Illinois Weddings

I have so very many things to be thankful for this lovely holiday morning and I just added this gorgeous Chicago affair by Heather Parker Photography to the list.  Held at one of my favorite venues of all time (the oh-so-wonderful Gallery 1028), these two high school sweethearts tied the knot in style with vibrant red and pale pink hues, beautiful blooms and one very gorgeous pair of sparkly shoes.  Yes, I am more than smitten with this wonderful soiree… and you will be, too.  So, be sure to join me in the gallery for all of the pretty and then have yourselves a very, very happy Thanksgiving, lovelies! xoxo

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From the Bride… The story of how Josh and I met can be found on our beautiful and unique letterpress wedding invitations. Josh and I were camp counselors at our local YMCA. Initially, we became very close friends. We’d talk on the phone every night and spend as much time together at school as possible. The summer of 2002, we started dating. And the rest is history. All of our most memorable moments have been spent together. And being one year apart in school has meant double the fun: prom, graduations, college parties, travel abroad. We are the quintessential definition of high school sweethearts… and college sweethearts for that matter!

Josh and I consider ourselves true Chicagoans. While we did grow up in the north suburbs, we have both spent so much time in the city. Since we moved in to the Lakeview neighborhood together right after college graduation, we now think of Chicago as our home. So getting married here was the obvious choice! When my mom and I pulled up to Gallery 1028 to visit for the first time, I literally said, “Let’s just go… this is a loading dock!!” But she convinced me to take a look…I fell in love! When I brought Josh back to see the space, he loved it just as much as I did! The perfect raw venue, but with a distinct vintage vibe. Exactly what we wanted for our wedding.

Josh and I were the first of our friends to get married so we truly had no idea what we were doing as we went through the planning process. It took us a long time to land on colors and a theme, but once we did, we were both so pleased. Galley 1028 can go two ways, super modern with clean lines, bright, colored lighting and lucite furniture or it can be vintage, playing off the antique floors, exposed brick walls and beautiful vaulted ceiling and that’s exactly what we did.

I’ve always considered my design style to be “modern vintage.” I know that sounds like a complete contradiction, but it works. For example, our vases were all antique milk glass vases that we found on Etsy and eBay.  We used only roses, the iconic flower of romance but we used modern colors of the rose: a bright red/pink and a pale peach. For our desserts, we combined traditional treats from both of our heritages and modern candies.

Instead of following the traditional format of the wedding, we wanted our wedding to be extremely personal. Even though there were guests that neither of us knew, we wanted them to feel welcome and a part of the intimate event by making sure THEY knew US.  Our invitations told everyone the story of our relationship and our officiant’s words and our vows both provided a great deal of insight into who Josh and I are as individuals and as partners.

Wedding Photography: Heather Parker Photography / Wedding Ceremony + Reception Location: Gallery 1028 / Wedding Stationery: Magnus Deuling + Tweedle Press (printing) / Mr. + Mrs. Signs, Lips on Sticks, Stashes on Sticks: The Paper Stache / Wedding Gown: Melissa Sweet via Priscilla of Boston / Bridesmaid Dresses: Ivy & Aster via Bella Bridesmaids / Veil: Bride + Mother of the Bride / Bride’s Jewelry: Jody McGill of Vintalogie / Cufflinks: Under Her Charm / Florist: Groom’s Uncle, Daniel Aquado / Tuxedo: Calvin Klein / Officiant: Friend, Joshua Grossman / Wedding Planner: Laura Patterson of The Ideal Day / DJ: Noah of Style Matters / Wedding Cake: Sweet Mandy B’s / Dessert Stands: Vintage / Desserts: Mothers of the Bride + Groom / Chandeliers, Draped Curtain, Hora Chairs: PJ Acosta of Studio AG / Stickers for Candy Bar: MAU Promos / Love Bird + Minnie Cake Topper: garden4arts / Hair: Daniel Aquado / Make-up: Eric Holt Makeup

We love this e-session by Michael Rastall Photography because we get to see a softer, more rustic side of Chicago and also because we secretly can’t get enough of that fabulous blue and green skirt. I mean, really, how cute is it? But honestly, we love everything about this and are looking forward to seeing the images from their upcoming spring wedding next year! Click here for more.

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From the Bride…Jeff and I live in Chicago. It’s also the place we got engaged and where we will be getting married next spring. So, when it came time to take our engagement photos, we immediately knew that we wanted to capture our love in the city that means so much to us. Since our wedding next April will be taking place downtown, we knew that we would be getting a lot of images near and around some of the more recognizable Chicago landmarks. So, for our engagement session, our goal was to incorporate some of the city’s lesser-known, and far more rustic, venues.

Jeff and I love kayaking and being outdoors, so it was important for us to integrate that somehow into our photos.  Luckily, the Lincoln Park Boat House turned out to be both visually stunning and very welcoming toward us!  Our wonderful and creative photographer Michael Rastall helped make the entire experience truly memorable and we cannot wait to work with him again at our wedding!

Photography: Michael Rastall Photography / Location: Lincoln Park Boat House

It just dawned on us here at the SMP office that we haven’t taken you for a local blog tour in quite sometime and with thousands of you traveling this week to visit family for some serious turkey time, we couldn’t help but hop on the pre Thanksgiving travel bandwagon…Join us for a mini tour, won’t you? First up is this elegant and classic indoor fete by Robyn Rachel Photography and we’re all a tad bit jealous that we weren’t on the guest list for this one. Click here for the entire affair!

Moving on to a fun and festive Florida DIY beach bash by Dorothy Gautreaux Photography. Our local wedding blogs truly have something for everyone and you don’t have to be getting married in that state to steal all the swoon worthy inspirations! See the full post here.

We’re rounding out our mini tour with this stunning Aruba destination wedding by Alexandra Meseke Photography. The gold Gucci wedges, the deep blue bridesmaids dresses, and one cute flamingo all add up to one fabulous soiree. See the rest right here!

