Style Me Pretty
Chic Chicago Wedding From Magnificent Milestones
December 7th. 2009 by Eddye
Kara Underwood Gordon, LBB member and owner of Magnificent Milestones has shared some photos from her own September wedding and we know you’re going to love it!
Kara and Michael went to great lengths to combine their individual personalities and their common Irish heritage into one gorgeous event. They were married at The Ivy Room, a wonderful spot in downtown Chicago for an indoor OR outdoor wedding. As you peruse the photos, keep in mind that Kara designed all the invitations and other paper pieces used throughout the day!
How clever is this program? Here’s a little info from Kara …
We all got ready for the wedding at The James Hotel. Beauty On Call did everyone’s hair and makeup. It was so fun … Champagne was flowing! My bouquet was made of lady slipper, yellow and green cymbidium orchids. The boutonnieres also were made of lady slippers. Michael’s last name is Gordon and he was able to find the Gordon tartan plaid for his bowtie!
Now ~ on to the spectacular reception!
from Kara …
The reception was filled with high & low centerpieces of yellow, white and green. The curtains, the mirrored bar and mirrored DJ table, damask navy linens, ghost chairs, pinspot & textured wash lighting and the chandelier fixture was added to the space to give it some additional character.
Invitations, table cards, menu … all paper pieces designed by Kara and printed by Real Card Studio.
Their gorgeous cake was from Take The Cake and stunning floral designs by Kehoe Designs.
Covers from the lost magazine The Chicagoan were used for Kara and Michael’s guest book. Another really clever idea.
Kara and Michael also had some pretty great Late Night Snacks … More than anything, I have a huge sweet tooth … so instead of burgers and fries for the late night indulgence (as many couples are doing), we opted for “brownie burgers!” The brainchild of our fabulous caterers Entertaining Company, in Chicago, the brownie burgers were a tremendous hit!
Assembly of a Brownie Burger …
Use pancakes for the “bun”. The brownie is the patty. Condiments for the burger include Pomegranate Jelly (no ketchup on these babies) and White Chocolate (subs for Mayo). But what’s a burger without fries? Shortbread cookies are the obvious stand-in for fries. Very, very modern twist on an age-old favorite!
Congratulations to Kara and Michael on a fabulous Chicago wedding ~ so many well-thought out details! Just gorgeous!! Thanks SO much for sharing!
Chicago Social Brides
Clover and Bee
Dreamy bouquets, handsome boutonnieres, sweeping centerpieces and garlands, sweet nosegays, classic wreaths and tiny bud vases…with so many styles, colors and kinds, there are an infinite number of possibilities for wedding flowers. There’s the poetic, of course: every bud it seems has a meaning, a personality and history. And the practical: choosing by what’s in season can often make for the most economical of floral designs and, if regional, eco-friendly, too. In Stems for the Season, we talk with some of the finest Midwest floral designers about their favorite arrangements and beautiful flowers you can enjoy right now.
This stunning table setting comes to us from Natalie Walsh of Chicago’s Hello Darling. Kara Underwood, one of the amazing ladies behind the wedding design firm, Magnificent Milestones (love that play on words!), herself got married this September and was kind enough to share the rehearsal dinner photographs with us. On first look, we completely fell for the gloriosa lilies in these arrangements—so luminous and delicate at the same time—like butterflies have landed in the branches!
Natalie tells us, “Kara and I worked together to come up with a design concept and color palette which was modern yet very warm and inviting. The long table is absolutely my favorite to design on as it gives unlimited freedom to organic shapes and styles. Using the color palette of chocolate, burnt orange, red and gold I combined rich, colorful, textural blooms such as local dinner plate dahlias, velvety celosia and amaranthus, along with tropical mokara and cymbidium orchids, pin-cushion protea, black baccara roses, and mango mini calla lilies.”
“The arrangements mixed along the table with other sculptural elements such as driftwood draped with loose blooms, Manzanita branches with hanging candles and gloriosa lilies, rustic boxy pine planters, and an array of succulents. Each of the floral arrangements were designed in monochromatic textural groupings with unexpected embellishments of chocolate brown fern curls, red lipstick pods, and silvery green stone crop added throughout the designs. Graphic patterns of square votives and earthy glass lanterns lit the table.”
Chicago Tribune
Do your budget a favor and cut out the favors
By Emilie Le Beau
February 01, 2009
When the economy began tumbling, so did wedding spending. Couples are spending significantly less and the average cost of a wedding dropped to $21,814 in 2008, a 24 percent decrease from 2007, according to The Wedding Report, a research firm in Phoenix.
Many items can be cut from the budget and most guests will not notice. “There are extras you absolutely don’t need,” said event planner Kara Underwood, owner of Magnificent Milestones in Chicago.
Cut party favors, she suggested, because they are often left behind or ignored by the guests. Even though the wedding industry promotes party favors as a tradition adored by guests, they “also cheapen the table,” Underwood said.
