Big City Bride worked through the challenges of planning a Chicago wedding with NATO. The way we see it is that Chicago brides and wedding guests need us more than ever this weekend. See the full article here and the highlighted Big City Bride press below:

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Not everyone is fleeing NATO. Chris Moon and her fiancé, McAfee Burke, booked the Chicago Cultural Center – the crown jewel of Chicago wedding venues and just a few miles from the NATO summit site – more than a year ago for their wedding on Saturday.

NATO defense ministers will use the venue for their dinner on Sunday night, a day after their wedding.

“Planning a wedding has enough moving parts as it is, so adding the NATO Summit into the mix brought a whole new level of difficulty to the wedding weekend,” said Darcey Lohman, a wedding planner for Big City Bride, which is handling the event.

Prospective bride Moon said they have had to make concessions to pull it off amid the summit.

A NATO team needed the hall they had booked for their cocktail hour overlooking one of the city’s newest attractions, Millennium Park. Cocktail hour will now take place in a gallery overlooking Michigan Avenue.

The parking garage next to the venue will be closed, so the couple must provide valet parking. They changed the start time of the ceremony to give guests more time to arrive.

Their wedding website offers some advice: “Please allow yourselves ample time to arrive at the venue. There may be rolling street closures due to public protests and the transportation of foreign dignitaries.”

Moon said she is confident in the wedding planner and is preparing herself for things not going exactly as she envisioned.

“Of course, I’m nervous. I’m hoping that everything comes together easily,” she said.

Big City Bride knows the Chicago wedding planning worries that brides and grooms have encountered. Although the city would like to minimize activity in the loop, Chicago weddings will be happening this weekend and there are a few wedding planning tips for brides, grooms, families, and wedding guests alike:

Wedding Transportation: Be prepared and plan for traffic, various road closures, closed parking garages, and parking restrictions in general. Planning an extra night at the hotel is the best idea! Among closed highways and unpredictable traffic delays, public transportation will also be limited. The most affected roads are said to be:

• I90 East and West between O’Hare and Downtown
• Ohio from I90/94 to Fairbanks/Columbus
• Ontario from Fairbanks to Columbus
• I90/94 East and West between downtown and I-55
• Roosevelt Road/18th Street/Canalport Ave access from I-93
• Significant closures in and around McCormick Place
• Significant closures in and around Museum Campus
• Significant closures in and around Willis Tower
• Significant closures in and around Chicago Cultural Center & Art Institute

Security: With Head’s of States from all over the world in attendance for the NATO Summit, Chicago is taking tremendous security precautions! A big worry is protestors on the streets. It is advised that anyone in the city this weekend should carry photo identification and proof of where you work and live.

Why is a Chicago wedding planner blogging about the NATO Summit in Chicago? Well…we plan and we prepare…we do our best to communicate…and then we get ready to problem solve! If you’re a guest at a Chicago wedding, add a purse to your outfit so you can carry identification. Be smart as you travel and allow extra time. If you can, stay in a hotel downtown Chicago the night prior to the wedding so you have no worries about running late! Be smart when it comes to being a tourist. There is so much to enjoy in Chicago but sticking to attractions North of the city might be the best bet. Watch yourself around protestors and dress to blend in when you can.

Big City Bride wants to help make sure every Chicago event this weekend runs smoothly with no problems! The NATO Summit is a wonderful opportunity for Chicagoans to show off this incredible city to important people from all over the globe.

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The Chicago Tribune’s “Chicago RedEye” is currently taking love note submissions for their Valentine’s Day issue! Whether you’re comfortable snogging in the street and holding hands or not, here is some PDA that Grandma will approve of. For $25 you can make the most creative display of public affection by going to the Chicago RedEye link here. Every commuter will secretly be checking in to see if there is a surprise with their name on it.

Even if your life is lacking romance this February, celebrate whatever love you’re thankful for!

For your friend who makes life fun…

For the people you see everyday…

For the furry unconditional loves in your life…

For the people you’re thankful for…

Big City Bride could fill up the Chicago RedEye with all of the people we’d like to send love to this Valentine’s Day. Be sure to send in your PDA before Monday at 9am! Check it out Tuesday!

So here is a look at the woman behind the scenes, the Susan Cordogan outside the office. What she loves, watches, and why she does what she does!

From the Chicago outdoor wedding ceremony to the wedding reception at the historical Chicago wedding venue of the Chicago Cultural Center, everything was unique to the couple. The outdoor ceremony was performed in round so that it felt intimate even though it happened in the midst of the big city. Caribbean dancers escorted the bride and groom into the reception to start off the night. With beautiful room decor, a tailored menu, and a photo booth the evening was unforgettable!

Our LOVE for food trucks continues! The Sweet Ride just rolled through the Lincoln Park area of Chicago and Big City Bride flagged them down. Look at all the amazing treats to be had! Nothing like banana pudding, whoopie pies, cupcakes, cookies, and push-up cupcakes to sweeten an afternoon.

