BigCityBride Blog

We’re so excited to share this with everyone! Chicago doesn’t see a party like this very often. The most luxurious, sexy, and festive Christmas party Chicago has ever seen in a private garage. As an event planner in Chicago we specialize in solving problems, and this Chicago venue had its challenges. Without water, heat, bathrooms, or lighting and filled with vintage cars this space needed an epic transformation and that’s what we gave it.

Guests arrived to a tented sidewalk, and entered on a red carpet through a threshold of draping to a room that literally dropped jaws. Showcasing six vintage cars, Big City Events (Big City Bride without the I Do’s) planned the party true to the integrity of the space. Cars were highlighted with lights from below and within. The brick walls, wood posts, and wood ceilings were made stunning by vibrant lights. The raised VIP section allowed guests to watch the crowd, the drinks flowed all night, late night snacks roller skated into the party, and the disco balls made the whole space sparkle. Never before have I seen such a stunning ceiling installation. In contrast with the incredible wood ceilings, the reflection made it feel like the night sky was overhead. With the lighting constantly changing this Chicago event became a PARTY throughout the night. Nothing could have been more fabulous!

For more images visit Big City Events & Big City Bride here!

It’s always an honor to be featured on a blog, especially one that brides and grooms love.  Today ChicagoStyle Weddings magazine posted a photo shoot that we did with them last year. Their feature ‘Designers Challenge’ asked Chicago wedding planners to take a vision and use an assigned team of Chicago wedding vendors to make it a reality. Together with the Chicago wedding florist, Chicago cake designer, and Chicago invitation designer, Big City Bride created a look we like to call ‘Haute Pink’. We love the mirror, the bright pink pops of color, the sparkly metal runners, and the custom made linen!

Be sure to check out the ChicagoStyle Weddings blog by clicking here!

Thank you to Gerber & Scarpelli Photography for taking such great photos!

For all the brides with a little anxiety for a rainy wedding day…focus on a few quick tips to make it bearable rather than focusing your energy on changing weather patterns. Hate to say it – but you don’t have that power, nor does your Chicago wedding planner, to change the weather.

But, we do have umbrellas and a little hair spray for the frizzy flyaway you didn’t expect. If rain or snow are in the forecast then plan accordingly. Don’t ask your hair to do things it doesn’t naturally want to do unless you’re okay with your curls springing back up after your first few photos.

You Chicago wedding planner is there to make sure you feel beautiful and stay dry and warm on wedding day. Darcey Lohman, of Big City Bride, kept Lauren looking stunning and Edenhurst Studio couldn’t have taken more beautiful Chicago wedding photography. It’s always fun to capture the behind the scene moments of the day.

Winter has finally come to Chicago! As much as we loved the clean streets and the surprisingly warm weather December brought us, Big City Bride is excited to finally see snow. By the constant sounds of snow blowers and shoveling outside our window today, it seems everyone has been waiting a long time for the whiteness Chicago is usually sick of this time of year. But it’s new to 2012 and so of course your favorite Chicago wedding planner had to take a quick minute for an office picture, and we thought we’d share.

Our day has been full of a few more visits to the window than usual. It’s so wonderful to see beautiful snow once again! Here we are loving the winter wonderland outside the Big City Bride office. We just had to see it for ourselves!

For all of our out of town brides who may not know all that Chicago winters have to offer, we thought we’d send a sneak peak of our day. Here’s the view outside your Chicago wedding planner’s door. Every single tree twig perfectly and delicately covered with a layer of white. Everything quiet.  Everything peaceful.

We’re cozy in our Lincoln Park office today. The candles are burning, coffee and tea are on every desk, and lots of wedding planning in the warmth of Big City Bride. It’s a good place to be.

Sending our love from our winter wonderland, Big City Bride

Strings are a wedding staple, but we have an idea that will ROCK your reception!  A rock violin show is a great way to entertain guests for cocktail hour. Playing modern covers, they are sure to entertain your guests with an energetic talent that you would never expect in a wedding violin group. Fool your guests into thinking you chose a classical string quartet and shock them with a modern twist on tradition.

During your cocktail hour or your Chicago wedding reception, this will surprise and entertain your guests. Chicago wedding planner Big City Bride loves the chance to plan surprises into their events to keep guests excited throughout the night. A Chicago wedding planner knows tricks for timing and execution that can make a great entertainment act into something dramatic and unforgettable! This might be the stand out edge you’re looking for!

