Hello Darling

Hello…Hello!

2014-02-26T19:24:00.001-06:00

Well, Hello Darlings! It’s impossible to sum up how busy we’ve been over the past year, how many gorgeous weddings we’ve taken part in and all of the wonderful and heart-warming festivities that we’ve been lucky enough to be a part of, but suffice it to say we have a lot of lovely events and news to share with you on our blog soon and we’ve MISSED you!

Here’s our Top 3 List to get you up to date…

1. We updated our entire brand and created an entirely new hellodarling.com from top to bottom! We are thrilled to share never before seen events with you and more in depth information about what makes Hello Darling the perfect fit for fabulously styled parties from weddings and showers to corporate and private celebrations. Please wander through our new pages, photos, and videos and let us know what you think!

2. We’ve entered the world of Instagram! Yes, we’ve been cheating on our own blog with our new Insta-lover. She’s easy, requires less of our love and affection, and give us immediate gratification…it’s true. It’s been a great way to keep you all up to date in a beautiful stream of behind the scenes action and current happenings, but we promise that we’re now back in action and look forward to sharing more full coverage, the backstory, bigger (and sometimes NOT square) photos with you and miles of event style! Please join us on the pretty and adventurous daily inspiration feed that we love oh-so-much at xohellodarling (which is also our twitter handle) Please feel free to tag us in events that we take part in with you too! We love to share in the excitement.

3. Amongst some amazing press that we’ve been thankful to be featured in over the past year, we recently got the exciting news that one of our very favorite weddings of 2013 will soon be seen in the Real Weddings section of marthastewartweddings.com …which of course made us giddy, as we are longtime Martha fans.

Okay, that’s just a petite recap, but there’s more amazingness to come! Tomorrow we have more Martha news for you all as well!

xo, The Darlings

Intern Intro ~ Marielle Oestermeyer

2013-06-11T17:02:00.001-05:00

by Marielle Oestermeyer

Hello Darlings! My name is Marielle Oestermeyer and I am so lucky to be interning with Hello Darling this summer. So far my internship experience has been amazing and I cannot wait to learn more from the ladies at Hello Darling.

I always seem to be mixing bold styled items with current classic ones and I like to define my style broadly as modern vintage. I love shopping at a wide variety of stores and I believe that this large range shapes my personal style. From season to season I like trying new trends to see how they fit into my aesthetic. This traditional grey couch accented with a printed black and white Boston terrier pillow and gold circular table are exactly what I envision for my first home. The space is perfect for curling up with my two silky terriers, Linus and Lucy. In this living space I imagine entertaining my friends and serving my famous blueberry cake on these timeless white cake stands. I love how ranunculus, peony, garden rose, freesia, gardenia, and dusty miller complement anemone, which is one of my favorite flowers, and I will be placing this arrangement throughout my future home.

Floral arrangements offer the opportunity to create something beautiful and creative in a variety of ways. I love how each flower has a unique personality, much like each bride, and how these traits help shape the creation of a one-of-a-kind arrangement. This personalization is what drew me to Hello Darling and made me want to learn the art of floral and special event design, especially after seeing their flawless work on my oldest sister’s wedding. Hello Darling is also designing the floral and lighting for my middle sister’s wedding and hopefully one day my own! Working on constructing the perfect chuppa, floral arrangement, lighting, or any specific detail adds up to a large workload and I love the constant bustle of setting up each exquisite event. It is still early into my internship here at Hello Darling and I have already learned so much from these wonderful ladies and I am so eager experience more. Please feel free to introduce yourself to me at future events as I am so looking forward to meeting all of you as I intern at Hello Darling!

photos clockwise from top: Flowers via Hello Darling, Room design via Vintage Revivals, Blueberry cake via goodtoknow recipes, Cake stands via Style Me Pretty, Silky terriers photo via my personal collection.

Hello Darling ~ 8 Darling Years

2013-04-24T17:35:00.000-05:00

by Natalie

Eight years ago I was twenty eight, and decided that I had what it took to open a floral and event styling business (creativity, blind passion, strong work ethic, eye for the details, genuine interest in the happiness I could create for others with my talents, and a good dose of ignorance for what was before me…and a name).

It all began at a particular dinner with two of my closest girlfriends, Kathryn and Maria. Maria (a small business owner and particularly feisty Italian) asked me why I didn’t start my own business doing what I was so good at and had been doing for so many other businesses and friends for so many years. I defended my stance as I had with many others (and her) before with a long list of reasons that my life would change if I did: I won’t see my friends anymore (including them), I won’t have time to be with my boyfriend (now husband) or create a family, I wouldn’t make any money (true), I’d live in wedding world 24/7 (yep), and that I’d have brides calling me every day stressing me out (and making me smile) as they had for my employers, and that I’d no longer have anything to talk about with my friends but that…and so on. Maria wasn’t having it and exclaimed “Natalie, you could talk yourself out of anything! Why don’t you just try it and if you don’t like it you can quit!” I explained that the wedding business is not like that! If I didn’t like it I couldn’t just get out because it’s a cyclical business that never lives in the moment but rather always looks to the following six months to a year for survival alone. Kathryn, who was then a stationery designer, basically agreed with what I was saying but also encouraged me if it was what I wanted to do and said she’d help and support my decision.

Then, for some reason I cannot recall, we decided that it would be fun to name this pretend business. The next couple of hours went by as we threw out endless ideas, avoiding anything with my name or the name of a flower or anything overly specific in case in the business I wanted to branch out in different directions such as photo styling, fine art photography, or planning. As we drove home exhausted from our pretend plans I said, “I want something that’s old Hollywood..something that you’d answer the phone 'hello darling'.” And that was the beginning. We shrieked, we laughed, that was it! Hello Darling! That had to be it and it had to be MINE! I immediately checked that the name wasn’t taken in the Illinois LLC database and began months of font research and worked on branding ideas while attending small business workshops and talking to people about my decision. This was scary and not everyone supported my big idea though they’ve all come around since. It was unplanned in many ways and underfunded in all.

