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Matt's Aunt was kind enough to host an amazing reception at her home in Elgin, IL. It may have been a bit cloudy, but with the beach-inspired decorations, we may as well have been back at their wedding in sunny Miami! The cake was done by HyVee in Sycamore, IL.  
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Alli began getting ready in her hotel before departing for the cruise ship, and after arriving to the ship suite she got dressed and fully accessorized.
After the ceremony, we took a variety of pictures around the ship!
...and I may have taken my favorite photo ever.  The cruise photographer captured even more of Alli and Matt's special day:
It was such an honor to plan, photograph, and be the Maid of Honor in Alli's wedding, and it was a truly fantastic experience.  Since Alli's wedding was on a cruise ship in Miami, a beachy vibe was a definite must.  Face: Benefit The Porefessional Primer Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser for Dark Circles in Fair Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser for Dark Spots in Fair Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer in Radiant Tarte Amazonian Clay Full Coverage Airbrush Foundation in Fair Honey (with the Tarte Airbuki Brush) Cheeks: Rimmel Natural Bronzer in 020 Sunshine (with the EcoTools Large Powder Brush) Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush in Fearless (with the EcoTools Finishing Brush) Brows: NYX Eyebrow Cake Powder in Blonde Anastasia Lash Genius Clear Waterproof Topcoat Eyes: L'Oreal Infallible Eye Shadow in Iced Latte L'Oreal Infallible Eye Shadow in Amber Rush (with the EcoTools Eye Enhancing Duo Set) Laura Geller Cool Lids Cream Eyeshadow in Rose Gold Goddess Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Eyeliner in 005 Nude Almay Intense i-Color Eyeliner in Brown Topaz Covergirl Clump Crusher by LashBlast Mascara in Water Resistant Very Black Covergirl LashBlast Length Mascara in Water Resistant Very Black Revlon Eyelash Curler Lips: Soap and Glory Sexy Motherpucker in Fuchsia-Ristic NYX Butter Gloss in Peach Cobbler Setting: Urban Decay All-Nighter Long Lasting Makeup Setting Spray Alli likes to keep things clean and natural, and her husband wanted her to look "like herself" and not overdone on their wedding day, so we kept things simple with a bit of an extra pop.  Face: Benefit The Porefessional Primer Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser for Dark Circles in Fair Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer in Radiant Tarte Amazonian Clay Full Coverage Airbrush Foundation in Fair Honey (with the Tarte Airbuki Brush) Cheeks: Rimmel Natural Bronzer in 020 Sunshine (with the EcoTools Large Powder Brush) Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush in Blissful (with the EcoTools Finishing Brush) Brows: NYX Eyebrow Cake Powder in Blonde Anastasia Lash Genius Clear Waterproof Topcoat Eyes: L'Oreal Infallible Eye Shadow in Iced Latte Lorac Unzipped Palette (Lids = Uncensored, Crease and Corners = Untamed, Center Highlight = Unattainable) (with the EcoTools Eye Enhancing Duo Set) Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Eyeliner in 005 Nude Almay Intense i-Color Eyeliner in Brown Topaz Covergirl Clump Crusher by LashBlast Mascara in Water Resistant Very Black Covergirl LashBlast Length Mascara in Water Resistant Very Black Revlon Eyelash Curler Lips: Soap and Glory Sexy Motherpucker in Nudist NYX Butter Gloss in Praline Setting: Urban Decay All-Nighter Long Lasting Makeup Setting Spray Alli's wedding was going to take place on a cruise with a beach honeymoon, so for her bridal shower we put together a beach themed get-together. We ate, played some traditional shower games, and of course, showered Alli with gifts! The party was held at Barb City Manor in DeKalb, a retirement home with a room available for parties. Alli's mom had connections there, and it was a great place for friends and relatives to gather. 
Alli didn't want anything too wild and crazy for her Bachelorette Party, and as her MOH I wanted to be sure to deliver something fun and sassy, but still tasteful and "clean." To do this, we ended up having a "Little Black Dress Party" and a lingerie shower.  We started out the evening at Nat's on Maple, a local dinner hot-spot in Sycamore. Everyone looked super cute in their Little Black Dresses, and dinner was amazing. After dinner, the real party began. I had custom treats made from Polka Dot Bakery in Sycamore, and they couldn't have been more perfect. Paige did a phenomenal job with the lingerie and little-black-dress shortbread cookies, her cake pops were a huge hit, and her mini cheesecakes were a perfect finishing touch. She was phenomenal to work with and it was great to have a touch of sweetness after dinner! (I did a full feature of Polka Dot Bakery here.)
While everyone was arriving, eating, and mingling, the ladies were free to write date night ideas for Alli and her fiance, Matt, on popsicle sticks, sign the lipstick "guestbook," and write their addresses down for the ease of Alli's thank-you note writing (a pro-tip for any party where gifts are involved.) 
After that, the lingerie shower began. Guests were to bring an unmarked lingerie set that reflected their personality, and Alli was to guess who brought which set. She did very poorly at guessing, but that made it all the more fun!
No shower/party would be complete without a few games. We ended up playing a "Who Knows the Bride Best" game and a "Mad Libs Vows" game. Both were a big hit and ended up with some pretty hilarious results. You can access a template of our games here.
The winners of each game got prizes, and everyone left with a little something!  The party closed out with a goofy photo booth session! Photo booths are awesome keepsakes for the bride and guests, and are guaranteed to be laugh-out-loud experiences.
I'm SO glad I was able to create and share this special day with my special friend!! It was a great night and a fun celebration of Alli's love and marriage. <3  |
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