And just in case you’ve been living under a wedding rock, we have a fab line up of ten local blogs in California, New York, Florida, Texas, Destination, Illinois, Australia, Massachusetts, Georgia, and Canada guaranteed to inspire you for days, with many more to come.

As soon as I laid my wedding loving eyes on these gorgeous images, I knew this was going to be the perfect way to kick off another week here at SMP Illinois. You know a wedding is beyond gorgeous when you wish you were on the invite list. And get this-the groom got his DIY craft on and designed all the programs, escort cards, table cards and menus! Robyn Rachel Photography captured all the elegant details and there’s so much more in the full gallery!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From the Bride…Admittedly, the beginning of the day could have started better.  Don’t get me wrong – we were both ecstatic for what lied ahead and were having a great time with our bridesmaids/groomsmen and respective families, but the weather was a bit of concern.  I’m not a risk-taker in the slightest so I did not plan any outdoor aspects to our wedding for that very reason.  However, as I looked outside and saw the green-colored sky, sheets of rain and lightning, all I could think about was how I was going to get from the trolley to the church.  Fortunately for me, I was able to stop worrying about 20 minutes prior to the ceremony – the weather cleared up and we had a perfect summer day from there on out.

Our ceremony was particularly special to me as we got married in the church that I grew up attending and my grandpa’s cousin officiated, making it all the more personal.  The overall design of our day was really inspired by the venue for our reception though, the Chicago Cultural Center.  Now even though I grew up outside of the city of Chicago, I had never even heard of the building until I wound up there one Saturday afternoon with a friend to check out a Marilyn Monroe exhibit they were hosting. My friend and I walked around when we were done and stumbled upon Preston Bradley Hall – a gorgeous room with mosaic tiled walls, a view overlooking Millennium Park and home to the world’s largest Tiffany dome.  I instantly fell in love and knew that one day I would be celebrating my wedding there.  Luckily for me, Steve felt the same!

We knew how quickly places booked up in the city, so in the Spring of 2010, before we were even engaged, we decide to put a hold on the room for August 20, 2011.  (I can’t help it…I like to plan ahead!)  Fortunately for me it worked out, because on August 20, 2010, on the steps of the Cultural Center, Steve proposed.  Needless to say, the venue had a very special place in our hearts and naturally inspired the design of our wedding. The Cultural Center is a beautiful, historical landmark in the city, which was perfect because all of Steve’s guests were from out of town and we really wanted to give them a taste of classic Chicago!  We wanted to capture the turn of the century feel of the city, since the venue was built in the 1890s.  This was evident in some of our details like our “guest book” – antique photograph and vintage travel poster postcards of the city back in the day.

We used a color scheme of sage green – a prominent color in the room’s mosaics – taupe and yellow, and carried it through everything. The printed materials all leveraged some design aspect of the room, be it the dome or the chandeliers. Steve has a background in design so he actually designed the programs, escort cards, table cards and menus himself.  He even did the drawing of the dome that was used in our save the dates!  It added such a personal touch to the day and made it so much more special to look around the room and see what he had created for us.

Steve and I also wanted to make sure that the wedding was reflective of our relationship.  We met in college at the University of Michigan, so it was only appropriate for us to walk out to our school’s fight song, “Hail to the Victors.”  And since so many of our guests were also Michigan graduates, we took a huge group photo on the staircase, sporting a mock-up of the Michigan banner the players hit while entering the stadium.

All in all, though it started off a little rocky because of the weather, it ended up being an absolutely perfect day.  We were so blessed to be surrounded by so many people who love and care about us!  And I would be remiss if we did not thank our amazing photographer, Robyn Rachel for capturing the day beautifully and our wedding planner, Chrissy Magliano, for making our dream wedding a reality – thank you, thank you, thank you!!

Wedding Planner: Chrissy Magliano of Big City Bride / Wedding Photography: Robyn Rachel Photography / Venue: Chicago Cultural Center / Church: Our Lady of Perpetual Help / Caterer: Blue Plate / Wedding Videography: Delack Media Group / Band: Ken Alren Orchestra / Floral Design: KLA Design / Hair:  Eunice Johnson of Sam Martirano Salon / Make-up: Elise Brill / Wedding Dress: Ines Di Santo via Dimitra’s Bridal / Bride’s Shoes: Charles David / Tux: Brooks Brothers / Invitations: Sarah Drake Design / Wedding Cake: Rolf’s Patisserie / Lighting: VLS

Happy weekend lovelies!  We’ve had an exciting week here at SMP Illinois with a beautiful urban Chicago wedding, a romantic garden ballroom celebration and an awesome inspiration board challenge winner!  We can’t forget who makes it possible for us to bring you such fabulousness every week and that’s our advertisers.  We have a couple phenomenal vendors to spotlight today.  With her sweet style and eco-conscious products Amanda Hein Photography is a Chicago photographer you’ll surely want to check out.  And get ready to have your breath taken away by the beautiful couture creations by Justina McCaffrey.

From Amanda Hein Photography… Ever since I was a little girl I have loved photography, capturing the world around me as it is.  Ordinary details seen in a different way all of a sudden come alive to me.  Light, atmosphere, relationships, and emotion are my driving forces behind my work.  Staying in tune with the environment is also important to me – not only observing changing light and the beauty of textures, colors and shapes but also giving back.  I offer a variety of eco-conscious products including albums, bamboo mounted prints and art prints printed on recycled materials with soy-based inks.  I work with my clients and their families from start to finish, every meeting, every shoot, every email and every phone call.

I’ve been in business since ’05 and opened our boutique studio location in River West (Chicago) this year.

From Justina McCaffrey… Justina McCaffrey is a wedding dress designer. She is currently According to CTV sheis “Canada’s most celebrated wedding dress designer.” The Globe and Mail describesher as a “Rising Star, The hottest designer in the country.” She brings over 20 years ofindustry experience in almost every area of wedding dress design and business.

Kleinfeld president, Mara Ushal describes Justina as a “trendsetter” and statesthat “Many of Justina’s styles have been bestsellers, and one specifically has beennumber one in our company for several seasons. That’s quite an accomplishment sincewe have over a thousand samples.”

