The Summers Hottest Venues

As completely different as they may be, barns and warehouses have become two of the hottest venue trends this year. From the romantic and intimate vibe a farm has, to the modern and sleek feeling a warehouse projects, there is something for everyone in these locations. Both of these locations can create a breathtaking wedding that no one could ever forget.


Romance and Intimacy

A little bit country, a little bit casual, and a whole lot of romance. Barns are being discovered and used by women everywhere for their special day. Whether the bride is from the city or the country, bride’s can appreciate the romantic and intimate atmosphere a barn has. Also, barns can be a canvas for any bride’s décor style. If you truly want to appreciate this venue and use it to its best advantage, then a rustic elegance with a touch of modern is a great theme to have for your wedding day. There are many decorations that have been trending when it comes to barn weddings. The use of mason jars, chandeliers, chalkboards, rustic wood, lace, lanterns and greenery are just to name a few. But the most important element to really bring out the romance of a barn wedding is candlelight. There is something about candlelight in a wooden barn that just screams romance and intimacy. Not only are barns a beautiful place to have a wedding, they are also budget savvy and something different that not a lot of brides in the Chicago land area have used yet. Barns bring a unique and vintage charm that could provide an amazing place to have a wedding

Modern and Sleek


If you are looking to create your vision from scratch, then a warehouse as a venue could be the perfect place for you. With large spaces, tall ceilings and a very sleek look, modern brides have been choosing to go with a warehouse as their venue site. There are many different ways a bride can transform this space into her dream come true. An advantage to having a warehouse as your wedding venue is the way you can transform the room. Use any colors and decorations that you would like. And if the space is large enough, you could easily break the room down into different rooms by using draping to utilize the space for the ceremony, the reception and the cocktail hour. This way you will only have to worry about renting one space and will not have to transfer your guests. Another advantage is with draping, you can make the room as large and grand or as small and intimate as you would like. A warehouse is a perfect blank canvas to create your perfect vision and create the atmosphere you were dreaming about.

Design by Elizabeth Anne Designs

Photo by: Daniel Taylor Photo

So whether you are looking for that romantic and intimate vibe or the sleek and modern feeling, either one of these venues would be outstanding for your special day.  There is a reason these two venues are trending and everyone can appreciate the details and creativity each venue can provide. 

Happy Venue Hunting

BBFN (Bridal Bliss for Now)
Olivia

Please Be Seated

We are over at Top Wedding Sites today, blogging about wedding seating. Come take a look...

http://www.topweddingsites.com/wedding-blog/?p=4535

Bridal Balancing Act, Keeping Everyone Happy

Being a bride is a balancing act in many ways. One of the toughest jobs you have is to keep all of the decision makers involved in your wedding happy. You have to establish priorities as a couple, and decide on what means the most to you. Then…

You need to figure out who else will be contributing to your wedding budget, and what spoken or unspoken expectations come with that financial contribution. Even if there are not immediately spoken expectations, they are there. Your father may be making a small contribution and seem laid back (but he assumes you want him to walk you down the aisle), your grandmother may want to pay for your gown (as long as it’s not strapless), mother may tell you that she trusts you to select a menu (as long as it doesn’t include fish), and his mother may make a passing comment that she knows a photographer (but what she is not saying is that she fully expects you to use said photographer).

Here are a few tips to help you navigate these tricky waters:

• Start the conversation early – the earlier you start to talk about each person’s vision for your wedding, the better. This gives you the most amount of time to find common ground.

• It is your day, be careful how often you assert that – everyone wants you to be happy with your wedding day. The memories will be most vivid for the two of you. BUT, you will surely earn the title of Bridezilla if you overuse that statement.

• Be prepared to make concessions – as you and your fiancee decide what is most important to you, also start to think about areas that you are willing to bend to keep people happy.

• Listen to others’ wishes – while you may be exhausted of listening to others opinions, you never know when someone will offer up a suggestion that you truly are excited about.

The old cliché is true, you can’t keep all of the people happy, all of the time. It is definitely in your best interest to figure out which people are most important for you to please, at least some of the time.

Happy Planning!

BBFN (Bridal Bliss for Now),
Olivia

Color of the Year

Our design studio team is busy working away on designs for brides throughout 2012. Our head designer takes time with each and every couple to truly bring their vision to life. Luckily, she took time from her busy schedule to sit down with me and talk the trends she’s seeing for 2012.


Color
The color of 2012 is… Purple! In every shade from lilac to plum to violet our brides can’t get enough purple. There are so many blooms that come in amazing shades of purple. Here are a few of our favorites:

We were somewhat surprised to learn that shamrock/kelly green has been sneaking its way into event design this year as well. We are using more green linen than ever before, and using green more often in lighting design as well. We have also been incorporating some green blooms into centerpieces and bouquets.

Moving Forward
Each year Pantone releases their color of the year, and in the past few years the release of that color has been making the news. However, it typically takes a couple of years for that color to filter it’s way into wedding and event design (thank you for pointing this out to us Sasha Souza). So while Pantone has said that Tangerine Tango is the color of the year 2012, we think it’ll be a year or two before we see requests for orange dresses, bouquets and linen.

