Art of Imagination loved creating this intimate dinner at the Stan Mansion. The room was much larger than what was desired for this intimate affair, so we designed a space focused on the dining experience and the guests themselves. We started with a large square table scattered with mercury glass candles throughout, and paired with stunning crystal candelabras.

The lighting was key in bringing everything together, we lit the surrounding wall with a leaf pattern that created a softness to the overall feel. The ceiling above the guest were strung with Italian globe lights that were hung from posts covered in fabric. Our team added fresh curly willow branches and greenery to the upright poles to create more of an enchanting indoor/outdoor experience.

// Vendors // 
// Venue: Stan Mansion // Event Styling & Lighting: Art of Imagination //
// Photos by Deborah // Flowers: Juliet Tan Floral //

Rachael is probably one of our favorite wedding clients, to date, at Art of Imagination. She was completely enamored by the elegance of fabric, and understood why certain design choices are made, to enhance the already intricate space at Stan Mansion, as opposed to covering it up. For her wedding, we created a stunning, overhead swoop that came out over the dancefloor, extending the stage’s backdrop into the room. The ivory Japanese crystal fabric had a beautiful shimmer that sparkled in the lights as the night went on.

Rachael and Jason’s wedding ceremony took place on the stage among candlelight, soft amber lighting, and magical twinkle lights set behind a sheer white voile. During their reception, we added the bride’s favorite color, magenta purple, to the room with uplighting and pinspotting techniques, enhancing the VIP bridal area and bar located in the outer platforms of the ballroom.  Rachael and Jason also opted for the center feasting table as a head table, which is our favorite floorplan option for this historic venue.

Thank you to George Street Photography for the gorgeous photos!

Stan Mansion // Art of Imagination // George Street Photography

Bling, glitter, and poofy dresses do not make a princess. Today’s princess bride is fashioned in a more regal way, as opposed to diva. The look of royalty starts with the dress! Our friends at Jenny Yoo recently debuted their 2014 line and this Magnolia dress immediately caught our attention. The winter white color and crystal embroidered tulle flowing over the chiffon was breathtaking. It was as if our fairy Godmother herself picked it out.

For our recent segment on WGN Midday News where we showcased our 2014 Wedding Trends, we used fishline to display the magical dress as if butterflies were brining it to the beautiful bride on her wedding day. Next to the dress, we displayed our princess’ beautiful bouquet. Juliet Tan Florals created the floral spectacle with a touch of crystal and pearls amongst beautiful ivory flowers. Juliet even created an embellishment on the bouquet’s handle, which could easily be swapped out for personal family heirloom.

Deborah, and her Art of Imagination designers teamed up with Tablescapes Party Rental to create a sparkling table setting, ideal for a royal event. The golden chairs with the ivory and metallic linen add a warm romance to a room due to the soft color palette. The team also added height by placing enchanted candelabras to anchor the tabletop, and a delicate yet bountiful centerpiece by Juliet Tan Florals.

The regal setting and fairytale gown is a perfect fit for our princess bride and her guests.  Chicago has many event venues to accent this look, including The Stan Mansion located in the The Historical Logan Square. If this bridal style is just what you are looking for, reach out to our designers and venue specialists today to begin planning your own royal wedding.

Our team of designers absolutely love styling photo shoots. The creativity and opportunity to stretch our imaginations is at it’s highest when we get to work with so many of our friends. We were honored to be asked to contribute to the photo shoot at Stan Mansion for Wedding Guide Chicago.

It was such a beautiful day with a beautiful team of vendors. Each vendor brought their A’game and surpassed expectations to make the entire photo shoot breathtaking. The vision was Reflections in Black:

Designed with the formality and timelessness of ‘black tie’ in mind. We created a classic but contemporary ambiance that will work or any venue, any season and any color palette by changing the florals.

The vendor team included: DBY invitations & events, Elysia Root Cakes, Stan Mansion, Wedding Connections, M&M Special Events, Windy City Linens, Phillip’s Flowers, and, of course, these beautiful images were taken by Lemon Twist Images.

