Beautiful Invitations by Junefille

Today, I asked my friend and wedding stationer extraordinaire, Franchec of Junefille, to share some of their recent work, along with some background and insight into each piece. Fran and I met in the Corporate world a while back, but quickly learned that we both led secret double lives in the wedding world :)

(Commentary below by Fran from Junefille)

We set out to find a way to combine Cynthia's youthful presence along with her mother’s traditional view on her daughter’s special event. By focusing on her favorite color, using filigre and a crystal brooch, we were able to give Cynthia an invitation that embraced the young woman she was becoming with a punch of color that kept it her personal style.

 Maria and Nathan wanted a unique twist on traditional invites. We suggested peacock feathers for a chic pop of color. The result is a vibrant look with a classic presentation.

When we first met Sara and Jonathan, they made sure to explain the importance of blending their cultures while still maintaining a modern appeal. The use of cherry blossoms symbolized Sara’s Chinese culture with a modern twist.

This image above illustrates the many ways couples can add special details to their invites with monogrammed belly bands.

The use of floral imagery was very important for this romantic themed wedding. The theme was carried out through all of wedding stationary, down to the elegance with the font treatments.

If you are looking for custom wedding invitations, don’t hesitate to contact Junefille… Their work is stunning, and they will collaborate with you to design invitations that your guests will actually want to KEEP!

Favorite Wedding-Related Reads

Print out this Borders coupon and get yourself 40% off list price of a book!

In store only and it expires on Monday 9/7, so hurry hurry. Looks like you need to sign up for a Borders Rewards Membership, but that literally took me a minute last time, so no biggie!

Here are some of my favorite wedding-related recommendations…

The Knot Book of Wedding Lists: Offers some fantastic tips for brides-to-be’s.

Fete: The Wedding Experience: Hello, wedding porn at its finest!! Inspiring weddings and great advice by NYC planner extraordinaire, Jung Lee.

Colin Cowie Chic: Fabulous inspiration by THE Colin Cowie…

Wedding Etiquette: And we can’t forget Peggy Post. While its often said that “anything goes” for wedding these days, we can’t just throw away ALL the rules! There are still some niceties and considerations that are just considered good wedding etiquette!

Any recommendations to add?

Chicago Weddings: Making it Legal

There are so many fun aspects to planning your fabulous wedding, that sometimes the process of actually getting your marriage license gets overshadowed. But definitely don’t forget about this important step!

Below is a map of Chicago area counties… get your license in the county where your wedding is taking place, and NOT where you live! For example, if you live in downtown Chicago (Cook County), but are getting married in the suburb of Oak Brook, be sure to go to the DuPage County Clerk’s office to obtain your license. And yes, this means you will probably need to take a day off to go there since the DuPage County Clerk’s office does not have evening or weekend hours…

(Source)

Since many of my clients are getting married in the City of Chicago, here are some Cook County tips:

Eligibility:
- be 18 years of age or older
- be of opposite sex
- not be blood relatives

Application Process:
- Couples must appear together at one of the Cook County Clerk's six locations
- Fill out and sign a marriage license application
- Present valid identification with proof of age
- The marriage license fee is $40, to be paid at the time of application by cash or debit card

Additional Information:
- License is issued while you wait
- License is effective the following calendar day after they are issued
- License is valid for 60 days
- License is effective only in Chicago and suburban Cook County
- And lastly, no medical or blood tests are needed

Please be sure to visit the official Cook County Clerk’s Office website for complete details on applying for your marriage license. (I didn’t cover the info on underage marriages or recently divorced applicants!),

Here are additional links with information on where/how to obtain your marriage license in other Chicago-area counties:
- DuPage County
- Lake County
- McHenry County
- Kane County
- Will County

Have a fabulous weekend!

Happy 1 Year Anniversary Nina & Justin!

Congratulations Nina and Justin on your First Anniversary! I hope it has been a wonderful, exciting year full of new experiences :)

See more pictures from their fabulous wedding by clicking: here (all images by Dave Won)

An Entrance to Remember!

I just have to share this awesome video posted by Weddingbee’s Mrs. Shortcake! Check out this amazing wedding processional… It put a HUGE grin on my face and I can’t imagine the joy that the guests must have felt witnessing this spectacle!

I’ve been to/planned a lot of weddings, but I’ll admit, this is something that has never crossed my mind! But I imagine that this entrance is completely in tune with the personality of the couple. And their friends must be a super fun(ky) group to be willing to dance along to the couple’s request!

It’s a bit lengthy, but the exuberance of the bridal party keeps it fun and upbeat. I don’t think this would be appreciated (or allowed) at every church, so be sure to check before you plan your own dance down the aisle. In fact, I personally think this would be best reserved for a non-church ceremony. Now I just have to find the riiiight couple to plant this seed in their mind… hehe just kidding!

If I Could Do It Again: The Color Scheme

My apologies, I didn’t mean to abandon my “If I Could Do It Again” series… it was just a temporary pause, I promise! In case you missed it - If I Could Do It Again - here is my dream venue and my dream photographer(s).

Now where was I…? The color scheme - a super important decision for sure! I am absolutely SMITTEN with aubergine aka “eggplant”, not to be mistaken with a royal purple-y/grape! I would pair the aubergine with small accents of fuchsia, large splashes of marigold yellow, lots of moss green and with gray serving as my “neutral.”

If you are looking for a cool site to help you pull together color palettes like the one above, check out ColourLovers.com.  Click on Palettes –> Create New, and then have some fun!

What is your color scheme… or if you are married like myself, what would you choose now?

Maylene’s Senior Pictures by Laurie Peacock

This is not wedding related, but I am so excited to share my sister Maylene’s fab senior pictures by wedding photographer extraordinaire, Laurie Peacock.

Last summer, Maylene took the standard posed senior pictures by the studio dictated by her high school… you know, the ones where they make you fold your hands under your chin. They were generic and no fun (not to mention expensive to order!) so I told her to hold off – I would find her a kickass photographer to take some REAL pictures!

This fall, Maylene is heading to the University of Illinois Champaign – Urbana… my old alma matter, my old stomping grounds. I am so excited for her – more excited than SHE is – but that’s just because she doesn’t know what’s in store for her these next four years! I have to say that my family and I will miss her sorely, and my parents will finally be empty-nesters!

For more pictures, visit Laurie’s blog!

Don’t you wish YOUR senior pictures looked this good?! I certainly do!! I’m in the hands-folded-under-chin camp myself… I can’t recommend Laurie enough! Gift the senior in YOUR life with some amazing pictures!