Art of Imagination was thrilled to create a romantic setting for April and Matt’s Bridgeport Art Center wedding.  The guests were greeted with floor-to-ceiling, ivory crepe-back satin fabric, pulled open by crystal-studded cuffs.  As they entered the ceremony space, guests were transported to a lush, romantic setting.

Complimenting the venue’s beautiful wooden pillars, we created the most dynamic aisle for the bride to walk down.  The long aisle had three stunning chandeliers on each side paired with two main chandeliers at the beginning and at the end.  Our designers created a romantic ceremony backdrop with luxe, ivory crepe satin fabric, pulled open to reveal a classic white voile drapes behind it.  The entire focal area was lit with a soft diffused white light to enhance the ethereal setting. The bride looked absolutely stunning walking down this custom aisle.

The space transformed magically from ceremony to reception, with the help of the tall fabric. The white color palette continued with pop of soft blush and candlelight throughout the tablescapes. April and Matt were such a joy to work with, we wish them years and years of magic in their new marriage.

// VENDORS //
// Venue: Bridgeport Art Center // Fabric + Lighting: Art of Imagination //
// Photo: Amanda Crean Photographers //

Sang and Frank came to our creative studio to meet with our designers for their Room 1520 wedding, and we were so happy to have met them!  They were such a delight to work with and their wedding featured artistic details at every turn.

The couple’s color palette was perfect for this all-white loft space, pairing a navy blue with pops of bright orange, purple, soft yellows and a natural undertone in all of the earthy details.  The place settings did not fail to impress with bright pink chopsticks and lovely natural toned menu cards.  The stationery pieces were some of our favorite details, the invitations were a custom spinning wheel in navy that gave all the detailed information as you spin the card.  We have never seen such a great way to invite your guests.  The stationery flowed into the centerpieces that were a mixture of earthy elements with a simplistic style.

Our designers created a beautiful lit backdrop that hung mini lights vertically to pair with the couple’s gift table. For the finishing touch, we included strings of Italian globe lights to add a romantic feel overhead.  The fun, earthy ambiance matched the couple perfectly, and the guests truly enjoyed celebrating with the couple, as did we!

// Vendors // 
// Venue: Room 1520 // Lighting & Fabric: Art of Imagination //
// Photos: Gerber and Scarpelli // Event Coordinator: JEM Weddings // DJ: CAS Music //
// Cinematography: WM-Films //

Creating Susan and Matt’s intimate, romantic wedding was fun!  We started with the simple elegance of The Ivy Room, one of Chicago’s most beautiful wedding venues. The fabric draping and lighting, provided by our team at Art of Imagination, was a perfect backdrop to the classic features of the venue, and paired nicely with the couple’s color palette of eggplant and burgundy.

The main room was set with amber up lighting to enhance the romantic feel. We projected  a candle-like golden color onto the beautiful backdrop of luxurious and shimmering satin fabric.  To complete the design, we created a custom “summer budding leaf” pattern effect on the walls, complimenting the overall ambiance.

The white and burgundy floral paired with the ivory linens and tan napkins were simply stunning alongside the amber toned candles. One of our favorite details, was the table signage that displayed the couple’s favorite places they had visited. Their guest book was also unique; Susan and Matt displayed the classic game of Jenga, having each guest write their well wishes on the pieces. Detail to detail, everything was exactly as Susan and Matt had envisioned for their dream wedding.

// VENDORS //
// Event Planning: Livin It Up Events // Venue: The Ivy Room //
// Design, Lighting and Fabric: Art of Imagination //
// Cake Bakery: Elysia Root Cakes // Florals: Juliet Tan Floral Design //
// Photo: Olivia Leigh Photographie //

As each guest entered the ceremony, we created a wonderful glow with candles, leading them down the stairs. They were welcomed by the beautiful ivory crepe back satin fabric swaged open. Inside the ballroom, the walls were accented with tall fabric panels polished by a diffused light that created the enchanting atmosphere.

