photos by J.Brown Photography

You thought planning a wedding was tough before? Now add a global-wide coronavirus pandemic on top of it and you have a recipe for anxiety, uncertainty and just so many questions. When working with your wedding vendors you may have more questions about your vendor contract than you originally thought. We’ve compiled a short list of frequently asked questions about wedding vendor contracts during COVID-19 and what you should know!

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Photos by Marc & Mindy

Planning your wedding during a global pandemic is not something you’d ever imagine doing. But, here we are! How do you keep everyone safe from COVID-19, but still celebrate with a beautiful wedding like you’ve always dreamed of? These seven concepts promote safety subtly, ensuring the focus of your wedding day is still on you.

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Photo by Marc & Mindy

Ensure your wedding comes to life with audio and visuals that captivate your guests — especially those from far away. Chicago Marriott Naperville stopped by the blog with tips on how to live stream your wedding with ease.

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You found the love of your life and a pandemic is not going to stop you from declaring your love. But then comes the big question – will it still feel like a celebration? Of course! Explore how pandemic restrictions have opened up a new world of opportunities for fun and entertainment.

Photo by Marc & Mindy

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With social distancing restrictions on-going, the hardest part may be cutting down the guest list. It’s difficult to imagine not having all of your friends and family with you on your wedding day. Don’t be afraid to get creative with ways to include guests that are unable to attend your wedding in person.

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While we obviously love elaborate weddings around here, we also have a soft spot for sweet elopements. With an emphasis on the intimate and personal, choosing to elope may be just the option for you. And there’s no need to run off to Vegas to make your wedding dreams come true– the perfect spot to elope is right here!

If you’ve been considering bypassing a full-blown wedding affair in favor for an elopement, we’ve got three simple steps to follow, regardless of the style of elopement you choose. All photos by Furla Studio.

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Photo by Marc & Mindy

There are so many decisions when getting married but first you have to start with the style of celebration. A small, intimate wedding like an elopement, minimony or micro-wedding may be the perfect fit for you and your fiancé.

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Take a look at every stunning piece in Jenny by Jenny Yoo Bridal’s Spring 2021 collection.

Jenny by Jenny Yoo for the confident bride, boasts slinky body hugging fit and flare skirts, soft airy tulle, and dainty details. Ultra-chic silky gowns, Marnie and Beale, give the simplicity of a slip dress, but radiate the bride with plunging architectural V-necklines, low backs and with charming flutter sleeves. The Empire waist is featured in iterations of delicate tulle, luxe satin, and bright crepe.

Find your perfect gown at one of our favorite local bridal boutiques, click here.

Take a look at every stunning piece in Jenny Yoo Bridal’s Spring/Summer 2021 collection.

The elevated Jenny Yoo Collection bridal defines modern femininity in luxe, opulent textiles. Favoring a square neckline matched to a scoop back, the Eva and Elliot gowns turn heads with only their remarkable statuesque shape. Unexpected details of decadent embellishments, corset backs, and printed organza create dimension to meet the updated aesthetic of the modern bride. The regal Lia gown is perfectly uncluttered, bold, and polished, a timeless A-Line that is as breathtaking as it is simple.

Love is in the stars and this elegant celestial styled wedding ceremony is no exception.

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We have a new ChicagoStyle Weddings Designers’ Challenge Winner!

With its vibrant florals and pops of real citrus throughout the design, we’re not surprised voters chose the Fresh Rustic Romance as the winner of our 2019-20 Designers’ Challenge. The design included hand painted citrus artwork, a lemonade station, lemons as place cards, and even an English Cottage-inspired cake to add a whimsical touch. The fresh color palette and romantic details came together to produce a fun and elegant wedding tablescape. Congratulations to this well-deserving team! And, thank you to all who participated and voted in our fantasy wedding design contest.

The Team:

Planner/Stylist: Preoccupied Bride
Floral & Décor: Flora Elements
Cake & Sweets: The Bakester Patisserie
Stationery: EJD Design
Rentals: Dish & Décor Vintage Rental; Windy City Linen
Venue: Pinstripes – Northbrook
Photography: Ashley Galminas Photography

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We’ve crowned this year’s winners, but who will be next? It’s time to vote for your favorite design to choose next year’s winner! Vote here.

If you haven’t added the bridal portrait to your must-do list, we recommend checking out this centuries-long tradition of scheduling a photography session with vendors like Regina Kelly to commemorate the wedding in a totally unique way.

Before wedding photographers were available to capture every moment of your special day, families commemorated weddings with a bridal portrait.

The time-honored tradition, which is still treasured in the South, originated in Europe as oil paintings (mostly of royalty) before photography became a phenomenon. The bride’s family would commission the portrait to seize the moment in time when their daughter was glamorously bedecked in bridal splendor.

Even as photography became commonplace, many families still love to have a formal photo captured in a studio, one that would be impossible to create amongst the usual chaos and excitement of the wedding.

In fact, the added beauty of these shots is the luxury of time. Bridal portraits are scheduled either before or after the wedding, so there’s no rush to get to the reception or pressure to include all your family and friends. The end result of the photos is also a bit more theatrical and artistic, with classic poses you likely wouldn’t do in a typical wedding picture.

