Just Say Yes Events

10% Spring Discount off planning services!

2011-03-28T17:59:00.000-07:00

We are offering a 10% discount on all planning services to all couples who book before April 8th!!

To book your free consultation or book your date today please email our creative director & Coordinator Barbara Mouradian at: Barbara@JustSayYesEvents.com

Bridal photo-shoot with make-up artist Vanessa Campano free of charge! Book your spot today and relive your wedding day.

2011-03-26T17:48:00.000-07:00

One of my wonderful past clients Vanessa Campano is a professional make up artist and is looking to expand her book. How much fun would it be to put your wedding gown on again and get all dolled up!! This is a great opportunity and free of charge to you of course. Please see her information below and book immediately as this is a fantastic deal!

My name is Vanessa and I am a local make-up/hair stylist. I am looking to photograph my work for my website and need brides to photograph. If you would like to help me with my project, I can provide a professional pictures and my services free of charge. Participants/brides must provide their own gowns & accessories. If interested in working with me please email me at:

vcampano113@gmail.com

Please include a photo, availability, and if you have a photo of the gown that would be great too!

I take what I do very seriously so please respond only if you are reliable.

Thank you!

Vanessa Campano

Welcome Julie Schurman!!

2011-03-21T19:11:00.000-07:00

Just Say Yes Events is so proud to have a new addition, Julie Schurman! She is the perfect fit, bringing a vibrant and fun attitude along with the sweetest southern accent!
Julie will be working under Creative Director & lead coordinator Barbara Mouradian learning everything about the event industry.

Everyone let's give a warm welcome to JULIE!!

Sophisticated.Crisp.Natural.Earthy.

2011-03-21T08:32:00.000-07:00

I love playing with different design styles including; earthy, modern, romantic, rustic and everything in between! I recently had the opportunity to design two tablescapes for the Luxury Bridal Expo held at Belvedere Banquets. Just as every brides style is different I wanted to design two completely different designs that would cater to both modern brides as-well as a more organic bride.

I began the design process with selection of the table linen, napkin & chairs. The linen I selected was a shantung linen in a gorgeous green color to accent the brown in the chairs & chargers. Moving onto the chairs which were a gorgeous natural mahogany with crisp white chair pad to match the napkin.

Next up to design was the centerpiece which I knew had to be simple, sophisticated yet organic and natural. I used three cylinders varying in height filled with lush cymbidium orchids in chartreuse green. The base of the centerpiece was surrounded by moss, moss pomanders, small lanterns & votives. To keep the natural them going I used custom made wooden tables numbers and rattan chargers under crisp white dinnerware.
I hope this design brings out your organic side and encourages you to step outside the box and find beauty in things natural!

Event: Luxury Bridal Expo Chicago

Venue: Belvederebanquets

Event Design: Just Say Yes Events! Creative Director, Barbara Mouradian

Floral: www.JustSayYesEvents.com

Photography ©: Angela Swan of Jumpshots! www.jumpshots.biz

Mod wedding design.

2011-03-19T17:32:00.000-07:00

I love everything MOD!! With that being said, I'm super excited to show off our last design for the Luxury Bridal Expo at Belvedere Banquets. I think that using crisp bright white and adding a pop of color=Eye catching. For this particular MOD design I decided to use orange to pop off the white details. What we ended up with was a fun, vibrant modern design that would work with any color. This design can easily be redone with fuschia or chartreuse and every color in between.

As always I will give a brief description with each image.

Details, details & more details!! Ribbon was used a few different ways to add a fun aspect to the design. I added a ribbon detail to the napkin as-well as the bride & groom chairs. In keeping with the modern design the vases were cubes in bright white with giant roses!! I absolutely adore roses and think they are just perfect for this design.

Roses galore hand wired to a white mazanita tree was the focal point of this tablescape. I think the next blog post should be 1,000 ways to use a manzanita tree! I have hung them from the ceiling, draped them in crystals, hung floral from them and now painted them white!!

Event: Luxury Bridal Expo Chicago

Venue: Belvederebanquets.com

Event Design: Just Say Yes Events! Creative Director, Barbara Mouradian

Floral: www.JustSayYesEvents.com

Photography ©: Angela Swan of Jumpshots! www.jumpshots.biz

Eco-Friendly Centerpieces

2011-03-01T12:02:00.000-08:00

I am super excited about our April 2nd wedding being held at Salvage One in
Chicago. This particular couple is eco-friendly and we loved designing their eclectic eco-friendly wedding. Our gorgeous bride loves tulips so were bringing in tons of tulips in different colors to be placed in bottles that we have collected and are recycling into bud vases. Around the base of the bottles were adding natural moss and votives to take the natural look a step further.

I recently set up a mock table setting for the couple and my design file. I think it came out fabulous and can't wait till April.
Photos: ©Just Say Yes Events!

Logan Square Kitchen's Annual Valentine's Pastry Market.

2011-01-23T18:54:00.000-08:00

It's official!! We will be designing the display for FLOUR Cake & Pastry at LSK's annual Valentine's pastry market. Come out and support our local bakers and find a little something sweet for your sweetie too!

Please RSVP @ http://event.pingg.com/LskValentinePastry

Hope to see you there!!

Will You Marry Me?

2011-01-11T09:22:00.001-08:00

We are proud to debut our proposal service this Valentine's Day! Every girl has dreamed of that special moment when her future husband gets on one knee and asks that important question.....Will you marry me?
We now offer a service that will assist in the planning & design of the entire day from beginning to end. Being that we are in the event industry we will be able to pull off your wildest dreams....Why not ask the most important question in a BIG and memorable way with our help of course.
We will also be offering a 10% discount to all couples who book wedding planning services after the proposal.

For more information and a free consultation please email our Creative Director:
Barbara Mouradian at Barbara@JustSayYesEvents.com

Love at Breathtaking Heights, Willis Tower.

2011-01-08T12:55:00.000-08:00

At Just Say Yes Events we love showcasing our event/floral designs in gorgeous venues like the Metropolitan Club. Every January we participate in the "Love at Breathtaking Heights" event held in the historic Willis Tower. Couples have the opportunity to view top Chicago wedding professionals showcasing everything from Photography to event design at the top of Chicago.

This year a few things were added wonderful touches such as live models showcasing dresses from Giselle Couture, which were of course breathtaking.
M&M rentals Derrick Taylor created a stunning ceremony area with custom white leather altar with lush floral composed of white Hydrangea complimented with Creme de La Creme roses. Our Creative Director Barbara Mouradian created a modern meets traditional design in all white with luxurious linens, mirror table top, silver candelabra draped in crystals & lush floral using her favorite Phalaenopsis Orchids. It was a luxury event from beginning to end and can't wait till next January to participate again.

Here are a few highlights from the evening along with some wonderful photos!

Image Descriptions:

Image 1: Just Say Yes Events created a gorgeous 5 feet tall candelabra centerpiece composed of lush Hydrangea, Cymbidium Orchids & Phalaenopsis Orchids. There is one thing that Creative Director & Designer Barbara Mouradian loves and that is crystals which were used to drape the candelabra.

Image 2&3: To keep the theme of modern meets traditional Just Say Yes Events used pave crystal votive holders to bring bling to the base of the centerpiece making sure they still fit the modern side. The mirror top table base from M&M rentals reflected all the crystals and candlelight to create a glowing table-scape.

Image 4&5: Derrick Taylor from M&M rentals had a custom altar designed from white leather fitting perfectly within the design of the Metropolitan Club.
The following image is of Derrick Taylor's amazing hand pinned chair covers.
The chairs look like the back of a brides gown and are breathtaking.

Image 6&7: WOW!! The Left Bank showcased eye catching bridal accessories such as shoes, jewelry, sashes & even a white fur shawl.

All images ©Just Say Yes Events!

The Caketress

2010-12-23T08:23:00.000-08:00

I have always loved wedding cakes and think it is the perfect place to express yourself as a couple. I recently stumbled upon the Caketress from Toronto and fell in love immediately. Their cakes are drop dead gorgeous and their attention to detail is immaculate. I don't even need to go on as a picture is worth a thousands bites in this instance.
All images ©The Caketress.

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!

2010-12-22T13:00:00.000-08:00

Lily is one very lucky little girl I must say. I had the opportunity to work closely with my good friend Nicole Chibnik from Flour Cake & Pastry for her daughter's 2nd birthday party. Nicole had an ice cream theme in mind and wanted something very pretty and modern.

There is so much to talk about for this pint sized birthday that I have added descriptions to the images. We hope you think outside the box and hope we inspire you to plan something special. Please click images to enlarge and all photos are ©Just Say Yes Events!

The event was held in a private tenant event space offered by the Palmolive building. On our initial walk through I spied a gorgeous modern round black table in the foyer that had candy buffet written all over it. For some time now I have been wanting to design a candy buffet on a round versus the usual banquet size table to try something different. Nicole and I ran all over the city brainstorming together for a centerpiece & candy. When you think of candy buffet you think candy of course so we used GIANT versions of lollipops for the centerpiece and kept all jars glass so the vibrant candy was visible. The candy had to be vibrant so we went with twist lollipops, gumballs, starbursts, pixie sticks, hard candies, skittles & Nicole made custom chocolate lollipops to match the invitation. I think back to when I was a child and this candy buffet would have been absolute heaven. It was a huge hit with both the children and adults but most importantly Lily loved it.

Table Design: We kept it very modern, simple & pink of course. The event space is divided into three rooms all in a row with large open doorways. With such a large or should I say long space we knew a very long table would be perfect. Nicole needed to sit at least 30 guests at the main table and an additional two 60" rounds that would seat 8 guests tucked in the windows overlooking the street below. All tables were covered with a bright pink satin linen and all chairs, plates, cups & balloons would be white. While designing this birthday we had a go big or go home attitude and ordered extra large 40" balloons to hover over the main table in a row, which took quite a bit of helium I might add. To hold these down I used a balloon weight tucked into a glass cylinder vase that was then surrounded by gumballs. Nicole being a pastry chef custom made candy bars for every place setting using the graphic that was on the invitation. Instead of place cards each place setting received a personalized ice cream cone cookie with guest name.
This was a very simple and modern design but packed some punch with just one main accent color....PINK!

Lily's Play Space: For all those parents who have attended a kid's birthday party, you know it's best that the children have their own area. The venue space had two additional rooms flanking the main space so we utilized one as the play space and the other for the adults food buffet & lounge.
Nicole purchased two awesome kid size table in white with twelve chairs in different colors which we placed towards the front of the room as the focal point. The center of the room remained clear since there would be games, face painting, pinata & more for the children. As a mother of three I knew we had to have kid friendly food & beverages so we set up one food station along with one drink station. It was a huge hit since smaller children are usually picky eaters ;)

Details: *Sigh* Oh how I love details.
Nicole is the owner and pastry chef for Flour Cake & Pastry so we knew the cake was taken care of. She out did herself and re-created an exact replica of the ice cream pint invitation. Honestly it was the coolest cake I have seen in a while and so excited that it would be the centerpiece of the main room. To make it just a bit more special Nicole made white chocolate dipped pretzels & sable cookies to compliment the cake. We also brought in taffy apples & french macaroons all in bright colors that we pulled from the invitation.
Let's talk ice cream!! what ice cream themed birthday with be complete without it's very own real life size ice cream cart.....YES, that's right we brought in a huge ice cream cart stuffed with all your old favorite ice cream bars from Good Humor. Little Miss Lily will turn 3 years old in August of 2011 and I am already looking forward to it. She is my new little friend =)

-Just Say Yes Events!

Mr & Mrs. Campano 9.3.2010

2010-12-22T08:12:00.000-08:00

If there was ever someone who is not afraid of color, it's Vanessa. Our wonderful client Vanessa loves and wanted to incorporate vivid pinks, oranges, teal & golds into their wedding. After finding out that Vanessa is a professional make up artist and representative for Urban Decay it all made sense!! How could she not love color and we were overjoyed. Most couples tend to keep it simple and go with one or two colors but this wedding would vibrant using about 6 all complimenting each other.
Vanessa also mentioned loving peacock feathers & Morocco which was great since it would pick up some of the colors being used. We grabbed color and Moroccan design.... ran with it never looking back!

First up was going for a walk through of their venue Astroria Banquets in Buffalo Grove.Honestly they couldn't have selected a better venue and the staff was extremely helpful at all times. The main ballroom where the ceremony as-well as reception would be held was perfect in color. Astoria has wonderful damask print walls in a rich copper color that accented the wedding perfectly. One look at the carpet and we knew we had made the right decision with the linens since it was brown & copper. All guest tables would had a gorgeous chocolate pintuck linen, copper napkin & gold charger which would be the base to ground the color. We never forget a chair so the chairs were covered in a chocolate slip cover and copper sash. The last detail for the base was lighting and what better place to use color so Vanessa selected a vibrant pink color to compliment the floral.

Now bring in the COLOR!! Each guest table was adorned with gorgeous floral in vibrant colors Palomino Floral Designs.
For the short centerpieces Palomino used urns in gold filled with lush floral like Orchid, Hydrangea, Roses, Berries & Stock. To take it up a notch Just Say Yes added black lanterns to bring in some of the Moroccan design and VOILA gorgeous table-scapes. Onto the tall arrangements which were very eye catching. Tall pilsner vases were filled with bright orange orchids and tall branches keeping the base color chocolate in mind with a punch of color. Vanessa's bouquet and the bridal party floral all created by Palomino were vibrant and exactly what Vanessa wanted. We were on the right track.

