When a couple focuses on the meaning behind every detail of their wedding day, you know it’s going to be good! From The Saddle & Cycle Club as the venue (and where the bride’s parents were married) to the engagement ring being the grooms, grandmothers, to even saying their ‘I Do’s’ in the church where the bride grew up singing in, not a detail was missed! The ever so wonderful, Elizabeth Nord Photography captured every heartfelt moment and Olive Fine Weddings & Events planned all of the bride and groom’s wishes! With classic decor and florals by Edward’s Florist, these nuptials were absolute perfection! Take a look and get lost in the details :)
From Elizabeth Nord Photography…Caroline + Charles are quite possibly the sweetest people you’ll ever meet. They love their family and friends with their whole hearts, and it’s so evident by how they live their lives and how they planned their wedding day. They made sure that things were handicap accessible, that the food was something everyone could enjoy, and so much more. The wedding ring that Charles gave to Caroline when he proposed was his grandmother’s. The reception venue (Saddle & Cycle Club) was also where Caroline’s parents were married! SO sweet. It was truly wonderful to be a part of Caroline and Charles’ wedding planning from the very beginning. They were always so loving, thoughtful, and trusted me wholeheartedly.
They had a beautiful summer wedding reception at the Saddle & Cycle Club in Chicago and an indoor ceremony at a church in Winnetka. The church was particularly special to the couple because the bride grew up in this church. She and her mother sang in its choir for many years. The choir even joined the wedding celebration and sang at the ceremony which was very emotional and beautiful to witness. It meant a lot to Caroline that they were there! The bridesmaids wore light blue dresses while the men wore navy tuxes, and they all looked amazing. The Saddle & Cycle Club featured a lot of green space and twinkle lights for the reception. It was adorned with lots of white and green floral as well. The dinner and speeches were held inside while the cocktail hour and dancing were held outside. During the reception, the groom and his groomsmen surprised Caroline on stage by singing “Sweet Caroline” alongside the band. Velocity kept the dance floor hopping all night long! Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. McLendon!
From the Bride…Growing up I always knew that I wanted to get married at our church. I was an active member of the church choir and music was a big part of my childhood so it was important for that to be a big part of our wedding. We had a string quartet, trumpet, and full choir during the ceremony and our choir director commissioned a hymn for us, which was really special. I walked down the aisle to the Prince of Denmark March, which was a nod to my Danish heritage.
The reception was held at the same place my parents had their wedding reception in 1985. I grew up spending so much time at the Saddle & Cycle Club with my family and grandparents. It was really wonderful to make another memory to last a lifetime with the people we love most at a location that has been essential to the memories we cherish in my family. I have always been drawn to white and green flowers so that was an easy decision for me. I knew that green and white would subtly enhance the sleek and timeless elegance I hoped to convey in our wedding. We both value the timeless and the classic, so we wanted these senses to resonate throughout the day.
The suits were designed by me and custom made for us by Surmesur and each of the groomsmen got to choose their linings. The color of the suits with the Amsale bridesmaids dresses turned out better than I could have ever imagined, and against the greenery at the Saddle, our incredible photographer, all of the colors popped and just went so perfectly together.
My husband grew up in New York City and I grew up outside of Chicago and met while we were at Trinity College. We dated for over four years (3 of which were distance) before we got engaged and then I moved out of the country for two years for school. So we had over two years to plan the wedding, which was wonderful but also allowed me to switch my mind many times about certain details! It was challenging at times to plan the wedding from overseas but I had so much fun with all of the planning that I just made it work. It was truly incredible to see my vision come to life and am so grateful for all of our vendors who helped make it all happen. I also wanted to contribute something creative to our wedding (even though I am not artsy at all). I designed the menus myself and did my own wax seals. It was super time consuming but really rewarding to see it all come together in the end.
My dress: timeless, classic, elevated with a fashion-forward structural spin. I’ve always loved interesting structural, architectural design in clothes so this dress really spoke to me. It was the last dress I tried on and I easily tried on over 80 dresses. It was so hard to find one that I loved but also felt really special in. Extending the train and the structural details on the dress really made the dress feel special to me. I loved that I wasn’t too old fashioned or plain looking, but I also knew that I would be able to look back in 50 years and still love the style of it.
Photography: Elizabeth Nord Photography | Floral Design: Edward's Florist | Wedding Dress: Bella Bianca | Cake: Three Tarts Bakery | Invitations: Yellow Bird | Ceremony Venue: Christ Church Winnetka | Reception Venue: Saddle & Cycle Club | Bridesmaids' Dresses: Bella Bridesmaid | Makeup Artist: Yolanda Moran | Band: Velocity | Groom's Attire: Surmesur | Transportation: Pontarelli | Envelope calligraphy + Signature cocktail sign: The Chicago Calligrapher | Planning: Olive Fine Weddings & Events