As a Chicago wedding planner and designer, I love creating memorable experiences for my clients, and Easter brunch is one of my favorite holidays! Spring is around the corner and it is so fun to pull out the color for this holiday! It's a time to gather with loved ones, enjoy delicious food, and CELEBRATE the spring season. To help you host a successful Easter gathering, here are my top 4 tips: 1.     Choose a Color Palette Spring is all about bright colors and pastels, so use this as inspiration for your Easter color palette. Think about incorporating soft yellows, baby b ..read more

Congratulations! You just got engaged, and I couldn't be happier for you. I know that this is an exciting time for you, but I also understand that planning a wedding can be overwhelming. As a wedding planner, I am here to guide you through the steps to take when you first get engaged. 1. CELEBRATE your engagement!!! The first thing you should do when you get engaged is to celebrate! Take a moment to enjoy the excitement and happiness of the moment. Whether it's just the two of you or with family and friends, take the time to celebrate this milestone in your relationship. Then do not forget to ..read more

Hello 2022 and Hello January! Here is the January edition of Ali’s Favorite Things Leah Chavie Skincare Winter casues havoc on my skin and I never miss my monthly appointment with Leah Chavie. I love the hydra facial and the IPL treatment! I also love using her face wash and face cream as my daily regimen. Really there is no better place in Chicago to take great care of your skin. She also have a darling little boutique in her salon with cute jewelry, clothes and fun items for gifting. Oh and her bar cart is always ready for a mimosa, glass of wine or a fun non-alcoholic spritzer! Brides, I ..read more

Hello 2022 Wedding Season! I am looking forward to the year of fun weddings in Chicago! Many of our Chicago couples are getting married in Chicago (which its Cook County) and I thought I would share how to get your marriage license in Chicago. The two of you will go in person to any of the Cook County 6 locations to get your license and it is issued while you wait. The marriage license in Cook County becomes valid the next day and is valid for up to 60 days. You can start filling it out online here but must still appear in person and together. The license cost is $60. A license issued in Cook ..read more

I am starting a NEW tradition on my blog and sharing my favorite things I am loving on for the month! Check out Ali’s Four Favorite Things November addition! Aire Baths The wedding season is over and I am excited to spend some time self-nurturing and one place I love to go to relax and float for the day is Aire Baths in Chicago! They are dedicated to mind and body relaxation and spending an afternoon to float here and get a massage is a nice way to unwind! My favorite is the salt pool where you can float your cares away! Monogram Socks What a cute gift for your groomsmen or for the groom on ..read more

I am starting a NEW tradition on my blog and sharing my favorite things I am loving on for the month! Check out Ali’s Four Favorite Things right now below! Aire Baths The wedding season is over and I am excited to spend some time self-nurturing and one place I love to go to relax and float for the day is Aire Baths in Chicago! They are dedicated to mind and body relaxation and spending an afternoon to float here and get a massage is a nice way to unwind! My favorite is the salt pool where you can float your cares away! Monogram Socks What a cute gift for your groomsmen or for the groom on t ..read more

Guest Travel Tips for a Winter Wedding in Chicago Winter is upon us and I wanted to share some tips with my readers and wedding guests on tips for hosting or attending winter weddings in Chicago and in cold weather areas! Travel Plan ahead for possible weather by flying in a day early and enjoying the wedding destination so as to avoid possible bad weather delays. While most airlines will change flights or cancel flights during bad weather, it is a good idea to purchase travel insurance in case you are not able to make it due to weather. Also, make sure to check the cancellation policy of ..read more

What could make you happier than a Cubs win on a Friday in Chicago at Wrigley Field? The FULL reopening of Chicago!!! Yes! We are 100% open with no capacity restrictions. Which means weddings can return to 100% capacity, dance floors and lots of laugher, smiles and celebration! The wedding and events industry has endured a very long and hard 15 months here in Chicago. We are all so happy to be back working. But as with restaurants, catering companies and so many venues are a bit short staffed or are training new staff. There has also be increased flower costs as growers were not able to operat ..read more

Dancing has returned to Chicago! I am so excited to share this news! See the announcement here from the City of Chicago! Dance on!!! Everybody Cut Footloose! Also, currently we are in the Bridge Phase which means you can have 250 guests inside and 500 outside and vaccinated individuals do no count towards capacity limits. Dance Floors Dance floors can reopen at private social events such as weddings, with fully vaccinated individuals allowed to dance without face coverings and without physical distancing. Unvaccinated individuals should continue to wear masks and maintain physical distanci ..read more

This week Governor Pritzker announced the new guidelines for reopening of Illinois and Chicago. This is very welcome news as we safely move out to the pandemic and get back to business in Chicago for weddings and events. As a Chicago wedding planner it has been quite a hard year for my clients and a busy year for me of rescheduling my client’s weddings and cancelling of weddings due the the coronavirus pandemic. This year I also co-founded the Illinois Events Coalition with industry friends Michelle Durpetti and Collin Pierson. We created the coalition to advocate for those struggling in this ..read more