We were featured on Chicago Fox News 32 during the 12pm segment on May 15, 2013. PaperCinemas is featured in the last 45 seconds. We are very excited to share this with you!

We were extremely grateful to have our flip books showcased among some of the top wedding vendors located in Wicker Park and Bucktown.

Stephanie Sack, president of Wicker Park Bucktown Chamber of Commerce and owner of the local shop Vive La Femme, gave a brief introduction to what guests will be expecting at the Wed Local event this Sunday, May 19 at Double Door.

The model whose hair & make-up was beautifully done by Salonblonde was wearing a vintage-style wedding dress from Silver Moon and jewelry from Radiance Fine Jewelry.

On the table, were featured invitations from Spilled Ink Press, Flipbooks from Paper Cinemas, Bridal Registry Items from Elevenzees, and a cake from Alliance Bakery.

All items can be found in Wicker Park and Bucktown. You can visit us at the EXPO on May 19th from 11-2pm. Please come check us out.

The Martha Stewart Wedding Party was absolutely gorgeous and featured many of the unique vendors in Chicago, including us!  While we didn’t get to meet Martha herself, the energy in the room was high as brides-to-be, bridal parties, mother’s of the groom / brides, spent their afternoon oohing and aahing the attractive displays of flowers, place settings, invitations, wedding favors and of course, tasting all the delectable treats.

Our flip book studio was a beautiful display featuring beaded garland and lit branches, creating a romantic ambiance for our guests as they entered our area.  They had the opportunity to experience the excitement and addiction of making their own flip book to take home with them to show their friends and fiances.  We enjoyed watching the smiles that came with every flip in our flip photo booth.

We also featured our package upgrades memory montage and memory collage.  These upgrades utilize the video clips captured throughout the event and are transformed into other wedding memorabilia.

 And if our guests were too shy to make their own flipbook, they loved flipping through our custom animation books that can be personalized to the details of the bride and groom and their wedding dates.  We featured our Save the Dates, Wedding Thank Yous and our top selling Will You Be My Bridesmaid flip book creations.

Check out our custom animations here!

View the rest of the pictures in our gallery.

Remember how last week, I wrote about my pending trip to Arizona and how I’ve never had a desire to go?  Well, I was wrong, I loved it.  And I am going to try to go back next year.  The girl who used to curse at the thought of spending time outdoors is no more.

I spent some time hiking in the deserts of Green Valley.  This Midwestern girl finally saw a cactus up close, I had no idea how tall they could get!  I also had no idea how many different types of cacti there are and some are beautiful!

The highlight of my trip was Gates Pass at the Tucson Mountain Park.  It’s amazing!  I cursed myself for not having on the proper shoes because all I wanted to do was go hiking and keep climbing further up.  Never mind the fact that I’m slightly afraid of heights, the view was beautiful!

So to all of you who have yet to visit Arizona, do yourselves a favor and plan a trip.  Make sure to pack some good shoes to hike in!

~R.

Shoes, they are a girl’s bestfriend!  Certain shoes only go with certain outfits.  Certain shoes are bought because they are beautiful but can only be worn when you expect you’ll be sitting for long periods of time because of the pain they’ll cause.  Certain shoes now contain memories.

We know weddings are a HUGE deal, so tell us, how are you picking out what shoes to wear on your BIG day?  Are you going for comfort or pazazz?  The Knot has put together a gallery of wedding shoes, take a peek and let us know if any of them catch your eye.  I think it’s interesting how some brides choose to incorporate blue into their shoes as their something blue.

I personally think I would go for beauty but have a pair of ballet flats tucked away to change into.  I also love when the bride and groom have a stash of flip flops for guests to kick back in at receptions.

~R.

Picture:  http://www.theknot.com/gallery/bridal-accessories/lace-wedding-shoes-by-my-glass-slipper/5351-rea

How did you pick where to have your wedding ceremony?  With my cousin’s destination wedding in Mexico just a few weeks out, I’ve been thinking about how people pick where to have their ceremony.  I know that my cousin was deciding between Mexico and Palm Springs, CA.  Both warm but vastly different, one a resort that’s off the grid in Mexico, the other a desert.