Everyone who knows me knows I love the details. Vanessa & Lee's wedding was full of personalization and details. To incorporate the peacock feather we added one feather on every single napkin and made custom escort cards each with a feather as-well. Even the cake brought in something special using their wedding invitation as inspiration. Instead of a guest book a Moroccan inspired box was filled with well wishes for the couple. Vanessa even had a special hanger custom made with her new last name to hold her wedding gown. Details, details, details!

Vanessa & Lee were wonderful clients and in them we have friends forever. We hope they have many years of happiness & joy together.
*Please click images to enlarge.

-Just Say Yes!

Event Planning & Design: Just Say Yes Events!
Venue: Astoria Banquets, Buffalo Grove
Photography: ©Bella Photography & Just Say Yes Events!
Floral: Palomino Floral Designs

Mr & Mrs. Marinelli 9.4.2010

2010-12-21T18:48:00.000-08:00

I remember my first meeting with Kate very vividly. She was very casual, laid back,funny and calm about the wedding planning process which is rare! It was a joy working with her and making sure that their wedding day reflected them as a couple and brought in the look & feel that they were seeking.

Kate began telling me about a special church that the majority of her family had been married in. It was such a romantic idea to be married where her grandmother, mother & family had all been married. The church is Our Lady of Pompeii and is located in Chicago's Little Italy. I was inspired by her story and couldn't wait to begin designing something special for Kate and Christopher.

The second major item on the list was reception which was selected by Kate Zapatista's Restaurant just 10 minutes from the church. Zapatista's has a very ethnic feel inspired by Mexico with Terracotta, ironwork and rich colors. Kate mentioned loving the colors yellow and grey and during a walk through of the venue which is when I noticed the walls were yellow. Zapatista's was the perfect venue for them and the colors worked fantastically.

We ran with the colors and used them in linens, floral & print materials. There is one thing I love and it's linens!! I love taking clients to the linen showroom to drool over all the lavish linens and that is exactly where Kate and I ended up.
Staying within the yellow and grey color scheme we selected a pale yellow satin linen for the guest tables, twist grey linen with texture for the escort card table & soft grey bengaline napkin that I would be tying with yellow ribbon.

Once the base of the tables was designed I began working on the floral design making sure it felt as if it "belonged" in the venue. After another meeting with Kate we narrowed down type of flowers, colors & size for all floral. We would be using Calla lilies, Roses, two types of Mums, Alstromeria & orchids all in the yellow and orange color family. The guest tables would have two different arrangements to keep it interesting. Centerpiece #1 would be three rustic wooden boxes filled with floral and two black lanterns in between the boxes. Centerpiece #2 would be three rustic wooden boxes with glass cylinders in the middle holding a floating candle. When it came to the head table I wanted to make sure it had extra drama and clearly noticeable as head table. The head table arrangement was a play off of the guest tables but much larger in scale. The table held a whopping 6 large lanterns and 5 large wooden boxes all holding a medium sized cylinder. To assure they were eye catching we used a very unique and delicate orchid shooting up from the boxes along with lush floral.

Last but not least my favorite design element....The escort card table. It was very unique and brought in the color scheme, Invitation design & ethnic feel but in a modern way. The linen for the table was a grey twist linen for texture and something a little different than the guest tables. Since it was a escort card table we had to make sure that the centerpiece wasn't too large and could be placed towards the rear of the table. We brought in three lanterns in bright yellow and three glass cylinders varying in size to hold bright yellow floral. Opposite the arrangement were picture frames of the couples family and a decorative box to hold cards.
I was very excited about the place cards since I was able to take the graphic that was on their invitation and duplicate it onto the place cards. I truly believe all the small details count 100%

To this day Kate & Christopher remain one of our favorite couples and their wedding was loved by all. CS Brides Magazine recently published a photo from their wedding in the "With Love"issue on page 274.

We wish Kate & Christopher the best and hope they have many year of happiness.
-Just Say Yes!

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Photos ©Wedding Creativo & Just Say Yes Events!

Mr & Mrs. Wynn 10.9.10

2010-12-20T09:05:00.000-08:00

I'm very excited to blog about this gorgeous wedding! I absolutely love PINK and was very excited to find out this was the color chosen by Brian & Isenia. I was informed by Brian to keep the pink in check, after all the wedding had to reflect him as-well.
There are so many details to this wedding that I have created a few collages of different parts of the wedding from "Getting Ready" to "The Magical Reception"
I hope you enjoy this wedding and that inspired you to see PINK!

Event Planning & Design: Just Say Yes Events!
Floral Design: Just Say Yes Events!
Venue: Stonegate Banquet & Conference Center
Photography & Videography: © George Street

Please click to enlarge images.

These are a few shots from Isenia getting ready for her big day!! I loved making her bouquet and think it turned out absolutely wonderful.

Please click to enlarge images.

Every bride has an idea of what they want and Isenia wanted BIG & FLUFFY! I used lush hydrangea, Football Mums & Vendela roses to create large pew clips, entry display, Unity candle & candelabras. The aisle runner was a collaboration between myself & Isenia. I designed a large graphic that she had printed and used as a guide to hand paint the logo. It was a very special touch to the aisle.
For the Bridesmaids I used large pale pink roses tied with double faced satin ribbon to create a sophisticated bouquet. The flower girls carried large pomander rose balls covered with pale pink roses tied with chocolate satin ribbon.

Please click to enlarge images.

These are a few more shots from the ceremony. I love how the candelabras make the ceremony so romantic. The ceremony was perfect in every way.

Please click to enlarge images.

After the ceremony the bridal party hit the city to snap some dreamy wedding day photos! The moss covered letters were designed and created by Just Say Yes to hang on the white church doors. I love how large they were and the couple could hang them in their home after the wedding.

Please click to enlarge images.

Where of where do I begin?!?!? This reception was breathtaking in every way. Lighting is key for a dramatic effect and the room was completely illuminated with pale pink lighting & spot lighting for the tables. The guest tables were enrobed in luxurious damask print linen with Ivory lamour napkin. Each place setting received a custom menu created by Just Say Yes and the napkin was wrapped in Ivory tulle for texture. For the guest table centerpieces we opted to do half high and half low for interest using Hydrangea, Pale pink roses, Vendela roses, mums, curly willow & crystals for bling! To make the family tables feel special we used our signature crystal trees that once placed reach a staggering 8.5 feet tall.
The base of the crystal trees were filled with tons of floral for a very luxurious look.
Brian & Isenia wanted to make sure their guests were always entertained so a band & DJ. Just in case they weren't the dancing type we added a photo-booth from Magnolia and large sweet bar from Just Say Yes Events.
Lets not forget the cake which was jaw dropping and created by the pastry chef at the Stonegate & floral was added by Just Say Yes Events.

It was truly a dreamy wedding and we are so honored that we were part of their special day! May they have many years of joy and happiness.

-Just Say Yes Events!

Isenia's Bridal Shower

2010-09-21T08:26:00.000-07:00

A few posts ago I raved about Isenia's gorgeous bridal shower invitations. I must say she is one of the most creative and detail oriented clients I have ever had which I love. Her fiancee Brian frequently jokes about us being separated at birth since we are equally in love with weddings and design.
Isenia wanted floral that was fun but incorporated her invitation and love for pink. I designed something that was unique and was inspired by her pink invitation that was accented with a feather.

Please click images to enlarge.

-Just Say Yes Events!

Tailored to perfection.

2010-08-04T10:11:00.000-07:00

Brides spend months looking for the perfect dress so why shouldn't the groom do the same. I feel the groom should look handsome, confident and comfortable on his wedding day and the best way to achieve this is with a custom made tuxedo or suit. When you step into the custom world you will see it is a great experience and ensure that your tuxedo reflects you on the most important day of your life. There is nothing like putting on a garment of clothing and having it fitting impeccably, knowing that it is unique to just you and that your garment has been cut by hand to your specifications.
Our favorite custom clothier in Chicago who attention to detail and perfection is outstanding is Eric Kipp of Eric Kipp Custom Clothiers. Eric personally works with each clients making sure that they receive impeccable service and we love his motto;
“My approach is simple… I let my client talk about himself, his life and his views. It is only after understanding who my client is that I can help him develop himself outwardly.” Eric Kipp
It shows that the client is #1 to him and he strives to make sure they have exactly what they want for their big day.

When It came time to plan our wedding and finding the perfect dress I knew that we had to find the perfect tuxedo for my future husband. I recommended Eric to my fiancee and he was thrilled about wearing a custom tuxedo for our wedding day. I have to admit My fiancee Daniel spent more time selecting his tuxedo than I did searching for the perfect gown. He had a wonderful time with Eric selecting fabrics, styles as-well as special personalized touches to reflect his personality and style.
I remember walking down the aisle looking at Daniel and checking out his tuxedo since he did not allow me to see it.
After the ceremony he showed me and I was very impressed with all attention to detail and how much the tuxedo reflected Daniel. The lining of the tuxedo was lined is a gorgeous red silk lining which is also his favorite color. They worked together on selecting all the details that would work for Daniel such as: Peak lapel, double vents, besom pockets and even loop to secure boutonnière in place. Eric also made a tuxedo shirt for Daniel in black with picque bib & peak collar which Eric said was a first! He loved the idea of the shirt being black and not your traditional white and for those who don't know my husband his entire wardrobe is black!! He was very proud of his tuxedo, looked absolutely amazing and was beaming with confidence.

Now let's talk about suits! Oh yes every man should own a well made and tailored suit. Many couples opt for a more casual wedding and the groom normally wears a suit. What man wouldn't want to own a custom made one of a kind suit in his wardrobe. If you are going to wear a suit for your wedding you should invest some money and ensure that it will last for years to come as I live by the motto "You get what you pay for"
This would even be a great grooms gift surprising your future hubby with the experience of designing his own suit, Just an idea!

Visit Eric Kipp at: www.EricKippCustom.com

Here are a couple images of Daniel in his tuxedo.

Seductive Summer Shower

2010-07-28T11:40:00.000-07:00

At Just Say Yes we love bridal showers!!! Bridal showers are the perfect opportunity to implement a fun theme and make it reflect yourself the bride. Our wonderful client Isenia Hererra will be celebrating her shower this August and has sent us one of her gorgeous invitations. We love when brides get creative and Isenia came up with a wonderful design with pink and back the colors of the shower. We love the unique element of a black feather and we have been assisting her with floral and implementing the feather into the centerpieces.
Here are a few snapshots of her wonderful invitation and we hope you too are inspired!!

-Just Say Yes Events!

Gorgeous pink cardstock with satin ribbon, black feather & rhinestone. The envelope for the invitation had a beautiful embossed feather decorative element.

Invitation Design By: My lovely October 9th bride Isenia Herrera
Photo By: Just Say Yes Events!

The perfect venue.

2010-07-26T18:46:00.000-07:00

For those of you that frequent our blog you know that I was married this June to my fiancee and love of four years Daniel Mouradian. There was so much planning put into our wedding and so many small details that I will be selecting one detail, vendor or element and blogging about them individually. I love that we are both in the creative industry and we would be able to design EVERYTHING! I am the Senior Creative Director for Just Say Yes Events and Daniel is a Senior Art Director for an Creative Agency here in Chicago. The creativity between us on a daily basis is absolutely insane with constant ideas of creating and design everything from art to furniture.

Once the planning started it was actually very easy for a few reasons; The first reason is very obvious, I'm a wedding/event designer and the second Daniel and I have very similar styles as-well as likes and dislikes. We both agreed very early on that the wedding would be black and white and definitely a black tie affair. Daniel and I love getting dressed up and feel one should do so for a wedding as it is a very special occasion. Once we had a direction and style we were going in we set out on finding the right location. For my 27th birthday Daniel took me to ZED451 with some friends and I told him that I wish we could get married there. ZED451 is American Churrasco so I knew the food would be amazing and its gorgeous inside. The decor inside ZED451 is contemporary yet warm with wood floors combined with leather and a few event spaces all different in design which is nice.
They also have a massive roof top right smack in the middle of downtown that has three cabanas, giant bar, outdoor fireplaces and lounge areas. This was the place and we both knew it so we BOOKED it!

ZED451 was fantastic during our planning process and it helped that a friend from my modeling days Sammy Ojeda is the Event Manager at ZED451. She helped immensely and we couldn't have asked for a more perfect venue planner than Sammy.
We started with figuring out what space we would use for our ceremony which was really important to us as that is the most important part of the day. For the ceremony we selected The Fireside event space which is on the second level of the restaurant and has a wonderful warm feeling with hardwood floors, double sided floor to ceiling fireplace and Juliet Balconies. The ceremony was to be set up directly in front of the fireplace....Can you say ROMANTIC!
After that was settled we moved onto the cocktail hour which was suppose to be downstairs in the massive bar area that has lounge areas, fireplaces & gorgeous decor.......But Dan had his eye on something else!
Dan wanted the rooftop.....CRAZY! I loved the idea but I knew the restaurant would be hesitant as that is their big money maker during the summer. With the motto of whats the worse that can happen? they say no?!?!? We asked ZED451 what they could do for us and they said YES!!! I died with excitement, we would be hosting a full TWO hour cocktail reception on the rooftop at sunset. Okay now i know I said this earlier but "How romantic".....LOVE IT!
So now we had our ceremony in The Fireside and cocktails hours set on the rooftop of ZED451. We now had to figure out where the reception would be and the dancing and misc items that I will share in another post =)
After another walkthrough we decided that The Fireside would be turned over from the ceremony to the reception during the two hour cocktail reception. I am in the industry and plan wedding with 300, 400 & 500 guests every weekend so I knew that I wanted a small more intimate wedding to avoid all the craziness. The Fireside room was perfect as it seated 90 guests and that was it we had our invite LIMIT 90!! We couldn't budge since the venue space was a 90 guests space and we love that we had to stick to that no matter what.
After all that all that was left was our dancing area and other surprises area. I love when weddings have different spaces for guests to visit and wander to and not be confined to their table and thats it! ZED451 has another event space right off the Fireside room called the Mezzanine that is gorgeous and open to the main dinning below. After being in the Mezzanine I knew it was perfect as its openly divided into a few spaces that we could play with.
That was it floor plan DONE & DONE!

