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
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
Venue Spotlight: The Herrington Inn Geneva
Posted by Tamara Sims | Filed under Wedding Reception Ideas, Wedding Resources, Wedding Venues
The beautiful Herrington Inn!
It was another gorgeous day on July 28, for the wedding ceremony & reception of Maureen & Greg at the beautiful Herrington Inn in Geneva. DJ Jay Sims provided the music and coordination for their beautiful outdoor ceremony, and was also their DJ and Master of Ceremonies for the reception.
The Elegant Petal's beautiful flowers are highlighted with Pin Spot Lighting from Elegant Event Lighting
Floral Designer Casey Murdough of The Elegant Petal provided lovely baby pink and ivory centerpieces that were pin-spotted by our team at Elegant Event Lighting. We also carried Maureen & Greg’s color palette throughout the room with baby pink uplighting and as the cherry on top of the sundae, Maureen & Greg’s names were illuminated on the brick wall for all guests to enjoy.
Thank you to Deanne Mitchell and her wonderful staff at The Herrington Inn for always being such a pleasure to work with and for helping our team create the wedding of Maureen & Greg’s dreams!
Maureen & Greg celebrating their wedding day with DJ Jay Sims!
Tags: Elegant Event Lighting, Herrington Inn Geneva, Jay Sims, Kristina G Photography, Something 2 Dance 2, The Elegant Petal
Wedding Season is here!
Posted by Tamara Sims | Filed under Wedding Reception Ideas, Wedding Resources
 Beautiful colors of summer! Thank you Elegant Petal for this gorgeous photo! |
Today is May 1, the official start of wedding season here in Chicago. So for those of you still looking for summer wedding ideas, look no further. Thanks to The Knot for these inspired ideas.
The wedding cake! Choose summer flavors you loved as a child. Think strawberries & whipped cream filling, orange vanilla (remember creamsicles!), or lemon meringue…so summery & so yummy!
Cocktail Music! Do you have memories of attending Jimmy Buffet concerts every summer? Have your DJ create an Island Themed Cocktail Hour to really put your guests in the mood to have fun.
Green Wedding Favors! Treat your guests to a favor that will last long after your wedding is over. Locally grown herbs planted in glass jars are a unique way to be kind to the earth. Or try pretty wrapped packets of your favorite flower seeds for each guest. This also adds a lovely touch to your summer wedding.
For more fabulous wedding ideas for Summer and more…visit www.theknot.com
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Tags: knot.com, The Elegant Petal
Summer Wedding Trends
Posted by Tamara Sims | Filed under News and Updates, Wedding Reception Ideas, Wedding Resources
This March weather feels more like June, so I thought it would be fun to share some of our favorite summer wedding trends provided by The Knot.
Show off some color! Bright hues are always a popular choice for summer weddings.
What’s hot now: Think sophisticated brights. Sticking with just two hues (or two plus an accent color) will keep your space unified. Rather than splashing color all over your reception space, use one dynamic color for a strong statement — think all-pink centerpieces or bold orange table linens. This holds especially true for your centerpieces: Instead of multicolored centerpieces, alternate single-color floral arrangements for a pulled-together look.
Select a Theme! Tropical, beach or garden themes are classic for the summer.
What’s hot now: Think of your favorite summer hangouts when planning your theme. Rather than just any beach, bring in elements specific to the beach you remember as a kid. If it was a cabin in the woods, go for a mountain theme. Or try adding sand or sea shells to your centerpieces or tablescape.
Go Bold with your Invites! Letterpressed invites in ivory and black are still popular. But if you want to go for something a little more unexpected, creative wedding invitation designers definitely have color and printing options for you.
What’s hot now: Use colors in a new and unexpected way on your invites by reversing the typical invitation color scheme. For example, rather than using fuchsia lettering on a cream-colored invite, opt for cream print on fuchsia paper. Or mix it up — do the cream-colored invite with fuchsia writing, and then a bright pink reply card with a cream-colored font. Consider the material of your invite as well. One hot-off-the-press idea: Get fabric-printed invites, programs, and escort cards for a laid-back look perfect for summer.