We’re anticipating seeing lots of pink as we move into 2013.

What colors are you using in your wedding design?

BBFN (Bridal Bliss for Now),
Olivia

Making Your Dreams Come True: Why You Need A Planner

You may have always dreamed about what your wedding may be, or perhaps it feels like your engagement ring must have magic powers, making your wedding the only thing on your mind. As your daydream becomes more vivid, filled with crystal and floral details you likely are NOT thinking about how this dream becomes reality. After assigning a budget, and hiring all of the vendors comes the real work, coordinating all of the details and executing them. Somewhere along the road though you will stop and wonder “When did planning this wedding become so stressful?” Simple, as your dream becomes reality, you want everything to be perfect and it is hard to put your trust in others to make that happen.

Often times the tension leading up to the big day is so enormous that brides cannot wait for their wedding day to be over! Brides miss out on the opportunity to spend cherished time with friends and family, take in the magic of the day, savor each moment as they promise their lives to their new husbands and simply enjoy themselves.

Much of this stress is alleviated by hiring a professional to handle the execution of your wedding. Planners often have a variety of planning packages to accommodate your wishes. They can stand by your side from the beginning advising on vendor selections, or come in during the few months leading up to the wedding to coordinate all of your details. You do not want to burden your close friends or family members with these responsibilities. You want them to have fun too!

Here are just a few responsibilities a planner should take off of your place:

1. Load in / Load out – your planner will confirm that vendors are arriving on time and providing the services you paid them for.

2. Point of contact – you wont have twenty different people coming up to you, you will only have one! Your planner.

3. Less Clutter – Planners are organized and will keep all of the information, from you and all of your vendors organized.

4. Communication – Planners will tell people (your wondering new mother-in-law, the groomsmen who just needs one more drink) where they need to be, and what they need to do in a professional manner. You won’t want to be stern to get them lined up for your entrance, but planners have a way of making this happen.

5. Keeping it Positive – Parents tend to be extra sensitive during your big day. The napkin layout might upset your mom, the clothes the DJ is wearing might offend your dad. At the end of the day, you don’t have to hear about it, your planner will listen to your family, talk to your vendors, and make sure you don’t hear a word about it.

Let your day be filled with love, laughter, happy tears and memories to last a lifetime!

BBFN (Bridal Bliss for Now),
Olivia

Finding the One

You already found the perfect guy, and you have the perfect ring on your finger, so now it's time to find the perfect venue to host your wedding celebration.

You'll find the same theme throughout our blog, but we'll say it again...

No piece of a wedding is one size fits all. Each element should be a reflection of who you are as a couple, including your venue.

Here are our top tips to keep in mind when choosing your venue:

• Have an idea of what type of venue you would like to consider for your event such as hotel, country club, banquet hall or specialty venue.
• Set a budget, inclusive of the space, and likely the food & beverage.
• Know the size of your guest list. Don’t forget that every person you will invite will not necessarily attend.
• Always visit the property, and take a site tour,before making your final decision. Pictures and websites can be deceiving.
• Read reviews of the venues you are considering and check with your friends and family to see if they have attended an event at the facility.
• Plan what time of day your event will be taking place. Pricing is considerably different between lunch events and dinner events
• Food service style: pricing is different between plated, buffet and family style service. Some venues do not offer all three types of service.
• Special features: Have you always dreamed your wedding would have natural light shining through floor to ceiling windows, sky high ceilings, outdoor gardens to stroll through, etc. Identifying, and finding these features can assist in narrowing your selection.

Have further questions? Contact a member of our team who can help make your venue selection easier.

BBFN (Bridal Bliss for Now),
Olivia

Did You Put a Ring on It?

Congratulations to all off the newly engaged ladies who have undoubtedly been staring at their left hand quite often. Are you in love with your ring? We hope so. Soon you will likely start talking to your beloved about your wedding band. Do you have a dream band? Is your engagement ring part of a set? Will your bands match? Which brings me to my question today…


Is your guy wearing a ring?

It made news last year when Prince William decided not to wear a ring. Honestly, it didn’t send up and red flags for me. It’s not like the entire world didn’t know he was married. Many of us work early/stayed up late just to watch it! I know men who don’t wear their wedding rings on a regular basis, some not at all. They do this for a variety of personal and professional reasons. If their partner is ok with it, who am I to judge?

Looks like love to me!

Male Engagement Rings

On the far other end of the spectrum, it seems more guys are wearing engagement rings. These rings are given as a gift from a bride-to-be to her groom. Often, she gives it as a gift after he’s already asked her but some women are choosing to propose to their guy. Many grooms wear these rings up until their wedding day, and then put on a new wedding ring.

Ladies, can you imagine your guy wearing an engagement ring? What happens to it when they switch to a wedding ring? I can’t imagine them stacked the way women’s rings work. Or, are you ok with your guy wearing no ring at all?


Please share photos with us of your beautiful engagement and wedding bands as well!



BBFN (Bridal Bliss For Now),
Olivia