I was working “for myself” as a photographer for years before this while freelancing as a floral designer, and at the time was working my first full time job for someone else, managing the shop for my friends at Stems. Since college I had been shooting weddings, fine art, fashion, and interior photography for local fashion designers like Michelle Tan and interior designers such as Nate Berkus. This wasn’t my first leap of faith or the first time I’d placed myself under great pressure out on my own. I had little to no idea what I was going to be doing in this new business besides working really hard to make things as gorgeous as possible and clients as happy as possible. Besides my creativity and design experience, basic knowledge of marketing and branding, my organized and type-A personality, and my base of vendors and trusted design assistants, I had almost no accounting experience beyond simple invoicing and contracts from previous photo clientele. I wasn’t aware of what might be on the other side of the door and it was terrifying and exciting while I was opening it. If I had known the challenges that were waiting for me it’s hard to say whether I would have done it. Looking back, I now think that an entrepreneur may be a visionary with little regard for the obstacles hiding on the horizon and tons of guts and commitment required to reach for the glory of the dream.

Having never sold events of my own I was shy in my meetings and really didn’t know what to say to clients at all at the start. I had loved creating the bouquets and décor that was sold to clients by my employers for years and had the vocabulary and experience to describe those things but I hadn’t actually had to sell them, or for that matter, to pay my bills based on my sales. To get beyond this fear and to get more organized in my approach I made a flower planner which helped me and my clients have a base from which to work and talk. Little by little I set up systems. Little by little my events grew and along with it the hours I worked, the team I depended on, the vendors that supplied my product, the ideas I was challenged to create, the advertising budgets, office size and décor, method of transportation to events, everything. I’m not one who is ever satisfied with the current state of affairs. I want it to be bigger and better. I want it to shine and for my entire team to be proud of what we do and for every single client to fall in love with what we create for them and of course, to like us too. To some that may not be sane or realistic, but it is what I expect.

After eight years I can say with great pride that we have never sold the same event to anyone ever. I wouldn’t bother working this hard to simply recreate cookie cutter events. Though recreating events takes less prep and thoughtful design time and turns a bigger profit, that’s never been my driving force and would never satisfy my creative soul or make our clients events feel like they do. My driving force is my passion for beauty and for making other people happy by making truly stunning, breathtaking, natural and original displays of art with the very best products I can get my hands on and that will never change. This takes hours of work, and yes, hours of phone calls with my clients (who are amazing), but all of it is worth it and shapes the beauty we create in the most personal ways. Because the time we put in and the dedication to the relationships we form with our clients we’re known for creativity, quality, tailored details, customer service, and honesty. Plus the words magical and whimsical come out of the mouths of our clients when they step into the environments we create for them. I used to have a hard time digesting these fantastical words, or maybe believing them, but now they make me smile. I love that we make dreams come true. I really do.

Because of what I’ve built with so many supporters along the way, the hundreds of clients we’ve made happy and the thousands of guests who’ve felt special walking into the events we’ve been a part of, I’m proud to say that I own Hello Darling and without it and the last eight years I would never have had the pride to claim my own work like this. I never walk out of one of our events without thinking that it would be great to actually sit down at one of the tables as a guest and slowly take it all in as the evening unfolds. The whimsical fantasies that we create for our clients to hold, and look at, and breath in for a day turn into magical memories for years to come, so I guess it’s true what our clients say.

It literally makes me cry to proofread this. I guess I just wanted to share our little history with all who’ve been a part of its making for these last eight years and for those who are just getting to know us and shape our destiny now. Every one of you, whether a client or a colleague, family or friend, has changed my life and so many lives forever and will continue to. You’ve given me pride and joy in ways I had no knowledge of before and the rest of my history has a lot to live up to. For this I thank you, so very much. Eight years and counting…

Xoxo, Natalie

Martha Stewart’s Wedding Party in Chicago

2013-03-19T15:03:00.001-05:00

by Natalie

Hello Darling and Courtney Callahan Paper had a blast at Martha Stewart’s Wedding Party which came to Chicago for the first time on March 10th. Though we don’t normally take part in wedding shows, the name Martha Stewart certainly piqued our interest at the invitation (okay, we’re serious Martha fans) and we thought it was the perfect time of year to show what has been starting sparks in our creative hearts for upcoming trends, palettes, patterns, and stylish touches for events.

We decided upon a boho-chic garden vignette beneath a softly draped, vine-wrapped canopy featuring a sweet little table set for eight. The colors (corals, bright jewel purple, vibrant blues, and white) were our initial inspiration, then the mix of ikat patterns, ball fringe, garden blooms, and vintage place settings set our wheels in motion. We loved the color and texture of the shantung linens from Private Label Linens and the crystal chiavari chairs and simple Eno glassware from Tablescapes complemented the entire look seamlessly!

A runner of delicate glass bud vases were filled with primo spring blooms of peonies, ranunculus, and anemone accented by fiery little gloriosa lilies, draping jasmine vines, and soft davallia fern.

Courtney created these darling citrus slice place cards for each guest and petite accordion pleated menus which were both a huge hit. How amazing are these?!

After scouring local thrifts for each layered place setting we hand painted vintage flatware to coordinate with the bright pop of color brought in by the napkin, bundled them with silver rick rack and Courtney created a contrasting but complementary pattern on the table number which added more interest to the décor.

Behind our table a stylish bar was set using Hello Darling’s reclaimed wood bar, complete with Courtney’s custom “celebrate” signage set into the bar front (which we can custom design to suit all celebrations). Courtney also created these sweets favors set atop Hello Darling’s vintage silver serving tray.