Welcome to the SMP family!  We are so happy to have you!  Make sure to stop by their websites and show them some SMP love.

We are ever so excited this morning to share the winning board for the Inspiration to Invitation Challenge by Sarah Drake. A couple of weeks ago, we put a call out to all of you wedding gurus who have a flair for fabulous board building to design an inspiration board that would be the muse for a totally unique, never been seen before invitation design by Sarah Drake. Out of ALL the gorgeous entries that came our way, Sarah chose this amazing Mexican beach-inspired beauty by Taylor Jayne!

Sarah will be back in a couple months to reveal her brand new invitation based on this board!  Stay tuned!

Rise and shine Illinois because we have pretty as can be fête that will be sure to give you an extra jolt this morning if your coffee isn’t doing the trick! Not only is it perfectly pretty (and oh it is pretty), but it also goes to show budget-friendly doesn’t mean beauty-lacking. The Bride shares some of her great tips in her description, but make sure to allow some time to gawk over all the pretty images by gina & tony|photographers in the full gallery too!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From the Bride…Mike and I knew immediately that it was important that our wedding not break the bank, and truly be a product of our own efforts.  The first, and most important decision we made was to have our wedding on a Sunday and to keep the guest list small, which gave us the opportunity to afford a beautiful venue, an amazing band and still have some funds left over for our dream honeymoon. We also worked hard on designing every aspect of the day ourselves. The majority of work came in DIYing our paper goods.  They were truly a labor of love in designing without any experience, and sometimes in printer repair after too many failed test-runs.

The overall look of the day began with my wedding dress. I chose the dress that made my mom cry, even though it was nothing like anything else had I tried on, and let it inspire a soft, modern, floral theme that was beautiful at the golf club.  Throughout the next year, I collected and crafted items while scouring the web for constantly changing inspiration.  My favorite projects were creating faux mercury glass vases from thrift store containers and spray paint, and our cupcake-in-a-jar favors.  In the end, when all the details seemed completely overwhelming, I handed everything over to our florist and coordinator and they pulled everything together flawlessly.

We hired vendors who love weddings, who made us feel like a priority, and who we knew we’d love spending the day with.  They were the key to how calm and nerve-free Mike and I felt all day long.  We feel so fortunate to have been able to work with them all, and even more so for the wonderful moments they orchestrated during the day and beautiful memories they captured for us forever.

Our wedding day turned out to be the hottest day of the summer, and our family and wedding party were amazing and tough, even with an outdoor ceremony and photo session.  In the end, my favorite moment of the day was leaving the reception, laughing with my new husband as he said “that was so awesome, that was so awesome!” over and over again all the way to the hotel.  We are so thrilled that the day was truly a reflection of ourselves, and what we love.

Wedding Photography: gina & tony|photographers / Wedding Gown: Enzoani / Bridesmaid Gowns: J.Crew / Hair + Make-up: Kimberly Piech / Floral Design: Kristen Janes of Kio Kreations / First Look + Portrait Location: Cantigny Gardens / Ceremony + Reception Location: Arrowhead Golf Club / Officiant: Barry Kolanowski / Ceremony Musicians: Windy City Chamber Musicians / Day-Of Coordinator: Samantha Hamilton of Get Hitched Weddings / Invitation + Save the Date: Citrus Press Co. / All Other Stationery: DIY / Wedding Cake: Oakmill Bakery / Band: Underwater People / Wedding Videography: Hendzel Productions / Placecards, Programs, Guestbook, Menus, Favors (Cupcake-in-a-Jar) + Faux Mercury Glass Vases: DIY

There is just something so utterly romantic about these Chicago nuptials, it gives me chills.  The purple and gray hues, the fabulous location that is Fulton’s on the River, those vibrant bridesmaid bouquets by StemLine Creative… It all adds up to one very fabulous, plus very gorgeous affair, don’t you think?  Not to mention some seriously stunning jewelry by Catherine Nicole, who designed a pair of drop earrings that I am more than certain need to be a part of my collection.  Swoon.  Worthy.  Yes, it’s just one amazing moment after another in this sophisticated soiree… and you can see every last ounce of pretty in the full gallery of images captured by zrWeddings.  Join me there for even more!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From the Bride… We met our junior year of college, and then continued our relationship in Chicago after our college graduation. We have been enjoying Chicago ever since, and felt that it was the right place to get married.  For our wedding, we wanted to provide a great venue for our guests and ourselves to enjoy the moment and celebrate.  Our wedding day was a whirlwind!  It was so fun to watch all the planning come together.  Our favorite part was to have all of our friends and family there to celebrate with us.  The ceremony was at a cathedral tucked into the heart of downtown Chicago, the cocktail hour was along the river, and the dance floor was packed all night long!  I loved that my dress was lace in a champagne color, and that the top was an off the shoulder design.   It was different than every other dress I tried on, and when I put it on I knew it was what I had been picturing in my head.  I had my jewelry custom designed by my cousin and friend, Catherine, who is the owner of Catherine Nicole.  She also designed the bridesmaids and flower girl jewelry. It was amazing to have exactly what I wanted custom designed and created by Catherine. The pieces were beautiful!

Wedding Photography: zrWeddings / Jewelry: Catherine Nicole / Wedding Reception Location: Fulton’s on the River / Day of Coordinator: Sam of Honey Bee Weddings / Wedding Ceremony Location: Assumption Church / Band: High Society Orchestra / Wedding Dress: Paloma Blanca / Floral Design: StemLine Creative / Hair: Michelle Forst via George the Salon

Hey all you design all-stars!  We’ve seen a lot of fun inspiration boards for the Illinois Inspiration to Invitation Challenge but we want to see even more from you!  If you thought you missed your chance to build a board for the challenge then today is your lucky day.  We are giving you one more week to put together your ultimate inspiration board.  Sarah Drake will go through all your boards next week and pick her favorite to turn into a totally unique and awesome invitation!  Head on over to the board builder and remember to TAG your board SD Challenge!

