It is so hard to believe that another eleven eleven WEDDING Giveaway has come and gone – and what a wedding it was on Friday morning! The event is extremely near and dear to our hearts since it was created in 2010. This year’s exceptional event took place at The Chicago History Museum and was featured on several news outlets, including the ABC 7 News 6:00 pm broadcast and the Chicago Sun Times.
Hopefully we can speak for everyone when we say, working with the winners, Amy and Howard, was a truly exceptional experience. They are the kind of people you just want to be around all of the time; it was such a pleasure to introduce them to each of the sponsors and work with them throughout the planning process. It is important to note that none of this would be possible without the constant support from the sponsors involved in this incredible contest.
Be sure to keep an eye out for some sneak peak pictures from Amanda Hein Photography in the coming weeks!
The eleven eleven WEDDING Giveaway 2012 will be announced sometime in February so please check back often and send in those applications. As you can see, dream weddings really can come true!
You can find all of our amazing sponsors listed below. We thank them all, from the bottom of our hearts.
All images are from the Chicago Sun Times Article.
Just take a look at some of the beautiful pieces Joy Scott Millinery is creating for Amy and Howard’s eleven eleven WEDDING!! Joy has been so extremely generous with her talent and we cannot wait to see all of these beautiful ladies in their fabulous fashion!
We are so excited to see this really fun rehearsal dinner invitation from Kara at Magnificent Milestones! Don’t you love it! They are all going to have such a wondering evening at ZED451!!
I could not have been more enthusiastic in advance of my meeting with Amy & Howard, having heard so many wonderful things about them from the other 11.11 vendors. Rarely has there been a more universally-adored couple! Everyone loves working with these two, and on August 12th, it was finally my chance to learn why firsthand. Needless to say, Amy & Howard did not disappoint — their infectious enthusiasm, bubbly spirits & obvious love for each other make them an absolute joy to work with. After a chat about the event decor and their general preferences for the favors…and a bit of prodding…it was time to dive into the samples! Their initial shyness aside, once given the official green light to indulge, Amy & Howard left no truffle unturned. They (mostly) shared, argued over ‘dibs’ in a few cases, and were very enthusiastic in providing feedback & smiles!
Amy & Howard have many guests coming in from far away places in Asia to share in the celebration of their marriage alongside local friends and family, and we decided it would be best to create a favor that would appeal to, and please a diverse range of palates and cultures. So, we decided to create a custom flavor (our specialty!) with an Asian twist, and agreed that a red bean (azuki) truffle would be the perfect fit! We’ll be pairing that alongside one of our signature flavors to create the perfect cross-cultural balance! Amy & Howard loved too many of the signature flavor samples to decide on first taste, so we’re still working on narrowing down the second flavor. Perhaps a second tasting is in order?! I’m sure those two wouldn’t mind!
Our 2pc ballotin boxes will be adorned with a handmade Asian-inspired “fan” made from fine japanese paper with a ribbon sash in their fabulous colors, chocolate and robin’s egg blue! we can’t wait to see how this all comes together, and I can’t wait to see the look on Amy & Howard’s face when they try the azuki truffle!
We’ll also be working with the bride & groom to design the perfect customized bridesmaid & groomsmen gifts, using a placard design created by Kara at Magnificent Milestones that corresponds perfectly with their gorgeous Chicago-themed save-the-dates!
We feel so honored to be creating the perfect sweet finish to what is bound to be an absolutely perfect day! Amy & Howard deserve nothing less!
Poetic Productions is thrilled to be part of the eleveneleven Wedding giveaway again this year! As videographers, we don’t usually get the opportunity to create an engagement video for our couples. But, when given the chance, we jump at it.
So, last Monday, we took to the streets, specifically Museum Campus, with Amy and Howard and our super good friend Amanda Hein of Amanda Hein Photography for what turned out to be an outstanding couple of hours on the Lakefront. And even with the blazing sun and balmy temperatures, Amy and Howard, true to form, were excited and up for any crazy request thrown at them. We accomplished great things and walked what seemed like a million miles around the entire picturesque campus, from Soldier Field to the Adler Planetarium. Through it all, Amy and Howard were absolutely delightful, even though I know they must have been super hot, especially Howard, who despite his better judgment, insisted on wearing the dark suit jacket he brought along because he wanted the photos and video to look good. That’s dedication, folks!
Amy and Howard are so natural together and anyone who views this video can see that they are very much in love. When all was said and done, we had a lot of great footage, which made the task of editing very difficult. But that’s a good problem to have and one that I’m sure we will have after we shoot their wedding. Definitely looking forward to it. There’s nothing quite like spending time with happy people. Thanks Amy and Howard!
Be sure to watch the engagement video here.
We absolutely LOVED having Amy and her bridesmaids in the shop and are so excited to see everything come together in November. Our favorite part about what we do is getting to know the network of friends and family behind the bride and groom and Amy certainly has a stylish and seasoned bridal party supporting her.
It was immediately clear that I was in the presence of professionals as Cindy, Kathleen, and Jennifer hit the dressing rooms. They were speedy changers, very articulate and in perfect alignment with Amy’s vision and style preferences.
After lots of fun, laughter, and taffeta Amy and the girls selected a sophisticated Lela Rose cocktail dress in the gorgeous color Spa with a bow belt by Simple Silhouettes in Chocolate to anchor it. The girls are sure to look sensational for Amy & Howard’s big day and I was so lucky to spend an afternoon getting to know and shopping with all of them!
The link below is from the talented Amanda Hein … Be sure to watch the Stop Motion Video of the girls trying on dresses.
