Indie Wed, Here We Come!

In less than a week, Indie Wed will be upon us!  Our booth plans are really coming together to feature both mine and Viviana's work in a most fun and sassy style.  The collaboration between Petal Play Design and Reenie Rose is really going to highlight how easy a florist and artist can work together.  Oh, and the colors!!  We love color in booth #1!!!

Here are a couple snippets of what you'll see next weekend...

Don't forget, I'll be working on Whitney and Will's painting live that day!

We can't wait to share our vision with you!  In the meantime, go purchase your tickets here and get ready to enjoy the day among creatives!  The first 50 people in line will also receive a swag bag for special swag items from each vendor.....and we've got great swag in our booth (in more ways than you know!).  Eeee!

Meet the Photographer: Donna Von Bruening

It's time for an update on this crazy beautiful painting I'm working on for Whitney and Will.

I've got the scabiosa filled in nicely and the dahlia coming to life.  World's trickiest coloring book I say.

So, how about the person I was so lucky to have capture all of these tiny details for me since I was unable to be in New York to admire this puppy in person....Donna Von Bruening!  She is so talented, kind and supportive.  Take a look:

1.  How long have you been in business?
     13 years

2.  Toot your own horn....what’s your specialty?   
     I photograph weddings almost exclusively.  I believe my work is sincere and reflects the relationships of my couples as well as is flattering. 

3.  Who or what are your favorite subjects to photograph....your dream photo session?
     I love brides - hands down! And my husband..I love photographing him.  My two sons have my number and immediately pose for me so they aren't as spontaneous now. 

4.  Craziest thing you’ve captured on camera?
     A naked groom who was wearing eyeliner.  Completely true. The image was displayed at the reception.  

5.  What do you like about working in the wedding industry?
      I love my clients and the intimacy I have with them. 

6.  What is something you wish your clients knew about your job?
      I wish they knew that I spend an average of 40 hours on their wedding, before and after. 

7.  When you are not working, what are you up to?
      Cooking, hanging with my husband and boys or with my friends. 

8.  Anything new and exciting coming up that we should know about? (either professionally or personally)
      2013 is a year of focus for me so I am honing what I already have and being forever grateful. 

Donna Von Bruening Photographers

http://www.donnavonbruening.com

• info@dvbphoto.com
 
• 912-898-9282

• Thank you so much Donna!!!  Enjoy the rest of your weekend all!

Winter White : Colorful Summer

Yay it's the weekend!  Have any good plans going on?  I wish I could say I was going out to make snow angels and go skiing and have a snowball fight, but alas, we go another weekend without snow accumulation.  I mean, is anything really going to happen tomorrow?  I'm not so hopeful.  With this disappointing Chicago winter, I will stay indoors and continue painting while waiting for a few flakes.

After my last post about the Clementine ladies, I was notified that the images for a wedding I had worked with Kelly were available to view.  I just had to share these with you!  While we may not have a white winter, we definitely had a colorful summer...and Cher and Nick's wedding was no exception:

Isn't that bouquet amazing!!!!  Pulling off a rainbow colored wedding can be tricky...in order to not come off tacky, but Cher and Nick combined with Clementine Events blended a perfect match of color and style.  It's so much fun to be a part of an incredible day like this.  To view more photos of Cher and Nick's day, jump over here.

And then there's my day job....which gets pretty incredible too...in a different sort of way.

I'm chugging along on Whitney and Will's painting.  It's probably a good thing there isn't any snow for me to play in...I've got some work to do here!

Meet the Planner: Clementine Events

What do you think of the new look!?  Figured it was time for an update...new year, new look (how long can we use this excuse for every change?).  Special thanks to Jennifer Kathryn Photography for the header image...she makes my painting supplies look interesting.

On to bigger, better things....

One of the things I am looking forward to the most in 2013 is continuing the working relationships I developed last year as a day of wedding assistant.  I worked with several amazing event planners that I could endlessly rave about.  Instead of a mega love fest, where I go on an on about their fabulousness, I thought I would let them speak for themselves.

This summer I had the opportunity to work with Clementine Custom Events on several occasions.  The team of 3 is comprised of Kelly, Melissa and Loren, all of whom I absolutely adore as people and professionals.

The Clementine Ladies: Loren, Kelly and Melissa

Owner and senior event consultant, Kelly Cavanaugh, is one of the funniest ladies I know in the industry.  An evening spent working along side her is never a dull moment....

      1.  How long have you been in business?

       Clementine has been in business for a little over 3 years. We’ve planned about 100 weddings under the Clementine name and we are currently working on about 40 already for next year!  I have been in the wedding planning business for 11 years.  Clementine as a company has a combined 28 years of experience in wedding and event planning. 

