Hello ladies and gents! We are back from Indie Wed and have to report how amazing the show was. All the vendors were utterly fantastic and I got to meet so many new faces.
Brides, grooms, moms and bloggers were out in full-force and we had a very full both most of the day. It was great hearing people's stories and talking about to many potential ideas - I'm still trying to take it all in.
John and I posing with Smitten Sticks created by photographer Edyta Syzszlo and Le Papier Studio
Here's the design plan we came up with for the booth and table, which looking back now was a great way to make sure things went according to plan. With nearly 1,000 people in attendance, we wanted to really make a signature impact!
For the show, we created a fictional couple, Natalie and Nicolas and designed the environment inspired by those amazing painted juice glasses from my inspiration board.
Since we were really trying to focus on creating an intimate environment, the right wall was kept fairly empty - aside from showcasing the chalk drawn living room scene. We created a custom monogram for our couple - as the first piece of the identity for the event and it was placed front and center of the right wall, surrounded by photos of the bride and groom's families.
The table was set with a slightly shimmer ivory linen topped with a gorgeous red and gold paper and gold scarf. Since my color palette was mainly oranges and reds, I wanted the impact of a soft aqua for contrast - which was used for the napkins at each setting.
Gold rimmed wine goblets, feminine ivory colored plates and vintage silverware were the basics for the settings - to incorporate ambiance and color, we added in votive candles and berry flavored lemonade in pretty glass bottles.
Almost all of the items were locally purchased - in Chicago (and we spent two days pre-show running errands all over town). My best choice was working with a local florist - Beth Barnett of Larkspur who is a sheer genius. I sent along some inspiration images and we discussed the arrangements a few times over the telephone. She 100% captured the very natural and textural feel I was after. In total, we did two medium sized arrangements on the rectangular table and one bud vase for the small round table that held our portfolio book.
Tip: One thing you should totally consider when working with any florist is to talk about providing your own containers. It's a great way to impart your personality - and perhaps might even save you some money. Think about items you use everyday - water glasses, tins, milk bottles, old teacups, etc.
On the left-hand wall, we strung red and white cupcakes liners into decorative garlands (based on Jillian's tutorial) and showcased our custom printed goods with a blue glittery sign. All the stationery was attached to horizontally placed ribbons with miniature clothesline clips, which allowed us to take things off and show brides more detail.
On the tables, we continued Natalie and Nicolas' story by creating a few key pieces: there was an invitation featuring their custom monogram - along with kraft paper envelope (a perfect compliment to the walls!) Each plate had a circular menu - featuring a slight modification of the monogram and an illustration of their multi-flavor wedding cake.
Favors were sea salt chocolate covered caramels. They were placed on top of mini candy wrappers, in a pattern that perfectly mimicked the cupcakes garland. We placed three in each clear box, which we lined in gold paper. The boxes were taped closed with a aqua and white striped ribbon and were labeled at the top with guests name and table number - in essence serving double duty as favors and place cards! The entire table was completed with table number signs based on the previously mentioned monogram.
I just wanted to take a second and thank my wonderful husband who was not only my driver and weekend traveling companion, but he also helped me install and man the booth the entire day. I was super exhausted after nearly 10 hours on my feet - but without his help it would not have happened as seamless as it did. Special thanks to my friends Christina and Matt who not only let us take over their house for an entire weekend, but provided endless amazing food, conversation and help when we most desperately needed it.
And thanks to each of you brides and grooms who we met. We're still answering emails and very exciting at working with some of you to help showcase your own beautiful wedding. Chicago is a really wonderful town and we feel so fortunate that it greeted us with open hearts and arms!
For more great photos, check out these links....
Indie Wed by Mary Kate Mc Kenna and 2010 Indie Wed Chicago and Thoroughly Modern Medusa and Indie Elegance and Indie Wed + Elvis
P.S. For all the New York area brides to be - be sure to enter our Lucky in Love Challenge. I'm already so overjoyed seeing how many entries we've already received!!
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Sources for all supplies and materials
March 23, 2010 