For more amazing Summer Wedding ideas visit www.theknot.com
Tags: The Elegant Petal, The Knot.com
Wedding Color Inspiration
Posted by Tamara Sims | Filed under Wedding Reception Ideas, Wedding Resources
Vintage soft pink and silver color palette designed by The Elegant Petal
When planning your wedding selecting the right color palette truly sets the tone. After choosing the perfect color combination for your wedding, the rest of the details will fall into place… from dress selection, venue, floral design, invitations and lighting just to name a few. What is your vision? What mood are your trying to create? What time of year are you getting married? The answers to all of these questions will help narrow down your color scheme. Think about your venue; are you looking to “warm” up the space, or “brighten” it up. Warm tones include browns, ambers and golds. While bright rich tones may include purples, blues and magentas.
Don’t be afraid to get creative with your colors. Design an inspiration board of pictures and various color combinations and share these inspirations with your florist, bridal party and lighting designer.
When brides and grooms contact our Lighting Designer Jay at Elegant Event Lighting, the first question he asks is “what are your colors.” He can then build from there and bring your lighting vision to life with the perfect colors to compliment your already existing palette. The same goes for your floral and invitation designer who will work closely with you. For more ideas and inspiration on color, please visit our photo gallery at www.eleganteventlighting.net.
Beautiful amber uplighting provided by Elegant Event Lighting will warm up your wedding venue
Tags: Elegant Event Lighting, The Elegant Petal
Hotel Baker Wedding Showcase
Posted by Tamara Sims | Filed under Wedding Reception Ideas, Wedding Resources, Wedding Venues
Beautiful vintage design and custom chair covers by The Elegant Petal
If you are looking for a unique venue to hold your wedding reception the historic Hotel Baker in St. Charles will exceed all of your expectations.
We had the pleasure on Sunday to showcase Something 2 Dance 2 and Elegant Event Lighting at Hotel Baker‘s Wedding Tasting & Showcase. Over 40 brides attended along with amazing vendors from the Fox Valley including The Elegant Petal, Elizabeth Wray Design, Town & Country Gardens, Wallflower Designs, Alex Claney Photography, Oak Mill Bakery, Cold Stone Creamery, Lou Malnati’s Pizza, and many more
Hotel Baker is definitely a hidden gem in the Fox Valley!
2012's hot color Tangerine Tango! Design by The Elegant Petal.
Elizabeth Wray Design Inspiration Table
Tags: Alex Claney Photography, Elegant Event Lighting, Elizabeth Wray Design, Hotel Baker, Something 2 Dance 2, The Elegant Petal, Town & Country Flowers
Beautiful Hotel Baker
Posted by Tamara Sims | Filed under Wedding Reception Ideas, Wedding Venues
Angie & Jason under the gorgeous Chuppah at Hotel Baker
On June 18, we had the pleasure of providing both Ceremony & Reception Services for Angie & Jason’s wedding celebration at the beautiful historic Hotel Baker in St. Charles.
Photographer Alex Claney took some amazing shots of the Chuppah provided by our sister company Elegant Event Lighting along with the gorgeous flowers designed by Casey Murdough of The Elegant Petal.
It was a pleasure working with such professionals to create an unforgettable wedding for Angie & Jason’s family and friends. They will definitely have amazing memories to last a lifetime!
The Perfect Kiss!