2.  Toot your own horn....what’s your specialty?

        We specialize in planning “off premise” events.  Many of our weddings are in very unique spaces around the Chicagoland area.  We work in a lot of museums, art galleries, photo studios, gardens, libraries etc… a lot of our clients are a little bit “out of the box” and we really enjoy a good challenge

3.  What would be your dream event creation?

         My dream event creation would take place at a venue I’ve never worked in, with really crazy logistics and a creative space for menu development.  I seriously love a challenge and I love trying something new!

4.  Wedding trend you love and one you’d like to see disappear?

         I love that bridesmaids are mixing it up and that not every girl looks exactly the same.  I could live without the bouquet toss and garter toss, but to be honest, a lot of my clients are choosing to skip that tradition lately. 

5.  Craziest request you’ve had?

         This isn’t that crazy but I get a lot of requests for flying lanterns as a send off at the end of the night. 

6.  What do you like about working in the wedding industry?

         I love working with such amazing people.  This industry is full of creative, colorful, nice, hard working individuals and I just adore all of them.  I love working together as a team to create something amazing for the couple.  I love the feeling I get when the bride walks down the aisle, sees the room for the first time, has her first dance….it’s just the best!!

7.  What is something you wish your clients knew about your job?

         I don’t think there is anything I wish my clients knew about my job.  I don’t ever want them to feel like I’m juggling 20-30 other clients.  I want them to feel like they are the only client I have.  I think giving good service is never letting them know exactly how demanding and time consuming my job really is.  I don’t think anyone realizes that planners work about 50-60 hours a week on a normal week.  I think a lot of people think we just attend a lot of parties and drink champagne while looking at fabric swatches! 

8.   When you are not working, what are you up to?

         When I’m not working, I spend every moment of my day with my beautiful daughter Chloe and my amazing husband Ryan.  I’m lucky to have such a great family life. 

9.  Anything new and exciting coming up that we should know about? (either professionally or personally)

         Clementine is always up to something new and exciting, we’re always out and about and meeting new people and coming up with new ideas.  Keep an eye on our facebook page!  Personally, I’m excited to be expecting another little bundle of joy in February! 

Bonus interview with Loren Carpenter!  Interviews from 2 out of 3 of these busy ladies is pretty good.  We will definitely catch up with Melissa in the near future.  For now, here's Loren....

    

  1.  How long have you been in business?

         I’ve had the privilege to produce events in Chicago for the past seven years. My event experience is quite diverse, having had the opportunity to work on extravagant corporate functions, not-for-profit galas and social events. I was thrilled to join Clementine earlier this year, and to be working once again with my dear friends Kelly & Melissa.

2.  Toot your own horn....what’s your specialty?

         I believe most of us in the industry excel at logistics, it’s in our blood. However, if there is one attribute that I’m especially proud of, it would be grace under pressure. “Grace” is my mantra through work and life, and finding it, is a skill I’m constantly working on. In the most challenging event situations, exuding grace has been key to putting my clients and their families at ease and enjoying their beautiful day.

3.  What would be your dream event creation?

         I have many dream event creations, but my most personal will be to someday plan my sister’s wedding day. I can guarantee most traditions will be out the window for her, so it will be an adventure for us.

4.  Wedding trend you love and one you’d like to see disappear?

         I love how thoughtful couples are when developing their menus nowadays. With the popularity of showcasing culinary experiences, (i.e. food shows, blogs, e-magazines, etc.) I find that couples are really using the menu as an extension of their personalities. I suppose the one trend that I’d like to see fade into history would be the faux mustache. They’re everywhere and I can’t help but think that our children will wonder what on earth we were thinking when they look back on all these images. Perhaps we’ll get a reprieve after Halloween.

5.  Craziest request you’ve had?

         I haven’t received any crazy requests to note.

6.  What do you like about working in the wedding industry?

         In my years of event planning, I’ve never experienced the camaraderie as I do now in the wedding industry. It’s refreshing to be so friendly with other planners and to share experiences.

7.  What is something you wish your clients knew about your job?

         This would be specifically for my couples who I’m contracted for day-of services. In these situations, although we won’t connect until about six weeks before their wedding day, I’m always thinking about them and here if they need me!

8.   When you are not working, what are you up to?

         I adore spending time with my husband and our dog. We love experimenting in the kitchen and entertaining our friends and family at home. I’m also an avid window shopper, and completely addicted to my Kindle.

9.  Anything new and exciting coming up that we should know about? (either professionally or personally)

         I’m really excited about how next year is shaping up. My couples are fantastic, and their personalities are really going to show through in their preparations. Also, now that my busy season is coming to a close I’m looking forward to planning a few trips for next year on my off-weekends! Vacations are very important in my family.