Courtney’s signage and a petite sampling of her invitation prowess were displayed amongst ribbon wrapped flutes, a mélange of silver mercury and milk glass candlelight and fresh blooms nestled between our silver lanterns and blooming branch arrangement atop lucite and wooden pedestals.

I designed a hand-tied bridal bouquet of coral charm peonies, apricot ranunculus, white anemone, white lilac, white hyacinth, and white garden roses accented by jasmine vine and tied by a navy sash to complement our décor.

Thanks to Amanda Hein for the photo! We were thrilled to have our bouquet also showcased at the CBS morning news segment covering weddings trends where Anthony Luscia, Special Editions Editor of Martha Stewart, spoke about our flowers and Courtney’s paper.

http://chicago.cbslocal.com/video/8595032-martha-stewarts-wedding-party/

We were excited to say hello to fellow wedding colleagues (Amanda Hein of Amanda Hein Photography and Élan Villamor of I Do Films, on the left and right of me) and the Martha Stewart Weddings team Amy Wilkins, Darcy Miller, and Anthony Luscia. We were extra excited to have MSW editor Darcy Miller photograph and tweet our table!

We can’t wait to unveil more of our collaborations with our studio mate Courtney Callahan and our fabulous clients later this season!

Happy Spring!

Boutique Bites Fab 5 Years!

2013-03-06T08:13:00.001-06:00

by Natalie

Last night we celebrated with our friend Elaina Vazquez as she toasted to five fabulous years since opening her fashion-forward foodie-centric catering company Boutique Bites. The event was held at Chicago Illuminating Company’s newest space and was filled with chic black and white décor designed by fellow design gal, Renee Price of Kehoe, ultra adorable paper designs by Laura Manteuffel of Elizabeth Grace and stylish rentals were provided by Tablescapes and Private Label Linens. Congratulations Elaina and team for all you've accomplished and thank you for the perfectly petite bites and delish sips you created for last night's celebration! I had so much fun taking pics of all your thoughtful details.

LOVED the black and white polka dot balloons!

Photographer for the evening’s festivities, Amanda Hein, took a break for a little silliness amidst the balloons with me.

Mini Sangria?? Yes, please!!!

Even a hamburger is tastier at this BB mini size!!

Cheers! We look forward to the celebrating the perfect 10!

Martha Stewart’s Wedding Party in Chicago

2013-02-26T07:49:00.001-06:00

by Natalie

Our new roomie Courtney Callahan moved in this past weekend and we’re already kicking our wedding styling magic into collaborative high gear. We’re creating a fabulous wedding reception vignette (okay, it’s essentially a booth, but that’s not pretty enough to describe what we have coming up for you) at the upcoming Martha Stewart’s Wedding Party in Chicago! We’ll be forecasting the trends to come in floral, linens, tabletop, structures, accents, and paper, using the freshest color palettes and patterns that are absolutely wedding dream worthy. Grab your tickets soon and stop by our display on March 10th for tons of one-stop shop inspiration from Hello Darling and Courtney Callahan Paper!

Hello Darling + Courtney Callahan Paper

2013-02-14T12:13:00.001-06:00

by Natalie

I’m SO excited to make this LOVE-ly announcement on Valentine’s Day!

Our friend and invitation maven, Courtney Callahan Papers, has joined our studio, making 450 North Paulina Street one hot spot for full event styling if I do say so myself! You can set up appointments with either of our companies individually, as you have in the past, or double the fun by setting up back to back appointments for your décor and paper needs! Rest assured that together we’ll leave no event detail un-styled!

We look forward to many collaborations with our fab clients on the horizon, meeting new friends, and watching where cupid bends his arrow next.

Cheers and Happy Valentine’s Day!

Surprise “I Do’s” At Spiaggia

2013-02-11T11:31:00.001-06:00

by Natalie

I have always wanted to attend or throw a surprise wedding where the guests have no idea that they’re going to witness two lovebirds say I do and on Saturday we got to do just that! It was a very intimate celebration with only sixteen guests witnessing the wintery bliss of our bride and groom while looking out over Chicago’s lakefront from the private dining room of Spiaggia. White tulips, hydrangea, dendrobium and phalaenopsis orchids, birch and manzanita branches, metallic touches, warm neutral linens and candlelight set just the right tone for this romantic evening and our custom designed place cards stylishly guided each guest to their seat at the cozy dining table. Congratulations to Alyssa and Matthew! Thank you for making us part of your very special surprise! xoxo

Hunter’s Vintage Sports Bar Mitzvah

2013-02-06T14:47:00.001-06:00

by Natalie

Hunter’s Bar Mitzvah was one of a kind thanks to the inspiration of his very stylish and creative mother. She wanted his celebration to be boyish but modern, cozy, fun, and adult friendly without being over the top. She started by booking the modern and ecofriendly Greenhouse Loft venue then began her search for vintage sporting goods for her son’s party. She combed antique shops, EBay, Etsy, Jayson Home & Garden, and Chicago’s Randolph Street Market, coming up with some amazing vintage loot!

She came to us a couple of weeks before the event with loads of amazing props and asked that we bring the tables to life in an organic, rustic, fall meets vintage rugged sports, natural touch sort of way. She had already purchased these awesome striped linen runners and sweet napkins, hangtag table numbers, and had rented farm tables and custom-designed rustic chairs with linen seats created for her by one of our fabulous local rental companies, Tablescapes and we were excited by everything that she had put in motion.

Organizing unique props into artful displays is one of my greatest passions, and this event was no exception. I loved bringing my photo styling talents and photography together, creating and shooting every unique table and all the little vignettes that we assembled with the objects.

From hockey and baseball to skateboarding and tennis, Hunter’s mom chose an amazing array of interesting items. She even made this darling pennant banner which we strung from trophy’s on his table.

