Five Grain Events

Chicago Wedding Planners

Allerton Hotel Wedding — Kristen and Adam

Kristen and Adam’s wedding was the last hurrah for the Five Grain Events 2010 wedding season–and it couldn’t have been a more perfect ending. The day began with hair and makeup in a bright and sunny suite at The Allerton Hotel. Kristen had her four bridesmaids with her (including her 9-month pregnant cousin, Katie, who looked absolutely FABULOUS!). When she put on her incredible wedding gown, the gasps and the giggles said it all.

 

The ladies got to choose their own red shoes to go with their black bridesmaid dresses. SO FUN!

Kristen and Adam chose to do a first look so that they could get some great photos outside at the Museum Campus prior to the ceremony. Lucky for us, the other ballroom at The Allerton was not in use so they shared their private moment there.

While the bridal party was off on their photo shoot with Jeannette and Lisa from Timothy Whaley Photography; my assistant, Sara, and I were setting up for the ceremony and reception.

Kelly Marie Uss from Fleur once again created a gorgeous floral look for Kristen and Adam’s black, white, and red color scheme, and Kristen’s mom took on all the paper products. It was a wonderful group effort!

Before long, the bridal party had returned to The Allerton and it was time for the ceremony. They included traditions from both Jewish and Christian services and Kristen’s cousin, Dan, officiated. It was really personalized–I absolutely ADORED the readings they selected!

The guests filed out of the ballroom where the ceremony had taken place so that The Allerton’s staff could flip the room. Fleur‘s centerpieces were stunningly simple against the backdrop of the funky carpet and ornate stone windows of the old “Tip Top Tap”.

Kristen and Adam’s sisters served as Maid of Honor and Best Woman respectively.  After K & A’s first dance they gave heartwarming speeches, regaling all the guests with stories of the couple’s relationship.

Dinner passed by quickly in order to get to Kristen’s favorite part of the night–DANCING! I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone so excited to dance as Kristen was when she ran onto the dance floor for the Bridal Party dance to Outkast’s Hey Ya. The enthusiasm was shared by Kristen and Adam’s friends and family. Noah (aka DJ Weaponry) from Style Matters did a great job of keeping the party going the whole night.

The desert buffet was opened at 10pm–cupcakes and mini dulce de leche cakes from Bombon–and by 10:10 the spread was COMPLETELY GONE!  I’ve never seen anything like it!  I had to go begging guests to give up their sweets so I could make sure Kristen and Adam got one for themselves.

It was a really wonderful evening and everyone walked away with smiles on their faces.  Kristen and Adam, it was an absolute pleasure working with both of you!  Let’s stay in touch.

Timothy Whaley Photography

Alec’s Bar Mitzvah

“Joan and Five Grain Events also do bar mitzvahs!  My son’s bar mitzvah was a few weeks ago, and she helped everything run perfectly…I met with her several times, explained what I needed help with, and she did exactly that.  My event was not huge (90 people) but I wanted it to be really special and meaningful, and Joan made sure that all the details we planned were executed just like we wanted them.  She helped to coordinate with the vendors, and did the decorating and set up with the caterers while we were at the services.  She did all the work so I could enjoy the party!  I would highly recommend her if you are planning a bar or bat mitzvah, so that you can spend time with your son/daughter, family and friends who have come to share the special day.  Joan is fantastic.”

Stacey and Dave’s Personalized Wedding at the Westin O’Hare 10.30.10

Happy 2011! It feels great to be back to blogging weddings after several weeks off for holiday fun. Don’t get me wrong–I loved spending time with friends and family, sleeping in, and eating myself silly; but there’s something so refreshing about getting refocused and re-energized at the start of a new year.

I was introduced to Stacey and her mom, Linda, just a few months prior to their late-October wedding by Kelly Marie Uss of Fleur. Stacey and her (now) husband Dave met many years ago as campers at a summer camp, but their love blossomed when they returned later in life as counselors. Anyone who has attended camp knows that by the end of the summer everyone feels like family! Stacey and Dave wanted to mimic that feeling on their wedding day and so chose to have both their ceremony and reception at the Westin O’Hare in Rosemont where their guests could all stay and be together for the whole weekend.

