Simply Perfect by Melissa Rave

It is always a pleasant surprise to stumble upon kind words shared on our services. This stumble came to me in an an unexpected way. I received a phone call from a photographer I have not worked with inquiring about our services for one of his clients (what a nice guy to take on the research!). He told me he found us through WeddingBee in a comment posted about our services. What a great surprise to have a new vendor contact me AND to tell me a previous bride of ours was raving about our work with them!!!

It is so flattering and complimentary when I get a wonderful thank-you from a client, an amazing recommendation from a previous bride to a potentially new bride, or a random post on the internet complimenting us on our services. It is nice to know we are doing our job to make our brides happy and stress-free…and LOVING what we do!

A special thank-you to Ray of Emotia Photography for sharing this with me. www.emotia.com

Simply Perfect by Melissa and Chicago Style Weddings

If you have not receive your latest edition of Chicago Style Weddings..sporting a new cover for the new year…be sure to pick one up. We are very pleased to announce that one of our weddings is featured in the issue. Andrea and Luke had a fabulous Chicago loft-style wedding with some Italian flair. Their ceremony was held at Notre Dame in Chicago and the reception followed at Gallery 1028. The couple love to stroll Little Italy on the weekends and enjoy some of the sweet treats found in the shops, so they opted to do a little of this for their pictures and had a ton of fun!!

Here is a link to their pictures posted on ChicagoStyleWeddings.com

http://www.chicagostyleweddings.com/realweddings.asp?38

They are also on pages 174 & 175 in the current issue. More of their photos will be posted on SimplyPerfectByMelissa.com very soon!

***A special thanks to Pret-a-Poser Photography for taking such great photos! www.pretaposer.com

Attention All DIY Stationers

For all of those planning an event and thinking of creating your own stationery items- invitations, place cards, menu cards, programs, etc. The be-all-end-all place for stationery items in the Chicago area, Paper Source, is hosting a wedding stationery event to help inspire and teach. This may be worth looking into for some new ideas and techniques to make your self-created announcements extra fabulous. Look below for details-

Informtion below was copied from www.paper-source.com 

Complimentary Creative Wedding Demos February 21, 2009 All Paper Source Store Locations We invite you to join us for an afternoon of complimentary demos, make-and-takes and inspiration for your big day! 11:30 am – Announcing the Big Day 12:45 pm – Inspired Invitations 2:00 pm – Tasteful Tabletop Décor No matter what your style or budget, Paper Source can help you achieve a wedding invitation & stationery suite that reflects your sense of beauty, creativity and personal expression. Whether you’re looking for classic whites, elegance with a twist, romantic flourishes, or a fresh modern look, we’ve got the materials and inspiration to help you do something creative for your big day! Visit our store locations to find a store near you. Bring this Raffle Ticket to our February 21 Wedding Event to be included in the Raffle.

Exclusive Event: The Wedding Suite March 5, 2009 – 6:30 – 9 PM $35 per person All Paper Source Store Locations Sip sparkling champagne and enjoy chocolate dipped strawberries while you create a full suite of wedding samples — including a select group of letterpress invitations, escort cards, favors and table accents. Registration is required to attend this special event. Seats are limited to 15, so don’t delay. Sign up with a friend and receive $5 off each seat! To register for this exclusive event, please visit your store’s workshop registration page.

 

Remember…if you are thinking of taking on the project of your stationery items, give yourself plenty of time. There are a billion other things that go into a planning a wedding or event and this can be very time consuming (and frustrating at times). This type of project is NOT something to start the week before your inviations need to be mailed or making programs, menu cards and place cards the week of the wedding. You often need to order items in bulk (of which you receive a discount on bulk purchases at Paper Source), try it out on your printer or find a printer, possibly cut the needed shapes/sizes, and assemble. Do not create extra stress and decide to do this on your own without the proper planning. We take on crafts and projects to have fun…not stress!

Enjoy and good luck!

Simply Perfect by Melissa meets Colin Cowie

One of the many highlights at this year’s Association of Bridal Consultants conference in Newport Beach, CA was meeting Colin Cowie and listening to him share some of the fabulous events he has been part of creating. When the doors opened to allow us into the ballroom for our “Couture Luncheon” starring Colin, you would have thought there was a million dollar prize in the room that we had to run and find. The milion dollar prize was getting a table close to his or being front and center to listen to him speak. At 6.5 months pregnant, I was very pleased to say I made it not only to the front of the room near the stage, but also next to his table- DOUBLE SCORE!

As Colin shared just a few of his magnificent events with us, I was in awe of how his mind is this never-ending, churning pool of creativity. None of his event looks alike or feel alike- each is uniquely fabulous!

