When ChicagoStyle Wedding issues a challenge, Gold Grid Studios answers the call! We always enjoy being part of a styled photo shoot, and the CSW Designers’ Challenge had local planners go head-to-head to create their fantasy wedding designs. For this “The Art of I Do” challenge, we worked with the planners at Big City Bride to capture a breathtaking collaboration at Bridgeport Art Center.
We could not have asked for a better design team, an eclectic group of Chicago professionals who make elegance look easy! We chatted with two of the creative minds who helped bring this challenge to life! Enjoy!
Jessi Cabanin, owner of Just Invite Me
What does your work in the Designers Challenge say about you? Is there something specific you hope couples will see?
I think our participation in the Designer’s Challenge really got us back to our happy place of being the true creatives that we love to be! Everyone can get lost in their busy wedding seasons and fall into a creative rut. Nothing wrong with it at all, it just becomes hard for us to find time to be awesome outside of making sure our clients are being taken care of! I painted a lot (way back when) I was in college, so this watercolor theme was just such a great connection for me! We just started offering laser cut items this year, so I really wanted to push the limits with our capabilities for this project, and I am blown away with what we came up with!
What’s one thing that makes you different than other professionals in your field?
We offer the TOTAL PACKAGE. We are a full service stationery studio and want to make the process as simple and stress free as possible for our brides. There are so many other things to stress about! We have a team of trained professionals to not only walk you through your design process, but also to produce your entire order for you so that they are ready to go when you receive them! We totally understand that not everyone is on the same budget, so we are proud to offer a variety of options for everyone!
What’s one thing you wish you could tell every couple?
BE YOU! Opinions can multiply very quickly, and I have seen couple’s original ideas get so far derailed just because someone doesn’t approve. While I want all of my clients to ultimately be happy with the service and product we offer, nothing makes me happier than a bride who’s vision ACTUALLY came to life. You can see an extra sparkle in their eyes when they first see them in person!
Chandra Pridgeon, a cake designer from Vanille Patisserie
What was your inspiration for the Designers Challenge?
After I received the inspiration board and really took the time to look everything over, I immediately thought of Patina—to me Patina represents a beautifully weathered vintage spring garden and that is what I tried to convey in my wedding cake(s)
What does your work in the Designers Challenge say about you?
That I can take someone else’s ideas and make them come to life. That they (a couple) can trust that we will make a cake that will truly represent their dreams and ideas.
What’s your favorite part of a wedding day?
Delivering the wedding cake to the venue. I look at the wedding cake as the final piece to a large puzzle and the sense of completion I get when it’s on the table.
Vote for winner of the Chicago Style Weddings Designers’ Challenge!
Take a look at more styled shoots on the Gold Grid blog!