Five Grain Events

Chicago Event Planners

Happy Anniversary, Katie and Connor!

We would like to wish a happy anniversary to Katie and Connor who tied the knot at the magnificent St. Alphonsus Church last year. These two sweethearts had all of us going “awww” when they walked down the aisle officially as husband and wife. They then celebrated their love with a fun reception at Hotel Allegro that had everyone dancing through the night.

This is Feeling Photography

Katie and Connor, cheers to your love and we hope that the both of you continue to share many beautiful memories like this one!

Love,

Kelly and Joan

Happy Anniversary, Caelan and Eric!

Last September Five Grain Events had the honor of being a part of Caelan and Eric’s special day. A day that included lovely pictures along the Chicago Riverwalk, lots of beautiful greenery and lush florals courtesy of Dilly Lily, and a magical garden ceremony at The Ivy Room.

Julia Franzosa Photography

Happy one year anniversary to you both, may you continue to experience more love and happiness in the coming years!

Love,

Joan

Five Grain Home Logistics

Family, friends, current and past clients–I hope you are all well and surviving the madness!  The Five Grain Team misses collaborating with you to produce events brimming with personality, vibrancy, and panache.  We cannot wait until this virus is conquered so we can all gather again.  The connections with our clients and vendor friends are so sorely lacking, and that has been one of the hardest parts of being in limbo in this way.

It’s been an interesting 6 months, to say the least.  On the home front, my family welcomed our fourth child–Stanley Joseph–in May so I’ve been grateful to have a little extra time to snuggle with our last baby.  It’s been fun watching my older three girls (2, 6, and 8) play together and become best friends.  Even so, there is a part of me that doesn’t feel whole without putting some energy each day into the part of events I most love:   LOGISTICS!  Timelines, Templates, and To Do Lists:  oh my!

Over the past week, as I worked to disentangle two daily virtual school schedules, baby sleep schedules, and work needs to create our family calendar in five-minute increments, I realized there may be families who don’t find as much enjoyment in a good color coding as I do.  People who face mounting anxiety as we kick off another school year and are feeling helpless and hopeless on how to regain control of the day-to-day.

Enter, Five Grain Home Logistics!  For all my past wedding clients who wished I could be their “life planner”, now’s your chance 😉 .  I am going to be creating custom toolkits for the overwhelmed family.  It will include a weekly schedule, daily checklists, and tips and tricks I’ve picked up on how to stay ahead of the curve and improve your family’s level of calm and organization.

Please reach out to me at joan@fivegrainevents.com to schedule your consultation.

3 Ways to Celebrate Birthdays While in Quarantine

Because of the coronavirus pandemic, people are strongly advised to stay inside their homes and avoid gathering in large groups to prevent the spread of the virus. Many businesses are closing down and moving operations online. Health organizations around the world recommend social distancing and self-isolating, which means social gatherings like birthday parties are off the table until the pandemic is under control.

Finding a way to celebrate a birthday can be tough while everyone’s in quarantine. Hence, people have to get creative to celebrate their or their loved one’s special day. If you’re out of ideas, here are a few you can try.

An Intimate Family Dinner

If you live with your family, an intimate dinner with everyone at home can be a joyous way to celebrate. To make the day extra-special, prepare the birthday celebrator’s favorite dishes or a fancy meal. Bake or buy a cake for everyone to eat, and open a bottle of wine for the adults to enjoy.  Watch a movie after dinner or play games for fun.

Since we have all been staying home in quarantine, there have been few opportunities to dress up. Why not take the chance to clean up and dress to the nines? After all, a birthday is an important day, and it deserves to be celebrated in a special way.

A Virtual Birthday Party

Don’t live with your family members? No problem! How about a virtual birthday party? Set up a Zoom meeting or video conference and invite your family members and friends to join. Everyone can individually prepare a special meal and eat together during the group call—or maybe send out recipes for a special menu item or cocktail to partake in together. You can chat and enjoy one another’s company even when you’re far away.

Choose an interesting theme (like medieval or Renaissance style , ’80s disco, or Hollywood), and dress up according to the theme to make the virtual birthday party even more exciting. Don’t forget to decorate your home or add a fun virtual background as well. Prepare games or creative activities, like karaoke, trivia games, or even group arts and crafts, for added fun.

A virtual party won’t be the same as gathering together in person, but it’s better than not getting to see your family and friends during such a special day.

Pampering Yourself

All “zoomed out”? There are still plenty of ways to enjoy your birthday. Take this time to focus on yourself, and do things that you enjoy but don’t get to do often. Take a day off and sleep in if you can. If you must work, pamper yourself at the end of the day. Have a spa day at home! Soak in a warm bubble bath, light some scented candles, and just sit back and relax.

Your birthday is a good excuse to indulge. Lose yourself in that book you’ve been wanting to read, or watch a movie you’ve been wanting to check out.

Get yourself a nice gift too. That pair of shoes you saw online? Buy them! It’s your special day, and you have every right to splurge.

Before You Go

Social gatherings are not recommended during the pandemic, but that doesn’t mean you should miss out on celebrating. There are so many ways you can honor your special day without being in the same room with your friends or family. Try any of these ideas with your family and friends. A little variety will make the celebration even more fun and special.

This is a paid featured post.

Happy Anniversary, Annie and Jayson!

Happy anniversary to the silly and adorable Annie and Jayson (aka Peanut and Nugget)! We cannot believe that it has been almost a year since that perfect 73 degree day in August at Morgan’s at Fulton. We still smile when thinking of Jayson’s “Peanut and Nugget” themed artwork.

Photography by Anastassia

Thank you for letting us be a part of your special day and wish you continuous years of love and happiness! 

Love,

Christina and Joan