The day began with the ladies getting their hair and makeup done in a big suite at the Westin. They had plenty of food, good music, mimosas, and lots of memories to share. The stylists from The Best and Teddie Kossof were already hard at work by the time I arrived. Mike and Salvador from Timothy Whaley & Associates did a great job capturing all the events of the day.

Timothy Whaley Photography

In the meantime, Dave and his groomsmen were in a separate room, doing the usual guy things…I believe poker, football, and beer were involved (in no particular order).

Timothy Whaley Photography

Since they were having an evening wedding, the morning preparations were relatively relaxed. Once “go time” hit, though we all bustled about to get ready for Stacey and Dave’s first look. The guys’ and girls’ rooms were several floors apart so I spent a lot of time riding the elevators upstairs and downstairs delivering messages, pinning boutonnieres, and tightening corsets.

Timothy Whaley Photography

Dave wanted to make sure their first meeting was completely private, so Stacey and Dave saw each other for the first time alongside of the hotel where none of their arriving family would be able to sneak a peek.

Timothy Whaley Photography

Timothy Whaley Photography

After the soon-to-be married couple shared their private moment, they joined the rest of their bridal party out in front of the hotel for portraits and some family pictures indoors.  (Don’t let the gorgeous light fool you–it was quite chilly and windy outside!  Not for the faint of heart.).

Timothy Whaley Photography

Timothy Whaley Photography

Stacey and Dave invited their immediate families to join them as they signed their ketubah prior to the wedding ceremony. As a nod to the place they met and later fell in love, they asked their camp director and his wife to sign the ketubah as witnesses and their children were the flower girl and ring bearer. The group sang and said prayers over the couple wishing them a lifetime of love and happiness.

Timothy Whaley Photography

Timothy Whaley Photography

Meanwhile, guests had begun to arrive. The guest book featured engagement photos of Stacey and Dave. Surrounding the book we set up portraits of their parents and grandparents on their wedding days. Inside the ballroom the ceremony was lit with candles. Floral pieces (created by the ever-wonderful Fleur) that would later be re-purposed as table centerpieces lined the aisle. Stacey asked that the room be set up with more chairs per row than usual so that it was wider than it was long. The resulting atmosphere was more intimate than grand.

Timothy Whaley Photography

Timothy Whaley Photography

Timothy Whaley Photography

Timothy Whaley Photography

The ceremony was brief yet meaningful.  Rather than performing the traditional version of the Jewish custom of circling, Stacey circled Dave 3 times, Dave circled Stacey 3 times, and then the couple circled one another.  They also shared the cup of wine with their whole family rather than only between the two of them.  I love seeing the way couples choose to personalize their ceremonies!

Timothy Whaley Photography

Timothy Whaley Photography

After the ceremony, everyone was ready to party! The newly married couple slipped away for a few minutes alone while the rest of the guests enjoyed cocktails and appetizers just outside the ballroom. Inside the room was being changed over from ceremony to reception. Once it was ready everyone headed back inside for cake cutting and the first dance. The dance floor was alive from before the first course was even served thanks to their fabulous band, Great Life Music.

Timothy Whaley Photography

Timothy Whaley Photography

The grandfathers of the Bride and Groom gave blessings before dinner was served.  Dave’s grandfather is deaf so he signed the Hamotzi and Kiddush while Stacey’s grandfather spoke them.  Stacey’s dad and sister and Dave’s brother all gave heartfelt and well-spoken toasts.

Timothy Whaley Photography

Timothy Whaley Photography

One of the sweetest things I’ve ever seen at a wedding was Stacey and her dad’s father-daughter dance. Dave played guitar and sang while the band backed him up on “You Look Wonderful Tonight”. I don’t think there was a dry eye in the house!

Timothy Whaley Photography

Timothy Whaley Photography

Stacey and Dave were among the first of their friends to be married, and it was clear that all of their guests were incredibly excited for this event! I don’t think I saw an empty dance floor until midnight.

