Planning a baby shower can be hard. Planning a baby shower five states away in a city you've never been in is even harder! But, when my blog bestie, Roxanne, told me the news she was pregnant back at NYFW in February, I was dying to throw her an amazing shower that she and baby of glam deserved! Roxanne moved to Chicago almost 2 years ago and I'd been wanting to visit her and see her new city, so I coupled a quick Chicago getaway weekend with hosting her baby shower as a two-in-one kinda thing! Caroline also came to the shower from DC and helped me with the planning of the shower!
Baby of Glam Shower Photography by Michelle Cox Photography.
Since I was coming from out of town, I wanted to find the perfect venue that was equal parts classy, picturesque (helllllloooo, we ARE bloggers, so that is a non-negotiable, lol), and had the right vibe. After putting feelers out to a bunch of places that didn't seem like the right fit, my friend Mindy (a fellow body positive blogger who lives in Chicago), recommended a new Italian restaurant, Casati's. I looked up the restaurant on social and online and had a feeling this was the right place. I put out an event inquiry and after a phone call to discuss the potential event, I *knew* it was the right place.
Baby of Glam Shower Photography by Michelle Cox Photography.
Casati's is a family owned authentic modern Italian restaurant located in Lincoln Park. They specialize in lite, fresh, and healthy dishes true to Florence Italian cuisine and even have the "healthiest pizza in Chicago" that is 90% less fat, carbs, and gluten than traditional pizza! The wine menu is curated by the owner, Stefano, and they have an extensive list to fit anyone's tastes. They also specialize in spritz and negroni cocktails (which, are DELICIOUS in my opinion!). The restaurant is the perfect size with a large classy dining room, a modern bar and lounge area, as well as two outdoor patios.
Since we were going for a more casual feel for the shower, we opted for the bar and lounge area which was PERFECT for our group of 20. The area was made semi-private and over looked one of their patios with large floor to ceiling glass doors bringing in tons of beautiful natural light. We were even lucky to have perfect weather so Casati's had the floor to ceiling glass doors open which was a great enhancement to the shower ambiance.
Baby of Glam Shower Photography by Michelle Cox Photography.
For the food and drink, Casati's made a specialized menu for us fit with tasty and light dishes such as Tartara, Mozzarella Bites, Arugula and Caesar Salad, and a selection of Casati's specialty pizzas. The presentation was wonderful and the food was even better. For the drinks, we had a Baby of Glam mocktail and cocktail spritz. Since Roxanne loves beverages and has been in search of the best mocktail throughout her pregnancy, Casati's made her a special jumbo Baby of Glam mocktail for the event and it was a super cute touch! Everything was delicious and the service of the staff was on point- Casati's definitely took amazing care of our group!
For the decor, I brought some decor with me that I'd found here in DC, but after doing a walk-through of the space the day prior, I was able to get a better grasp on what else we needed. Mel, the owner of Casati's (and who helped me with all the planning!) offered great suggestions on local party stores and provided me with the addresses- which was AWESOME since I wasn't familiar with the area. I was set on making a GLAM floral wall, so I bought the supplies at Michael's in the flower section and Caroline and I hung the long strands from a light fixtures in the area and it turned out exactly as I had envisioned! For flowers, I went to the Trader Joe's by my hotel and stocked up on all the filler flowers and arranged them in small glass bottles from TJ Maxx and Michael's for the tablescapes. I loved that Casati's was so open to the decor and did not give us any restrictions! They even offered to let me ship items to them in advance had I needed to!
Overall, Baby of Glam's shower was a huge success. Between the venue and food/drink, to the guests, and all the showering of love we were able to give Roxanne and her Baby Glam, my heart was so full at the end of the event. A huge thank you to Mel, Stefano, and the Casati's staff for hosting us and providing Roxanne with such a memorable afternoon. If you are looking for a venue in Chicago, I HIGHLY suggest Casati's!
A special thank you to Caroline, who helped in the planning, shower games, and decor - I couldn't have hosted the shower without you! AND an even more special thank you to Roxanne, for trusting Caro and I to throw you and Baby Glam a shower you deserve!
Photography by Michelle Cox Photo.
XOXO
Blonde in the District