This Room 1520 wedding was so elegant yet simple and modern yet classic – it’s one of our recent favorites. While we’re waiting to get the professional photos to come in, we wanted to share this quick peek at the beautiful ceremony and some of the pretty details of the event.

Stay tuned for more photos as we get them and don’t miss all the lovely details and stunning decor and florals.

Be sure to visit venue website for more information:  Room 1520

Just a few weeks ago, we were part of a whimsical, DIY wedding at Architectural Artifacts. The couple was really fun and artsy and the wedding ceremony and reception was brimming with personal details and meaningful, DIY touches that really showcased their personalities for their Big Day.

Our part included using natural ivory linen fabric to soften the urban, loft-like setting of the venue. We created beautiful swags of fabric by the roll-up metal doors, blocking the back areas of the entry to create a more clean look for pictures, when the family and bride walked down the stairs. Architectural Artifacts also features a two-story atrium, where the ceremonies are held, so from ledges on the second floor we suspended dozens of Asian lanterns which created a more intimate setting for the ceremony. You’ll see the lanterns were a big hit with the guests.

We also loved the idea of terrariums lining the aisle – each sat on a square piece of wood. It was an elegant and unique touch that we haven’t seen before.

Scroll through the photos for all the whimsical details.

Inquire with the venue about your event: Architectural Artifacts.

Our work was recently part of this lovely wedding at the Zhou B Art Center. This multi-purpose building is at once one of the city’s most vibrant and artistic wedding and event venues and art gallery. The ground floor is a massive, blank canvas of a space that transforms to accomodate any event with the city’s most cutting edge art on it’s walls.

Founded by and named after the Zhou brothers, who are some of the most visible artists working today in America, the converted multi-story building also houses a cafe and several stories’ worth of artists studios where some of the city’s top and up-coming talent creates the work that hangs in the space.

This wedding had us use gobos and light with the idea of bringing a touch of the doors indoors – we hung colorful Asian lanterns and used bright orange panels of fabric at the entry to make a bold and lively statement as the guests walked in to celebrate. We had fun working on this wedding – take a look below!  

Be sure to visit venue website to learn more – be sure to schedule a tour. Zhou B Art Center.

Recently, Room 1520 hosted the 4th iteration of what’s become one of our favorite events in the industry. Titled “Flower, Flow, Flour, Fresh” the party was both fun & irreverent. That evening, over a hundred couples mixed and mingled with dozens of industry professionals who showcased the very best of all aspects of the wedding industry.

The highlight was of course the nearly a dozen bakeries who were paired with dress-makers, with each station having even more decadent and delicious treats than the last – the most interesting part was having the dresses suspended about the treat stations.

Our role was creating the lounge settings and the atmospheric decor throughout the space – we hung a luxe canopy over the central area in a gold & silver material that matched both the space and the logo for the event. At the very back of the space, we created a beautiful lounge setting with platinum fabric and gold spheres and gold detailing.

Maypole Studios was on hand to take the photos – scroll through and share your thoughts in the comments.

Art of Imagination owner, Deborah, on the far right, with Leah from Room 1520, Debi Lilly and Joshua, of Pure Kitchen Catering. 

Mercury glass was all over – as the light dimmed, it sparkled and glimmered – so very pretty! Below is the lounge setting we created for the event, with the fish-wire suspended gold wire spheres.   

Larkspur was on-hand to showcase their amazing bouquets.   

Bethany, from Maypole Studios, goofing around with Mina Lee of Swan Events, Joshua from Pure Kitchen Catering and June, of Room 1520.Another fun shot – they’re clearly having a blast! Kudos to all the vendors who were a part of event. From the top of our head – here are some of the vendors that participated – be sure to check them out.

Debi Lilly  |  Pure Kitchen  |  Baked  |  St. Germain  |  Room 1520  |  Shutterbooth  |  Maypole Photography  |  Larkspur  | Chicago Earth  |  SpeedPro Chicago

Bridgeport Art Center is a recent addition to the ever-growing number of loft-like wedding venues, but it’s a definite stand out. The long and expansive space is a beautiful setting for any number of events, weddings included, and for this most recent event we were a part of, the couple had us flood the space with red light all along the perimeter, creating an unforgettable glow.

In the middle, we created a soft & romantic fabric backdrop with swags at the top, creating a beautiful focal point, where they sat their cake in front of a floral arch.

For the event, the groom had custom beer made for the guests to enjoy – it was a real hit.

Scroll through the photos.Before and after the table setup – we love how the space glows with the warm tones of the wood floors and ceiling.

We loved this whimsical flower arch made of curly willow and flowers. 

The east-facing windows provide an unmatched view of the downtown area that really lights up the space. The custom beer handles with the labels and signage. What a great way to personalize an event.

Visit the venue website to learn more: Bridgeport Art Center.

We were recently a part of a posh birthday celebration at Room 1520, subtitled “Faithful, Fit & Fabulous” – the event was thrown in honor of a very special lady who was celebrating her 50th birthday with all her closest friends and family.