Many other items can be crossed off the list. Here are 10 common wedding items, with advice on what to keep and what to cut.
Cut it
Ceremony décor: Flowers and elaborate decorations are not needed. “Most churches or venues are beautiful on their own,” Underwood said. Add in the bridal party and bouquets, Underwood said, and decorations will not be noticed.
Two dresses: TV brides are wearing one dress to the ceremony and a second to the reception. Underwood said this idea should be cut. “Most brides don’t have the budget for that.”
Also cut the pricey wedding gown; there are other ways to score a dream dress. Erin Sarris, 25, of Des Plaines married in November at the Newberry Library wearing a dress she considered at Priscilla’s of Boston but rejected when she saw the $3,600 price tag. Sarris searched online daily until she saw the same dress advertised in a sample sale on Craigslist for 73 percent less.
Late-night snack: Serving a 10:30 p.m. snack has become trendy, but Underwood said this pulls guests off the dance floor at the height of the party.
Personalized napkins: “It’s the same as favors: It’s out and not worth your money,” Underwood said.
Elaborate centerpieces: Couples should not feel obligated to have pricey floral centerpieces at each table. Underwood said she sees many weddings with candles used as centerpieces.
Pricey paper: Engraved stationery with the bride’s maiden and married names is old-fashioned. Sarris didn’t bother with either. She also didn’t spend money on a save-the-date card and instead created a free wedding Web site at EWedding.com.
Keep it
Nice invitations: For guests who can’t make the event, Underwood said this is their one interaction with the wedding. “Even if you’re on a budget, you can still use colors and get your guests excited,” she said.
Sarris spent just $1 per invitation by asking a designer friend to help. She brought in ideas from magazines and the friend designed, printed and assembled the invitations.
The champagne toast: Champagne “goes hand and hand with a good toast,” Underwood said.
The bar package: “Being greeted with a drink is key,” Underwood said. Brides on a budget can offer an open bar during the cocktail hour but switch to wine service during dinner.
The photographer or videographer: While a photographer or videographer should be kept, ditch the posed family photos that take time away from the party. Underwood said couples now prefer candid photos.
CRAIN'S Chicago Business
The way we were: Surviving startup
By: Emilie Le Beau May 11, 2009
Crain's asked three entrepreneurs to recall the personal sacrifices they and their loved ones endured to get their businesses off the ground.
Running a wedding planning and invitation business means Kara Underwood misses out on a lot of summer socializing with her fiancé.
Summer's her hot time
Kara Underwood, 28
Founder and consultant, Magnificent Milestones, an event consulting and invitation design firm in Chicago
One summer Saturday two years ago, work forced Kara Underwood to turn down an invitation to go boating with friends. Her fiancé, however, accepted the invitation and, as Ms. Underwood sped along Lake Shore Drive to a wedding reception she was coordinating, she couldn't help envying them all.
"I remember looking at the boats and knowing my fiancé was on one of them," Ms. Underwood says. "I thought, 'What am I doing here?' "
It was the kind of personal tradeoff that she hadn't envisioned when she left her job as a law firm events planner to launch her own business. "Put it this way - if I knew what I was getting myself into, I wouldn't have done it," she says.
For the first 10 months of her business's life, Ms. Underwood worked out of her home while waiting to open her shop in the West Loop. The home office felt inescapable.
"When you're having dinner at the table and there are piles of work at the other end, it's difficult to separate life and work," she says.
Her fiancé was understanding, even as he attended social events solo. "It was hard, but we just ran with it," she recalls.
Most of her time went into preparing the store and managing the littlest details, down to tying bows onto brochures until 3 a.m.
For the first year, she didn't pay herself and went without health insurance. She now has insurance and a profitable business.
The enterprise still cuts into her personal time, especially from May to October, when weddings keep her especially busy.
Missing summertime action is now simply part of the deal. She doesn't mind.
"There are worse places to be than a wedding," she says.
MSNBC: Your Business
Wedding planners pair up to save on costs Two entrepreneurs share space but run separate businesses in Chicago
By Frank Silverstein msnbc.com updated 10:58 a.m. CT, Sun., June 28, 2009
Two years ago, two 20-something Chicagoans, Kara Underwood and Kirstin Martin, didn't know it, but they both were dreaming of the same thing. They each wanted to run their own company specializing in wedding planning. And they each came to it in their own way.
Underwood had worked as a corporate party planner for some of the top law firms in town, so she knew the vendors, she knew how to handle clients and she knew how to make a party swing. Martin, on the other hand, was trained as a big-league business accountant. She knew spreadsheets inside out, and she knew what it took to keep a business afloat.
Both Underwood and Martinknew that success in the industry has more to do with cash flow and smooth schedules than choosing colors and themes.
"My friends definitely envision me always picking out flowers and beautiful linens," Underwood says. "That's entirely not the case."