Past From Inspiration to Invitation winner Chiara Francolino

We love a good couple’s session around these parts, especially a session that involves a recently married couple. They just have a certain je ne sais quoi that only a day of celebrating your love can produce. Plus a flash of our favorite red soles from Mr. Louboutin never hurts. Then there’s the fabulous picture taking by Kristin La Voie Photography that makes this love shoot a total gem. The recently married Mr. and Mrs are down right gorgeous and their love is positively bursting from each and every photograph. See the full session here. Congrats you two love birds!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From Kristin La Voie Photography…I’m dying to share this mouthwatering new Mr. & Mrs. Session of Jenni & Rob at sunset in Wauconda, IL’s Lakewood Forest Preserve. We had a blast photographing their engagement session together and were so bummed to find out I was already booked for their wedding date! We made up for it by taking stellar photos after they tied the knot, and Jenni was thrilled to wear her custom made wedding dress again, and Rob his tux.

Wedding Dress + Sash: Custom Victoria Sdoukos via Boutique Victoria / Tuxedo: Hugo Boss / Watch: Movado / Groom’s Shoes: Hugo Boss / Bride’s Shoes: Christian Louboutin / Rings: Blue Nile / Photography: Kristin La Voie Photography

We’ve got quite the pretty blue and yellow fete for you to feast your eyes on this morning! We love all cobalt blue pops of color from the bride’s gorgeous shoes to the wine glasses on the spectacular tables. For this couple, their big day was all about design and food because this beautiful bride is a graphic designer and her hubby-to-be, a chef. Robyn Rachel Photography snapped all the modern, yet classic details and there is so much more waiting just for you in the full gallery. Click here for more.

Click here for entire gallery of images!

From the Bride…With me being a graphic designer and my husband being a chef, there were two elements that were important on our special day – design and food. From the moment we were engaged on August 8th 2010, I knew a lot of elements were going to be DIY. Chicago is home for Chris and I. It’s where we both grew up and met each other so there was no other place in the world where we would have wanted to get married.

I started out by finding an amazing blog that had a fun and cute way to ask your bridesmaids to be in your wedding. I created one for each of the girls and a special one for the matron of honor. Cobalt Blue with yellow accents would be the color palette. I find it to be modern and classic. I knew I wanted to also create my own save-the-dates and incorporate photos from our engagement photo session. We hired Robyn Rachel, an amazing and talented photographer in Chicago. She had a great personality and really made us and our entire bridal party feel comfortable in front of the camera. I stumbled upon an amazing paisley print that would set the scene for wedding design and décor.  I loved it because it was pretty and whimsical.

To me, the invitations were probably the most important item of the entire wedding. I love print design and it is the first thing your guest sees that has to do with the wedding. It totally sets the tone for what the day will be like. We worked with Magnificent Milestones, AKA my new obsession. Mag Milestones is s super cute stationery shop in Chicago. Even though I did not design these myself, I provided a lot of art direction along the way to create a fun, mixed-font invite complete with a yellow satin ribbon to tie it all together. Once the invites were out the door, I decided to design a few other items myself, playing off the same look and feel. Those items included the table numbers, complete with a modern silver frame on each table. A monogram that was placed on the place cards that were hung with yellow ribbons from a striking tree made of white branches donned with a little spray sparkle. I also designed menu cards, welcome bag letters, and the programs.

We chose to host our reception at the Ivy Room at Tree Studios in Chicago. It is truly a diamond in the rough. Living in downtown Chicago for over 6 years, I never even knew this place existed, but probably walked past it 100 times. It is a beautiful room with hard wood floors and a blank palette that you can completely customize to whatever your heart desired. Just what the doctor ordered. The courtyard has a beautiful path, lights strung on tree branches and lush green ivy everywhere. Kehoe designs helped out with designing the space. Throughout all the planning, I feel like this is where most of the blood, sweat and tears were spent. We worked so hard on this room and the time had come to see it all put together. Surprisingly, I did not cry all that much throughout the day, but when I saw our room for the first time, I cried! All in all the day was perfect. The year of planning was well worth it once the big day arrived. If I had to do it all over again, I would do it the exact same way!

Wedding Photography: Robyn Rachel Photography / Event Planning: Big City Bride, Susan Cordogan / Wedding Videography: Lexoria Wedding Films / Flowers: Kehoe Designs / Ceremony Location: St. Alphonsus Church / Reception Location: Ivy Room at Tree Studios / Invitations: Magnificent Milestones / Bride’s Shoes: Manolo Blahnik / Catering: Blue Plate

Garden weddings always have a way of sneaking their way to the top of my favorites list…. There’s just something so magical about the combination of some uber-lovely nuptials and mother nature’s beauty that simply warms my heart.  So, it pretty much goes without saying that I am absolutely loving this charming Wheaton affair by Elizabeth Greve Photography with its gorgeous setting (but, of course), laid back meets elegant vibe, sophisticated black and white color palette and darling DIY details.  This is just the pretty we needed this Friday morning and the perfect start to a sure to be fabulous weekend.  Click here for even more!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From Elizabeth Greve Photography… I’m so excited to share this awesome outdoor ceremony with you!  I was honored to photograph the wedding of a friend I have known for years which made the day even more special for me.  The best way to describe Katie & Matt is to tell you that along with being a wonderful couple together on the outside, they are also beautiful people on the inside as well.  They make everyone around them smile and laugh and their detailed wedding that included DIY projects and a dog as a flower girl reveals just that.  Below, you’ll read comments from Katie, the bride, on how the inspiration for this creative wedding came about.

