Classic + Whimsical Chicago Wedding

Amanda and Mike’s big city Chicago wedding portrays a certain sweetness that is both charming and sophisticated! Following a traditional Catholic ceremony at St. Josaphat Parish, the couple and their friends and family headed to the gorgeous Chicago History Museum for a night of great food and dancing, thanks to Blue Plate catering and tunes from Matt Lewis and The Union. Amanda says she wouldn’t change a thing about the day, and we can see why! From the lovely ice blue bridesmaids dresses from Bella Bridesmaids to her own amazing Tara Keely gown, the attire was simple and elegant. Emilia Jane Photography captured beautiful images—we especially adore the iconic photos with the backdrop of the Chicago skyline! We love the mix of baby’s breath, peach roses, and white peonies in floral designs by Revel Décor, as well as the adorable confection by Amy Beck Cake Design—there’s so much to love, catch it all in the gallery!

Married at the beautiful The Morton Arboretum outside Chicago, Ashley and Jake’s summer wedding was beautifully natural and simply elegant. White hydrangea and lisianthus were mixed with textured greenery in arrangements by Hinsdale Flower Shop. Ashley chose several of her vendors through Etsy, giving their wedding a sweet, crafty feel. From the beautiful trees of the venue, perfectly fresh florals, and the tangible adoration between Ashley and Jake, these wonderful photos by Simply Jessie Photography are full of life and love!

Molly and Mike’s lovely Wayzata, Minnesota, wedding was a family affair, starting with the location of their ceremony and reception—Mike’s parents’ backyard! With help from Jennae Elizabeth of Blush & Whim, Molly and Mike planned the summer wedding of their dreams, which included vows beneath a pergola constructed by Mike’s stepdad. Along with Sarah of Four Finches, Molly’s mom, Mary, helped style the colorful flowers for the affair, some of which she grew in her own garden. Molly paired her ivory gown by Blush by Hayley Paige from The White Gown with a lace mantilla veil, also made by her mother. Bridesmaids in navy dresses from J.Crew and groomsmen in gray suits were casual but perfectly in step with the rest of the laid-back elegance of the day. Other fun touches included a heart-shaped pinata handmade by Molly’s sister and a delicious looking unfrosted chocolate wedding cake by Catherine Miller of Camelbear Bakery. Enjoy all of these gorgeous images from Clary Photo!

We love the pretty pastels woven throughout Su and Ray’s outdoor wedding at Promontory Point in Chicago’s Burnham Park. Lush bouquets of pink and cream ranunculus and peonies mixed with dusty miller by Vale of Enna are the perfect complement to romantic coral bridesmaids dresses by Jarlo. Su’s Vera Wang gown is hands-down one of our favorites ever, with a big structured bow taking the focal point of the gown’s front. To celebrate their heritage, Su and Ray incorporated a tea ceremony into the celebrations, and the red dress Su wore to cut the cake from Bridgeport Bakery is simply stunning! We are swooning over these beautiful images from Kina Wicks!

Annie and Ben’s wedding at Skokie Country Club, just outside of Chicago, is full of heartwarming details—least of which, the fact that this couple wed on the same green Annie’s parents did so many years before! How sweet is that? We love the elegant floral arch under which Annie and Ben exchanged their vows, a creation by Virginia Wolff Inc., who also designed Annie’s beautiful cascading bouquet of lilies and roses. Following their outdoor ceremony, guests dined al fresco, enjoying small bites stations and a dessert bar! Then guests joined Annie and Ben on the dance floor, where they danced the night away to the sounds of High Society, an orchestra! How perfect!

There is something so sophisticated about a color palette of navy and white — but we’ve fallen for more than just the dramatic hues of Emily and Zach’s wedding outside of Boise, Idaho! Take the fashion, for instance. Emily’s Casablanca Bridal has the most stunning sweetheart neckline, and the bridesmaids dresses — a variety of short sheaths in the same navy blue — are the perfect complement to the all-white bouquets by Boise At Its Best that the ladies carried. Emily and Zach exchanged vows in a traditional Jewish ceremony, beneath a gorgeous chuppah built of branches and dripping with white orchids and hydrangea. Beautiful floral design continued at their reception at Shore Lodge, where a mix of high and low white arrangements topped tables covered in crinkled blue linens. These photos by Ampersand Studios show every detail, including the writing on the couple’s wedding cake. Do you recognize the words? They are the lyrics to Etta James’ classic “At Last.” Amazing!