Five minutes after this picture nothing was left but a few crumbs..and a few very happy Chicago wedding planners.

Before we fully enjoyed every morsel of this Chicago food truck’s treats we chatted about the possibilities of letting the Sweet Ride pull up to a Chicago wedding (our wedding planning brains never turn off!) They were so excited to discuss the possibilities of customized menus and customized packaging. Whether this adorable little truck is waiting outside when your guests are leaving or you have them pull up as a sweet surprise at a Chicago wedding shower  … the possibilities are endless.

In a city like Chicago, there are endless opportunities for date nights. Take Millennium Park for example. Not only are there lite up trees surrounding the park which makes a walk romantic and scenic, but you can go ice skating hand in hard underneath the infamous bean. Hours and details and this dreamy photo can be found here: Ice Skating | Millennium Park | Explore Chicago

If you don’t want to fight the frigid temperatures but you still want to partake in a winter activity, go ice skate at the worlds highest ice skating rink in the John Hancock Observatory. You and your partner can Skate in the Sky! Afterwards head to the Lavazza Expressions Cafe in the John Hancock  for some scrumptious hot chocolate.

If the idea of iceskating inspires fear not romance then leave the heart of the city and head into the quaint and beautiful Lincoln Park neighborhood. Here you will find the well known Lincoln Park Zoo. Get all bundled up and enter for free to see the animals who love winter, and participate in the zoos various winter events, workshops, and activities. Here is a calendar to view what upcoming events the zoo is offering so that you can plan a fabulous date night.

If you really want to get out of the city for the day, explore the Chicago Brookfield Zoo. Chicago is pretty special to have two amazing zoos and it’s fun as a couple to say you’ve seen what the city has to offer! Here, see two brand new snow leopards and afterwards participate in a myriad of activities. This is a great time to visit Chicago Brookfield Zoo because Mondays, Tuesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays are all free entry days!

If you aren’t the outdoorsy type of couple but you are still looking to get out of the house, you can venture out to one of Chicago’s wonderful and historic museums. Here’s your chance to really check the city highlights off your dating to do list! We are so blessed to live in a city with The Field Museum, The Museum of Science and Industry, The Adler Planetarium, The Shedd Aquarium and The Chicago Art Museum. To add to this, all venues are so close to each other and amazingly located on the beautiful Lake Michigan. Take a stroll on the lake, explore a few museums, and grab dinner afterwards to discuss!

The wedding planners at Big City Bride hope these ideas can help you and your love get out of the winter slump and have a little romantic Winter fun! Chicago is too great of a city to only enjoy in the summer. Go explore. Go stroll. Go skate or observe or eat or learn or shop. Enjoy!

Be sure to flip through the newest Chicago issue for their “10 perfect Chicago weddings.”  Mary Kate & Ryan are the first feature and it looks amazing! The four page spread shows off all the fun details of their “West bound” el themed wedding. From delicious letterpress print materials to the el car place cards this wedding at the Chicago Cultural Center was perfectly them. As a Chicago wedding planner, that is the ultimate goal! A stunning wedding perfectly tailored to the wonderful bride and groom.

Thank you to Riverbend Studios for capturing this event so beautifully that The Knot wanted to show it off to the world!

Here we have a Daffodil to the left and a Forsythia to the right. Yellow is a great spring color, and these flowers would make for a bright spring wedding. Here’s an idea! Gray or navy bridesmaids dresses and linens would allow the flowers to pop. A fun color scheme will light up a Chicago venue, and leave an everlasting impression on all the guests!

A bride can never go wrong with purple flowers at their wedding. The Hyacinth on the left and the Lilacs on the right are just two of the many purple flower choices a bride can pick from. For the big day, think about incorporating a variety of candles and lighting to make for a romantic wedding reception.

Spring is also the perfect time for pink! Aside from pink Roses, Peonies and Sweet Peas are gorgeous choices to have in bouquets at the wedding ceremony and in centerpieces at the wedding reception. Using pinks can transform any Chicago wedding venue, and put a smile on guests’ faces upon arrival. Lilly’s of the Valley (shown on far right) can be very sweet too!

Tulips and Viburnums are another great spring wedding flower option. Tulips come in so many colors and varieties that they are a great addition to whatever floral you have. If you’re going for colorful design, the Viburnum berries can be a fun accent.

A couple can not go wrong by choosing to have spring flowers present on their wedding day! The wedding planners at Big City Bride know that choosing the right flowers can completely transform a Chicago wedding ceremony and a Chicago wedding venue! If you choose flowers that are in season then the cost is much more budget friendly! Winter can be a drag, but we have so many spring weddings to look forward to!

http://www.flowers-cs.com has provided us with these photos, go to their website to check out even more spring flower options!