Classic meets elegant in this gorgeous day captured by Olivia Leigh Photographie and, let me tell you, loves: it’s awesome. It’s a stunning Chicago History Museum setting meets beautiful peony-filled blooms from Vale Of Enna meets a bride and groom who are just soooo darn happy (it’s contagious). All planned to perfection by LK Events, this is one can’t miss gallery. Join me there for so much more.
From the Bride… When Daniel and I got engaged, we knew that we wanted a Chicago wedding. We couldn’t wait to bring our family and friends to the city that we call home. From start to finish, our love of Chicago inspired the entire weekend, including welcome cocktails at Gibsons Steakhouse, a guest room block at Public in the heart of the Gold Coast, and a historic wedding venue in Lincoln Park.
In choosing our venue, Daniel and I were set on an outdoor space for our ceremony and a classic space for our reception that could accommodate our 200-person guest list. The combination was surprisingly hard to find, even in a city as big as Chicago. Luckily, we found the Chicago History Museum, with its stunning stairwell entrance to Uihlein Plaza for our ceremony, a skyline view that would be the backdrop for our cocktail hour, and the elegant Chicago Room for our reception. The venue also fit perfectly with the classic color palette I had in mind — black, white, gray, and different shades of pink.
We next found our incredible photographer, Olivia Leigh. I had fallen in love with Olivia’s photos on Style Me Pretty, and upon meeting her, I fell even more in love with her sweet, laid back personality. Looking back, hiring Olivia was the best decision that we made.
The rest of our vendor team developed from there. Other highlights were three amazing ladies who all helped bring my vision to life without breaking the bank — Grace Ha-Kim at Vale of Enna, who magically found peonies for me in the middle of July and turned four iron posts that we gave her into a gorgeous chuppah; Melanie Montoya at Fresh Invitation Studio, who custom-designed beautiful, Chicago-inspired stationery that fit perfectly with our theme; and Michele Martin at M Bride, who helped me find my dream gown, Monique Lhuillier’s “Peony” in blush.
Our wedding day was perfect, and not just because Chicago had perfect weather for the first time all summer. We created a personal ceremony, drawing inspiration from a number of our friends’ weddings, including the idea to have a close friend officiate. We walked down the aisle to instrumental versions of our favorite songs — Daniel to “Thunder Road” by Bruce Springsteen and me to “Falling Slowly” by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova. And, we interpreted Jewish traditions like the “Seven Blessings” in a modern way that was meaningful to us.
Later that night, we dined on amazing food from Blue Plate, and two of our favorite items from around the city — Sprinkles Cupcakes and Lou Malnati’s deep-dish pizza. And, our band Rendezvous brought the house down, nailing classics like “Proud Mary” and “I Want You Back”, while also delivering the best version of Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” that we have ever heard.
Ultimately, the best part about our wedding was the company — the family and friends who traveled from near and far to be with us. Having our guests continue to tell us that they had as much fun as we did is simply the icing on the cake.
Photography: Olivia Leigh Photographie | Videography: R.E.M. Video and Photography | Coordinator: LK Events | Florist: Vale Of Enna | Dress: Monique Lhuillier | Invitations: Fresh Invitation Studio | Bridesmaid Dresses: J.Crew | Catering: Blue Plate | Makeup: Sonia Roselli | Hair: Salon Buzz | Band: Rendezvous | Venue: Chicago History Museum