The library is by far my favorite place in the world to be, so it warms my heart when I see a fabulous soiree boasting a sweet literature theme. And this stunning Chicago affair captured by Mattson Pictures is all about the library love (and then some) with a bundle of charming book-themed details, including novels as centerpieces and some darling vintage book photo frames to showcase family weddings. LOVE that. Plus, the escort card table was crafted using antique card catalogs and that’s always a good thing. Thankfully, the gallery is literally overflowing with amazing moments, because you don’t want to miss a minute of lovely. Join me there for more!
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From the Bride… Phil and I met during law school at DePaul in Chicago so when we became engaged, we knew immediately that we wanted to celebrate our wedding in the same city where we laugh, love and live together. We have attended St. Michael’s Parish in Old Town as a couple for the past five years and it is home to us. Originally built in 1852, St. Michael’s is an awe-inspiring Catholic Church with beautiful old-world architecture, a magnificent clock tower that captures the essence of the historical area, and a sense of warmth and community that makes everyone feel welcome. Finding a reception location was a bit more difficult because there are so many unique venues in Chicago that it is hard to choose! We found the Murphy Auditorium unexpectedly after I saw a photo of the venue in a Chicago Bridal Magazine. When we walked into the Murphy for the first time, we fell in love with the ornate details, stained-glass windows, and the feel of old-world European architecture.
The overall theme first began with my wedding dress. I found a beautiful silk Christos by Amsale gown with a rich champagne tone that really complimented the classic, old-world Chicago look that we wanted to create. We wanted to incorporate books into our day since we spent lots of time together in the library during law school and Phil’s mother is the Director of a library in their hometown so literature is near and dear to us. Over the next eighteen months, I collected and crafted items with the help of my amazing friends and family to pull together our theme. My favorite projects were creating escort card boxes out of my mother-in-law’s antique library catalog, and creating photo frames out of old books to showcase photos of our family members on their wedding day.
We feel so fortunate that we had the opportunity to work with amazing vendors, like our photographers Karen and Doug Mattson, who are creative and unique in their work, who made us feel like a priority, and who we got along with very well from the start. We were also very lucky to have our day of coordinator, Tiffany Munster, because she orchestrated the event and made it seamless- if anything went awry, I still do not know about it!
My favorite moment of the day was standing on the altar at St. Michael’s, reciting my personal vows to Phil. I had written my vows weeks in advance and said them over and over to myself but standing up there, and for the first time, saying my vows aloud to Phil, I felt a deep sense of overwhelming joy and love for him. Everything about our day was absolutely perfect and we were so blessed to be surrounded by so many people who love and care about us! Our day was truly a reflection of us as a couple and what we love.
Wedding Photography: Mattson Pictures / Wedding Gown: Amsale / Bridesmaid Dresses: Jenny Yoo / Hair + Make-up: Beauty on Call / Floral Design: Mark Weber of Kloeckner’s / Ceremony Location: St. Michael in Old Town / Officiant: Fr. Tom Donaldson / Reception Location: The Murphy Auditorium / Caterer: Jewell Events / Ceremony Musicians: St. Michael’s Choir / Day-Of Coordinator: Tiffany Munster of Soirée Weddings & Events / Invitation + Save the Date: Friend of Couple, Kari Swenson / Wedding Cake: Bittersweet / Band: Out of Control / Wedding Videography: Jenny Tunberg Productions / Calligraphy: Tasha Holland of The Purple Squid