First Go at an Inspiration Board

This elegant ceremony and handsome after-party are simply perfect for the quickly approaching cool weather! Greatest Expectations Special Events & Weddings, Inc., styled this shoot along with Julia Franzosa Photography, and it features a simple, Zen-like beginning followed by a crisp reception that includes a homemade s’mores and hot cocoa bar from Truffle Truffle. Genius! We adore the geometric color-block stationery in white, gray, and black from Sarah Drake, as well as the greenery arrangements paired with bronze succulents from Pistil & Vine. There’s just nothing better than a timeless Chicago affair—complete with traditional tuxes from Black Tie Formalwear—where no detail was overlooked! See it all in the gallery!

There’s nothing better on a cold and snowy day than the arms of your sweetie wrapped tightly around you. This warm and fuzzy engagement shoot by Laura Ivanova, Melissa Schollaert, and Molly Michel would make anyone excited for winter love and the stunning winter-inspired anemone, rose, and privet berry bouquet by Asrai Garden would set any chilled heart aflutter! The cool greys and soft pastels in these photos Laura Ivanova by are perfect inspiration for a winter wedding!

Photographer Eric Kelley and Lora Kelley and Mallory Joyce envisioned an urban, chic elopement in Chicago, and we’re completely enamored with the styled shoot these creative minds crafted. Models were striking in Oscar de la Renta, Manolo Blahnik and J. Crew. Vale of Enna designed moody flower arrangements made of succulents, anemones, roses, air plants and more, adding depth to the already varied backdrop of Prairie Street Brewhouse. The paper suite created by MaeMae Paperie is modern, yet classic—we love the pop of color inside the envelopes and the green hue that brightens this shoot!

I’m so excited to share today’s shoot with you. Not only was it inspired by the oh-so-popular Hunger Games Trilogy, but it’s absolutely gorgeous whether you read the books or not. Naturally Yours Events combined both rustic and very glamorous details, symbolizing the contrasts that occurred throughout the series. Rich foods and exotic flowers reflect the extravagance of a feast while rustic elements like unfinished tables and the natural moss with primrose “kokedama favors” still give the shoot a rough-around-the-edges feel. The whole shoot is natural yet utterly decadent and I love every single photo by Anthony Barlich Photography!

A huge thank you to all six teams who entered the Indie Wed Inspired Creations contest!  We are so excited to announce the winner and runner up – every team did an amazing job and all of the couples who attended Indie Wed, as well as all of you readers, actively voted for your favorite teams, and Kelly from Indie Wed and I are so grateful!  So, without further adieu, here we go!

Isn’t there just something magical about hot air balloons? Our Inspired Creations Contest concept today from Pemberley Events, Petal Play Design, Image Icon Photography and 11 Eureka Boutique was inspired by a photo of a fun-loving couple in a hot air balloon. Floating glass balls and papier-mâché hot air balloons floated above a vibrant and colorful tabletop filled with roses, tulips, and poppies. The color didn’t stop with the flowers! Along the natural runner sat colorful vases and glassware too. The seating chart was actually burlap map of the world with different colored hot air balloons showing people where to sit. Such an adorable theme and wonderful ideas for a colorful travel-inspired wedding!

It’s already so hard to resist photo booths, but add in antique details, vintage LPs, and fabulous accessories like these from Love, Lulu Mae? Sign me up! This team behind this Inspired Creations Contest put together the Ultimate Photo Booth. Guests use props like vintage hats, mustaches on a stick, sequined and feathered headbands to create photos, buttons, and even videos to post on friends’ facebook walls! Certainly, this is not your ordinary photo booth. It’s super interactive and has so many different options to play with. Doesn’t it look like so much fun?

Welcome to day 2 of the Indie Wed Inspired Creations Contest! The incredible team involved in today’s shoot created an amazing and beautiful idea, a “Belles and Gents Bar”. Picture this: one day, wives crash an old-school gentlemen’s club bringing in big beautiful blooms and brightly colored details to freshen up the usual decor of cigars, highball glasses, aged scotches, and decanters. SQN Events stocked the bar with his and hers drinks (homebrews and sweet tea) from Femme du Coupe personalized by Courtney Callahan Paper and treats like chocolate-covered cigars and bourbon-infused brownies from truffle truffle. Fleur never disappoints with their stunning florals and these peony, ranunculus, and cotton arrangements are absolutely some of my favorites! Love this brilliant idea and beautiful photos by the wonderful Simply Jessie Photography!

We were so thrilled to have The Sweetest Occasion and Elizabeth Anne Designs team up with Chicago’s most fabulous bridal show, Indie Wed, to hold the first-ever in person Inspired Creations Contest!  Teams of Chicago wedding vendors submitted inspiration boards for the event, and 6 talented teams were chosen to exhibit their Inspired Creations Contest concept at Indie Wed in January.  In addition to the brides’ and grooms’ on site voting, votes from the EAD and TSO blog readers will be counted, so weigh in on your favorites!

What a beautiful way to start the week – a gorgeous tabletop, dessert table, and fashion shoot inspired by a French countryside tea party!  This chic shoot at Chicago’s Loft on Lake was designed by Carlene of Naturally Yours Events and features DIY and eco-friendly elements throughout.  Carlene created the escort card display from strips of muslin, lace, and textured fabrics tied onto a piece of wood, many of the florals were grown by Larkspur and are all seasonal, and the stunning bridal gowns were created by Mignonette Bridal using repurposed lace. Even the art from Emmy Star Brown is framed in old window panes!  I’m utterly in love with each and every little detail and all of the images by Julia Franzosa Photography!