For more images and the full coverage, check out Wedding Guide Chicago’s Winter/Spring 2014 issue, on shelves now. Or simply click here to see their online coverage!

The beautiful partyscape included more than just a table set-up, we also set up a beautiful VIP lounge area in one of the wings of Stan Mansion. Our designer team added ambient uplighting with glimmers and sparkles to add a touch of bling to the black decadence.

This recent Stan Mansion wedding reception remains one of our recent favorites. Artfully captured by the very talented Bethany of Maypole Studios, you can see from the photos how the event effortlessly captured the personalities of the couple. The two were so fun – dancing and having a great time until the very last.

Using a striking black and red palette, the couple was not afraid of color, creating lots of contrast with their centerpieces and decor. The overall look gave the room so much lively energy. We brought in bright red draping around the focal center stage area with pink uplighting and amber branch projections that created a strong focal point for the entire space and complemented the manzanita branch centerpieces by Cattleya Bridal. Along with the stage, we also created a dramatic entryway display in a matching red fabric.

The manzanita branch centerpieces by Cattleya also included vivid red flowers on the branches and beautiful hanging votives – a modern and elegant look that alternated with a collection of hurricane votives with submerged matching flowers. There were, of course, lots of candles throughout and red everywhere one looked.

Scroll through the photos and let us know what you think in the comments below.

This dramatic place card table greeted the guests as     

The groom was very stylish with his Ohio-themed tie pin and cufflinks made from vintage CTA subway tokens. And below, the bride had the most fun, with these pint-sized entertainers who helped get everyone on the dancefloor.

Photos by Bethany of Maypole Studios. Visit Stan Mansion website to inquire today. Florals by Juliet of Cattleya Bridal.

This Stan Mansion wedding reception turned our so beautifully. While we have the privilege of working with all the couples that book the venue as part of our exclusive event decor and event production privileges, we loved working with this couple who were so obviously having a lot of fun all throughout the planning process. Of course, this only made our jobs that much easier. They had lots of fun and inventive ideas for their special day and it clearly showed. Purple was the main color throughout the evening and hues and shades of lavenders as well as purples dotted the evening.

Our part was creating the dramatic stage fabric display and uplighting, providing a centerpiece to the entire evening. We also created a beautiful display of crepe-back satin fabric – which guests walked through as they walked up the stairs to the main room. On the landing they were greeted by our crepe-back satin fabric, leading them up to a touching display of family wedding photos from several generations. This fabric display, although a small touch compared to the rest of the decor was important, setting the mood and stage for the evening, letting guests know right away they were entering a special place.

In the main space, aside from the central stage, we created washes of purple throughout, with overlaid projections of branch patterns for a softer look that complemented the purple uplighting. Be sure to scroll through the pictures and leave your thoughts in the comments below.

Photos courtesy of Stan Mansion. Photography by Husar Photography. Florals by Cattleya Bridal.

The many beautiful, historic venues in Chicago provide endless inspiration for our work and today we are examining the history of one of our venue partners – the stunning and storied Stan Mansion in Logan Square. It took over a century for this Masonic Lodge to become the unique wedding venue that it is today – this is a brief look back at that journey.

Facing the historic Logan Square boulevard, the mansion is a part of the 2 1/2 miles of the Logan Square Historic District, an area that has remained virtually unchanged for 100 years. The homes that line the boulevards were never converted into rooming houses or low rent apartments like other parts of the City and have retained most of their beautiful woodwork, stained glass windows and original charm.

The building was built in 1921 during the area’s greatest years. Just a few years earlier, in 1918, Illinois celebrated its centennial. That year, a classical columnar monument topped with an eagle was commissioned. Logan Square, being one of the most influential neighborhoods in the state, was selected as the site for this memorial – this landmark is now the symbol of the neighborhood and is just steps away from the venue.