As for the details, the bridesmaids were asked to wear black cocktail-length dresses (each of them have their own sense of style, and the bride and groom wanted to celebrate that)! The groomsmen wore classic, Calvin Klein tuxes… with the exception of the bride’s brother, who was in his Army dress blues (he was able to come to the wedding, on his mid-tour leave from Iraq). The outdoor ceremony included a secret garden-like path that the wedding party walked through. The bride’s brother serenaded her down the aisle, to Israel Kamakawiwo’ole’s “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.”  The couple’s Pug, Ramona, acted as the flower girl. The groom’s mother made paddle fan programs, to relieve guests from the hot August sun. The bride, her mother, and mother-in-law made chalkboard framed signs that were displayed throughout the ceremony and reception.  They each displayed some of the bride and groom’s favorite lyrics like, “How Sweet it Is to Be Loved by You,” “I’m lucky I’m in Love with My Best Friend,” and “For you I’d wait til kingdom come.” The placecards were inspired by a Style Me Pretty inspiration board.  With old luggage tags, laundry pins, and vintage typewriter type, they were an easy way to bring the vintage flair to each table. The Candy Table included old-fashioned candy, jars, scoops, and a handmade banner. Guests were encouraged to take candy home, in small cellophane bags.  The bride wore a gown from Nordstrom Bridal.  After the ceremony, she quickly changed into her dance-friendly sparkly Toms. Flowers (in mason jars, with wire for hanging on shepherds hooks) from there ceremony were re-purposed for the reception.

Wedding Photography: Elizabeth Greve Photography / Florist: Petal Play Design / Weekend-of Planner: La Belle Fleur Events / Wedding Ceremony Location: Cantigny Park / Wedding Reception Location: Cantigny Golf / DJ: A Posh Production / Hair: Salon Vis a Vis / Make-up: Linda Camacho / Nails: The Nail Shop / Wedding Invitations: Etsy / Groom + Groomsmen Attire: Calvin Klein / Wedding Dress: Nordstrom / Bride’s Shoes: TOMS

Good morning you darlings of wedding goodness. We have such a treat for all of you modern brides out there that are desperate for a little modern inspiration. And it comes to us in the form of what just might be the most beautiful wedding on earth. Fully aware that I am like the girl that cried wedding when I say things like that but this time…it’s so true. Designed by Chicago based Dettagli Weddings, with photographs by the beloved Erin Hearts Court and styling by the fab Hello Darling, this wedding is everything. So in the words of one of our loyal readers…”stick me with a fork because I am done!!” See it all here.

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From Dettagli Weddings…Gabrielle and Nick are the quintessential Chicago couple, with roots planted in the city from childhood (they actually met in high school!), but have since traveled the globe, lived from coast to coast (NYC, San Francisco!) and managed to bring a little bit of all of their history to their stunning Art Institute of Chicago wedding. The venue was a no-brainer: Gabby studied art history and worked at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in NYC, and the modern wing reflected the contemporary style of both their family homes. From there, it was honing in on the incredibly thoughtful and sweet details that they wanted to incorporate, along with styling their event to reflect their modern style, which we coined “simple and hip.”

With the help of Natalie from Hello Darling, we created a stunning day that celebrated Gabby and Nick’s incredible style, heritage and life together. We pulled together the colors that Gabby liked: Black, white and gray, and gave them a bit more life with soft pinks and dusty purples. The bride loved the clean lines of the art institute and wanted to reflect that style in her printable and day-of materials. From the cutie G+N on top of the cake, to the sharp, glowing table numbers, as well as menus, placecards and programs that the bride designed herself (printed by Magnificent Milestones), the architecture from the venue translated to the perfect day-of materials.

Amidst all of the meaningful details (French macaroons from Vanille Patisserie at each spot to pay homage to the time the couple spent living in Paris, an engraved Magnum of their favorite Iron Horse sparkling wine from Sonoma, the family Tallit!), the love in the room with the families and friends was electrifying. The dance floor was packed (Toast and Jam DJs!), the photobooth was bumping all night with hilarious photos (Magbooth) and the toasts were sensational. Erin Hearts Court magnificently captured it all and managed to really showcase how much happiness and love was in that stylish room in June.

Venue: The Art Institute of Chicago Modern Wing / Caterer: Bon Appetit at the Art Institute of Chicago / Wedding Planner: Katie Kozlowski, Dettagli Weddings / Wedding Photography: Erin Hearts Court / Wedding Videography: I Do Films / DJ: Toast & Jam / Florist + Decor: Hello Darling, floral and event styling / Wedding Cake: take the cake / Macaroons: Vanille Patisserie / Photobooth: The Magnolia Photo Booth Co. / Transportation: Windy City Trolley / Printed Materials: Magnificent Milestones / Bride’s Shoes: Valentino / Bridesmaids Dresses: Jenny Yoo

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Jenny Yoo

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OK, all you style-savvy wedding gurus out there it is time for you to step up to the plate and show off your stellar design skills.  We have an awesome chance for you to gain some major board building bragging rights because the incredibly talented Sarah Drake is back for another From Inspiration to Invitation challenge SMP Illinois style!  We are looking to you to come up with a chic, unique inspiration board that Sarah will turn into a gorgeous stationery suite!

Past From Inspiration to Invitation winner Chiara Francolino

The rules are simple, just create an inspiration board using our easy peasy board building tool based on any style/look/theme you’d like to see translated into an invitation design. (Please note, this is a design challenge not a giveaway.) You must tag your board “SD Challenge” to be considered. Sarah will pick one of your boards to turn into a fabulous new invitation and we cannot wait to see what you come up with. We’ll announce the big winner on Friday, November 11th and share the sure-to-be-amazing invitation right here on SMP in January!

I am about as smitten as one can be with this gorgeous Monticello affair by Mark Romine Photography.  And let me tell you, that’s pretty darn smitten.  From the breathtaking location (Hello, Allerton Park!) to the stunning jewel-toned bouquets by English Hedgerow (ADORE) to some seriously sweet bridesmaid frocks, I am lovin’ every minute of this traditional soiree.  Believe you me, this charming fête will leave you swooning through the weekend.  Join me in the gallery for even more!