Here is Colin in action talking to us…

During Colin’s talk, he was asked many question by various consultants. One that I found interesting was “What have you not done that you still want to do?” Colin responded by saying “working in the whitehouse…I have been texting Oprah in hopes of working Obama’s inauguration”. Oprah…if you are reading…return the man’s text!!!!

We were fortunate that Colin took time to autography books for us…her was my moment with Colin…

Although the events he shared with us were amazing, my close proximity to his table, and great viewI had for his talk…the climax of the afternoon was by far his generosity in auction off the opportunity to assist him at one of these beyond-platinum weddings. He had done this in the past for the ABC and 2 lucky ladies paying $7,000 each had a once in a lifetime opportunity to shadow him for a day. Some may say that is a lot of money, but for those in the industry, the experience, knowledge, and opportunity of doing this is just priceless. This year he generously offered to auction his services again. After what seemed like forever of bidding (really only 15-20 minutes), we had 3 ladies who were not going to give up their bid. The price tag had gone up to $10,000 and none of them were backing off! Colin announced he would take on all three each paying $10,000….but then it did not stop. He announced that ANYONE wanting to pay $10,000 could have this opportunity. Within minutes, 13 PEOPLE joined him on the stage, and just like that, the Miss Dorothy Education Scholarship with the ABC raised $130,000!!!!!! I was tempted to join the bandwagon…but I figured I may be homeless when I returned home to my husband

Thank-you to Colin for not only sharing your inspiring stories and events, but for making this year’s ABC conference a record-breaker!!

Wedding Cakes to Impress

This will most likely be on of many more posts to come on the Annual Conference of the Association of Bridal Consultants. This year’s event was held in sunny Newport Beach, California  at the Fairmont Hotel and was themed “California Couture”. One of the best things about this conference is attending wonderful, lavish events…and being the guest! The next best thing is the food…and sweets and cakes are not left off the menu!

Here are some of the cakes on display for us to be wowed by…

The opening night cake for the ABC (Association of Bridal Consultants). The little circles/ovals on the cake are the ABC logo.

 cake created by: Hansen’s Cakes, California

Here were some featured cakes at our “Wedding Couture Luncheon” featuring Collin Cowie as our keynote speaker. All of the cakes were created by The Cake Studio, Southern California. They are ALMOST too good to eat!

Cakes to mimic your dress:

Cakes with a theme to match the wedding:

Fabulous Floral Cakes: 

 

We all want a cake that tastes great, but why not have one that looks amazing, too! A cake like one above will be a piece of artwork for your guests to admire when they enter your fabulous soiree! Think unique with your cake- pull a special element from your wedding to inspire your cake. This may be:

•  a design from your dress
•  a pattern on your stationery items
• the season of your wedding
• the location of your wedding- unique venue, city scape, etc.

Have fun with your cake…you only get a cake like this once!

Adorn Brides…new discount code and EVEN better

I posted last year a discount code to get a great deal on renting real diamonds! Adorn Brides (www.adornbrides.com) is a jewelry rental company where you can rent all kinds of real gems and jewels to wear on your big day! It is super easy…view their site, pick out what you want, request it, pay the rental fee, and they mail it to you. You get to keep the jewelry for a few days and you mail it back. That easy!!

This is such a great way to make you sparkle even more on your wedding day and to feel extra special with your jewels! Use this code and get 10% off your purchase…

CHBC1017 

Happy shopping!!

Winter and Early Spring Day of Wedding Coordinator Special

Simply Perfect by Melissa is offering a special on our Day of Coordination services for the months of January, February, March and April. We are offering a $200 discount for all Chicago and surrounding suburbs weddings!! This package will consist of:

-2 hours of in-person consultation to develop a timeline for your wedding day and discuss wedding details and vendors. Email and phone conversations can occur as needed!

-Send the timeline to your vendors so they are aware of the schedule.

-Prepare a bridal party letter to inform your bridal party members of where they need to be and when for the weekend.

-We will contact all of your wedding vendors 7-10 days prior to the wedding to confirm their services.

-We will oversee and manage your ceremony rehearsal.

-We are there on your wedding day for 8-10 hours. Overseeing, setting up, managing, orchestrating, trouble-shooting, and assisting to make your wedding day go smoothly!

These jobs are often assigned to friends and family…but why make them work at your wedding. They want to have fun and be stress-free. Sometimes the bride is even running around on the day of her wedding deal with the details. Have confidence in your day by knowing that someone else knows all of your details and can ensure they are in place and ready to go…just has you have envisioned them. You have been planning for months and want to enjoy your hardwork coming together. We are professionals that do this just about every weekend of the year! Let us handle the details and you can be a guest at your on wedding!!!