Here are a few images with before and afters of the spaces & descriptions.

Before shot of ZED451 double sided fireplace. This is the area that we set up as the ceremony altar.

After of the ceremony area set up. We flanked the fireplace with two pedestals covered with grey pintuck fabric. Each side had a collection of three different floral pieces. The first glass cylinders were placed on the pedestals filled with a giant manzanita branch, crystals, hanging votives, hydrangea, vendela roses, freesia and orchids. I absolutely love how everything turned out and think It made for a unique and magical altar.

Before image of ZED451 Fireside room.

After close up shots of table designs for reception.

Full after shot of Fireside room used as reception area. We used two different centerpieces for interest to the eye and to balance the heaviness of the crystal tree centerpiece. The secondary centerpiece was a collection of tall cylinder vases holding hydrangea, vendela roses, freesia & orchids. I also added crystal hanging from the vases to make them cohesive to the trees.

All before images by: Just Say Yes Events!
All after images by: Studio This Is

Mr & Mrs Beasley

2010-07-25T09:10:00.000-07:00

It was an absolute joy working with Nakeisha & Nathaniel on their July 23rd 2010 wedding. Just Say Yes Events was brought on to create two massive 16 feet candy buffets and the bridal party flowers. The color scheme for the wedding was a kiwi green accented with brown which is very in this season. Nakeisha the bride requested a flower ball also known as pave flower pomander and we had fun with it. We decided to use a few different flowers for some interest to the eye and green satin co-ordinating ribbon.
Here are a few images of their special day!

Creative Direction: Barbara Mouradian, Just Say Yes Events!
Photo By: Just Say Yes Events!

Creative Direction: Barbara Mouradian, Just Say Yes Events!
Photo By: Just Say Yes Events!
This was a pave pomander requested by the bride as her bridal bouquet. This is bar far to date one of our favorite bridal bouquets and truly unique. To stay within the clients budget we opted to use mums and baby green Hydrangea in between roses with an accent of orchids.
Please keep this in mind when selecting your wedding floral to keep costs down. Now a days there are so many fantastic florals that you can achieve any look by just swapping out your floral for something more affordable but similar in look and style.

Creative Direction: Barbara Mouradian, Just Say Yes Events!
Photo By: Just Say Yes Events!
This image so you have an idea of just of massive this pomander was. It was definitely heavy but fabulous and most importantly the bride loved it!

ENJOY!
Just Say Yes Events!

Honeymoon Game

2010-07-17T16:52:00.000-07:00

My husband and I live rather busy lives as he is a Senior Art Director, I'm a business owner and we have three children...PHEW!
When it came time to plan our honeymoon we had no idea where to go. Our original idea was to fly into Barcelona and travel all over Spain taking a day trip into Morocco. That like I said was our Original idea...There have been about 100 since that one from Thailand to Australia and everything in between.
One evening we were discussing our honeymoon yet again and where and when we would go. My daughter Kayla who is 9 years old now said "Hey, why don't you write all the places you want to go and I will pick one. No matter what you have to go there"
At first I hesitated but then I thought we we take a month off every year and travel all over the world so why not! It might actually be a fun adventure and were always up for adventures.
We wrote all the places in the world we would want to go! The entire world was literally in that glass globe from Thailand, Sydney, Cape Town, Egypt to Dublin and everything in between!!
All the cards went in along with a few blank cards which meant that we had to get a giant map and throw darts at it.

........DRUM ROLL

Our three children each selected a card and they were:

Jeremy.... Cape Town
Kayla.... Amsterdam
Noah.... Australia, Sydney

We then put those three in the jar and my husband Daniel selected ONE!

........DRUM ROLL AGAIN

We are going to.... AMSTERDAM in the Netherlands.
Okay so our plan is to fly into Amsterdam and basically do a tour like we did last year. This trip we are heading to Amsterdam, Prague, Vienna, Munich, Zurich, Bruges & Brussels. We leave this October after my last fall wedding and will be gone for three weeks. Next year we plan on visiting Greece, Egypt and Hawaii with the children.
When planning your Honeymoon...Think outside the box. You might find a location that isn't necessarily your typical honeymoon destination. Also think of time of year, we are leaving in October when all the crowds are gone but October fest in Germany is in full swing!! It pays off to do a little research on different destinations.

There is no other wedding day shoe!

2010-07-13T09:26:00.000-07:00

Personally I love Christian Louboutins and must say they are my guilty pleasure. Christian Loubtoutins were only available at reputable retailers like Bloomingdales & Barney's but I am happy to announce they have launched an online store. There is nothing better than purchasing straight from the designer and eliminating any chance of fakes.
They have always had gorgeous shoes and now have a collection geared towards "BRIDES"...How exciting!
The inside of the shoes is lined in blue which makes them even more amazing than before as they can double as your something blue.
In addition to launching the site they have added features that I find FANTASTIC. I am always weary about where I take my shoes to repair as they over very expensive. They have added a section on reputable shoe repair that they recommend. I can't tell you how this makes me feel, seriously. My first pair of CL are looking rather tired and need their front soles and back heels replaced.
I too have worn the famous red soles on my wedding day and there is a wonderful story behind them. My fiancee & I were taking dance lesson every week with Fred Astaire dance studio here in Downtown Chicago. It was our very last dance lesson and I was feeling exhausted from all the wedding hoopla and forgot to bring my dancing heels to our lesson. I was very upset about this since I was wearing flip flops and I was worried our dance instructor Vince would kill me!! My fiancee dropped me off at the studio and told me he was going to park the car and that he would meet me upstairs. Unknowingly I just went upstairs sat down and waited for our session to begin. In walks Daniel with a brown shoes box in his hands.....I KNOW THAT BOX BY THE WAY!! At that very moment I could not believe my eyes. He walked up and said "Now how could let you dance without the perfect shoes".....I DIED! I started screaming and hugged the box for what felt like forever until Vince said "Well put them on" and you better believe I did. We had the most amazing last session and Vince dimmed the lights and put the disco ball on for us. It was definitely a night to remember and something I will keep forever. Daniel being his always so smart self opted for black so that I could wear them again and they just wouldn't be the sacred shoes in the box! They fit in the wedding just perfectly since our color scheme was black tie affair with touches of white.

Here are a few images from the bridal collection, as-well as one of me on my wedding day!

If you would like to purchase any of these directly from Christian Louboutin please click HERE

This is one of my favorite shots from our wedding day! I love how there are layers and layers of tulle & dupioni silk framing the bright red sole! These were one of my wedding day gifts from my now husband Daniel.

Very Prive 120mm Available at http://us.christianlouboutin.com

Fifi 100mm Available at http://us.christianlouboutin.com

Tsarouchi 100mm Available at http://us.christianlouboutin.com

All shoe photos by: http://us.christianlouboutin.com
Photo of me by: Studio This Is Photography

Magnolia Photo Booth!

2010-07-12T09:27:00.000-07:00

If you are in the Chicago land area and are looking for a photo-booth for your wedding look no further...
For today only JULY 12TH 2010 Magnolia Photo-booth is offering a Groupon that includes a four hour photo-booth session for just $525.00!!! They normally charge $1,300.00 for this service and you are saving $775.00 which is a steal.
If you are not familiar with "Groupon" you are missing out. Its a website that offers awesome deals everyday for unbeatable prices. Every day a different deal is added and only available that day.
As I mentioned before the deal is only good for today, if you would liek to purchase this Groupon please visit...

www.groupon.com

This is time sensitive and only available for TODAY!!

Photos from Magbooth.com

Bottles.... Bottles & More Bottles.

2010-07-12T07:17:00.000-07:00

I love all sorts of vessels for floral arrangements. My wonderful clients Chris & Lindsay inspired me with bottles and the madness began. They have all kinds of vintage bottles and wanted to someway utilize them for their Spring 2010 wedding in Chicago.
As with any wedding I try and come up with unique ways to make each clients wedding different. I began my research trying to find a few images to show Chris & Lindsay using bottles to see which direction they would like best.
Google did not fail me...as it never does!
Here is what I found and honestly I was amazed and inspired and cannot wait to see how their tables-capes turn out.
We can not over look how inexpensive this is by the way. My clients are collecting bottles, their families and myself which is free since its from wine, juice, water that we drink everyday.....well maybe not the wine everyday!!! It is also very inexpensive from a floral standpoint using a few stems is super affordable versus using 150 roses in one centerpiece.

Green wine bottles filled with orange Calla Lilies....This is very eye catching and dramatic for just a few dollars.

Can you say GORGEOUS!! Very cute vintage bottles all in green and blue hues. These are available at antique markets, ebay, flea markets. They are so simple and soft looking almost like watercolors.

Mason Jars.....In teal non the less! Who knew they came in different colors, well they sure do. In this image they are mixed with different bottles and vessels which creates interest. When creating a table-scape you want your guests to continue seeing new thing throughout the night.

All images found via Google Images.

MORE....

2010-07-11T16:40:00.000-07:00

I have been a fan of More cupcakes for some time now. They are definitely the best cupcakes I have had thus far and the line out the door is obviously a clear sign that they are doing something right. More has also successfully created savory flavors that are out of this world like bacon maple, blue cheese walnut praline, BLT and the always popular sweet variations of white velvet, chocolate champagne & lemon meringue. More cupcakes range in price from $3.50- 6.00 and you can get a half dozen for about $21.00 they also offer Morsels which are baby cupcakes at $24.00 for sixteen.
The list of flavors is absolutely insane and defiantly and a perfect addition to any wedding as your wedding cake or even a cupcake bar!! How fabulous would that be instead of your usual sweet table a huge cupcake bar with shot glasses filled with milk of course!
Oh before I almost forget....If you become their fan on Face Book and tag yourself on their cupcakes you can walk in a receive a free sample.

For "More" information visit www.morecupcakes.com
Or visit them @
One East Delaware Street
Chicago Illinois
60611
312.951.0001

Here is a sampling of their Summer flavor list!

Apricot Bacon BBQ
Bacon Bourbon Peach
Bacon Maple
Bacon White Truffle
Bananas Foster
Black & White
BLT
Blueberry
Blue Cheese Walnut Praline
Champagne
Chocolate Caramel
Chocolate Champagne
Chocolate Chocolate
Chocolate Coconut
Chocolate Hazelnut
Chocolate Vanilla Cream
Chocolate Strawberry
Coconut
Cookies n' Cream
Cuba Libre
Gin & Juice
Goat Cheese Basil
Key Lime
Lemon Drop
Lemongrass Ginger
Lemon Meringue
Lemon Raspberry
Mango Cilantro Jalapeno
Margarita
Martini
Mimosa
Mocha
Mojito
More
Passion Fruit Meringue
Pina Colada
Raspberry
Sake Cucumber Lime
S'More
Strawberry
Strawberry Cheesecake
Salted Caramel
Sweet Pea
Thai Chili Mango
Tiramisu
Valrhona
Vanilla Chocolate Cream Cheese
Vanilla Milk Chocolate
White Russian
White Velvet

& Many Many MORE!

Photo By: Just Say Yes Events

Pictured Blueberry.... Blueberry cake, blueberry buttercream topped with fresh blueberries.
Photo By: Just Say Yes Events

Pictured....Blueberry, Key Lime, Lemon meringue, White Velvet & Chocolate Champagne.
Photo By: Just Say Yes Events

Sweet Bar

2010-07-06T08:58:00.000-07:00

Oooooh how I love sweets! My mother in law jokes with me when she visits and says " I know you have candy, where is it hiding?" and you know what?....she is 100% right! Ever since I was a little girl I have had the biggest sweet tooth ever!!
One of our packages is event design which includes the option of a sweet bar and 90% of our clients always are up for it.
We always make each bar different and reflect the wedding and couples personality as they are most likely the wedding favor.
Over the years we have collected tons and tons of jars and even though we have a full stock we are constantly on the look out for new ones that have unique shapes, colors, sizes etc.
If your thinking of utilizing a sweet bar for your big day or even shower please contact us for rates. We can work with any budget and can create a bar from just a few to over 16 foot table of candy =)

Here are a few images of our displays and jars!!

-Just Say Yes Events!

Our most recent shipment of jars!! We <3 them all!

Owner and Creative Director Barbara Mouradian was wed this June and had a 16 foot sweet bar of everything CHOCOLATE!!
The signs were custom by their calligrapher to match the escort cards and invitations so that everything was cohesive.

Spring sweet bar custom designed for FLOUR Cake & Pastry located in Oak Park. Every season FLOUR participates in a pastry market and we are pleased to have the opportunity to design their gorgeous displays! This was their Spring 2010 display.

