We are so grateful to have another beautiful bride featured on Style Me Pretty this week. The lovely images of the wedding were submitted by Robyn Rachel Photography and took place at The Ivy Room in Chicago, IL. Here’s a snippet from Style Me Pretty‘s post, these words come from the bride herself:

Whenever my husband and I get asked how we met we always laugh and respond “it’s a long story.” The story is we met 8 years ago on a college spring break trip with our friends and knew right away our spring break fling was something more and that we had found the one. Our friends to this day do not let us live the story down that “what happened on spring break didn’t stay on spring break” which made for fun reminiscent rehearsal dinner toasts! I was lucky that 8 years after we met on a beach in Florida, my husband proposed to me in Chicago using my grandmother’s diamond which made it all the more special.

The feeling of our wedding that our family and friends kept describing to us was “understated elegance” and that is exactly what we were going for! We wanted a wedding that would best reflect our relationship of being timeless and traditional, but also fun loving, romantic, and something fresh. We chose to get married at the Ivy Room Chicago as it was important to both of us to have the ceremony outside, but also be located in the heart of our favorite city and home near all of the action. Our officiant was from my church in the suburbs where I have gone my whole life so even though we were not in that particular space it was nice to have a piece of it there with us that day. We absolutely loved all that the Ivy Room had to offer and tried to compliment it with soft pinks (using peonies my favorite flower) and champagne colors and focus on candles and lighting. We wanted to make sure every detail was perfect, yet at the same time did not want to get carried away with too many little things and lose sight of what we were there for. This was especially evident in our guestbook which was done by our photographer to be a book of all of our engagement photos as the pages and our guests could write messages on top of the photos. We really loved how she wanted to capture and show our personality as a couple in both our engagement and wedding photos for our love for each other, Chicago, and our friends and family.

One thing that brought my husband and I together is the importance of the people in our life. We are close with our families, but also consider our friends to be family, as you can see by our large bridal party! We didn’t want to leave out anyone out in sharing in our day, even my niece as the flower girl who had to be carried down the aisle at just 9 months old!

We were so happy when the Chicago weather cooperated and allowed us to have the perfect day! It was really meaningful to us to have so many family and friends who had come to know our relationship so well over the past 8 years be there to support and celebrate and not leave our side on the dance floor for the entire evening! Everything was absolutely perfect and we wish we could relive the weekend all over again.

She was so amazing to work with and the leaf pattern on the wall added such texture and elegance to the entire reception. Here’s just a sneak peek of these great images.

You can find the entire article from Style Me Pretty here!
You can find out more about the Ivy Room here!
You can also view our Pinterest Board from The Ivy Room here for inspirations!

Photography: Robyn Rachel Photography | Venue: The Ivy Room Chicago | Floral Design: Kathie’s Flowers | Catering: George Jewell Catering | Lighting: Art of Imagination | Band: Nick Kitsos Band | Cake:Amy Beck Cake Design | Wedding Dress: Monique Lhuillier

This Room 1520 wedding was so elegant yet simple and modern yet classic – it’s one of our recent favorites. While we’re waiting to get the professional photos to come in, we wanted to share this quick peek at the beautiful ceremony and some of the pretty details of the event.

Stay tuned for more photos as we get them and don’t miss all the lovely details and stunning decor and florals.

Be sure to visit venue website for more information:  Room 1520

Just a few weeks ago, we were part of a whimsical, DIY wedding at Architectural Artifacts. The couple was really fun and artsy and the wedding ceremony and reception was brimming with personal details and meaningful, DIY touches that really showcased their personalities for their Big Day.

Our part included using natural ivory linen fabric to soften the urban, loft-like setting of the venue. We created beautiful swags of fabric by the roll-up metal doors, blocking the back areas of the entry to create a more clean look for pictures, when the family and bride walked down the stairs. Architectural Artifacts also features a two-story atrium, where the ceremonies are held, so from ledges on the second floor we suspended dozens of Asian lanterns which created a more intimate setting for the ceremony. You’ll see the lanterns were a big hit with the guests.

We also loved the idea of terrariums lining the aisle – each sat on a square piece of wood. It was an elegant and unique touch that we haven’t seen before.

Scroll through the photos for all the whimsical details.

Inquire with the venue about your event: Architectural Artifacts.

Our work was recently part of this lovely wedding at the Zhou B Art Center. This multi-purpose building is at once one of the city’s most vibrant and artistic wedding and event venues and art gallery. The ground floor is a massive, blank canvas of a space that transforms to accomodate any event with the city’s most cutting edge art on it’s walls.

