YOU NAME IT - Events & Administration

Bye, Bye Blogger!

noreply@blogger.com (You Name It) — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 16:42:00 +0000

Dear followers, friends & family,

Recently, we transitioned from our existing website to a fancy WordPress-based site - which can be found here. We are excited for this transition because it will allow us to keep our website more active and updated with photos and all sorts of other goodies!

Please check back early and often at the new site for news and updates on the ongoing YNI fun!

Much love,

Leanne

Summer in Review: Samantha's Graduation Party

noreply@blogger.com (You Name It) — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 17:28:00 +0000

This spring, Samantha graduated from college and her family wanted to celebrate the occasion - so on June 9, 2012 we helped them throw a two part shin dig. With a small luncheon for close friends and family at Shaw's Crabhouse in Schaumburg, followed by an open house at the home of the graduate for the rest of her family and friends, we had a blast getting things together for this Pretty in Pink celebration!

The inspiration for this event was "Pink!" and sparkles.

Our centerpieces were simple: bottles of pink moscato, lots of candles, and pink rose petals.

Place settings included folded black napkins, framing custom menus and then adorned with a single pink rose.

We added extra interest to the tables with these mini bud vases, each holding a pink blooming rose and accented with silver sequins.

We hand made three colors of glittered champagne flutes for the guests to take home.

Each flute had a tag asking guests to use the flutes to toast to the graduate!

A custom guest book had envelopes in the colors of the day, with tags and slips of paper for guests to write well wishes for the graduate.

Our dessert table with a balloon display and a custom cake.

Sparkly cake toppers with the graduate's initials.

Mimosa Bar! Peach, strawberry and traditional mimosas.

After the luncheon, we moved the part (and the decorations!) over to the graduate's home.

Salads and desserts were on this table - with a buffet line with italian beef sandwiches on the kitchen counter.

Pink chocolate chip cookies!

Pink champagne cupcakes by Peace of Cake!

We brought over the guest book for the continuation of the party.

Bringing our party colors into the open house with colorful plasticware.

Custom pink party punch served in simply decorated plastic cups finished off the options for this event.

Geneva Wedding: Sweet Treats!

noreply@blogger.com (You Name It) — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 14:00:00 +0000

by John Fern

On a chilly Monday, Sarah and I had our meeting at Graham's Chocolates in Geneva. Throughout my busy workday and drive to Geneva, all I could think about were the famous truffles I've heard about so much. Sarah and her family have visited the Geneva area often and have devoured boxes of Graham’s chocolates throughout the years. I wasn't as privileged to such delights, but was fortunate enough to taste Graham’s peanut butter cups last year at Sarah’s family Christmas. Naturally, if the peanut butter cups were the best I have ever had then the truffles had to be amazing! And, they were nothing short of that.

We arrived and met with Jayni, the daughter of Bob Graham, and quickly began discussing the vision for our wedding. Sarah showed her our wedding colors and she ran to the back and matched 3 truffle boxes with ribbons to our theme. After mixing and matching the boxes with ribbons, Sarah and I agreed on what was going to look the best for our tablescape - black boxes, with silver bows accented with purple-monogrammed ribbon.

Now was the fun part…. The feast! Jayni brought out a large tray with 2 of every truffle flavor for Sarah and I to try. Truffle flavors ranged from mint to raspberry, vanilla to hazelnut, and even jalapeno, each covered in milk, dark or white chocolate. Since the truffles were so rich in flavor, we decided to share each piece. Just like most sweets, Sarah and I have very similar tastes and picking out two flavors was relatively painless. Which ones did we pick out, you ask? I’d rather not say. Preferably, we would like you to go to Grahams and try them all yourself and then guess which ones we chose! One hint: we chose one of the newest (and tastiest) flavors along with a complimentary classic truffle.

After finishing our feast (and dinner!), Jayni was kind enough to wrap up the extras and add a few more so that we could continue to enjoy them for the next week. But who are we kidding, they barely lasted two days!

77 days and counting… We can't wait to share the wonderful Graham's truffles with our friends and family on 12-12-12!

Geneva Wedding: The Dress has Arrived!

noreply@blogger.com (You Name It) — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 19:11:00 +0000

by Sarah Hamparian

Much to my surprise, my dress already arrived! Sara from The Crystal Bride called Wednesday to tell me the great news and set up my first dress fitting appointment. Even though my first fitting isn’t scheduled for another week, I got to try on my dress today. It was everything that I remembered and more. I wish that I could show you all the pictures, but if you squint really hard maybe you can see a sparkle, ribbon or detail outline behind the bag!