Here is another gorgeous display designed by Just Say Yes Events for FLOUR Cake & Pastry. This event was for Valentines 2010.

Welcome Boxes

2010-06-28T08:30:00.000-07:00

We are very fond of "Welcome Boxes" for you out of town guests. It is a nice way to welcome them to your city and thank them for traveling from afar to celebrate in your day. For a recent June wedding we created these gorgeous boxes filled with wonderful items. These boxes were special to the bride and groom as over half of their guests were out of town guests with both the bride & grooms families traveling from Florida, California & New York. The boxes were filled with wonderful items such as a map of Chicago, Points of interest, Postcard from Chicago, Tissues for their tears of joy, Bottles of water with custom labels, Miniature bottle of champagne, Flutes & much more! The bride & groom also added a handwritten note to their guests that read:

"Thank You for joining us for our special day!
We hope you have a great time and
fall in love with the city that we fell in love in"

Love Mr & Mrs. Mouradian

Every aspect of this wedding well thought out and cohesive with the wedding itself. The wedding was held at ZED451 in Downtown Chicago and has a very earthy yet modern feel. The boxes were white with band of woodgrain paper and a pretty sating ribbon bow. It fit perfectly within the couples Modern meets Organic wedding!
Please remember you do not have to break the bank with your welcome boxes or bags!! Visit your local dollar store for boxes, bags, treats & more! You also do not have to add tons of goodies, just a welcome card, map & couple of bottles of water is just fine! Think about what you would like to receive and take the type of wedding into consideration as-well. If you are having a beach wedding add a pair of flip flops for the lady, sunscreen & water.
The possibilities are endless!!

Here are a few images from the June wedding!!
All photos P/O Just Say Yes Events!

Venetian Wedding Rehearsal.

2010-06-25T12:49:00.000-07:00

Venice has always had a special place in my heart! Last year My fiancee and I spent three weeks in Europe visiting over a dozen different cities including London, Paris, Versailles, Marseilles, Venice, Florence, Rome & more! The moment we arrived in Venice I was in love! I remember looking out from our Juliet balcony looking onto the canals seeing my very first gondola and thinking I never want to go home! Hah....If my fiancee would have left me I would have stayed there forever. I now understand why Venice has inspired so many artist as it completely got my artist mind going.

When it came time to plan our own wedding I knew from day one that I wanted a Venice inspired wedding rehearsal. The wedding itself had a very modern feel with clean lines and a black and white theme so I wanted a completely different look.
The wedding rehearsal was hosted at our "First date" restaurant The Chicago Firehouse on Michigan Avenue in Downtown Chicago. The restaurant means a great deal to us and knew it would be perfect for the rehearsal of our wedding. Daniel's parents graciously gifted the rehearsal to us and we wanted to blow them away with decor and make it extremely special.
The color scheme we selected was a luscious red *Grooms favorite color, small touches of purple*Grooms mothers favorite color and gold accents of course!

The tables were a covered in a luxurious heavy satin red damask linen that matched the existing chairs in the room. To break up the red on the table and the napkin that was also a satin red we used gold chargers at every place setting. In each napkin was a menu for guests and on top my favorite part...... Authentic Venetian masks gilded in gold and silver with feathers of course! The masks brought back so many memories for me and I was very excited to give them to our guests.
For the centerpieces I knew they had to be grand as everything in Venice is very over the top. The centerpieces were tall 30" Pilsner vases with a huge floral arrangement atop the vase. All together with the vase and the arrangement the height reached over five and a half feet composed of two different varieties of red roses, alstromeria & greens. Around the base of the centerpieces were gorgeous Venetian inspired votive holders in red glass with golden edges and tons of rose petals.

When designing an event I think of all aspects of the rooms itself so the room looks cohesive and there are no areas that look odd. During one of the last visit to The Chicago Firehouse with the wonderful Christine Picerno who was fabulous I noticed the windows had rather large ledges. The designer in me starting thinking up ways to decorate the ledges and make them more welcoming as they are rather large. I came up with the idea to display images from our trip to Venice in gold frames which meant a great deal to me. I did not want the frames to just be alone and so I added tons of cylinders with floating candles and hundreds of red rose petals with the frames.

There are a few details that I just have to mention! Daniel wore red sock to match the theme of the evening and I wore a gorgeous silver satin dress with heavy ornate beading and ostrich feather strap keeping within the theme. Daniel's parents also created little notes thanking everyone for coming and included photos from our engagement photo-shoot inside. They sealed the envelopes with hand dripped wax seals and a little M for Mouradian. They were a very nice surprise and something we will cherish forever.

I would also love to give a little shout out to our great friends over at Carasco Photography!! They did the photography for the rehearsal and we couldn't be more pleased. They captured the look we were going for and we have memories that we will cherish forever!

To view more of their amazing work click HERE =) Or visit them at http://www.carascophoto.com

All Photos property of Carasco Photography & Just Say Yes Events

WEDDING INVITATION

2010-06-16T22:42:00.000-07:00

Owner and creative director Barbara Mouradian of Just Say Yes Events was married this June and we just have to share their wedding invitation with you!! Barbara's fiancee Daniel Mouradian is an Art Director and custom designed the wedding invitation to reflect them as a couple and give guests a look into what they should expect.
Daniel & Barbara are both very modern but love the natural look and feel of wood and more organic feel. It was only fitting that their June 2010 wedding take place at ZED451 in Downtown Chicago. The venue is modern yet warm and organic EXACTLY what the couple was looking for. They took elements from the venue and used them in the invitations such as wood veneers on both the save the date & the wedding invitation.
To keep the invitation modern they used black with white foil and had a calligrapher hand write their logo which they used on everything to give the wedding a personality. This is definitely a one of a kind and fits Daniel & Barbara's personalities perfectly.

-Just Say Yes Events!

Invitations Suite: Save The Date with blind embossing and wenge wood veneer on the reverse side.
Main Invitation has curly walnut wood veneer & Foil stamping. Other pieces include: Ceremony, Hotel Information, Directions, RSVP, Thank You card*, Menu* & Guest donation card for American Cancer Society*.
* Indicates not shown in image.

Invitations Suite: Save The Date with blind embossing and wenge wood veneer on the reverse side.
Main Invitation has curly walnut wood veneer & Foil stamping. Other pieces include: Ceremony, Hotel Information, Directions, RSVP, Thank You card*, Menu* & Guest donation card for American Cancer Society*.
* Indicates not shown in image.

Main cover for invitation with Curly Walnut wood veneer.

Save The Date with Wenge wood veneer.

Parisian Bridal Shower

2010-06-16T22:26:00.000-07:00

This shower won our hearts over!! This bridal shower had everything from Signature drink, 16 foot sweet bar, custom chocolate Eiffel tower favors to custom lounge decor. The shower was hosted at the cool and modern lounge EDGE on Division in Chicago.
The entire lounge was re-arranged for this event and brought Paris to Chicago.
Hope you enjoy and are inspired by far away places as-well!!

-Just Say Yes Events!

Custom shower favors: Chocolate Eiffel Tower in acrylic box with "Merci" gift tag.
Chocolates made by: FLOUR cake & Pastry
Packaging designed by: Just Say Yes Events

Floral By: Just Say Yes Events
Recycled glass vases from Spain filled with gorgeous phalaenopsis white Orchids.

Floral By: Just Say Yes Events
Lounge decor included trio of tall cylinders, two filled with water dyed pink and one filled with premium pink roses.

Lounge Decor By; Just Say Yes Events
Gorgeous lounge decor.....custom pillows, trio of vases & orchids.

16 foot sweet table!!! Everything from three tier cake to macaroons and everything in between! If you have a sweet tooth this was the place for you! The bride has one heck of a sweet tooth=)

Paris, je t'aime

2010-04-25T20:22:00.000-07:00

Paris, je t'aime.....There is no place on earth quite like Paris. I had the opportunity of spending some time time there this past June 2009 and Paris won my heart over immediately. With that being said it was very easy when it came time to plan my bridal shower. My bridesmaids know how much I love Paris and one day chatting with my matron of honor about the shower my Parisian shower was born. I searched high and low for a Paris themed invitation and after many nights of google searching.....NOTHING! I was very sad because being an Event Designer I know just how important the invitation is. Not many people realize that it serves at your guests first glimpse into what they should expect from your event. I decided that I would take on the task of designing the invitation and so began my adventure in invitation design. I knew that I wanted the invitation itself to be "Pink"....It is my favorite color after all and I also wanted the shower to be very feminine. I have shared a few photos for you to see the process and finished project enjoy and I will post images from the shower as its coming up pretty soon on May 1st.

Photo By: Just Say Yes Events
Creative Direction: Barbara Medina
First run of the copy on the invitation. We tried different fonts but in the end decided to mix a modern font & Traditional one. This is also a test of the custom ribbon we designed for the invitation. I did not just want an Eiffel Tower because that what people associate most with paris. I wanted other details and words such as Merci, Bonjour etc

Photo By: Just Say Yes Events
Creative Direction: Barbara Medina
In this image you can see the entire invitation suite. The first piece the actual invitation came out wonderfully with the custom double faced satin ribbon and custom copy. The envelopes were also adorned with an Eiffel Tower & the words Paris, Merci & Bonjour. No detail was left out...We designed the RSVP to match the suite as-well adding one simple Eiffel Tower, simple yet sophisticated.

Photo By: Just Say Yes Events
Creative Direction: Barbara Medina

Photo By: Just Say Yes Events
Creative Direction: Barbara Medina
In this last photo you can see the detail of the custom ribbon. The ribbon was a labor of love taking over 3 days to complete.
It added the perfect touch to the invitations and we will be utilizing this technique for future events...Stay Tuned!!

Earth Day.

2010-04-22T09:32:00.000-07:00

Today is earth day! Reduce, reduce, recycle....Just Say Yes Events is taking the opportunity to do so today. We are using recycled event linens to make custom pillows for a bridal shower. Its a super inexpensive and a lovely touch since this particular bridal shower is taking place in a chic lounge. We are also using recycled linens for the tables, reusing vases that we have in our design stockroom for events, using recycled paper goods and donating the flowers so that they can bring some cheer to someone else!!

Heres a quick pic of the pillows we are working on...Not too bad for 20 minutes of sewing =)

Photo By: Just Say Yes Events

Photo By: Just Say Yes Events

CS Bridal Event

2010-04-18T20:32:00.000-07:00

We love bridal events!! It is a wonderful way to see multiple vendors and pre-view their work in one place. CS Brides always hosts the most wonderful events with luxury vendors & spectacular venues. This lavish bridal event was Hosted at Ditkas in Oak Brook and included Anthony Gowder Floral, Bloomingdales, Godiva, Tiffany & Co & more. It was a wonderful way to spend a Sunday afternoon and be inspired and visit with our vendors. We love Anthony Gowder and he was charming & funny as always! I have added a few images of floral pieces that he put together for the event.....Can you say AMAZING! All the brides were given a fabulous goody bag filled with a pair of crystal flutes from Tiffany & Co, perfume from Agent Provocateur, chocolates from Godiva, Re-useable brown bag & Umbrella from Bloomingdales and so much more!! LUCKY.....Well technically Im getting married so I was given one of the awesome goody bags too. YAY!!

Photo By: Just Say Yes Events
Vendor: Anthony Gowder Floral

Photo By: Just Say Yes Events
Vendor: Anthony Gowder Floral

Photo By: Just Say Yes Events
Vendor: Anthony Gowder Floral

Photo By: Just Say Yes Events
Vendor: Tiffany & Co

Photo By: Just Say Yes Events
Vendor: Tiffany & C
These were the fabulous flutes graciously given by Tiffany & Co.

Inspiration for your engagement shoot.

2010-04-16T08:20:00.000-07:00

I absolutely love reading blogs and blogging! One of my favorite types is photography blogs. I recently ran into Christine Changs photography website and blog. She is an amazing photographer based in LA and San Francisco. She not only shoots wedding but engagements shoots, fashion and families. I love what she does with engagement shoots, she captures moments in a special way that makes it real! She shows true emotion in her photos and its absolutely refreshing...Here is my favorite engagement shoot.

All photos c/o christine chang photo
.To view more click here..

Grooms Gift

2010-04-14T09:41:00.000-07:00

It is customary to send one another gifts on your wedding day. This gift does not have to be cuff links, tie or a watch. Think outside the box and find items that he wouldn't normally expect. As a planner it is my job to stay on top of trends and find the best items for my clients. Recently I was introduced to a men's spa...Yes, that's right men's spa. Halo has seven different locations all over the city of Chicago offering a wonderful array of men's spa services. Treat your groom to a spa day...Trust me he will enjoy it! They also have Groomsmen packages available.

Halo has created a few packages geared towards the groom & groomsmen that include:

"THE MAN" haircut, style, scalp massage, shampoo and conditioning treatment, paraffin hand wax, hand massage and hot towel with facial tone
"THE BUFF - 1" complete hand grooming
"THE BUFF - 2" complete foot grooming
"THE WAX" choice of neck or eyebrow
AND YOUR CHOICE OF EITHER
"THE RUBB" 30 minute choice of sports, neck-back-shoulders, or Swedish massage
OR
"THE SHAVE" 45 minute hot lather shave for your face or skull

-Enjoy
Just Say Yes Events!