Fresh moss, orchids, berries, fern curls, succulents, and scabiosa pods meandered along the tables between the props with driftwood, manzanita branches, and fun textural arrangements in bark wrapped vases and candlelit mason jars and lanterns.

I would have been happy if it was MY birthday but we also got approval from Hunter and his mom along with everyone who came in oooing and aaaaing over the unique concept. We had a great time working with our friend Denise from Entertaining Company, who did an amazing job, and enjoyed meeting the day of planner, Rochelle Baker. Go Team!

Floral & Friends At Indie Wed Chicago

2013-02-04T13:51:00.001-06:00

by Natalie

On Saturday Carolyn and I stopped by Indie Wed to see to visit our friends who were participating vendors in their annual event held at the unique Chicago venue Ravenswood Event Center. Neither of us had ever been or participated but this year we styled florals and a few little silver accessories for our fab friend Courtney Callahan’s booth, which was ADORABLE!

I loved her whole look, the simple but pop-y colors and all the hand made touches from her envelope backdrop, colorful confetti, and flagged straws that she carefully propped between all her stylish paper samples, vintage phones, ribbons, and sweet little accessories.

I also loved the citrusy sweet spot created by Jayne Weddings with floral by my our friends at Fleur and rentals by Aged Rentals. I just wanted to cozy up at that table for hours!

My friend, photographer Julia Franzosa had a great backdrop for her booth as well, hand drawn by Janelle Gonyea of Re:find Joy with chalk drawn frames around her gorgeous images. I can’t wait to put both of these ladies talents together with ours soon.

Our friend who needs no backdrop, painter Loreen of Reenie Rose, created her masterpieces, thoughtfully painted bouquet details right on site! If you aren’t aware of her amazing talents, check out her website. She is a true renaissance woman.

Timelessly romantic florals and paper filled the bohemian booth of our friends Pistil & Vine and Sarah Drake Design, capturing the interest of many planning lovebirds with their sweet and welcoming style.

On the third floor, the Belles and Gents lounge, planned by Beth at SQN Events featured an amazing spread by Truffle Truffle that I know I’m dying to suggest to a fellow chocolate and beer loving bride and groom soon.

We walked out with smiles on our faces, having had such a great time chatting, photographing and meandering around all the 3 levels of lovely booths, tasting custom wedding beer by Goose Island and savory and sweets treats by Vivo and Elysia Root Cakes. I can say that vintage is HUGE having learned of multiple new vintage rental companies that have popped up over the past year. I am thrilled of course and for the eco-chic bride, vintage is as green as it gets. More amazing finds to be shared with our clients soon!

Freshly Fallen Snow

2013-01-25T12:18:00.001-06:00

by Natalie

Fresh white snow fell last night in Chicago. It always makes me feel serene and in awe of the mystery of the world. It’s one part exciting with a dash of magical. It’s also the perfect backdrop for green and yellow spring blooms of daffodil and viburnum which I’m so happy to have around me today reminding me what comes after the snow!

Happy Friday!

Studio Tour: Sarah Drake & Nimble Well

2013-01-22T16:07:00.000-06:00

by Natalie

Last Friday my friend and designer extraordinaire Sarah Drake co-hosted an open house at her studio to introduce some of her new 2013 paper line and show off her rearranged digs with new biz flat mate Kelly Connolly of Nimble Well. I am so excited for both of them! I think they're a great union, offering thoughtful and one of a kind options for events and home with heart and soul. It was my introduction to Nimble Well and I LOVE what she has to offer for rentals. I of course have a bit of vintage envy and felt the itch to go out into the world to dig through piles of antiques for those golden finds… BUT now I know where to go in Chicago when I need to rent extra pieces or find other types of rental offerings that we don’t have in house or in the larger event rental company warehouses.
I loved her ruby red punch bowl set, colored glass cake stands and compotiers, oil lamps, silver serving options, golden striped bud vases.

Her room of goodies was packed with charming finds including this oversized drink dispenser which she filled with rosemary strawberry water. It was fresh, simple, and gorgeous!

This 19th century gold-rimmed cake stand was also a hit and it didn’t hurt that it was topped by some of my favorite absolutely delicious fleur de sel caramels by Katherine Anne Confections!

Sarah has been very busy creating some fresh new lines for 2013 including this deconstructed chevron which makes me want to change our entire brand and website! Her Monogram Collection below is absolutely to die for, recreating the personalized art of an invitation onto heirloom keepsakes from china to linens. What a genius registry option.

Planner and gal pal, Anne Book, was captured here competing with me for the best iPhone shots of the evening’s details. How sweet are these Limoges dessert plates and pink depression glasses!? They make everything taste better!

To learn a bit more about Nimble Well’s style, check our Kelly’s own wedding posted on her blog. It says it all.
Lots of love…

New Year’s Eve Chicago Racquet Club Wedding

2013-01-11T08:13:00.002-06:00

by Natalie

Hello Darlings! I hope you're having a marvelous new year so far! I'm doing my best to wash away my less fabulous habits and start fresh at work and home, and though it's a challenge, it feels good. In our business this is a very exciting time of year. We're less on the production side of things, and more on the planning side, dreaming up blissful fetes, fantastic celebrations, and a million ways to make our clients smile. So many couples get engaged over the holiday season with all of their friends and family around them and we get to meet them with stars in their eyes and talk about planning the most romantic, unforgettable, love-filled day of their lives together. Our job is pretty amazing, no doubt.

In effort to share more of our wonderful clients' actual wedding days with you I've decided that I need to focus on more images, and a little less on in depth stories. While I love nothing more than detail (detail, detail, detail...) I can't get everything done at Hello Darling needed to create our loveliest events EVER and have enough hours in the day to share them with you in blog post city. I promise the details will be there, however, possibly a bit less poetically retold. I hope you'll comment, ask questions, or even give us a call if you want to know more! So, here we go!

