With the holidays over and valentines day on the way, 2012 brings with it a wave of happy couples who just recently became engaged.  This new stage in life is exciting and full of anticipation with the thought of finally exchanging vows under the alter.

The hard part however, is the journey getting there. Now that you are engaged you only have months left before the big day and a lot of planning lies ahead. From booking the venue and deciding the weddings menu to picking out the right flowers and photographer, there’s a lot to be done! At Bartlett Hills we know it can be overwhelming as every year we see our Brides full of nerves and asking for vendor referrals.

Well you’re in luck!  Bartlett Hills is hosting its 3rd annual Bridal Showcase set for Sunday, February 12th from 12-3pm.  We will have a large variety of the area’s best and award winning wedding professionals on hand ready to give you all the advice and services you will need for you wedding. Our intimate show allows you to interact with the wedding vendors who are truly passionate and dedicated at what they do, and will give you all the information you seek to make for a perfect wedding.  Many will also offer fantastic discounts and deals if you simply give them a chance to talk to you! You never know who you might find to be the perfect wedding professional for your wedding and getting the valuable one-on-one face time with them is priceless.

Our Bridal Showcase will also offer champagne punch and hors D’oeurves for all the brides who attend and the first 80 Brides who pre-register will recieve a complimentary gift bag from Bartlett Hills and our participating wedding professionals! Every ticket purchased also includes 2 Free Guests!! Bring your maid of honor, fiancee, or even the parents to give you some support when you are shopping for those potential vendors. You can pre-register by calling 630.213.3103 or email evan@bartletthills.com.

Our Showcase will also feature Fashion Shows by Bella’s Bridal Boutique and Formal Wear and a dance performance by Fred Astaire Dance Studio.

Any other Questions Please email Evan@bartletthills.com or call Bartlett Hills at 630.213.3103

Superstar Runway can provide just that! Custom made backdrops featuring your newly wed name and wedding date can be assembled at your reception for fantastic photo opportunities throughout the night. Everything from your grand entrance to  memorable couple shots of the night will be enhanced with this thoughtful backdrop.  It makes for lasting memories and is always a clever, fun way to celebrate your wedding day in photos.

Working closely with you, Superstar Runway will create the perfect custom graphics and lettering for your backdrop and will gladly do all the setup and placement on your wedding day. And the best part is you can keep the backdrop when its all over as a memorable token the day you tied the knot with your love!!!!

For further information visit www.superstarrunway.com to get more information on their custom made backdrops!

Outdoor Wedding Ceremonies at Bartlett Hills

               A beautiful wedding reception at Bartlett Hills is only complete with an equally beautiful ceremony!  Imagine tying the knot with your soon-to-be spouse amidst a lavish green landscape, gentle rolling hills and gorgeous tranquil pond. You can certainly have this enchanting setting as yours at Bartlett Hills. Our ceremony site is situated on an elevated outdoor veranda that comfortably holds up to 150 of your guests and our facility provides easy access for limousines and guest parking drop off points to a private ceremony setting.     

Our beautiful ceremony space is also perfect for all your wedding photos!  We encourage you and your wedding photographer to take advantage of all the gorgeous wedding shots our location has to offer.  From our intricately manicured lawns and colorful blooming flower beds, you will fall in love with all your wedding photo memories.  You can even capture a “romantic dipping kiss” in front a cascading fountain that majestically showers from a serene mirrored pond. 

Your wedding day ceremony will be graciously hosted by the wedding coordinator who will be on hand and available during the entire ceremony process. This includes a rehearsal before as well as all the preparations needed for your wedding day. A private bridal suite will be at your access all day and includes a full length mirror, vanity, and plenty of dress knick knacks you may need last minute. Our friendly staff is always on hand to meet your every need.  

              Another fantastic incentive for having a Bartlett Hills ceremony is its cost effectiveness.  With our standard ceremony package you receive all wedding ceremony accessories and decorations, including a complete decorated trellis, draping lace and tube lights accenting the banisters, and all ceremony chairs needed for guest seating. Ceremony incentives are indeed available when booking with a reception package or you could host your ceremony only without booking a reception.