At the focal point of the room, we covered a large stage and added a luxurious ceremony structure that allowed all of the guests to experience the traditions of the two families. From flower garlands, to custom monogrammed light patterns, the entire setting was filled with embellishments that meant the world to the bride and groom as they celebrated with family and friends.

To see the entire vision come together, watch the production video here: http://vimeo.com/101168614

VENDORS: Kai-Duc Luong | KDL Productions // Greg Stephen Reigh // Marcin Tomaszczyk // Heather Stone Photography// Kristina Taheri // Juliet Tan Floral Design //  Art of Imagination // Crizen Hasewaga // Peninsula Hotel

The bride’s style was simple yet overlaid with a modern elegance….the natural light that filter through the inner voile drapery and the hanging teardrop crystals above added a wonderful ethereal feel for the ceremony. Later the up lighting in a soft candle like amber shimmered on the ivory crepe back satin drapes that were swaged open framing the sweetheart table setting.

VENDORS: Art of Imagination: Luxury Fabric backdrops & Lighting // Venue: Room 1520 // ​Caterer: Calihan Catering -Todd // Day of Planner: Event Less Ordinary-Carolyn // DJ: Style Matters-Spencer

Stop Motion Film shows how our team of professionals preps the magic of aisle.

Stop Motion: http://vimeo.com/105923115 // For the Full Wedding Video: http://vimeo.com/101168614

Vendors: Kai-Duc Luong | KDL Productions // Greg Stephen Reigh // Marcin Tomaszczyk // Heather Stone Photography// Kristina Taheri // Juliet Tan Floral Design //  Art of Imagination // Crizen Hasewaga // Peninsula Hotel

To help illuminate the Glessner House Museum‘s courtyard, we hung several strands of Italian globe lights to create ceiling effect. The decorative lights were on a dimmer to control the mood of the atmosphere throughout the evening.To complete that enchanted garden look the sidewalk railings next to the Coach House, featured a twinkling path for Janel & Tyler’s guests. Inside the historic venue, the Art of Imagination team hung our own sparkling chandelier over the sweetheart table to create the focal point where the couple enjoyed their first meal as husband and wife with their family and friends.

Terrell and Michaela had such loving energy and wanted to share their feeling for each other with their guest. They loved how cafe globe lights always gives such an enchanted warm feeling so they had us design and install strands above the guest tables for an intimate glow.

The alter for their ceremony was designed with two layers of sheer white volie with white twinkling lights in between creating the perfect backdrop for the ceremony later to be repurposed for the sweetheart table.

The groom, made the “Love” marquee sign inspired by Robert Indiana to express his love for his bride. Michaela, in turn, surprised Terrell by having his sport’s jersey on a pulley system we designed that as they enter the room for the reception they will pull it up together.

The dancing area was placed by the east widows so as it became dusk you could see the city’s fabulous view and to complete the look we added sky blue lighting onto the brick creating an organic texture.

Vendors: Venue: Bridgeport Art Center // Space Placement + Lighting + Fabric Treatment: Art of Imagination // Caterer: Beyond Events // Photos: Adam Novak 

KIND WORDS FROM THE BRIDE: “Terrell and I just wanted to say thanks again to you, Deborah, and all of your staff! We had high expectations for what you guys would do, and we were blown away!!!!!!!!! Everything was as magical as we expected and we can’t thank you guys enough for making our space so beautiful, and SO us!!! We attached a few pictures that you guys can use to show other clients, if you want. Thank you again!”

Wedding video: http://vimeo.com/101168614

Vendors: Kai-Duc Luong | KDL Productions // Greg Stephen Reigh // Marcin Tomaszczyk // Heather Stone Photography// Kristina Taheri // Juliet Tan Floral Design //  Art of Imagination // Crizen Hasewaga // Peninsula Hotel

Katie and Greg have such an illuminating love! And, our job was to resinate that illumination and love with their guests for their late summer wedding this year.

In preparation, we visited Ignite Studios in Chicago’s West Loop with the couple and their wedding coordinator, Joan from Five Grain Events. The cool palette in the main room, the natural setting outdoors, the stunning rooftop view, the venue was the perfect choice accented by the most exquisite array of colorful blown glass artwork.

