Club LOLA – Classic Wedding Styles Gone Modern
Club LOLA was the trend for our bar and sweet table at our annual open house. Here are the trends it focused on:
- We have lots of brides that book venues like Cathedral Hall at the University Club of Chicago and want to make the room feel softer. The trends featured in this vignette are perfect for that – leathers, plaids and heavy large furnishings can be made more feminine with gestural floral, eclectic candlelight and feminine touches!
- The “Butler’s Pantry” is a trend we LOVE! Mix and match with your tabletop items – vintage silverware, crystal and sterling serving pieces and spin into a modern eclectic look!
- The classic monogram is something that works beautufilly for a couple that wants a statement that can carry though both masculine and feminine design details.
- Champagne Cocktails are a classic that never goes out of style – add fruity touches in your signature color to create a more customized signature cocktail
- Monogram your cupcakes and color coordinate your sweet table for a look that carries your design themes thru the food for your event
- Add a fresh bloom to a crisp white linen napkin to finish your tabletop design
Thanks to Event Creative, Magnificent Milestones, Tablescapes, BBJ Linen, Blue Plate Catering and More Cupcakes for helping us with our trend translation! Thanks to Michael Monar for these photos.
Tips for the Best Man (or woman) Toast
Please welcome my guest blogger for the week – Honorary LOLA and my Best Man in life, my husband Bryan… I have witnessed his toasts and they are always SPECTACULAR. I followed his rules myself when toasting him at our own wedding reception pictured here (I think it is easy to see how the photos tie in with his interesting choice of wardrobe – which is another story for another day)…
RULES FOR TOASTING:
I have witnessed dozens of best man speeches. There have been the tear-jerking sentimental, bro-hugging toasts honoring mom and dad and the lovely bride; the boring, mundane and monotone recital from a crumpled bar napkin; as well as the infamous champagne spilling, incoherent jabbering of an unprepared best man. When I was asked twice to be the Best Man, I felt it was my duty to honor my friendship with a toast that made ‘em laugh, made ‘em cry and most importantly, it’s what every Best Man should strive for, the sentimental heart-warming sigh of love that washes over the room at the end.
I am not a great public speaker. I am not a gregarious entertainer. I am simply a buddy who was asked to be a best man and wanted to really step up and give it my all. And as a result, I’ve been told on several occasions that my toasts are the best people have ever witnessed. Below I have highlighted my 3 simple steps to a great best man speech:
Step 1 – Introduction
Briefly introduce yourself and how you know the groom and then thank the hosts and parents for a wonderful evening. Giving some brief background on who you are and how you know the wedding party helps the crowd identify with you. Most likely, the parents have paid for the wedding so it’s certainly flattering to kiss up and thank them for a wonderful evening. This first step needs to be direct, heartfelt, charming and brief. But it’s a great ice breaker leading into
Step 2. – Make ‘Em Laugh
Tell a funny story that revolves around you and the bride and groom, not your relationship with just the groom. It’s the brideand groom’s day, not yours. This story could be how you first met the bride or how your best friend told you about this new girl he is dating. It is vital to not insult anyone. This story must be PG and have romance and humor. If you need to embellish a little to make it wholesome, then do so. If you think a funny drinking story will kill, you are wrong. If you feel its time to unleash some jokes about marriage or insults about the groom, stop. The story needs to be touching and connect with everyone from Grandma Olivia to the teenage nieces and nephews. And if you want to take it to the next level, I recommend involving:
· Props
· Audio / Visual
· Other bridesmaids and groomsmen
Step 3. – Make It Heartfelt
After you have the audience laughing with you, not at you, its time to wrap up the toast and leave them wanting more. The key here is to blend some of the details from the funny story into the importance of love, friendship, and marriage. This is where you want to hear that sentimental, loving sigh wash over the audience as moms dab tears from the corner of their eyes and your buddies give you a head nod that says “well played, sir”. At this point, ask the crowd to raise their glass and make a one sentence poignant, simple and heartfelt final toast.
A final piece of advice – KEEP IT BRIEF – 2-4 Minutes is longer than it sounds. I also strongly recommend memorizing your speech. Spend time rehearsing the words and delivery and if you need some prompting, bring a small, palm size notecard with a general outline of your toast. What other opportunity will you have to entertain a room full of people hanging on your every word? Your best friend deserves the time and effort so be prepared and deliver a toast that will always be remembered.
Good luck!
Bryan a.k.a. Mr “LO”
Plan a Retro Valentine’s Party
Looking for a fun and cheap way to make your Valentine’s Dinner special? Here are some ideas for entertaining on this lovey-dovey holiday that will take you back to the sweet simple Valentine’s Days of your childhood!
Candy Heart Centerpiece: Take clear vases and fill them with conversation heart candy, top with a votive and voila! Retro-Romantic centerpiece for pennies!