Geneva Wedding: Capture the Moment

noreply@blogger.com (You Name It) — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 19:04:00 +0000

by Sarah Hamparian

In a small, picturesque photography studio off of State Street in Geneva, John and I met with our photographers, Caitlin (of Hazelton Photography) and Tom (of Tom Nicol Photography), yesterday to go over photography styles and ideas for our wedding day. We did not have time to research different styles before our meeting, however that was not necessary. Caitlin and Tom took us through various ideas, from a “romantic” to “vintage” feels, and even discussed different lighting and how that effects pictures. What amazed us the most was that to capture the uniqueness of every couple, both photographers wanted to get to know us personally. This way, our photos from the wedding day are going to be a reflection of who we are as a couple and not necessarily what is the hottest trend of that year. After an in depth meeting, they both showed us samples of their work and the only thing I kept thinking is, “WOW! I can’t wait to see our pictures after the wedding!”

Lucky enough for us, we aren’t going to wait until after our wedding to start seeing pictures! Tom surprised us with an engagement photo shoot in just a couple of weeks and we couldn’t be more excited!! John and I have never had professional photos taken before, so this is going to be a new adventure that we can’t wait to have unfold. I am just hoping for a good hair day (fingers crossed!) and to hopefully find complementary outfits in somewhere our closets (there has got to be something, doesn’t there?).

Please keep posted for our photos from our engagement shoot in a couple of weeks and check back next week as we get to go “smell the roses” at the florist meeting!

Geneva Wedding: Finishing Details

noreply@blogger.com (You Name It) — Sun, 16 Sep 2012 17:20:00 +0000

by Sarah Hamparian

Now that my dress was safely within the Geneva town limits, it was time to pick out accessories at Veiled in Elegance! When I walked in and looked to my left, my eyes lit up with excitement. Rows of earrings, bracelets, necklaces, pins, brooches and belts sparkled with beauty and I couldn’t wait to put the finishing touches together for my wedding day.

Kathy lifted the wedding dress from my arms and whisked me away to the back to try on one of the biggest statement pieces first: The Veil! Clearly, this boutique is named Veiled in Elegance for a reason. There were veils everywhere! From short to long, pearls to crystals, the veils glistened on 4 different stands around the store.

Once I put my on wedding dress, Kathy asked me about my vision for veils and accessories. After explaining my preferences and looking at the detail on my dress, she asked me to hold one moment and disappeared. Less than a minute later, she emerged from the back room with the perfect veil! It had exquisite detail and was the ideal length. Kathy placed it in my hair and as my Mom’s eyes began to swell with tears, I knew this veil was the one.

Next came the glitz and glamour with jewelry. Since there were so many pieces that caught my eye when I walked in the door, Kathy brought a whole array of items to try on. I quickly put on the largest earrings, 2 bracelets, a necklace, headband and hairpiece. The light reflected on all of the jewelry as I looked up and even I thought it was necessary to reconsider this many pieces. I appeared to be one giant crystal.

Kathy helped me tailor my choices and made sure that it balanced with my dress and veil well. This time, as I turned around on the podium with my dress, veil and accessories, my eyes began to sparkle and the biggest smile emerged. This was it! It was the exact vision that I had for my wedding day and I couldn’t have done this without Veiled in Elegance. Thanks, Kathy!

Geneva Wedding: A Note from the Groom

noreply@blogger.com (You Name It) — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 13:00:00 +0000

by John Fern

Hello Geneva Wedding World!

My name is John and I’m the groom in this giant event. Since this is my first post, I want to give a personal thanks to everyone that voted for us. I wish I could invite everyone to the wedding, but I don’t know many venues that hold 3,600 people. We were blown away by the response we received and can’t thank you enough!

But let’s move on to the topic of this post, the invitations. Normally you would think that the bride would be writing all of these posts, but invitations are in my ballpark since my career is in graphic and web design. Therefore, when it came to the invitation look, layout and style I had no problem taking the lead.

After meeting with Tina from Riverside Receptions we strolled over to Invitations by Design and met with Tara. She has a small shop right next to Riverside that puts out unbelievable and truly original work. When walking in, shelves of invitation samples surround you, which help to gather inspiration and showcase their work. I won’t go into tons of detail, but just know that whatever the invitation you’re looking for, they can do it with perfect execution. Tara is the owner and she is very knowledgeable and easy to work with. Once we sat down, the three of us chatted for a couple hours going over different layouts, colors, designs and even fonts. Tara helped us narrow down a style we liked, showed us examples of previous work and then customized it to our liking. We really think that these invitations are going to “wow” people when they see it. Think sophisticated, yet fun and inviting. They are the perfect entrance into our wedding day and I can’t wait to see the final layout. I am going to save the unveiling of the colors and design for Sarah, but I think everyone will look at these invitations and be excited for the wedding that is about to come.

Within a week or two, Tara should have a mock-up of our invitation completed. I don’t really have to mention that I’m a little excited… but I will anyway. I’m a little excited. Invitations by Design is extremely talented, so when they take the vision we had, and materialize it; I know it will be great! Please check back soon for the final design and color reveal.

