The Wedding Event at The Drake Hotel

This coming Saturday I will be participating in an event that I am just thrilled to be a part of.  For quite awhile now, I have been trying to get in touch with Chicago's only master bridal consultant, Frank J. Andonoplas of Frank Event Design.  Imagine my surprise when he finally contacted me to ask if I'd like to be a part of his event this weekend!  A bonus to all of this is that I will actually be painting during the event.  Those attending will get a first peek at my newest painting and Vicky and Tom's painting completed (fingers crossed!).

Event details:

The Wedding Event at The Drake Hotel

When:  Saturday, February 25th, 11am-2pm
Where:  The Drake Hotel @ 140 E. Walton Place, Chicago
Tickets: http://theweddingeventdrakehotelchicago.eventbrite.com/


Stop by to see tips, trends and favorite wedding purveyors (that's me!) that will inspire you to detail your own incredible wedding day!


 

Meet the Photographer: Hillary Anne Photography

Thank goodness it's Friday.  I am going into this weekend with a fury of focus to beat Time at it's own game....sketches will be made, projects will be finished and paintings will be on the verge of completion.

Vicky and Tom's painting is really coming along.

I just love how the parrot tulips are popping through!

It's time I introduced you to one of the partners on this project....Hillary Wysong of Hillary Anne Photography.  Hillary is an incredibly talented artist, and when I say artist I mean she has the vision...and the Etsy shop to showcase her work.  I was so lucky to receive a variety of images from Hillary to work with for Vicky and Tom's painting. 

Let's get to know Hillary a little bit....

1. How long have you been in business?

 4+ years
 

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

I love weddings of course, but I LOVE engagement sessions when I really get to know the couple, what is special about them and what has made their relationship turn into the amazing story it is today.
 

3. Who or what are your favorite subjects to photograph....your dream photo session?  

That is tough- but it is hard to beat a sweet, loving couple in a field with some yummy golden light! It always feels like magic!
 

4. Craziest thing you’ve captured on camera?  

There is the craziness that comes with a rowdy crowd at a wedding reception, but the most unusual thing I have shot is a horse 20 feet in front of me in an all out buck- legs almost straight up in the air. It makes me laugh every time I look at the picture.
 

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

I get to meet the most amazing and talented people, from stylists to artists to d.j.'s who can really get a crowd on the dance floor. Everyone has the same mission- to work hard to help the bride and groom have the most incredible day of their lives. Who doesn't want to be a part of that?
 

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

 I love to spend time with my husband, Brian, and my dog, Elle. I enjoy outdoorsy things but can also be a bit of a bookworm.
 

7. What is one thing that’s on your bucket list? 

I love running, and one day I would like to run a marathon.
 

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

 We are so excited to be expecting the arrival of our first baby in May! I think that qualifies for new and exciting, at least for us. ;-)

 

 

 

 

 This last image is of Vicky and Tom during a "trash the dress" session that Hillary shot.  I absolutely love this idea and think it is such creative outlet for some beautiful photos. No worries folks, Vicky's original wedding dress was not harmed in this process....she used a dress she bought from a resale shop!  Brilliant!  Check out the rest of this photo shoot on Hillary's blog.  Thanks for sharing with us Hillary!!!!

So Full.

I can't believe it's Friday already.  This week has flown by in a flurry of business analysis and food.  I'll get to the food later, but down to business first.

Mom and I attended The Simple Plan workshop hosted by the ladies at Sage Wedding Pros this week.  We were lucky enough to spend two full days soaking up piles of business advice among an inspiring group of wedding professionals at the lovely Ritz Carlton downtown.  Operations, marketing, and financials were the main topics of discussion, but so much more was learned through breakout sessions and stories of personal experience.  The result of these two somewhat grueling days (the food provided by the Ritz definitely helped ease everything).....I am a luxury business determined to bring you luxury paintings!  Get ready!

Our lunchtime view from the Ritz

This business "retreat" really put a lot of details into prospective, primarily that I just need to paint.  So, painting is what I shall do.
I have started Vicky and Tom's painting.  I'm already loving these bursts of oranges and reds!  Makes the winter outside seem a little bit warmer.

Finally, the food.  I am a big foodie and feel the need to mention that besides business, food played a large part of each and every day this week.  Though I think a cleanse may need to take place in my near future, I would highly recommend each and every one of these fine dining experiences:

Monday- Breakfast at the Bleeding Heart Bakery; Sushi dinner at Yuzu for my sister's birthday.  Happy birthday Lisa!
Tuesday- Breakfast, lunch, snacks (awesome popcorn bar), and dinner at The Ritz.  I kind of want to live there.
Wednesday- Breakfast and lunch at The Ritz again (note that lovely view); dinner at Pelago in the Raffaello Hotel for Mom's birthday.  Happy birthday Mom!!!!
Thursday- dinner at an event called Divine Dine + Wine featuring restaurants in the West Loop.  I would recommend every single one.
Friday- cold cereal.  A girl needs to give her stomach a break!

