Our decor ideas were recently featured on ABC7 as part of their DIY Oscar Party planning segment. Click image to watch the segment or scroll through for our decor ideas.

1. Creating the red carpet and backdrop with props next to it so they can add special touches:
– take photos with guests’ smart phones and post to Instagram
– Winner will be announced for Best Dressed by whoever gets the most likes and/or comments
– Have a red runner (pick up from a party store); backdrop

2. Décor: Candles – candles and more candles
Make custom candles with printed velum inside listing the movies up for Academy Awards.

These are the items you need:
– 1-12″ clear glass cylinder
– 1-frosted vellum paper that already has a color copy of the Oscar statue printed on from a home printer
– LED light which you can buy at a craft store or even Home Depot
– scissors
– double-sided tape
– pencil

Instructions:
You take the vellum and wrap it around the outside of the cylinder to determine the size needed then mark it with a pencil- cut it evenly and with the double sided tape adhere it to the front of the cylinder. Place the glass cylinder upright then drop in the LED light and voila…you have your own illuminate Oscar for the night which can serve as a take home gift!

All you creative brides have something else to look forward to in our Bridal Gown Giveaway – our friends at the Crowne Plaza Metro Hotel  have graciously agreed to be a part of our giveaway. A complimentary stay will be a prize to one of our top six runners up. In case you need to be reminded, all we need to know is how you brides are bringing Imagination and Creativity to your Special Day – you can either fill out the form, contact us or tweet us at @art_imagination.

We’ve had so much interest in these two weeks – and we hope this extra perk will be just the push some of those DIY brides on our blog will need to enter.

All you creative brides have something else to look forward to in our Bridal Gown Giveaway – our friends at the Left Bank Jewelry & Bridal Finery are now part of our giveaway – with both our winner and runner-up each receiving a lovely surprise along with their prizes from Jenny Yoo. A pair of earrings and a bracelet are up for grabs in our giveaway – all we need to know is how you brides are bringing Imagination and Creativity to your Special Day – you can either fill out the form, contact us or tweet us at @art_imagination.

Calling all brides!  Share your imagination and win a beautiful gown from Jenny Yoo Bridal Collection. Each and every day we are inspired by the creativity of our brides who continue to find fresh and exciting ways to showcase their personalities for their special day. To reward all you creative, imaginative brides, we have partnered with the Jenny Yoo Collection in giving away one of their luxurious gowns valued at up to $3,000 and other prizes.

Entering is easy – visit our Bridal Gown Giveaway page to submit your registration. All brides have until March 4th to submit their inspired designs, DIY tips, whimsical touches and more. Be sure to include the following information

• Basic Contact Info

• Answer how are you bringing creativity and imagination to your wedding day in 500 words or less.

• Submit a photo of you and your fiancé

• You have the option to also submit a video story via YouTube.

Six of the most creative entries showcasing their creative ideas will be selected by our Creative Team and posted on our website. To find the winner, it will be up to the finalists to gather votes from friends and family. In return, we are throwing a fabulous Announcement Party on April 4 at our Creative Offices in the West Loop – where the finalists will bring their fiancee and up to four guests and enjoy bites and champagne as the announcements are made. That night, one lucky bride will win the $3,000 gown but everyone will be a winner that night with additional prizes furnished by our sponsors.

This recent Stan Mansion wedding reception remains one of our recent favorites. Artfully captured by the very talented Bethany of Maypole Studios, you can see from the photos how the event effortlessly captured the personalities of the couple. The two were so fun – dancing and having a great time until the very last.

Using a striking black and red palette, the couple was not afraid of color, creating lots of contrast with their centerpieces and decor. The overall look gave the room so much lively energy. We brought in bright red draping around the focal center stage area with pink uplighting and amber branch projections that created a strong focal point for the entire space and complemented the manzanita branch centerpieces by Cattleya Bridal. Along with the stage, we also created a dramatic entryway display in a matching red fabric.

The manzanita branch centerpieces by Cattleya also included vivid red flowers on the branches and beautiful hanging votives – a modern and elegant look that alternated with a collection of hurricane votives with submerged matching flowers. There were, of course, lots of candles throughout and red everywhere one looked.

Scroll through the photos and let us know what you think in the comments below.

This dramatic place card table greeted the guests as     

The groom was very stylish with his Ohio-themed tie pin and cufflinks made from vintage CTA subway tokens. And below, the bride had the most fun, with these pint-sized entertainers who helped get everyone on the dancefloor.

Photos by Bethany of Maypole Studios. Visit Stan Mansion website to inquire today. Florals by Juliet of Cattleya Bridal.

This Stan Mansion wedding reception turned our so beautifully. While we have the privilege of working with all the couples that book the venue as part of our exclusive event decor and event production privileges, we loved working with this couple who were so obviously having a lot of fun all throughout the planning process. Of course, this only made our jobs that much easier. They had lots of fun and inventive ideas for their special day and it clearly showed. Purple was the main color throughout the evening and hues and shades of lavenders as well as purples dotted the evening.

Our part was creating the dramatic stage fabric display and uplighting, providing a centerpiece to the entire evening. We also created a beautiful display of crepe-back satin fabric – which guests walked through as they walked up the stairs to the main room. On the landing they were greeted by our crepe-back satin fabric, leading them up to a touching display of family wedding photos from several generations. This fabric display, although a small touch compared to the rest of the decor was important, setting the mood and stage for the evening, letting guests know right away they were entering a special place.

In the main space, aside from the central stage, we created washes of purple throughout, with overlaid projections of branch patterns for a softer look that complemented the purple uplighting. Be sure to scroll through the pictures and leave your thoughts in the comments below.

Photos courtesy of Stan Mansion. Photography by Husar Photography. Florals by Cattleya Bridal.

The many beautiful, historic venues in Chicago provide endless inspiration for our work and today we are examining the history of one of our venue partners – the stunning and storied Stan Mansion in Logan Square. It took over a century for this Masonic Lodge to become the unique wedding venue that it is today – this is a brief look back at that journey.

Facing the historic Logan Square boulevard, the mansion is a part of the 2 1/2 miles of the Logan Square Historic District, an area that has remained virtually unchanged for 100 years. The homes that line the boulevards were never converted into rooming houses or low rent apartments like other parts of the City and have retained most of their beautiful woodwork, stained glass windows and original charm.

The building was built in 1921 during the area’s greatest years. Just a few years earlier, in 1918, Illinois celebrated its centennial. That year, a classical columnar monument topped with an eagle was commissioned. Logan Square, being one of the most influential neighborhoods in the state, was selected as the site for this memorial – this landmark is now the symbol of the neighborhood and is just steps away from the venue.

What’s most impressing is that the grandiose building was built in just six months. Built to house a chapter of the Knights Templar, the building remained a masonic lodge for a majority of it’s years until the neighborhood saw a decline. Years later, Cera Stan and her husband bought the building and from then on Cera took on the maintenance and restoration of the building, including a recent and complete refresh in 2012 that finally returned the building to it’s original splendor.

In the few years since opening it’s doors, the Stan Mansion has become a highly successful and popular wedding and event venue, where the historic elegance, the large capacity and many options for customizing events have drawn couples and corporate clients of every kind. You can see some of these events in this blog and in the venue page – leave your thoughts in the comments below.

A brochure from 1928, featuring the building and the venue today. Historic photos courtesy of Stan Mansion. Venue photo by Adrian Nastase.