Exquisite Wedding's Blog

What I love about my job?

Alexandra Jusino — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 16:45:21 +0000

People ask me what I love about my job and I say it’s two things. No event is ever the same and the couples I get to call clients. I’m lucky that I get to meet some very interesting people from all walks of life. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting lots of lawyers, doctors, teachers, day traders, consultants, nurses, jewelry designers, computer geeks, socialites, real estate agents, heirs (yep to Coca Cola and the Taj Mahal Hotels), librarians, NFL players, wine distributors, pastry chefs and accountants to just name a few. I’ve always believed that you can learn something new from everyone, every single day. All you have to do is ask.

A few things that will always stay with me is….. Not everything is rosy for an NFL player, emergency room doctors tend to get very nervous when it’s time to get married (shocking right?), what two emergency rooms in Chicago can handle everything under the sun and I finally was able to learn what all those books at a law library are really for. I’ll spare you the really juicy stuff.

One of my all time favorite clients were what I call ” The FBI Agents”. My first meeting with them was rather odd. They just sat there. Never asked any questions while I talked to them and tried to pry things out of them. All I could think of was “Wow this meeting is going down hill quickly”. At the end of our meeting the groom told me “We’ve done a background check on you. Your references checked and you are hired. We just wanted to personally meet with you before we moved forward” Now you must understand I never shared any references with these folks prior to our meeting! But somehow they were able to check up on them and of course at that time I didn’t know who my clients really were. Over time, I figured it all out. They had a lovely wedding at Cafe Brauer exactly four years ago. To Lia & The Iceman…. Happy Anniversary!

The FBI Agents

Photo Credit: Jennifer Mordini

There was so much more about these two to tell. But just know they both work really hard and they take good care of all of us every single day.

Chicago Wedding at the River East Art Center

Alexandra Jusino — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 15:26:46 +0000

Definitely one of the most fun weddings we’ve had in a long time. Last Saturday we were honored to plan Jennifer and Jean Nat’s wedding at the River East Arts Center with some of our favorite vendors. We played with yellows, limes, blacks and whites for a playful but also elegant look. The clients wanted a very fun and progressive event were guests could dance, mingle, eat and enjoy libations thru out the night therefore we opted for a few food stations.

Floral and decor provided by Kehoe Designs.

We will post professional pictures at a later time. Until then, we hope you enjoy these as much as we enjoyed planning this wedding.

Quick Fire Post ~ Queen for a Day

Alexandra Jusino — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 14:00:34 +0000

Do you ever ask yourself why do brides wear something blue on their wedding day? Or why do all the guests are asked to rise when a bride walks down the aisle?

The simple answer is on their wedding day a bride gets to be “queen for a day”. Blue is the color of royalty and guests rising from their seats as a bride walks down the aisle is a way to honor her on her wedding day.

To all brides out there….Enjoy your reign as short as it may be.

Blue Soled Bridal Shoes by Christian Louboutin

Entertainment at Weddings ~ Switch it up!

Alexandra Jusino — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 21:46:38 +0000

We all love a good band or a DJ at a wedding, because let’s face it… what’s a good wedding without amazing music. But I’m here to tell you that you can switch it up at weddings and add a little more interest to your entertainment for the evening. Here are a few ideas you can steal!

A. Add performers such as fire dancers or Cirque du Soleil acrobats. You will have to take some additional precautions and take on additional insurance but it’s definitely worth it.

Fire Performers

B. Caricaturists, it’s cost effective and a great keepsake that will most likely end up on your guest’s wall vs. the garbage can with the rest of the trinkets.

C. Photobooths, we really like Shutterbooth. They bring props, in addition to a scrapbook (forget the boring sign in guest book that you will never look at in your lifetime) and they can even provide you a CD with pictures after the wedding.

D. Flipbooks, what’s old is new! It works when your guests make small movements over 6 second duration, while the video camera captures 60 individual shots of their movement. These get printed, collated, and stapled together. The final product is your own “little story” and created in five minutes.

What other types of entertainment will you provide at your wedding?

Alice in Wonderland

Alexandra Jusino — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 14:00:24 +0000

I’ve always as myself how can we incorporate our client’s personalities into their weddings and also do something a little different from the usual. After all we want guests to say “I’ve never seen it before” or “I’ve never experienced anything like it”. Something different can be a simple as changing the shape of the tables from the usual round tables. Have you ever thought of borrowing a few ideas from Alice in Wonderland and using long head tables and bold colors as inspiration? Here are a few pictures from a past tradeshow that may just do the trick.

