events gallery

Bill and Gretchen’s wedding on a beautiful summer day was a true reflection of them as a couple because of all the personal touches that they included in their ceremony and reception. It was an honor to be their wedding coordinator and I was so grateful when Gretchen later wrote on The Knot, “Jamie Sanders was the best investment I could have made in my wedding. She handles so much, with great attention to detail and professionalism."

Gretchen enjoyed every minute of her wedding day, including this special moment with her mom as she got into her wedding gown. It is always a joy to work with a bride who is relaxed and having a wonderful time on her most special day.

Gretchen is a professional graphic designer who created these innovative programs for her wedding. When the program is opened it creates a fan and guests can read all about the wedding party and the ceremony. Because Gretchen loves peacocks, they were used in her wedding decorations and stationary including this ceremony program. Turn the program over and the back side shows a beautiful peacock on full display.

Peacock feathers were also woven into the bride and bridesmaids’ bouquets which included green fugi mums, baby green dendorobium orchids and purple stock limonium.

One word says it all . . . beautiful! Gretchen’s bridesmaids were her sister and Matron of Honor Christy and her dear friend Michele.

Gretchen was a vision as she walked down the aisle to meet Bill. As a wedding planner, I have the privilege of watching brides walk down the aisle from this vantage point and it always brings a tear to my eye.

The unity candles at Gretchen and Bill’s wedding were just stunning. They were larger and more ornate than most of the unity candles I have seen, so we displayed them prominently at the altar. Gretchen purchased these candles and holders from the Pottery Barn.

The couple planned their reception to begin a couple of hours after the ceremony to allow them to relax and to have photos taken by their photographers, CR Photography and Design.

After pictures at St. Thomas Church, the bridal party went to beautiful Luthy Botanical Gardens for the chance to capture some more casual wedding memories.

“Road Trip with Bill and Gretchen” was the amusing theme that Bill and Gretchen chose for their wedding reception. Why? During their engagement, Bill lived in Sioux City, Iowa and Gretchen lived in Peoria, Illinois. The couple traveled the same roads and stopped in the same towns along the way more times than they could count. So they used their travels as their wedding reception theme. It began with this road map board to hold the guest’s escort cards. (Photo by Jamie Sanders)

The reception was held at Eastport Banquet Center which was decorated in the wedding colors with purple sashes on white chair covers and purple and green centerpieces. Hanging from the ceiling are streamers created by the bride out of ribbon and cut-outs from maps, signifying their theme of “Bill and Gretchen’s Road Trip.” (Photo by Jamie Sanders)

Eastport is a beautiful venue for a summer wedding because it has a large outside deck where guests can mingle before and after the reception while enjoying spectacular views of the Illinois River. Georgette’s Flowers created all flowers for the wedding including these centerpieces at the reception of fugi mums and purple hydrangea.

Each table at the wedding reception was named for one of the stops along the route of Bill and Gretchen’s Road Trip such as this one for Walcott, Iowa. Each table had a sign that included a picture of either Gretchen or Bill in that particular town and an interesting fact about that community. Many guests wandered around the reception reading each of the cards and learning about all the interesting places the couple came to know so well. (Photo courtesy of Susan Real)

The bride created these whimsical cootie catchers which were also placed on every table for guests to enjoy. They turned out to be great conversation starters and a wonderful way for guests to learn interesting tidbits about the wedding couple that they may not have known before.

No more long road trips for Gretchen and Bill! The week of their wedding they recieved the awesome news that, just in the nick of time, Bill had landed a great job in Peoria and Gretchen would not have to move to Iowa as planned. So Gretchen was able to keep her job and the couple now live close to their families and friends. Perfect.

Mardi Gras! Just those two words evoke images of great fun and revelry. In 2011, Risinger Inc. of Morton again utilized J’s Event Planning to plan, design and coordinate the annual party for their employees.

The Risinger Mardi Gras Masquerade Ball was held at The Waterhouse on Peoria’s riverfront. More than 100 people attended. Centerpieces included pilsners filled with water pearls and decorated with beautiful masks.

