I’ve always been a black & white girl. Simple, pretty, classic. So when I see other couples who planned their days with that very same mindset, I tend to feel like kindred spirits. Jai Girard captured the photo goodies and Studio 272 put together the film, so what are you waiting for? Dive straight into this love story right over here!
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From The Bride…Set on a rainy October day, our wedding tied together all the fairytale moments that I hoped for on our special day. The locations of our ceremony and reception seemed to fit perfectly with our close ties to home, and our love of nature and the outdoors. Marc and I met and fell in love in Colorado. After an injury to my foot from running, I wanted to learn how to swim for exercise. He gave me swim lessons for a couple of years until he went away to grad school in Arizona. We spoke on the phone for hours talking about our dating life and giving one another advice. Marc would come back to visit on his breaks from school. Over the course of the 6 years that we knew one another, we became very close friends and eventually fell in love when Marc injured his back on a visit to Colorado, and was immobile on my floor for weeks.
We were married in a magical little church called Kenilworth Union Church in Kenilworth, IL. I wanted the church to be cozy filled with all of our favorite people. The church was perfect for our vision. I loved the fantasy that a little hobbit might pop out from behind a stone wall, or that the vines growing up the sides of the church walls might come to life. The church itself reflected a similar feel for our love. Cozy and comfortable, but romantic too.
We drove to a pier at Lake Michigan afterwards to take some photographs in front of the water. Even though it was raining, there was something really peaceful about being at the lake front and breathing the fresh air. It was a way for us to tie in our love of the water, and spend a few moments reflecting. It’s one of the moments I remember very vividly despite all the chaos of a wedding day. I remember feeling really refreshed by the crispness of the Fall air coming off the water. Just to look out on the water with the one I love felt like the best thing ever. It was a very special moment.
For our reception, A 10,000 square foot tent was built on my parent’s property in Bannockburn, IL for our 200 person wedding. The tent took over a week to build, and nearly a week to tear down. The look of the reception was romantic and soft, but had some edginess at the same time. We knew we wanted it to be a big occasion for our guests to wear their prettiest dresses and most handsome tuxedos and suits. The colors were black and white, eggplant purple, and mossy greens. We focused a lot on texture to bring the outside natural elements into the tent. One of my favorite parts was the holes that were put in the tent to bring some of the tree branches in. While the wedding was black tie and elegant, we didn’t stray far from the earthy wooded feel we wanted to keep. I love the feel of mixing sparkly elements with organic elements. The juxtaposition of “dress-up glamour” and the beauty of nature pair together in a really unusually awesome way.
I wish we could go back in time and do it all over again. My Dad did an amazing job documenting the build of the tent and the tear down. I think our photographs tell the story of the excitement of seeing the event come to life, the joy and beauty of the moments we had during the event, and the bittersweet feelings as it all came to a close. Our videographer wrapped the day together in a lovely little package.
I wouldn’t change a thing to celebrate the beginning of our marriage.
Photography: Jai Girard Photography | Videographer: Studio 272 | Wedding Planner: Ryan Alexander Events | Dress: Vera Wang | Cake: Cravings | Reception: Private Residence | Shoes: Mui Mui | Caterer: Pure Kitchen | Makeup: Sonia Roselli | Hair: Livia Caporale | Band: Gold Coast All Stars | Officiant: Pastor Peter Warmanen | Officiant: Kenilworth Union Church | Accessories and Decor: Private Residence | Bridal Boutique: anna be bridal boutique | Bride and Groom's Wedding Bands: Jes Maharry Jewelery | Church/Ceremony: Kenilworth Union Church | Draping: Art of Imagination | Floral Designer And Stylist: Avant Gardenia | Groom's Tuxedo: Astor and Black | Lingerie: Victoria's Secret | Rentals: Tablescapes Event Rentals | Stationer: Be U Brides | Tent and Lighting: Party Time Productions | Tenting: Stellar Productions | Wedding Designer/Stylist: Private Residence