Ali Phillips in Chicago Tribune

I was so excited to see the article I was interviewed for by Emilie Le Beau for the Chicago Tribune this past Sunday in their Smart Section! We had talked about the best things to have in an emergency kit for any mishaps on the wedding day.

Click Here to see the article.

"Glamorous" Celebrity Bride

Fergie, who made Glamorous, well, "Glamorous", and Josh Duhamel tied the knot last Saturday. I LOVED their wedding invites which they handed out at the end of the night done by Lehr and Black, based out of Los Angeles.

But what I especially loved was the caricature they handed out to guests as they departed the wedding, some guests partying until 2am. What a FUN idea for a favor!

Be Prepared

Every smart girl needs to be prepared for an emergency while out and about shopping for wedding dresses or having lunch with her bridesmaids. Why not get a Swiss Army Knife for your purse? I know, I know, sounds very manly and boring but check out these cute Miss A Knife Kit. It comes in 12 different colors, to match your purse or pick your favorite color!



Chipped a nail? No worries, the Miss A Knife kit has a nail file. Snagged a hem? No worries, the Miss A Knife kit has a needle and thread. Need to open a bottle of wine in the park but don't have a corkscrew? No worries, your knife has a corkscrew. I purchased some for our wedding emergency kits we carry on the wedding day.

This adorable and very useful gadget can be purchased at the following link:
Click Here to Purchase.

Lovely Wreaths

These lovely wreaths would be perfect hung from the doors of your ceremony or reception location. Or, just to hang on your front door with your new last name's initials.

Click here to find these adorable wreaths

Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend

I had the opportunity to meet Laura Marcusse the other day from Adorn Brides. They rent fine jewelry for brides to be! What a great concept for a bride to be able to be "red carpet" ready on her wedding day! And what a fun idea for mothers of the bride or groom or even for the maid of honor (it could even be a fun gift from the bride).

You will get lost in their picture gallery featuring their products. I am trying to think of a special occasion for myself to rent something fabulous!

Cinderella Slippers

If you are a girl who hates heels and having troubles finding a shoe that looks and feels good try to find a Cinderella Slipper. Kate Spade, Vera Wang, Frech Sole, and J. Crew have great ballet shoes for weddings. You can have great shoes for your wedding and they don’t have to be heels. Making sure you feel as good as you look is just as important!



Source, J. Crew

The Flip

Make sure you put the Flip video on your wish list for the honeymoon. The Flip is the size of a camera and is just as easy to use. The Flip allows you to hold at least two hours of video. This would be a perfect gadget to bring along with you on your honeymoon to capture all those moments without dragging along a large camcorder. It is so easy to just slip it in your purse and go! I love it.

Read more about the product here!

Godiva Chocolate Wedding Favors

Everybody loves a little bite of chocolate! This is by far one of the best favors to give your wedding guests. Godiva Chocolates recently partnered with wedding cake diva, Sylvia Weinstock (who I just met, See Engage 08! Blog) and started offering treats just for weddings. The miniature three-tiered cake comes in two flavors: milk chocolate filled with dark chocolate ganache and white chocolate with hazelnut praline inside. This chocolate is not only amazing but the packaging is so appealing for any place setting. They’re packaged in cream-colored boxes tied with satin bows. It is a very simple favor and everyone will enjoy it. And it is so easy to take home and save for later.

Carnivale Chicago

Where can you go for a great rehearsal dinner in Chicago? Look no further than Carnivale. Here you can spice up your party by renting one of their private rooms for you and your guest. They have rooms for all kinds of party sizes. Their authentic soulful cuisine will put you in paradise. Here you can pick from Puerto Rican, Mexican, Colombian, Brazilian, and many more Latin American foods. Not only is the food amazing but also the colors featured throughout the restaurant are perfect for a fun get together! This restaurant would be a great place to eat, chat, and share a few of their famous mojito’s before the big day. The thing that I love most about the restaurant (other than the food and colors), is the SPACE! All the rooms are large enough to accommodate at least a party of 40 guests, if not more. The live music after dinner will get you and your party dancing in no time. Carnivale is a top location to take your guests for a wonderful celebration.

Also, if you don’t want to have the traditional church wedding, think about having the ceremony and reception here! In the past Carnivale has hosted gorgeous weddings and receptions. All you need to bring are good friends to go along with the great atmosphere.

For Your Party

Check this great website out! For Your Party.