Exquisite candelabras were also used for the centerpieces for this Mardi Gras themed event.

Programs set at each guest’s place explained the evening’s itinerary and introduced the Mardi Gras characters who would be presenting the Mardi Gras Masquerade Ball. Like the invitations to the party, the programs were printed on pearl paper so they would shimmer and shine.

Everyone who attended the Mardi Gras Masquerade Ball was given Mardi Gras beads and a mask when they arrived at the party.

Upon arrival, all the guests were asked to go to the Bourbon Street sign set up near the bar to have their picture taken by Jeff McSweeney Creative Services. DJ and Ashley Smith, pictured here, were one of over 60 couples who had their pictures taken that evening. The photos were printed onsite, placed in frames and given as a memento to guests as they left the party.

Dinner was a sumptuous feast which included prime rib and herb crusted salmon, mixed green salad, buttered parsley potatoes, green beans, vegetable medley and vegetable jambalaya. Dessert was cheesecake or beignets, which are a traditional New Orleans favorite. Yum!

The stage at the front of the room was designed both for the employee presentations and as a set for the evening’s entertainment.

The 2011 Risinger Employee of the Year award was presented by Chief Operating Officer Jim Davis to Linda Hoogerwerf.

No Mardi Gras ball is complete without the presentation of the beautiful Debutante of the Ball. She was escorted by the Court Jester, whose zany antics throughout the event were a big hit with party goers.

The Men’s Call Out Dance allowed the gentlemen at the party to choose a partner for this dance to traditional Dixieland music.

Peoria Cabaret Theater provided actors who played the main characters attending the Mardi Gras Masquerade Ball. The entertainment began when the King of the Mardi Gras Ball welcomed all the guests from Risinger.

When Risinger employees came to this party, they did not know that the evening would include a “murder” and the entertainment would revolve around solving this murder mystery. The victim was none other than Risinger President Dean Hoffman. Thanks, Dean, for being such a good sport!

Characters involved in the murder mystery included a detective…

A fortune teller and palm reader. . .

A swamp hunter . . .

A socialite and former New Orleans Saints cheerleader. . .

A bookish DJ for a Nawlins authentic local music radio station . . .

A flamboyant world famous writer . . . and other interesting characters plucked right off the streets of New Orleans. Jamie Sanders, owner of J’s Event Planning, was thrilled to be told by an executive from Risinger, “You have really outdone yourself this time. This is a fantastic party!”

The “Be A Kid Again” party was held to honor many of the folks who were working so hard to make the Children’s Miracle Network Telethon a success in 2011. No theme could have been more fitting to celebrate the efforts of people dedicated to enhancing the mission of the Children’s Hospital of Illinois.

Serving as Honorary Chairmen for the 2011 Children’s Miracle Network Telethon and hosts of the Be A Kid Again party were Dave and Karen Magers.

Sister Judith Ann Duvall, Chairman of the Board at OSF, and ISU’s beloved mascot Reggie Redbird were some of the honored guests at the party.

Performers from Illinois State University’s Gamma Phi Circus, pictured here with Leanna Bordner from ISU and Karen and Dave Magers, provided plenty of entertainment for the Be A Kid Again party.

Wow! Fireeating was only one of the many talents that circus performers from Gamma Phi Circus demonstrated to entertain the party guests.

The menu for the Be A Kid Again party was perfect for the theme . . . Happy Meals donated by McDonalds, ice cream donated by Spotted Cow, caramel corn donated by Homespun and other favorite treats.

One of the main attractions at the Be A Kid Again party was this old fashioned carousel. It was a hit with all the guests.

Sister Judith had a great time on the carousel! Sister really got into the spirit of the party and seemed to truly enjoy all the entertainments that we usually associate with kids.

Guests were invited to step into a photo booth provided by Fun on the Run and amuse themselves taking lots of silly pictures.

Jim Vasilou provided live music for the party. Thanks, Jim, for your support!