Photos By: Halo

Spring Pastry Market

2010-04-12T19:17:00.000-07:00

Spring is here and with it the Logan Square Kitchen Pastry Market. Everyone who knows me knows very well how much I love pastries. For every pastry market I work with Flour Cake & Pastries to design their table-scape. Nicole Chibnick & Janet Lee are absolutely wonderful to work with and amaze me at the what they come up with. For this market they had tons of new yummy treats such as miniature tarts in Key Lime, Pecan & Fruit, Chocolate covered pretzels, cookies, white chocolate bark, cupcakes, muffins, brownies and so much more! The pastry market features over a dozen vendors including B True Bakery, City Provisions, Fig Catering, Flour Cake and Pastry, Katherine Anne Confections, Rich Chocolates & Candies and Tinycakes.....
For this Pastry Market we decided to use Spring as out inspiration and make the table design very fresh and fun.
Here are a few images of what Just Say Yes Events designed for Flour Cake & Pastry.

-Enjoy!
Just Say Yes Events.

Gorgeous cake designed by Janet Lee of Flour Cake & Pastry.
Image By: Just Say Yes Events

Table design by creative director Barbara Medina of Just Say Yes Events!
Image By: Just Say Yes Events

Table design by creative director Barbara Medina. The design included clear cylinder vases turned upside down to create a mini pedestal for the pastries. We then added tulips inside the vase to create the illusion of a floral arrangement.....Who knew flowers looks so good under a vase!
Image By: Just Say Yes Events

Delicious fruit tartlets by Flour Cake & Pastry.
Image By: Just Say Yes Events

Little cupcake on a pretty little pedestal! We added small circles of chartreuse tissue cut into circle to create a pretty little pedestal for the treats to sit on.
Image By: Just Say Yes Events

Design By: Creative Director Barbara Medina
Vendor: Flour Cake & Pastry
Images By: Just Say Yes Events.

Alice In Wonderland.

2010-04-04T08:51:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was my daughter Kayla's 9th birthday. For months we had been awaiting the release of the new movie Alice In Wonderland and immediately wanted utilize the movie as inspiration for her birthday. After many phone calls, emails and headaches I found a theatre in Skokie Illinois that not only had an event space but allowed us four hours in the room which was amazing! Skokie Village Crossing 18 is easily accessible just 5 minutes from highway 94 with ample free parking. They were very helpful with anything we needed and the entire staff was extremely friendly. I worked with Leslie Jones in planning the event and he was an absolute pleasure to work with. They allowed me to come in a few minutes early to set up which ....as a planner is very important! It was nice to watch the movie all together as they set aside an entire section for us...The best seats in the house of course =) After the movie we played games, ate pizza, opened presents and sang Happy Birthday!! It was a fantastic birthday and we hope Kayla remembers it for years to come!

Here's a few images from the party!!
Enjoy!

Kayla and her fantastic Alice in Wonderland birthday cake from Flour Cake & Pastry in Oak Park Illinois.

Kayla's pretty birthday cake table scape.

K A Y L A.....I purchased paper mache letters to spell out Kayla's name, we then had a mini craft party and the children helped me paint them in colors to match the decor.

The theatre does not allow balloons so I had to be creative to achieve that color in the room without using too many streamers.
I made tissue pompoms that hung from the ceiling in different colors. I actually loved this look and will try it again in the future.

Since the movie was just released the Disney store had tons of Alice in Wonderland themed items. I was able to find these wonderful plush toys that were about 15-18 inches tall. They have Alice, Rabbit & the Cheshire cat available.

Pure Indulgence for your senses.

2010-03-17T08:21:00.000-07:00

I am always searching for new things to recommend to my brides for their wedding day. On a trip to Bloomingdales I found a perfume that is absolutely intoxicating. Its is strong enough to endure your wedding day without reapplying yet soft.
I must be honest I have over 25 bottles of perfume everything from citrus scents to powdery and this one has taken the #1 spot!
It is quite pricey at just 1.7 ounces for 98.00 and 3.4 ounces for 150.00. They also have a body lotion & bath gel to complete the collection. I highly recommend starting with the body lotion and adding just a spray of the perfume, it will last much longer!

Enjoy!
Just Say Yes Events.

Click here to go to Bvlgari

Meet the planner!

2010-03-11T08:57:00.001-08:00

Hello everyone! I just wanted to take a moment to introduce myself to those who do not already know me. My name is Barbara Medina and I am the owner & creative director for Just Say Yes Events based in Chicago. Ever since I was a little girl I was planning parties & gatherings. From very early on I loved the whole planning, setting up & hosting of parties. I have many fond memories as a child helping my parents with my birthday parties. My father would give me a budget and I would divide up the money making sure to cover all bases: Food, decor & misc such as invitations, favors etc. One party that stands out to me was my 12th birthday, a wonderful sleep over that I will remember forever! My birthday is February 11th so I tend to lean towards the colors of Valentines day for decor. I created a menu and my parents cooked, I bought decor and decorated our home & even made sure to have enough money for a fantastic birthday cake.
Unfortunately, I didn't realize that "HELLO" this is what I should be doing. I finished school and became a business manager for a few different businesses everything from Pharmacy to retail management. I was never 100% happy with what I was doing and was just not fulfilled. After being in the whole business management industry I left to travel and promote companies all over the United States. I worked with all sorts of companies everything from auto industry, medical industry, restaurant industry and more! I was basically in sales at a trade show level. Once again....Not fulfilled!
One day while driving in the car I had like Oprah says an "AHA" moment. I knew all along what I should be doing and what my passion was and it had been right in front of me this whole time! The next step was to become certified, select a business name, build a website and much much more!! I was up for the challenge and ready to take on the event planning and design world. Just Say Yes Events was then born and took off like wild fire. In three short years I made a name for myself and learned from the best of the best. Just Say Yes is now a luxury event planning & design firm specializing in weddings. It has been so exciting seeing my business grow and become everything I had ever dreamed of.
We are now on the road to becoming even bigger and looking forward to being part of the most important day in a couples life. we take pride in our work and strive to make every wedding different and treat them as if they were our own.

Thank You
Just Say Yes events!
Barbara Medina
Creative Director

Photo by: Just Say Yes Events @ The Palmer House Hilton's "Taste, tea & tour" annual event.

Evening of Bridal Luxury!

2010-03-10T13:44:00.000-08:00

Everyone at Just Say Yes Events absolutely loves the Evening of Bridal Luxury that Modern Luxury hosts. The evening is hosted in the most lavish venue The Ritz Carlton in Downtown Chicago on March 25th, 2010. The evening includes: Exquisite culinary creations by the Ritz Carlton, Lavish event decor by Heffernan Morgan, luxury swag bags from all of CS Luxury vendors (Just Say Yes! is included of course), Gown by Belle Vie and a exclusive runway show featuring Vera Wang.
This event is the most important of the year and space is limited. If you would like to purchase tickets please visit...
Click Here

An Evening of Bridal Luxury
Thursday March 25th, 2010
The Ritz Carlton Chicago
160 East Pearson Street
6-9pm

Thank You
Just Say Yes Events!

Heres a few images from last years Evening of bridal Luxury.
Photos by: Billy Rood Fig Media & Just Say Yes Events

Utter Romance!

2010-03-09T19:02:00.000-08:00

I have a love for all things soft and romantic. Our clients Brian & Isenia have definitely chosen to go in that direction and we are ecstatic. They described wanting something that was very romantic and sophisticated and that is something we love at Just Say Yes Events. I knew from the very beginning that I would use Hydrangea as they have a very soft and cloud like look to them. The bride loves pale pink roses so we are using a premium rose that is being flown for this wedding. There are 3 different centerpieces for the reception so we wanted to make sure they were all tied together and look cohesive. All three centerpieces utilize hydrangea, roses & hypericum along with tons of crystals. We took the decor to another level adding tons of candlelight! When I say tons...I mean tons! Each crystals tree will have 9 candles at the base, tall centerpiece 3 floating candles and the low centerpiece 3 votives. I love the glow that they create and the way they make the crystals come to life!
This will be a wonderful wedding and we are very pleased to be working with Brian & Isenia.

Just Say Yes Events
Enjoy!

Photo © Just Say Yes Events

Photo © Just Say Yes Events

Photo © Just Say Yes Events

Photo © Just Say Yes Events

Photo © Just Say Yes Events

Summer Inspiration

2010-03-06T00:08:00.000-08:00

Just Say Yes Events recently designed a preview for a couple who have selected Cobalt blue & yellow for their summer 2011 wedding. This is a very eye catching combination that compliment each other. We selected a deep cobalt pintuck linen for texture and brought in the yellow with Forsythia a branch with tiny yellow flowers. The floral even though its just a branch have drama with its high and wonderful delicate flowers. As many of you know we have an obsession with napkins! For this particular pre-view we folded the napkin and added a premium satin bow detail for a whimsical and feminine touch. Since the floral is very tall we decided to have a few cylinders with floating candles and votives for some light at eye level and add interest with the different heights. We hope you love this eye catching and fresh summer design.

Enjoy!
Just Say Yes Events

All photos C/O Just Say Yes Events

Pastry Market

2010-02-15T07:36:00.000-08:00

This past Saturday a large handful of top bakeries in Chicago all gathered to showcase and sell their goodies. The Pastry Market was held at Logan Square Kitchen, a facility that allows bakers to rent out time in their super professional workspace.
Not only is the kitchen wonderful but the dinning space as-well with reclined wood doors & trim, antique bar and all around cozy feel. I was lucky enough to have a special tour by Zina Murray, the owner of Logan Square Kitchen. Its clearly visible just how much love she has for LSK. During my private tour she explained how they had salvaged most of the wood used from places that were being demolished. The venue also has a wonderful lighting system that turns off certain lights when it senses enough sunlight, they are all on motion sensors as-well which leaves you to never have to turn a light on or off!
She also told me about these fabulous dramatic drapes they have dividing the kitchen from the dinning area, made by a local artist as-well. If you are looking for a smaller space that's 100% eco-friendly Logan Square Kitchen is it!
Onto the Pastry Market.......Oh how I love thee! I think I was in heaven surrounded by over 10 bakeries all selling delicious pastries. I was brought in by FLOUR Cake & Pastry in Oak Park to design their showcase. Nicole from Flour told me that they needed two tables designed one with a Valentines feel the other more wedding looking to showcase their gorgeous wedding cakes. Of course this immediately excited me because I love designing vendor showcases. I say this because a vendor has a split second to draw the client in. As I'm sure you know first impression is everything and your showcase should reflect your business and who you are.
The designs came rather quickly to me as I have designed an abundance of showcases. The wedding table was to be very delicate and dramatic at the same time. I used a iridescent taupe pintuck linen with a stunning hand beaded overlay bunched on top to give that delicate feel. Flour supplied three drop dead gorgeous cakes: one dramatic five tier cake with golden fondant work, Octagon cake with bead detail and fresh floral and last but not least their one of a kind offset cube winter theme cake with fondant and sugar to resemble snow! We placed each cake on ornate silver cake pedestals to give them that luxurious look. Also on this table was one of our mots popular centerpieces, the crystal tree! Now this particular tree has made more than a few appearances so we anted to be sure it was different. We achieved this by coming up with the idea that the tree would be interactive! Now your saying how on earth can that be possible?!?!? Nicole supplied us with a box of their wonderful square shaped business cards. We punched a hole in them, tied a pretty ribbon and hung them on the tree. We also created what I was calling business card crystals!! Basically they were my interpretation of hanging crystals utilizing business cards instead. All the business cards made the tree come to life as they took the place of leaves. The interactive aspect comes in with the guests being able to pluck their card off the tree. This was a huge hit as the guests love it!
We also surrounded the tree vase with additional cylinders filled with water and floating candles and white rose petals.
Now this is where things get super sweet! Our Valentines table design.... We used a pink lamour table cloth that matched the exact pink on Flour's logo. We thought how could we showcase their delicious goodies to feel almost like a candy shop???
We then made our own using apothecary jars, cake pedestals, and smaller vases.
We took each item and matched it with the appropriate vessel that would showcase them to their fullest. The amazing red velvet cup cakes were placed on two white cake pedestals, sugar cookies in tall jars, chocolate lollipops in a tall vase with glass beads to hold them in, tiny heart chocolates on a tall pedestal & more...oh lets not forget the Pièce de résistance was the three tier custom Valentine's Cake in the center.

If you are a vendor and would like more information on our booth design, please contact Barbara Medina at Barbara@JustSayYesEvents.com

Take a look at what we came up with!

All photos by Just Say Yes Events

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-14T09:53:00.001-08:00

I found my fiancées gift a couple weeks ago and well was eager to blog about it but I was afraid he would visit the blog!
On one of my weekly trips to Paper Source I found a tiny little book that resembles a bachelors "Little black book"
The title of the book is; STUFF...Every man should know by Brett Cohen and is a steal at just $10.00. I absolutely fell in love with this tiny humorous book. Inside there are all kinds of interesting things, for example; How to purchase a diamond, how to last ten minutes on a dance floor, five pick up lines in five different languages....He will NOT be using those ;-) but most importantly, How to give a MASSAGE! The book is the perfect little gift for your son turning 21 or hubby that needs to be taught a few things he missed!!!

