There were so many aspects of Amanda and Kevin’s wedding that we adored — the venue, the flowers and decor, the marble tile escort cards, the photographer, and the amazing band. Most of all, being able to coordinate an event for such a fun and sweet couple made our job worthwhile! It was an absolute pleasure getting to know Amanda, Kevin, and all of their loved ones throughout the process.

On wedding day, the weather was picture perfect. We joined Amanda and her wedding party in her amazing suite at Blackstone Hotel. The room was gorgeous — the perfect backdrop for getting ready and detail shots. The girls all took turns getting dolled up. Jaci from Gloss Photography soon arrived ready to capture the day for the couple. With hair and make-up by perfected by Nika Vaughan Bridal Artists, the girls looked stunning. Meanwhile, Kevin and his guys were just across the street at The Hilton.

Before we knew it, it was time for the bride to slip into her dress. We couldn’t believe how perfect she looked, and knew Kevin would be blown away! Soon it was time to bring the bride and groom across the street to share their first look.  Just as we predicted, Kevin was stunned!  From there, Second City Trolley scooped up the wedding party to begin photos at various locations all over the city of Chicago.

After photos finished up, the wedding party joined us at Old St. Pat’s in the West Loop to hide away before the ceremony. Guest found their seats, prelude music began, and the group made their way down the aisle to watch as the couple committed their love to one another.

At 19 East each vendor was hard at work getting ready for their reception. 19 East itself, managed by Food For Thought, has fun and beautiful design with hardwood flooring and high ceilings. To add to the beauty of the space Steve’s Flower Market set breathtaking floral and decor at each table. We then began to set-up the couple’s personal decorations — along with the most creative marble escort card tile display created by a good friend of the bride’s!

Soon Windy City Limo loaded up the guests at the church and safely transported them to 19 East for cocktail hour. Food For Thought served delicious appetizers and cocktails as guests mingled. Following cocktail hour, everyone was invited into the next room to start the mouth watering dinner service by Food For Thought.  Throughout dinner service we listened in on hilarious and heartfelt speeches from the loved ones of the newlyweds.

After dinner finished up, guests were welcomed into the next room to watch as the happy couple began their first dance. Right after the bride and groom shared dances with their parents, open dancing was in full effect! Gina Glocksen Band absolutely rocked the house all evening! They played a wide variety of songs bringing guests of all ages out on the dance floor to celebrate the perfect day.

Amanda and Kevin, thank you both for sharing your wedding day with us. We wish you a lifetime of amazing memories — just like your July wedding. Cheers!

There’s no greater compliment for a wedding planner than a referral that turns into a new client! We were thrilled to get the chance to work with Alison — a good friend of a client of ours from a few years ago — for her wedding at Howells & Hood at Tribune Tower. We were definitely impressed when we found out that the bride and groom designed and printed their invitations themselves!

Alison got ready in the couple’s suite at The InterContinental Hotel. The location was just what they wanted — something right at the heart of Michigan Avenue, with a great view of the venue (Tribune Tower) to boot!

Alison and her bridesmaids were treated to the stellar talents of Lauren of Lauren Ashton Makeup and Amanda Jochino. Both have known Alison for a long time (Lauren went to high school with her!), making the morning even more relaxed and comfortable.

Meanwhile, Spence and the guys had a low-key morning getting ready at Alison’s parents’ condo and arrived at the hotel looking sharp and ready for photos!

Ryan of Ryan Damman Photography and Jacob of Jacob Durbin Films made sure to capture all the moments, big and small, throughout the wedding day. While we were working with the team at Howells & Hood to get everything ready for the ceremony and reception, the wedding party took a spin around the city in style thanks to Chicago Trolley & Double Decker Company.

The beautiful bouquets of flowers from Bloom 3 perfectly complemented the pale blush and pink dresses Alison and her bridesmaids chose.

The ceremony space (The Crown) at Tribune Tower was stunning! We were sad to learn that this space is no longer available for wedding ceremonies as the building is turning residential, but consider ourselves lucky to have been able to experience it in all its glory. The views were incredible, and the architecture made for an amazing backdrop for Spence and Alison’s wedding ceremony.

