Something 2 Dance 2

Wedding Professionals unite for joint ABC & ADJA Meeting in Chicago

Posted by Tamara Sims | Filed under Wedding Resources

Chicago Wedding Coordinators Judy Alden, Jane Skarosi and Melissa Phillips at joint ABC/ADJA Meeting

June 8, was a first for our Chicago ADJA Chapter as we hosted a joint meeting with the Association of Bridal Consultants, headed by Illinois ABC Coordinator Judy Alden and ADJA Vice President Jay Sims…and moderated by yours truly! Our goal is to bridge the gap between Wedding Coordinators and DJ Entertainers to work together to provide the best possible service for our Brides & Grooms.

Our panel of Wedding Coordinators included Judy Alden, Master Bridal Consultant, ABC Illinois Coordinator, and owner of JulWil Weddings, Melissa Phillips, owner of Simply Perfect by Melissa, and Jane Skarosi, Master Bridal Consultant and Owner of Bridal Mansion of Lisle and Weddings by Jane.

Our panel of DJ’s included Peter Merkle Chicago ADJA Chapter President and owner of Global Heart Entertainment in Chicago, Jay Sims, Chicago ADJA Chapter Vice President and Owner of Something 2 Dance 2, and Ken Overbey, Owner of Sounds Abound Entertainment and Wedding Shop in Naperville.

Our distinguished panel of “wedding experts” were posed a variety questions about their experience in the wedding industry. They discussed the importance of organization, trust and personality in finding the right vendor for your wedding and how crucial it is to work together as a team by always having your Bride & Grooms best interest at heart. Melissa stated that when Brides are surveyed after their wedding they remember the Food and Entertainment, and each coordinator agreed that a DJ can truly “make or break” a wedding reception. Our panel of DJ’s all agreed that working with a Professional Wedding Coordinator can make their job easier and can truly add to the success of the reception.

To find a Professional Wedding Coordinator in your area please visit: www.bridalassn.com and to find a Professional DJ Entertainer in Chicago please visit www.adja.org/chapters/chicagoland

Tags: ABC, ADJA, Bridal Mansion Lisle, Jay Sims, Judy Alden, JulWil Weddings, Simply Perfect by Melissa, Weddings By Jane

Read more | Comments (0) | June 9th, 2010

Vendor Spotlight: Red Letter Event Planning

Posted by Tamara Sims | Filed under Wedding Resources

Robyn Bruns of Red Letter Event Planning

Many of our busy Brides need an “extra set of hands” on their special day, and being a part of the Association of Bridal Consultants (ABC), has allowed me to meet wonderful wedding planners who can assist our Brides. Robyn Bruns, owner of Red Letter Event Planning is a great resource and can help you with your “Red Letter Day!” She took a few minutes out of her busy day to share more about herself and her company with our readers.

Hi Robyn, tell us about yourself: I started Red Letter Event Planning four years ago, originally I thought my clients would be planning corporate events but I fell in love planning weddings. Now 90% of the business is wedding planning from full planning to wedding day management.

What town is your business located?
I am located in the beautiful north shore suburb of Glenview, I love my town, there is always something fun going on. But of course I can help Brides throughout the Chicagoland area.

What services do you offer to Brides & Grooms?
My philosophy is that a wedding has to reflect the couple getting married, I always tell my clients that the best thing I can hear at their wedding is one of the guests saying, this wedding is so Chrissy, or Matt or whatever the name is of the couple. Then I KNOW I have done my job.

Wow Robyn, we are definitely on the same page…the more creative and personalized the wedding the better!

Do you have memberships in any associations or trade groups?
I have the Professional Bridal Consultant designation with the Association of Bridal Consultants.

Has your business received any awards or designations? I have received the 2010 Brides Choice award from Wedding Wire. I am also an approved vendor on the website You’re EnGAYged, which I am proud of because I believe every person has the right to walk down the aisle.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Hopefully still doing what I love which is planning weddings, playing with my dog and living a happy life with my soul mate and husband Greg. I also have a Mediterranean cruise on my 5 year list!

Sounds fantastic…especially the cruise! It is also my philosophy to work hard and play hard.

What is your favorite color?
My personal favorite color is green, however my all time favorite wedding color combo is black and white with an accent color, this year I think the coral and turquoise colors look fantastic with black and white.

If you could only have one song on your Ipod, which song would it be? That is really a difficult question as I love all types of music, I actually went to my ipod to see what song I played the most these past few weeks, embarrassingly enough it was Go Cubs Go (I went to a game last week) I guess that shows I am an eternal optimist!

Seeing the glass half full is a great characteristic…especially in the Wedding Business!

To learn more about how Robyn can help you with your “Red Letter Day,” please visit her at: www.redlettereventplanning.com

Tags: ABC, Red Letter Event Planning, Robyn Bruns

Read more | Comments (2) | May 25th, 2010

Chicago Wedding Planner Frank Andonoplas

Posted by Tamara Sims | Filed under Wedding Resources

Frank Andonoplas speaks for Chicago ABC Chapter

This week I had the pleasure of hearing Chicago Master Bridal Consultant and Event Expert Frank Andonoplas of Frank Event Design at our monthly ABC meeting at the beautiful Intercontinental Chicago. Frank put together an amazing presentation sharing insight into his 19 years as a Wedding and Event Planner which was a HUGE SUCCESS!

Frank is truly an expert in the industry and he gains inspiration for his beautiful events from Food, Fashion, Interior Design, Bridal Magazines and Industry Events just to name a few. Frank personalizes each and every Wedding and adds “special touches” for each Bride & Groom to create a magical night that each and every guest will never forget.

When discussing current wedding trends I was so excited to hear that Purple is one of the current Hot Colors and that Cupcakes are still a fun way to share something sweet with your guests at the end of the night. Frank shares so much with fellow planners and wedding professionals and feels that we are all “colleagues” in this industry rather than competitors. That is something very refreshing to hear…thanks for being you Frank.

To learn more about Frank and to view photos of his work, check out his Blog “Frankly Speaking” at www.frankeventdesign.com/frankblog