Chicago Rooftop Wedding Lush With Thousands of Pink Roses!

The vision was to create an airy and ethereal indoor-outdoor experience with a romantic, ‘enchanted floral fairy tale’ vibe. To bring their vision to life, they created an outdoor garden on the rooftop of Chicago’s Navy Pier for the ceremony, overlooking Lake Michigan. Music played a key role in the evening, setting the tone as the bride walked down the aisle to Taylor Swift’s “Enchanted.” Following the outdoor cocktail hour timed to a picture-perfect sunset, the reception was held in the venue’s glass atrium where the twinkling stars outside joined with glowing globe lights inside to create a magical night vibe. Once the new couple was formally introduced and the band started to play, the vibe turned from romantic to full on, non-stop dance party, complete with bride and groom ‘body surfing.’

When Andrew asked Sloane’s parents for her hand in marriage last August, he learned that Sloane’s dream was for an outdoor summer wedding the following year, which would not be an easy task, especially given the Covid wedding backlog. So early the next week, Andrew ordered an engagement ring and then promptly contacted his and Sloane’s favorite band, Gold Coast All Stars. Learning they had only 1 summer 2023 date available (September 9th), Andrew bet on a positive proposal outcome and immediately reserved the band! With date in hand, Andrew and both sets of parents got to work behind the scenes to stealthily scout and secure an ideal venue that would accommodate their size group and fit Sloane’s vision before they were all taken. They narrowed to three venues they thought the bride would love and put a hold on them. A few weeks later, the ring was ready and Andrew had one more secret to plan. He told Sloane they were going to lunch with one of his clients to make sure his soon-to-be fiance would be picture-worthy when the stealth photographer captured the special moment. On the way to “lunch,” they stopped at the beach with their beloved mini Bernadoodle Waylon in tow for a pre-arranged doggie playdate there. The playdate turned into a proposal and Waylon was part of the lasting memory. Once Sloane said “yes,” Andrew revealed even more surprises -- that they already had a wedding date, band and 24 hours to select one of 3 venues. The rest of that day, Sloane was swept off her feet with pre-arranged hair and make-up appointments, a family dinner at Ema Restaurant, followed by a festive engagement party at The Godfrey Hotel rooftop, where family and close friends flew in from New York to California as part of the surprise. The very next morning, Sloane toured the three venue options and signed on the dotted line -- her dream for a summer 2023 wedding would indeed come true!

Sloane wore a made-to-measure couture Mira Zwillinger gown from Ultimate Bride, the exclusive distributor for Mira Zwillinger in Chicago. She chose the Limka gown from the Winds of Wonder collection, a strapless A-Line gown with form-fitting corseted bodice, all-over 3D floral embellishments and matching veil. The dress fit Sloane’s figure and her romantic floral fairytale vibe perfectly.

The 13 bridesmaids wore gowns of their own choosing, each in a shade of blush pink highlighting their personal style, creating a visually diverse while still cohesive look.

The groom and groomsmen each wore fitted tuxedos with suspenders and bow ties…socks optional.

Hors D’oeuvres: A variety of passed appetizers were served, including the groom’s favorite lamb chops, and a sushi station for the mother of the groom Signature Cocktails: Bride – Skinny Margarita; Groom – Old Fashioned; Waylon the Mini Bernadoodle – Lavendar Lemonade Mocktail Entrees: Guests had their choice of beef tenderloin, sea bass or vegetable risotto Dessert: Wedding cake, S’Mores Station, Stan’s Donuts, Sweet SHOT Cookies, Mini Dairy Queen Blizzards Late Night Meal: Portillos Hot Dogs After Party: Lou Malnati’s and Levian Cookies

The bride’s bouquet was a round pavé of blush Geraldine roses, with stems partially wrapped with floral lace from Sloane’s bridal gown. Bridesmaids had complementary bouquets made of ivory roses. Tablescapes brought the ‘enchanted’ vision to life, filling the room with three different designs, each complemented by dramatic floral creations of blush pink and ivory with greenery accents, romantic candles, mirrored tabletops and crystal, lucite and gold accessories.

Three tier banana cake with milk chocolate mousse filling and vanilla buttercream frosting. Adorned with matching florals.

Golden Hour (JVKE) – Set the tone at the start of the ceremony, particularly fitting as the wedding began at the actual “golden hour” just before sunset, overlooking the lake. I’m Yours (Jason Mraz) – Accompanied the officiant, grandparents, immediate family members and parents of the bride Die a Happy Man (Thomas Rhett) – Introduced the country-music loving groom and his parents, followed by the bridal party Enchanted (Taylor Swift) – Created a special moment when the bride walked down the aisle joining her parents halfway, meeting her soon-to-be groom, and extending through the 7 circles ceremony tradition. The bride is a big Swiftie, so “Love Story” was also the last song of the night, ending the high energy dance party on an amazing note. I’m a Believer (The Monkees) – Joyfully announced the newly married couple following the ceremony

To create a picture-perfect ceremony, the couple created a garden on top of the rooftop of Navy Pier, overlooking Lake Michigan, framed with floral bookends. A lush floral entry ‘arch’ welcomed guests to the garden, while a custom-designed lavish floral chuppah stood in the horizon, overlooking the glistening water. Both arches were designed with an ombre of ivory, light and medium pink flowers. The photographer captured the perspective of the chuppah seemingly framed within the oval entry arch, creating an unforgettable shot. Affixed under the top of the chuppah was the talis of Sloane’s late grandfather in loving memory. The entry arch was then repurposed as the entry to the venue.

The groom is affectionately known as ‘Sterny’ to friends, so they created a fun photo booth experience with a lush green and floral photo-wall adorned with a hot pink neon sign now introducing ‘The Sternys’.

Wanting to incorporate their mini Bernadoodle Waylon into the special event, the couple created cocktail napkins featuring a photo of the very photogenic Waylon with the message, “My paw-rents are married.” Specialty drink signs were also designed featuring Waylon and his specialty mocktail, Lavendar Lemonade.