Magicians roamed through the party performing close up magic to entertain small groups of guests.

Doug Smith of the Unique Twist showed off his skills as a balloon twister by making dozens of over-the-top balloon hats for lots of the guests at the party.

J’s Event Planning was asked to help plan and coordinate the Be A Kid Again party, but it took a lot of work and cooperation from a host of vendors, volunteers and the staff at the Children’s Hospital of Illinois Foundation to pull this off. Kudos to everyone involved.

Colin and Erin share many interests and one is a love of antiques. So the choice to have a vintage themed wedding was a natural expression of who they are as a couple. The decision was made easier when Erin chose a gown by San Patrick that evoked the 1930’s.

The guests were delighted when the flower girl, only 18 months old, happily walked down the aisle barefoot with the handsome young ring bearer at Erin and Colin’s wedding.

The wedding colors were rasberry with gold accents, but the flowers chosen for bouquets, boutinieres and the church were a plethora of colors.

Georgette’s Flowers arranged all the flowers for the wedding and reception using old fashioned flowers including a variety of roses, purple statice, freesia and misty limonium.

The signs directing guests to both the rehearsal dinner and the wedding reception were made from pieces of wood salvaged from a barn that was set to be demolished. The bride’s father made the rustic looking signs at his daughter’s request.

Ivory antique lace tablecloths gathered over a year’s time through ebay covered each table at the reception. Every table had a unique centerpiece featuring a crystal or antique brass vase filled with fresh flowers or antique brass or crystal candlesticks and candelabras.

Most centerpiece vases were purchased at antique malls or second hand stores during the couple’s engagement, but some family pieces were also used.

An especially gorgeous lace tablecloth was chosen for the cake table and Erin wanted just the slightest touch of pink added to the buttercream frosting of her cake. Linda Veatch, owner of Designer Cake Shop, took great care to re-create a design that the couple had chosen and placed the three tier creation on an antique brass cake stand. The candy in the foreground are Skittles, the bride’s favorite.

Consistent with their vintage theme, the couple used jars of homemade strawberry rhubarb jam both as favors and as placecards. The mother of the bride made two hundred jars of jam so that not only each of the guests could have one, but also all the vendors and servers who assisted with the wedding and reception.

The bride wrote the first name of each of her guests on labels for their jam, attached with a piece of hemp string, to sit at their place at the table.

The art of quilling uses strips of paper that are rolled, shaped and glued together and was especially popular in the 18th and 19th centuries. The bride learned how to quill so that she could create the table numbers for her wedding reception.

At the entry to the wedding reception, the flowers from the church were utilized once again along with a small replica of the Empire State Building. Why? Because the groom flew to New York City while the bride was vacationing there to surprise her with a proposal of marriage at the top of the Empire State Building. You can’t get more romantic than that!

The hand painted box for the cards at the gift table belongs to the bride’s grandmother. Gold sparklers, once again coordinating with the color scheme, wait in a mason jar for use later. When the reception ended, guests went to the parking lot, the sparklers were lit and Colin and Erin ran through a gauntlet of their families and friends to start their new life together.

The day after their wedding, Colin and Erin engaged their photographer to take additional “couple” photos at a romantic site near her parent’s home without the stress and worry that comes while wedding guests are left waiting for the couple to arrive at the reception. The result was lots of beautiful and unique photographs, thanks to Deidre Lynn Photography.

Hearts of Hope is an art auction and celebration held annually in memory of Gertrude Kelley to benefit the Mental Health Association of Illinois Valley. Honorary Chairs for the 2011 Hearts of Hope were Michael and Elizabeth Stone. The Stones have been staunch supporters of the Mental Health Association for many years.

Jamie Sanders, owner of J’s Event Planning, was in charge of organizing, promoting and coordinating the 12th Annual Hearts of Hope in 2011. The event raised more than $36,000 for MHAIV, which was more than double the previous year.

Held at the Peoria Country Club, Hearts of Hope draws a diverse collection of art lovers and friends of the mental health community.