Geneva Wedding: Sarah says "YES!" to the dress

noreply@blogger.com (You Name It) — Sat, 25 Aug 2012 13:00:00 +0000

by Sarah Hamparian

As cliché as it may sound, I officially have said “Yes to the Dress” at The Crystal Bride and couldn’t be more excited about my decision! Normally, I would go into great detail describing every bead, ribbon and layer on the dress, however I want to keep it a surprise until the big day. So, simply put, it is picture perfect and exactly what I envisioned for our wedding on 12.12.12!

Here are details about my day that I can divulge:

Rebecca was so sweet, patient and definitely knew her stock of dresses! All the credit is given to her for picking out the perfect dress for me.

The Crystal Bride’s selection of dresses is unbelievable. I was worried that they wouldn’t have something that flattered me and I would have to "settle" for a dress since my wedding is just a few months away. This was not the case at all! I went through racks and racks of dresses, pulling styles that I liked the best. Overall, I probably tried on 10 dresses and Rebecca pulled my perfect dress after she saw what my preferences from each previous dress. She was attentive, paid attention to details and made my dress selection day remarkable. I just can’t thank her enough!

When I put on the dress, I knew it was the one. The icing on the cake is when you get “jacked up” with the veil, jewelry and your smile that lights up the room. It is one of the best feelings in the world, especially since I got to share such a special moment with my Mom and Aunt.

119 days and counting until I marry my soul mate while wearing the most gorgeous dress imaginable :) from the Crystal Bride in Geneva, Illinois!

Geneva Wedding Winners: Sarah & John!

noreply@blogger.com (You Name It) — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 18:09:00 +0000

by Sarah Hamparian

“And the winner is, drumroll please, John and Sarah!” This phrase has been echoing over and over in my head since Thursday, August 2. Sometimes, it still doesn’t seem real, perhaps I am dreaming. How am I lucky enough to not only be engaged to my perfect match, but also have won our Perfect Geneva Wedding on 12.12.12? But then, as my cheeks start aching from grinning ear to ear, I realize that this is not a fantasy, it is my reality. Together, John and I won!

Let’s rewind a little bit to the beginning of Thursday night. John and I arrived at Wildwood early hoping to calm nerves and visit with friends and family before the festivities began. It was evident that other people had the same idea because the room was already filling up with the 3 couples “cheering squads” and vendors. Clearly, excitement was building in the room for what was to be an unforgettable evening.

Promptly, at 6:15pm the Newlywed game began. Each couple sat back to back in chairs and had dry erase boards for their answers. The questions ranged from “What is your favorite food?” to “Where will you be spending Thanksgiving this year?” and each person had to write down what they thought their fiancé would say. This was an extremely close round. Amber/Patrick won and pulled out in the lead with an extra 15 points, while Trisha/Patrick and us were tied for second.

Next was the interview round. Amber and Patrick chose to interview first since they won the newlywed game and a coin toss determined that Trisha/Patrick would interview second and we would interview last. Time passed slowly as we watched the other couples enter and exit the interview with the judges. Finally, our names were called and behind us cheers erupted. Our family and friends clapped and whistled for encouragement and that is exactly what we needed. It reminded us that, no matter what the outcome, our family and friends always supported us and our love for one another.

Now, I know everyone is interested in what we were asked in the interview, but, honestly, I do not remember specific questions. There were 6 judges sitting on the other side of the table and I know we talked about how we met, our proposal story, and difficult times in our relationship, but the exact questions escape me. I just remember sitting there, holding John’s hand and being excited for this opportunity. Quickly, the 20-minute interview was over and last was the announcement of the winning couple.

Scores were tallied by the judges, gorgeous bouquets of flowers appeared, gift bags stuffed to the brim sat on the table and the room went dead silent. Now was moment that everyone had waited for, the announcement of the winning couple. The MC stood up front, recapped the exciting evening and detailed the wonderful prizes in the bags (Champagne, toasting flutes, flowers, and amazing coupons from all of the vendors) for the runners up. For the winning couple, they would receive a romantic dinner for 2 at Wildwood that night along with an amazing sketch portrait by Rosemary Fanti to capture the big night. Finally, the MC announced, “And the winner is, drumroll please, John and Sarah!” and tears quickly began to flow down my cheeks as I bounded into John’s arms for a hug. Our families’ cheers exploded as they rushed to our side to embrace us with hugs. I was shaking with excitement, eye makeup smeared and smiling from ear to ear realizing that in less than 5 months I would be marrying the love of my life in a picture perfect wedding in Geneva on 12.12.12!!!

And now, the wedding planning begins! Colors need to be chosen, dresses selected, invitations created, guests lists made, cakes tasted, rings fitted, flowers picked, etc. but, thankfully, our wedding coordinator, Leanne, at You Name It Events will be guiding us through the process.