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From the Bride… In the weeks leading up to my engagement to Jared, I already had wedding planning on my mind and began noticing and seeking out beautiful potential venues online.  I mentioned in passing to my mom that my ideal setting would be a Southern plantation with a picturesque mansion and grounds.  This would be simple enough if I hadn’t also always planned on getting married near my hometown in Central, Illinois.  My mom, already aware that Jared was planning on proposing soon, was a few steps ahead of me and had done some local research.  She pointed out that Allerton Park, only an hour away from my childhood hometown, had exactly the combination of beautiful formal gardens and a Georgian style mansion that I envisioned.  After browsing through a few pictures online, we concluded that Allerton was the perfect compromise of Central, Illinois and an elegant mansion wedding.  Luckily for me, the planning officially began a few days later when Jared proposed!

Because Jared and I both live in Chicago, my mom became our local wedding coordinator.  We both had the same vision for a wedding: classic, elegant and traditional.  We wanted to showcase the beauty of the gardens and mansion so we chose a palette of rich jewel tones with gold accents.  Given the elaborate gardens and traditional décor in the mansion, we were able to keep our added details simple.  The only place where I deviated from traditional was with my dress.  Thankfully, my Matron of Honor convinced me that if there is a day to wear a fluffy, feathery dress, it’s your wedding day.  After the reception was over and everyone had headed to bed in the mansion, Jared and I snuck downstairs to look around and there were little petals here and there as a memory of the night.

It was very important to us to acknowledge our families, especially my father who passed away three years ago.  My mom bought gold picture frames whenever she came across them and we used them to display pictures of our parents and grandparents on their wedding days.  I also wore my dad’s wedding band throughout the day.  I associate rainbows with my dad because on the day of his visitation, there was a beautiful rainbow, a rarity for Illinois in November.  To incorporate this into the ceremony, during the unity candle lighting, the musicians played “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” and my aunt, my father’s sister, also, read an Irish Wedding Blessing, “For Every Storm, A Rainbow.”  One of the most special moments of the reception was when Jared and I danced our first dance to one of my dad’s favorite songs, “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” by Israel Kamakawiwo’ole.  Jared and I took dancing lessons from Phillipa Tabachow of JiveRoc in the weeks leading up to the wedding.  We had a blast both practicing and surprising our guests with a choreographed dance.  After the first dance ended, we stayed on the dance floor the rest of the night surrounded by our friends and family.

Wedding Photography: Mark Romine Photography / Wedding Venue + Catering: Allerton Park / Flowers: English Hedgerow / Wedding Dress: Lazaro via Bella Bianca / Bride’s Shoes: Kate Spade via Nordstrom / Bride’s Jewelry: Sorrelli / Bride’s Purse: Vintage Judith Leiber

I’ve literally been rendered speechless by this stunning Chicago affair by Gerber + Scarpelli Photography… and when you take a peak at all of the gorgeous below, you’ll see why.  Simply brimming with the most amazing of DIY details crafted by the oh-so-talented bride and groom (including paper airplane programs, vintage tie save-the-dates and the coolest homemade favors ever), it just does not get any more fabulous than this.  I’ll be spending my morning, noon and night soaking in all of this lovely… and I suggest you do the same.  Join me in the gallery for even more!

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From the Bride… Travis & I wanted our wedding to feel like us. And we figured the best way to do that was to really get our hands on everything. The more we could make, build, and design ourselves the better.

For the save-the-dates, we collected used men’s ties and designed a “Tie the Knot” label to iron on. Each was rolled into a mailing tube and sent to our guests (some guests ended up wearing the ties to the wedding which was unexpected and really fun). The invites came next, each with a custom illustration. We bought a tool to perforate the reply card so that guests would tear off either the YES or the NO and mail it back. We printed funny excuses on the NO card like “sorry my favorite TV show is on that day.”

Travis and I love to cook and bake together. So we decided to make and bottle baking extracts for our guest favors. We made mint, lemon, or vanilla (our house smelled great for days). Each was paired with a recipe featuring that flavor. We displayed them in old crates we found at an antique store.

The bridal party wore gray with lots of accent colors. The guys couldn’t find ties in a color they liked, so the bridesmaids and the MOB got together and sewed yellow ties for the groomsmen. It turns out making ties isn’t so easy…but the end result was great and the guys loved them. The girls bouquets were dahlias wrapped in twine. During rehearsal, the guys said “The girls get to hold bouquets but we don’t get to hold anything…”  so during the ceremony, the guys each held a beer.

The wedding was held at the Red Canary in Chicago. It has a casual but sophisticated 1920’s lounge feel. The ceremony was outside in the garden. Programs were printed on blue paper and folded into paper airplanes that guests threw instead of rice. The reception décor was old tins filled with flowers. They were the perfect mix of vintage and modern. Everything turned out better than we could have hoped for. Having all of our friends and family together in one place to share our wedding day with us was so special. And our ridiculously talented photographer Melody of Gerber + Scarpelli was able to capture everything perfectly. The night felt like it went by so quickly, and being able to look through pictures that truly show how much Travis & I love each other, our family and our friends is priceless. We hope that our marriage is just as hands-on as our wedding was. The more love and hard work you put into something, the more you cherish it.

Wedding Photography: Gerber + Scarpelli Photography / Flowers (Bouquets): Flowerama Mundelein / Flowers (For Tins): Mariano’s Grocery Store / Cupcakes: Luscious Layers Bakery / Wedding Venue: Red Canary / Music: DJ Intel / Boutonnieres: Pomp & Plumage / Wedding Dress: GiGi’s Closette

Ya gotta love a backyard wedding, especially if your backyard looks like this gorgeous, tree-filled North Shore Chicago yard. This gorgeous DIY wedding was truly a labor of love and although it was mainly homespun, it has an elegant quality that is clear to see in the amazing images from photographers Dawn E. Roscoe and Torie McMillan. We’re loving each and every detail from the handmade and hand painted ceremony chuppa to the delicious looking signature cocktails complete with herbs from their very own garden. No doubt this wedding was just as special and meaningful as it is beautiful. Click here for even more.

