Romantic, Vintage, DIY Chicago Wedding at Salvage One
Salvage One is a venue unlike any other. It beautifully combines charm and style, and the weddings there? Well they are always beyond - particularly when Olivia Leigh Photographie is behind the lens to capture the magic. Weddings like this one make us want to jump right out of our chairs, and you can see why here.
From the Bride...Perhaps the most defining choice in planning our wedding was the date itself. I fell madly in love with a spectacularly nontraditional venue in Chicago – a place that is as quirky as it is elegant, as unexpected as it is inviting. The choice was easy, but the timing was complicated – due to availability, our only option was to have our wedding in January…a month most other Chicago brides would never consider. But we knew our wedding wouldn’t be us without this venue, so I let go of the fear of blizzards and freezing temperatures, and warmly embraced the idea of a cozy winter affair.
Planning this wedding was truly a gift – I wish every bride the opportunity to feel so cared for and to have so many cherished experiences leading up to her big day. My partner in crime for this journey was my mom – we had been dreaming about planning this day for 30 years. From collecting vintage handkerchiefs to roasting rosemary orange nuts for all of ours guests, she was as dedicated as I was to ensuring we covered every detail.
Our January day came with blue skies and plenty of sun. It had snowed two days earlier, which meant there was just enough powder on the ground to remind us how beautiful a winter wedding could be. And once the sun set and guests began arriving, it was clear – there was no more magical place to be married on this day than at Salvage One. Exposed brick walls, antique chandeliers and apple cider invited guests to settle in for the evening.
Looking back, I am incredibly proud of all our little touches – the things you wonder along the way if anyone will even notice. My mom collected vintage handkerchiefs and sewed on tiny tags that read “happy tears”, which were given to guests before our ceremony. We set mismatched paper place mats at each place setting with silverware inside paper bags printed with the message, “It’s time to drink bubbly and dance on the tables!” Origami cranes folded from handmade paper topped our cake as a tribute to my Japanese grandmother. Our favors were gourmet chocolate bars wrapped in childhood photos of me and my husband. The brainstorming, list making, shopping, printing, and packaging was all part of this incredible journey, and I could tell from the expressions on our guests’ faces that we had successfully curated an event that inspired true joy.
I never could have imagined that in the middle of a cold Chicago winter, we would find our happiest moments and our best day ever.
Planning this wedding was truly a gift – I wish every bride the opportunity to feel so cared for and to have so many cherished experiences leading up to her big day. My partner in crime for this journey was my mom – we had been dreaming about planning this day for 30 years. From collecting vintage handkerchiefs to roasting rosemary orange nuts for all of ours guests, she was as dedicated as I was to ensuring we covered every detail.
Our January day came with blue skies and plenty of sun. It had snowed two days earlier, which meant there was just enough powder on the ground to remind us how beautiful a winter wedding could be. And once the sun set and guests began arriving, it was clear – there was no more magical place to be married on this day than at Salvage One. Exposed brick walls, antique chandeliers and apple cider invited guests to settle in for the evening.
Looking back, I am incredibly proud of all our little touches – the things you wonder along the way if anyone will even notice. My mom collected vintage handkerchiefs and sewed on tiny tags that read “happy tears”, which were given to guests before our ceremony. We set mismatched paper place mats at each place setting with silverware inside paper bags printed with the message, “It’s time to drink bubbly and dance on the tables!” Origami cranes folded from handmade paper topped our cake as a tribute to my Japanese grandmother. Our favors were gourmet chocolate bars wrapped in childhood photos of me and my husband. The brainstorming, list making, shopping, printing, and packaging was all part of this incredible journey, and I could tell from the expressions on our guests’ faces that we had successfully curated an event that inspired true joy.
I never could have imagined that in the middle of a cold Chicago winter, we would find our happiest moments and our best day ever.