  If you happen to be an adventurous bridal couple we by all means encourage new and innovative wedding ceremony ideas. Such romantic bridal party entrances using horse and carriages to fancy sports cars are all fantastic ways to make unique entrances and make for such fun photography. You are more than welcome to bring in outside florists, props and anything you can dream of to create the most perfect wedding ceremony memories. If you are in need of any florist, photographer, or vendor referrals please visits our website at www.bartletthills.com or call Bartlett Hills at 630.213.3103.

With all the time, money, and stress that may come with creating the most perfect wedding day, it’s odd how many brides and grooms may forgo the wedding rehearsal. Unless you have an extremely short processional and are keeping the ceremony very simple without utilizing some of the more popular ceremony traditions such as unity candles, sand blending bottles, or exchanging family heirlooms, we at Bartlett Hills Country Club suggest you take the time to set up a walk-through rehearsal a day or two before your wedding date. We heavily encourage this so all these little details of the ceremony are executed elegantly and smoothly in front of all your admiring guests. Since the ceremony is often seen as the most important event in one’s life (not to mention the most photographed and videotaped) it’s best to be safe and make sure there are no embarrassing blunders and goof-ups that could prove humiliating afterwards.

Order and Timing are Key

If you have a large bridal party that is required for the processional, it can be so incredibly difficult for the wedding planner and or Officiant to prepare and line up your bridesmaids and groomsmen in their respected order, especially if they have already been celebrating the day by drinking all afternoon! Also, many in your bridal party might not have any idea how the traditional processional is run, so practicing the order and sequence of it the day before at a rehearsal will save an incredible amount of time and confusion for everyone in the party. As the bride and or groom, you certainly will not have time to organize your bridesmaids and groomsmen the day of, especially if you do not want to see each other before the actual ceremony takes place. It is certainly a little detail you shouldn’t have to think about when you are moments away from forever joining your partner in holy matrimony. Although the wedding planner will always be there to assist you in making the processional go as smooth as possible, be sure to take a little time and set up a wedding rehearsal so your bridal party is sure of their specific roles during the ceremony.

Mastering all the Props 

Like many brides and grooms, you may have decided to use a unity candle or sand blending bottles as symbol of your union. If this is the case, it is certainly something you can also practice during the rehearsal so you will be confident and familiar with how you will handle the situation at the actual ceremony. Keep in mind for instance that outdoor ceremonies may prove too windy for unity candles, and could prove for an awkward situation if the flames are continually blowing out before you can even light it. Sand blending bottles may therefore be more suitable for this circumstance, but if you decide to use them still practice it at the rehearsal, if possible, so you both will at least be familiar with it and be confident there won’t be any blunders while pouring them together during the ceremony.

Confidently moving in your dress

Although you won’t be wearing your wedding dress during the rehearsal, it’s sometimes good to wear something with a similar train so you can be familiar with your steps when walking in heels. This is also a good idea so your father escort will know where to step as well. Although it may be tacky, using something as simple as pinning a bed sheet to your waist may be effective in preventing you from enduring the most horrific thing that can happen on your wedding day: tripping down the aisle! You may also want to wear a veil during the rehearsal so you and your fiancée can maneuver effortlessly with it on and you will be sure that it won’t go up in flames if you are lighting a unity candle.

The DJ Option

Wedding ceremonies are never complete without the right music for the processional. This of course is usually supplied by the DJ and would require speakers to be conveniently placed in the ceremony so everyone can clearly hear the music as well as anyone speaking in a microphone. If you are feeling unsure of how you’d like your music selection to be timed and played during the ceremony, or absolutely need to have music for an effective rehearsal, request your DJ to be in attendance (if he’s available) to get a more accurate feel of how the wedding ceremony will actually be executed the day of. This would take care of any audio obstacles the DJ may encounter and familiarize your bridal party to the specific music they would be walking down the aisle to.

