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
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
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
It’s National Peanut Butter Month!
Posted by Tamara Sims | Filed under News and Updates, What's New
Wow! This Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake from The Sugar Path in Geneva looks delicious!
Did you know that November is National Peanut Butter Month? How did I not know about this all of these years? I am obsessed with any peanut butter dessert and so is my husband. From peanut butter ice cream, to peanut butter cups and of course our childhood favorite PB & J sandwiches! It takes 540 peanuts to fill one jar of peanut butter…now that’s a lot of peanuts!
I would not want to leave out another classic combo: Peanut Butter & Chocolate. And one of our favorite peanut butter and chocolate desserts is the Peanut Butter Icebox Pie from Magnolia Bakery. You must treat yourself to a slice this month.
Peanut Butter Ice Box Pie from Magnolia Bakery. What a great way to celebrate!
So get out there and celebrate! Even if you are simply dipping a good old fashioned chocolate bar into your jar of peanut butter.
Always a classic: Peanut Butter & Jelly Cupcakes!
Tags: Magnolia Bakery, The Sugar Path
It’s Tent Time!
Posted by Tamara Sims | Filed under Wedding Reception Ideas, Wedding Resources, What's New
Beautiful Wedding Tent Lighting & Ceiling Canopy
Summer in Chicago means lots of outdoor weddings! But for many brides & grooms, a tent is the next best thing to being outside. And for our Elegant Event Lighting Team…the possibilities for lighting and decor are endless. Our bride Violet worked closely with Jay and our EEL team of designers to transform the tent at Eagle Ridge Resort in Galena into a magical setting for her June 23, wedding. Violet loved the idea of draping the ceiling of the tent to mask the metal beams, and then flooding the ceiling with beautiful pink lighting. To take her vision to the next level, we hung crystal chandeliers from the ceiling to create an even bigger WOW factor. And if that wasn’t enough, we also provided a brilliant white dance floor so her guests could dance the night away in style!
Are you having a beautiful Tent Wedding? Visit www.eleganteventlighting.net for more ideas and inspiration.
Tags: Eagle Ridge Resort, Elegant Event Lighting
Bring on the Bling!
Posted by Tamara Sims | Filed under Wedding Reception Ideas, Wedding Resources, What's New
A sparkling backdrop and crystal chandeliers set the stage for your glamorous reception
We have so many brides who love to incorporate the Glitz & Glam on their wedding day. Wedding gowns adorned with crystals, custom tiara’s fit for a princess and rhinestone adorned bouquets are some of the many popular trends. But many brides forget the impact lighting and decor can have to bring your glamorous vision to life. Spend the time to work closely with your lighting designer to create the perfect backdrop, crystal decor or custom designed white dance floor. The possibilities are endless…let your imagination be your guide. Before you know it your reception will be glam-fabulous! For more lighting and decor ideas, please visit: www.eleganteventlighting.net
Something 2 Dance 2 is WeddingWire Rated for 2011
Posted by Tamara Sims | Filed under News and Updates, What's New
WeddingWire, the nation’s leading wedding technology company, is pleased to announce that Something 2 Dance 2 is WeddingWire Rated 2011 for Wedding DJ Services. WeddingWire Rated is an annual award program that distinguishes wedding vendors across the country for their excellence. Based on hundreds of thousands of recent wedding reviews, WeddingWire Rated is the most recognized and trusted brand among engaged couples looking to find the best local businesses for their wedding.
Jay & I and our team are so pleased to accept this honor. Their personalized service, attention to detail, and expertise in their field is why couples continuously share 5 Star Reviews of their experiences with Something 2 Dance 2.
Newly engaged couples can easily access all of the reviews for Something 2 Dance 2 on WeddingWire.com. We would like to thank our clients for our WeddingWire Rated 2011 recognition.
For more information on, please visit http://www.Something2Dance2.com
For more information on WeddingWire Rated 2011, please visit www.WeddingWire.com.
Tags: Something 2 Dance 2, WeddingWire
Elegant Event Lighting launches updated website
Posted by Tamara Sims | Filed under News and Updates, Wedding Reception Ideas, What's New
Beautiful pink uplighting in the Stonegate Tent in Hoffman Estates
As our busy wedding season continues, we are finding more and more Brides who want to add color, lighting and drapery to enhance their wedding venues. Our sister company Elegant Event Lighting has been busy all summer transforming venues throughout Chicagoland to create magical settings for our clients. Please take a look at our updated Elegant Event Lighting website which includes photographs of our work from Ceremony Chuppahs, to Pattern Projection Lighting and of course, beautiful fabric backdrops and room uplighting.
Our lighting designers are passionate about their work and are so proud to be Chicagoland’s only Knot Best of Weddings pick for Lighting and Decor. We hope you enjoy our updated website! We look forward to personalizing package specifically for you! www.eleganteventlighting.net 847.841.3890
Ceiling Canopy at Venuti's with blue uplighting
Elaborate Fabric Backdrop with pink uplighting at Belvedere Banquets
Tags: Belvedere, Elegant Event Lighting, Something 2 Dance 2, Stonegate, Venuti's
TOMS Shoes New Wedding Collection
Posted by Tamara Sims | Filed under News and Updates, What's New
TOMS Shoes New Wedding Collection
I received a wonderful e-mail last week from Nicole Tam who works in the Shoenanigans (I love that title!) Public Relations Department for TOMS Shoes. As a Chicago Wedding DJ Entertainment company, she asked me to give our readers an exclusive look at the new TOMS Wedding Collection. I was so excited to hear from Nicole and I hope you will consider using TOMS on your wedding day. Don’t forget that with every pair you purchase, TOMS will give a pair of new shoes to a child in need. One for One.
The TOMS Wedding Collection offers a selection of refined fabrics for brides, grooms, and the wedding party. We have just the right shoe to suit any bride’s tastes, whether you want a classic feel with Ivory Glitters and Ivory Grosgrain, or to add some sparkle and color with Blue Glitters. Grooms can choose from Black Leather and Black Velvet Classics. With so many ways to add meaning to an already special day, you’ll start a new stage of life together in comfort. Change a life with your next big step.
Here’s a sneak peek of the TOMS Wedding Collection: TOMS Wedding Collection