Timothy Whaley Photography

If you are debating whether or not to do a bouquet toss at your wedding, my advice would be to ask yourself this question: will there be a battle for the bouquet? If the answer is yes then it is clear that you should, indeed, do the toss! Luckily, that turned out to be the case here.

Timothy Whaley Photography

 

Timothy Whaley Photography

Timothy Whaley Photography

Timothy Whaley Photography

Stacey and Dave, you were both a joy to work with. It always makes me feel like I did my job when the bride and groom (and their parents!) can just let loose and have a great time–and you all definitely did. Mazel Tov–I wish you all the joy you shared on your wedding day and a thousand times more in your lifetime together.

Timothy Whaley Photography

Happy Birthday Five Grain Events!

Today marks the one-year anniversary of Five Grain Events becoming an official business (or so says the State of Illinois).

It’s hard to believe that one year ago I wrote this blog entry. Since then so much has happened! Here’s a brief list of Five Grain Events’ accomplishments this year:

-Got a dedicated phone number {773-359-3106}, email address {joan at fivegrainevents dot com}, website, facebook page, and twitter handle for FGE

-Brought on an associate planner, Sara

-Blogged 16 “cool people” posts and met about a gazillion more that are still on my list to write about

–Left my full-time job (whoah!)

-Hosted a Tweet-Up for other vendors in the industry

-Was featured on Simply Jessie Photography‘s blog about business owners (a two-parter! Part 1, Part 2)

-Was published on Style Me Pretty for Megan and Aaron’s wedding (thanks to the gorgeous work of Fleur and Laura Witherow)

-Wrote an article on how to select the perfect venue for ChicagoWeddingVenues.com.

-Successfully planned/coordinated 11 events in 2010 (and blogged about many of them–still two more to come) and booked over 20 weddings for 2010/11/12

I could never have done all this without the support and love I got from all of you! I can’t thank you enough for helping me make my dreams come true.

Here’s to an even more exciting 2011!

Love, love, love,

Joan

Choosing the right venue

I recently wrote an article on the importance of choosing the right wedding venue for a great website called Chicago Wedding Venues. This site offers photos submitted by some of the city’s best photographers of wedding venues in the Chicago area (city and suburbs). How many of us have been turned off by the website photos of a certain venue only to visit in person and be wowed? If you’re in the market for your ideal wedding venue, definitely check the site out!

You can read my original article here on the site, or see below. I hope you find it helpful! What are some of your favorite venues in the Chicagoland area?

The Importance of Choosing the Right Venue

After selecting your life partner, your choice of venue is the most important decision you’ll make during the wedding planning process! The venue defines your event style: formal or casual; soft and romantic, or bright and cheerful. It will even determine how well your other vendors can do their jobs: the lighting affects your photographer, your band or DJ will thank you if your dance floor is placed among your tables instead of at the far end of the room, etc. Once you have the perfect venue the stage is set for all of your other planning decisions. I’ve included here the major aspects you should consider as you begin your search.

Budget Don’t just compare rental fee to rental fee—consider what is included. Some venues come with tables and chairs for your use while others include the use of the space only. Those rental items certainly add up, so make sure you’ve gotten the whole story.

Capacity It is equally as uncomfortable to have one hundred guests seated in a ballroom intended for five hundred as it is to try to squeeze 300 guests into a room with the capacity for 250. All venues have a max capacity that they will likely have on their website or in their information packets, but one of my favorite questions to ask a venue coordinator is what their ideal number of guests is in a room—enough to fill the space but not feel crowded. Before you begin with the search have a good idea of your invitation list (and remember to account for the 10-25% of your list that will decline).

Logistics If you plan to be married at a location other than the reception venue, think about how your guests will get from one place to another—will you provide transport or are you expecting your guests to drive themselves? If you are holding the ceremony on-site, will it be outside? If so, have a contingency plan in place ahead of time that the venue staff, your caterer, and all others involved are comfortable with. Plan to hold the ceremony in the same room as the reception? Make certain you have a place for your guests to have cocktails while the room setup is changed over.