Founded by and named after the Zhou brothers, who are some of the most visible artists working today in America, the converted multi-story building also houses a cafe and several stories’ worth of artists studios where some of the city’s top and up-coming talent creates the work that hangs in the space.

This wedding had us use gobos and light with the idea of bringing a touch of the doors indoors – we hung colorful Asian lanterns and used bright orange panels of fabric at the entry to make a bold and lively statement as the guests walked in to celebrate. We had fun working on this wedding – take a look below!  

Be sure to visit venue website to learn more – be sure to schedule a tour. Zhou B Art Center.

Recently, Room 1520 hosted the 4th iteration of what’s become one of our favorite events in the industry. Titled “Flower, Flow, Flour, Fresh” the party was both fun & irreverent. That evening, over a hundred couples mixed and mingled with dozens of industry professionals who showcased the very best of all aspects of the wedding industry.

The highlight was of course the nearly a dozen bakeries who were paired with dress-makers, with each station having even more decadent and delicious treats than the last – the most interesting part was having the dresses suspended about the treat stations.

Our role was creating the lounge settings and the atmospheric decor throughout the space – we hung a luxe canopy over the central area in a gold & silver material that matched both the space and the logo for the event. At the very back of the space, we created a beautiful lounge setting with platinum fabric and gold spheres and gold detailing.

Maypole Studios was on hand to take the photos – scroll through and share your thoughts in the comments.

Art of Imagination owner, Deborah, on the far right, with Leah from Room 1520, Debi Lilly and Joshua, of Pure Kitchen Catering. 

Mercury glass was all over – as the light dimmed, it sparkled and glimmered – so very pretty! Below is the lounge setting we created for the event, with the fish-wire suspended gold wire spheres.   

Larkspur was on-hand to showcase their amazing bouquets.   

Bethany, from Maypole Studios, goofing around with Mina Lee of Swan Events, Joshua from Pure Kitchen Catering and June, of Room 1520.Another fun shot – they’re clearly having a blast! Kudos to all the vendors who were a part of event. From the top of our head – here are some of the vendors that participated – be sure to check them out.

Debi Lilly  |  Pure Kitchen  |  Baked  |  St. Germain  |  Room 1520  |  Shutterbooth  |  Maypole Photography  |  Larkspur  | Chicago Earth  |  SpeedPro Chicago

Bridgeport Art Center is a recent addition to the ever-growing number of loft-like wedding venues, but it’s a definite stand out. The long and expansive space is a beautiful setting for any number of events, weddings included, and for this most recent event we were a part of, the couple had us flood the space with red light all along the perimeter, creating an unforgettable glow.

In the middle, we created a soft & romantic fabric backdrop with swags at the top, creating a beautiful focal point, where they sat their cake in front of a floral arch.

For the event, the groom had custom beer made for the guests to enjoy – it was a real hit.

Scroll through the photos.Before and after the table setup – we love how the space glows with the warm tones of the wood floors and ceiling.

We loved this whimsical flower arch made of curly willow and flowers. 

The east-facing windows provide an unmatched view of the downtown area that really lights up the space. The custom beer handles with the labels and signage. What a great way to personalize an event.

Visit the venue website to learn more: Bridgeport Art Center.

We were recently a part of a posh birthday celebration at Room 1520, subtitled “Faithful, Fit & Fabulous” – the event was thrown in honor of a very special lady who was celebrating her 50th birthday with all her closest friends and family.

For the event, we washed Room 1520 with a beautiful, light shade of green. We used various shades of gold and brown to create accents throughout the space. We even created VIP lounge areas for her guests to mix and mingle – one right next to the photobooth to the left of the stairs by the entry, and another at the far end of the space, next to the band, with a huge swag of fabric overhead and a dozen of hanging crystal votives, which created a big focal point for the entire space. Over the dance floor, we hung an overhead swag in a matching gold shade and projected moving water overhead, which was a big hit with all the guests.

Scroll through the photos & share your thoughts in the comments.

Photobooth: Shutterbooth    

Earlier this year, we were part of the Chez Crown 2013 – the Arie Crown’s Got Talent event at the Aragon Ballroom. The event was a celebration of the Arie Crown Hebrew Day School and we were glad to have been a part of the event.

The famous and historic Aragon ballroom, built in 1926, was originally designed to replicate a Spanish palace courtyard, complete with crystal chandeliers, mosaic tiles, terra-cotta ceilings, balconies and beautiful arches. While the space is most famous for hosting huge concerts of up to 4,500 people, it also plays host to a wide array of events of every size. To accomodate this talent event, we brought in a wide array of light, using some of the tricks we learned from theatrical lighting to welcome the guests and create a stunning setting for the talent portion of the event.