I remember a friend having her ceremony at the Humboldt Park Boathouse in Chicago.  I haven’t ventured into Humboldt Park very much so this was a very welcome surprise.  It was beautiful and while we were still in the city, it was the perfect escape.  Large enough for your friends and family to attend the ceremony but not vast that you seem to be lost in the space.

I also attended a wedding at Hotel Palomar this past fall and thought it was beautiful.  I love boutique hotels and since I don’t frequent hotels in Chicago often, it was one I had never been to and immediately fell in love with.  The ceremony was held in what would eventually become part of the reception dinner space.  The chandeliers were beautiful and were the perfect balance to the hotel’s modern décor.  There was also a balcony that guests could use and it had an amazing view of the city.

What venues are you considering for your ceremony?  Or did you already have a space in mind.  Share with us and let us know.

~R.

Picture:         http://www.hotelpalomar-chicago.com/wedding-venues/index.html

As I write this, I’m thinking about how tomorrow night, I’ll be on the other side of the country in Arizona.  It’ll be my first trip to Arizona and I realized that I’ve never really wanted to visit the state before.  I’m really only going because I’m participating in a volunteer trip.  I know I should be excited about all the good deeds we’ll be doing, but at this point, I’m really just excited that right now, it’s 72 degrees there and it’s 8:30 pm! Good-bye high 20’s and low 30’s in Chicago, hello sun and warmth.

But really, the reason I’m writing this blog is because I want to know.  Have your travels taken you somewhere you weren’t looking forward to, yet it surprised you?  And now you love it?!?  Share with me.

I’m hoping Arizona will blow me away and I’ll want to return later on in life.  Other states that are on my things that make you go hmmm list are: New Mexico, Utah, any of the North and South starting states Wyoming, Montana, Arkansas, etc.  Have you been to any of these, tell me if I’m missing out on something.

~R.

Picture: http://azsupreme.com/?p=16

Have you started looking for bridesmaids dresses yet?  Or have you already picked them out?  What kind of budget did you set?  Are you being considerate of your maid’s financial obligations to your wedding?

Having been a bridesmaid, the last question is a huge one for me.  It’s why I can never say an immediate yes; I have to weigh out where I am in life financially.  The financial responsibilities of being a bridesmaid slowly add up as well.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m always super grateful that I have friends that think so well of our relationship that they want me standing next to them on their big day. But I also don’t want to be the thorn in the bridal party who doesn’t keep up her end of the obligations because I don’t think I can afford it.

I was a bit shocked to discover that Target is now selling bridesmaids gowns online.  While the reviews haven’t been glowing, there are a few great ones in the mix.  They are affordable enough that if you see one you like, it’s worth ordering one to get a better idea of the quality of the dress.

Do you have any other great suggestions of where to find affordable bridesmaids gowns?  Are all your maids wearing the same one or are you letting them have options between a few styles?

~R.

Picture:  http://www.etsy.com/listing/121775201/the-one-dress-convertible-dress-multi?ref=sr_gallery_24&ga_search_query=bridesmaid+gown&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=US&ga_search_type=all

Technically, we’re still in a recession.  And weddings are never something you equate to being cheap.  With that said, where are you cutting corners by doing it yourself?

I was browsing the internet and ran across what seems to be a great idea for a wedding favor: homemade individual bottles of limoncello!  Really, who doesn’t want to go home with more alcohol?  And the bottles can be tied with ribbons that match your wedding colors!  I’m already picturing a casual summer wedding and how perfect these would be!

For those that don’t know what limoncello is, it’s a traditional lemon flavored Italian liqueur.  It’s delicious and I have a handful of friends who already make limoncello at home.  It doesn’t require you to purchase anything that you can’t easily find at the store.

Here’s the link:  http://www.mydiyweddingday.com/2011/06/diy-homemade-limoncello-wedding-favors.html

~R.

Picture:    http://www.mydiyweddingday.com/2011/06/diy-homemade-limoncello-wedding-favors.html