Style As I mentioned in the opening paragraph, your venue sets the tone for your event. If you have always wanted “country chic,” dragging hay bales into the Marriott Grand Ballroom won’t do the trick. The same goes for trying to create a romantic and opulent feel with the stark clean lines of the Art Institute Modern Wing. Let the space guide the décor—don’t force it!

Feel Don’t ignore that little voice in your head! If your gut tells you “this place is the one,” go for it! At this point in your planning almost nothing is set in stone, so allow yourself the luxury of changing your original ideas about wedding date, guest count, and style to match with your dream venue.

CHARACTERISTICS TO AVOID

Aside from these categories, there are some other characteristics to avoid in a venue as you are learning about each venue. I am personally not a fan of the venues where multiple events will be taking place at once. No matter what the catering manager says, you CAN hear the music from the other party, and it is incredibly awkward when your soft-spoken grandmother begins her pre-dinner blessing while Get Low is blasting from the other room.

Read reviews of the venue on Yelp, Wedding Wire, and other rating sites. If you see couples talking about hidden fees or impossible-to-deal-with venue contacts it may not be worth the trouble. By discounting both the highest and lowest rated reviews you should be able to get a pretty good read on the average couple’s experience.

Finally, as important as it is to use a good feeling to allow yourself to choose a venue you might not have otherwise, if you get a bad vibe from a venue, head the other way! Instincts can be a powerful indicator of the way you’ll feel spending one of life’s most important days there.

TOP 5 QUESTIONS

Below is a list of some of the questions I hear a lot from clients as we enter the venue selection process.

1. What is included? This can vary greatly from place to place. Make sure you get a complete list of everything the venue has for your use so you can take stock of what you’ll have to bring in.

2. How long will we have to set up? Most venues allow you an hour or two on either end of your rental period for setup and tear down. Anything beyond that can cost extra. These details should be listed in either their information sheets or on the contract.

3. Where will my guests park? If your venue is in the city parking can be a major factor in your guests’ experience at your wedding. If there is not a lot specifically intended for the venue, ask about valet or nearby lots that can be rented.

4. Are there any rules applying to my on-site ceremony? Some venues have rules about use of candles, where food or beverage can be consumed, or even whether or not religious ceremonies are allowed! If you plan to hold your ceremony on-site, ask these questions first. You wouldn’t want to be surprised after it is too late.

5. Does the venue keep a preferred vendor list? If you have your heart set on a specific cake vendor, florist, or caterer, ask if the venue has any mandates about who is allowed to work in their space.

TOP 3 VENUES

 

 

 

 

 

It is so tough to decide on a favorite when each venue seems to be “perfect” for a different couple. I’ve given my favorites here in three categories:

Traditional and Romantic: Any of the Chicago Cultural Center’s three spaces are perfect for creating a classically beautiful wedding environment. You can’t go wrong with the ornate ceilings, Tiffany Domes, and cultural significance (it was formerly the Chicago Public Library) of this stunning space. Plus, its central location means your guests are within walking distance of many of Chicago’s major attractions like the Art Institute, Millennium Park, and Symphony Center.

Funky and Eclectic: You won’t have to worry about anyone calling your wedding “ho hum” if you host it at Salvage One! Your guests will spend the cocktail hour wandering amongst Salvage One’s architectural salvage and furniture finds (they can even purchase something if they fall in love with it!). Or, on a nice day send them out to mingle in the courtyard with the bathtub waterfall and altar surrounded by a moat. The upstairs holds the band or dj, dining tables, and one of the largest bars you’ll find this side of Clark Street. Just before wedding day, walk around the store with Salvage One staff so they can move your favorite pieces up as part of a lounge setup!

Natural Beauty: Garfield Park Conservatory is a natural haven on the west side of Chicago. Your guests get to enter through a tropical rainforest as they head into the reception room inside the conservatory. In the summer, ceremonies are hosted on the Blue Stone Patio just outside of the desert exhibit and overlooking a grassy knoll. And, any areas of the conservatory they missed going to and from your wedding sites guests can explore throughout the evening. Lower your wedding’s carbon footprint by encouraging guests to arrive by public transit—Garfield Park Conservatory is just steps away from the Green Line’s Conservatory/Central Park stop!