Thanks to Robyn Rachel Photography for capturing the fun.

As we begin to look forward to a very exciting 2012 at Big City Bride…we pause for a moment to remember 2011.  Of course we remember working at our favorite Chicago wedding venues and the best Chicago bands. We remember our favorite wedding cakes and our favorite wedding bouquets. We remember our favorite wedding invites, our favorite Chicago wedding food, our latest nights, funniest meetings, and mostly our clients who have become new friends.

But in all of the details that concern a Chicago wedding planner, we can’t deny that when we reflect on wedding day we look past the wedding details and focus on the true celebration at hand. And so, we remember the amazing couples who we’ve had the priveledge of planning with. We remember the incredible love that our office runs on…whether humorous or supportive or quiet or crazy romantic…our office is overflowing with love and that is why we do what we do. So most of all when we look back we remember the loved ones who gathered to celebrate our Big City brides and grooms and all the fabulous fun!

And so as we move into 2012 with high hopes and strong spirits…we toast to our brides and grooms of 2011 and before. Without you on our side as our supporters and our friends we could not be the Chicago wedding planner that we are. Thank you and Cheers!

And we toast also to your toasts… To the friends and family who have nervously poured their hearts out over champagne to tell you they love you and wish you a successful marriage…. To the words that make even your wedding planner laugh and cry in the back of the room because watching you happy is what we live for…To the moment when you’re surrounded by all your people with a full glass and a happy heart…CHEERS!

Cheers to Robyn Rachel Photography for the above Chicago wedding photography!

Cheers to Edenhurst Studio for the above Chicago wedding photography!

Cheers to Riverbend Studio for the above Chicago wedding photography!

Cheers to Allori Photography for the above Chicago wedding photography!

Happy New Year!

The champagne was popped and I’m guessing the big “Will You Marry Me!?” question was popped quite a bit as well! It’s a new year and with so many newly engaged couples I’m sure the excitement is high and perhaps resolutions are being made to stay away from the stress of wedding planning for your dream Chicago wedding. If that’s the case – let Big City Bride help you make 2012 a wonderful year of blissful and fun Chicago wedding planning.

2012 availability at Chicago wedding venues are definitely filling up but we know a few secrets and a few open dates Let your Chicago wedding planner escort you around town for a fun day of viewing all the Chicago wedding venues that fit your guest count, your style, and your wedding budget with availability and secrets disclosed! Make the process as simple and personal as possible.

Grab one of the last 2012 dates before they are taken by all the anxious brides to be. Let Big City Bride help you make your Chicago wedding a unique, fun, personal, and completely perfect celebration of your love! Call (773)525-PLAN if you’re interested in a Chicago wedding planner and we’d love the opportunity to talk to you about what you have in mind for your big day.

With 2011 coming to an end and 2012 barreling in quickly, it’s fun to take a minute to reflect on what fun has been cooking up for the new year! If you’ve taken a look around the city of Chicago with an empty stomach you’ve most likely noticed a very tasty new trend…food trucks!

This website lists and tracks what Chicago streets have to offer: http://chicagofoodtrucks.com/Chicago_Food_Trucks/Trucks_Rolling.html

Surrounded by holiday cheer I’m inspired to post a wedding that seems to embody the joy of the season. Maura and Jeff chose red and purple as their wedding colors. The amazing florals looked incredible in Chicago’s University Club. This is one of the wedding venues in Chicago that has a grand but homey feel. The couple’s shots in the library are incredible. Everything looked elegant, including the bride’s bouquet and bridesmaid flowers. I don’t think Maura could have been a more beautiful bride and I’m so excited to share her photos with you all!

The bridesmaids all looked stunning and their dresses were a pop of color that added to the fun of the day. There is no wonder why they all looked so fantastic in their bridesmaid dresses – the matron of honor is the owner of Bella Bridesmaid, one of Chicago’s bridal boutiques that specializes in making your favorite ladies look and feel beautiful! She is wonderful and so helpful in finding the best bridesmaid dresses for your specific style and Chicago wedding.

This Chicago wedding location was perfect for their style. Everything came together beautifully. From the bridal party attire to the bride’s bouquet, to the placecards, to the table decor and table numbers, to the specialty table setting – the detail wedding photography and the room shots look fantastic.

Thank you to Robyn Rachel Photography for capturing this dream come true wedding and the fabulous couple behind it all!