Hotel Baker's Waterfront Room with Leaf Pattern Projection design by Elegant Event Lighting
Tags: Alex Claney Photography, Elegant Event Lighting, Hotel Baker, The Elegant Petal
The Royal Wedding
Posted by Tamara Sims | Filed under News and Updates
Royal Wedding Inspiration Board created by Elizabeth Wray Design
The Royal Wedding is just days away and wedding professionals throughout the country are excited about Prince William & Kate’s upcoming nuptials. So I thought it would be fun to find out what some local wedding vendors are doing in their businesses in anticipation of The Royal Wedding:
Elizabeth Wray Design in Geneva designed this beautiful inspiration board to reflect their vision for the Royal Wedding. Champagne and pale blush pink accented with gold and muted silvery blue. Gorgeous! Check out their Blog this week for more Royal Wedding inspiration: http://elizabethwraydesign.wordpress.com/
Casey Murdough of The Elegant Petal in Geneva will be “waking up bright and early” on Friday to catch the live event which will be broadcast here in Chicago at 5:00AM!
Sandy Ryan, owner of Bella Bridal & Formal Wear in St. Charles invites everyone to join her on Friday, April 29th for the BIG ROYAL WEDDING. Bella Bridal will be open from 3-9 am with live coverage of the wedding, raffles, specials, and many surprises. Want to attend? Call now to RSVP 630-443-9226.
Michelle Phillips Trademan of Trademan Photography in St. Charles, will be up bright and early to watch the Royal Wedding at Bella Bridal & Formal Wear in St. Charles.
As for me, I will be viewing The Royal Wedding from my treadmill!
Tags: Bella Bridal and Formal, Elizabeth Wray Design, The Elegant Petal, The Royal Wedding, Trademan Photography
2011 Floral Trends with The Elegant Petal
Posted by Tamara Sims | Filed under Wedding Resources
A beautiful Floral Centerpiece and Table created by The Elegant Petal
Our team at Something 2 Dance 2 has had the pleasure of working with Casey Murdough of The Elegant Petal numerous times over the years and we recently attended Hotel Baker’s Wedding Showcase together where Casey provided gorgeous floral arrangements and table decor. We sat down with Casey to learn more about her flowering business and the hottest 2011 floral trends.
Tell me about you and your business: Casey Murdough, owner and Lead Designer of The Elegant Petal in St. Charles, IL. We are an event florist, dedicated to Weddings!
What services does your company offer? As wedding specialists, we provide to our brides a wide range of design services, including decor rentals, like linens and chairs, as well as other elements such as unique containers, printed materials and favors. Eco-friendly operation is another important aspect to my business, and very near to my heart, so we strive towards green practices wherever possible. Not only do we provide “Green Weddings” options, we look to be a environmentally-friendly vendor across the board, always with an eye toward energy-efficiency, local and sustainable product and recycling/composting procedures wherever practical.
Tell me about any additional services you can offer our Brides: Our signature Concierge wedding service includes hand-delivery of bouquets and professional placement of personal flowers, onsite design service and custom event coordination, individualized per each client’s requirements. We also provide clients with visual previews of their flowers in advance of the event, as they are created – a favorite feature among our brides!
What flowers do you Love? Romantic, old-fashioned blooms, especially ones with fragrance: garden roses, peonies, hydrangeas, sweet peas and violets. One of my recent favorites is a gorgeous, spiral-opening rose in a blush-sandy shade called Quicksand.
Tell us about some 2011 Floral Trends: This year, I think we’re going to see a continuation of the rich, saturated tones that started to come into popularity toward the end of last year, but with a feminine, romantic feel. Deep amythysts and plums, paired with raspberries, aquamarines or even indigo is trending as the hot color palette. Fitting beautifully into this mix is the “IT” color of 2011, honeysuckle pink, a rich, deep rosy shade. Some popular blooms in these hues? Malay orchids, anemones, hydrangeas, dahlias, peonies and new varieties of clematis, anthurium and even hybrid carnations are making a comeback!
What is your favorite color? The softest blush champagne.
What song do you live by? Hmm, a toughy, but probably the Mozart Requiem, ok, that’s technically a few songs, but still, one of the most glorious compositions ever.
To learn more 2011 Floral Trends with Casey and The Elegant Petal, please visit her amazing website: www.elegantpetal.com
Tags: 2011 Floral Trends, Hotel Baker, Something 2 Dance 2, The Elegant Petal
