This wedding? It’s exactly the reason we adore traditional weddings. The reason we go a little crazy when we see a breathtaking church ceremony and a stunning ballroom reception. It’s the mix and mingling of beautiful details (I’m looking at you, fab paper goods from Invitations by Ajalon and lush florals from Pistil & Vine) with the kind of sophisticated vibe that sends us over the moon. In other words, it’s the perfect start to our pretty week here on SMP Illinois and you can see it all captured by Melissa Diep right here.
From the Bride… Brian and I are hopeless romantics and we always joke about how we live in our own little fairytale. Brian actually proposed to me in front of the Water Tower with our family watching from above with a perfect view from Nomi restaurant. The Water Tower has a castle like design and Brian wanted the water tower to be our castle because in his own words “every fairytale needs a castle.” So naturally, I imagined our wedding at an old castle or estate, but we also wanted to have our wedding in downtown Chicago since that is where we met. After seeing the ballroom at the Millennium Knickerbocker Hotel, I fell in love with it immediately. The Millennium Knickerbocker hotel is a historic landmark in Chicago and the Crystal Ballroom is absolutely stunning with 1920’s glamour. It has the original gold-gilded domed ceiling with huge chandeliers and an illuminated dance floor! This venue was exactly how we wanted to celebrate our big day – with a little bit of vintage glamour, romance, elegance, and a lot of fun and dancing!
We wanted our invitation to set the tone for our wedding day, but we also wanted it be simple, romantic, and elegant. I thought that the vintage lace motif on our invitation matched the antique feel of our venue and adding our custom monogram personalized it to our style. As far as colors go, we wanted the classic look of a black, white, and gold reception and we felt that the quarry, celadon, and navy blue colors would complement this look nicely. These colors were continued through the entire event.
I loved the arrangement of the head table on the white covered stage with a backdrop of our custom gobo monogram, green uplighting, and the gold chiavari chairs. I think these simple design elements blended well with the LED dance floor and enhanced the already beautiful ballroom without going over the top. I also loved the floral arrangements – our bridal bouquets were romantic, whimsical, and had the perfect amount of romantic elements. I wanted the centerpieces to have a clean, natural, and vintage look. We went with three different arrangements to add both height and depth. The first arrangement featured a sleek mercury glass stemmed hurricane with a pillar candle surrounded by a trio of mercury glass cups filled with hydrangea, open roses, touches of dusty miller, and queen anne’s lace. The second arrangement was elevated with a tall slender vase decked out with white ivory and pale blush flowers with cascading elements of the fresh jasmine vine. The last arrangement featured a low lush combination of whimsical garden inspired components designed in a simple silver container surrounded by mercury glass votive candles.
At the start of the reception, right after introductions, we performed the “Gangnam Style” dance with our bridal party. Since the reception venue was very formal and grand, we wanted to lighten up the mood and set the tone for the night. Our guests really enjoyed it and the dance floor was packed the whole night! We were a bit ahead of the trend with the “Gangnam Style” dance since it was just starting to become popular on You Tube, but shortly after our wedding it went worldwide and I’m so happy we decided to perform it at our wedding.
I know that it is easier said than done, but most importantly, don’t stress too much! Everything will come together in the end and even if it doesn’t, remember what you are planning for…you are going to marry the love of your life!
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Wedding Photography: Melissa Diep Photography | Wedding Ceremony: Trinity Lutheran Church | Reception Venue: Millennium Knickerbocker Hotel | Cinematography: Chris and Oliver Cinema | Floral Design: Pistil & Vine | Day-of Coordinator: Honey Bee Weddings | DJ: Magsino Mobile | Photobooth: ShutterBooth | Charter Service: Aries Charter Transportation Inc. | Make-Up Artist: Let Me Transform You | Hair Stylist: Lulu Hair Design | Limo Service: Luxus Limousine Services, Inc. | Invitations & Stationery: Invitations by Ajalon