Diamond Events will make your Wedding Shine!
Posted by Tamara Sims | Filed under Wedding Reception Ideas, Wedding Resources, What's New
Enjoying the Brides, Bubbles & Bliss Event at the Skyline Loft. Thank you Carasco Photography for this lovely photo!
As a proud member of the Association of Bridal Consultants, I often meet wonderful wedding planners who can help my clients on their wedding day. Eva Goulbourne of Diamond Events is one of those people. We immediately connected through our passion for weddings and positive outlook on life. Eva’s sunny disposition is infectious and I always love attending wedding networking events with her. Eva took the time to share her story with me.
Tell me about your wedding planning business: Diamond Events is a boutique event planning company. We help create unique, memorable events by listening to our client’s vision and then working with only the highest quality vendors to ensure proper execution.
How did you get into the event planning business? I got into the event planning business after planning many events in my career as well as in my personal life for myself and for others. Starting out, I’m focusing mostly on weddings since the wedding day is usually the first major event in a person’s life. It’s so meaningful and so much goes into planning a wedding, I love being a part of that!
Do you belong to any trade associations? Currently I am Certified in Wedding and Event Planning from the Wedding Planning Institute and a member of the Association of Bridal Consultants.
What is your favorite wedding trend? I think lounge areas are so important when it comes to comfort for your guests. After dinner people may not want to continue to sit at the same table with the same people. Creating a lounge area creates a space where your guests can still relax by having a seat, but enjoy mingling with others. It creates another dimension in the room. The lounge area can even become another room itself depending on the furniture, draping and lighting. If you have the budget, one of my favorite things to do is to create a lounge area in your party room. Give guests an extra area to explore and they will enjoy themselves that much more.
Lounge Areas create a hip and fun space for your guests to gather at your wedding reception.
I couldn’t agree more! I think I know the name of a company that can help you create beautiful draping, lighting & lounge areas!
Yes, Elegant Event Lighting is definitely on my list of vendors!
If you want your wedding to “sparkle” please give Eva at Diamond Events a call: 847.212.0033. Or visit her website at www.diamondeve.com
Tags: Association of Bridal Consultants, Brides Bubbles & Bliss, Carasco Photography, Diamond Events, Elegant Event Lighting, Eva Goulbourne, Skyline Loft, Wedding Lounge Furniture, Wedding Planning Institute
Sweet Spring Wedding Treats
Posted by Tamara Sims | Filed under News and Updates, Wedding Reception Ideas, Wedding Resources, Wedding Venues
Our Elegant Event Lighting Team loved showcasing this amazing Sweet Table styled by Sugar Chic Designs.
Our team at Elegant Event Lighting was honored to be a part of Michelle Durpetti Events 5 Year Anniversary Party at Loft 644. Our team provided gorgeous draping and lighting to showcase the most beautiful Sweet Table from Amy and her team at Sugar Chic Designs. Lillycakes in Naperville made the most amazing desserts for the display. And yes, I was in heaven!
How adorable are these Apple Pie Jars?
If you want to wow your guests with sweet treats create a table with various jars and pedestals and use colors that pop and awake your senses. I couldn’t believe how perfect all of the candy, pies and chocolates were displayed. Amy took the time to select a unique variety of treats for every palette. Chocolates, Gourmet Gummies, Mini Apple Pie Jars, Red Velvet Cake Pops, gorgeous Caramel Apples, yummy Glazed Mini Donuts and apothecary jars filled with gourmet candy. She even provided cute treat bags so guests could take candy with them for the drive home!
Mini Glazed Spiced Apple Donuts…so yummy!
In all of my years in the wedding and event business, I have NEVER seen such a gorgeous display of sweets that tasted even better than they looked! The lighting and draping we provided made the sweets look even more beautiful.
Look how these Red Velvet Cake Pops shine!
Tags: Elegant Event Lighting, Lillycakes, Loft 644, Michelle Durpetti Events, Sugar Chic Designs
Spring Wedding Ideas
Posted by Tamara Sims | Filed under Wedding Reception Ideas, Wedding Resources, What's New
Beautiful “award winning” Magnolia Table Display by Casey Murdough of The Elegant Petal evokes the feeling of Spring!
Well it finally feels like Spring is arriving here in Chicago! What a long winter it has been and here at Something 2 Dance 2 we are so looking forward to our Spring Weddings!