Mike and Carol Denzer joined 140 other guests as they enjoyed an evening of great food, warm fellowship and beautiful artwork.

The art offered for auction at HOH includes paintings, drawings, sculpture, photography, woodworking, ceramics, jewelry and more. All the art is donated by talented artists including this etching by an American artist living in Japan, Brian Williams.

The highlight of the evening is the live auction of 25 pieces of art chosen by a juried panel of judges from all the donated artwork. The 2011 auction moderator was Dan Kennedy, supported by his wife Cindy. Behind them is professional auctioneer Gary Schmick, who generously donates his time and talent to this worthy event.

Joni Gilbertson has volunteered her time at Hearts of Hope for many years. She assists the auctioneer by carrying pieces of art through the room full of bidders to give them one last up-close look at the item being bid on.

Artist Bud Harvey fashioned this amazing rose out of forged steel for the 2011 HOH auction. It was chosen for the live auction.

One of the most popular items up for bid that evening was this “Angelfish” created by artist Bruce Perry. The lucky winner had plans to set the work in his gardens.

In addition to the live auction, there is a huge silent auction at HOH featuring not only artwork, but beautiful and valuable items such as this Guy Laroche watch valued at more than $2500.

Each year AJ Boore of Bremer Jewelry, shown here with his wife Heather, creates a stunning piece of jewelry that is donated to HOH.

This gorgeous 14 karat white gold necklace featuring a huge pearl and diamonds was valued at $2000 and raffled at the 2011 Hearts of Hope.

Hearts of Hope Honorary Chairman Michael Stone did the honors by selecting the lucky winner of the Bremer Jewelry necklace at the end of the evening’s festivities. He is assisted by Mental Health Association Executive Director Lori Cheek.

Looking forward to 2012! J’s Event Planning will again be coordinating the 2012 HOH to be held on October 13th, 2012. We are pleased to announce that our 2012 Honorary Chairs will be Cindy Kennedy, Dr. Lindsey Ma (and his wife Kathy, not pictured) and Dan Kennedy.

Emily and Justin love nature and the earth and they envisioned a ceremony set in a beautiful and rustic outdoor setting surrounded by their family and friends. They chose to have the wedding in a lovely open field accessed by a narrow path through the woods at Camp Wokanda.

The wedding dress and bridesmaids dresses were made from hemp, a natural fiber that requires few pesticides and no herbicides to produce. It has a texture similar to linen so it was a perfect fabric choice for a bride who wanted to make a statement about being good to the earth at her wedding. The bottom of Emily’s gown featured vine and branch appliqués.

Emily was a happy bride and nothing, absolutely nothing, was going to get in the way of her joy on her wedding day. The morning of the wedding featured heavy downpours and threatening skies, but Emily’s good nature and optimisim infected everyone around her.

Just one and a half hours before the ceremony, the skies cleared and the sun even popped out for a bit. Jamie and Amy from J’s Event Planning, with help from a few of Emily’s relatives, quickly jumped into action. We prepared the trellis that had been created for the wedding by a friend of the bride and groom with fabric, flowers and a butterfly. Beautiful mums were set out to decorate the aisle, wet chairs were wiped clean and the audio system was brought out. The rain held off until just moments after the last pictures were taken after the ceremony. Hurrah!!

Instead of the traditional flower girl and ringbearer, this wedding featured two adorable bell ringers, Auden and Ahna.

Emily and Justin are a playful and fun-loving couple and their wedding captured that simple, joyous feeling.

A unique highlight of the wedding was this tree planting. Each of their guests had scooped some soil into the pot as they arrived at the ceremony and the couple placed the tree into the earth that their family and friends had prepared. The tree was later re-planted at the couple’s home.

The ceremony was conducted by the couple’s friend, Lowell. Lowell had to become ordained to act as their officiant on that day, but he succeeded in delivering a service that was warm, personal and very meaningful.

Emily and Justin’s reception was held in the old dining hall nearby that offered wooden beams, stone fireplaces and a blank slate for them to decorate according to their natural theme.

