Have That Pinterest Wedding Rather than wait until after the pandemic to throw the big party she’d always envisioned, Mount Prospect bride Mary Kate de Leon decided to plunge forward in October with a small (20 attendees) wedding with her groom, Joel, at the Frank Lloyd Wright–designed Emil Bach House in Rogers Park. But the … Read moreRead More

Even when the bulk of your loved ones are watching from home, you can make them feel included with a delivery of local treats.Read More

Ditch the grand ball gown (so out of place at a small dinner party). These local spots stock great off-the-rack selections — many with showstopping necklines that play well when you’re Zooming with guests.Read More

Even at a socially distanced affair, mingling happens. (Just try avoiding Aunt Ruthie’s outstretched arms as she comes in for a hug.) But that doesn’t mean your face covering can’t be fancy AF. Here are five locally designed options.Read More

Your living room wall does not say “special occasion.” Level up your video game with one of these backdrops.Read More

Passed apps, family-style servings, buffet stations — gag. Jodi Fyfe, founder of the Paramount Group in West Town, shares her tips for a memorable (but germ-free) meal.Read More

Debra Dee, head of the makeup department for Chicago Fire, and Anthony Lullo, the show’s chief electrician, give the beauty and lighting tips that’ll make you look more Hailey Baldwin, less Stephen Baldwin onscreen.Read More

After the year we’ve had, is there anything worthier of celebration than true love? Whether your ceremony is entirely in person, fully virtual, or somewhere in between, here’s how to turn the big day you couldn’t have imagined into the one you never knew you wanted.Read More

The Loyola psychology professor dismantles the “Laziness Lie.”

Dr. Devon Price had always been an overachiever. They sacrificed social events to get top grades (aiming to fulfill a teenage dream of getting a PhD in psychology), mechanically ran through tasks on their to-do list, and still made time for activist work, live lit performances, and rewatching Mad Men.…Read More

This year’s Bechdel Fest realigns online.

Alison Bechdel’s iconic eponymous Bechdel Test isn’t the same exam it was when the award-winning graphic writer (Fun Home, Dykes to Watch Out For) created it back in ye olden 1985. A quick refresher if you’ve been under a rock since then or are still entrenched in the patriarchy: In order to pass the Bechdel Test, stories—be they on stage, page, or screen—have to include at least two female characters.…Read More