Take a look at the fabulous work these ladies orchestrate and a few more words from Loren to embellish a bit:

Like so many newly engaged couples, the engagement period marks a lot of change. With the help of good friends and family, Genie & Derek crafted the essential elements of their wedding day from afar. While living out of state, without seeing the event space, they choose to host their wedding within the landmark Art Institute of Chicago (AIC). It’s always a delight for me to see how my couples carve out what makes them unique on their wedding day, and Genie & Derek truly left their mark. The dramatic McKinlock Court served as the backdrop for a very personal wedding ceremony officiated by the couple’s close friend. Personal touches throughout the evening such as the incorporation of traditional Korean Wedding Ducks, sport-themed escort cards, personalized wedding cake design, and Alexander & Company “guest book” made their September wedding day all their own.

As always, it’s a team effort to pull off such a momentous event. With the help of these vendors, Genie & Derek’s wedding day was picture perfect:

Venue: Art Institute of Chicago

Planner: Clementine Custom Events

Caterer: Bon Appetit at the Art Institute of Chicago

Wedding Cake: CAKE

Flowers: Scarlet Petal

DJ: Style Matters

Lighting: Frost

Linens: BBJ

Thank you so much to Kelly and Loren for sharing a bit about Clementine with us!  Definitely pay them a visit to get to know them a bit more.  You can bet you'll hear more about them this year as we continue to work together!

Clementine Custom Events

Website:  www.clementinecustomevents.com

Email:  info@clementinecustomevents.com

Blog:  http://www.clementinechicago.com

All-star Painting #1

With the new year laid out before us, it's time I introduced you to the first painting up for 2013.

I am pretty thrilled by the crowd of characters involved in making this painting happen.  First up, none of this would be happening without the clients that are playing the role of gift givers of such a lovely wedding gift.  I could lead you down the trail of who's who, but it's just much easier to say thank you Mike and Judy.

Whitney and Will thank you as well....they are our lucky couple.

Photo by Donna Von Bruening

Aren't they just the cutest!  For some of you foodies out there, you may recognize Whitney as a finalist from the Next Food Network Star show in 2011.  Since my mom and sister were regular watchers of that season, they were all to eager to inform me of my new painting owner.  I'll admit, I was a little giddie over the idea of a foodie star, though, no offense Whitney, I was a little more excited about the florist.  I mean, look at this bouquet...

Photo by Donna Von Bruening

Amazing!!!!  I have long since admired Brooklyn based florist Nicolette Camille and her work with Sarah Ryhanen from Saipua.  When I found out that Nicolette was the florist, I was all too anxious to see her magical creation.  She certainly did not disappoint with this wild beauty.  Now I find myself faced with a painting containing many new elements that I have never had before....such veiny leaves, curling tendrils and precious lily of the valley that were so important to the bride.  Thus, the composition:

Anyone out there want to put any time guesstimations on how long this one will take to paint?

How about now?

A big thank you to Donna Von Bruening for her fabulous photography.  When I can't be in New York to take my own photos, you definitely want someone as sweet as Donna to step in and get the job done.  I had so many fabulous images to work with, and she was just a gem at getting them to me.  

Now all there is left to do is paint and get to showing you the next one in line!

No really, anybody want to take a stab at a painting total time...anyone?

Welcome 2013, welcome.

Happy New Year everyone!  I've allowed myself a holiday hiatus this past week and a half to wrap up any end-of-the-year missions which is why things have been pretty quiet over here lately.  The holidays are over and it's time for a fresh start.  One thing I didn't plan on though....a beginning of the year cold.    Not exactly how I wanted to start things off, but at least it allows me to lay on my couch and reach out to you.
While many have been reminiscing about 2012, I am wanting to dive into this new year.  I have so many new things lined up that I am just dying to share with you...

#1 on the list...my new website.  In between writing this post and blowing my nose, I am putting the final touches on my new and improved site.  Stay tuned for a special announcement by the end of the week!

#2-  Have you been on the Reenie Rose Facebook page today?  From now until December 31st, we will be featuring a "Bouquet a Day" from all the admired florals we come across.  I hope you'll enjoy getting to know these talented artists and share them!

Bouquet by Hello Darling

#3-  I have soooo many new paintings on my roster, that this year is starting out feeling pretty good.  Even though I am working on the healthy part of "a happy, healthy new year", I couldn't be happier with the clients I already have in front of me.  There's lots of new art on the way, so get ready for greatness!!!

Composition for my next painting!

I wish you all the best this year and hope that you too make 2013 your best year yet!