We love it when the mood changes from late afternoon beauty to early evening romance. Candles and string lights outlining the dining tables that can be seen in the distance. Having them strung over your guests creates such a cozy atmosphere that is very charming, whether they are vintage bulbs or beautiful twinkle lights. “Dinner Under the Lights” is always a good theme!

I love everything about you and Valentine’s Day! Celebrate big with your favorite people! Personally, I love to celebrate with my friends the week before Valentine’s Day and then the “day of” with the love of my life. Here are a few stay at home ideas when celebrating this special holiday: Netflix, chill and order in your favorite meal Enjoy Fondue for Two Create an at-Home Spa Set Up a Nacho Bar Plan an Indoor Picnic   Go the extra mile and make a homemade love note that will sit next to a box of chocolates!  XO, Christina

When it comes to planning your wedding or next milestone celebration, one of the first things you will have to decide upon is a date and a location. Why not pick outside your local venues? CCE has three reasons to go all out for your next celebration! You can create an amazing experience at a unique or exotic location anywhere you choose to land. You and your guests will feel as though you are on vacation from the moment you arrive at your chosen destination, which will only further contribute to an amazing celebration experience! You have the opportunity to create a more intimate celebration, by inviting only your closest friends and family members to join you.   Best advice, work with a professional event planner such as CCE when planning your dreamy destination event. Working with us will ensure that your special celebration is everything you envisioned.

What screams “summer” louder than a refreshing cocktail to cool you down when the weather heats up? Beat the heat at your favorite summer events with seasonal fruit drinks such as a watermelon refresher or a blueberry lemonade margarita. Try adding unique flavors to classic summertime favorites such as a blackberry mojito or peach sangria. End the celebration with delicious desserts like strawberry shortcake ice cream, lemon blueberry cheesecake, or a lemon raspberry sorbet. Don’t look past the amazing array of cocktail and dessert options a summer event can offer to make the day even cooler. 

We can’t wait for you to see what’s in store for CCE’s events in the upcoming months! Summer is finally here which means the sun is out, the days are longer, and we are working harder than ever planning and designing at some of Chicago’s most iconic venues. Known for its unique venues and museums, there couldn’t be a better location than Chicago. When it comes to the style and theme, each bridal couple is unique when choosing their wedding designs. Whether it’s a beautiful indoor ceremony or ethereal outdoor setting, each wedding offers a diversity of color ranges. We love taking our clients’ visions and making it a reality. Our job is to celebrate everyone’s uniqueness, personal style, and take all of this stress off of your special day!   

A welcome party is a great idea to help your wedding reception feel all the more intimate, as everyone has already had the chance to get to know one another. It’s a particularly good idea to consider having one if you’re planning a destination wedding and have a lot of out-of-town guests, or if you happen to have a few different groups of friends and families coming together for the first time. Here are some ideas to make your welcome party a fun event for everyone: Make it an experience! Show your out-of-towners a selection of activities from the area that shows off its local culture. This could be a wine tour or a favorite nearby restaurant that will provide everyone with a meaningful, yet casual welcome. Foodie Time! Serve your favorite local food and drinks. Show them what inspired you to have your wedding in that location. You can do this with serving small bites of each food item. Such as mini lobster rolls, pizzas, ceviche, hot dogs, etc. Tour the Town! Take your guests on a trolley or boat around the wedding location. Provide the guests a guide of the local bars, restaurants, shopping, etc. Swag Bags! Who doesn’t love a gift bag filled with all the necessities for a wedding weekend? The ideas are endless from custom canvas bags to boxes filled with everything from sweet treats to helping the slight hangover you may experience after the wedding! Whether your welcome party be big or small, just adding the personal touch makes all the difference!

For many, springtime symbolizes new life. Mother Nature opens the blooms, birds are chirping, and the sun feels warm again.  With the sweet vibes of springtime it’s easy to understand why people consider spring as the season of beginnings. It’s time to celebrate the mom-to-be’s and bride-to-be’s. The best part about designing a spring baby or bridal shower is the freshness of early blooming flowers. We love to add a bit of details with signature drinks with an edible flower to top off the sweetness! Spring showers are also a great time to serve smaller portion sized foods. This will give your guest a chance to try all of the chef’s creations! Such as waffles served with a mini bottle of syrup. Let’s not forget the tableware. Dress up the place settings with a pop of color with a pink water goblet or pink flatware.  Enjoy the soirees and all the spring prettiness it offers! Happy Spring!      

