Sunday Wedding

Sunday we worked a wedding for Anna and Jeff. Didn't get many photos, but I'll post the few that I have.

First, the venue was at Independence Grove. The venue is about 10 years old but this was the first time we were there. The space is long, with a wall of windows overlooking the beach and man-made lake. You can find more information at http://www.eventsatindependencegrove.com.

Their coordinator was Karolina Warren, who I also have not worked with before. We didn't have much interaction that day, but she seemed very organized and professional. Here's her website: http://www.weddingsbykarolina.com/

David Rothstein Music kept the party rolling. We couldn't see the dance floor, but all the waiters said it was pretty busy. http://www.drsmusic.com.

I didn't get a chance to meet the photographer, so I have no idea who that was. Also, forgot to get the name of the florist, but they did some very beautiful centerpieces. Here's a few pictures. What did we do? We lit up all the centerpieces and provided uplighting for the room. The only time we were able to take photos was at the very end of the reception, when the tables had been cleared away. Hope you enjoy them anyway.

Some news, but not all the news

We're heading into the busy wedding season and we're very excited about the season.

Our biggest news is the addition of Laura Sulkin. She'll be handling sales for Chicago Lighting Design. Laura was brought in because of her proven ability to generate new business and maintain client loyalty in business and consumer markets, specifically in the hospitality industry. Laura was a co-owner of a successful meeting planning and entertainment company for over fourteen years, planning high-end weddings, parties and corporate events. She prides herself on listening to the customers needs and providing excellent customer service to exceed their expectations. She's been with us for only a few weeks and is already having a very positive impact.

We'll be heading up to one of our favorite venues, the Eagle Ridge Resort and Spa in Galena, Illinois a lot again this year. If you enjoy the outdoors and the rolling hills of northwestern Illinois, this destination is worth the trip. Plus, there's a lot of shopping and restaurants in downtown Galena that are worth exploring.

Lauren and Anthony's Wedding

Last Saturday we did some lighting for Lauren and Anthony's wedding. Shame on me for not taking photos of the happy couple, but they looked great together.

The reception took place at Victoria In The Park in Mt. Prospect, IL This venue is owned by the same people who own Victoria's in Norridge and a couple other venues. You may remember that Victoria's stepped in when the old Starlite Inn in Schiller Park went under a few years ago. I didn't sample the food, but I can tell you that the staff is very accommodating. One thing I really like about this venue is that they use "racetrack" tables, instead of round or rectangular.

I ran into Heather Parker and her assistant , who were photographing the event. I've seen some of Heather's work before and it's really fantastic. I think part of her talent comes from her love of travel, which makes her see things differently.

Flowers are something I have no idea about. I liked them but I have no idea who the florist was.

Finally, DJ-Chicago provided the entertainment. I only saw a little of the dancing near the end of the night, but everyone seemed to be having a great time.

Moving Foward

The event charities we're involved with are moving forward. The first planning meeting for one of them took place yesterday evening, and was attended by some really generous individuals. Early indications are that this event will be very successful for one lucky couple. We'll have another announcement when the website goes live.

New Stuff

Spending a lot of time uploading pictures onto our website this week. Such fun. Also, we're sorting them by venue, so you can go to the venue page and see what types of things we've done there. The old slide shows are still up as well.

On the horizon, we're involved in a couple charity events of note, both hoping to provide a deserving couple with a dream wedding. One group is Wish Upon A Wedding http://www.facebook.com/WUWChicago This group provides weddings and civil commitments for those facing life-threatening medial conditions.

We'll have more about the other group tomorrow.

Last weekend

Last weekend was busier than most this time of year, due to Valentine's Day falling on Sunday. Unfortunately, a confluence of events prevented getting any pictures. What a bummer.

Friday, we set up for a fashion show. The event was held at the Salem Baptist Church in Pullman. The building was a former paint testing facility, now being used by the church. They have a semi-permanent stage and do all sorts of community events. They brought in black pipe and drape to close off part of the room. Our job was to wash the seating area and the stage for the fashion show. We used a number of LED par cans set to either pink or purple, and focused them on the audience and some on the ceiling. It looked pretty nice, if I do say so myself. We also used some focusable ellipsoidals to cover the stage. The trick was to get them so that the light wasn't bouncing back too much into the audience since they have a large video screen behind the stage they couldn't move. Shooting the lights at a greater angle reduced a lot of reflection.

Then Sunday off to Chateau Bu-Sche to set up a few LED uplights in one of their pavilions. I suggested more, but the bride only wanted 10 fixtures. We made do with the quantity ordered and the client was very happy. Since it was Valentine's Day they chose to keep them red all night long. Looked very nice with the red accents the bridal party was wearing. Then back to Pullman to take down the fashion show. Then back to Chateau Bu-Sche to load out the wedding. A long, but productive day.

Where's the "old customer" discount?

I've been in the same house for about 13 years. We've used the same phone/internet provider, the same tv satellite service, and the same insurance since we the day we moved in. And every once in a while, the same companies I already do business, and have done business with for 13 or more years (insurance company, are you listening?) with, offer some new customer deal. So I call. And say I want the same deal that new customers get.

"Sorry, sir, you're not a new customer. If you were to cancel for six months or a year, or whatever, you could get the new discount."

But then you're losing my business for the next six months or longer. In what universe does that make any sense?

Well, enough is enough. Starting now, I'll be changing the game and REWARDING my customers' loyalty, not penalizing it like everyone else. So head on over to my website and look for my customer loyalty program http://www.chicagolightingdesign.com/Loyalty.html In the end, we'll all be better off.