Photo Credit: Barnett Photo

Going Green!

Alexandra Jusino — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 14:00:44 +0000

I was looking at past industry tradeshows and came upon a picture of this tablescape. The look of green and white is always stunning. There is a little more to this tablescape …. Notice the leaves covering the tablecloth. It’s a tablecloth made out of leaves! I certainly wouldn’t suggest you do all your tables with this treatment as it is labor intensive (and it could get costly) but do use it in one focal piece. The escort card table is one table were you should do one focal (as I like to say shock and awe) arrangement.

Photo Credit: Barnett Photo

Selecting flowers that will make it during the hot summer months

Alexandra Jusino — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 14:00:07 +0000

It is hot out there and it is always a good idea to select flowers for your bridal and bridesmaids bouquets that will stand the heat of the summer months. Here are a few of my favorites that can take a little abuse!

Orchids ~ Just about any kind of orchids can take the hot weather. My favorites are mokaras and denodobrium orchids.

Purple Vanda Orchids

Calla Lilies ~ Available in white, pink, mango, dark burgundy and canary yellow. The look great by themselves or as an accent to any bridal bouquet.

Red Calla Lilies Bouquet

Roses ~ The mighty rose comes in every color under the rainbow. Not only it’s a hearty flower but also fragrant. It can’t get any better than that.

White Roses Bridal Bouquet

Although these flowers can take the hot weather and humidity during these summer months… be kind to them and don’t set them up for total failure.

Flowers by Season

Alexandra Jusino — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 17:00:46 +0000

If you would like to get the most milage out of your floral and decor budget it is best that you use seasonal flowers. I love peonies and tulips in mid September but it’s just not the best choice for that time of the year. Here are a few guidelines on the flowers by season along with a few pretty but rather inexpensive unusual suspects.

Spring

Cherry blossoms, hellborous, mimosas, camellias, dogwood, hyacinth, lilac, lily of the valley, hydrangea, peony, tulip

daffodil, forsythia, viburnum, sweet pea, larkspur, freesias, poppies, ranunclus and pansies

Summer

Asiatic lily, black-eyed Susan, cosmos, delphinium, larkspur, hydrangea, rose, sunflower, zinnia

cosmos, cockscomb, daisy, garden roses, rudbeckia, viburnum, gardenia, pansy, poppy and Asters

Fall

Hydrangea, ornamental berries, rose, sunflower, Autumn foliage, dahlia, celosia

Chrysanthemum, cosmos, coreopsis, Gerber daisy and lisianthius

Winter

Dried flowers, evergreens, paperwhites, ornamental berries (holly & snow berries), seedpods, amaryllis, jasmines,

peonies and tulips

Seasonless (All Regions)

Anemone, calla lily, Casablanca lily, Rose, forced bulbs, freesia, gardenia, ivies, lily of the valley, Garden rose, ranunculus,

Sarracenia (pitcher plant), Stargazer lily, stephanotis, vines, Orchids

The Unusual Suspects

The unusual suspects that are sometimes forgotten but are absolutely beautiful.

Billy Balls, Mimosas, Anemones, dahlias, football mums, delphiniums, nerines and bells of ireland.

Photo Credit: Rodrigo Moreno for WedLuxe Magazine

On which side should your guests sit at the ceremony?

Alexandra Jusino — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 14:00:34 +0000

The correct answer is… it depends.

Catholic or Christian Ceremony

Bride’s Family and Friends are seated at the left side of the aisle

Groom’s Family and Friends are seated to the right side of the aisle

Jewish Ceremony

Bride’s Family and Friends are seated at the right side of the aisle

Groom’s Family and Friends are seated to the left side of the aisle

Indian Ceremonies

It doesn’t really matter , sit wherever you like!

Quick Fire Blog Post ~ { Wedding Dress Codes Formality }

Alexandra Jusino — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 14:30:10 +0000

Ever wondered if there was anything more formal than a black tie affair? Well, there is. It’s a white tie wedding. White tie weddings occur only after dark (therefore around 8PM in the summer) or after five o’clock whichever comes first.

So here is from most formal to not so formal…

White Tie ~ Ball Gowns for the Ladies and White Tie and Tails for the gentlemen

Black Tie ~ Long Dresses for the Ladies and Black Tuxedos for the gentlemen

Semi Formal ~ Cocktail Dresses for the Ladies and Dark Suits for the gentlemen

When in doubt what to wear for a wedding… dress up!