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From the Bride…Drew and I met after college while living in New York through a mutual friend. Oddly, we had both attended college together at Northwestern, and actually lived in the same dorm for a year, but didn’t cross paths. Luckily, fate kept trying. We moved back to Chicago after two years in New York – me for law school and Drew for business school – both at our alma mater, Northwestern! After dating for four years, Drew proposed on the shore of Lake Michigan, with the gorgeous ring that his grandfather gave to his grandmother for their 50th wedding anniversary. Since then, we graduated in June, got hitched in September, and will be starting our new careers in downtown Chicago in October. Drew and I knew that we wanted to have a very personal and homey wedding.  And what better place to accomplish that than in the exquisite garden of my parents’ home on the North Shore of Chicago – the same house where I grew up and where my older sister, Christie, got married two years prior.

Our garden, our home, and our family history were really the entire inspiration for the event. We tried to exude a sense of warmth and “backyard elegance,” and pretty much everything was home-spun. We incorporated contributions from friends and family, showcased personal relationships, and added homemade details as much as possible. My mom, aunt, and cousin made all the desserts for our dessert table from scratch. Drew’s cousin hand-painted and hand-sewed our ceremony huppah, and the huppah posts were borrowed from a neighbor. I handmade the invitations, programs, and other paper cards along with help from various family members and friends. Our signature cocktails were made with fresh herbs from our garden and each came with a bamboo stir stick with a fun little flag that I made with a variety of paper that I found over the course of the year. I made the lavender-infused lemonade (a refreshment we provided before the ceremony) with lavender from our garden. My dress, veil, and shoes were my sister’s, which she wore at her wedding two years prior. (In fact, the only “something new” I had were my Spanxx!)

We collected jars and bottles for the flower vases, and I bought and tied about 200 ribbons for them. I handmade all of the chalkboards that we used for wedding signage out of chalkboard spray paint and wood panels. Our friend, Tim, played our ceremony music on his guitar. Drew’s father, brother, and family friends sang Here, There, and Everywhere by The Beatles during our ceremony – the same song that was sung at Drew’s parents’ wedding. The judge who presided over our ceremony was the judge with whom I formerly clerked during law school. We got married on the lawn, with a lush ravine as our backdrop. Cocktail hour took place throughout my dad’s beautiful garden – on the patios, decks, and little garden “nooks” on the ravine’s edge – with the doors to the house wide open to allow people to access wherever they might like to explore. The reception was under a clear-span tent we had set up on the other side of the house.

For our “First Look” Drew was standing in a beautiful and quiet part of the garden waiting for me. When I came, he turned around, and we both immediately had tears in our eyes. I cry all the time, so this was no surprise for me, but I have never seen Drew cry in the five years I’ve known him. We just stood there holding each other and sobbing and whispering how happy we were to be getting married to each other. It was such gift to share such a tender, happy, and relieving moment with the one you love amidst such a hectic day.

Venue: Private Residence / Wedding Photography: Dawn E. Roscoe / Second Photographer: Torie McMillan / Wedding Planner: A Perfect Event, Debi Lily / Floral Design: Asrai Garden / Wedding Dress: Oscar de la Renta / Bridesmaid Dresses: Simple Silhouettes / Make-up: Adriana Aude / Hair: Kim Schmidt with Beauty on Call / Band: Entourage / Jewelry: David Yurman (gift from Bride’s father and groom) / Invitations: Handmade by the Bride

While this wedding isn’t technically in Illinois, it IS a hop across the pond (sort of kind of) and with so many great vendors in close proximity, we thought it would be the perfect spot to showcase all the gorgeous. Plus the lovely couple is from Chicago so we’re making it count people. Photographed by K. Holly Photography, this is one of those weddings that had us at that Lazaro dress, or maybe it was those sassy purple kicks. Whatever the case, it kept us coming back for more and then stopped us dead in our tracks with a breathtaking film by Epic Motion. We saved that little ditty for the end so get comfy, peruse through image after stunning image and check out the gallery for more!

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Gorgeous, right? And wait until you see it live straight from the lens of Epic Motion. Enjoy the show!

From the Bride…Christopher and I live in Chicago, but we knew we wanted to get married in Michigan.  He is from Michigan and my parents have a cottage near Shelbyville. We chose Bay Pointe Inn because it is beautiful setting for a lakeside wedding. We knew that we wanted to add our own personal touches to the design, and Bay Pointe’s pavilion allowed us to create our dream wedding!  But most importantly, it has a laid back atmosphere!

We believe that our inspirations for our wedding style came from a few different places.  One of the first things we did after we got engaged was look for a photographer.  K. Holly Photography’s portfolio represented the mood we wanted to create for our wedding.  Fun, vintage, with a touch of rustic.  We also knew Chicago was a major component we wanted to represent throughout our wedding.  So our place cards were vintage postcards from Chicago! Our favors were also Garrett’s Popcorn – the BEST popcorn from Chicago! And our table names were streets names of Chicago.  Personal touches like the wedding wish tree, the drink stirrers, and the photo booth were a fun interactive addition to our wedding day!

Our ceremony was amazing.  It was pouring rain a few hours before, and Christopher and I were prepared to get married inside of the the venue’s pavilion.  However, the sky cleared up and we finally saw the sun!  Our first bridesmaid walked down our dog, Jersey. I had both of my parents walk me down because they both have had an huge part in my life. Christopher and I wrote our own personal vows, which was very important to us.

There are a couple memories that stand out to the both of us.  I will always remember when Christopher sang and played the guitar for me in front of our wedding guests.  He played Romeo and Juliet by Dire Straits, which is one of our favorite songs.  Incredibly romantic and incredibly touching.  Christopher has said he will always remember me walking down the aisle because that was what we wanted – the sun finally came out while I was walking towards him.  We are grateful for our amazing wedding day – it was perfect. But more importantly, we are extremely blessed to have found each other, and I know we will continue to have a life filled with happiness and sunshine!

