Top 10 Father/Daughter Dance Songs
Posted by Tamara Sims | Filed under Wedding Reception Ideas, Wedding Resources
In honor of Father’s Day I thought I would share a quick post with the Top 10 Father/Daughter Dance Songs. Slow or fast, choreographed or spontaneous, whatever song you choose, just make sure it is a reflection of your special relationship with your Dad.
- I Loved Her First-Heartland
- My Little Girl-Tim McGraw
- My Girl-Temptations
- Butterfly Kisses-Bob Carlisle
- What a Wonderful World-Louis Armstrong
- My Wish-Rascal Flatts
- Cinderella-Steven Curtis Chapman
- The Way You Look Tonight-Frank Sinatra
- Father & Daughter-Paul Simon
- In My Life-The Beatles
Of course my favorite will always be #8…I will never forget dancing to Frank Sinatra’s “The Way you Look Tonight” with my Dad 16 years ago on my wedding day.
June is Sweet! Celebrate National Candy Month!
Posted by Tamara Sims | Filed under News and Updates, Wedding Reception Ideas, Wedding Resources
Chocolate Martini Cups with licorice straws & lollipops…yum!
Not only is June the most popular month for weddings in Chicago, but it is also National Candy Month…what a great time to celebrate everything sweet! From chocolate and caramel to gummy bears and licorice, we all have a favorite candy that makes us feel like kids again.
So when planning your wedding, instead of favors at each table setting, consider having a candy buffet at the end of the night with lots of yummy treats for your guests to take home. You can even create a color theme (think all pink or green) or flavor theme (think all chocolate or all peanut butter treats), the possibilities are endless.
A deliciously yummy emerald green candy buffet!
Or maybe cotton candy is your thing? Spin-Spun Confections can provide your guests with gourmet cotton candy made fresh right in front of their eyes. My favorite flavor was the lemon coconut. So take a stroll down memory lane this month and enjoy your favorite childhood candies!
Enjoying Cotton Candy from Spin-Spun Confections…the best treat to feel like a kid again!
Creative Wedding Invites & More with DBY Events
Posted by Tamara Sims | Filed under Wedding Reception Ideas, Wedding Resources, What's New
I love this round menu created by DBY Events…so elegant and creative and purple!
I have met so many wonderful people in the wedding industry and I love finding creative new ideas for my brides that will really personalize their day. Kasey Larson, owner of DBY Events & Invitations in Schaumburg, is one of those people who is so original and creative that I get lost in her store for hours viewing her custom invitations, save the dates, menus and more! My last visit was so inspirational that I had to share some of her work with all of you…
I love the city of Chicago, so I was very excited to see her custom save the dates featuring our windy city!
One of my favorites! A purple chicago skyline save the date!
Another classic Chicago Skyline Save the Date.
I love how the Bride & Groom each have their own Signature Drink!
Signature Drinks are all the rage, so make sure your guests feel extra special with a custom drink menu at the bar. The colorful frame also adds a unique touch.
As you all know, our team at Something 2 Dance 2 loves getting know our brides & grooms, so what better way than a fun game of Mad Libs during dinner!
Wedding Mad Libs…a fun activity during dinner for all of your guests to enjoy!
Kasey just attended the National Stationery Show in New York, so I can’t wait to see even more creative ideas from her & her team at DBY Events & Invitations. Please visit her amazing store in Schaumburg or on-line at: http://www.designedbyyouinvitations.com
Tags: DBY Events, Kasey Larson, National Stationery Show, Something 2 Dance 2 Chicago Wedding DJ
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
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