While the ceremony itself was short and sweet, the meaningful words shared by the couple’s friend and officiant were perfect. The sweet and loving vows between Alison and Spence gave way to their first kiss as husband and wife, and then it was time to party!

The wedding party all shared a toast together immediately following the ceremony, and guests enjoyed the view while sipping a range of craft beers. (One of the reasons the couple chose Howells & Hood for their reception? A great beer selection!)

Before we knew it, it was time to invite guests downstairs into the reception space for dinner. DJ Mike of Lucky Entertainment set the tone for the evening with some delightful dinner music, and helped us keep things moving along as we listened to heartfelt toasts and speeches from some of Alison and Spence’s closest friends and family.

As dinner ended and the partying began, guests were delighted to don some props and get in front of the photo booth by The Hipstr Company to add some silliness to Spence and Alison’s guest book.

Another gorgeous benefit of Howells & Hood was the outdoor patio with fire pits that guests could enjoy while enjoying their end-of-night cocktails and mini bundt cakes from Nothing Bundt Cakes.

DJ Mike broke out one of the most unique musical elements we’ve seen at a wedding reception — Karaoke! This is a musically talented couple, so we were not the least bit surprised to see a strong turnout for people ready to take the mic and belt out their favorite tunes.

As the evening started to draw to a close, we got to work setting up the favor display — a four-pack of craft beers home-brewed by none other than the groom himself! They used the old wedding adage “something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue” to inspire their flavors, and Alison and Spence designed the labels.

We really enjoyed working with Alison and Spence, and hope that they are continuing to enjoy their married life together! Thanks again to Ryan Damman Photography for the beautiful photos and Jacob Durbin Films for putting together a short highlight video of the big day!

Rachel and Matt are not only a beautiful couple, but two of the most genuine, kind hearted people we’ve ever met. Working with them and their families throughout the wedding planning process was an absolute joy, and their big day was as charming and fun as they are. Though they lived in New York at the time, Rachel and Matt decided to get married in Chicago, where Rachel’s parents reside. Their wedding announcement was posted in the New York Times – read it here! 

Rachel and Matt got married on Sunday, July 1st, at Bridgeport Art Center. The bridesmaids started the morning gathered at Rachel’s parents’ condo downtown, where they got their hair and makeup done by Livia Caporale and Andie Cumber.

The groomsmen started off at the Westin, and then headed over to Rachel’s parents’ building, where they continued casually hanging out in the recreation room for the rest of the morning. Matt then put on his tux from The Black Tux and got ready with a little help from his friends.

Rachel put on her stunning Isabelle Armstrong dress and then headed over to the building’s terrace for her First Look with Matt. 

The wedding party departed via Windy City Limo for the Art Institute Gardens, where they took photos with Rebecca Marie Photography and video with SocialArt Cinema.

While the wedding party took photos, the Five Grain team headed over to Bridgeport Art Center to get everything ready. In addition to the lovely floral arrangements that Life in Bloom displayed throughout the loft, they also suspended an elegant floral structure below the sky light that added even more life to the space. 

Before the ceremony began, Rachel and Matt had their Ketubah Signing, led by Rabbi Ari Moffic.

Their ceremony was short but oh so meaningful. Rachel and Matt recited their own vows to one another, and the love for the couple radiated through the room of happy tears.

During cocktail hour, everyone was in for a big surprise: One of the “guests” turned out to be magician Sean Masterson! Everyone who encountered Sean was both shocked and delighted with his close-up magic. In lieu of a guest book, Rachel and Matt’s friends and family were encouraged to sign a jenga piece. They also got to enjoy His and Hers Drinks provided by Venue Logic, and a spread of Rachel and Matt’s favorite foods, such as reuben sandwiches and pretzels, provided by Blue Plate.

After cocktail hour, the 200+ guests headed into the dining room for dinner. The space was absolutely stunning with the beautiful flowers, warm glow of the candles, and colorful table numbers and menus by Sarah Drake Design.