You could say that this New Year’s Eve wedding was the last of 2012 and the first of 2013. It was a wintery, romantic, and absolutely timeless celebration with some of the sweetest people you'll ever meet saying "I do" to each other beneath the roof of St. Chrysostom's Episcopal Church, one of Chicago's most beautiful churches in my book. And to top it off, the bride's mother works for the church and everyone there has known her since she was a little girl and was so excited that you could just feel the love all around them.

The bride, Kate, carried a bouquet of roses, lisianthus, gardenia, peonies, ranunculus, stock, and hypericum berries accented by velvety grey dusty miller foliage. While her bridesmaids carried a hint of deeper peach tones, incorporating Juliet garden roses and peach stock into pink peonies, strawberry hypericum, white majolika spray roses and dusty miller.

The gentlemen wore classic and simple boutonnieres of ranunculus, spray roses, hypericum berries, and dusty miller.

I must say that the flower girl carried what may be the MOST darling pomander that we've possibly ever done, covered in velvety dusty miller foliage accented by a petite tuft of pink majolika spray roses.

Guests were welcomed into the church by metallic wreaths, hung with with delicate velvet and satin ribbons tied into love knots, blowing in the wind along the candlelit steps.

The ceremony took place in front of the intricately carved altar decorated by two stunning bouquets in silver fluted urns.

After the ceremony, guests were lead by a bagpiper across the street to the reception at the historic Racquet Club of Chicago which I'm absolutely in LOVE with. It was built in 1923 and is an architectural gem from one of my very favorites eras of style and decor. A cloudlike pouf of baby’s breath topped the escort card table along with mercury candlelight.

The dining room décor was timeless and elegant, combining candlelit branches with our heirloom silver vases filled with soft, feminine garden blooms surrounded by mercury votives and appointed with our lucite table numbers.

We covered the dining tables in stone shantung linens accenting them with pink champagne lamour napkins and each napkin was topped by a darling white majolika spray rose bloom which perfectly complemented the lovely menus designed by Elizabeth Grace.

Their cake by Bittersweet was stunning and thoughtfully decorated by gilded lace and delicate leafy touches that were so regal. I loved it.

Some of our heirloom vases came from a very personal source, passed down to our studio manager Carolyn from her grandfather. It was pretty special experience to be able to use them for this beautiful celebration and I’d like to think he’d approve with all the happiness he helped us create that day.

Much love to the bride and groom. We hope to be a part of many of your celebrations to come!

Bubbly & Bright in 2013

2013-01-02T12:45:00.001-06:00

by Carolyn

Happy New Year! We are so excited to be back in the office, preparing for beautiful events in 2013! We hope you had a safe and wonderful holiday season! xoxo, The Darlings

Dreaming of a White Christmas

2012-12-25T19:09:00.000-06:00

by Natalie

As I wait in front of the oven, new apron on, for the final timers to go off and our seriously yummy dinner to come out of the oven all toasty and cheesy and hammy I'd like to wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas and cozy little holiday season from my family and all of us at Hello Darling. May you be warm, happy, and surrounded by love, food and music this joyous season. No matter the celebration, count your blessings (not calories) and build a fire of anticipation for all that the next year has in store. Much love to you all and to all a good night.

The Birthday Party Project

2012-12-13T08:47:00.000-06:00

by Natalie

Today is my birthday. I’m 36 and I’ll admit as the numbers creep higher I’m guilty of being a little less excited about my birthday, though I’m always excited for others to celebrate theirs. The last five days my life have been pretty amazingly action and celebration packed as I attended the luxury wedding business summit Engage12! at the stunning Breakers resort in Palm Beach. I kept saying to my friends and colleagues before I left that this was the nicest birthday present I’d ever given myself, and it was. But beyond the amazing professional connections, the unbelievably wonderful insights and stories that were told, and the fabulous food, beauty and great experiences all around, one of the biggest take aways from Engage was the story of a new non-profit called The Birthday Party Project. Started by planner, Paige Chenault in Texas, the project’s mission is “Bringing joy to homeless children through the magic of birthdays”…and what joy they bring. I am so in love with this project that I’m thinking about begging Paige to let me start one here in Chicago. Watch this beautiful birthday party, and be prepared to cry some happy tears for the sweetest little faces, some of whom have never had a birthday party ever before. THIS is what birthdays are all about. Thank you Paige for sharing your story and your mission.

The Birthday Party Project from WhenItClicks Wedding Films on Vimeo.

Seeing {Emerald} Green!

2012-12-06T19:02:00.001-06:00

by Carolyn

This morning as I was watching LIVE! With Kelly and Michael and I was just about bowled over with excitement when they announced that Emerald Green has been declared the Pantone color of the year for 2013! I immediately texted Natalie. As two fair skinned, dark haired Irish gals, the deep and beautiful emerald has always been a style staple, and I knew she would be as excited as I was to know that it was finally getting its due!

Emerald is such a great neutral, yes, a neutral! It works with just about every color out there, and it is beautiful for all seasons. Around here we have been lovingly using emerald green this past year and a half on a few projects you may remember…

Elizabeth Anne Designs – Inspired Creations Contest
Emerald is the star of this show with touches of teal linens and gold flatware with burnt orange ranunculus and parrot tulips with gilded foliage accents in Hello Darling’s vintage gold and blue glassware collection photos by Jennifer Kathryn, paper by Courtney Callahan

Charlotte’s Bridal Shower Styled Shoot
Emerald napkins pop against this incredible fuchsia shantung and is accented by gilded ferns and succulents, and stunning magenta peonies and gloriosa lilies with Hello Darling’s collection of vintage green glass.
photos by Dennis Lee, paper by Courtney Callahan, Planning by Katie Kozlowski of Bliss Weddings & Events

We can’t wait to see how our clients bring this incredible and rich hue into their events this year! It is such a wonderful neutral to consider this year, no matter the season of your fête! Of course, we are dying to know, how are you planning to use emerald when styling your next gorgeous event?