Starts were a theme throughout, an idea we played up on with our light & decor. We used teal and blues matched to the luxe invites sent to each guests and tied it all together in the main ballroom. As part of the event, the restaurant sponsors set up booths in the hallway leading into the main space – in this area we lined the walls with a soft teal color, and projected stars all along the way to match the decor inside the ballroom.

Scroll through the photos below –

Our office looked great all set up for the Bridal Gown Giveaway announcement party. All of us at Art of Imagination loved the small, intimate affair for 30 guests. We mingled with the finalists, sipped on champagne and enjoyed sushi by Thalia Spice and sweets by BomBon.

Take a look at the detail shots, especially for the gorgeous floral decor by Juliet Tan. 

Jenny Yoo, of course, provided a sample dress for the event. The winner will get to choose any dress from the collection, along with either a pin or sash. 

Juliet Tan provided the floral decor for the party and gave each couple a take-home centerpiece to enjoy. 

We also had fun, luxe goodie bags filled by all the vendor partners as an extra bonus for entering the competition and coming out that night to celebrate.

Sweets by Bonbon.

Thank you to all our vendors for helping make the announcement event a success: Fotio, Thalia Spice, Juliet Tan, Left Bank Bridal Finery, Crowne Plaza Hotel, BomBon Bakery and Maypole Photography for taking the photos. And Jenny Yoo for inspiring the giveaway.

We loved having Fotio in our office for the announcement party. The booth-less photo booth was a real blast to have. Fotio took up almost no space, and was ready to take photos within just a few minutes. All night our guests were taking photos with the booth – and seeing the slideshow on the back of the monitor was great too.

Not having to wait for a printout meant we all could take more pictures! Scroll through for some of our favorites, and see the rest of the set on our Facebook page.

Deborah with Juliet Tan.     

Jeanette, on the right, and her assistant, from Jenny Yoo.

Our lucky winners pose with the big check. They won a $3,300 credit to be used toward any dress from the collection, and either a pin or a sash.

Bethany, a photographer, loved the photo booth too!Thank you, Fotio for a fun & lovely evening.

Just recently, Art of Imagination hosted 30 guests at our creative offices as we announced the winner for our Bridal Gown Giveaway. The promotion ran for 6 weeks, where we let engaged couples nominate themselves to win a luxurious bridal gown from Jenny Yoo – all they had to do was share their creativity and how imagination is to play a role in their big day.

Dozens of couples entered and we then picked a select few, who had to then gather enough votes to decide who would win what prize. In the end, over 4,500 people voted and we had a clear winner. To announce the winners, we invited the couples and their friends to our office – that night our vendor friends lavished the couples with gifts, while sipping champagne and enjoying sushi and snacks.

It was a lovely evening – scroll through for the photos and stay tuned for photos of the details and decor.

We started the evening off right with a toast of champagne before the couples arrived.

Jenny Yoo was represented with Chicago store manager, Jeanette and her assistant.  

Our top contestants – each had a lively story to go with their submission that stood out from the rest of the entries. They were easy picks and we weren’t surprised they were getting so many votes!

Deborah gets ready to announce the winners by thanking the couples for entering.  

Our second place winner was very happy – her venue will be beautified with a credit towards lighting and decor from Juliet Tan and Art of Imagination.         

Susan from the Left Bank Bridal Finery was on hand to help announce the winner of the prize from her shop. 

Deborah and Jeanette about to announce the grand prize winner. Art of Imagination owner, Deborah with Thalia Spice owner, Vincent.

A big thank you to Maypole Studios for taking the photos.

The Chicago photo booth is already crowded, but  just last week, we met the wonderful people behind Fotio, the photo booth-less photo booth! The came to our shop on a whim, following a tip from our friends at Stan Mansion. We, of course loved their fun setup and the crisp, black and white photography.

The setup was so easy and we were having fun taking photos in just a few minutes. And with no photos to print, there’s no waiting too. The ease and quick setup makes this perfect for any event – even at our office, the booth only took up a little space.

We love photo booths in particular, but this new company offers a super approachable, fun and quirky way to spice up any party or wedding. 

Visit their website at fotio.co

More and more, lounge settings are becoming the norm when it comes to weddings and events – scroll through for a sampling of events where we’ve added seating and lounge areas.  

Photography by: Amanda Hein, Adrian Nastase and Vitaliy Vladimirov.

Loft on Lake hosts all kinds of events other than weddings. It’s played host to car launches, fashion shows, trade events and corporate meetings. It recently hosted a book launch by a renowned New Age author who chose the space to kick off a tour for his latest  book. The chose Loft on Lake for it’s flexibility and adaptability and wanted to have an event where the decor matched the look of the book cover.

