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]]> http://kiokreations.com/2010/06/inspired-creations-contest-check-us-out/feed/ 0 http://kiokreations.com/2010/04/kk-sneak-peek-hand-painted-parasols/ http://kiokreations.com/2010/04/kk-sneak-peek-hand-painted-parasols/#comments Thu, 22 Apr 2010 20:13:16 +0000 kiokreations http://kiokreations.com/?p=3067 My ETSY Store is currently “on vacation” as we get into the busy part of wedding season, but in the meanwhile, I have been coming up with new items that will launch when we re-open/return from “vacation”.

This “Just Married” Parasol is one of the items. It will retail for around $40-50 when they are offered and they will look awesome in wedding day photos! I will also offer a “Thank You” variation of this as well. Right now I have a local source for colored parasols but I also plan to purchase white ones as well.

I will also be offering hand-painted wooden people and bird couple toppers (based on some great toppers my brides have had lately), monograms/signs for the backs of bride and groom chairs and some other fun items. So stay tuned for more fun Kio Kreations!

For the personal flowers, Danielle carried a bouquet of mini callas, Stephanotis with blue pearls and crystals inside, roses, sweetheart roses, blue hydrangea and pink sweet pea accents. The Bridesmaids carried bouquets of white hydrangea, white roses, blue delphinium and Scabiosa with black handles. Michael wore an calla bout and the rest of the guys wore white roses.

For the ceremony, I created two altarpieces with blue hydrangea and scabiosa, white hydrangea, roses, callas and black curly willow branches. I also created 3 single white rose bouquets to serve as memorials for relatives who have passed away.

For the reception, I created 20 blue hydrangea centerpieces with bear grass accents in black square vases. They sat on the guest tables and head table. The ones on the guest tables were put on top of mirrors that sat on these taller, modern-looking bases that the venue provided. The head table had vases for the bouquets, petals, votives, the altarpieces, 4 centerpieces and candlesticks provided by the venue.

Everything was so beautiful–especially the bride! I really loved working with Danielle and Michael and hope they had the best day of their lives. Congrats Mr. and Mrs. Speciale!

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Amanda & Tim’s colors were colors were black, white and red and the decor was planned around a beautiful runner made with white organza and black embroidery that Amanda found on Etsy. The runner was placed over white linens and ran the length of the long rectangle table. The Chair Couture provided black covers with white sashes to complete the black and white decor. Then I added in all of the pops of red with the flowers.

For Amanda’s bouquet, I made a bouquet with Black Magic roses, burgundy mini cymbidium orchids, burgundy peonies and red amaranthus. The handle was wrapped in B&W damask fabric with a square bling buckle. Tim’s wore a mini cymbidium orchid bout and the rest of the men wore red rose bouts. The mother corsages were rose and white dendrobium orchids on pearl bracelets with red bows and the Maid of Honor had white dendrobium orchids for putting in her hair.

For the ceremony, I put red petals and red votives in the area where the couple tied the knot. In the bar area, I put petals and red votives on the highboys and red petals in 3 square vases on the coffee table.

For the reception dinner table, I basically made a bunch of different arrangements to cover the middle of the runner. I made 3 red mixed arrangements with black feather accents, 6 cylinders with submerged red mokara orchids and floating candles, 2 cylinders with submerged tulips and floating candles, 2 short round vases with floating petals and candles, 2 bubble bowls with floating roses, 5 wine-stem pillar candle holders and 20 something votive candles in clear and red glass holders surrounded by a sprinkling of petals and bling crystals. It was breath-taking–especially when all of the candles were lit and the lights were dimmed. What a beautiful tablescape!

I loved working with Amanda planning her Hard Rock Hotel wedding. I wish her and Tim a lifetime of happiness!

Congrats Mr. & Mrs. Poole!

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Here is the list of locations that you can choose from:

1. Adler Planetarium
2. Aon Center
3. Buckingham Fountain/Grant Park
4. Chicago Art Institute
5. Chicago Theatre
6. Chicago River
7. Chicago History Museum
8. Chicago Skyline
9. Chicago Harbor Lighthouse
10. Belmont Harbor
11. Garfield Park Conservatory
12. Field Museum
13. Museum of Science & Industry
14. Museum of Contemporary Art
15. Calder Flamingo Sculpture
16. Picasso Sculpture
17. Hancock Building
18. Marina City
19. House of Blues
20. Sears Tower (I refuse to call it “Willis Tower”)
21. Water Tower
22. Soldier Field
23. U.S. Cellular Field
24. Tribune Tower
25. Wrigley Building
26. EL Train
27. Marshall Field’s Clock
28. Michigan Avenue
29. Lake Shore Drive
30. Wrigley Field
31. United Center
32. Smurfit-Stone Building
33. Navy Pier
34. Millennium Park
35. Shedd Aquarium
36. Carbon & Carbide Building NEW!
37. Dearborn Station NEW!
38. Union Station NEW!
39. Harold Washington Library NEW!
40. Union Stock Yard Gate NEW!
41. Spertus Museum NEW!
42. Chicago Cultural Center NEW!
43. Carson Pirie Scott NEW!
44. Merchandise Mart NEW!
45. Biograph Theatre NEW!
46. Lincoln Park Zoo NEW!
    