Megan's Bridal Shower

noreply@blogger.com (You Name It) — Thu, 05 Jul 2012 18:10:00 +0000

This spring I got to attend a bridal shower for my cousin, Megan, at a local country club. I thought the shower was super cute - even though it was kept simple. Here's some pictures of how to make a room fun without going over the top! Nice work! Props to the bride's Aunt Karen for her cute ideas and bringing everything together.

Peachy pink tulips were paired with giant tissue paper pom poms mounted on pixie sticks for the centerpieces.

Simple, elegant place settings were brightened up with flowers direct from Hawaii!

Striped pink paper straws make even drinking water with lemon fun!

Mini cupcakes from Crumbs bakery!

These were Cosmopolitan flavored cupcakes, topped with bedazzled ring pops. Love it!

Can't go wrong with a Mimosa Bar!

Finish things off with a nice meal and some present time!

Connor's Puzzle Party!

noreply@blogger.com (You Name It) — Thu, 05 Jul 2012 17:47:00 +0000

Cutie pie Connor turned two recently. Since one of his very favorite things is puzzles, we just had to throw him a puzzle party! We had some great ideas, most of which came together beautifully on the day of the party.

PB&J

sloppy joes

yummy turkey & roast beef sandwiches

goldfish & chips

taco salad

green garden salad

ice cream cone cupcakes

rice krispy treats

fruit kabobs (even with fruit in the party colors: cantaloupe, blueberries, and honeydew!)

Decorations

puzzle confetti

balloon topiaries

puzzle biirthday banner

puzzle welcome board

#2 photo collage

Activities

play doh table

bubbles

kiddie pool

water balloons

slip 'n' slide

Enjoy some of the photos below!

Silverware is more fun when it comes out of a cute can!

This wall said: Welcome to Connor's Birthday! You Fit Right In! and the kids signed their names to the puzzle pieces below.

Giant puzzle pieces hung on coordinated color ribbons outside.

Balloon topiaries were our main centerpieces. They were super fun - but are limited in that they are tough to get to stand up in windy weather, even with weighted bases.

Puzzle piece garland!

Special dairy-free cupcakes for the birthday boy!

A giant #2 photo collage of Connor's second year was framed in the colors of the party.

Some puzzle piece garland for the bathroom mirror.

Puzzle shaped cookies in the party colors from Happi Baking Co.

Party favors were a cookie with a balloon tied to it - a great idea from Connor's mom!

Another balloon topiary with some of our puzzle piece confetti.

Custom color confetti in puzzle piece shapes, with some special name confetti that Connor's mom found!

Easy fun - outdoor play doh table!

Hot day means water balloons!

Some outdoor party lights in the colors!

Puzzle shaped rice krispy treats in the party colors - made by Tonya with love!

Puzzle shaped PB&J. Why eat it any other way?


Cupcakes in ice cream cones - so fun and SO delicious. The frosting was crazy good :)

Thanks for coming everyone!

Why I Love This Job

noreply@blogger.com (You Name It) — Thu, 05 Jul 2012 15:01:00 +0000

I had a prospective client email me today and ask me some simple but important questions. As I was writing her back, I realized that what I was telling her was actually stuff I would and should be telling everyone and anyone who wants to know. :) I've been doing a lot of networking lately as well - which gives me the chance to explain what I do and why I do it. Each time I do so, I think it challenges me to refine those ideas and explain them better.

Can you tell me more about yourself?
I started my company coming up on two years ago, after having worked in various administrative/organizational jobs that had a high level of people contact including some customer service and executive level assistant work. I had always had an event planning component to my positions (planning trainings, holiday events, etc.), it just wasn't ever the full time gig. After one of those "perfect storm" type situations, where everything in my personal and professional lives seemed to be pointing towards pursuing a career doing something I love full time, I decided to start my own event planning company and have been doing that full-time plus ever since.

I have experience in all sorts of events - having planned and coordinated personally and professionally a wide variety of parties and events. If you want to check out the most recent fun - they are on my facebook page at facebook.com/younameitevents. Specifically for weddings, I've been highly involved lots of weddings thus far - about 15 total. I did four weddings professionally my first year - and have begun a busy year with seven on my slate for 2012, with a goal of doing at least eight this year, doubling my first year's work. I think what suits me for this work is a unique combination of traits: I am organized and efficient, creative and a problem solver, friendly and outgoing, and am able to see the importance of the details without losing the big picture.

Can you tell me about your services & what you offer to brides to be during the planning process?
What sets apart my work is the values I bring to each and every project I do. I intentionally work to provide highly personal service that is relationship-based and focused on excellence in both the experience for the client and the execution on the day of the event. All of my services are custom, based on the specific needs of the couple and their wedding plans. I don't offer cookie cutter packages. On the flip side, I also have a clear minimum of service - because I know that I cannot do an excellent job for a client without investing some time and effort into getting to know them and learning about their hopes and dreams for their wedding. I believe that in order for us to work well together up to and on your wedding day, ideally we will like each other enough that we develop a friendship and you feel comfortable with me.

