Brad and Maeve

We Have A Caterer! December 27, 2011

Maeve and I have crossed another item off the incredibly long to-do list. We now have a caterer for the special day. The two of us met with a half dozen caterers in the area and then finally decided on two that we wanted to have a tasting with. Both of the tastings were great but the caterer that really won us over was Food For Thought. Although they were a bit of a larger organization them some of the other caterers we met with, they seemed to be much more accommodating to what we wanted and also brought some great ideas to the table, which is something I felt was really important. Maeve and I had never planned a wedding before so we were very open to many ideas that the seasoned professionals had.

From what we tried at the tasting, you can count on the food being great. I posted a few photos on my posterous page but that’s just a small sample of what you’re going to see at the wedding. For all our vegetarian friends, we didn’t forget about you. It’s not all pork belly and blood sausage… the tofu and mushroom tacos are fantastic and you’ll likely see me enjoying more of those during dinner.

With the caterer out of the way that is one of the last critical decisions we have to deal with. We can’t wait to share this very special day with you, so stay tuned for more information.

We Have A Florist! November 20, 2011

Maeve and I decided on a florist this week for our wedding. This was an area of the wedding that we are the least knowledgable in. Neither Maeve or I know much about flowers. So we needed to make sure we went with someone who understood our style and wasn’t out of our price range. As well as someone who was going to bring us some ideas for what would work with the space at Salvage One. The two of us met with a florist at Asrai Garden a couple weeks ago and had a great experience. Maeve had talked to a few other florists via email but Asrai Garden was the only one we met with in person. This meeting and the outstanding yelp reviews sold us on using them for our flowers. It was also great that they were local in our neighborhood. We love supporting local businesses when we can. Although they are a little more expensive then we would have liked, we know they are going to do a great job.

What To Do With A Wedding Dress? November 13, 2011

Erin from Unclutter.com answered reader Allie question about what to do with a wedding dress. What to do with a wedding dress is often a polarizing topic. It charges up emotions in people who are married, people who have been married but aren’t currently, and even people who aren’t married but have inherited their mothers’ gowns and/or their grandmothers’ gowns. [ Read More ]

Wedding Photographer October 20, 2011

We found a great photographer for our wedding! With under a year til the big day we knew getting the photographer booked early was an important step. The good ones are busy so we knew we wanted to get this taken care of right away. We looked through a ton of photographers websites and portfolios. Similar to buying a home or a condo, after a while they all start to look the same… But when you finally come across the right one it just clicks. You want someone who takes great photos and you feel comfortable working with. The photographer that clicked for us was Jeremy Lawson. He has worked at Salvage One a number of times which was important to us since the venue is so unique we wanted someone that knew that space really well. Also he had a great look to all this photos that seemed to fit our style. I personally loved that he posts regularly on his blog featuring images from the wedding he shoots. Its awesome for all your guests to see some of the photos without you having to give them a special link or showing them a photo album.

We’re happy to have checked one more thing off our list and we’re sure Jeremy Lawson will take some awesome photos for us. 2:07

Less Than A Year October 18, 2011

It’s hard to believe but the wedding date is creeping closer and closer and Maeve and I are now less than a year from the big date… just 353 days away. With lots to get done I’ll be working on a more appropriate design for the site as Maeve and I finalize plans. Stay tuned here for the latest updates and sneak peaks at what you can expect on October 6th 2012.

The True Cost Of A Wedding September 11, 2011

As we get closer to the wedding day Maeve and I are noting the costs of things adding up fast. Last night Maeve came across this great inforgraphic showing the average American wedding is just under $27,000. As you can see the average wedding in Chicago is just over $35,000.

9 Specialty Beers for Your Wedding Reception! July 18, 2011

Beer is a budget-friendly alternative to wine, with the priciest 6-pack of craft beer typically costing less than a single bottle of vino. Beer doesn’t have to mean football, La-Z-Boy recliners and gag-worthy burps. Craft beers and specialty brews are more unique, fancy and widely available than ever before. Here are 9 tasty beers perfect for your wedding reception.

We Have A Date! October 27, 2010

It’s kind of crazy to say that. But after four years of engagement Maeve and I finally have a date for our wedding. Drum roll please…. October 6th, 2012. Yes I know it’s still about two years away. But after four years already what’s another two years. Continue to follow along here as Maeve and I post updates as we move forward with all the plans. We are both looking forward to celebrating with you all!

Travelers Joy October 18, 2010

Many of you know Maeve and I love to travel, well today I came across this great site called Traveler’s Joy it’s a honeymoon registry. All you have to do is set up an account, and Traveler’s Joy will provide you with a registry page to share your honeymoon travel plans with your wedding guests. Friends and family can then visit the page and give a gift towards the trip. This seems like a great idea for me and Maeve, you can count on us having something set up here.

Salvage One October 17, 2010

Over the weekend Maeve and I took a trip to Salvage One to check out their space as a possible location for our wedding ceremony and reception. My Hop Cast cohost Ken Hunnemeder and I had previously been to the space for a beer event a few months ago. Ken and I were just in the upstairs and I didn’t think about it as a possible location for the wedding.  Then recently Maeve and I decided it was time to start getting back into planning for our wedding and so after looking at many locations online and coming across Salvage One we set up a date and time to take a look at the space.

That’s basically how Maeve and I found ourselves at this great location walking around the cool outdoor court yard and the massive two floors with tons of very cool seating. Salvage One is located in Chicago’s West Town neighborhood and is one of the more unique venues to have a party or wedding. It’s a store where you can buy vintage furniture, unique recycled home decor, and reused or repurposed goods. And they are always getting new stuff in the store so every week you go in the place will look a little different.

This wedding has been a long time in the works… we’ve been engaged for four years to be exact but I think Maeve and I have finally found the place to have our wedding. I think the only thing we are worried about is the space being too large and with everyone wandering around checking out the cool things Salvage One has to offer it may seem empty at times during the reception. I guess that means we’ll just have to invite more people.