Mention this post for you discounted price. We will only be taking one wedding a weekend during this time!Call or email us today to set up a free meeting- 224-430-1401 or simplyperfectbymelissa@yahoo.com.

Chloe B Invitations

Simply Perfect by Melissa is proud to announce that we now carry an exclusive line of invitations from Carlson Craft and Crane and Co.- Chloe B. This line offers high quality paper, beautful ink selections, and unique motiffs. We are excited to be a selected member to carry this line!

Check out Chloe B products

http://chloeb.singleresource.com/StaticPage.cfm?strShobaMainchloeb.singleresource.com=298068455&intStaticPageID=13062

Contact us if you would like to see samples or meet to talk more about your event’s stationery needs!!

SimplyPerfectByMelissa@yahoo.com

224-430-1401

 

Setting the Scene- Perfect Picture Spots

“All dressed up and no place to go”…not when you are done reading thjs. We put together a list of some great locations to take pictures on your wedding day…

Downtown Chicago HotSpots….

Although some of these spots may be loaded with brides every weekend, rain or shine…they are still great locations that capture the spirit of Chicago

1. The Museum Campus- one of the best spots to get the skyline as a background.

2. Historic building fronts- Art Institute, Water Tower, Field Museum, Science and Industry Museum, Shedd Aquarium (backside is great), Wrigley building, etc.

3. Chicago Scenes- Michigan Ave bride, State Street while riding a horse and carriage or standing out the sunroof, the Chicago River

4. Navy Pier- get some great lake shots with a portion of the skyline as a backdrop (maybe sneak inside the Crystal Gardens if it looks like it may rain). Take a ride on the ferriswheel or the carousel to spark the child in you.

5. Parks- Millenium Park and Grant Park- The Bean and Buckingham Fountain are a must-have-shot-spot!

6. Architecture- Use reflections from building windows to get some great contemporary shots. Train stops also have some great lines and features to get some fun, funky pictures. Chicago is known for its outstanding skyline and architecture…take some time to sneak away from all the other couples in the most obvious Chicago locations and some great personal shots of just the two of you.

Bringing out the Best in You…

Some of the best weddings I have worked on are those that reflect the couple- their favorite things, hobbies, culture, and personalities.

1. Ethnic neighborhoods- Greek Town, Little Italy, Chinatown…take a walk down the streets, visit the little shops, and talk to the people. It is so fun to do these things in your fancy wedding clothes!

2. Campus Tours- If you went to college here in Chicago, revisit your old college roots. Most campuses have some great buildings and scenery.

3. Sports fanatics- Wrigleyville, Soldier Field, and US Cellular Field great places to capture your favorite past times all decked out.

4. Relive your proposal- take her back to the spot that sparked this whole big day!

On Location in the Burbs…

Outside of the city are some great photo locations, too! Here are a few we have visited…

1. Botanic Gardens- beware…there is a permit that has to be purchased on the day of the wedding. Make sure your new hubby has a credit card or a spare $125 for admission and $15 for parking in his wallet. Also pack your bridal gym shoes…you may have to hike a bit to get to some favorite locations.

2. Morton Arboretum, Lisle- nature sanctuary near for beautiful pictures all year round, especially the fall!

3. Bahai Temple, Wilmette, IL- Beautiful gardens

4. St. Mary’s of the Lake Seminary, Mundelein, IL- forests, a lake, historic buildings, bridges, and more! Great place in Lake County for shots. You do need to contact them ahead of time for a permit, but it is FREE!

5. Lake Michigan…anywhere on the north shore!

Dont’ forget that all of these places look different during different times of the year and around different holidays! Check them out and see what you think of the location a few weeks before your big day. It is always a good idea to drive the route you may follow on your wedding day to see if anything jumps out at you and to see how your photo journey will flow. The more time you can allow for pictures, the more you will get and, most likely, the happier you will be in the end!

When you return from your honeymoon…those pictures will be one of the few vivid accounts you have of that once in a lifetime day!

Tip for all you summer brides…if you plan to take outdoor shots…order 1 extra tux shirt for each of the men in the bridal party. It will be so refreshing to change shirts before the party begins and you will appreciate the nice clean smell as the evening goes on!

Crate and Barrel Registry Event

For those of you planning to include Crate and Barrel on your wedding registry…this is the event for you! The following dates are their Wedding Party Event…Jan 27, Feb 10, 17, 24, and/or Mar 2 from 9am-11am. You do need to call a location near you to RSVP. A free gift is included!!!

The Michigan Ave, Old Orchard, Woodfield, Oakbrook, and Lincoln Park stores are a few with furniture if you would like to include some larger items on your registry!