Glossed & Found Wedding Love

2012-12-04T10:24:00.000-06:00

by Natalie

For years we have loved watching local online mag, Glossed and Found feature so many amazing creative companies in their fashion focused yet bubbly and giggly videos, site, and blog and are thrilled to be a part of their 2012 Glossed + Gowned Guide this year with so many of our favorite Chicago friends and talents listed along with us.

Thanks to Glossed and Found for the A-list mention AND the photo feature from one of our favorite table setting vignettes of the year!

You said it best... "Just add love."

Before The Wishbone

2012-11-22T13:43:00.003-06:00

by Natalie

As I sit under a warm pile of blankies and dog-ters with my husband in our cozy house watching colorful floats and bouncy dogs flicker across the tv screen in our pjs today, I ask myself what I'm thankful for. There are so many things that flood my mind that I could type all day but alas there is a hot turkey on a grill and we must getting rolling to celebrate all that we have with our family soon! When I reflect on all that the year has already brought into my world since we last sat down with our family around the Thanksgiving dinner I am truly filled with emotion. I am blessed with so much and it's unfortunate that I need a holiday to remind myself about that, but I'm always looking to the future and what needs to be accomplished next. Living in the moment isn't my forte but those whom I've chosen to live in those moments with are.

I'm amazed and humbled and thankful beyond words for my fortune that is made up of:

* my husband Dan, who having owned a family business, understands and supports the ongoing affair I have with my small business which takes up most of my time and energy, nearly all my weekends, and wiggles its way into any conversation. Thank you for loving me, listening to all my ideas, dreams, successes, fears and challenges. Thank you for reigning me in when my workaholic tendencies run amuck and for sharing in my dreams so unselfishly. You are an amazing man and I'm so lucky to have you in my life and to have had you believe in me and lead me to do this big ole Hello Darling "project" in the first place. You've allowed me to learn so much about myself and life, gain creative confidence, flex my mental muscles, and grow in ways I could have never imagined. I simply wouldn't be who I am today without you and I hope you know that I'm better for it. I love you and thank whatever wonderful wind blew you my way.

*my Hello Darling team, starring studio manager, Carolyn Flueckiger. You guys are my rocket fuel, my power tools, my moral support, my springboard, my friends and family, my laughing compadres, and the source of so much of my confidence and so much beauty. NONE of what Hello Darling does would be possible without your hard work, stamina, talents, creativity, and belief in my vision and I thank you so very very much. Because of you, we make so many clients smile, make so many memories richer, so many visions reality, and life worth reveling in. Carolyn, you are such a wonderful friend, office wife, problem solver, info finder, list checker, cheerleader, creative thinker, HARD worker, sassy and classy lassy and I can't thank you enough for your devotion to your craft and my company. To work with me every day is not easy but we are pretty good at making it fun.

I look forward to filling another 365 days with all of you and to all that is yet to come, to fill our lives with inspiration and energy, to propel us into a shiny new year that is soon to come.

I love you all so much. Xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

The Knot & Hello Darling Fall/Winter 2012

2012-10-30T19:12:00.001-05:00

by Natalie

We were SO excited when we found out that two of our favorite weddings of 2011 were going to be featured in The Knot Chicago Fall/Winter 2012 issue. We so loved working with our fabulous clients and their planners to put together their very unique days but to have them both in The Knot, printed one after another, for other brides and grooms to see is the cherry on top! It’s a fabulous issue which you should definitely pick up! Here’s a sneak peek with our goodies!

This colorful celebration was coordinated by the lovely Kelly Cavanaugh of Clementine Custom Events and photographed by Brett and Kiri of Pen Carlson at one of Chicago’s top museum venues, The Chicago History Museum. We filled the day with lots of color and topped tables with sweet garden collections of jewel-toned blooms in our favorite cut glass vintage vases. The smiles on Katherine and John’s faces says it all. It was an amazing day!

Only a couple of weeks after Katherine and John’s wedding took place we were very busy creating beautiful tropical designs in the center of Millennium Park, where Meagan and Vamsi tied the knot in a romantic tented Indian ceremony on Harris Rooftop. Linda Alpert of Affairs With Linda did a fabulous job coordinating the day and the vibrant celebration was captured perfectly by Promax Productions. I blogged about more of the gorgeous details here but needless to say, it was an unforgettable evening and one of my favorite events that we’ve ever done.

Thank you from the bottom of our darling hearts to The Knot for featuring our clients’ very special celebrations! We look forward to more of our beautiful events filling your pages and inspiring other celebrations soon!

Enchanted Garden at JW Marriott Chicago

2012-10-23T13:03:00.001-05:00

by Natalie

Last Saturday was action packed, two weddings, each STUNNING, but a LOT of work! I must admit that I woke up on Sunday and took a huge sigh of successful relief. The fruits of our labor extended beyond the gorgeous celebrations to the big smiles on our clients’ faces and we’re thrilled to have been able to do that for them.

One of our weddings was held at the JW Marriott Chicago, which we love. The staff is wonderful, the venue is both unique and impressive, and the food is very tasty. What more can you ask for? The ceremony and reception were held in the Burnham Ballroom which has a lofty barrel vaulted ceiling and beneath it we built a natural and romantic setting that was carefully chosen over the past months with my clients to reflect the untamed outdoors, warm romantic ambiance, and a bit of vintage flair and sparkle.

The room was washed with warm light and the wild and candlelit structure created a cozy surround for their I do’s, uplit and spot lit beneath the glowing chandeliers.