For the day-of design, Deborah and her team of creatives started by adding luminous strands of Italian globe lights angling down from the roof. To complete the enchanting look, the lights were set on dimmers for a romantic feel way into the evening.

The soft illumination of globe lighting continued inside, to add that extra softness and to lower the ceiling throughout the main room. White asian lanterns of various sizes were hung at different heights to give a whimsical and playful look.

As the guests entered the venue, they felt that illuminating love as they looked across the yard and saw the continuity of lights through the venue’s large window walls.

Vendors: Ignite Studios // Art of Imagination // Five Grain Events // Katie Kett Photography

Emily and Joel were married this past August at Room 1520 in Chicago’s West Loop. The bride’s style was organic, yet clean and minimal. For them, we created a unique, simple, yet rustic ambiance. A natural branch arch created with birch trees and curly willows was centered against our white sheer voile, perfectly positioned in front of large glass windows to naturally illuminate the setting. As the evening sun set, the two diffused lighting units behind the fabric allowed the etherial setting to glow far into the night. Asian lanterns and small candles hung from above, adding an additional touch of sparkle as the evening progressed.

It was a beautiful wedding and the bride and groom could not have been more gracious. After the event, we received this sweet note from Emily:

“Thank you for creating the perfect ambiance for our wedding at Room 1520 last week. We couldn’t be more thrilled with the outcome of all the details. Thank you for seeing our vision and for adding all your special touches. It was a night we will never forget and our pictures turned out beautifully!”

Emily & Joel

Vendors:
Art of Imagination // Room 1520 // Katie Kett Photography // D’Absolute Catering // Toast & Jam DJs // Elysia Root Cakes

Our favorite brides are those that incorporate their own personal creativity into their special day. From the origami place cards to the several hundreds of paper cranes hanging at the altar, this wedding had all types of personal touches.

After a last-minute venue change, our bride and groom hosted their special day at the beautiful new Chez.Our team at Art of Imagination used floor-to-ceiling drapery to guide guests through the open floor plan and lighting accents to illuminate a soft sky blue on to the white-washed walls.

Citygirl Weddings // Art of Imagination // AFR furniture rental (bars) // Chez // David Turner Photography // Floral was her Aunt from Wisconsin // D’absolute Catering

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

Sarah & Sam’s wedding at Loft on Lake was an elegant mix of urban chic and natural enchantment. The couple was very inspired by nature. In fact, when they met at our design studio for the first time, Sam completely fell in love with our birch tree branches. It was love at first sight! The mid-winter wedding lent itself to the season decor of LED, twinkle lights among the tree arch and swags of ivory fabric overhead during the ceremony. Being eco-conscious, we repurposed the tree arch along the brick wall to create a focal point for the sweet heart table during their reception. It was a magical night!

Vendors: Loft on Lake // SQN Events // Art of Imagination // Hearty Boys

This beautiful wedding was held at a newer Chicagoland venue located in the West Loop area of the city. Both the wedding ceremony and wedding reception took place at Open Secrets Studio.The blank canvas was the perfect backdrop for our design team to execute Jamie and John’s vision. Jamie really wanted to see a hanging structure overhead; our team in collaborations with the designers at Fleur created a wooden structure featuring lush flowers of sage, pink and burgundy colors.

We hung the structure to be used and repurposed throughout the event. First, we created a focal point for the couple’s nuptials, and then, during the reception, the structure was perfectly placed over the head table for a dramatic flair. Just behind the structure on the open wall, we placed a summer foliage light pattern to create a natural look, coordinated with the farmwood table, place settings, centerpieces, and other design elements. Matching that aesthetic, we added Italian globe lights above the 2nd floor terrace area, where guests were greeted with cocktail tables, a bar area, and food stations.