Happy Valentines Day!!
Barbara Medina

Tea Favor

2010-02-06T13:40:00.000-08:00

Many brides have showers, luncheons, welcomes brunches etc. I have planned a few "Tea Parties" for my lovely brides and they are always a big hit. Favors are very important at these functions more so than the wedding in my opinion. I try to create unique fun little favors or trinkets for the guests that are affordable of course. There is so much you can do with a "Tea Party" its just one of those themes that can go in a few directions. Tea is made all over the world and each place has different traditions and ceremonies surrounding tea. For example, if you were having a garden wedding and wanted to host a tea party with a garden feel you could buy vintage tea cups at any thrift store, antique shop or online. The first thing you want to do is run them through the dish water of course to clean them up. You can use them in many ways, my two favorites are: Filling them with candies such as foil wrapped chocolates or candles. Candle kits are super easy to find at any craft store and are very affordable. All you have to do is melt the wax pour it in the tea cup and place the wick in...VOILA! Its a super cute favor and you can put scented oils into the wax such as rose, gardenia, lavender, berry etc. To add a finished look just wrap the tea cups & Saucers in clear cellophane or tulle with a simple tag.
Another "Tea Party" favor is well tea bags! Tea bags are extremely affordable no a days and the selection is massive.
I purchase tea from STASH tea company frequently. If you visit their website you can purchase different quantities ranging from 30 to 120. Their selection includes teas from India, China & Japan and so many more, a few of my favorites are the Chai flavors.
For a simple thank you/favor tie 6 bags of tea together with a ribbon, tie a tag with your name etc....Super easy and super cute!
You can add these little bundles to your OOT bags with flavors like chamomile to help your guests relax and sleep well.

I have added a few photos to give you an idea of what the little tea bundles look like & the supplies needed.

All photos C/O Just Say Yes Events

Wedding Day Massage=Priceless

2010-02-05T15:09:00.000-08:00

Your wedding day is one of the most joyous and well stressful days of your life. Why not begin your big day with a soothing and relaxing massage. I have been a fan of Windy City Massage ever since they made me drool in relaxation! Honestly I've had many massages as I am a full believer in taking time for yourself to rejuvenate, yet none made me feel like WCM. They are a very reputable and have been in business over a decade. Windy City Massage has convenient locations all over the city and will come to your home or office as-well. Yes, you just read that last sentence correctly!! With only an hour's notice, they can bring any of their services to your space and help you create your own Personal Retreat. They also offer manicures, pedicures, facials, body scrubs and personal Yoga sessions.

Windy City Massage
Click to view website
Reservations:
9 a.m.- 10 p.m. seven days a week!!!
phone 312.946.3000
fax 312.946.4050
email reservations@windycitymassage.com

Photo C/O WCM Website

Europe as a honeymoon destination.

2010-02-02T09:02:00.001-08:00

Last June my fiancee and I had the chance to travel abroad for almost three weeks. It was a trip that we will remember for the rest of our lives. I was recently chatting with a bride and she asked about honeymoon destinations. Now I am not the type of person that can just go on vacation and lay on a beach for 14 days, I really wish I could. I do not know if its the constant working and planning that I do or my inability to relax, either way my trips are very planned!
In June we traveled over eight hours to begin on vacation in London, England. Once we arrived we checked into our hotel, dropped our luggage, showered and ran out!! I wasn't sure what to expect from London but we were open and ready for anything. I am such a nerd and took about 500 pictures of the bright red phone booths, I just couldn't help myself.
London has so much to offer from great musicals, worlds largest Ferris wheel (London Eye), museums, Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Tower of London and lets not forget all the open air markets. I hope you consider London as a possible honeymoon destination! Its untraditional but I guarantee awesome.
Our next destination was Paris and I personally was ecstatic to finally have the chance to visit the city of romance. We took a train from London into Paris and it took about 2 hours, no time at all considering we took a nap. The train was very roomy there was even had a small table in between us and our neighboring travelers. Its nice to be put into such close quarters with people, you chat and learn so much about the locals or other travelers. Once we arrived in Paris we immediately selected a museum to visit....and the winner was Musee d'orsay. We had such a great time in Paris visiting amazing places such as the Louvre. The Louvre is such a massive museum it would take days to see every single thing. There is something so amazing about being able to see such great masterpieces such as the Mona Lisa & the winged victory.
There is one thing that I have always wanted see since I was a very small child, The Eiffel Tower! I couldn't get enough of it and my fiancee Daniel was so awesome and took me to see it about 3 times. Each day we discovered something new about the Eiffel Tower from the view all the way from the top to the twinkling lights at midnight. Its such a magical place with the couples walking hand in hand, sitting under a tree kissing or just taking in the gorgeous gardens surrounding the Eiffel.
I will remember those days for years to come and hold the photos close to my heart. One cute story is that
Daniel gave me a red rose on our anniversary while visiting the Eiffel and I had no vase but didn't want my precious little rose to die!! I placed it in a plastic water bottle and that's where it lived until we left Paris.
That trip I completely fell in love with Paris and hope to one day have the privilege to live there. I joke all the time with my family that I will retire to Paris! Paris is the ultimate honeymoon destination exuding love, romance and an old world feel that no other place on earth possesses.
The next part of our trip is rather interesting! Daniel and I have always been the adventurous type. We love vacations that people normally wouldn't think of or do. When we were done with our trip to Paris we traveled to the Charles de Gaulle airport to pick up a rental car. After about two hours we finally had our car, you see there are certain requirements that are needed to drive in-between countries and we would be returning the car in Rome. Europe has special emissions that are needed which makes it difficult because the car has to pass all test required for all countries being visited.
We finally had a car!!! which was a great relief as our returning tickets were out of the Leonardo da Vinci - Fiumicino.
We drove just 30 minutes from Paris to Versailles, France. Versailles is the most quaint and charming town with a famous Chateau. Now when I say the town is charming it is..... Chateau Versailles IS NOT! It is massive and gold gilded with extremely ornate architecture. It was just a day trip because we wanted to head down to the south of France. Chateau Versailles is massive and jaw dropping gorgeous. The chateau was once occupied by Marie Antoinette, she was an Archduchess of Austria and the Queen of France and Navarre. She was also the fifteenth and penultimate child of Empress Maria Theresa and Emperor Francis I. If you do not know the story of Marie Antoinette, I highly suggest doing a little research. The story is absolutely amazing!
After our trip to the Chateu Versaille we got lost!! Yes, that's right lost. Daniel and I are very good about no bickering or stressing while on vacations. We have a great trait and that is to work as a team. In that instant you have to remain calm and just ask locals, check the maps or google!! We found our way and decided to drive through the night towards the South of France. We drove a few hours stopped and fell asleep in the car at a rest stop. This is when we discovered "Auto Grill" which is now one of my favorite places! I know what your thinking, that's ridiculous its a REST STOP! No no....not auto grill, they are very nice places with wonderful coffees and freshly made sandwiches. We stopped at Auto grilles frequently for the duration of our trip! We made it to Marseille in the early afternoon. Prior to booking this trip I researched every single place we would be staying and made sure we weren't missing anything. Marseille is basically a port town that is very laid back and casual. My fiancee fell in Love with Marseille and we will be going back for our honeymoon!! We booked a room at the "New Hotel Marseille" which we will be staying at this time as-well. The hotel has a very modern and youthful feel to it.
Marseille itself is such a wonderful place, turquoise water, amazing seafood, gorgeous sunsets and once the sun goes down its a party town! All the locals come out and sit on the terraces drinking wine and chatting with friends.
Our favorite restaurant was called Peron, Its situated literally on the shore hovering over the waves! the terrace has a retractable sunroof and is adjusted to block the sun and still let you enjoy the breathtaking views.
Marseille also has boat trips, scuba diving, museums etc its the perfect place to have some R&R and fun!
After our visit with Marseille began what we called our "Tour di Riviera"....We began of course in Marseille and drove down the coast to Toulon, St. Tropez, Cannes, Nice and finally Monaco. We stopped in each enjoyed the sites, food, beaches & shopping!
I have to say my favorite beaches were in Cannes, stunning. Monaco was last on our tour of the Riviera and was just amazing, as we drove the towns just got better and better. We finally left France and entered Italy!!
"Italia".......Next up! We drove into Genoa, Italy. It is another port town and where Christopher Columbus sailed from, little tidbit of knowledge for you. After Genoa we drove to Venice, now I was bursting at the seams to arrive in Venice and kept asking, "Are we there yet?"
Venice is one of those places you read about and see photos of but when you are there you realize what it was exactly that the artist painting those famous pieces was inspired by. Venice has the power to inspire anyone in just one glance.
As your strolling through the streets you see the carnivale masks, open markets, musicians playing music, gondoliers offering romantic rides. Venice is like no other, where streets are canals and and the building tell stories by just their presence.
You can see the influences from all over even Morocco and its very interesting. So of course we had amazing al fresco dinners, gondola rides, brought back a gorgeous mask & walked away with priceless memories.We honestly didn't want to leave but well had to move on to the next destination, Florence.
Florence was one of our day trips since we only had a few things we wanted to see there. One of course was the David another was the Duomo. Florence definitely has that old world look and feel and some locals still live by the old ways. It is also a very small town and can be walked very easily. We parked our car and left it there all day and just wandered around the winding streets. We decided that we would have a very nice dinner being that we would be getting back on the road so we stopped off at Buca Di Mario. We did not know till we returned that we had randomly chosen the best steakhouse in all of Florence. They were extremely friendly there and the owner herself gave us a box of biscotti to take away. Buca Di Mario has an ancient characteristic environment, it has stayed unaltered in time. Furthermore, it is protected by specific rules imposed by the Florentine Council: any structural change that can alter its peculiar style is not allowed.
Once we left Florence we drove through all kinds of wonderful places. Driving through small towns where the population is about 150 is just amazing! We had the chance to see Arezzo, Montepulciano, Orvieto and many more! We arrived in Rome in the evening and well got lost! we ended up circling the Colosseum about 50 times until we finally found a local that could point us in the right direction. The hotel we chose was just five minutes walking distance away from the Vatican.
We took one day and just slept the entire day, we were just so tired but excited to be in Rome. The following few days we ventured out and visited the Colosseum, Royal Forum, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps and much more! We also went on a half day tour of the Vatican, which is a confusing and massive place! I highly recommend going on a tour so that you don't miss anything. Walking into the Sistine Chapel will give you the chills, to see Michelangelo's masterpiece so up close is just mind blowing. The detail completely boggles the mind how one man could achieve such greatness within four short years.
Sadly, this is where our dream vacation ended. We gathered all our gifts packed our bags and headed home with memories we will treasure forever and full of new knowledge from amazing museums, a new take on food and a love for the casual way of European life. So lay out the map and think of an untraditional honeymoon destination that you will remember for years to come.

Daniel and I will be honeymooning in Spain, South of France & Morocco.

Enjoy-
Barbara Medina
Just Say Yes Events

Enjoy our photographs from Europe!

Fabulous drink accessories.

2010-02-01T19:58:00.000-08:00

As you all know we are absolutely in love with the website Etsy. Everything they sell is handmade and of course unique. We love incorporating fun and different items into the wedding designs that make them memorable. Have you ever thought of dressing up your drinks? a wine glass becomes something special and a bottle of wine a keepsake!
JonNI Paper and Decorative Arts by Cuddlecreature has amazing drink tags that are perfect for any event. The little tags are inexpensive and unique, how awesome is that!

Click here to view all styles!

Enjoy!
-Just Say Yes Events

Metropolitan Club Bridal Show

2010-02-01T09:03:00.000-08:00

We recently had the privilege of showcased at one of Chicago's premier venues, the Metropolitan Club in Willis Tower.
An entire group of Chicago's elite wedding vendors showcased their goods to lovely couples and their families. Among the vendors were Just Say Yes Events, Heffernan & Morgan, Kehoe, BBj Linen, Kenny Kim Lifestyle Weddings, Jen Shannon Photography, Green Diva Jewelry & many more. The event was a huge success and were looking forward to next years show!

If you didn't make it out, here's a few images from our friends at Jen Shannon Photography & Kenny Kim Lifestyle Weddings.

Images C/O Jen Shannon Photography & Kenny Kim Lifestyle Weddings

Enjoy!
-Just Say Yes Events

Fashionably warm

2010-01-29T19:47:00.000-08:00

Are you getting married in the fall or winter possibly outdoors or in a tent?? I have the perfect item for you. On a recent trip to one of my favorite vendors, Classic Party Rental in LaGrange I found something special. We normally heat tents or outdoor weddings & events with space heaters that look like giant flying saucers. They get the job done, keep everyone warm and toasty while outdoors. Kindle has solved our design dilemma coming up with fabulous covers that resemble giant lamps!
We are completely obsessed with these covers..wait....wait it gets even better! Small LED lights are placed inside the covers changing the lamps to whatever color you desire. They are absolutely fabulous and we are so excited to share them with everyone!

If you would like additional information on these please contact:
Classic Party Rentals
www.classicpartyrentals.com
9480 W 55th Street
McCook Il 60525
P: 708.485.8709
F: 708.352.0909

Enjoy!
Just Say Yes Events!

Couture napkins....Thats right NAPKINS!

2010-01-26T22:17:00.000-08:00

There is one detail that we absolutely love custom designing, NAPKINS! It is such a small detail that most over look which is unfortunate because they are so universal. We always design something that co-ordinates with the style of the wedding but also reflects the client. I know you probably thinking, it’s just a napkin! Take a moment and put yourself in your guest shoes. They walk into your reception room find their table and seat. Now ask yourself one question, what is the first thing they see and touch?? THE NAPKIN. Your guest will definitely notice the extra attention to detail with the napkin. Its something so simple yet makes such a statement. What the fun part is there are tons of treatments that you can do to a napkin. You can use all sorts of ribbons, beads, tags, wax seals, feathers, button, gems, flowers, and fabric.... The possibilities are endless. So don't just overlook your lonely napkin, give it some attention!!!