The aisle was lined by lush fern garlands punctuated by candlelit elements and vine and floral wrapped candelabras atop wooden pedestals creating a swoon-tastic entrance for our lovely bride Ashley. She carried a cascading bouquet of textural branches and foliage, orchids, succulents and mosses, dianthus, birds and crystals, calla lilies, scabiosa, brunia, hydrangea, and hanging amaranthus which were also incorporated in her centerpieces.

Bridesmaids held whimsical bouquets with a simplified selection of blooms and organic elements while the men wore simple but stylish boutonnieres of orchids, succulents, willow, and dianthus.

Escort cards were placed around a branchy display of willow and candlelight accented by orchids, mossy tufts, succulents, and birds atop a moss wrapped mirrored pedestal runner and our custom designed card vase was placed on the gift table accented by mercury glass, blossoms, and moss.

The ceremony was transformed into an elegant woodland reception with leafy patterns dappling the ceiling and pin spots focused on low candlelit centerpieces set into overgrown boxes of natural elements which were echoed in the tall silver candelabras around them.

Now, here’s a SUPER exciting surprise….our pal and super talent Doug McGoldrick came along for the day to capture all the hard work that The Darlings and I put into this day (minus weeks of prep of course) in a NEW stop motion video. The videos that he has created for us in the past have made us total Doug addicts and I knew this weekend was a perfect fit for his unique product. You can see the other videos he’s created for us on our vimeo page, but this is a day unlike what he has captured in the past.

Thank you to the wonderful team at JW Marriott, to Doug McGoldrick, and to my awesome and hardworking team for making this day a success. Many big hugs of congratulations go out to the lucky bride and groom.

xoxoxo, Natalie and The Darlings

NASCAR’s Chase Dinner at Girl and the Goat

2012-10-03T09:41:00.001-05:00

by Natalie

For the second year in a row we’ve had a total blast working with one of our favorite corporate groups, NASCAR, to put together their celebratory pre-race dinner the night before the first race of The NASCAR Chase For The Sprint Cup. This is the series of the year and truth be told I wish I could go watch it in person! If I wasn’t the flower lady that I am today I would DIE to be a race car driver, as everyone who knows me well is quite aware of. If I could just get an investor in some sweets wheels…..Bueller…Bueller…..

Anyway, second to being IN the race, working ON the dinner for the NASCAR team is pretty exciting. We absolutely adore their sweet southern planning staff (especially you Miss Kelly) and they trust our style, give us creative freedom, and love what we do for them. There’s no better collaborative vibe than that. An added bonus this year was that the dinner was held at Girl and the Goat. Stephanie Izard and her entire team were so welcoming, fun and wacky, we felt right at home making their already killer restaurant into an urban-chic-barn like setting which I basically could have just moved right on into.

Weeks before the event we received and envelope with a few little inspiration swatches from the lovely San Francisco stationer, Twig & Fig, who handled the paper goodies for the event. With a bit of velvet, paper, and a quick walkthrough at Girl and the Goat with our client I designed an event that I felt amplified the restaurant’s farm to table approach and the autumnal palette while adding both local and worldly, laid back interest in textiles and rope to create an almost residential feel for a cozy and cool ambiance all evening, like you’d stepped into a chic barn in the middle of the city.

Our rope wall installation created a bit of separation from the bar and dining areas while keeping with the open feel of the venue. I added wild vines and fern garlands to the rope to create an overgrown, outdoor esthetic. Cocktail tables covered in eggplant velvet were topped with petite monochromatic stump arrangements and collections of velvet, kilim, and ikat pillows were grouped into the sectionals around reclaimed wood tables and floral and candlelit vignettes, forming layers upon layers of awesome organic texture.

Each table in the dining room was topped by a unique arrangement in gold, green, and burgundy using mainly local blooms. The simple bouquets were arranged in boxes wrapped in either dusty miller or fragrant rosemary sprigs, creating an interesting but not overly fussy look.

The lofted area in the dining room also reflected the candlelit and overgrown feel of the bar, with tables nestled below, covered in shimmering grey linens paired with soft ivory linen napkins.

A listening lounge was set around the custom illuminated dj booth that we designed and built for the event. It was made from reclaimed wood and featured an image that I shot of wind-blown grasses just for this very special occasion, with the event’s logo aglow throughout the evening.

The NASCAR Sprint cup was set atop a coordinating illuminated reclaimed wood box throughout the evening for the drivers to lust after and the entire room was lit in a leafy amber wash, setting the mood for a bit of relaxation before the high speed chase the following day.

Thank you so much to our wonderful clients and the warm crew of Girl and the Goat! We live for genuinely unique events and the opportunity to create them along with you.

Garden Chic at Galleria Marchetti

2012-09-05T10:19:00.001-05:00

by Natalie

Helllooooo Darlings! I’m so sorry to have neglected our game of show and tell these days. We have had so much action going on at our studio these past two months it’s a wonder that I ever leave the office at all. However, I have so much to share now that I should be quite entertaining all winter with coverage of our season of sweet floral serenades!

I’ve been dying to share this little number and it seems appropriate to sneak in a white wedding right after labor day. Emily came to me with impeccable taste and fabulous ideas with creative wiggle room. She was working for Nate Berkus at the time and her decorators eye was obvious. She knew how to describe her look, the feeling of the celebration, and the overall esthetic which made my job as interpreter of ideas pretty easy. She was planning a big move to Bermuda with her fiancé and we only had a couple of weeks before she left town to get the ball rolling. Over the past few months we have shared a couple of Pinterest finds and container ideas via email, but overall we nailed it right from the first meeting.

Her wedding was elegant and modern, beautiful but demure, and very simple and summery in white, green, grey, and taupe with accents of yellow.

Her bouquet was packed with romantic blooms and smelled amazing with the scents of stock, freesia, scented geranium, and garden roses unfurling from the bouquet. Her bridesmaids carried nosegays of garden roses, davallia fern, and scented geranium, two of my favorite greens.