If the allure of an heirloom photo intrigues you, remember to synchronize your fitting and alteration appointments with your bridal portrait timeline. To maximize your time and money, many brides try to schedule it on the same day as their hair and makeup trial. With this strategy, the bride not only looks her best, but also more definitively mimics the look she is trying to achieve for her big day.

Some women also opt to include their parents or spouse-to-be in some of the portraits. Think about how many times you and your family are elegantly captured together. This could be the last time you and your family are formally photographed together, and that’s pretty special. And even if you’re planning to have a wedding photographer, these portraits of you and your love will feel historic. These are the types of photos we faun over when looking back at black and white images of our ancestors. Your family will treasure these pictures for centuries.

Let’s bring this tradition back to the forefront of wedding customs!

Feeling inspired? Visit Regina Kelly’s website to learn more about capturing this special time in your life with a bridal portrait. 

Patty McGuire, owner of Patty McGuire Hair & Makeup Artists, popped by the blog to share insight and tips for luxury wedding and special event hair & makeup services. All photos by Joy Lyn Photography.

Brides looking for a wedding makeup/hair services in Chicago have hundreds of options. What makes Patty McGuire Hair & Makeup Artists so unique?

I think one of the most important things that sets us apart is that we commit to fewer weddings so that we can provide a level of excellence that every bride deserves. We approach each wedding as if it is our first, because every wedding is unique and special. As an on-site luxury bridal team, our artists work with only one bridal party per day. Every bride deserves a team who will be there exclusively for them on their wedding day. Our brides are trusting us with their family members, their friends and the people they love the most. That is an incredible gift. We never take for granted what an honor it is to be part of their special day. Our hope is that when brides are doing their research, they will get a sense of who we are, that we see our work as a calling, something much greater than just hair and makeup. We love our brides and take pride in being a part of the most important day of their lives.

What made you fall in love with helping brides look their very best on their wedding day?

I was a singer when I was younger and learned relatively quickly how to do my hair and makeup. As time went on, I would do hair and makeup for girls attending dances, women attending black tie events, things like that. I just fell in love with getting a woman ready for a special occasion. I started out working in salons, then eventually opened a couple of my own, so taking off weekends was difficult because our regular hair clientele needed us on weekends as well. I later became an educator for a cosmetic company that opened my eyes to all things bridal and it became a world I never wanted to leave. As the years went by, I slowly built a team to help me and was able to move towards working exclusively with brides. My team of 28 is made up of artists whose passion for their work is only surpassed by their love of people. As artists, we all have a style. My style and our team style has always been classic and timeless, leaning toward natural beauty and looks that will stand the test of time. I find beauty in every woman I meet and can see their complete look in my mind even before I start working. To see their beauty, highlight that beauty for them to then present to the world on the most important day of their life has been a transformative gift in my life that I am truly thankful for.

What overall trends are you seeing? What looks are popular?

While I do look at trends and want to be mindful of what is going on in the bridal world, Bridal Fashion Week for 2020 was calling for purple lips and hair bouquets. There are some trends, however, that we love for hair such as textured up styles, effortless undone chignons and more brides opting for leaving their hair down in soft waves, sometimes pulling one side back with a jeweled pin. For makeup, we are seeing more brides investing in skin care and customized treatments in preparation for the wedding day. We have a special relationship with Simply Beautiful Day Spa in Downers Grove, Il., who created exclusive packages for our brides to encourage more luminous, glowing makeup looks that allow their natural skin to show through. We love rosy bridal makeup looks with illuminating pops of color, lips in soft pinks, nude and peach tones. Gone are the days of heavy contour and Instagram brows, the modern bride is all about enhancing instead of hiding. Cream blush is another must have, as it creates the most youthful and radiant glow.

How early do you recommend clients book their hair & makeup services?

We book a year or a year and a half in advance. Especially with so many couples postponing their events to later dates due to the limits on event size, we encourage everyone to secure their favorite vendors right away.

What should a couple bring to their hair and makeup trial?

We always ask for hair and makeup images of inspiration ahead of time so that we know what the bride is drawn to. We love them to bring their veil, any hair accessories they might want to incorporate and any other images they want to share that will help us learn more about the vision they have for their special day. This is a special time of getting to know one another and working together to create a look they will love.

What advice do you have for couples when choosing their hair & makeup artist?

There are so many things I think are worth looking at when selecting all types of vendors. First, look at their social media. Do they post on a regular basis? Do you like their style? Read their reviews and the experience that other brides have had. How do you feel when they respond to you? Do you feel cared about and confident in their responses to your questions? There are so many agencies with package pricing, where the cost is less based on how many people you have in your group. The more people you have, the less it will cost. I do not understand that business style because it only hurts the hardworking artists. I respect them too much to discount their work. It is true that you get what you pay for in terms of your vendors. Experience matters. The work matters. Integrity matters. It’s important to choose vendors who understand what an honor it is to be chosen and who will put their heart and soul into making it all about the bride and the people they love the most.

What procedures do you have in place to keep your brides as safe as possible?

Sanitation has never been as important as it is today. Our team will be wearing masks to do our part in preventing the spread of illness. Our industry expects us to have the highest level of integrity in keeping our client’s safe and that is what we intend to do.

Patty McGuire Hair & Makeup Artists is onsite team of passionate and professional hair and makeup artists who are all master-level experts that specialize in bridal and special event hair and makeup. Click here for more information about booking with Patty McGuire Hair & Makeup Artists.