What’s most impressing is that the grandiose building was built in just six months. Built to house a chapter of the Knights Templar, the building remained a masonic lodge for a majority of it’s years until the neighborhood saw a decline. Years later, Cera Stan and her husband bought the building and from then on Cera took on the maintenance and restoration of the building, including a recent and complete refresh in 2012 that finally returned the building to it’s original splendor.

In the few years since opening it’s doors, the Stan Mansion has become a highly successful and popular wedding and event venue, where the historic elegance, the large capacity and many options for customizing events have drawn couples and corporate clients of every kind. You can see some of these events in this blog and in the venue page – leave your thoughts in the comments below.

A brochure from 1928, featuring the building and the venue today. Historic photos courtesy of Stan Mansion. Venue photo by Adrian Nastase.

The Stan Mansion is one of Chicago’s many weddding and event venues, where we are the exclusive vendor for all event production, decor and design. While we most often work with couples in producing their weddings and receptions,  for this NYE event decor, we kept in line with the Parisian elegance of the event.

The sold-out party was one of the most exclusive parties in the city. With delicious Hors D ‘Oeuvres and dinner served by D’Absolute Catering, the party featured multiple live performances and a premium top shelf open bar. Running late into the morning, the black tie affair drew hundreds of stylish attendees who filled the historic venue, taking in our NYE Event Decor and stunning feather centerpieces by Cattleya Bridal.

Part of the NYE event decor included upgraded, custom 20-foot panels of luxurious crepe-back satin fabric that formed the VIP settings to both sides of the main room. To add more flair to the look, we projected soft swirls over the fabric.

The place settings were elaborate and crystal-laden – going with the elaborate, Parisian-flair of the overall event.

Be sure to visit venue’s website & book your event there today. Photos courtesy of D’Absolute Catering.

Situated on the historic Kedzie Boulevard in the trendy Logan Square area, the Stan Mansion is hidden behind a neatly-manicured wall of hedges but even from outside, it’s clear that the building is something truly special.
And while the building is a turn-of-the-century construction, the Stan Mansion as a venue is new – having turned 3 last year. Art of Imagination, though, has been the exclusive vendor for all light and decor at the Mansion since it’s founding by owner, Cera Stan. In just three years, Cera transformed the gorgeous but vacant space into one of the most in-demand wedding and event venues in all of Chicago. In those three short years, Cera undertook a series of massive upgrades and renovations for the venue, including a formal marble foyer, new floors and carpeting and much more – which have only added an additional sense of grandeur.
The Stan Mansion has consistently been featured on “Four Weddings’ – and we’re glad to say, the featured Stan Mansion brides have won every time!

Although we’ve been designing weddings and private events since 1996 and have been part of many Indian and other ceremonies from various world cultures, this was the first Indian wedding of this scope at the historic Stan Mansion (where we are the exclusive light & fabric vendor since it’s inception several years ago). And although we’ve worked on some large events, this Indian wedding we were a part of earlier this month set a lot of new highs for us. It took three full days of setting up transform the already beautiful Stan Mansion into a stunning palace fit for a king and queen! Everywhere one looked, we placed light and decor that went well and above any requests we’ve received in some time. There were lots of projected leaves and branches, VIP sections built from branches, lit with romantic large bulbs but the centerpiece of it all was the stage, which we transformed into a lush and colorful mandap, with the help of Cattleya Bridal, whose colorful hot pink orchids and orange roses really pulled it all together.

The event started in royal fashion with the groom riding down Logan Boulevard on a white horse, followed by a tour bus filled with the bridal party. And although the event at the Stan accommodated close to 300 guests, the festivities were broadcast live to a captive audience back in India.

We truly enjoyed working with the lovely ladies of  The Smitten Bride– the event flowed smoothly and not a detail was out of place thanks to their careful planning. Cattleya Bridal created the amazing stage decor, and again went above and beyond in their floral decor.

A huge thank you to Adrian Nastase for providing the images. Be sure to “like” this below and share with your friends.