Everything had to be brought to Camp Wokanda to pull off this reception for over 200 people including plates, glassware, silverware, linens, the bar, the sound system and everything needed to prepare and serve a huge banquet on site.

The couple’s woodworking friend, Joe, cut pieces of wood and Emily and her friend Amy painted the whimsical table numbers on each one.

Joe and his wife, Julie, also donated homemade wine that was set on each table at the reception.

The bride’s mother made these delicious mints for the reception and each of her aunts brought lots of scrumptious desserts including pies, cheesecake, cinnamon rolls, pumpkin bars, brownies, cookies and baklava. Oh, and there was also wedding cake!

In lieu of favors, the bride and groom made a donation to TAPS, the Tazewell Animal Protection Service, and encouraged their guests to consider adopting a pet.

Emily later wrote, “Thanks for everything again Jamie...I will never forget how happy I really was that entire weekend of my wedding - everything was perfect!”  Photos courtesy of Rachel B. Photographie

For the past three years, J’s Event Planning has worked to coordinate and promote the annual Christmastime Gospelfest concerts sponsored by Gospelfest Ministries. In 2011 a huge crowd attended the concert held at Five Points Washington on December 9th. Two concerts were held the very next day at the Calvary Baptist Church in Normal for gospel music fans in the Bloomington area.

The new set constructed for the 2011 Christmastime Gospelfest concert at Five Points took months to build and was the most elaborate to date. A large porch on the front of the cabin and a huge barn in the background perfectly conveyed the “Country Christmas” theme of this year’s concert.

The talented artists who make up the Gospelfest Singers performed traditional Southern gospel Christmas music to an appreciative crowd. What a great way to put Christ into your Christmas celebrations!

Shawn Degenhart, right, leads the Gospelfest Singers with great enthusiasm for the music and the message. Shawn also heads the nonprofit Gospelfest Ministries which is a comprehensive music ministry that offers services including concert production, a nationally syndicated radio program, publishing, arranging, typesetting, recordings and general music production services.

Let It Shine! Puppet Ministry provided these and many other adorable characters that performed during the second act at all three of the performances of the 2011 Christmastime Gospelfest concerts.

A poignant moment onstage with Gospelfest singer Angie Lyons and friend.

The Let It Shine! puppeteers are talented young people from Calvary Baptist Church in Normal who share their love for their Lord through this special performing art.

The entertainment included a sleigh ride for some of the puppets by singer Nate Edwards while Eric Walker hands a snowball to fellow singer Deborah Gates.

Peoria Charter Coach organized a popular bus tour to the afternoon Gospelfest concert in Normal. Four buses picked up loads of folks from locations throughout central Illinois to enjoy lunch together before attending the Christmastime concert.

Singer Eric Walker is a joy to watch as he gladly shares the gift of his beautiful and distinctive bass voice.

With talented singers who obviously love what they do and believe passionately in their message, it is no wonder why the audiences for Gospelfest concerts become loyal fans and return year after year.

Whitney’s Walk is a healing and inspirational event held annually to raise funds for depression awareness and suicide prevention. Whitney’s Walk was begun in 2004 by the family of 16-year-old Whitney Grotts, following her death by suicide. Money raised is donated to the Mental Health Association of Illinois Valley.

Jamie Sanders, owner of J’s Event Planning, was asked to coordinate Whitney’s Walk in 2010 and 2011. The event raised more than $115,000 in 2011, more than any previous year. Over a thousand people participate every year, giving solace to those affected by suicide and hope to those still struggling with depression and other mental illnesses.

The Whitney’s Walk event also includes a 5K Run for those who prefer a competitive race. The Run starts just 5 minutes before the Walk itself.

According to Jamie Sanders (center), the real credit for the success of Whitney’s Walk belongs to the awesome volunteers who work tirelessly for months in advance to prepare and promote this healing and educational event. They are a joy to work with.