Wedding Photography: K. Holly Photography / Wedding Videography: Epic Motion / Floral Designer: Modern Day Floral / Invitation Designer: paper + pinafore / Wedding Cake + Desserts: Sweet Cake Designs / Wedding Gown: Lazaro / Bridesmaid Dresses: Lazaro / Photobooth: Magnolia Photobooth / Venue: Bay Pointe Inn

What could be better than a whole lot of romance with a little bit of rock n’ roll mixed in?  My heart did a few (hundred) little backflips when I first spotted this Lake Forest wedding by Fig Media.  The chic color combo of black, white and hot pink is elegant, unexpected and oh-so much fun.  The fluffy love cloud of baby’s breath surrounding the ceremony alter is straight of a dream and the hot pink centerpieces are out of this world amazing. Click here to see it all!

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From the Bride…Jason and I met almost six years ago when I was working as a live-in nanny for the Walgreen family.  We had an instant connection but it was difficult dating with such an unconventional job (my time off was quite limited). After five months of dating and not being able to see each other very often Jason asked me to move to Australia with him for graduate school.  As someone who suffers from wanderlust, I jumped at the opportunity although most everyone I knew thought I was a bit crazy.  Living abroad together created a strong and intense bond between us and helped shape who we are as a couple.

For our wedding we wanted our international adventures, personality, and style as a couple to be reflected so I made it my mission to do just that while sticking to a tight budget (we paid for the wedding ourselves).  The location for our wedding was certainly unique and was a kind and generous offer from my former employer.  They offered their backyard and courtyard to us for our ceremony and reception.  It was the perfect setting for our vision of a intimate, outdoor wedding. What helped make our wedding so personal and intimate was that almost everyone that contributed was a friend of ours including my make-up artist, hair stylist, Rabbi, and violinist to name just a few.  Being around so many familiar faces certainly helped relax me on the big day.  DIY ideas from SMP were also a huge contribution!  My morning routine for the entire year leading up to the wedding was checking SMP updates.  We created our chuppah from a wooden pergola and bunches and bunches of baby’s breath (I saw something quite similar on SMP and had to have it).  It was the centerpiece for our ceremony and truly set the mood for the evening.  Our service took place at sundown and the Lake Michigan background was spectacular.

Following the ceremony our guests enjoyed signature cocktails, Graham Beck sparking wine (my husband is a wine rep so all the wine was hand-picked with a great deal of passion), and a raw bar.  Dinner was served family style with five long tables.  My mother-in-law donated her time and expertise and made the tablecloths with my vision in mind.  Instead of traditional chair covers I used black tulle and tied big bows on the back of the chairs.  It helped create a dramatic look while keeping costs down.  The lights wrapped around the trees and tent were done by my father-in-law and created an intimate and magical ambiance.  The speeches before dinner tugged at my heart strings.  My dearest friend, Jennie flew over from Adelaide, Australia with her five month old baby girl (what a committed friend), my husband’s best friend, my father-in-law, Brooke, the now young adult who I used to take care of as her nanny, and my mother made us both laugh and cry at the same time!  I felt so loved and honored by their words.  The night concluded with dancing and a hot dog cart at midnight.  Who doesn’t enjoy a Chicago style hot dog at the end of a night!

Through the process lots of people give you advice (wanted and unwanted) but what resonated with me the most was to remember what the day is about (you and your husband not the bad weather forecast or not getting the flowers you want).  For me it took a village to make our day happen and it was such a beautiful reminder of all the people that love you in your life.

Wedding Photography: Fig Media / Flowers: Cattails Inc. / Ceremony + Reception Location: Private Residence / Invitations: Anjenu + DIY / Wedding Dress: Jenny Packham via Le Salon Bridal / Bride’s Shoes: Steve Madden / Bridesmaid Dresses:  J.Crew / Groom’s Attire: Sebastian Grey / Make-up: Lauren Rubenstein / Hair: Aja Wong / Tent: HDO Production / Lighting: Blanford Design / Midnight Food: Hubby’s Dog House / Flowers: DIY

If you are a fan of flowers, and, really, who isn’t, you are going to go bonkers over this beautiful Chicago wedding.  Romantic blossoms inspired by the french countryside cascade down every inch of this beauty.  I especially love the creamy, lush arrangements sweetly tied to the bride and groom’s chairs.  Olivia Leigh Photographie‘s images perfectly capture the classic elegance of the day and every amazing detail.  Click here to see them all!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From Olivia Leigh Photographie…Laura and Elliot were married July 23, 2011, at the Chicago History Museum. They were originally to have an outdoor ceremony but due to the heat and forecasted (not non-existent!) rain, they opted to have the ceremony indoors in the museum’s gorgeous indoor space. The room where they were married features historic stained glass from Chicago, and the amazing team at Kehoe Designs built a gorgeous chuppah for them to say their vows beneath.

Laura looked gorgeous in her traditional but still clean and modern gown accented with a beautiful taupe sash, and she carried a gorgeous bouquet that included fawn ostrich feathers. The girls looked lovely in silver bridesmaids dresses that flattered all of their figures!

After the lovely ceremony, guests went into the foyer where vintage furniture was arranged to create unique seating options. Guests sipped on white sangria with summer fruit, ate mini ice cream cones of goat cheese, and enjoyed tomato soup topped with grilled cheese sandwiches from Food for Thought. Kehoe transformed the space with a romantic French countryside theme. Blooms were placed in vintage glass and silver holders, and silver candelabras with lampshades created a cozy feel. Guests enjoyed toasts and dancing, with metallic flip flops available for all the ladies. A range of cakes from Bittersweet was available for guests, placed on cake holders that Laura and her mother had collected prior to the wedding. Lori from LOLA helped to pull everything together and keep the day on track with ease and grace, and Rachel from Toast & Jam kept guests boogying all night! It was such a beautiful day!

Wedding Photography: Olivia Leigh Photographie / Wedding Coordinator: Lori Stephenson at LOLA Event Productions / DJ: Toast & Jam / Floral + Design: Kehoe Designs / Catering: Food for Thought / Venue: Chicago History Museum / Bridesmaid Dresses: Nordstrom / Cakes: Bittersweet