(Custom locations also available upon request if you provide image)

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Carann was so fun to work with on these items and it was great to see her after over 10+ years!  Carann and I go WAY back to grade school…I believe we met in 5th grade actually! We recently reconnected on Facebook and she asked me to do her wedding items and of course I said yes! I will be out of town for her actual wedding on our belated honeymoon/1st anniversary vacation so I will have to wait to see the photos of how everything comes out! I am sure it will be AWESOME!

I love making graphic design items that all coordinate for weddings. It is a great way to impress your guests by using the same fonts, colors and looks to unite the decor for both the ceremony and reception.

Here are some more samples of items I’ve done for past weddings…

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Vintage Chicago

Tropical Getaway

Musically Inclined

Fancy Mono/Chic Chicago

Black, White & Blue and Fancy too!

I also submitted photos to “My Real Wedding” on the Knot after the reception…so if my wedding looks familiar–you most likely saw it there! And there is always a chance you saw my wedding reception photos on Kara Schultz’s Karatography blog.

Of course I would not be a helpful newlywed if I did not offer up some advice to my recently-married and soon-to-be-married friends…

Marriage is awesome…but some days will really suck! You will be faced with many challenges in life (particularly in this crappy economy) and you will fight with your spouse…but you will also forgive, compromise, and work through it all. Your husband makes you stronger and can always make you happier, even if he is the reason you are mad to begin with! Matt and I have gone through so much drama this year and have managed to stay happily married and wildly in love in spite of all of it. We look forward to a lifetime together and have hopes to start a family in late 2010…

Here are some of my favorite photos from our wedding ceremony & reception (they were held on two separate days). Our ceremony photos were taken by Amy of AC Design & Photography and our reception photos were taken by Kara of Karatography. I love looking back and seeing the joy on our faces! It was such a happy day!

Last Christmas season, I bought some pendants from an artist that turns Scrabble pieces into jewelry! They were a huge hit with my family members. I am sure I will be buying some other gifts off of ETSY this season too. And I love that by buying goods off ETSY I am supporting other independent artists and craftsmen too!

Ramune’s bouquet was one of my favorites ever! It had a mix of Black Magic dark red roses, Quicksand champagne roses, burgundy Celosia, monkey tails, orange mokara orchids, and orange and burgundy callas with an ivory-satin wrapped handle with swirling pearl treatment. For the bridesmaids bouquets we did a mix of orange and red mokara orchids, orange and red callas and deep red and champagne roses with brown mum accents. Their handles were wrapped in deep red satin ribbon to match their dresses. They were just stunning. The bouts and corsages were made with roses and orchids and worked perfectly with everything else.

For the ceremony, we tied burgundy callas to some of the chairs with raffia to line the aisle. Two altarpieces sat atop my set of ornate columns to frame in Ramune and Eric as they exchanged their vows. It was perfect.

For the reception, we basically decorated the entire first floor of the mansion! We put bubble bowls with floating orchids, petals and floating candles on the highboy tables, and votives with petals on the cabaret tables, mantles and down the hallway. We lined the escort card table with petals and added a beautiful entryway arrangement to the foyer to greet guests as they walked through the front door.

In the atrium, we put simple cylinder vases with mokara orchids, bear and lily grasses inside on each guest table surround by votive candles. We added votives to the cake table and head tables as well. The head table also got decked out with vases for the bouquets which looked fabulous when they were all put in place!

The cake was awesome…or should I say the CAKES were awesome! There was a Lithuanian cake that looked like a tree and a 3-tiered square chocolate-iced cake. I added flowers to the second tier of the chocolate cake and some petals into the bow. It was such a cool cake!

I loved working with Ramune! She was such a joy to work with and her and Eric were so overjoyed with how everything came out. It was such a great wedding and I love Danada House and highly recommend this venue to everyone!

Congrats Ramune and Eric!

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