Cindy Savage and Julia Zayas-Melendez's extensive knowledge about wedding planning not only stems from both having theatre backgrounds and experience in stage management, but planning every detail of their own wedding in 2010.
"We planned all of it. ... We went dress-shopping and got irritated at the exorbitant cost of things made out of polyester and thought, 'But I can spend a third of this on fabric and make it out of silk instead,'" said Savage, "So, we made our dresses…"
"And we made our wedding cake, and the invitations, the website," said Zayas-Melendez. "We also did the graphic design, we did everything."
The couple met at a theater crew party: "I saw her across the room and I was like, I need to meet her," says Savage as she points to Zayas-Melendez. The two regularly finish each other's sentences, with their connection to each other and passion about their business evident in their easy banter.
"One of our friends who came to our wedding said something like, 'You guys are such crafty bitches, why don't you do this for a living?'" says Zayas-Melendez. After making the name more work safe, what was once something the ladies toyed around with doing on and off turned into Crafty Broads, which seemed like a sassy, fun catchall of a moniker to describe everything they have to offer.
Housed in a bright and welcoming storefront at 1329 W. Loyola Ave., their workspace is filled with the couple's custom creations, colorful spools of thread and various sewing machines amidst cutting and ironing tables that they crafted themselves by combining IKEA pieces to suit their needs. A cool window piece, that doubles as the wall of their dressing room with the flick of a curtain, flanks their latest projects on dressmaker mannequins.
Their services run the gamut, from wedding attire to alterations to stage management to making custom creations for all occasions. Wedding stage management can include coordinating rehearsals, imaginative decorations, liaising with vendors, emergency kits, looking over contracts, managing timelines. ... Overall logistics and whatever will help things run smoothly for the couple in question.
With three part-time, day-of assistants who help out on wedding days, Savage is eyeing expanding their staff in the future, with the possibility of creating a clothing line to give people who can't afford custom designs local, handmade options at a lower price.
But for now, their current projects are keeping them busy. Savage and Zayas-Melendez typically start prepping four to six weeks before each wedding. They start every project with a consultation to sit and really get to know their clients and their needs and wants. Usually, people will bring in photos or a Pinterest board, going through what they like and don't like to wear in their everyday lives. They also discuss the client's fashion style and what's comfortable to them.
"We really like making things to suit people," said Zayas-Melendez. "I think because we're costuming people," added Savage. "We're used to saying, 'Well, who is this character? And what would this character wear?' That's our design training—not 'What do I think would look fabulous on a size 0 person on the runway?' It's a totally different frame of mind."
After brainstorming with their client, they do sketches and price out what they think it will cost and, since materials are negligible compared to the cost of labor, they come up with a quote. Making a full mock up of the garment in muslin ( which they later rip apart and use as the pattern ), they perfect the fit before making the final product. Customers are presented with a curated fabric shop of sorts, where they can touch and pick the material options.
"I find it really fulfilling to help people see the beauty in themselves," said Savage. "To put them in something that looks great on them and makes them feel awesome, no matter what kind of body, size or shape of body they have. Everybody has beautiful features to highlight."
Their projects include an equal amount of really traditional ones, like altering tuxedos and suits, to items that are out-of-the-box: They were most recently tasked with creating a wedding ensemble inspired by Stevie Nicks that could be worn more than once. They're also excited about two different jacket/pants ensembles they're creating for two women getting married this winter.
Crafty Broads has seen a major increase in same-sex wedding clients now that the laws have changed in Illinois. "It's a really important element, making sure that you're working with people who get it or are sensitive to the fact that, 'Hey, this is a really big deal for us because we haven't been able to do it before," said Zayas-Melendez. Added Savage, "And also putting money back into the LGBT community—people feel really strongly about that, us included."
Visit www.craftybroads.com .