Highlight of the food fest...getting a snapshot with celebrity chef Anne Burrell!

Gotta keep up with me these days....things are exciting!!!

Who Needs Sleep?

I am just coming off a whirlwind weekend and trying to get all of my ducks in a row.  There are emails galore to send out, follow up calls to be made and a painting to start, but I really must share this weekend with you first.

It all started out with Indie Wed on Saturday.  What an amazing day filled with wonderful people walking through, inspiration all around, tasty treats and good music.  Looking back, I wish I would have taken pictures of all the fabulous vendors I admire...but when I think about the quantity of images I would have to post, it's probably best that I remain selfish and stick to just me.  There were so many great things going on!

Here's a look at my booth:

I was so lucky to have several pieces on loan from my clients along with 3 bouquets recreated for me by 3 talented florists.  Larkspur was paired up with Katie and Patrick's painting....

Exquisite Designs made a bouquet to compliment Sarah and Ernest's painting....

And finally, Natalie at Hello Darling recreated her original bouquet for her painting....

Thank you to such a wonderful group of ladies for all of your help in making my booth so beautiful.  For more photos from this event, visit the Reenie Rose Facebook page.

So, 10 days before Indie Wed, I received an email from the Lovely Bride Blog stating I had won tickets to a bridal event....in New York.  Yes, I know, who enters a contest to win tickets in NY the day after a big event, especially when that said person lives in Chicago....well, I do.  And, yes, as luck would have it, I won.  Thank goodness for frequent flier miles, Hotwire and a nice mom.  In no time flat, everything was booked and we were going to be off to New York.

With a 7:30am flight on Sunday, we arrived in NY to attend The Wedding Party New York with Martha Stewart Weddings just in time to see Darcy Miller (Senior Vice President and Weddings Editorial  Director for Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia) speak about her own wedding inspiration.

 After Darcy spoke, an allstar lineup joined her on stage for an open discussion panel.  Take a look at these heavy hitters:

 From left to right we have hostess Claudia Hanlin (Wedding Library), Darcy Miller (Martha Stewart Weddings), Amsale Aberra (Founder of Amsale), Mindy Weiss (Celebrity Event Planner), Matthew Robbins (Matthew Robbins Design), Sylvia Weinstock (Expert Cake Designer) and Peter Callahan of (Callahan Catering).
Awesome, right?!  Did I mention that we were sitting in the front row for the panel discussion....even more awesome.  Highlights of the day besides the front row....meeting Mindy Weiss and Matthew Robbins and having them both sign my book (Matthew Robbins' Inspired Weddings) and take my business card and spotting Martha Stewart pushing a stroller with a baby....

Darcy Miller and I after we chatted about my business for a bit.

Mom and Sylvia talking cake.

Besides the super star panel, there were some amazing vendors at the show as well....

Centerpiece by Blade Floral & Event Design.  Love these colors!

Awesome cakes with realistic flowers by Sugar Flower Cake Shop.

More artwork in cake form.  This beautifully intricate work is by Creme Delicious.  These henna inspired masterpieces have been featured in Oprah Magazine.

The end of the event featured a Kleinfeld fashion show with the owners of Kleinfeld, Mara Urshel and Ronnie Rothstein, introducing the line.

The final dress was a $32,000 Pnina Tornai dress.  It was a true showstopper.  Just amazing!

After this kind of whirlwind day, what else can you do but head over to the Waldorf Astoria and check out the swag bag goodies over some tasty martinis.  So, that's what we did....

More pics from this NY trip can also be viewed at the Reenie Rose Facebook page.

My Head is Spinning

Things are a little crazy busy these days in the Reenie Rose camp.  Despite having not painted in over a month, I have been nonstop since 2012 hit.  When all is said and done, at the end of January I will have participated in 2 important events, been a guest at 4 events, had 15 vendor meetings, been to New York and back, and officially started my first painting of the new year.  It will have been a good month.

So, to catch you up to speed on a couple of things, last week I participated in Thursday Therapy, a monthly networking event among the wedding community, that was held in the Crystal Ballroom at the Hyatt Regency Chicago.  This was a great opportunity for my peers to have a chance to view my artwork in person... and lots of it too.  I was able to gather 10 of my paintings to showcase for the evening.  A big thank you to all my clients for allowing me to steal back my work in order to share it with others.

Also, a big thank you to Joan of Five Grain Events and Kelly of Fleur for letting Reenie Rose be a part of this evening.  We had such a good time eating, socializing and making some new contacts.

