The personal touches in this wedding are enough to give us the chills, they’re so darn cute and thoughtful. Let’s start with the invitation suite, which featured a penguin and an elephant designed by the bride (an illustrator!). Next up, the bride’s bouquet designed by Life in Bloom featured a fern clipping from the plant they bought together when they first started dating. And if you can handle any more cuteness, the table numbers were displayed in artichokes because the groom always requests artichokes are included in the floral arrangements he presents to his love. All of this and more was captured by Clary Pfeiffer Photography, and if you’re craving more like we are, head over to their sweet engagement session.
From Clary Pfeiffer Photography… The couple’s kindness and gift to make the people around them feel valued and loved made this wedding day a joy to photograph. Plus!! They have the impeccable style and vision for an authentic and dramatic celebration. Torie, an illustrator, designed the invitation which highlights a penguin (the bride) and elephant (the groom) throughout their paper goods. The couple along with their florist worked on turning The Ivy Room into a dramatic space with hanging greenery lit by tons of candles.
From Life in Bloom… When we first met Torie and Amarit, there was no better word to describe their wedding vision than “authentic”. The two of them had a vision that was unique to their own style, and each decision that they made along the way throughout the entire design process reflected that fun and unique flair.
When Torie and Amarit first started dating, they got a plant together, and after years, it was still alive. They called it their “love fern”. The week of their wedding, Torie brought us a clipping for their plant to use in her bouquet. The floral palette for the personal flowers consisted of many of our spring favorites: anemone, dusty miller, silver-dollar eucalyptus, olive, peonies, sweet pea, and ranunculus.
The indoor ceremony consisted of a large boxwood wall as a backdrop. We added in white roses, spray roses, and hydrangea that all faded from heavy to light as it descended down the wall. At the start of the aisle, to create the feeling of a grand entrance, atop two dark wood pedestals, we placed tall concrete urns with large focal arrangements. The arrangements were super simple, containing just olive and spirea branches. But the added texture from the spirea was the perfect touch that took the arrangements from “been there, done that” to “fresh and unique!” Throughout the space, we strategically suspended iron orbs with italian ruscus and spirea that not only helped create a dramatic impact during the ceremony but also made sense once the room was flipped for the reception.
During cocktail hour, guests found their table assignments pinned amongst another wall of fresh boxwood. Golden wax seals displayed each guests’ table numbers prominently on their escort card. For the reception, we moved the ceremony’s boxwood wall behind the head table, which created the perfect backdrop for Torie, Amarit, and all of their closest friends. The centerpieces all consisted of gray concrete vessels overflowing with gorgeous spring blooms (peonies, spirea anemone, stock, hydrangea, and gunny eucalyptus) and surrounded by pillar candles and crystal-cut votives. Throughout Torie and Amarit’s relationship, Amarit always requested artichokes in any floral arrangements that he surprised Torie with. So naturally, every table number was placed into an artichoke, which sat on the tables.
When looking back at an event, it is always interesting to see how a vision might have evolved from initial meeting to final product. With Torie and Amarit, while some elements might have changed along the way, the high emphasis on lots of textures and a dramatic feel was key from start to finish. The spirea was the game changer when it came to adding in that extra texture that Torie kept mentioning in the initial meeting, and the floating orbs helped create that dramatic effect that was so important to Amarit. In the end, the final product was a testament to a couple fully trusting their designers, and the designers keeping the couple’s overall vision at the forefront of any design changes.
Photography: Clary Pfeiffer Photography | Coordination: Estera Events | Floral Design: Life In Bloom | Wedding Dress: Anna Maier | Cake: Sweet Mandy B's | Bride's Shoes: Jimmy Choo | Jewelry: Chicago Diamond Consultants | Makeup: Makeup By Jaycie | Hair: Rosemary Monica | Band: Gold Coast All Stars | Groom's Attire: Frederick Lynn Chicago | Venue: The Ivy Room at Tree Studios | Getting Ready Location: The Langham Hotel | Groom's Shoes: Gucci | Letterpress: Designers Fine Press | Paper Goods: Torie Conn | Veil: Jenny Yoo