Between the delicious meals by Blue Plate, guests enjoyed thoughtful speeches from the bride’s parents and best man.

During their thank you speech, Rachel surprised Matt with a gift: a baseball cap with a bowtie on it (an homage to his love of wearing backwards caps), which Matt would go on to wear for the second half of the evening. After everyone had a few good laughs, the couple went into their cake cutting, followed by their first dance.

In addition to the wedding cake, there were ample yummy desserts that had everyone going back for seconds and thirds!

The party got kicked into high gear when open dancing began. Everyone immediately flooded the dance floor and The Gold Coast All Stars were absolutely phenomenal.

There was a short break from open dancing for the parent dances. In keeping with the laid back nature of the latter part of the evening, both Rachel’s dad and Matt wore backwards caps during their dances.

The newlyweds, Rachel’s parents, and Matt’s mom all went up for the hora, which was a blast as always!

Towards the end of the night, the guests were given glow sticks to crank up the party even more! The night ended with the song “Country Roads,” which was fitting given Matt’s West Virginia roots. Everyone joined together and belted the song, and it was a powerful and euphoric way to end the night.

Thank you, Rachel and Matt, for including us during this important time in your life! We loved working with you and wish you a lifetime of laughter and adventures together.

Being a part of someone’s wedding is always such an amazing feeling — knowing that this is a day they will remember and cherish for the rest of their lives, makes our job SO special! When Carla and Liam asked us to be a part of their big day we were too excited (especially since she is Joan’s first cousin-in-law)!

Carla and her ladies began their day on the sixth floor of University Club of Chicago in the Millennium North room featuring beautiful panoramic view of Millennium Park. Jennifer and Megan from Cattura Weddings were there to begin capturing each precious moment. The ladies took turns having their hair and make-up perfected by the very talented Marjia Puljic and Melanie Welsh, while enjoying delicious brunch items provided by The Club. Meanwhile, one floor up, the groom and his gents were enjoying a very relaxed morning before they got dressed and ready for the excitement of the day.

Carla slipped into her gown and we were all in awe! She looked absolutely radiant — her contagious smile kept us all in such a joyful mood. Upstairs the guys tying their bow ties (thank goodness for YouTube!). After everyone was ready, the charter bus from Signature Transportation Group arrived to bring the wedding party and immediate family over to the church.

Everyone made their way to Assumption Catholic Church and found their seats to watch the union of Carla and Liam. As three o’clock struck, the wedding party made their way down the aisle, and the happy couple enjoyed their beautiful and heartfelt ceremony. After the ceremony the wedding party headed around the city to enjoy the gorgeous summer weather and snap photos at various Chicago locations.

As the wedding party enjoyed photos, set-up was well underway at the University Club of Chicago. The Michigan Room is already so beautiful with unique architectural design, tall ceilings, and a grand fireplace — but with the help of each vendor the space became absolutely breathtaking. Steve’s Flower Market filled each tabletop with lush floral arrangements, vibrant greenery, and elegant decor. The tables were finished off with gold chiavari chairs from Chicago Chair Rental Collection adding an extra pop of glamour to the room.

Guests arrived and were invited up the The Gallery on the 12th floor — to enjoy cocktail hour with a scenic view of the city. Everyone enjoyed drinks and hors d’oeuvres before the evening continued in the Michigan Room for dinner service.

As soon as Carla, Liam, and their parents were announced into the room we all watched as the couple cut their delicious cake and shared their first dance as a married couple. Their meal service by University Club of Chicago‘s catering team started and guests enjoyed mouth watering meals. Heartfelt and hilarious speeches in honor of the bride and groom where shared their by loved ones.

Speeches were followed by adorable parent dances, that ended with open dancing for all! The very talented Dan Hayes Band kept guest of all ages enjoying the music at night long.

Carla and Liam, congratulations on your new marriage, we are so grateful to have been a part of your special day! Best of luck in your new adventures in London!