When thinking about Spring the beautiful pastel colors of yellow, green, pink, peach and lavender immediately come to mind. Such a lovely color palette to use for your linens, flowers, favors an even cocktails. The Knot.com recently posted an article on Spring Wedding Cocktails which I really enjoyed. Ideas included a Mango Martini with pineapple juice, a Citrus Kiss with Grand Marnier and a Watermelon Martini. What a delicious addition to your cocktail hour!
A most beautiful cocktail for Spring!
Now we can’t talk about Spring weddings without including some beautiful blooms! I spoke with my friend and florist extraordinaire Casey Murdough from The Elegant Petal and here is what she shared with me: ”My favorite inclusion for Spring Weddings? Blooming branches. From Quince in the early months which resembles cherry branches, with delicate pink flowers and a clean japanese- feeling to the later- spring crab, with its natural wildly lush romantic profusion of blooms; I love pulling them into designs. They offer a feel that is both natural, but elegant and romantic at the same time.” Now if that doesn’t put you in the mood for Spring, I don’t know what to tell you! Thanks so much Casey for your beautiful descriptions…
Beautiful pastel Quince with pink French Tulips from The Elegant Petal.
And in my opinion, no wedding reception is complete without yummy treats! Think delicate pastel colored macarons, or refreshing fruit flavored sorbet as a sweet ending to your special day!
Pastel Colored French Macarons will be a welcome addition to your sweet table!
Tags: Casey Murdough, knot.com, Something 2 Dance 2, The Elegant Petal
Hilton Garden Inn hosts Bridal & Fashion Show
Posted by Tamara Sims | Filed under News and Updates, Wedding Reception Ideas, Wedding Resources, Wedding Venues
A beautiful Watters Gown from Bella Bridal & Formal. Elegant Event Lighting backdrop and uplighting captured by Trademan Photography.
On Sunday March 10, Hilton Garden Inn St. Charles hosted a Bridal & Fashion Show. Our team at Elegant Event Lighting provided a gorgeous fabric backdrop with aqua uplighting, and a beautiful ceiling canopy to bring the ballroom to life. Something 2 Dance 2 DJ Marc Simmons provided the music for the fashion show highlighting beautiful wedding gowns, dapper tuxedos and eyecatching bridesmaid gowns from Bella Bridal & Formal Wear in St. Charles. Suzanne Denee Salon in St. Charles provided the hair and makeup for our models.
Dessy Bridesmaid Dress and Tuxedo from Bella Bridal & Formal Wear in St. Charles
Trademan Photography of St. Charles documented the day with amazing photos.
Thank you to Cheryl Cady and her amazing staff at Hilton Garden Inn St. Charles for hosting the event.
Something 2 Dance 2 DJ Marc Simmons is ready for the fashion show!
Tags: Bella Bridal & Formal, Dessy, DJ Marc Simmons, Elegant Event Lighting, Hilton Garden Inn St. Charles, Something 2 Dance 2 Chicago Wedding DJ, Suzanne Denee Salon, Trademan Photography, Watters
It’s National Pi Day! Or in my case another reason to eat Pie!
Posted by Tamara Sims | Filed under Wedding Reception Ideas, Wedding Resources
Delicious Pies from The Sugar Path in Geneva.
March 14, is National Pi Day (3.14 for those math lovers out there), and what better way to celebrate than to go down to your local bakery and order some yummy pie!
I love all types of pie: banana cream, peanut butter, apple, cherry, pumpkin, sweet potato…and the list goes on and on! Pie brings back so many childhood memories of waiting in line at Bakers Square for French Silk, Pumpkin or Banana Cream during the holidays. And yes, it was always worth the wait! I even remember bringing the empty tins back to the shop.
The inside of a delicious Banana Cream Pie from The Sugar Path in Geneva!
So when you are enjoying your favorite pie today, make sure you think of me!
Peanut Butter Pie at Philippe Restaurant NYC
Tags: Bakers Square, Phillipe, The Sugar Path
Chicago Wedding DJ Jay Sims Keeps Northwestern Dancing for 30 Hours!
Posted by Tamara Sims | Filed under News and Updates, Upcoming Events
DJ Jay Sims with Northwestern University Dancers at NUDM!
Northwestern University’s Dance Marathon is here again! Over 750 Northwestern University students will dance the weekend of March 8-9 for 30 hours to raise money for The Danny Did Foundation dedicated to prevent childhood deaths caused by seizures. NU Alum and Something 2 Dance 2 Owner DJ Jay Sims, takes on his 17th year as DJ for this amazing event. It is one of the best events we are involved in all year!