This is a sample for our clients Vanessa & Lee. This adorable couple will be getting married this fall and were very excited to be their event planners as well as event designers. The colors are a rich chocolate, copper & pops of color with the floral. The bride expressed a love for peacock feathers and bright colors so we used that as inspiration. We are utilizing the feathers on the napkins and the place card table.

ENJOY!
Just Say Yes Events

Love At Breathtaking Heights, showcase

2010-01-24T10:10:00.000-08:00

ITS WEDDING SEASON!!! and "Just Say Yes" is having a great time participating in tons of bridal shows. We love meeting new clients and vendors as-well. Our last bridal show was held in the super posh Metropolitan Club, Willis Tower. Couples had a chance to view premier Chicago vendor showcases, taste wonderful hors devours, cocktails and view a two full ceremony set ups. It was an amazing event and we are very excited to have participated. The designers at Just Say Yes wanted to create a romantic and luxurious showcase with gold touches, soft linens and tons of crystals. Our showcased turned our exceptional and we are proud that we inspire couples to try something different.

Heres a quick walk you through what we created.

Custom crystal tree created with manzanita trees, crystals, hydrangea, roses & hanging votives. It is an absolute show stopper dripping in crystals and gives of a feel of grandeur.

Place setting: The place setting were very lavish yet soft. We used a glass charger with gold bead detail, gold flatware and stemware. The napkin was folded in a very simple fold with tulle fabric detail for texture as-well as a soft feel.

Linens provided by BBj Linen in Skokie
Chairs, chargers, stemware & flatware provided by Classic Party Rentals, LaGrange
Creative Direction & floral by Just Say Yes Events, Chicago

www.JustSayYesEvents.com
barbara@JustSayYesEvents.com
312.208.7833

Love at Breathtaking Heights

2010-01-21T13:08:00.000-08:00

You are Cordially Invited to Experience

Love at Breathtaking Heights

An Exclusive Boutique Wedding Show Hosted By
The Metropolitan Club
Saturday, January 23rd, 2010
2:00pm – 6:00pm

Mingle among Chicago’s elite wedding vendors while enjoying hors d’oeuvres, signature cocktails & spectacular views.

Guests will also get a chance to experience the Willis Tower Ledge on the 103rd floor, courtesy of Skydeck Chicago.

DOOR PRIZES
All brides will receive a reusable bridal bag on their way into the show. The first 10 brides will also receive a complimentary dinner for two to The Metropolitan Club.
All guests will be entered into a raffle to win the following prizes:
An engagement cocktail party for 20 guests at The Metropolitan Club
An engagement photo shoot courtesy of Laurie Peacock Photography (a $400 value!)
A digital Frame compliments of Jen Shannon Photography
A pair of designer earrings from Green Diva Bridal Jewelry
An engagement portrait session (downtown area) including a custom-designed guest sign-in book and framed 8x10 print courtesy of Wedding Creativo Photography (a $700 value!)
A Day Of wedding planning package from Just Say Yes Events (a $1,000 value!)
Winners will be drawn at 5:30pm; must be present to win.

TICKETS
To pre-register please contact Stephani Thompson at 312.993.2529 or stephani.thompson@ourclub.com

Guests registered by January 21st, 2010 - $10
Non-registered guests - $15

Complimentary tickets for pre-registered Metropolitan Club members and children under 12

DIRECTIONS
From the South: Take the Dan Ryan Expressway to I-94. Exit on Congress Parkway east to Franklin Street. Go north (left) on Franklin. Willis Tower parking is on the East Side of Franklin between Jackson and Adams Street.

From the North: Take the Edens Expressway (I-94) to the Kennedy Expressway in to the city. Exit on Jackson Boulevard. Go east on Jackson. Turn left (north) on Franklin Street. Willis Tower parking is on the East side of Franklin between Jackson and Adams Streets.

Once inside the Building: Enter the Willis Tower at the Franklin Street Entrance. After completion of security
check-in take the South elevators to the 66th floor.

PARKING
Parking validation for Tower Parking will be available the day of the event.
Validations will be sold for $11.00, cash only please. (Validations valid for Saturday, January 23rd, 2010 only)

FLOUR

2010-01-20T13:34:00.000-08:00

As a event planner I attend an abundance of menu & cake tastings with clients. Today we had the privilege of attending a cake tasting with "Flour" Bakery in Oak Park. I adore Nicole Chibnik & Janet Lee they are cake gods!! Today we sampled white, banana, lemon & chocolate cake with a whole bounty of different fillings. My favorite combination was definitely the lemon cake with Raspberry mousse filling...YUM! Wait....wait...wait.....It get even better! Not only do they create gorgeous cakes, they also create one of a kind gourmet chocolate place cards, menus, table numbers & monogram favors. I have to say "Flours" creations have made an impact on the wedding and event industry and we are proud to have them as a preferred vendor. Please stop by and tell them "Just Say Yes" sent you!!

FLOUR
Nicole Chibnik & Janet Lee
www.flourchicago.com
contact@flourcakeandpastry.com
312.265.1922
By appointment only

"Just Say Yes" Rental Division

2010-01-19T11:02:00.000-08:00

Did you know that "Just Say Yes" has a rental division? Well we do!! We carry lots of unique and fun items for your special events.
One popular item is our gold 13" chargers. Our golden chargers add a feeling of elegance and take your table top up a notch!
Just Say Yes Events offers a rental price of $2.00 per piece, what a steal!! We also have specialty items such as huge manzanita trees that reach a height of 4 feet, candy buffet jars & scoops and so much more. Contact us today about your rental needs, we might just have that odd item you have been searching for!!

Just Say Yes Events

Editor's Top Pick!!

2010-01-16T16:49:00.000-08:00

As the owner of Just Say Yes Events I am constantly searching for the newest and hottest trends. I am delighted that brides are stepping away from the traditional headpieces and veils and expressing their style with unique accessories. I have been a fan of Leah C Couture Millinery in New York for years, their pieces are defiantly different and eye catching. Designer Leah Chaflen combines her unique brand of sophisticated and whimsy designs for stylish women across the globe. I hope you love the pieces as much as we do at Just Say Yes!

Leah C. Couture Millinery
124 West 30th Street, suite #203
NY, NY 10001
212.947.3505
www.leahc.com

Enjoy!
Just Say Yes Events!
All photos C/O Leah C website

Luxury Bridal Expo Showcase Inspiration.

2010-01-11T17:57:00.000-08:00

Just Say Yes! Events is very excited to start the new year off with a bang! Our first Luxury showcase took place at the Renaissance Hotel & Convention Center in Schaumburg Il. We love the entire team at Bridal Expo, they always do so much for us at Just Say Yes Events. Bill Brennan President of bridal Expo pulled out all the stops with this show, including a huge fashion show stage area with gorgeous lighting, Couture gowns by Leigh Price and lets not forget over 75 vendors!! The show was a big hit with a whopping 500 brides registered and their families and friends.
Now we knew this show would be huge being that it is the beginning of wedding season. We went back and forth with ideas and inspirations for our reception showcase. We originally wanted to do and all black and white table with modern touches until I visited my favorite linen vendor BBj Linen in Skokie Il. I was there for a meeting with a bride and my sales representative Lanie Hartman...On a side note, Lanie is Amazing!! So I walk through the showroom and there is this linen that immediately catches my attention. Its a ivory linen with black scrolls and huge orange florals. Once I saw the linen I thought "I have to have that!!" I ordered it for our showcase and then the wheels started turning I had to re-designed the entire showcase within 10 minutes. I immediately called our rental vendors, floral vendor and our graphic designer to re-design few things! I was able to re-design everything in the car on the drive back to the office!!!

Here is what we came up with...Enjoy!

We chose orange floral for the centerpiece consisting of tulips, gerbera daisy, roses & berries. The bunches were tied with pieces of dupioni silk in a bright orange. We placed the bunches in the tall cylinder vases on an angle for interest.

In this photo you can see the entire set up. We wanted to do something different with the centerpiece. This one has different shaped vases, floral heights etc. Its fun for guests as they are seated for dinner looking at all the different elements.

For the place settings we went with glass silver beaded chargers, modern stemware, scroll detail flatware & black lamour napkin folded to hold the menu card and place card.

We loved using lots of clear glass so that the candle light could reflect through all the vases, candle holder & Stemware.

Now this was a HUGE hit with the brides. We received so many compliments on our "Bride & Groom" signs. We custom designed these for the show... It's another nice detail to make the bride and groom feel special! We loved how they turned out especially with the addition of the little crystals we attached to them....You cant really see them in the photo they were black colored crystals.

All photos C/O Just Say Yes Events!

Love At Breathtaking Heights

2010-01-07T18:37:00.000-08:00

2010-01-06T12:18:00.000-08:00

As a planner Im always on the look out for fun little favors, trinkets, etc. I have a huge showcase this Sunday at one of the Luxury Bridal Expo in my area. I had one mission and on mission only today to find a poppy colored ribbon! Now let me remind you JUST RIBBON!! I just returned from my search for ribbon, with NO ribbon and a trunk load of other goodies! Lets talk about these awesome finds of the day =)

I of course visited my usual wholesalers and boutiques but today I made a stop at Target for some huge storage containers. If I am shopping at Target I always stop by their awesome $1.00 section. Its the best place for little birthday goody bag items, bridal showers, baby showers etc. Today I hit the jackpot, since Valentine's Day is approaching they had tons of red, pink and purple items. I am planning a all pink bridal shower brunch and I have been looking for little items for the "Thank You" bags. Well, well, well what do I see all the way on the bottom shelf?!?!?!? Miniature bottles of champagne with bubble bath in them! SO PERFECT....Wait, wait AND they are PINK! Think of all the things that can be done with these lovely little bottles. They can be used as place card holders with a simple card tied on, Bridal shower prizes or in "Take Away" bags like we are doing. In the bags were including the bubble bath, candles, lotion, small perfumes, etc.

Enjoy!
Just Say Yes Events Team.

Tasty Little Treats!

2009-12-19T21:33:00.000-08:00

My fiancee and I recently hosted a huge holiday party. Our guests brought wonderful bottles of wine, chocolates and gifts but one friend in particular Donna Ramos brought the most amazing cupcakes! When she handed me the box I didn't realize the tiny little gems would be so darn tasty. Sugar Bliss in Chicago is officially my new addiction, they have mini cupcakes as-well as regular and even breakfast cupcakes!! We were lucky enough to try the gingerbread, chocolate, strawberry & red velvet and they were all equally yummy. Sugar Bliss also creates cupcakes towers for birthdays, showers, weddings and more! They also use the highest quality ingredients they possibly can therefore creating an amazing cupcake. Oh wait it gets even better....If you have one of the larger cupcakes and well need just a bit more frosting, they sell frosting shots for $1 a piece...OH MY GAWD!

Enjoy!
Just Say Yes Events.

Sugar Bliss Cake Boutique
115 N Wabash
Chicago Il 60602
Phone: (312) 845-9669
Fax: (312) 845-9677
http://www.sugarblisscakes.com

In The News!

2009-12-14T21:23:00.000-08:00

Just Say Yes Events has been featured in the new issue of CS Brides for the wedding of Jim Verraros & Bill Brennan.
We are very proud and honored to have been part of their special day, they have a special place in our hearts!!
This gorgeous fete included a gorgeous old Hollywood theme, 175 guests, 10 ft ice sculpture bar and lets not forget huge 6 tier cake. We enjoyed every single minute of this wedding and their photo from the gorgeous favor picture frames is proudly displayed in our office!

Enjoy!
Just Say Yes Events Team.

Pillow Talk...

2009-12-11T13:58:00.000-08:00

For about two years now I have been purchasing ring pillows for my clients from Emici Bridal. The pillows are superb quality and are all 100% hand made. I found Emici Bridal browsing on www.etsy.com on day, its an amazing site for all sorts of little hand made things. Here are a few of our favorites and if you fall in love as we did with these, please visit Emici @ http://www.etsy.com/shop/EmiciBridal
Enjoy
Just Say Yes Events Team!

Photos c/o Emici Bridal
From top left to right;
Champagne Peony $65.00, Eggplant Silk $60.00, Ivory Silk Ostrich Feather $80.00, Silk Bow Teal $ 55.00, Silver & Black $55.00, Pieced together forever $50.00.

A glass slipper for every bride.

2009-12-11T08:11:00.000-08:00

As a wedding planner it is my job to stay on top of new trends and styles and keep my brides informed. I love looking through magazine & website searching for the perfect shoes, veils, jewelry etc. If I can make my brides planning process any easier at all Im happy. I love the website www.myglasslipper.com they have an abundance of choices at very affordable prices. I have pulled my top picks….
Enjoy!

Photos C/O www.myglassslipper.com

From top left to right;
Badgley Mischka $215.00, Carolina by Badgley Mischka $225.00, Clarice by Kate Spade $298.00, Martinez Valero $175.00, Elia Badgley Mischka $200.00, Paris Hilton Senorita $120.00

Modern Thanksgiving.