I've got to make one more plug for my 2nd event of the month...Indie Wed.  If you haven't gotten your tickets yet, stop reading and go purchase them HERE.  You are not going to want to miss this event filled with so many goodies:  100 amazing vendors, food tastings, beer pairings, live music, wandering models, free workshops and so much more, this really is THE event to end all wedding events. The show runs from 10am until 4pm this Saturday, January 28th  at the Ravenswood Event Center, 4043 N. Ravenswood Ave. There is plenty of free parking available along Ravenswood Ave or we are just a half block from the 'L'. 

Mom and I have been working on my booth setup, and let me tell you, it is going to be eye-catching!

Finally, what is this business really all about...the PAINTING.  I am going to be starting my first painting of 2012, and it is gorgeous.  

Isn't this just the perfect piece to be working on this time of year?!  The pops of color are going to make these gray days so easy to ignore.  There will be plenty more details to come about this 24 x 24 inch painting.  In the meantime, enjoy this image and go buy your Indie Wed tickets!

One Month till V-Day

Did you know that it is one month until Valentine's Day?!  Ok, so it doesn't bring on the same anxiety and panic that "a month until Christmas" brings, but it does get you thinking about those people/things that you love.
While many will start entertaining the idea of gifts of chocolates or roses for someone that they love, I prefer to swoon over the things that I love.
These days, the phrase "things that I love" now coincides with Pinterest.  Please tell me you've heard of it.  If you haven't, I won't lecture you about it...just click on the button to the right, start following me and go from there...trust me, it's fabulous.
Since things are held up in the painting department, I thought I'd pass on some inspiration that I have fondly "pinned" on Pinterest.  Now, I've given you a month to put something together for me for V-day, so no excuses.

 I love flowers.

Source: ruffledblog.com via Loreen on Pinterest

Ok, so maybe that's an obvious one, but seriously, if I had an unlimited budget, I would wear fresh flowers everyday in some fashion.

Source: claudiablonde.tumblr.com via Loreen on Pinterest

Though I try to capture the essence of a complete bouquet, I would love for a client to one day ask me for a painting of a single flower from their bouquet....and if it could be this Dracula Raven orchid, I would be the happiest girl in the world.

I love a good tea party.

Source: greenwellies.tumblr.com via Loreen on Pinterest

How adorable are these tea cups!  I do love to host a good party and could totally see having one of these for each of my sassy girl friends to use and take home as a little party favor.  Now, what would my cup say?  Don't answer that.

I love umbrellas.

Source: google.com via Loreen on Pinterest

You can't beat a good parasol, especially if it has some character to it like these ones.  They would be just darling above my tea party!

I love the color pink.

Source: thedecorista.com via Loreen on Pinterest

As girlie as I am, I never thought I would gravitate so much toward this color.  Low and behold, I am a pink girl....have you seen my business cards?  If I had this table, it would go in my client meeting area of my luxurious office space.  Let's make it happen people.

And finally...I love food.

Source: google.com via Loreen on Pinterest

For anyone that really knows me, this is a slight understatement.  I LOVE food.  It would actually take up less space and time to tell you what I don't like as opposed to what I do like.  I don't like these little wrinkly bitter black olives.  Ok, that's it.
I did come across this sweet image and thought it was appropriate for me and my loves.  It's a darling cupcake with pink frosting that is clearly saying " Love Reenie Rose"....and get working on her Valentine's Day wishlist.  I'm just saying....

A Year in Review

Phew, we made it through the first week of 2012.
For the past couple of weeks, everyone has been reminiscing about the past year while preparing for the year ahead of us.  I would be lying if I said I wasn't doing the same.  This week has been about analyzing, reviewing and planning for 2012.  The thing is, we can't help but look back on the past in order to plan for our future.  That being said, I am going to do my part and pay gratitude to all that made 2011 possible for Reenie Rose....it only seems right and a form of good karma for 2012.
So, here's a year in review for Reenie Rose:

Kara & Mike

Florist:  Kehoe Designs

Photographer:  Rick Aguilar

 Rachel & Jason

Carrie & Bill

Florist: Event Creative

Photographer:  Studio This Is

Kelly & Andrew

Florist: Grapevine Floral

Photographer: George Street Photo & Video 

Paula Jean & Brian

Florist:  Kehoe Designs

Photographer:   Stuart Rodgers Photography 

Laura & D.R.

Florist:  Elegant Creations

Photographer:   Brad Photographers and Video 

 Maureen & Kevin

Florist: Pistil and Vine

Photographer:  Darcy Demmel Photography

Sarah & Ernest

Florist: Blumen Design

Photographer:  Jaclyn Simpson Photography

 The paintings are lovely, but the vendors I work with are fantastic.  The people I continue to surround myself with are the ones that are helping to build Reenie Rose to it's potential.  

Just think, by the end of this year, I'll have completed a full calendar's worth...and then some.  2013 Reenie Rose calendars....I like that idea.  Is it too early to place orders?