In 2012, NU students raised over $1.1 million dollars and they hope to exceed that goal again this year for The Danny Did Foundation. If you would like to check out live footage all weekend long or to make a donation, please visit www.nudm.org
Tags: Dance Marathon, Danny Did Foundation, DJ Jay Sims, Northwestern University
WedBash was a Blast!
Posted by Tamara Sims | Filed under Marketing, News and Updates, Wedding Reception Ideas, Wedding Resources
Something 2 Dance 2 DJ Jay Sims having fun at WedBash!
Wedding Guide Chicago hosted an amazing networking event at Pinstripes in Oak Brook for wedding professionals on February 20, that Jay & I were lucky enough to attend. Guests enjoyed delicious flat bread pizzas, bruschetta and sliders from Pinstripes, beer and appetizer pairings from Goose Island Brewery, and of course, bowling. Scott Scheman, owner of Chicago Cinematic Weddings caught my strike on video!
Toni Patisserie and The Baking Institute provided yummy sweets. But my most favorite treat that evening was the cotton candy from spin-spun. It took me back to my childhood, but with the most sophisticated flavors including: salted caramel, vanilla and lemon coconut! And the owner, Seth Bankier had the best personality! What a great idea for a wedding, mitzvah or even a cocktail party!
Enjoying my Cotton Candy from spin-spun confections!
We enjoyed mingling with many of our Preferred Wedding Vendors including Reverend Jim Rehnberg, Desiree Moore Dent from Dejanae Events, Shelly and Andrew Blendermann from Blenderful Music, Casey Murdough from The Elegant Petal in Geneva, Alison Polzin from Carnivale, and new friend Lynda Junge from Green Star Paperie.
And for the third year in a row, Wedding Guide Chicago announced that their partner charity for 2013, is Wish Upon a Wedding. Please visit their website to learn more about this amazing organization that grants “wedding wishes” to very special couples.
Tags: Andrew Blendermann, Blenderful Music, Carnivale Chicago, Chicago Cinematic Weddings, Dejanae Events, Desiree Dent, Greenstar Paperie, Pinstripes, Rent a rev, Reverend Jim Rehnberg, Sara Boal, spin-spun, The Elegant Petal, Wedding Guide
Vendor Spotlight: Moveable Feast Geneva
Posted by Tamara Sims | Filed under Wedding Reception Ideas, Wedding Resources, What's New
We love the Fairy Tale Cookies at Moveable Feast!
I love food…what more can I say. And in the wedding industry I am very lucky to taste amazing food from bakeries, catering companies and venues. But I do have a favorite place that has been near and dear to my heart since they catered an event for me 8 years ago…that place is Moveable Feast in Geneva. I had the pleasure of working with Catering Manager Katie Fulton back then, and guess what…she is still putting smiles on clients faces today. I had the chance to catch up with Katie on Valentine’s Day, when Moveable Feast held an Open House to help welcome new owner Monique Wallace to the community.
Tell me about Moveable Feast and your role with the company: Moveable Feast is a full service catering company in the heart of downtown Geneva, IL. We are committed to helping everyone celebrate life through great food and the joy of entertaining. We believe in food that is hand made using all-natural ingredients that have traveled the shortest possible path between harvest and table. I have been the company’s catering director for the past 10 years, I plan all the full service events as well as play a management role in the day to day operations of the business. We are located at 321 Franklin Street in historic downtown Geneva. We service all of Chicagoland and have traveled out of state on occasion.
Gorgeous Cheese Board from Moveable Feast with local honey for drizzling.
What type of event makes up most of your business? A combination of corporate business & local private events. This allows us to be a very customized caterer and offer a lot of creativity, no event is alike and we don’t have to limit our clients to package A & B.
What other services do you offer? Full service means we can help with the coordination of tent rentals, tables, chairs, china service, linens etc. as well as our talented team of chefs, bartenders and staff. Our catering crew allows our hosts to relax the day of the event, we take care of everything for you and will always leave your kitchen sparkling clean! We also work with a handful of vendors, florists, DJ’s and photographers and are always happy to make a recommendation.
Yes, our team at Something 2 Dance 2 has had the opportunity to be a part of some of your events and hopefully this summer our Elegant Event Lighting Team will be able to assist with your lighting and decor needs.
What are some catering trends that you are seeing for Weddings? Farm to table is still a very popular trend and with social media craze pinterest, many brides are DIY with mason jars, chalkboard menus, vintage retro etc.
