Possible Bridesmaid Gifts

I love these notes from Pink Loves Brown. Brooklyn Bride featured them recently as part of her bridesmaid gift guide. Choose a different font and color scheme to match each of your friend's personalities. They have several cute designs to pick from.

I also love the idea of a monogrammed cardigan for the girls that they can wear on the wedding day (if it gets chilly) and many days after. This is the Jackie cardigan from J. Crew, $62 + $10 for monogram, they have several great colors to pick from, my personal faves are fresh clover and sour lemon (shown above).

Promontory Point

I love this location for a ceremony or ceremony plus reception. This historic building is located right on Lake Michigan just south of downtown Chicago and you can see a great view of the city from here. It is a little smaller so no huge parties and you do have to adhere to the Chicago Park District's somewhat strict guidelines. But perfect for that lakefront wedding with and indoor space in case of rain.

Prints for Maids, Yay or Nay?

(Dresses found at Anthropologie and Nordstrom.)

I heart snippet & ink!

If you haven't already you must check out snippet & ink. This site (IMHO) is the best for color inspiration and ideas for decor, invites, everything! Kathryn was nice enough (thank you again!) to make this board for me. Check out her other fabulous boards here.

Etsy Invitations/Save the Date

I found this on Etsy and I love it for an invitation or save the date. I am not sure if I would go all out with the poster invite, though it would be rad I don't know if I am down for all those shipping costs. But I am stronly considereing for our save the date postcard. And the artist is from Chicago also - support the locals and all that good stuff.

Plated Dinner vs. Heavy Apps?

So my current dilemma is debating between a formal plated dinner or a more relaxed cocktail style reception with heavy appetizers served throughout the event. It really isn't a budget issue it is just that I hate the whole seated dinner thing. It seems you spend almost half the reception waiting for the food and then eating it uncomfortably with strangers. Plus, half the time the food isn't even that great! I would much rather give my guests more food options, the freedom of eating when they want to eat and sitting where they want to sit. But I don't want to run the risk of them feeling hungry. I have done extensive research and this is quite the debate.
What do you think?

A New Leaf

Located at 1820 N Wells, this has become a very popular spot for Chicago weddings and you have to plan well in advance to snag this location. Located next door to A New Leaf floral studio this space has great character, exposed brick, open "loft style" floorplan and an outdoor courtyard. Modern and unique, you can use your creativity a lot in this space. To see more photos, pricing and other such info click here. To see the beautiful floral arrangements created by A New Leaf click here.

"Island of Happy Days"

This site was strongly considered for our ceremony/reception. I loved how secluded it was and loved the idea of our guests playing badminton and bocce on the lawn. However the drive from Chicago is pushing 7 hours which I felt was a little far for our guests, I even contemplated renting a private bus for everyone I loved it THAT much! Those of you in Minneapolis/St. Paul (only about 2.5 hour trek) should definitely look into this. It is beautiful!

Check http://www.stoutslodge.com/ for more pictures and info.

Newbie

This is my first official post! I wanted to create an outlet for modern, creative, budget conscious brides such as myself to get and share ideas. I have come across some great sites already but none that focus on us Midwest B to Bs (Brides to Be), so I am hoping to post resources that may be helpful to those still in the planning process. I am open to any topics or questions anyone is interested in so feel free to contact me. I am not a wedding expert by any means but I love to plan them!