New USPS 64 Cent Stamp for Square Envelopes!

Square invitation Brides REJOICE! No longer do you have to slap a hodge-podge of different value stamps onto your beautiful wedding invitations. On May 17th, the USPS revealed the new 64 cent stamp with the image of a monarch butterfly. It may not match your wedding colors per se, but at least it’s somewhat “neutral”.

Source

So why do square envelopes need more than the regular 44 cent first class stamp? According to the USPS site, these are the conditions that require an additional 20 cent surcharge:

• It is a square letter (the minimum size for a square envelope is 5 x 5 inches.)
• It is too rigid - does not bend easily
• It has clasps, string, buttons, or similar closure devices
• It has an address parallel to the shorter dimension of the letter
• It contains items such as pens that cause the surface to be uneven
• The length divided by height is less than 1.3 or more than 2.5

Apparently, this new stamp was developed by the USPS with the Greeting Card Association, so moving forward, square greeting cards (by participating manufacturers) will have the silhouette of a butterfly in the stamp area to remind consumers that the card requires a monarch stamp. (source) Pretty brilliant!

Will you use the new monarch stamp? Or what stamps are you choosing for your invitations?

Married: Maggie & Mike 5.14.10

A little less than two weeks ago, I sent this lovely couple down the aisle at the amazing Adler Planetarium. Their wedding went off without a hitch, and the dance floor was full until the very last song was played… how did they manage that? Because they hired two charter buses to bring everyone to and from the hotel (especially ideal when most of your guests are out-of-towners)! It was perfect because then all of the guests were able to take full advantage of the open bar without the worry of driving home afterwards. Now THAT’S thoughtful planning!

Check out their amazing video trailer by Orange Wedding Films! Lead videographer, JJ, truly captured the romance of the wedding… and the unforgettable sunset during the first dance. Le sigh!

(For ideal viewing, press Play and then immediately Pause to allow video to load)

Maggie + Mike Wedding Film Trailer from Orange Wedding Films on Vimeo.

Maggie & Mike were amongst the easiest, sweetest, most gracious couples I have worked with to date! And what do I mean by “easy”? When Maggie and I met up for our first meeting two months prior to the wedding, she brought me the most organized binder with all of her vendor contracts, print-outs of some important vendor email communication, rough draft of her itinerary, list of song choices, and more… it was a wedding coordinator’s dream! And the day before the wedding, she presented me with the most thoughtful gift: a black “infinity” scarf which has become my new favorite accessory!

Thank you Maggie and Mike for being such a joy to work with!

Venue: Adler Planetarium
Caterer: Food for Thought (exclusive caterer at the Adler)
Videographer: Orange Wedding Films
Photographer: Grey Street Photography
Officiant: Rev. Jim Rehnberg, aka Rent-a-Rev
Florist: Stems
Baker: Sarah’s Pastries
Hair & Makeup: Starlight Makeup
DJ: Spin Productions

A Toast by the Bride & Groom

Toasts at a wedding are always expected. 95% of the time, they are given by the Best Man, Maid of Honor, and sometimes the parents (one or both sets).

One thing I ask each of my couples before their wedding day is whether or not they are going to give a toast. I usually get a look of surprise at first because it’s not something they’ve thought about, but I always encourage them to say a few words of thanks to their guests. In my opinion, it’s all about being a gracious host. Your guests certainly appreciate the fact that they have been invited to share in your happy day (not to mention wined and dined), but chances are, many of them have traveled long distances to celebrate with you. So welcome them! Thank them! Also give heartfelt thanks to those who helped make the wedding possible. And just as importantly, celebrate and toast each other.

Even if you plan to circulate the room and greet people individually, chances are you may not have the opportunity to greet every single guest. By saying a few words, you ensure that everyone feels appreciated.

And for fun, here are some gratuitous pictures from our own wedding toast!

Images by Dennis Lee Photography

So as you plan your reception itinerary, please consider giving a brief toast. It doesn’t need to be lengthy or overly thought out… Just be sincere!