I can not even remember where I saw this website online but I just adore this site for things like placecards, table numbers, gift bags and pretty much anything paper that can really add to the style of your wedding. And who does not want stir sticks or little wooden skewers with your new intials on them?

Here are some of their cute products below. Go there NOW and enjoy shopping for all the great things you can customize to fit your wedding style and colors!

Raj Tents

If you are looking for lavish tent décor look no further than Raj Tents. Raj tents are best known for their Moroccan and Indian themed tenting and décor. This is best for client that want an extravagant look. They offer a mix of fabulous fabrics that create memorable tents. Raj offers brilliant colors as well as soft sophisticated ivories for a beach theme. It is a world of wonder when you step into these heavenly tents. It is a different way to add beauty to the event and get your guests intrigued. If you you’re your wedding to stand out, be sure to check these striking tents. You can view them in many magazines such as Vogue, Modern Bride, Elegant Bride and more. Make sure to check out the website.

Eleni's Adorable Cookie Collection

I LOVE the cookies you can get on Eleni's website. Check out the cute cookies you could have on pretty silver trays on the table at your bridesmaid luncheon! Or what a cute gift for a hostess for your wedding shower! Click here to see the I Do! collection.

Your Mom's Wedding Dress?

If you really wanted to try and wear that gorgeous wedding gown your mother wore on her day, but it doesn’t fit you right. Don’t worry, go dress shopping with your mom and get your own. After a perfect day trying on a ton of dresses ask her if it would be ok to take parts of her wedding dress to wrap your flowers in. This might seem as a shock to her, but tell her how honored you would be to have it be apart of your special day.

The idea came from a girl who’s mother passed away years before she got married and found that the dress was just taking up storage space and collecting dust. It meant more to her than any other accessory that day!

Different Idea for Guest Book

Do something different for your guest sign in table. Pick a signature platter at Say Anything Ceramics instead of a guest book for your guests to sign. How fun to add to your new kitchen collection and remember all those who celebrated with you for years to come when you pull out a platter with everyone's well wishes!

Cool Hair Pieces

Wondering how to keep your ceremony looking traditional yet add some flare to your reception? Think no harder, try using your mother’s veil that she wore on her wedding day or having your own one specially made. When it comes to taking pictures or getting introduced to your guest at the reception, slip off the veil and clip on this dazzling hair piece to complement your wedding day hair style!

Chandelier Earrings

If you are not sure what to piece of jewelry to give your bridesmaids for your wedding day, why not finish off a simple sleek dress with Pear Drop Chandelier earrings? This is a really cool vintage look for not only the bridesmaids but for the bride herself! I have seen these at a wedding and the girls just sparkle. As for the bride, if you want to keep it simple at the church, don your chandelier earrings for just the reception!

These and more fun accessories can be found by hitting this link.

Jaclyn's Favorite Cake

This is Jaclyn's pick for a post. She LOVES this cake she found on theknot.com's website. She loves how classic and pretty it is!

Jaclyn works for Engaging Events by Ali as a wedding consultant assistant!

Great idea for Groomsmen Gifts

What a great idea from Clever Cufflinks, a company in Chicago that specializes in custom made cufflinks in sterling silver, gold and bronze. What a fun idea for groomsmen gifts. You can make each one unique or pick from their stock of cufflinks or create custom cufflinks based on the likes and personalities of each individual groomsmen.

And brides, what a cute idea as a gift for your new husband to wear cufflinks on yur wedding night with your wedding logo etched into the cufflinkS!

Wedding Gift Boxes

I LOVE these wedding gift boxes from Estilo Weddings.



Place on your gift table and you can make your envelope box appear almost like a gift! You can also work with Estilo to create custom wedding gift boxes but they also have a stock of fun ones to chose from.

On their website they also have adorable cupcake holders, items for your ceremony, favor ideas and packaging, gifts for your bridesmaids and so much more!

This is a great website as well for pretty jewelry for yourself or for your friends to say thank you for being there for you on your special day.

Toppers with Glitz

Looking for a fun idea to add some "bling" to your wedding cake and customize it with a monogram? Toppers with Glitz is a great website to check out! They create custom designed cake topper initials for your wedding cake. You can even supply the font from your wedding program to be created into your new monogram! Or, you can even have your wedding date on the top of your cake. There are a variety of colored crystals to chose from!

What a fun idea for your wedding cake top in lieu of flowers!