I know that working with a planner or coordinator on your wedding day is a leap of faith and trust in that person. You are trusting that I will work hard and do everything I possibly can to make your day a success - and that I will care about your day as if it is my own. I don't think you can find that in just any planner - and I am building my business around this simple thought: It is a rare person who can take care of business while taking care of hearts*. That's what I aspire to do. I take it as a great honor when someone hires me to work with them on an event, because these are the milestones of our lives, from which our memories are created - and I believe that is a special and wonderful thing.

*Special thanks to my sister, Danielle, who sent me a card with that quote in it - I hadn't heard it before then and when I did had a bit of an AH HA moment, realizing that it captures my intentions better than anything I had thought of before!

Ellery's Pinwheels & Polka Dots Birthday Party

noreply@blogger.com (You Name It) — Mon, 04 Jun 2012 20:01:00 +0000

Recently I had the great fun of helping with Miss Ellery's 2nd birthday! The party was a Pinwheels & Polka Dots theme and we had a great time planning and decorating for the day! Check out some of the photos of the little details and how we made the day extra special for an extra special girl!

Giant paper pinwheels welcomed guests at the front door.

Pinwheels were all over the party rooms, including in vases and even a bright polka dot watering can.

A polka dot birthday banner was the centerpiece of the dining room, along with some polka dot balloons and more giant pinwheels.

More paper pinwheels and polka dot garlands dressed up the party rooms.

These dessert plates and napkins had all the bright colors and pinwheels we were looking for!

Desserts included pinwheel sugar cookies and funfetti cupcakes in polka dot wrappers topped with pinwheels!

Beverages included brightly colored sodas, with polka dot straws and custom birthday girl cups.

Of course, the kool aid and smaller custom cups were for the kids!

A treat table with custom candy bags were the kiddie favors - oreo ops with brightly colored sprinkles, candy buttons, M&M's, gumballs, sixlets and more filled up this fun table.

Custom lollipops also helped us celebrate the day!

Of course, the mommies need to get a special party favor too - they enjoyed photos of their kids taken in front of the balloon and pinwheel party backdrop. The photos were then placed on handmade clip frames as a keepsake of the day.

Treat bags were secured with paper pinwheel clothespins.

Custom treat bags included this cute poem: "It was so sweet of you to come! Please take some treats to go!"

Making Your Day Yours: Choosing Your Music

noreply@blogger.com (You Name It) — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 15:38:00 +0000

Setting your wedding day soundtrack is an important task! Music has the power to transport us back to moments in time even years later. Consider your song choices for both the ceremony and reception as opportunities to create memorable moments and also to show off your personalities.

There are many moments for which you can select music to fit the mood you would like to create. For the ceremony, you should consider making a selection with your chosen musicians for each of these times:

Gathering music/prelude
Processional (could be something different for the bridal party than the bride)
Background music during certain parts of the ceremony (i.e. unity candle, communion, etc.)
Any special music (could be a song by a friend or family member, a song as part of your vows, etc.)
Recessional
Postlude
Any additional moments unique to your ceremony that would be enhanced by music

For the reception, there are also important musical decisions to be made. Whether you are having a band or a DJ, do you want folks to have the opportunity to request specific songs? One idea is having your guests send in song requests with their RSVP cards so you can edit and compile a list in advance. You should also consider if there is one type of music that fits with the rest of your wedding plans. For example, are you going for an old world glam feel? You can certainly research the best music for your preferred mood. Usually, you will need to make decisions on the following music moments:

Grand march/entrance song (could be a different song for the wedding party than for the bride & groom)
Couple's first dance
Father & daughter dance and/or mother & son dance
Bridal party dance
"Fun" dances (i.e. money dance, electric slide, etc.)
Last song
Do not play list (if there are certain songs you just do not want played at your reception)

The good news is there are plenty of resources for selecting your music. iTunes has a wide selection of wedding music mixes that you can download and listen to in advance. Sometimes it helps to listen to a song more than once, at different times of the day or night, when you may be in a different mood. It may even help to go to the location of your ceremony/reception and hear your song selections there to see how they sound in person. The best and most memorable weddings are the ones that fit the couple so perfectly that they could never have worked for any other couple. Take time to consider your music as another way to make your day deeply personal and memorable for everyone involved. Then, years later, when you hear one of the songs you selected, you will get to experience the moment all over again!