Angela Weck,(center) is the Executive Director of the Peoria Area World Affairs Council (PAWAC) and contacted J’s Event Planning to provide assistance in the planning and coordination of their 3-day event entitled Celebrate Lebanon! The event was held November 12-14, 2010. On Friday, The Homecoming was held at the Itoo Hall. On Saturday, an all-day Symposium was followed by The Gala at the Hotel Pere Marquette. The event concluded with The Spirtual held at St. Sharbel’s Church in Peoria.

The first evening was hosted by the Itoo Society and was entitled The Homecoming. Almost 500 people including many distinguished guests were in attendance.

The Rev. Faouzi Elia greeted honored guests Fatina Salaheddine, the CEO of Al-Sahafa Ohio Newpaper and His Excellency Antoine Chedid, Ambassador of Lebanon to the United States.

Semaan Trad (pictured here with Julia Ghantous) worked tirelessly with his staff at the Itoo Hall to prepare a wonderful and festive evening to kick off the Celebrate Lebanon! event.

Authentic Lebanese food served by the Itoo Society at Friday’s event was beautifully displayed and delicious to eat.

Dr. James Zogby, President of the Arab American Institute located in Washington D.C., was the keynote speaker on Friday. The topic was “Lebanese Americans: Key to US Relations with Lebanon.” His speech was followed by a book signing in the foyer while a traditional Lebanese band, Billal, provided music for dancing in the main room.

Registration for such a huge event was challenging given that there were nearly 700 registrants and some chose to attend one day, others two days and many all three days of Celebrate Lebanon! J’s Event Planning played a key role in coordinating the site logistics and making sure that people coming to celebrate did not have to spend much time waiting to be admitted.

Randy Couri devoted countless hours to meticulously preparing displays and historical information on the central Illinois Lebanese-American experience. The displays enriched the understanding of those in attendance at Saturday’s Symposium and Gala at the Pere Marquette.

On Saturday, a VIP reception was held before The Gala in the Cotillion Ballroom of the Pere Marquette. It was an invitation-only event for sponsors and donors to allow them to mingle with the distinguished guests.

Enjoying the VIP Reception were Kathy LaHood, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, who is a central Illinois native and proud Lebanese-American, and Michele Sisson, the former American Ambassador to Lebanon.

Also enjoying the VIP Reception were Catherine McBride, Connie Pogue, Don Samford, who graciously provided the photographs for this gallery, and Anne Dossey. All are active members of PAWAC.

One of the highlights of the Saturday Gala was a parade of children in authentic Lebanese dress who represented the Lebanese-American legacy. The children danced and sang both the Lebanese and American national anthems.

A celebration of Lebanese culture would not be complete without a performance by a beautiful belly dancer!

George Ghareeb presented Dennis and Judy Triggs with a gift in appreciation for all their hard work as volunteers for PAWAC in envisioning and organizing the Celebrate Lebanon! weekend.

The Gala ended with a joyous few hours of dancing to Lebanese music.

These dedicated members of the Peoria Area World Affairs Council, Itoo Society and St. Sharbel’s Parish comprised the Celebrate Lebanon! Conference Committee.

Talk about an over-the-top Christmas Party! The hostess called J’s Event Planning asking for assistance in finding a carousel for the private party that she throws annually for some of her closest friends. J’s Event Planning had contacts in the carnival industry and was able to make those connections.

The delighted looks on the faces of guests as they arrived and saw the carousel that awaited them says it all.

The theme of the party was Merry Memories so all the elements of the celebration related to happy childhood memories.

The carousel brought out the joy of children at play in all the adult guests.

The hostess wanted a professional photographer to capture the evening and take pictures of each couple who attended. She also wanted Santa to read each her guests’ childhood Christmas stories later that evening. J’s Event Planning took care of both these requests with one talented individual . . . Jeff McSweeney.

A smooch while riding on a carousel will be a wonderful Christmas memory.

The man of the hour was the carousel operator, surrounded by all his new friends!

The party continued inside with food that complimented the Merry Memories theme, drinks and photos taken of each couple in front of the beautiful Christmas tree. Photos courtesy of Jeff McSweeney