Happy New Year! Welcome to 2013! It is going to be a great year. My lucky number is 13 and was the number on all of my team jerseys when I was playing soccer and field hockey in my high school years.
Chicago Wedding Planner, Ali Phillips Nominated forBiz Bash Social Event Planner of the Year
I am so honored to be nominated with an amazing group of other Chicago social event planners for Biz Bash Social Event Planner of the Year in their Reader's Choice Awards. It is an annual award they give away in conjunction with their Biz Bash Idea Fest that is in Chicago next week on November 14th at the Chicago Merchandise Mart. It is such an honor to be even just nominated. It is a power group of planners that are nominated and I feel so blessed to stand beside them as a nominee.
Guest Book Idea Birthday Calendar as Guest Book
I love this idea I saw on Martha Stewart and had to share it with my readers. For your wedding guest book you can place an annual calendar and guests would sign on their birthday date. That way you always have a record of when their birthday is and you can send all of your wedding guests a card in the coming year wishing them a Happy Birthday!
Bouquet Wednesday, Calla Lillies
LOVING Calla Lilly bouquets lately! Calla lilies represent elegance, charm, beauty and grace and are perfect for a bride to carry on her wedding day. Today we are featuring the gorgeous calla bouquet of a wedding we did in the winter. We accented the bouquet with lilly grass to give it some height and structure.
Bouquet Wednesday, White Bridal Bouquet
April Showers Bring May Flowers
Ah it is April, that time of year where in Chicago and all across the Midwest we see crocuses, daffodils and tulips blooming. The leaves are beginning to come out and spring is in the air. What do all those pretty things need to be able to bloom? Sunshine and well, rain. But don't let rain spoil your wedding day. Tradition says it is good luck to rain on your wedding day. The old folklore says that it is a belief is that a wet knot is harder to untie (thus the term "ting the knot"). If showers are forecasted on your wedding day, don't let it get you down. Embrace the rain with umbrellas and boots for your wedding look.
Twilight Inspired Photo Shoot for Halloween
Music to Get Ready to Before you Get Married
Great Opportunity for Wedding Professionals in Chicago
Since I have a lot of Chicago wedding vendor readers and aspiring wedding planner reading my blog I wanted to let you know of an event that may be of interest to you. My friend Katy Carrier of Carrier & Associates and hosting a great event in Chicago on Monday, October 17th. Law School for Wedding Professionals is a day-long educational workshop covering the legalities of owning, protecting and growing your wedding business.
Nail Polish Color for your Bridesmaids
You picked out the perfect dress, shoes and jewelry for their bridesmaids and even may have helped them pick out their hair style. But did you let them know what color nail polish you prefer them to wear? It is a good idea to let your lovely bridesmaids know if you want them to maybe have french nails or soft and neutral pink nails on the weekend of your wedding. Have a bridesmaids that is prone to wearing bright yellow or lavendar and it does not match your color scheme? Then it is okay to let them know what you are hoping them to have on their nails and toes that weekend.
Ali appears in Wedding Bells Magazine
I was recently quoted in Chicago's Wedding Bells Magazine in the Summer 2005 issue.
Mike Killingsworth, a writer for Wedding Bells and Wedding Channel, was interested in hearing more about unique outdoor ceremony locations in Chicago. Please click the pdf link to see the article!Download file Another great location in Chicago to host an outdoor ceremony is Washington Square Park, across from the Newberry Library, at Clark and Walton. It is a three acre plot of land with a grassy lawn area, diagonal walkways and a gorgeous fountain in the center of the park. This area provides a beautiful shaded backdrop for a wedding ceremony and a great location for pictures. When chosing to have an outdoor ceremony, it is important to have a Plan B in case of rain or inclement weather. Speak with your wedding coordinator and catering manager at your reception location well in advance of the wedding day to talk about where you will have the ceremony in case of rain.
Fall Wedding Trends -Design (Part 1 of 3)
Fall in Chicago is one of my favorite times of the year. The smell of burning wood, crisp leaves crunching under my feet and red sunsets glowing over Lake Michigan. The short season between late-September and December provides couples with a myriad of ways to personalize their wedding. They’re incorporating the texture and the feel of Autumn in their choices of design, food, as well as their wedding activities. Fall in Chicago gives couples the freedom to fully express themselves in all aspects of their wedding weekend.