Eagle Brook Country Club Tasting

noreply@blogger.com (You Name It) — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 03:39:00 +0000

It would have been entirely too simple to just be at the Great Bridal Expo on Sunday...and since simple is not my style, You Name It was actually in not one but two places at the same time! We were invited to participate in Eagle Brook Country Club's Tasting event for the lovely brides who are getting married or considering getting married at their venue. Because of her great work at the Geneva Wedding Walk, Jeni was the obvious choice for this task and she did a great job! Here are some photos of her table set up.

We used the same "Kiss Your Worries Goodbye" theme at this event and got some great feedback from both the brides and from our fellow vendors. Thanks again to Eagle Brook's Sara & Michelle for inviting us to participate! Now we have something to look forward to for next year already!

Special thanks to Tom Nicol of Tom Nicol Photography (http://www.tomnicolphotography.com/)

for letting us share his photos from the day!

Great Bridal Expo

noreply@blogger.com (You Name It) — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 03:29:00 +0000

There were so many lovely brides-to-be at the Great Bridal Expo in Rosemont, IL this past Sunday! I was so grateful to have the help of some of my very favorite ladies as well, with not one but seven YNI reps at the event! Of course, we guessed it would be busy and wanted to be able to provide personal attention to as many people as possible - so having plenty of folks on hand seemed like the best plan.

Our theme for the day was "Kiss Your Worries Goodbye!" as we want every bride and groom to be able to have a worry-free wedding experience. We included lots of special touches related to the theme, including:

Custom made lip balms for our brides
Hershey's kisses with custom stickers on the bottom (some of which had prizes and special offers on them as well - a great idea from Susan!)
Chocolate lips
Lots of kiss themed decorations! including a handmade banner
and our representative's name tags, each sealed with a kiss!

Set up went very well, with only some minor snafus - one pesky banner in particular gave us a little run for our money, but we did not and would not give up! After some quick fixes with fishing line and clear tape, the banner stayed in place for the entire event. After going over some last minute details, our team was ready and the brides began to stream in.

Our booth's raffle prize was a gift certificate for $150 worth of services and we can't wait to meet with the lucky winner, Jessica A. from Plainfield, IL!

Check out some photos of the day!

Thanks again to Kristy, Danielle, Susan, Kelly, Jude and Lizz for taking time out of their weekend to be there! It would not have been the same without you ladies!

Memory Lane: Meredith & Julio - September 2011

noreply@blogger.com (You Name It) — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 23:06:00 +0000

I recently received the professional photos from Meredith & Julio's September 2011 wedding and boy what a treat! The photos are simply spectacular and were such a pleasure to review. It felt like a trip down memory lane - simply beautiful photos by a wonderful photographer team working with Simply By Suzy (http://simplybysuzy.com/). I now count their lead photographer among my friends, as she was such a pleasure to work with and did such a great job. I would highly recommend her to any bride & groom still needing a photographer. Check out the highlights of the day below!

Geneva Wedding Walk

noreply@blogger.com (You Name It) — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 16:10:00 +0000

This past weekend, You Name It joined local vendors at the Geneva Wedding Walk. This annual event is hosted by Geneva Bride and consists of local vendors opening their shops with special deals and promotions for participating brides, as well as a vendor reception at Riverside Receptions. Brides were able to talk to all kinds of wedding vendors, enter to win a trip to Aruba, sample treats from some of the food vendors and more! We got to meet some lovely brides with great plans for their upcoming weddings and look forward to working with some of them soon! For more information on the great vendors at the event, check out: http://www.genevabride.com/pages/members.php. Also included here are some photos of our table. :) We are already looking forward to next year's event!

Our complete table, ready to go! Big thanks for your help, Jeni!

Who doesn't enjoy showing off their best work?? We had pictures galore at our table, in slideshow format, in an album, as well as in the form of info cards for the brides.

Of course, we were happy to collect contact information

for brides interested in joining our mailing list!

These kisses were a fun touch: they had custom printed stickers on them encouraging brides to kiss their worries goodbye on their wedding day!

Fresh flower brightened up our table and helped everything stay beautiful!

Everyone needs help sometimes! Here's our Guide to Selecting a Wedding Planner -

which was free to guests of the Geneva Wedding Walk.

Of course, we are proud to have any and every opportunity to

showcase the "Best of Weddings" honor from theknot.com!

Everyone Had a Ball at Carter's 2nd Birthday!

noreply@blogger.com (You Name It) — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 03:33:00 +0000

Everyone had a ball at Carter's 2nd Birthday party! With plenty of thoughtful details (especially in the menu) to make the day special and of course lots of cute kids around to enjoy the fun, the day was special for everyone.

Three flavors of cupcakes in the designs of Carter's favorite sports balls.

Ballpark hot dogs in steamed buns wrapped in foil with

relish, mustard, onions, celery salt and/or ketchup.

Authentic ballpark nachos with cheese sauce and

jalapeños for those who can handle the spice!

Soft pretzels, lightly salted with optional cheese sauce.