We took that idea and ran with it, using blue and orange throughout the space. Our blue uplighting in the skylight and around the perimeter played off the orange brick and linen. For the entry we created a stunning display of blue satin, with orange sheer swags and even paper cranes hand-folded by our team that played off of the birds found on the cover of the book.

This was more than just a book signing, but a full-fledged multi-media event that included live music, a movie premiere, live art-making and food and drinks for the 200+ guests.

Scroll through for the images by Lofty Weddings.

 Inquire with Loft on Lake about their availability today.

Last holiday season, Guggenheim Partners contracted our team to design and produce a holiday party at the Trump Tower Chicago, in the Grand Ballroom. The event had to be stunning and dramatic without becoming over-the-top. We were definitely up for the challenge and worked hand-in-hand with the planners on the client side in realizing this event.

Our part included a dramatic fabric entry for guests to pass through as they exited the elevators. Once inside, we created a display of tree branches with hanging crystals to frame the best view in the city and use it as a photo-op. Once inside, light blue perimeter lighting around the entire space and around the support column set the mood. We also brought in special lights to project falling snowflakes onto the dance floor and additional overall lighting washed the massive space in a matching blue color. To complete the look in the space, we brought in six glow bars with vinyl decals of snowflakes.

After months and months of meticulous planning, the event came to be and went off without a hitch. Nearly 400 guests sipped and mingled for several hours, enjoying our ambiance and decor.

This was our first event at the Trump Tower Chicago, but not the last – stay tuned for more of our work in this landmark venue.

This Harold Washington Center Wedding was a romantic and elegant affair – for this ceremony, we created a soft and simple wall of fabric in crepe-back satin, with matching overhead swags. For an extra layer of sparkle, we hung over a dozen chandelier crystals that sparkled in the amber uplighting.

For the reception we created a head-table display in a matching fabric. It was such a beautiful evening.

Photos courtesy of Juliet Tan.

Room 1520, the stunning, modern and minimal wedding and event venue in the West Loop  launched in exquisite style. For the event we partnered with a number of Chicago’s top wedding vendors to create this luscious, luxurious event where 350+ guests mixed and mingled, enjoying the very first look at this venue.

The event included upscale treats from several catering companies, a premium open bar and even coffee from Intelligentsia. To top it off, a group of aerialists performed for the guests throughout the evening.

Our part included creating the overall light ambiance with dozens of cool-blue and pale lavender light. We also hung dozens of our chandelier crystals over the seating areas. For a stunning centerpiece, we created a suspended sheer fabric canopy with a matching wall of fabric behind it for several curved sofa sectionals.

Since then Room 1520 has taken off – hosting dozens of weddings, even being featured on Style Me Pretty multiple times. And even though these photos are two years old, we still get calls about these photos so we know it’s not just us who’s falled in love with the simple elegance and cool, modern vibe.

Scroll through for the amazing photos by Avery House

Contact Room 1520 about hosting your wedding, corporate event or social gathering today.

We already posted a photo recap of the Martha Stewart Wedding Party at the Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel that we recently took part in – but today we also have this video to share that shows our work and the overall show in more detail. It really was a great show, both for the number and quality of vendors as well as brides – we met so many lovely engaged couples and new vendors from Chicago and beyond! A true success for all involved.

Click here to watch the short video & share with your friends & family.

Our work at the Rookery Building was recently part of a civil union that was historic in a small way – it was the first such union performed at the 130+ year-old Chicago landmark. Kevin & Patrick were such a sweet couple – the way they showed affection during the ceremony touched everyone in the audience.

The two had a Scottish -inspired Jewish ceremony complete with a chuppah that brought both their cultures in a unique way. For their event we draped both the lower and upper levels with our standard ivory linen fabric, along with a dramatic entryway display of light and fabric – scroll down for the images.

Visit Kevin Weinstein‘s website to view his portfolio. Toast and Jam kept the party moving all night – visit their website. Catering by George Jewell. Chuppah & florals by Anthony Gowder.

 In just a few days, our friends at Room 1520 are throwing a fun and not to be missed bridal event – the 4th Annual Great Taste!

Come this Thursday, March 28 – 6pm -9pm to see 8 fabulous dresses on display from Victoria Sdoukos. Each dress has been paired with one of 8 bakeries that will be showcasing a display cake inspired by the dress as well as tastings from each of the bakeries.

New this year is a bridal bouquet bar featuring up to ten bouquets from ten different Chicagoland florists. Brides will be able to adore themselves holding the bouquets in a nearby mirror and each bouquet will be raffled off to lucky brides at the end of the night.

Food, booze, photobooth, music, Reenie Rose, and more…. RSVP today – click here to add yourself – bring your friends and family