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!

Simply Perfect by Melissa Carries Jean M stationery and favor items

Simply Perfect by Melissa is proud and excited to announce that we now carry Jean M stationery items. We are one of the very few coordinators and wedding vendors to have a complete collection of paper swatches, ribbon samples, and pre-made invitations to look at and feel. In working with us to customize your Jean M invitation or save the date, you will actually get to see the colored paper it will be printed on and match the perfect accessory item to embellish your stationery piece. There is no guessing or trying to match electronic swatches!

In addition, our partnership with Jean M allows us to get you all the accessories, favors, and apparel that Jean M offers!

Wedding Resource Guide- Winter 07/Spring 08

A picture taken by Steve Brown of Steve Brown Studios from a wedding Simply Perfect by Melissa coordinated is a featured photograph in The Wedding Resource Guide for Winter 07/Spring 08 on page 214. The bouquet was done by Lewis Florist in Grayslake and the invitation is Carlson Craft through Simply Perfect by Melissa. Laura and Walker will most likely remember that day not only becuase it was their wonderful wedding, but also one of the hottest days of the summer! Enjoy!

Chicago Style Weddings Real Wedding Spotlight

The newest issue of Chicago Style Weddings is due out any day now and Simply Perfect by Melissa will have a featured wedding- Kersten and Neal! You can get a sneak peek in our Gallery at SimplyPeferfectbByMelissa.com. CSW could not have chosen a better couple or wedding to feature. Be sure to pick up the Mar/Apr issue to see their wedding.

Miss to Mrs….Changing your name

One of the pleasures of married life is taking on a new name! With the new name comes a whole new series of hoops to jump to get that new name legal- paperwork, long lines, marriage certificates, etc. There is now a way to save you time and frustration of filling out all kinds of paperwork over and over again. I found this great service that may be the answer to this dreaded task!

Change your name with Social Security, the IRS, US Passport, Postal Service, your Driver’s License and credit bureaus all in one stop! You can even request marriage certificates here…MissNowMrs.com is the one spot to take care of all your name changing needs.

The cost of this service is $29.95 (a small additional charge for marriage certificate requests). They provide you with all of the forms, addresses, and a list of needed documents. They tell you everything that needs to be done to save you the time of making mistakes (like I did two times). You will be prompted to enter all of your personal information and it sifts through that information to complete all the forms you need!!! What a time saver!

There are a few other sites that can take care you changing your name, but this site has the most online forms to get your new name out to the most people, and they have the more updated state and federal forms online than the others.

Simply Perfect by Melissa offers gift cards…these are great to give as shower gifts! You can also buy these for yourself so you are already to change your name when the time comes! We offer the cards for $25 saving you a little bit of money and eventually a ton of time! Call or email to get your gift card!

Honeymoon Planning

You have been busy planning all the details of your wedding day- flowers, the band, favors, menu selection, hair style, etc. BUT one of the best parts of the wedding is what comes after- the honeymoon! Your time to relax with your new hubby and enjoy your first weeks as a married couple!

Honeymoons used to mean going to Florida for a week or maybe a resort on one of the beaches in the caribbean, but now couples are trying to be different. They are planning honeymoons that are more than just lounging in the sun. These are trips that are once-in-a-lifetime, unique, fun, and  adventuresome! These are you out-of-the-box honeymoons!

Don’t get me wrong- sitting poolside, listening to the waves crash on the beach, sipping a fruity drink with a litte umbrella, and smelling the sweet scent of tanning lotion is still a great way to honeymoon! In doing just a bit of looking and reading, you can find some really cool options for about the same price!

US Honeymoons-

Tour of wine country- Napa Valley, CA: stay in a quaint bed and breakfast, tour some of the best wineries in the US, romantic dinners in the countryside….this is a wine-lovers dream come true!

Alaskian get away- summers are a great time to cruise to Alaska leaving from Washington or Vancouver. See the shores of Alaska along with the ocean wildlife and picturesque mountainscapes. Some cruises will have a water and land portion where you will train into the wilderness and lodge in a cabin.