For the event, we washed Room 1520 with a beautiful, light shade of green. We used various shades of gold and brown to create accents throughout the space. We even created VIP lounge areas for her guests to mix and mingle – one right next to the photobooth to the left of the stairs by the entry, and another at the far end of the space, next to the band, with a huge swag of fabric overhead and a dozen of hanging crystal votives, which created a big focal point for the entire space. Over the dance floor, we hung an overhead swag in a matching gold shade and projected moving water overhead, which was a big hit with all the guests.

Scroll through the photos & share your thoughts in the comments.

Photobooth: Shutterbooth    

Earlier this year, we were part of the Chez Crown 2013 – the Arie Crown’s Got Talent event at the Aragon Ballroom. The event was a celebration of the Arie Crown Hebrew Day School and we were glad to have been a part of the event.

The famous and historic Aragon ballroom, built in 1926, was originally designed to replicate a Spanish palace courtyard, complete with crystal chandeliers, mosaic tiles, terra-cotta ceilings, balconies and beautiful arches. While the space is most famous for hosting huge concerts of up to 4,500 people, it also plays host to a wide array of events of every size. To accomodate this talent event, we brought in a wide array of light, using some of the tricks we learned from theatrical lighting to welcome the guests and create a stunning setting for the talent portion of the event.

Starts were a theme throughout, an idea we played up on with our light & decor. We used teal and blues matched to the luxe invites sent to each guests and tied it all together in the main ballroom. As part of the event, the restaurant sponsors set up booths in the hallway leading into the main space – in this area we lined the walls with a soft teal color, and projected stars all along the way to match the decor inside the ballroom.

Scroll through the photos below –

Our office looked great all set up for the Bridal Gown Giveaway announcement party. All of us at Art of Imagination loved the small, intimate affair for 30 guests. We mingled with the finalists, sipped on champagne and enjoyed sushi by Thalia Spice and sweets by BomBon.

Take a look at the detail shots, especially for the gorgeous floral decor by Juliet Tan. 

Jenny Yoo, of course, provided a sample dress for the event. The winner will get to choose any dress from the collection, along with either a pin or sash. 

Juliet Tan provided the floral decor for the party and gave each couple a take-home centerpiece to enjoy. 

We also had fun, luxe goodie bags filled by all the vendor partners as an extra bonus for entering the competition and coming out that night to celebrate.

Sweets by Bonbon.

Thank you to all our vendors for helping make the announcement event a success: Fotio, Thalia Spice, Juliet Tan, Left Bank Bridal Finery, Crowne Plaza Hotel, BomBon Bakery and Maypole Photography for taking the photos. And Jenny Yoo for inspiring the giveaway.

We loved having Fotio in our office for the announcement party. The booth-less photo booth was a real blast to have. Fotio took up almost no space, and was ready to take photos within just a few minutes. All night our guests were taking photos with the booth – and seeing the slideshow on the back of the monitor was great too.

Not having to wait for a printout meant we all could take more pictures! Scroll through for some of our favorites, and see the rest of the set on our Facebook page.

Deborah with Juliet Tan.     

Jeanette, on the right, and her assistant, from Jenny Yoo.

Our lucky winners pose with the big check. They won a $3,300 credit to be used toward any dress from the collection, and either a pin or a sash.

Bethany, a photographer, loved the photo booth too!Thank you, Fotio for a fun & lovely evening.

Just recently, Art of Imagination hosted 30 guests at our creative offices as we announced the winner for our Bridal Gown Giveaway. The promotion ran for 6 weeks, where we let engaged couples nominate themselves to win a luxurious bridal gown from Jenny Yoo – all they had to do was share their creativity and how imagination is to play a role in their big day.

Dozens of couples entered and we then picked a select few, who had to then gather enough votes to decide who would win what prize. In the end, over 4,500 people voted and we had a clear winner. To announce the winners, we invited the couples and their friends to our office – that night our vendor friends lavished the couples with gifts, while sipping champagne and enjoying sushi and snacks.

It was a lovely evening – scroll through for the photos and stay tuned for photos of the details and decor.

We started the evening off right with a toast of champagne before the couples arrived.

Jenny Yoo was represented with Chicago store manager, Jeanette and her assistant.  

Our top contestants – each had a lively story to go with their submission that stood out from the rest of the entries. They were easy picks and we weren’t surprised they were getting so many votes!

Deborah gets ready to announce the winners by thanking the couples for entering.  

Our second place winner was very happy – her venue will be beautified with a credit towards lighting and decor from Juliet Tan and Art of Imagination.         

Susan from the Left Bank Bridal Finery was on hand to help announce the winner of the prize from her shop. 

Deborah and Jeanette about to announce the grand prize winner. Art of Imagination owner, Deborah with Thalia Spice owner, Vincent.

A big thank you to Maypole Studios for taking the photos.