Has your business received any awards or designations? (hint hint anything having to do with Oprah?) We were just featured on the very popular Wedding Blog Style Me Pretty for a wedding we did this past summer ( you can see the post on our “press” page on our website). We have also won Best Caterer in West Suburban Magazine for 12 years running as well as Best of the Fox Valley-Catering. We are very lucky to have such a loyal fan base. And of course MF was featured on Oprah’s Favorite Things in 2006 for Favorite Brownie!!
One of Oprah’s Favorite Things: Deeply Fudgey Brownies from Moveable Feast
Let’s just say I have eaten my fair share of those brownies over the years, and they are delicious!
What are some of your favorite foods from the Moveable Feast kitchen? Ohhh..sooo many. Savory: Tacos chicken dorados, tuna sashimi wonton, turkey chili, pulled pork BBQ. Sweet: carrot cupcakes with maple cream cheese frosting, coconut fairytales, pecan sandies & chocolate pot de creme.
A perfect dessert for your Wedding: Panna Cotta with fresh raspberry sauce.
And of course I must ask a DJ related question: If you could only have one song on your I-pod, which song would it be? That’s a hard one, but I’ll focus on what I’m listening to right now..Try by P!nk
Thank you so much Katie! And if you would like to try some of the delicious items that Katie told us about today, just take a trip to Geneva or visit them on-line at www.moveablefeastgeneva.com
Tags: Elegant Event Lighting, Moveable Feast, Oprah, Something 2 Dance 2 DJ, Style Me Pretty, West Suburban Magazine
Our favorite Valentine’s Day Treats
Posted by Tamara Sims | Filed under Wedding Reception Ideas, Wedding Resources
What girl wouldn’t want a Red Velvet Cupcake with a ring on top! Thank you Sugar Path for such a cute idea!
If you follow my column or know me even remotely, you know that I love sweets–chocolate, ice cream, gelato, cupcakes, pies, caramel, peanut butter and the list goes on. So I thought it would be fun to share some of my favorite treats and where you could get them whenever you are in the mood. For me, every day is Valentine’s Day!
If you are in Chicago or New York City, be sure to stop by Magnolia Bakery for the best Banana Pudding ever! I know they are famous for cupcakes, but trust me on this one…the banana pudding is one of the best desserts I have ever had.
One of my all time favorite desserts is the Banana Pudding at Magnolia Bakery.
For delicious cupcakes, cakes and pies in Geneva, Illinois visit my friend Michelle at The Sugar Path. Made from scratch using the best locally sourced ingredients and family recipes, it is easy to become a raving fan like I am!
Cute Valentine’s Day Cupcake from The Sugar Path
If you like pie and happen to be in New York City, you must visit Hill Country Chicken. They make the most delicious mini-pies from scratch just like mom used to make but in mini-versions. My favorite was their seasonal Sweet Potato Pie with marshmallow topping.
An array of delicious mini homemade pies at Hill Country NYC
And finally, I must end with a photo of my main guilty pleasure: ice cream! I would have it for breakfast, lunch or dinner if I could. If you are searching for yummy dessert ideas, please feel free to drop me a line. Happy Valentine’s Day to you all…don’t forget to enjoy something sweet with your sweetheart today and every day!
Enjoying my favorite dessert..an ice cream sundae at Sugar & Plumm New York City
Tags: Hill Country New York, Jennifer Kaye Photography, Magnolia Bakery, The Sugar Path
Something 2 Dance 2 enjoys Wedding tasting at Hotel Baker
Posted by Tamara Sims | Filed under Wedding Reception Ideas, Wedding Resources, Wedding Venues
Photographer Alex Claney captured this beautiful shot from Hotel Baker’s balcony
It was a gloomy day on Sunday, but inside the Rainbow Room at Hotel Baker was brightly filled with brides and grooms planning their 2013 weddings.
The beautifully lit dance floor was filled with gorgeous displays by Town & Country Gardens and Park Place Interiors.
Lovely floral display from Jamie and her team at Town & Country Gardens
The Waterfront room was filled with the smells of delicious sweets from Oak Mill Bakery and Kernel’s Gourmet Popcorn of Geneva. Hotel Baker also provided a gelato bar with yummy toppings and Lou Malnati’s provided late night pizza snacks for our brides & grooms. Alex Claney Photography took amazing photos throughout the day to capture the event and kept our team at Something 2 Dance 2 DJ Entertainment company for the day!
Gorgeous Wedding Cake from Oak Mill Bakery
Tags: Alex Claney Photography, Hotel Baker, Kernels, Lou Malnati's, Oak Mill Bakery, Park Place Interiors., Something 2 Dance 2 Chicago Wedding DJ, Town & Country Gardens