One more thing, give your toast BEFORE you take full advantage of your open bar :)

Rain on Your Wedding Day – Where do You Go?

All of us Chicagoans know that our weather is a crapshoot. It can be perfect, sunny and 80° one day… and then nasty, drizzly and 45° the next. What’s a couple getting married to do?

So when I posed this question to some of my favorite Chicago photographers, I could practically hear a collective GROAN via email. This is an issue that they have to deal with All. The. Time. When the weather won’t cooperate, where are some of the best indoor spots in Chicago to take wedding pictures?

Outdoor photo shoots are ideal since you can’t beat natural light. TIP 1: But always have a Plan B (and maybe even a Plan C)! Make sure that you pick a secondary INDOOR location to shoot, just in case. TIP 2: Be sure to check in advance with that location(s) regarding their photography policies. Suuuuper important because many places require a special permit/permission, and it would be no fun to get the boot when in your wedding day finery. (Although sometimes if you luck out, you’ll get a security guard who won’t mind a few pictures, but better safe than sorry!)

Kevin Weinstein Photography at the MCA Chicago:

Kevin Weinstein Photography at Chicago Union Station (probably one of the most popular indoor spots): 

 Jeremy Lawson Photography at Union Station:
 

TIP 3: Pick an indoor location that has some meaning to you! Your favorite restaurant, coffee shop, bookstore, or even your favorite clothing store… be creative!

Jeremy Lawson Photography at a dive bar, Rip Tide Lounge: 


Jeremy Lawson Photography at Rip Tide Lounge:  


 Jeremy Lawson Photography at the Modern wing of the Art Institute: 

Chicago is known for subways and our El trains. What better place to show some Chicago pride?

Jessfoto – see the rest of the shoot here: 

   Jessfoto:

Chicago Cultural Center by Steve Koo Photography, probably the second most popular in-case-of-rain spot after Union Station:
 


Laurie Peacock Photography. TIP 4 from Laurie: Regardless, have some cute rain boots and umbrella on-hand, and WORK IT! 

Olivia Leigh Photographie at the Publican Restaurant. Like I said before, pick your favorite restaurant (and try to avoid crazy hours such as lunchtime and dinner): 

Olivia provided what was probably the best TIP, she even blogged about it: When choosing a hotel where you plan to get ready before the wedding, choose a hotel that has beautiful guest rooms, cool architectural details, or hopefully a gorgeous lobby. While you may pay a bit more for a hotel with photo-worthy locations, it’s better than having all of your getting-ready photos at an unattractive hotel, and will give you some great spots for wedding party pictures in case of bad weather. By the way, this doesn’t mean that you have to arrange your entire room block for wedding guests at the same hotel!

Both photos below by Olivia Leigh Photographie at Crimson Lounge, Hotel Sax: 

 

What’s YOUR Plan B?

WED•OBO… Like Groupon for Weddings!

Holy cow, where was WED•OBO when I was getting married?! This wasn’t even a concept back then… Now many of us are already fans and users of Groupon, YouSwoop and I think there some other similar sites. Every day WED•OBO will bring you a new wedding-related deal, so all you engaged couples, be sure to subscribe!

According to their site, here is how it works:

Subscribe at Wedobo.com

Wedobo delivers limited time, must-have wedding deals to you via email.

You buy the deal. And share it, if you’d like to. The more people who know about Wedobo, the more we’re able to negotiate the best wedding deals for you.

Today’s deal? A 30 minute engagement photo shoot with Artisan Events, one of Chicago’s premier photography studios.

Actually, Wedobo was created by Amanda Sudimack, founder of Artisan Events. I had the pleasure of working with Amanda and her team just a few weeks ago on a wedding! Congrats on launching this awesome new site!

 

 

Tip for the Wedding Guest: Send the Gift in Advance

Wedding season is upon us! Not only for me as a wedding planner, but also for everyone as wedding guests!