Bartlett Hills Golf Club again encourages any bride and groom to set up a wedding rehearsal to ensure the most smooth and confusion-free ceremony that will make for lasting memories.

Married:  July 9th

Dear Mary,

     Thank you so much for all of the hard work you did for our wedding! Everything was perfect

and you and your staff were an absolute pleasure to work with! We couln’t of asked for a better

location or staff!!!

Thanks again,

Sara & Jeff

The Wedding Gown

Oh the wedding gown! Just wearing this one dress has been in the dreams of little girls throughout the ages, and since it is often times the focal point of the wedding day, choosing the right one for you is essential. All the little details that go into choosing and fitting the perfect dress should not be glossed over which is why Bartlett Hills Country Club and Banquets offers some tips and suggestions for your dress shopping desires.

Budgeting

If you are in the search for that perfect bridal gown, keep in mind that it can range from less than $400 to over $3000. Be prepared however to pay additional alteration expenses. Making the dress fit your personal style may very well require such alterations and generally average about $100 to $250 per modification. Adding additional accessories such as appliqués, beadwork, headpieces or having a detachable train bustle are also considered custom alterations and are priced accordingly. To give you an idea what other brides like you are spending on their wedding gowns, the National and Chicagoland average shows brides spending about $850… So keep your budgeting in mind and we hope to see you wearing your beautiful wedding dress here at Bartlett Hills.

Deciding on the Perfect Dress

Having the perfect gown for those all important wedding day pictures requires making the best decisions when picking your wedding day dress. Make sure you shop smart! We suggest you bring your mother or maybe a trusted friend when dress shopping because you will need someone whose opinion you value and who knows what tastes you like and how you’d like to look… especially on the most important day of your life. Don’t bring any small children with you! They can be very distracting and pose the possibility of damaging bridal items. You should feel comfortable and have some fun when searching for a gown and don’t need any additional interference.

Style

If you already have a specific dress in mind or have seen one you love, absolutely share your ideas with your bridal consultant. They are generally more than willing to accommodate any alterations or styles you see fit and will help you determine which necklines, bodices and silhouettes will most flatter your tastes. You may even be surprised to find the perfect gown is far from what you had originally envisioned.

Deciding on your style of dress should be a first priority since it affects the formality and tone of the wedding itself. Bridesmaid’s dresses, for instance, generally compliment the style of your own gown and often times echo the waistline, neckline or silhouette. Remember to visualize your wedding party photograph with the different colors and styles and try to keep it all looking balanced and elegant. Your bridal consultant will be able to help style those dresses to your specific taste so they look absolutely memorable in your wedding pictures.

Sizing

It goes without saying that wedding gowns are sized differently for every bride. Therefore do be aware that when trying on dresses you may fit into a size that is different from what you usually wear. For example it’s not uncommon to be one size in the bust and another size in the waist. Most professional bridal consultants and seamstresses will do a wonderful job making those exact measurements to best fit your body size and attributes; however the final decision is always yours so don’t feel shy about voicing your opinion to something you don’t like. Please do keep in mind that any additional alterations that are done by the seamstress will cost accordingly so be sure to request an estimate at the fitting about any additions that might be made. Most fittings are done by appointment only.

Ordering

Most manufacturers generally require five to eight months to complete an order, generally seeing bridal gowns taking the full 20 to 32 weeks and the bridesmaids taking about 12 to 16 weeks. Most brides order their bridal gown six months to one year in advance of their wedding date so be sure to shop early! Also, extra time should always be allowed for the seamstress to solve any problems you might find with the dress.

Rush orders should also be available if you immediately need your dress for a fast arriving wedding date, however this generally costs an additional fee plus expedited shipping charges.

We hope these tips will help you in your search for the most perfect wedding dress!  

For those who dream of making a most elegant wedding entrance, don’t forget that your transportation can be just as glamorous! With all the different places you may need to be on your wedding day, why not be a little creative and really spice up the way you get there? There are many more alternatives beside the traditional limousine ride that may wonderfully compliment anyone’s personal and unique wedding styles.