The men wore sweetly scented freesia boutonnieres with coordinating foliage accents.

The weather was just perfect for their outdoor ceremony and tented reception at Galleria Marchetti.

The bride and groom said I do in the garden beneath the vine covered pergola which we personalized with white, butter, and green blooms in an organic, dappled design.

Cocktails were held outside and our simple mercury globe candles added the perfect understated garden touch.

The cutting cake was decorated with minimal touches of foliage and garden roses with scabiosa peeking through and petals, foliage, and petite blossoms dotted the tabletop and cupcake stands.

Each centerpiece was a bit unique and each was as stunning as the next, boasting some of the very best summer blooms available. I just loved so many details that I couldn’t stop taking pictures. Garden roses, lisianthus, buttery yellow stock, green trick dianthus and davallia fern, the cleanly calligraphed table numbers held by pineapples, mixed gold and silver mercury glass, grey concrete vessels, opera chairs…sigh…I could have gotten married again just like this to tell you the truth.

Day of coordination was provided by Meghan Andalman of Lovebird Events, and we cannot WAIT to see all the gorgeous photos shot by the lovely and talented Olivia Leigh. Many thanks and congratulations to the newlyweds Emily and Ben! xoxo

Childish Wisdom

2012-08-06T10:20:00.001-05:00

by Natalie

When I was a kid I had a poster in my bedroom of Garfield the cat laying in a pile of flowers, or something along those lines. The visual isn’t as crisp anymore but the sentiment quoted by Garfield on the poster is crystal clear and I still hear it in my mind so often as I rush around doing what everyone outside of my industry believes is a “fun and pretty job.” The poster read “stop to smell the flowers.” I was so deep at eight, what can I say. Anyway, I used to remind the “adults” to do so, never thinking twice about it. I knew I’d NEVER be like them. I’d never be “stressed” (whatever THAT word meant… I thought to myself.)

Fast forward to now and the reality that making your vision, my vision, any vision into a reality takes serious quantities of blood, sweat and tears. While I love what I do, and more so love that what I do makes people truly happy, I often give up all that I loved to do before the decision to open my own company so that I can tackle my list of Hello Darling to-do's, thinking that one day I’ll catch up, knowing that I now know better than that. This to-do list: blogging, placing flower orders, writing proposals, paying bills, interviewing and scheduling designers, meeting with clients, going to the flower market, talking on the phone, returning hundreds of emails, processing and picking through flowers for the cream of the crop, returning undesirable product, photo editing, dealing with insurance and taxes, learning everything I need to do better, paying everyone about every cent we make, backing up my computer, networking, marketing, adding new images to everything…I could go on… for days….. but it never ends. The truth is, it keeps me entertained and sane which is a blessing beyond words for a creative, high energy person. Side effects of this type of happy pill, I’m pretty exhausted and stressed most of the time about money and everything else under the sun and sometimes that’s a hard pill to swallow.

When I think I’m about to lose it completely I try to back away. It can be like an out of body experience to stop the hamster wheel of thoughts and step out into the world NOT as the business owner for a while. I try to remember that nature is the source for all the beautiful things we design that make people take note and smile. I try to remember that I deserve to do the same. I have to admit that it doesn’t happen often, but my backyard is one place that allows me to slide out of the thought bubble of my life, camera in hand, and forget all that I’m responsible for, for at least five minutes. Five minutes can do a lot.

I have to stop and smell the flowers.

I have become that adult that forgets. But not all the time.

Garden Glam At The Peninsula Chicago

2012-07-30T12:54:00.001-05:00

by Natalie

When my bride Ashley and her mom Cinthia contacted us from California to design Ashley and Rhett’s July 6th wedding at The Peninsula Chicago we only had a few months to plan. We quickly became phone pals and started sending inspiration photos back and forth, full of excitement for all the ideas that we were putting together for their glamorous and colorful Chicago celebration. Our collaboration was easy and it felt like we had been working together much longer with the sense of trust and mutual respect that we shared for each other’s ideas and visions. What came out of our long distance creative powwows via email and phone is pretty fabulous. Rhett and Ashley had an amazing evening and I felt so fortunate that Hello Darling could be a part of it, especially when Cinthia walked into for the first peek and said, “Oh my gosh, you guys did an amazing job. It feels like we’re walking into a fairytale!” Thank you Cinthia. Those are the magic words that keep us inspired to do what we do each weekend.

Ashley carried a mix of rich red rose varieties accented by purple pops of lisianthus with the stems wrapped by a sweet and sentimental detail, her grandmother’s rosary. Her bridesmaids carried jewel toned bouquets of hydrangea, garden roses, stock, mokara orchids, and ostrich plumes.

Feathers were an accent throughout the evening from the escort card table arrangement to the paper elements that Ashley added for her escort cards, table numbers, and fun bride and groom chair signs.

Graphic black vases in a combination of sleek square and curvy sexy shapes mixed throughout the feasting tables, rounds, and squares throughout the dining room, including our black vintage pieces which I’m totally OBSESSED with and was excited to have included for their first wedding so far!

Magenta candles, vibrant lavender color washes, and blush pinspots created so much romance and put a unique stamp on the room’s décor that reflected Ashley’s energetic and bubbly personality.

Their sweetheart table glowed for picture perfect ambiance.

Guests gazed across their tables with a gorgeous view of hydrangea, roses, lisianthus, dianthus, stock, hypericum berries, mokara orchids, and bupleurum.

The Peninsula created this show-stopping cake that was the cherry on top of this luxurious celebration. Without knowing, they echoed so many textural elements of our floral designs and vintage containers. Swoon city!

Congratulations to Ashley and Rhett! Thank you so much for inviting us to be a part of your beautiful beginning as husband and wife. We know the rest of your marriage will be just as vibrant and fun as the day it began.

xoxo, The Darlings