Here is one thing that I notice at nearly every wedding I coordinate: large, bulky, heavy wedding gifts. Of course the bride and groom are super appreciative that so many guests bought them a gift for their wedding (even better if it’s off the registry! :)) But here’s one thing you can do that they will love you even more for:

Have the gift shipped to their home (or wherever the designated shipping address is) before the wedding.

Yes, it may cost you an extra $10- $15 in shipping, but trust me, they will be sooo grateful to have one less item to lug home! And likewise, you won’t have to haul the ginormous box of pots/dinnerware/glassware/bedding while in your fancy clothes. The same can be said of cards, especially since that way you can ensure that it won’t get lost in the shuffle on the wedding day. In this case, it’s pretty safe to stray from old adage, “Never show up empty handed” because you can rest assured that you’re already ahead of the game!

Image  Source

How many weddings are you attending as a guest, and will you be shipping the gift ahead of time?

Finally, a Cupcake Truck in Chicago!

Yeah, yeah, the cupcake trend has been in full force for a while now and it is supposed to be on its way out and perhaps a bit passé to some. But that doesn’t mean I don’t love me a good red velvet cupcake with a heap of cream cheese frosting! I’ve always been envious of other cities like NYC and LA which are known for having dessert trucks, taco trucks and the like (BTW, in writing this post, I just discovered that NY’s famed Dessert Truck is now a storefront and the truck no longer roams the street! Bummer…)

But now Chicago gets its very own CUPCAKE TRUCK, Flirty Cupcakes! Woohoo! They literally just launched the truck this month, so hopefully it does well and sticks around for a while. Better yet, they are available to come to your event (ahem, wedding) for some curbside service. You would be the most popular couple ever (at least with the lady guests)!

In order to find out their daily locations, follow them on Twitter or like them on Facebook.

 

  

 

Based on their website, the flavor that intrigues me the most (besides red velvet) is the CBFF aka Chocolate Cupcake with a Nutella Ganache. That sounds like a bite of cupcake heaven!

    

{Images via their Facebook fan page}

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to track down this truck… I think a tasting is in order!

Who wants to join me?! :)

 

Tuesday’s Tablescape: DIY Yellow Candy & Cookie Buffet

I decided to showcase a slightly different tablescape today…

Say hello to DIY candy and dessert buffet perfection! When I first scrolled through these pictures in my Google Reader, I thought I was looking at sweet table design guru, Amy Atlas’ blog. But no, this table was actually designed by my friend Virginia for a party in honor of her new baby, Kaelyn! (On a side-note, Virginia is a talented graphic designer who designed my initial logo and brand identity when I first launched Sweetchic two years ago!)

These magazine-worthy shots were captured by our mutual friend and photographer extraordinaire, Kelly of Kelly Chau Photography (YAY for fellow Weddingbee alums!). Take a peek: 

 

Are you impressed yet?! And can you believe that nearly all of the goodies are store-bought, and a number of the platters were borrowed. Talk about resourceful! Virginia put SO much thought, time and effort into Kaelyn’s party, what a lucky baby! I forsee some awesome birthday parties in Kaelyn’s future!

 

A super crafty way to create the levels on this table? Boxes wrapped in coordinating wrapping paper!

I love the little bees buzzing around the top of the cake! Perfect with the color scheme (and perhaps a little homage to Weddingbee? hehe)

 

But wait, where’s Kaelyn?!

Click here, to check out some amazing shots from Kaelyn’s photo session, again by Kelly Chau!

{Every Tuesday, Sweetchic Events features a fabulous tablescape from around the blogosphere for your viewing pleasure!}

Tuesday’s Tablescape: Lovebirds

Back to my regularly scheduled programming!

The following images are from the wedding of Alison and Eric, shot by Sara France Photography. I am so smitten by all of the sweet “lovebird” details, and I think you will be too! Utter deliciousness…everything is just so charming! And I especially love the aubergine + indigo + marigold yellow color scheme. Unexpected yet perfect.

     

   

Via The Bride’s Cafe

{Every Tuesday, Sweetchic Events features a fabulous tablescape from around the blogosphere for your viewing pleasure!}