Horse and Carriage

Brides and grooms longing to capture that enchanted feeling of being a prince and princess for the day would love the look of an elegant horse and carriage. In fairy-tale fashion you can arrive to the chapel or reception hall in the back of a beautifully decorated carriage cabin pulled by your own personal driver and pony. It offers a little of the past and a lot of class and absolutely makes for some wonderful wedding photos. We can’t say enough at Bartlett Hills of how tasteful and classy our brides and grooms using a horse and buggy look, especially when they step down from their carriage to the smiling greets of all their guests and relatives. It’s as if they have graciously arrived at their own ball like a prince and princess and ready to begin their happily ever after story! We would love to see more of them this year, for it is such a delight to watch a couple arrive in such a Cinderella-like way. Most horse and carriage services are rentable by the hour and usually show up to any destination you need.

Antique or Vintage Car

Perhaps you might prefer a more luxurious ride; something with the prestige and sophistication of say a Rolls Royce or Cadillac. Pulling up to your reception in one of these cars would be a picture perfect setting for some glamorous wedding photos.  Not only would such a car be fashionably unique, but these custom cars have been well preserved and maintained throughout the years and turn heads wherever they go. Just imagine how those photos of you sharing a kiss with your new spouse in front of a ’54 Bentley will look on a wall in your house!  So why don’t you and your bridal party hop in and turn some heads too? These cars offer the sophistication and authentic look of so many different eras in our history so your wedding day can truly have that uniquely vintage look you have always dreamed. If you or anyone you know are booking a wedding at Bartlett Hills and are interested in this novel idea, Classic-Chassis  (www.classic-chassis.com) out of Roselle, IL is conveniently close by and has a wide selection of American and foreign antique cars to choose from.  Their rates and terms vary per car.

A Wedding Day Golf Cart

If a horse drawn carriage or a vintage car is not right for you but you’d still like to have some fun with your wedding day ride, Bartlett Hills can provide you with a specially golf cart! Adorably decorated with flowers and ribbons, this can be an entertaining idea not only for those golf enthusiasts but those just wanting to have some fun with their wedding day pictures. You can conveniently go where no car or horse and carriage can on our beautiful golf course, and with a photographer in hand, you can capture all those wonderful first moments as bride and groom.

If you have further questions regarding any transportation ideas or information for your wedding day, please call Bartlett Hills at 630-213-3103.

So your table linens are picked, the centerpieces have been chosen , your napkin colors are in order and everything from your guest list to chair ties have been set . You are confident you’ve thought of every detail, but your ballroom still seems a little bare! Fortunately, there’s something you can do that will indeed make your reception pop!

LED up-lighting is a fantastic way to complete your wedding visual. Although up-lighting itself is not a new way to dramatically enhance the look of the reception, the technological advance to LED lights from standard halogen lights have made them more energy friendly and even more affordable than they once were. Since LED lights emit less heat and use less electricity, you can now utilize more individual up-light units throughout the room without overheating and taxing you’re wedding venue’s power supply.

Many D.J. services offer up-lighting upgrades to their services or you can hire someone who is a specialist. They’ll have the ability to match nearly every color in the spectrum so as to perfectly match your unique color combination.

Event lighting can be applied to numerous places during your reception including ballroom walls, curtains, the cake or bridal tables, centerpieces, the dance floor or any unique architecture that stands out. These light enhancements greatly improve indoor ambiance and look especially fantastic in wedding photography. Their light-weight and versatile nature allows you to brighten up spots of a banquet hall that you may never have thought possible and add the perfect visual effect you desire.

If you decide to hire a videographer however, be sure to speak with him ahead of time to be sure their camera will pick up the lighting correctly when recorded. Although it’s rarely a problem, certain L.E.D. lights may sometimes conflict with video footage and you may see a different color up-light on film. Adjusting camera frame speed will correct this ahead of time and you won’t miss out on all those wonderful room shots.

If event up-lighting seems like something that stands out to you, by all means, get them! Your guests will be amazed at the beauty of the room and the wedding photography will always stand out to you.

