene of very few receptions. As the home of the renowned Dallas Symphony Orchestra, the building is in constant use. So unless a couple is willing to hold their event at an off hour or is lucky enough to snag a date during the orchestra’s summer hiatus, it is next to impossible to book. Happily the orchestra is on vacation during the month of August.

Anne and Cole were thrilled by the Meyerson’s impressive open space and elegant style, but they did have a few concerns.  Was there too much room? Was the contemporary architecture a little cold?

“Anne was afraid the lobby was so cavernous that guests would be lost. And though she loved the modern design, stark minimalism isn’t her style,” recalls Dallas Wedding Consultant, Nina Nichols Austin, who helped Anne and Cole with their plans, “Our biggest challenges were how to effectively utilize the space while introducing soft, romantic décor elements that would reflect Anne’s taste.”

The Meyerson’s dramatic marble stairway was the couple’s favorite feature and it quickly became the centerpiece for their celebration. The landing would be a perfect stage for their large show band, the SoulSations, and the large expanse of marble around the base of the stairs would be perfect for dancing.

“Once we decided to build the party around the stairs, everything else quickly fell into place,” says Austin. “We arranged sophisticated lounge seating groups with day beds, ghost chairs, coffee tables and animal print rugs on either side of the dance floor and blocked one end of the space with a long, walk-up bar surrounded by stand-up cocktail tables and sleek bar chairs. Floor-to-ceiling organza drapes blocked one end of function area to define the party and create a convenient staging room for Culinair International, who provided the catering.”

The Meyerson’s dramatic proportions include a ceiling which soars over forty feet, therefore it was essential to select décor that would not be dwarfed. The florist adjusted their designs accordingly, filling the giant urns that adorned four large buffet stations with leafy green maple branches and creating towering table arrangements of exotic blooms that softened the massive marble, glass and stainless steel structure. The soft summer palette of silvery greens and watery blue, including Carolina Blue, Cole’s Alma Marta,  champagne and latte was achieved with clean but  abundant bouquets dominated by pale blue and white hydrangeas, Dendrobium orchids and Casa Blanca lilies accented with spray Majolika spray roses, delicate maiden hair fern, scented geranium foliage and silvery dusty miller,

Guests were comfortably ensconced in chic seating areas or clustered at more conventional tables. Communal, bar-height tables were the preferred perch for those wanting to catch their breath after a lengthy turn on the dance floor.

To complete the effect, Switch highlighted the Meyerson’s dramatic edifice with spectacular lighting. Thousands of votive candles floating in glass cylinders filled with water produced a warm, luminous glow, while striking shafts of light, alternating between green, blue and magenta throughout the evening, illuminate the immense structure.

Just as the magnitude of I. M. Pei’s magnificent symphony hall dictated the scale of the décor, its minimalistic, contemporary design influenced everything from the attire to the menu. Anne selected a polished Vera Wang designed gown from Warren-Barron which featured asymmetrical layers of silk organza fashioned in a lean, trumpet -shaped silhouette. Her attendants were dressed in matt silvery blue silk from Bridal Collections by Stella. Cole and his attendants wore Carolina Blue silk ties with their traditional black formal attire from Mister Tuxedos in Snider Plaza.

Anne and Cole wanted recognizable but stylish “comfort” food, notable not only for its flavor but the flare with which it was presented.  Perennial favorites like Pepper Crusted Strip Loins, Wedge Salads, Mashed Potatoes and Mac N Cheese were augmented by special delights like Seared Ahi Tuna garnished with Wonton Chip served in white JB Price china spoons, coconut fried shrimp, and market fresh Cerviche with avocado, lime and cilantro served in bright green martini glasses. Late in the evening guests were treated to miniature sliders and fries garnished with dill pickles.

The Bride’s cake, a simple but elegant butter cream confection made by Krisia, dominated the Meyerson entrance and was flanked by the scrumptious Grooms cake of sinful chocolate topped with a replica of the North Caroline dome, artfully rendered by Dallas Affairs.

The bride and groom made their escape in a shower of rose petals as guests relished the final moments of this unforgettable evening.

Photography courtesy of Scott Hagar Photography.