2009-11-27T20:08:00.000-08:00

Steppenwolf Theatre

2009-10-29T21:32:00.000-07:00

There are a few things I enjoy in my free time and the Theatre is one of them. This evening I had the pleasure of attending an exclusive CS Modern Luxury preview of the play "Fake". I absolutely love when a play can capture my undivided attention and "Fake" was able to achieve that! I can go on and on but I will let you attend and see for yourself how intriguing it is.

FAKE

In 1914, renowned mystery writer Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
invites four guests to his English country home.
Each visitor has a connection to the infamous
"Piltdown Man", purported to be the missing link between
ape and man - or is it all a big hoax? Swinging back and
forth through time, Fake confronts the mysteries of the human
condition: the tensions between science and religion, logic
and mystery...and no doubt faith.

Steppenwolf Theatre
1650 N Halsted Street
Chicago, Il 60614
(312) 335-1650
www.steppenwolf.org

Weddings @ ZED451 in Chicago....

2009-10-23T20:46:00.000-07:00

Located in Downtowns River North area Zed 451 is a posh and chic restaurant that hosts events. A rich landscape of natural elements with amazingly stylized, contemporary edge makes up the look of ZED451. Wood floors, stone accents and artistic lighting provide sense of comfort, which are contrasted by clean lines and white leather seating. The food is to die for modern grilling....They have everything from Steaks, ribs, seafood, poultry and game. My favorite experience at ZD451 are the enormous "Harvest tables" where you can try everything from soup, salad and cheeses. Lets not forget their amazing cocktails!! Not only do they have amazing cocktails but you can enjoy them on the massive rooftop deck. The roof has many choices of seating from cozy little corners with fireplaces to huge banquets. The perfect place on a summer evening at sunset.
Now lets talk about what makes me ecstatic about this restaurant! "EVENTS".....Yes thats right ZED451 can accommodate up to 70 in their Fireside room, 50 in the Crescent, 45 in the Mezzanine and 35 in the Clark Street room. This venue is a perfect option for a smaller intimate wedding. The color scheme at ZED451 is perfect, all neutral to compliment any color brought in.
Wedding ceremonies are held in the FireSide room in from of the floor to ceiling fireplace...To die for! Once the ceremony is over with the guests weather permitting of course move onto the roof top....What an amazing cocktail hour!
I recently visited ZED451 for dinner and snuck upstairs to snap a few pictures for "Blogging" of course!

Enjoy!
Barbara Medina
Just Say Yes Events

Studio This Is Photography

2009-10-23T16:17:00.001-07:00

As I mentioned in a prior post I will be getting married as-well in June of 2010. One would think that being a planner this would be much easier, unfortunately it has not. Being in the industry and having many connections with vendors has helped of course but I am striving to make it "Different". We scoured my preferred vendor list for "Just Say Yes Events", magazines, online and recommendations from my vendor friends. Finally late one night after hours of searching I came across Studio This Is Photography. My fiancee was sitting beside me and all I was saying was "Oh my god.....oh my god.....oh my god"....."Yahtzee". We immediately booked a consultation with them and had a wonderful connection. They met with us for almost 2 hours to discuss what we wanted regarding look, style & feel. They took time out to find out who we were and what our story was and that meant alot to us. We did not feel like just another client to them and that was extremely important. On your wedding day you spend the most time with your photographers & Bridal party. If you do not have a great connection this may cause unneeded stress. Studio This is won our hearts and we are very excited to begin the planning process with them. The next step will be My fiancee & I as-well as a few people from Studio This Is having a nice dinner in the city. They would like to find out more about Daniel & I....Which is amazing!

I think they are phenomenal and wanted to share them with all my followers & clients!

-Barbara Medina

All photos by: Studio This Is Photography.
http://www.studiothisis.com

Event planning for any event!!

2009-10-20T23:35:00.000-07:00

Many people freak out when it comes to Thanksgiving or the holiday season..... Now a days with event planning firms were pretty much able to plan and execute any event. I had the privilege of designing and executing a gorgeous Thanksgiving table for a client here in Chicago. They wanted a traditional table with a modern touch since their home is on the modern side.
Here is what we came up with........The client had a wonderful dining room table which we used. Silver chivari chairs with white dupioni silk cushions were rented. As I mentioned before the client wanted a fairly traditional set up but with a modern touch. We achieved this by keeping it simple. The china was a plain white high gloss china set... flatware basic aswell with a simple scroll detail at the bottom.... and stemware very modern not design. The tea light holders were actually cocktail glasses that were part of the collection that the tall glasses were from. The client like the size of them versus tiny tea light holders. The centerpiece was very important for the client as she was going to be utilizing her buffet for the food instead of placing it on the table.I highly recommend this, after the food has been out for a few minutes its not very attractive and appealing! It much better to do a course dinner instead... soup..salad..etc The centerpiece was composed of gourds, tapers, mosaic iridescent spheres, and roses. The gourds were actually an almost cream color. We needed them to fit in so we painted them white then silver leafed them. It is a messy process but well worth it! The rose arrangements were low being that this would be a dinner and people should be able to see one another! This is where we added our pop of color. Red, orange, yellow, and pink were al in these roses...they resembled what fall leaves look like. White taper candles in tall candle holders and this completed the look. It was absolutely stunning! I was actually walking out as her guest arrived and it was wonderful to see the reactions on their faces..... the OOOOHHHH AND AAAAAAAAHHHHHH...... Is what I work so hard to achieve.... I want them to remember it for many years to come. So instead of freaking out during the holidays...... hire a professional.... Its what we are here for!

-Barbara Medina
Just Say Yes events!

Year of the peacock!

2009-10-20T18:27:00.000-07:00

Ever since I was a little girl I remember loving "Unique" things. My favorite animals as a small child were zebras & Peacocks. The zebra because it was so different and stood out among all other animals and the peacock for its amazing beauty and color!
On one of my usual trips to the floral wholesaler I found a huge bunch of peacock feathers....I thought to myself "Yes" I can work with these. The design wheels began turning immediately in my mind, I thought what colors would compliment yet contrast as-well. That day I starred at one giant peacock feather for some time....possibly way too long. I thought well......?...... They have been used before and have been complimented with bronze, teal, purple etc. I wanted to go a different route and came up with a deep blue "Cobalt" and to contrast a bright green "Chartreuse" this color combination was perfect! I did not want to use the bronze either....Modern was the way I wanted to go silver was the obvious choice. The silver made if different than other peacock table designs and took it to another level adding a sense of glitz. I used the feathers in the centerpieces as an accent, on the favor boxes and chair detail.

Enjoy!!!

-Barbara Medina
Just Say Yes Events

Photo C/O Just Say Yes Events
Corseting treatment on the chair could be used for head table....Its gave the chair that "WOW" factor I was looking for!

Photo C/O Just Say Yes Events

Photo C/O Just Say Yes Events
Favor boxes were the perfect place to use the feather without going overboard

First Wedding Gift!!!

2009-10-18T15:29:00.001-07:00

As the owner of the event planning firm "Just Say Yes Events" based in Chicago, not being married myself was a tad weird being that Its what I do for a living. That day has come and will take place in Downtown Chicago in June 2010. Of course our family and guests are very excited being that I am an event planner. They are expecting this gorgeous wedding..... I will not let them down. Together as a couple we are planning every last detail of the wedding. My fiancee is a Creative Director for an ad firm based in Downtown Chicago, therefore he is very hands on with the design of the wedding. Its actually been very nice having his assistance and eye for design when planning the wedding. Our wedding is just about 8 months away and this week we received our first wedding gift!! We were very excited because this meant it was actually happening and the excitement was insane! The gorgeous gift was from my fiancees parents Lindsey & Lorrain Bell. They sent us a pair of Waterford crystal champagne flutes and engraved crystal cake knife....Now I am not just saying this but they are the most beautiful flutes & cake knife I have ever seen!!! I just had to share with my blogger family!

"Thank You Lindsey & Lorri...We love you xoxoxoxoxox"

-Barbara
Just Say Yes Events.

Sweetest Day Wedding......

2009-10-18T14:47:00.000-07:00

Just Say Yes Events planned a very romantic wedding for Catalina Vila & Jr Pereira. It was a wonderful experience being their wedding planning team. Catalina & Jr are very fun, loving and down to earth people. The love that they share is clearly visible and shinned during the ceremony. Their wedding date fell on Sweetest day which is October 17th 2009.....How much more romantic can you get than that!!?!?!? The color scheme chosen was black and red, which worked with the whole sweetest day theme. Just Say Yes Events created all the floral as-well for this particular wedding. The guest table centerpieces consisted of tall pilsner vases, two red roses submerged in water, floating candles & glass beads at the bottom of each vase. The head table consisted of lots of glass cylinders with floating candles and TONS of rose petals!!! The brides bouquet was a huge bouquet with a little over two dozen deep red roses, tied with satin red ribbon. The wedding favor for the wedding was a massive 16 jar candy buffet. Every type of confectionary you craved we had!!! from marshmallows to twizzlers! The centerpice for teh candy buffet was a huge manzanita tree with hanging votives.

"May they live happily ever after"
Congratulations Jr & Catalina from the entire "Just Say Yes Events team"

Wedding Day Make Up.

2009-10-08T20:09:00.000-07:00

One word "Flawless".....Krista Gobeli is a true artist. Just Say Yes Events highly recommends her for your wedding day or any special occasion.

Her long list of clients includes:

Many many lovely brides!

Palmer House Hilton

Volkswagen

Harry Potter

Gatorade

Office Max

Time Out Chicago Magazine

The list goes on.....

Krista Gobeli

Kristagobeli@yahoo.com

P: 630-915-5819
Click here to view her amazing work.

Photo C/O R. Hanel www.rhanelphotography.com/

D-Lish Tea!

2009-10-07T11:02:00.000-07:00

Just Say Yes Events was in Galena for the destination wedding of Rachel lukawski & Todd Kuna this October. The day after the wedding the team had a chance to visit the lovely boutiques in town and buy a few things! I personally love "Tea" all flavors and types! Especially during the fall and winter seasons here in the Midwest! We stopped into "The great Galena Peddlery" If you are looking for wonderful spices or tea.....This is the place for you! I was in heaven and could not chose which tea to purchase. I finally picked a large bag of loose strawberry tea for just $1.98!! I just brewed a fresh batch of the strawberry tea I picked up and I must say Im impressed. The entire office smells of fresh strawberries and someone even asked if we had a strawberry candle lit!

Try them out you wont be disappointed!

Just Say yes Events!

Celebrity Wedding.

2009-10-06T17:46:00.000-07:00

"From the matching Tom Ford bowties to the unity sand ceremony to the 10-ft. ice sculpture bar, the wedding of American Idol's Jim Verraros to entrepreneur Bill Brennan on Sunday was planned down to the last detail."

Click to read full article

From Our Founder
Just Say Yes Events had the privilege of being the “Day Of” planner for Jim Verraros from American Idol and Bill Brennan President of Bridal Expo.
Every detail of this wedding was hand picked and reflected both Bill and Jim’s personal style and taste. The location chosen was the luxurious Oak Book Hills Resort which was a reflection of Bill’s green thumb as he is an avid gardener. The ceremony took place within the lush gardens with a view of the water and elements of greens, floral and my favorite part, a sand ceremony. The reception was held in the Marquis tent of the resort that was perfect for their Old Hollywood theme. Every last detail was thought of from the favor silver frames with a secret photo of the couple hidden inside to the huge ice sculpture bar inspired by the lions that have been in front of Chicago’s Art Institute, since 1893. Just Say Yes Events strives to make every event, in any budget, spectacular and most importantly run smoothly. Bill and Jim are very dear to us and we feel extremely privileged to have been part of their special day.

Congratulations from the entire Just Say Yes Events team!

Destination wedding in Galena Il.

2009-10-06T13:52:00.000-07:00

Just Say Yes Events had the privilege of planning a destination wedding this fall in Galena Illinois. Galena is a quaint town just 20 minutes from Dubuque Iowa and 3 hours from Chicago.

Just Say Yes was brought on fairly early into the planning for this particular wedding therefore making it very special to us. Our clients Todd Kuna (Groom) and Rachel Lukawski (Bride) were they epitome of perfect clients. They were amazing to work with and were completely involved in the planning. I remember my first meeting with Rachel vividly! She handed me a clipping from a magazine that she absolutely loved but hesitantly said "I am not sure about the colors". I personally had been wanting to design a wedding with the main color being plum so when I saw the clipping I was overjoyed. The clipping was of a wedding with plum and burnt orange color scheme!! The wheels began to turn in my head....thinking of ways to make plum and burnt orange come to life!

Enjoy

Just Say Yes Events!

St. Matthews Church

Photo c/o Just Say Yes Events

Mr. & Mrs. Todd Kuna

Photo c/o Just Say Yes Events

Head Table: We used plum chair ties to make their table "Different" and add something special. We also used the brides bouquet & bridesmaids bouquets as the centerpiece.

Photo c/o Just Say Yes Events

Eagle Ridge Resort & Spa

Galena Il

The wedding reception was held in the tent overlooking Galena Lake.

We used plum lamour linens on the tables with matching napkin.

To bring in the burnt orange color.... Just Say Yes created a custom napkin detail with orange satin ribbon and decorative rhinestones.

The floral also brought in different shades of orange with alstromeria, premium rose and spray roses.

The accent color for this wedding was gold.... We used gold chiavari chairs, charger plates and vases.

Photo c/o Just Say Yes Events