A classic popcorn machine with popcorn bags.

The birthday boy awaits his cupcakes!

Of course, he just had to have one of each!

Trying to share with you!

The last couple of surprises: home made funnel cakes

served warm and topped with powdered sugar!

A baseball shaped piñata for the kids to enjoy finished off the day!

Kudos to Carter's mommy for all of her great planning for his special day.

Super SuperBowl Sunday!

noreply@blogger.com (You Name It) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 15:57:00 +0000

I had the distinct pleasure of spending SuperBowl Sunday up in the Northland (Toronto, ON, Canada) with some great friends. I also happened to have helped Tom & Stacey plan their June 2011 wedding as well! They threw a great SuperBowl-slash-birthday party for Tom's birthday and a great time was had by all. It didn't hurt that Tom loves TVs and had no less than 5 rooms with the game on - or that the centerpiece of their amazing basement is an in-home theatre with the largest projection screen one can buy for their home... Some photos of the details of the day are below.

This party was hosted by a 100% pro-Giants family. Tom's daughter made some welcoming (and hilarious!) signs for the front door. This one reads "You won't be smiling after this game, Tom Brady!!!!" I think the blacked out tooth is especially classy. ;)

This one was my personal favorite: "No New England Clam Chowder in this house!" Haha.

If the guests weren't sure which team to cheer for, this giant banner at the entrance helped clear up any confusion!

Tom's daughters' creativity shined when they had the idea to make a jersey for the giant blow up Santa in the front yard. His Jersey read "NYG SuperBowl XLVI" on the front and had the birthday boy's last name and age on the back.

Loved this football themed cake from an excellent Bakery in Woodbridge, ON. (Lavish Cupcakes: www.lavishcupcakes.com) It was red velvet - the birthday boy's favorite.

A guest brought these cute game time cookies with both of the team's logos. We had a tough time deciding whether to toss all of the Pats logo cookies from the get go. In the end, we decided destroying them by eating them would be a better plan.

Lucky for the guests at this party - the host's home team won the game! Personally, I'm a Chicago Bears fan, which means I cheer for them and whoever is playing the Green Bay Packers. Maybe next year, right??

Holiday Creations!

noreply@blogger.com (You Name It) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 18:32:00 +0000

There is SO MUCH fun to be had during the holiday season! Some of the more fun projects I worked on were for eating - others for gifting! Here's a photo sampling. The first few are of some chocolate covered pretzels we made at a Christmas party for my church. We then delivered them, along with homemade ornaments to a local nursing home. Then my sister had some great ideas from Pinterest to make for our friends for Christmas gifts. Homemade body scrub, and two different homemade lip balms. These were made even cuter by the custom labels we made and of course, the cute canisters we put them all into!

White chocolate covered pretzels.

Chocolate covered pretzels!

Super simple but tasty project: soften hershey's kisses on pretzels, then top with a holiday M&M for a yummy treat! Great kid project too.

Of the treats for eating - these were probably my favorite: soften rolos on pretzels and top with nuts for a turtle-like snack that I can't stop eating!

Cocoa Java Body Scrub for the ladies we know who like to be pampered!

Homemade peppermint lip balm.

Homemade Kool-Aid Tropical Punch Lip balm.

Brownies in a jar, also with custom labels. Almost too pretty to use!

What's goin' on??

noreply@blogger.com (You Name It) — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 19:37:00 +0000

Winter is a time when lots of things slow down. Not me! Right now I am hard at work collaborating with a web designer preparing to launch www.younameitchicago.com very soon. Also enjoying the news that YOU NAME IT was selected as one of theknot.com's 2012 Best Of Weddings winners!! The official announcements will come through on theknot.com in January 2012 and in the meantime, I am hard at work on plans to share this news with as many potential clients as possible after "engagement season" wraps up.

In order to be selected as one of the Best Of Weddings, vendors listed on theknot.com rely on favorable reviews from their satisfied clients. I am hugely grateful for the wonderful clients I worked with in 2011 who helped make this possible. Not only did I have a wonderful "Year 1" with YOU NAME IT clients, but I am certain I was able to make and invest in lifelong friendships with some amazing people. I still can't believe it was one short year ago that I decided to jump of the proverbial cliff into self-employment. God is good and I'm still here! I am so grateful for that and so excited to see what the new year brings!

Huge debt of gratitude to my 2011 "Best of" Clients whose reviews helped make this honor possible:

Alex & Ashley Zermeno

Heather & Jeff Racine

Tom Michaelis & Stacey Sutherland

Vicki Slomka & Steve & Lexi Smedinghoff

Meredith & Julio Ramirez

Kristy, Tim & Cecilia Wynveen

To read their reviews, check out: http://local.weddingchannel.com/Wedding-Vendors/You-Name-It-Events-Wedding-Reviews?ProfileId=406116

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. - JFK, Jr.