But again, thank you for giving us our perfect, beautiful wedding.

 Talk soon,

Mandi Otte

Bartlett Hills has won this award the past 3 years  based on couples real wedding reviews on the Wedding Wire website. We are proud to be recognized by Wedding Wire, an wedding industry leader. Thank you to all the brides, MOB’s and some grooms’ who took the time out to review Bartlett Hills Golf Club!!

From Marti Spenk of Angel Face Makeup

 Your wedding day makeup is important for two reasons. First is that you want to look beautiful. The second reason is that you want to look great in your pictures. For that reason, your wedding day makeup is not the same as the makeup that you wear every day. I have been a makeup artist for 12 years and spent the past 20 years in the beauty industry. At Angel Face Makeup, I work with each bride to make sure that she puts her best face forward. Below are some of my tips and tricks for a perfect wedding day face.

• You need to start with a clean palette; that is a clean face. Apply moisturizer as that will help ensure that the foundation looks smooth and even.
• Your wedding day is NOT the day to try something new! If you use a product that you are not used to, there is a chance that you will have an allergic reaction. That will NOT produce a good wedding day look.
• One of the keys to a flawless face is using the right products. If you need to add some items to your makeup kit, do so well before your wedding. This will give you time to practice with the makeup as well as make sure you will not have any adverse reactions to it.
• For photos, flawless looking skin is very important. A face primer can help you achieve such a look by smoothing out your skin and making pores appear smaller. A primer will also help to control oil, so you won’t have to keep applying powder throughout the day.
• If you do need to touch up during the day, choose blotting papers so that you can avoid a buildup of powder. If you do want to use a powder choose a colorless powder.
• You also have to be sure to choose the right foundation. Many women are wearing a shade that is either too light or too dark. Both of those mistakes will result in less than perfect pictures. Visit a makeup artist if you are unsure about which foundation is best for you.
• Because your wedding pictures are going to last forever, you want to avoid makeup that is too wild or trendy. Even if you think that bright, colorful eye shadow looks great, remember that in pictures those colors are likely to overshadow everything else.
• Eyebrows are VERY important to your final look. When your eyebrows are properly shaped and groomed, it can open up your whole face. It can add symmetry and polish to your final look, which is very important for your wedding pictures. Proper grooming of your eyebrows is something that is best left to professionals.
• Your eyes should get much of the attention when it comes to your wedding day makeup. You will need to select three shades. You will apply a medium tone shadow to your eyelids, a darker shadow on the lash line and a lighter color for the brow bone. Browns, grays, navy blue, wine or deep plum are all good choices, but you will need to experiment with different color palettes to determine what looks best on you. Once you choose your colors, practice as much as you can. Take pictures of your work, so you will know how the makeup looks in pictures.
• Be sure to choose WATERPROOF mascara. Nothing looks worse in wedding photos than a bride with black streaks running down her face.
• For the cheeks, you will want to add a touch of color. As is the case with the eye shadow, you will need to determine which color blush looks best on you. You will also need a good quality, fluffy blush brush. Apply the blush to the apples of your cheeks using a circular motion up toward the temples. Don’t overdo it. You want your color to look natural.
• Lip color is the final touch to your wedding day makeup. You should choose a shade that is in the same color family as your blush. Start by lining your lips with a pencil in the same shade as your lipstick. Next, fill in with your color.
• To make thin lips look fuller, apply the liner just outside the lip line. To make lips look thinner, consider skipping the liner and choosing a softer lip color.

The above tips will help you apply wedding day makeup that will take you from ceremony to reception. If you are unsure about doing your own makeup for this special day, consider using a professional makeup artist.

Another important tip for all of your wedding day photos: SMILE!

Congrats on your engagement,

Marti Spenk-Angel Face Makeup
Website: http://angelfacemakeup.com
Phone: 630 229 5442

For a personal recommendation of Marti email:

mgearhart@vbartlett.org

or visit www.bartletthills.com

Princess for the Day

Bridal Party Photo Opp

Lovely Spring Wedding