Dallas Wedding Consultant, Nina Nichols Austin

The Wedding of Mandy Carroll & Kyle Nelson

When Mandy Carroll and Kyle Nelson announced their engagement it didn’t take long for them to pick the perfect spot for their reception – Mandy’s parents new home on the shores of Lake Tyler. Unfortunately there was a slight problem…the house Mandy and Kyle wanted to use hadn’t even been built!

Progress on Claudia and Otis Carroll’s new house had been slow, so Mandy and Kyle’s impending nuptials were just the impetus they needed to push the project through to completion. By the time Mandy and Kyle said their vows on May 30, 2009 in a sunset ceremony at the First Presbyterian Church, the Carroll’s dream house was ready and waiting…as were their 500 guests, anxious for an exciting evening of dinner and dancing, and eager to see the amazing new residence that had been the talk of Tyler for months.

The distinctive plan of the Carroll home, reminiscent of mid-century modern architecture popularized by Frank Lloyd Wright, soon became the perfect inspiration for the décor. Circular forms dominated the overall plan.

“As circles were such a predominate feature, they became a recurring theme in the décor,” says wedding consultant Nina Nichols Austin of NNAWeddings. “We suspended clusters of Chinese lanterns, found linen overlays with iridescent circular palliates, and used cream-colored fondant circles to decorate the groom’s cake.”

Geometric shapes motivated choices in everything from flowers to furniture; even the bride’s attire. Mandy selected an opulent taffeta gown which featured lines of raised stitching designed by Peter Langner for Stanley Korshak.

The location of the Carroll home posed many challenges as well. “Before we could begin any serious plans we first had to decide how to utilize the space and accommodate 500 guests,” recalls Austin. “The Carroll’s wanted everyone to have access to their home and needed a central location for the party, but the sharp slope of the yard, not to mention the trees, made it almost impossible!”

After weighing several options the Carroll’s decided opted for a central tent that would contain guest seating, dinner and dessert buffets, a sizable stage and ample dancing room. “Ducky-Bob’s did an incredible job installing the 6,000 square foot framed tent, despite the eight foot drop in the elevation,” says Austin. Construction began several weeks before the wedding and involved a massive substructure to support the tent floor that extended from the house to the lake.

Lake Tyler was another important source of inspiration, prompting Mandy to choose shades of blue and green for her wedding colors as well as the organic elements incorporated throughout the décor.

White dominated the palette… sumptuous monobloom arrangements of Calla Lilies, Casa Blanca Lilies, Hydrangeas and Peonies were used in the tent which was lavishly furnished with white chivari and chameleon chairs, banquettes, standing cocktail tables and a glossy dance floor. Belles of Ireland, Viburnum, Cymbidium Orchids, Parrot Tulips, Delphinium Hyacinths and Muscari added green and blue accents while the bride’s attendants, gowned in steel blue taffeta, carried hand-wired bouquets of delicate blue blossoms and hem-stitched handkerchiefs monogrammed with pale blue initials.

The contemporary elements – simple glass containers, Lucite pedestals, ghost chairs –  were softened by luxurious blue linens and patterned throw pillows. To complete the effect, dramatic lighting, provided by Switch, alternated between colors of soft white, blue, green and magenta throughout the evening. This illuminated the tent interior as well as surrounding decks, patios, walkways, and landscape.

Natural touches were used to integrate the modern architecture and the natural environment. Mandy and Kyle’s monogram, which featured a majestic oak tree silhouette flanked by their initials, was evident on napkins, screens and signage, while an elegant espaliered tree design was the backdrop for the band. The dance floor was dappled with a “moonlight through the trees” lighting effect which made enchanting shadows as guests danced to music by The Project.

No lakeside reception is complete without a swift getaway by boat. Guests lined the decks, waving sparklers and cheering as Mandy and Kyle made their way to the family motor boat decorated with blue and green balloons. Best of all, once the newlyweds reached the middle of the lake, a barrage of fireworks erupted overhead and their magical evening ended in an explosion of color.

Photography courtesy of Scott Hagar Photography.

Story courtesy of Nina Nichols Austin of NNA Weddings, 214-336-5072.