Cecilia Turns One! Her Rockstar Birthday Party Ruled!

noreply@blogger.com (You Name It) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 21:20:00 +0000

Baby Cecilia turned one on October 12th, so to celebrate, her family threw her a rockstar party fit for a princess! Hot pink and black were the colors of the day and lots of handmade decorations and other special touches set this party apart from the crowd. Check out the photos below:

Hand painted birthday cake plate.

Rockstar smash cake.

Balloon decorations in the dining room.

Balloon garland.

Welcome to the party!

Decorated entry way.

Welcome sign designed like a marquee, with lights around the edge!

Ribbon chandelier.

#1 photo collage with pictures of the birthday girl from her first ultrasound to present day!

Rockstar props for the guests to enjoy!

Strawberry vanilla pop rocks cupcakes!

A little bit of festivity for the bathroom.

Favors and prizes!

Custom trophies for the costume contest winners!

Decorated by Maggie! Chair for the birthday girl!

Custom birthday girl rockstar onesie, hot pink tutu and headband.

Dessert table filled with cupcakes, cookies, brownies, oreo bars, cake batter truffles and more!

Birthday slide show with photos of the birthday girl throughout her first year.

Our Marquee sign all lit up!

Me and the birthday girl at the end of her weekend celebration!

Guide to Selecting a Wedding Planner

noreply@blogger.com (You Name It) — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 19:11:00 +0000

Newly engaged couples usually have a truckload of information coming at them. From family and friends to the multitude of websites out there - the amount of information can be simply overwhelming. In an effort to save our clients time and stress, YNI has created a guide to selecting your wedding planner! Check out the checklist below for hints on what to ask your potential planner and what your potential planner should be asking you!

What you should ask them

About the Planner/Coordinator

Why do you do this type of work? How long have you been doing it?
How many weddings have you done? Can we read reviews and/or speak with references for your services?
Can you share some examples of times you solved problems for your clients?
Do you have photos of your recent weddings that we can review?

About their services/packages

Do you offer planning services? Day of or week of coordination? Which do you recommend for us and why?
Do you help with event design or just logistics?
Do you have package options? Can we customize a package that will work for us?
Can we have a detailed list of what items you take care of and which ones are our responsibility?

About their availability/commitment to you

How may clients do you work with annually? How many others will you be working with the month of our wedding?
Is this your full-time job? What is your typical availability like?
Will you personally be on site at our rehearsal, ceremony & reception? Do you have assistants who will also be present?
How many meetings and phone calls are included in your services? How long does it typically take you to respond to client e-mails, phone calls?

About the process of working together

Where will we typically meet for our sessions?
How do you handle your payment & contract process?
What is your refund or cancellation policy?
What happens if you are ill or otherwise unavailable on my wedding day?

What they should ask you

About yourselves

How did you two meet?
How did you get engaged? How long have you been engaged?
What do you each do for a living?
How much time are you planning to take off before & after your wedding?
What are your families like?

About your feelings

What are your main concerns about your wedding day? What are you most looking forward to?
What are you looking for in a wedding planner?
How much help & support are you looking for? In what areas of your wedding planning do you feel most in need of support?

About your wedding

When is your wedding?
What is the style/theme of your wedding? Your wedding colors?
How formal or casual do you want your wedding to be?
What is your event budget? Who is primarily paying for your wedding?
Do you have your ceremony venue selected? Your reception venue? Are either of these venues outdoors?
How many guests are attending? Will there be many out of town wedding guests?
Will children be included in your ceremony? Invited to your reception?
How many people do you plan on having in your bridal party?
Which vendors are you already working with? Are you looking for any additional vendor referrals?
Are there any special circumstances related to your wedding that are important to consider?

About the logistics

Can photos from your wedding become a part of my company’s portfolio?
When are you looking to hire a wedding planner/coordinator?

If your interview process includes these questions, you will be off to a great start in finding the wedding professional who is right for you!

Photos from Meredith & Julio's beautiful day!

noreply@blogger.com (You Name It) — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 18:27:00 +0000

All of the beautiful bridesmaids and the gorgeous bride are ready to go! Time for a toast!

The ceremony programs and our special YAY flags for the bride & groom's send off!

Breathtakingly beautiful garden setting for a beautiful couple!

The ladies make a pretty picture for sure.

The bride & groom shared their vows in two languages: English and Spanish. Que linda!

The kiss!

The dining room and candle-lit tablescapes.

The bride & groom's special sweetheart table.

Custom event menus sat atop the buffet tables.

Welcoming the guests with the event schedule and a stunning floral tree by Cataleya.

Photo booth fun for after dinner!

The caramel apple favor tree :)

The favors had personalized cards thanking guests for their attendance and were displayed on a platform with the couple's wedding day monogram.