Bella Bridesmaid by Amanda Hein Photography from Amanda Hein Photography on Vimeo.
We are really enjoying working with Amy and Howard on their 11.11.11 wedding! I was tickled to get these reflections from Amy and Howard after our first day of planning meetings.
From The Bride’s Perspective …
We started at Magnificent Milestones. Let me start by saying that the store is amazing and beautiful. I just want to live there. The workspace is great, and it was amazing to see the literally endless amount of options they provide!! Nothing is off limits and that’s just unbelievable to me. Kara was super sweet and really went off our ideas and just ran with it! Howard put it correctly, it is like a kid in a candy store!
Next we met with Kelly from Fleur … AMAZING! Probably my favorite meeting, though all other meetings were a VERY close second. Kelly really listened to what we were thinking and took it to the next level. Never did she stray from our ideas, just enhanced it all. I loved her passion for her work and really giving us creative options for not just the bouquets, but also for the centerpieces, flower girl flowers, and the boutonnieres. Her attention to detail was amazing.
And then there is Talia from Rappatone Boutique Training. This woman is changing our lives! We are both eating better and are a thousand times more active than we’ve ever been. Howard and I are totally embracing the changes in our lives to be happier and much healthier people. She is teaching us to put fuel into our bodies, not just junk. I am absolutely loving all the organic food! And the best part is that we’re doing this together. Her advice and awesome workouts are really having us start our lives together on the right foot.
Going to Bella Bridesmaids was so much freaking fun. All the ladies are absolutely amazing. Answered all our questions, no matter how silly and really made sure that we were comfortable with our decisions. I’ve been a bridesmaid plenty of times, and this was the best and most organized bridesmaid shopping trip. And most importantly, they carry dresses that women actually want to wear again. My older sister may just order dresses just to have for special occasions!
Lastly was wedding dress shopping at Jenny Yoo! It was really great to share this time with family. I was fortunate to have my sister in laws and my niece on this shopping trip. And trying on dresses with my niece was so much fun. The ladies at Jenny Yoo were so helpful! I absolutely loved all the accessories you can add on to a dress. Totally makes it completely different with all the belts! Jenny Yoo is really my style, simple elegance, and seriously cannot wait to wear it on 11.11!
From The Groom’s Perspective …
Our first meeting was with Kara at Magnificent Milestones. This got the ball rolling on our planning and speechless is the only word that comes to mind. I was blown away with the extensive variety of invitation designs that we were asked to choose from. Basically a candy store for a little kid but for invitations. Kara was truly special…kind, warm, full of enthusiasm and she really cared about each individual detail that would ultimately form our wedding invitations. Essentially, Kara is a creative genius…period. I can’t wait to see the final product!!
Next we met with Kelly from Fleur. Within 5 minutes of meeting Kelly, I realized that we were truly blessed to have our floral arrangements designed and provided by Fleur. Even prior to discussing floral arrangements etc. Kelly’s heartfelt sincerity and love for our wedding nearly brought me to tears….(male pride is kicking in….my eyes watered…but Amy’s eyes looked like waterfalls)….from that point on, everything came together fast. Kelly took our vision and created a floral arrangement that took our breaths away. With the help of Heather and Katherine, we all collectively finalized an overall look that will represent our wedding with elegance, class and beauty. Can’t wait…
I wrapped the day up with Talia from Rappatone Boutique Training (Amy still had Jenny Yoo and Bella Bridesmaids on her agenda!). Talia was kind enough to add me to the package that she donated and for that, I will be forever grateful. Talia has changed my daily diet and that has already had a profound effect on my life. Our initial meeting consisted of a diet consultation along with defining clear goals that we wanted to achieve. She closely monitors our diet with the goal that we continue this changed lifestyle post wedding as well. Now the hard part….the workouts!!! Amazing, tough, very effective and all catered to our initial goals. The best part…Talia is an AMAZING person…she truly cares. She is sincere and as dedicated a trainer as I have ever seen in my life. She really, really cares..not much more you can ask for.
So far this experience has been exceptional! I cannot wait to meet all the other sponsors and continue our planning!
Everyone at Jenny Yoo Collection was so thankful to be asked to be a part of the 11.11.11 wedding giveaway again this year. When I met Amy and Howard at the Live Reveal party hosted by ZED451 they were so sweet and it was great to see how excited and happy they were to have won! I told Amy I was looking forward to working with her when she came to the showroom for the dress selection part. She and her family were just so wonderful to work with and such an energetic, close-knit group. Everyone was involved in the decision making process of the dress, even her cute little niece. We made sure to have some fun with it as well and sipped on champagne during the appointment. Having Amanda Hein photograph the whole experience is so wonderful so that down the line she can look back on these memories. Amy picked a beautiful bridal gown at the end of the appointment and I can’t wait to see the photos of the big day!
You can see the fun stop motion video from Amanda Hein here!
Based on my meeting with Amy and Howard, I would describe this lovely couple as fun, bubbly, and excited! We had a great time customizing their one-of-a-kind invitations in our invitation studio. Their style is clean and modern with some character…nothing too traditional.
We designed electronic, Chicago skyline save-the-dates to get the word out fast and will be sending letterpress invitations out within the next month. The invitations have a damask pattern running through it, adding a vintage feel, in combination with very modern fonts. It also has an unexpected element, a pocket neatly holding the inserts, on the reverse side of the invitation.
The couple’s venue, the gorgeous Chicago History Museum, is a unique blend of modern and vintage, so pulling all those aspects into the invitations is crucial for setting the perfect tone for this perfect couple.
