First things first, Jim and I are using WedPics to share and view images from our wedding events, including the shower, rehearsal dinner, honeymoon, and so on. It makes it easy for everyone to contribute photos to a safe place; people need the wedding ID to be allowed to see it, and I can remove anyone who shouldn’t be in there.
The best part about this is Continue reading
- The Bride
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As previously predicted, Jim and I booked our rehearsal dinner with Pinstripes. It’ll be fun to try out the different entree options over several visits. I do so enjoy that place. Jim also finished the task of booking our transportation and got us a nice, 22-passenger “party bus” from Windy City Limo.
My dress came in Continue reading
- The Bride
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Lately, I’ve been hitting the DIY stuff pretty hard. The combination of Pinterest, Etsy and my own imagination can be a very dangerous thing to my free time and the free time of those around me. Serious thanks must go to Renee and Nicole for helping glue, cut, test, and otherwise bring life to my crazy ideas.
I’ve also formally chosen, via a hefty sized payment, another vendor. Continue reading
- The Bride
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On Monday, Jim and I got the chance to meet up with Christine, my church’s piano and organ player, and Brandy, our chosen soloist for our ceremony. Brandy was fresh off of playing the Wicked Witch in the Wizard of Oz and had practically no voice left from the experience. However, she did a phenomenal job; I can personally vouch for her Saturday performance. Jim and I both were over the moon that Brandy was willing to cantor for us. Her tremendous performance of Climb Ev’ry Mountain when we were in Sound of Music together made her our undisputed first choice.
We spent an hour Continue reading
- The Bride
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My wedding coordinator, Gina, recommended Bella Flora for my floral needs. She claimed the owner, who works out of her house, has very reasonable prices and does over 90% of Gina’s weddings. I remember Gina bragging about her in our initial meeting, come to think of it, and all of this is with good reason. Continue reading
- The Bride
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Entre Bar & Grill
Good news for you night owls! We now have confirmed the details of the after party. Just down the hall from our reception room is Entre Bar & Grill, one of Jim’s favorite haunts. This will be the site of our after party, starting at 11:30pm. The bar has a lovely fireplace, couch seating options, a dance floor, and (of course) a variety of drinks. If you’re staying the night at the Wyndham Garden, which I recommend for you serious partiers, it’s quite convenient.
Speaking of which, don’t forget to book your room! You’ll find the room block details, which are fairly reasonable, on the Accommodations page. Plus, if you change your mind, you can cancel as late as 72 hours in advance without penalty. Booking early has the added bonus of relieving a small bit of my worries… just saying. 🙂
- The Bride
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This past weekend, Jim, my parents, Jim’s mother and I all got together to discuss the bridal shower. Both “future mom” Paulette and my parents have graciously offered to throw me a shower. Continue reading
- The Bride
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After a lively meeting involving references to crazy acne, in case of emergency buttons, and snorting, Jim and I signed with Spinnin’ Discs last night. Spinnin’ Discs is a DJ company that trains and vouches for DJs, so we haven’t picked our exact DJ just yet. However, the company has excellent reviews and comes highly recommended from our wedding planner. Ron in particular has a great idea of what makes a DJ great versus just okay and that makes it easy to trust him with our wedding entertainment. We’re both glad to have one more thing checked off the list!
- The Bride
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After trying on about 70 dresses, sifting through well over 500 photos of those dresses, and definitely fraying some nerves (not just my own, either), I bought a dress. I went to, in order, David’s Bridal in Schaumburg, House of Brides in Schaumburg, Reddington Bridal in Park Ridge, A Joyful Occasion in Naperville, Wedding Belles in Barrington, House of Brides in Glen Ellyn, and – finally – Jasmine Galleria in Lombard. Of these places, I must highly recommend Reddington Bridal, A Joyful Occasion, Wedding Belles and Jasmine Galleria. All of these places have lovely salespeople who obviously love what they do and are not pushy for the sale.
I won’t talk about the dress much; after all, I do want to surprise Jim. I will say this, though: my mom, my dad, Nicole, Renee and Lexi are amazingly patient and have been such a great help through all of this. Thank you so much to all of you.
- The Bride
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To be honest, when we first started looking for a photographer, I wasn’t that concerned with what photographer we chose. I was willing to shop prices and find a bargain. After a little soul searching, I figured out that it is something that’s worth spending more money on – actually, close to twice my initial budget.
What sealed the deal for me was my dad. Continue reading
- The Bride
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