Love Note Place Cards: Along with your email invitation response, have your guests send you words for a Mad Libs! Get some online forms, fill them in, print them, and fold them into heart shaped notes reminicent of those you used to pass to your middle school crush.
Chic Buffet: I found these old lunch trays for $4/pp at a resale shop – what a fun way to dress up your next dinner buffet! I do, however, draw the line at wearing a hair net to serve!
Party Games: Top off the evening with some retro fun – the Newlywed Game on DVD! Good luck, and Happy Valentine’s Day from the LOLA Pro’s!
The Benefits of a Hotel Wedding!
On December 12th Kristi & Jake tied the knot at Chicago’s Historic Intercontinental Hotel. Thanks to Rachel at Metropolitan Images for these great photos!
This smart bride made life easy for herself and eliminated the ‘X factor’ of December travel around the city (forget the crowds and the weather!) and had both the ceremony and reception on-site at the hotel - where they exchanged vows in the Grand Ballroom under the room’s signature Baccarat Chandalier. Here are some great things to inquire about when looking at a hotel for your wedding:
1. What sort of upgrades are included that you otherwise may need to pay for? At the Intercontinental, the gorgeous chargers pictured below are standard issue for all the place settings, and their standard linen is an elegant ivory brocade. Upgrades like this can cost as much as $10-15/pp if you need to bring in outside rentals.
2. Kristi chose her colors wisely – as they coordinated with the existing holiday decor within the hotel.
3. As dog people, we LOVE that Kristi and Jake’s dog Porkchop wasn’t excluded from the festivities! He got to stay in the bridal suite which truly made the happy couple feel like the entire family was there with them.
Wording and Tone for your Casual Wedding Invitation
Not only can it be a challenge to get all the etiquette of a wedding invitation correct – it can be tricky to word your wedding invitation so that it properly reflects the mood and formality of the event… Especially if you are having a more unique reception that may not be the traditional ceremony, dinner, dancing format. It is important that your invitation sets the correct tone, so that guests can set their expectations accordingly. It also helps ease their stress on attending something less “cookie cutter” in terms of helping them choose an appropriate gift and the proper attire to wear to the affair. Here are a few of my favorite client invitations that reflect the vibe of their event perfectly!
Jade and Raj are having a semi-formal multi-cultural affair, and want to make sure that both bride and groom guests are excited and informed as to what to expect from their ceremony. The design of the invitation as well as the wording and fonts are all reflective of this objective, and it has transformed into one of the major inspirations for the entire event. This invitation was created by Visual Affair specifically for the client.
Mary and Victor had a semi-casual affair on the Chicago Lakefront and created this invitation themselves as a DIY project. They wanted to make sure guests were aware of the location so they wouldn’t wear shoes or clothing inappropriate to the beach or their outdoor venue. We also loved that they invited their guests to wear certain colors that reflected the time of day – which inspired the decor for their event.
Lori & Bryan had married in a private ceremony previously, and wanted to host a very casual cocktail reception to kick off the 4th of July Weekend and celebrate the recent nuptuals. To make sure guests knew what to expect from the evening and keep the mood extremely casual and festive – they got creative with their invitation. They weren’t serving dinner and wanted to make sure that was reflected as well.
Hurray for Iowa!
We are so excited for Gay and Lesbian couples in our neighboring state of Iowa – who can now enjoy the legal rights and social milestones previously reserved only for heterosexual couples. We were lucky enough to help Jo and Ellen coordinate their 2007 reception in Oak Park, IL following a heartfelt ceremony that can now also be recognized as legal! (photo by Peter Pawinski)
For those gay couples looking to make your union legal – hop on over to Iowa to have a Civil Ceremony and then come back to Chicago to party! Many couples that get married in Illinois may make it legal prior to the ceremony for whatever reason in another state or country. You can still have a ceremony and reception in IL after managing the legalities over state lines! Here is how you do it in Iowa…
Residency: Same-sex couples do not have to be residents of Iowa in order to obtain a marriage certificate. Couples should bring a photo ID and their Social Security card with them at the time of registration.
Cost: Expect to pay at least $30
Previous Marriages: Divorce happens. If either of you have been previously married, be prepared to show your divorce papers. If the divorce is fresher than 60 days, bring a signed copy.
Waiting Period: You will have to wait up to three (3) business days for the application to process.
Blood And Other Tests: No tests are required in order to marry in Iowa.
Witnesses: You will need a witness, so plan on bringing a close friend or relative with you when you apply for the license.
Age Requirements: You both need to be at least eighteen (18) years of age.
Wedding Officiant: Even after you apply, your marriage isn’t valid unless an ordained and licensed clergymen or justices of the peace officiates over your ceremony.
Many of these rules are the same in Illinois – but check with your county clerk to check the legalities of the location where you plan to legally tie the knot well in advance of the Big Day! Here is the info for Cook County:
http://www.cookctyclerk.com/sub/marriage_licenses.asp
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