Scottsdale, Arizona- some of the best spas and golfing in the US are right here in Scottsdale. Start the morning with a round of golf, get a midafternoon massage for two, sit by the pool, and then dance the night away after dining on a gourmet meal! Not so bad!!

Central/South America-

Ecuador- This country houses one of the most spectacular places on earth- The Galapagos Islands. These are only seen by boarding a small ship or yacht manned by trianed National Park guides. From hiking to amazing scuba diving, there is a little something for everyone in this journey!

Costa Rican Rainforest- Ecostourism is hot right now! Become one with nature- stay in a forest resort surrounded by nature. Fall asleep to the sounds of the wild, bird watch during the morning, hike trails in the afternoon, and relax in natural hot springs  later in the afternoon. If you are lucky and staying in the right place, you may even see Volcan Arenal display a firey show for you!

These are only a few unique ways to honeymoon. There are so many options and so many things to do and see! Do a little research and see what you can find.

Simply Perfect by Melissa can also help you plan your honeymoon. We have access to travel search engines used by travel professionals and we are partnered with Sandals Resorts to help with planning all of your details.

Simply Perfect by Melissa Joins ISES

Simply Perfect by Melissa recently became a member of ISES. What is ISES???

ISES is the International Special Events Society. This organization gathers together all types of professionals in the event planning industry around the world to network and become more educated in the industry. Some of the top professionals in the world are members of this organziation. Simply Perfect by Melissa has joined to keep up with what is new and to continue meeting outstanding vendors to make the events we coordinate even better.

Photography 101

You have a great man and a fabulous ring….and now you are off! Planning a wedding, can at times, feel like you are in a race. Choose the date, then the location and then all the vendors that come with it before all the others getting married on the same day…WOW!

Hopefully this will help out a bit as you begin to search for one of the most important vendors- the people who will capture the moments and provide you with the visual memories to remember your special day…your photographer!

There are definitely photographers out there for all budgets…and you do not have to spend thousands and thousands to get a good, quality photographer. You do need to do a bit of research and some interviewing to find the perfect match. These tips may help you to find the person that is right for you-

1. MEET YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER- Would you order your wedding dress and have it shipped to the church to see and put on for the first time on your wedding day??? Would you choose your menu and taste it for the first time at your reception?? Would you let your family choose the location for your reception and surprise you with it on the big day??? THEN WHY DO THAT WITH THE PERSON WHO WILL CAPTURE THE DAY??? This person will be around you for 8 to 10 hours. You have to get along with your photographer, let them know what you like and dislike, and let then get comfortable with your style. You do not want to meet this person and realize you have conflicting personalities. An in-person meeting is the best way to ensure you have chosen the best match.

2. Look at a complete wedding from the photographer shooting your day- See how this person viewed the wedding they were shooting. See how the story is told through the photographer’s eyes. You can tell what details the photographer catches…is it more than just your shoes and jewelry? You want emotion, sweet kisses, the look in your father’s eye as he sees his daughter all grown up…make sure the photos reflect what you would want captured on your day.

3. Ask for references- Talk to others who have worked with this photographer to make sure the way he/she comes across at your first meeting is consistent through the day of your wedding. Was this person on time? Were they flexible with reasonable changes in the wedding day schedule.

4. Ask the photographer for input on picture locations- Weather is unpredictable and so is Chicago traffic. It is important to have a plan A and plan B for pictures. You should not be the only one looking for the ideal spot to capture special moments. Your photographer should be knowledgeable or be willing to look into some options for you.

5. Make sure to ask questions- Besides questions on photography, ask questions on the deposit and contract. Is an engagement session included (highly recommended to have these taken even if you have to pay extra for them)? Can packages be customized? Make a knowledgeable choice!

 Good luck as you venture out to find the perfect photographer…here are a few that SPM has worked with…

Becky Hill Photography (www.beckyhillphoto.com)

Jennifer Mordini Photography (www.jennifermordini.com)

Husar Photography (www.husarphotography.com)

Kelley Demas Photography (www.kelleydemasphotography.com)

Pret-a-Poser Photography (www.Pretaposer.com)