Tip of the Week: Mail in your old Bridesmaids Dress!

Ladies, we all know that there are some well-intentioned brides out there who pick bridesmaids dresses that, while beautiful on the day of the wedding, aren't exactly "wearable" after the big day. Am I right?

That's why you'll love the concept of NewlyMaid (www.newlymaid.com), a new website that lets you mail in up to 3 old bridesmaids dresses, in exchange for a discount on a new little black dress! You can choose from 6 different LBD styles, many of which are great for work or a dress-up affair.

Even better: your old dresses will be either recycled for thread, or donated to a women's charity. Find out more about this great offer at the NewlyMaid website: www.newlymaid.com, and get shopping!

A Bride and Groom's Perfect "Getaway"

One of my favorite moments of a wedding is after the ceremony, when all the guests have left the immediate area where vows were exchanged and gather to greet the couple as they "ride off into the sunset" (or, in many cases, dart off to a quiet place to spend the only 5 minutes they'll have alone for the day!)

I always enjoy seeing the bride and groom's smiling faces as they emerge, hand-in-hand, ready to greet the world as a married couple. And I really love the individuality of the "getaway vehicle" choice. I've seen couples choose such varied vehicles as a horse-drawn carriage; a tandem bicycle (watch your dress in the spokes, ladies!); or a cream-colored Bentley. And this weekend, we are coordinating a wedding where the bride and groom will be riding away in a golf cart! I think this is an adorable idea and also a great photo opportunity (as this cute couple demonstrates).

No matter which "getaway" method you choose, we at GlamRock recommend that you and your new spouse do try to grab a few minutes to debrief together after your ceremony, whether that's in your getaway car, in a quiet room at your reception site, or outdoors under a shade tree. By that point in the day, you will be ready for a little bit of alone time to laugh away your last lingering jitters and prepare to enjoy your reception.

How about you - what "getaways" are your favorite?

The subtle art of wedding invites

Hello ladies,

Spring has finally (almost) sprung in Chicago - I saw a few daffodil stems pushing their way through the wintry muck in my neighborhood yesterday afternoon. And what does spring mean (besides warmer temperatures, more sunshine, and Chicagoans' renewed passion for life)? WEDDING SEASON!



Many of you may be getting married in late summer or fall of 2011, and are ready to select your wedding invitations. This can be one of the more stressful parts of wedding planning (finalizing that invite list, selecting the wording of your invite, figuring out postage issues, etc). However, your invitations are also a great way to set the tone for your wedding and let your guests know just what to expect from your special day. Having a garden wedding? Copy my creative friend Molly, and include a map or directions printed on a DIY hand-held fan. (You'd be surprised at how sweet some fancy card stock and a popsicle stick can look when dolled up). Is your wedding more formal? Express your inner Belle with a heavy cream card stock, a queenly font and a gold-lined envelope.



Some of the prettiest and most creative wedding invitations I've seen have been DIY. You can dream up all sorts of lovely ideas at stores like The Paper Source (http://www.paper-source.com/), or stop by one of their Chicago locations for assistance in selecting everything you'll need, from envelopes to card stock to specialty papers to a return address stamp (save yourself the energy or writing or typing/sticking!) In fact, if you are free this Saturday, consider signing up for Paper Source's Wedding Suites event to learn about your invitation options.



If DIY isn't your thing and you'd prefer to outsource (who can blame you, it's not as if the months leading up to your wedding are light on to-do lists!), here are some local invitation designers we like:


Paper Moon and Company: www.papermoonandcompany.com/index.html

Spilled Ink Press: http://www.spilledinkpress.com/

with Grace: http://www.withgraceshop.com/

Above all, your invitations are a great way to reflect your (and your fiance's) personal style, as well as give hints about your big day. Have fun and let your imagination run wild!

Happy spring to all!

Our Bridal Expo Chicago outing

Yesterday we had a chance to meet many, many brides-and grooms-to-be, as well as their family and friends, at the Bridal Expo Chicago, held at Belvedere Banquets in Elk Grove Village. What a pretty venue - and customizable for a wedding of any size.

If you are one of the many gorgeous brides and handsome grooms whom we spoke with yesterday, thanks so much for visiting our booth. We would love the opportunity to talk further with you about your day-of coordination needs, and how we can help make your wedding day stress-free for you and your family and friends. Our couples tell us that day-of coordination takes so much pressure off them to make everything perfect on the big day - they are able to let us concentrate on the details, so they can concentrate on the FUN and excitement of the day!

On my wedding day (a year and a half ago now - seems like yesterday), my mom, dad, brother, ushers and new parents-in-law helped my new hubby and I pack up our gifts, cards, centerpiece flowers, photos, favors, and cake-cutting set, and carted them all across Wacker Drive to our downtown hotel at midnight after our reception ended. I vividly remember schlepping a box of random items along with my wedding clutch, all while still wearing my gown and 4-inch heels. The whole time I was thinking, "Why didn't I hire a day-of coordinator to do this stuff?!" If only GlamRock Events had been around before I planned my wedding.