Photography: Becca Heuer Photography | Floral Design: Fleur | Cake: Sweet Mandy B’s | Catering:Entertaining Company | Event Planning: City Girl Weddings (Kerrie Gallagher) | Event Design: Art Of Imagination | DJ: Okyne Media Lab | Officiant: Meghan Kennedy | Guitarist: Neil Dixon Smith | Letterpress Printer: Steracle Press | Open Secrets Studio: Open Secrets Studio | Party Rental: Table Scapes | Photography – Assistance: Gina Deconti

It was absolutely wonderful partnering up with Debi Lilly and her team at A Perfect Event for an afternoon tea with Pure Kitchen Catering, M&M Special Events, Private Label Linens and Angela Eve dancers at Chicago’s newest hot spot event venue, City View Loft in the West Loop. With a Moroccan theme, our designers at Art of Imagination created the custom luxury draping and light patterns to reflect the mood and color palette of the event.

We created an entrance with stripes of white, platinum and gold fabrics, swaged open with gold tassels accented with fringe.  Fit for royalty, we hung a burnished gold sheer fabric over the dining area and hung globe lights underneath the fabric to create the intimate feel.

The light pattern design was inspired from Moroccan architecture. We custom created special lighting frames to display the patterns along the entire wall. Each table and vignette was accented with an array of colorful flowers and linens, the use of custom lanterns and paper patterns complimented the theme. The variety of food items on the menu, provided by Pure Kitchen Catering, added an ethnic flair bringing the whole event together. They even poured Moroccan gunpowder green tea infused with mint as a welcoming beverage in authentic and colorful glassware.

A Perfect Event – Florals, Event Design, Lanterns, Teacups, Favors
Art of Imagination – Custom Drapery & Ambient Lighting Design
City View Loft – Venue
M&M Special Events – Rentals, Lounge Seating
Private Label Linens – Tablecloths
Pure Kitchen Catering – Menu and Beverages
Angela Eve – Dancers

Loving this video of Justin and his smooth dance moves. Payal’s new husband lit up the dance floor in her honor to the tune of Michael Jackson. You just have to watch it for yourself.

It was so much fun participating in the Green Wedding Alliance’s wedding expo, Committed. We love supporting our environment and doing everything we to recycle and make as small of a carbon footprint as possible. Our Art of Imagination staff had a great time meeting so many like-minded couples at the Greenhouse Loft in February.

Our fellow green wedding partners really brought their a-game. The details and trends that they showcased took our breathe away. Here’s a few of the great photos featuring their amazing talents, by Tuan H. Bui Photography.

We couldn’t be happier to be a part of Indie Wed once again. This time our design team is working with some of the best wedding vendors in Chicago to produce a specialty lounge area, inspired by an era where Vaudeville shows and carnivals provided entertainment and glamour. Here’s a snippet right from the Indie Wed website:

Art of Imagination will magically transform the 3rd floor space with beautiful draping and lighting, utilizing the eclectic bunch of parasols from Bella Umbrella. Fab Flora* will add a touch of romance with textured florals in burgundy and blush. Vintage couches, settees, trunks, and gorgeous furniture will be provided by Shadowbox Dreams Vintage Rentals. Nimblewell* will work with Luscious Layers Bakery* in providing rustic crates and vintage platters for all their yummy baked goods to sample. What would a carnival be without cotton candy? Our friends at Spin-Spun will be whipping up their all natural cotton candy to enjoy. FIG Catering is working on a menu that is sure to dazzle and will be providing the perfect libations for this soiree. We heard a rumor of craft cocktails! Fumee Gypsy Project will be on stage and Doodle Booth* will be providing hand drawn caricatures.Vaudezilla will dazzle and delight guests with vintage inspired can can performances.  Cage and Aquarium* will put together the perfect playlist while our performers are on break. Paper Stories is designing all the signage and paper goods to pull in all the details, while Tuan H. Bui Photographer captures some amazing photos to document our fantastic lounge. Don’t forget to hop behind the kissing booth and say hello to the gal who put this all together, Carlene of Naturally Yours Events.

Be sure to get your tickets today!! And we shall see you on February 1st!

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.