Inspired by a peacock feather, these jewel-toned tabletops designed by Beth of SQN Events are the perfect combination of elegant and modern.  Whether you’re planning a wedding or a party, jewel tones set the stage for a fabulous urban holiday soiree, and the gorgeous purple, red, and green palette is brought to life by the modern blooms from Dilly Lily.  Ribbon-wrapped menus and favor boxes with touches of swirling calligraphy add an elegant touch to the wedding tabletop while “naughty” and “nice” gift boxes add cheeky punch to the holiday tablescape.  The scrumptious sweets table and 4-tier truffle cake from Truffle Truffle is a fun and unique alternative to a traditional cake.  I’m in love with all of the colorful images from Maypole Studios!

Working with the fall color palette of amber, gold, saffron and chocolate, Kelly Marie of Fleur and Heather of Greatest Expectations pulled from the in-the-moment trend of beer and hops to style a shoot that is the perfect combination of modern and rustic.  With custom stationery and the cutest vintage beer bottle labels from Lily Red Studio, a mouthwatering menu (a charcuterie and cheese station!) from Pure Kitchen Catering, a beautiful bridal look from The Left Bank, and the fabulous raw space at Architectural Anarchy, every little detail was thoughtfully presented.  And don’t even get me started on the amazing desserts from Truffle Truffle – including an out of this world 4-tier truffle cake!  It was impossible to narrow down the gorgeous images by Amanda Hein, so run over to see ALL of the eye candy in the gallery!

Today is such a fun day for me because I get to show off my very first designed shoot! I was so thrilled when Sara Gray asked me to create a shoot for her latest MarryThis! wedding guide, and immediately enlisted the amazing Kelly Marie Uss of Fleur to join in to help me style a romantic summer wedding shoot, full of vibrant colors and elegant and fluffy blooms. I love trends, but wanted to take a few of the design trends that are popular today, such as vintage china and lace, and use them in a way that was classic and timeless, a wedding that would stay fresh and inspiring for years to come. We chose the absolutely fabulous Aeree Loft at Room 1520 as our venue, its clean white walls and amazing light were the perfect backdrop!

There is just so much pretty in this shoot, I’m over the moon! Kelly Maron Horvath of Paper Stories, Lauren LePine of Ryan Alexander Events, Lynn Fossbender of Pollen, Stevi Savage of AveryHouse, and Shannon Spellman of Plate have dazzled me with their interpretation of glitz and glam for the Inspired Creations Contest, it’s an absolute wonderland of handmade charm.  Mercury glass accents, mother-of-pearl buttons, satin ribbons and gilded china from Plate are just a few of the ways that the team incorporated glitter and glam into their tabletop and dessert display.  And since the Inspired Creations Contest is all about being fabulous on an approachable budget, everything from the sewn paper bunting to the ribbon table runner, escort card holder, cake topper, and even the cake itself was created by Kelly, and all of the decorative accents used in the shoot were brought in from the team’s homes and studios. 

Are you ready for an Inspired Creations Contest submission that’s full of color and Parisian style?  Courtney Callahan of Courtney Callahan Paper, Natalie Walsh of Hello Darling, and Jenn Gaudreau of Jennifer Kathryn Photography are behind this vibrant shoot, inspired by a European masked ball.  The color palette of teal, green, orange, and sparkly gold and bronze is so rich and vivid, and I adore the original and exotic florals with metallic foliage, Israeli ruscus, magnolia, chick pea, kale, and peacock feathers.  Lovely stationery and DIY projects such as personalized dance cards for each guest, a ribbon garland, and hanging “bride and groom” wreaths are just a few of the beautiful touches that make this concept unique – and believe it or not, all of what you see below was created on a budget of only $337!

This morning’s Pancakes & Honey Breakfast shoot featured several handmade wedding projects, and the team of Suzy from Lily Red Studio, Kelly Marie from Fleur, and Jaclyn Simpson Photography have been kind enough to share their DIY secrets with us! They created several projects – click on the links below to jump to the instructions for your favorite:

I’m so excited to show off today’s Inspired Creations Contest idea – it’s retro, vintage, and fresh!  The Chicago team of Jaclyn Simpson Photography, Fleur, and Lily Red Studio created an intimate brunch wedding setting full of scrumptious pancakes and french toast kebabs, on a tabletop set with a handsewn runner, glittering crystal votive holders, and lush blooms. The honey, peach, and tangerine color palette is warm and sweet, and honey dipper favors are the perfect favor.  There are just so many little details to obsess over, so run over and see even more of the images in the gallery!

I think I might want to move in to the Lovely Bake Shop. Really. Cupcakes, jam, vintage floral bar stools, and adorable aprons?  Yes please!  And did I mention the cupcakes?  Melissa Hayes captured these beautiful images of the Lovely Bake Shop in Chicago, which is also an intimate little gem of a wedding venue! The floral design is by Bucktown’s Larkspur and paper goods from Michigan-based Meant to be Sent.

This gorgeous inspiration shoot is full of artsy, bohemian flair, set in the gorgeous garden venue of The Grove in Glenview, IL.  I love the natural, woodsy feeling of the location and the way this team of talented Chicago wedding vendors wove together an eclectic mix of elements to create a sophisticated and ethereal look!  The lovely images are by Dawn Roscoe with floral and decor by Evolution Floral.

Created by Kristen of Kio Kreations and Kara Schultz, our next Inspired Creations Contest concept is all about timeless, classic, vintage beauty.