Let GlamRock take care of the schlepping so you can relax and enjoy your wedding day. Send us an email or give us a call today. We'd love to hear more about your wedding day and take a load off your mind.

Visit the Contact Us page on our website:

www.glamrockevents.com/contact_us.php

Congratulations to Payal & Kunal!

As promised, we wanted to share some additional photos and stories with you from our 2010 wedding season. Our very own Payal was married in August 2010, and all the GlamRock ladies ventured up to Minneapolis for her wedding. The weekend started with a mendhi night at Payal's family home, where the ladies of the bridal party as well as friends and family received beautiful henna designs on our hands (and some on their feet, too!) Payal's parents, sister, grandmother and extended family hosted a backyard party, complete with fireworks at the end of the night.

We spent Friday afternoon setting up for Payal and Kunal's Garba party at the Hilton ballroom, and got to know the decor and lighting vendors that we'd work with for the remainder of the weekend. Payal and her family had selected gold statuettes which we arranged on all the tables, and they had also brought yards and yards of gorgeous fabrics and handmade pillows from India, which we arranged in a lounge seating area for guests to relax and watch the dancers that evening. Payal's florist also decorated the dance floor and tables with rose petals & candles, giving the room a warm glow. Payal handmade much of her decor for the Garba, and her color palette of strawberry and mint green with gold accents was perfect for her summer wedding. We danced the night away that evening, even learning the traditional Gujrati dance, the Dandiya Raas.

Saturday afternoon was Payal and Kunal's ceremony, and the bride and her bridal party (including Sophia) were up early in the morning to prepare for the day. The ballroom was redecorated in red, gold and white, complete with a gorgeously lit mandap as the focal point of the room. Payal and Kunal served traditional South Asian sweets and ice cream during their ceremony and rode off in a Rolls Royce for some quiet time before the reception. That night, the ballroom was once again transformed with magenta, aquamarine and deep purple decor, centerpieces and lighting, perfectly complementing the bride, groom, and their families' dress for the evening.

The ladies of Lace/Hanky Photography in Minneapolis did a wonderful job of capturing all the events of the weekend, and all our photos in Payal & Kunal's gallery appear courtesy of them. Be sure to check out our photo gallery, and go to www.lacehanky.com to view more of their work.

Catch us at Bridal Expo Chicago on Feb. 27th!

Dear readers,

We're excited to announce that GlamRock Events will be displaying at the Bridal Expo Chicago, coming up on Sunday, February 27th. Some details about the event:

February 27, 2011
Belvedere Banquets
1170 W. Devon Ave.
Elk Grove Village, IL (2 minutes from Woodfield Mall!)
11:30 am-4:00 pm

We would love to see your smiling faces at our booth - please come check us out, and let your fellow brides know, too! Also, don't miss the Couture fashion show at 2:00 pm. You'll be able to see gorgeous new dresses from designers like Melissa Sweet, Priscilla's of Boston's Platinum collection, and Lazaro, among others.

To register for the Bridal Expo Chicago, go to: www.bridalshowexpo.com/order_tickets.html.
Every registered bride receives 4 free tickets for herself and her groom, bridal party and family!

We can't wait to see you there.

GlamRock has been busy!

Hi all,

Our blog has been quiet lately, but don't worry - we haven't been hibernating! We've been gearing up for the 2011 wedding season and are excited to share news and plans with you as they develop over the next several months.

In the meantime, we wanted to share some gorgeous photos from a wedding we coordinated this past fall. Seetal and Bharath were married over Labor Day Weekend 2010, and had a beautiful wedding ceremony and reception at the Chicago Cultural Center. Sophia led the coordination efforts, and Payal, who was in the wedding party, co-coordinated. Phillip's Flowers and Classic Rentals provided the design and decor for the evening, while Gaylord Fine Dining catered.

The weekend began with a sangeet and mehndi night held at Loft on Lake on Friday night. Seetal and Bharath had chosen a cool color palette of deep purples, pinks and blues, which worked perfectly with the airy loft space and city views. Saturday's wedding ceremony took place on a sun-soaked downtown morning, beginning with the groom arriving on a white horse admist a celebration with family and friends. Wedding guests enjoyed a post-ceremony lunch, then rested up for the evening reception, also held at the Chicago Cultural Center. Plum and Cherry decor both complemented and modernized the stained glass dome and turn-of-the-century architecture of the hall.

Photos appear courtesy of Tara Sharma Photo: www.tarasharmaphoto.com. To see more beautiful photography from Seetal and Bharath's wedding weekend, check out our photo gallery: www.glamrockevents.com/gallery.php.

Check back for more updates on our 2010 wedding season soon!

xoxo

GlamRock Events