We are so grateful to have been able to help these lovebirds with their special day and wish them the absolute best from the Bliss Belles!

Katie’s write up on Style Me Pretty Illinois about Whitney and Rob:

“From Katie Kozlowski of Bliss Weddings & Events… Whitney and Rob are fun, friendly, family-oriented and have impeccable taste. They wanted to bring special touches of their personality to their inspired Chicago wedding at St. James and the Ivy Room, all while keeping the wedding comfortable, elegant and special. We wanted it to feel as though Whitney and Rob had invited all of their closest family and friends to their home away from home for a special celebration. Using the preppy palette of navy, ivory, pink and natural greens, we complemented the dreamy Ivy Room courtyard with moss-letters in their initials, delicate blooms and cutie details, like stir sticks for the bars with the couples’ monogram and a hand-written dinner menu on a chalkboard (Whitney’s a teacher!). Once guests got inside for dinner, polished tables with mismatched china, tiny lapel wax blooms on each plate, and different centerpieces on each table set the stage. We used a variety of candlesticks, vases and blooms, as well as soft pin-spotting, up-lighting and drapes to welcome guests to dinner. No detail was overlooked, with a candy bar to pay homage to the bride’s love of sweets, and a surprise video-speech from the groom’s brother stationed in Afghanistan. And of course, there was the fun: A Polaroid camera and scrapbook provided guests with a chance to leave their personal message, The Larry King Orchestra kept guests on the dance floor all night, and Chicago-themed late night snacks recharged the dancers.”

A special mom and daughter moment. They were truly a hilarious duo!

Whitney and Rob at the St. James Cathedral.

A beautiful bouquet for the bride!

It’s all in the details!

Wouldn’t be complete without some moss covered initials!

Polaroids of all the guests made a memorable guestbook for the couple to take home.

Beautiful tablescapes.

A video from the Groom’s brother in Afghanistan ensured that there wasn’t a dry eye in the whole place!

Whitney was stunning in Vera Wang.

The dessert bar took care of everyone’s sweet tooth that evening.

:: Photographs by Dennis Lee Photography ::

Each magazine can contain all your wedding information in a magazine editorial format that can be used to welcome guests in their hotel rooms, to hand out at rehearsal dinners or even act as your wedding invitations (the options are endless!).

Twenty pages makes the process harmless too! Currently, there are two formats to chose from, “Whim” and “Spark“. You can customize the content you would like to be included in your magazine by following their easy guide to the “fun stuff” and the “practical stuff“.  Introductions to the wedding party, interviews from the couple, the weekends agenda and maps are all examples of content that can be included. If there is a section that you do not want included in your magazine, you simply do not use it, and fill that space by make other section’s content longer!

By going to their website, setting up an account and following their steps you can make your magazine from start to finish without talking to a single person. However, if you want that extra attention they make the creation process extremely personal with one person designated to your account to answer all your questions. Currently, they are priced out in groups of 20, 50 or 100 magazines and before your order goes into production they make sure it’s ready to go by showing you a draft.

We talked to Vincent (who had an adorable french accent, since twenty pages began in Paris!), who was extremely personable, patient and lovely! GENIUS, we say!!

Veronica started her career on stage. A play in high school made her certain that acting was the right direction for her. However, after designing costumes and always making her own clothes, her friend asked her if she wanted to help her start a clothing line. Thus, the birth of the women’s clothing line, Coco & Irene. It wasn’t until another friend had asked her to design her a gown for her big day that everything came together for Veronica. After making that gown for her friend, Veronica found everything else to be a nuisance, and anxiously awaited to get home from work to make more gowns.

What sets a Veronica Sheaffer gown apart from the rest?

There are a lot of gorgeous dresses out in the world. I feel the need to do something different, people describe my gowns as vintage looking I say classic femininity. There is nothing sexier than being a lady and an intelligent, strong woman.

You make a lot of custom gowns for your clients, what is that process like?

When my friend asked me to make her a bridal gown, I found the fabric and the dress started to take on it’s own life. Women will show me what they like and what they don’t like and it evolves from there. It mostly comes from spending time with them and getting an overall feel for what they are like. We really do become friends and the dress takes on their personality.

How many hours of work does each gown take?

(Laughing) It’s done when it’s done!

Tell us a little bit about your blog, “My Hands Made It”.

I started it when I was engaged two years ago. My wedding was a heavily DIY wedding. There were only so many emails I could send to my friends showing them what I had made. My blog started as a way to share all of my projects for my wedding and get it out of my system. It then spiraled and became a success on it’s own.

 Do your readers ever influence your designs?

They are definitely my best cheerleaders. I follow a lot of them on pinterest, which I think the main reason for that site is to inspire, so I can get a lot of inspiration from them that way.

 What is the best advice you give to your clients?

Trust me.

 What is the best advice you were given as a bride?

I wish someone would have told me to CALM DOWN.

Thank you Veronica for talking to us! We are so honored to be given this little glimpse into your life and are looking forward to seeing many more collections!

Happy Mother’s Day from Bliss Weddings & Events!

1. Joules, Milliewelly Womens Rain Boots, $55 // 2. Ruche, Red Flower Fields Rain Boots, $49.99 // 3. Hunter ‘Regent’ Rain Boot, $195.00 // 4. Hunter ‘Original Tall’ High GlossRain Boot, $125 // 5. Burberry Check Print Rain Boot, $225 // 6. Anthropologie, CharlieRain Boots, $128 // 7. Joules, Ribble Womens PremiumRain Boots, $95 // 8. Kate Spade New York ‘Misty’ Rain Boot, $125.00 // 9. Joules, Glossy Welly Women Premium Rain Boots, $79.95

Ranunculus’s are making a huge come back in the floral industry and we can see why with their folds and folds of petals of both bright and muted colors.

Ridiculously in love with Ranunculus!

The seven year old cupcake company opened  their Chicago location in the Spring of 2010, and thank goodness! Their  2 x 3 inch cupcake is complete heaven.

I treated myself with the Vanilla Milk Chocolate with of course… Sprinkles! I won’t taunt you with every detail, but highly recommend you stop by their chic cupcake shop soon! Or wait for their Cupcake ATM to open up in Chicago soon.

Yes, you read that correctly!!

Check out the founder of Sprinkles, Candace Nelson, interview on The Everygirl blog!

Butterfly kiss away! Full, flirty and fun lashes are completely attainable for your big day as we round up a few break through mascaras. Finding the right mascara is a daunting task…Who knew there were so many ways to curl, separate and lengthen those little buggers? Recently, Bobbie Thomas of the Today Show featured a “Lashing Out” segment and I felt it was our duty to share! Below are the products Bobbie shares, however we added the ultra-classic Maybelline waterproof mascara whose tube is recognizable by just about any girl in America! Love, Live, Lashes!

1. Cry Baby Mascara, Semi permanent and last up to two weeks! $25 & up // 2. Too Faced cosmetics, Better than False Lashes, $35 // 3. Maybelline, Great Lash Waterproof Mascara, $5 // 4. Benefit Cosmetics, They’re Real, $22

Read how the couple  celebrated their anniversary here and relive all the wedding highlights here…still gives me goosebumps!! Cheers!