Like most prudent entrepreneurs, Underwood and Martin each did lots of research before opening. While searching for a location, each noticed that one part of town was teeming with young, single professionals and had no shops catering to brides-to-be. Chicago's "Western Loop" neighborhood, with its low rents and well-heeled residents, seemed like the perfect spot.
Unfortunately, by an odd and unfortunate coincidence, the two budding businesswomen saw and seized the same opportunity. Underwood's "Magnificent Milestones" and Martin's "Smitten Boutique" opened up within a few weeks of each other and just a few blocks apart.
"It's a part of town full of customers of an age where a lot of their friends are getting married, and we wanted to become their go-to shop for the unique wedding gifts as well as the place to go to plan a wonderful wedding," Martin says.
Healthy competition
Unfortunately, as soon as they opened their shops, both Underwood and Martin encountered a crisis neither could have foreseen: each other.
"We knew nothing of one another," laughed Underwood, "so we both had the best idea at the same time."
"We each thought we had this crazy, unique idea," Martin agreed. "We were gonna come into this area and be the only gift shop and the only place where people could come and buy invitations."
It was an awkward accident of geography and timing. And neither of the first-timers was quite sure of what to make of it.
"Just what are the odds that two wedding planners would open up in this neighborhood at the same time!" said Underwood.
Martin was equally caught off-guard but tried to give it a good spin: "Her store over on Fulton was super cute and done very well. And so then you say, 'All right, well, we have some real competition here,' but I think you just look at it as a benefit. It draws more people to the area."
Complimenting each other
For nearly a year, they each focused on building their own brands. While they mostly kept their eyes on their own business, they made sure to keep an eye out for each other as well. Early on, they made a date to have coffee.
"We met at Starbucks and just sort of, you know, went through what we were doing," Underwood recalled. "I was definitely nervous going into it but hopeful that we wouldn't be the exact same idea."
"I think once we sat down," added Martin "we talked about what our visions were for our businesses, (which) left me with a feeling of ease. "
"We realized it could actually work out, and we could be complementary to one another," Underwood added.
And compliment each other they did. As competitors, they both "played nice" and at times even referred customers to each other. Over the course of a year, their businesses grew, and so did their respect for each other.
"It was a crazy busy year for both of us," said Underwood, "We'd have an event or she'd have an event, and we'd call each other and I'd say something like, 'Oh, I've got this bride and I'm booked on that date so I'm gonna pass your number along. Is that OK?' "
Then came another unforeseen crisis. The economy hit the rocks. As Martin remembers, it was a time of great concern. "It was right around the holidays. And we were just thinking, who knows what's gonna happen over this next year or two?"
A proposal
As the economy grew darker, so did Martin's worries about her business. She began to hatch a plan: "Basically you just want to make sure that your business survives and that you're making smart decisions. And we had some extra space in the store that we were kind of underutilizing. And I thought, Kara's probably the perfect fit."
So Martin made Underwood a proposal over coffee. "I approached Kara and said, 'This may be way out in left field, but would you have any interest moving into our location and sharing the space?"
It was Underwood's turn to be caught off-guard, but after a brief pause, she recovered and realized they were "both the same boat."
Martin remembers that same moment of decision. "I think that after a couple seconds passed, she was like, 'Yeah, that actually might be a really good thing.' And we sat there for a couple of hours talking. We both realized that while we were fine independent, it could only get better merging the two."
Fourteen days later, the two had merged their locations, and they sent out their own "marriage announcement" - an embossed mailing that looks just like the kind of wedding announcements they help their clients choose.
Underwood showed off one of the beautifully printed documents: "When you open it up, there's the picture of the two of us, and the announcement of the 'union.' "
"The union of the two businesses," said Martin with a giggle.
But perhaps roommates might be a more accurate description.
"It's more of a physical merger," said Underwood. "I still have my company and Kirstin still has hers."
With the sudden decision to move in together, the two felt it would be less stressful if they could still keep a bit of their independence.
Whatever they call it, the merger made sense financially. That's something that struck Underwood powerfully when she looked at her balance sheet recently.
"When I looked at what I spent last year on advertising, my jaw hit the floor. So I think that's probably the number one savings. And then, obviously, overhead and everything that goes in with that - phones, all that paper, everything."
As to the future, they're both keeping their options open. After all, business partnerships don't have to be made 'til death do us part.
Glossed & Found Spotlight
With titles such as “Certified Wedding Specialist” and “Certified Etiquette Consultant” under her belt, event planner Kara Underwood is a bona-fide gala guru. The southern Illinois native opened wedding and event consulting company, Magnificent Milestones, in 2007, and has since become one of Chicago’s most sought-after social experts. Underwood recently merged Magnificent Milestones with Smitten Boutique, a store for all things wedding-related, creating a one-stop event specialty shop that’s poised for a bridal industry takeover.