CCE in Vegas? What’s happening? We love the Chicagoland area and will continue to be based in Illinois. However, CCE will also be based out of Summerlin, NV, a suburb outside of Las Vegas. The goal is simple, to continue to offer memorable events! Nothing really has changed except for adding our business on the map, in Nevada. We will continue to create extraordinary events wherever our clients lead us. A little background on Summerlin:  Summerlin is a master-planned community in the Las Vegas Valley of Southern Nevada. It lies at the edge of the Spring Mountains and Red Rock Canyon to the west. Summerlin was named after Jean Amelia Summerlin, the grandmother of billionaire land-developer Howard Hughes. The Howard Hughes Corporation maintains ownership of the master-planned community, along with Downtown Summerlin (the community’s premier shopping, dining, and entertainment district) and the Las Vegas Ballpark (home of the Las Vegas Aviators minor league baseball team, which is named in Hughes’ honor). Summerlin is picturesque for any type of event. From the panoramic views of the strip to the glorious red rocks, it is easy to host a gorgeous wedding or party! There are many venues all at different price points. Each one delivers an unique experience that will be unforgettable!  As we move into 2022, I hope to bring you an event in CCE’s second home. Cheers!

A new year and more optimism with our celebrations. We hope to feel more comfortable that events will not be cancelled or postponed for 2022. In light of positivity, CCE clients are focusing on adding special statement pieces to their celebrations. Smaller events are allowing more wiggle room within the budget to splurge on special extras and unique details, such as detailed floral installations and/or specialty design rentals, like chairs or tablescape details. Whenever possible, CCE particularly loves incorporating neon signage, lit up marquee signs and lavish escort card displays to create fun, and welcoming spaces for event guests. CCE’s latest favorite trend is designing lounge areas to offer guests comfortable seating. Whether outdoors or indoors we encourage clients to dress the celebration space with vignettes and unexpected details to create variety and interest within the design. Area rugs under the lounge furniture provide grounding and warmth, while chandeliers, and thoughtful touches like  family photos create the perfect personalized event.  These few suggestions will elevate your special celebration and make a great photo op area for photos! CCE is excited to create statement pieces and special extras for your next celebration! Happy New Year! Christina

After another year of pause, we made it to the end of 2021! This past year everyone found themselves very busy with work and still learning how to navigate the pandemic. It was no different for CCE.  Our year ended up being very memorable. We had events just about every weekend over the summer; some with 2-3 events in one weekend! We handled four destination events as well!  These events were possible with the help and dedication of my team. I am very proud that our bond and mutual respect has grown even more! I am very nostalgic and grateful for Masumi and Olivia!  During the summer, CCE had the pleasure of bringing on two very talented interns. The incredibly busy summer allowed the two ladies to learn more about the event industry than they would have in any classroom. Brigit and Caroline accepted the hands-on challenge with our team. They handled everything beautifully and we could not have been more proud of them! In the midst of our busy work life, I moved out of my home after 19 yrs and found myself in two different homes. I’ll still be local in the Chicagoland area and also Summerlin, NV which is 30 mins from Las Vegas. The plan is to continue to provide the best events in Chicago and destination events as the world starts to come back to “normal”. More on CCE future in 2022 blogs. Now, it’s time to think about relaxing with family and friends over the holidays. Don’t forget to check out our latest article in Quintessential Barrington Magazine. https://www.quintessentialbarrington.com/wp-content/uploads/nd21-at-home-christina-currie.pdf May God bless you and your family and friends going into 2022! Cheers! CC

I believe 2022 will have profound differences with luxury weddings and events. I am noticing smaller guest counts and adding more experiences than just a single event day. This past year, CCE just didn’t plan the day of the wedding, we also designed and curated the welcome party and farewell brunch.  Consider spreading your celebration over a few days when you’re planning in your own hometown! While everyone is in town, take the opportunity to schedule pre and post celebration events! These three-day weekend experiences allow your guests to not only celebrate you but to create additional memories with family and friends. I also see a trend for getaway weddings and parties. They are growing in popularity again, however with a smaller guest count. This offers more flexibility with location. I am noticing that people are feeling cooped up and are ready to get out of town and have a change of scenery. Having a destination wedding or party offers the hosts and their guests not only the time to celebrate the event itself but include a vacation all wrapped into one. Also, don’t let the term “destination” mislead you. Many people are escaping to nearby towns or fabulous Southern cities for their big day instead of jetting overseas. CCE is ready to help start planning your special celebration and focus on the experience!

Gather Happily & Thoughtfully Bringing people closer together seems like an oxymoron these days. We are trying to keep everyone safe in times of a global pandemic yet it feels like the best time to stick together during challenging times. Recently, we had a client that dreamed of gathering family members that had not seen each other in over 15 years. The idea was to reminisce about the good times, when life seemed simpler, and create memories for years to come. Our team and client felt it was the safest to keep the event outdoors for this special family. It is always our goal for all the guests to feel comfortable and not worry about any risk of illness.  We pulled this outdoor family reunion off with all the vibes of “everything and everyone will be okay”. Our design concept stemmed from summer sunshine and citrus fruits to execute an overwhelming feeling of happiness. The event concept was centered around lemons “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade”! And, that is exactly what we did with our incredibly talented creative team. From freshly squeezed lemonade and citrus filled centerpieces, to a floral filled photo op wall and delicious family style meals, we helped this sweet family cheers to life together after so many years!