Anne and Michael blended elements of three cities for their summer wedding. They wed at the River East Art Center in Chicago, where they fell in love. They asked caterer Paramount Events to add Pierce’s Pitt bar-b-que sauce — a favorite from Anne’s hometown of Williamsburg, Virginia — to their pulled pork sliders. And they shared cheese curds from Michael’s old stomping ground of Madison, Wisconsin, with their guests. Just outside the center where the were married, photographer Austin Gros snapped the most beautiful images of the couple with Chicago’s skyline as the background. We also love the classic pink and navy color palette and all the elegant and pretty floral arrangements by Revel Decor!

Nicole and Ryan’s dream was to have a Florida beach wedding that was a mini-vacation for everyone who attended, and it seems they succeeded! The couple used a clean and fresh color palette of blue and yellow, and Blooming Flowers made sure to mix Nicole’s favorite flower, tulips, into the cheery arrangements. The entire day was laid-back, effortlessly elegant and personal. The couple even included their pup in the ceremony — a detail we can’t help but adore! A big thank you to Shipra Panosian for these beautiful images!

Jackie and Keith wanted their wedding to feel like an upscale backyard barbecue so they decided on one of their favorite vacation destinations, Hilton Head, South Carolina, and the Port Royal Country Club was a perfect fit! It was an intimate wedding where guests enjoyed lawn games and signature drinks during cocktail hour and then some delicious pies from Signes Bakery after dinner. I love the fresh and clean palette of green and white and florals by The Flower Garden which featured orchids, hydrangea, calla lilies, and lisianthus. Such a beautiful, unfussy wedding with lovely photos by Shannon Christopher!

Although Emily and Rodrigo were married at San Diego’s The Prado at Balboa Park in front of almost 280 of their friends and family, the way they look at each other in these photos it’s like there wasn’t anyone there but the two of them. I adore all the succulents (check out the arbor covered in them!) that Adrianne Smith used throughout the event, including some smaller potted ones on the tables that guests were able to take home. Both beautiful and green! Thanks to Jennifer Dery for sharing these beautiful photos.

Any way you spin the color green in a wedding palette, it is quite the versatile shade. From soft pastels like mint or sage to deep hues like the beautiful emerald or hunter green, you can easily use this earthy color at any wedding during any time of the year if you fancy it. It’s so timeless and we’re glad that wedding extraordinaires like Olive Fine Weddings & Events and Alexandra Lee ran on the same wavelength as us. This styled shoot has a hefty helping of green all over it, and if you take out the seemingly wintry elements to this inspo, you can readily use it all throughout the year. The luxe blooms by Willrett Flower Co. (check out the installation framing the sweetheart table!) may need some tweaking when it comes to what’s in season and what’s in your area, but no matter if you’re a spring or summer bride-to-be eyeing this shade of green, you’ll certainly get the same gorgeous effect that Alexandra snapped for us.

Let’s all take a moment (or two) out of our day to check out this bliss-inducing Janita Mestre wedding. It’s delightfully in the desert, so of course you’re going to spot a few cacti at Galway Downs, but you’re going to see such a dreamy color palette too. Being so close to Valentine’s Day, Stephanie and Alex wanted to evoke love all throughout, so they picked pink as their go-to hue. Big and bright blush and ivory florals by Events by Floral Sensations complemented the eye-catching David’s Bridal mauve bridesmaids’ dresses, and we loved this idea, too. Instead of continuing the soft tones everywhere, shake up the colors like Stephanie and Alex and throw a deep hue in the same color family somewhere that will be seen. Adding it to the bridesmaids’ dresses was a clever touch without overwhelming the couple’s desire to have an airy feel to their wedding day.

For their Massachusetts wedding day, Alex and Chris wanted nothing but everyone to have a splendid time, good food, good drinks, and good memories being passed around. All captured through the lens of The Light and Color Wedding Photography, the Ipswich couple chose to have a traditional wedding day. Alex chose a classic A-line Hayley Paige beauty and the cherry on top of her trousseau was her mom’s veil that she donned for her day. Their ceremony was held at St. John’s Prep (fun fact: Alex is a dentist and St. John’s Prep was the same school where Alex’s boss and Chris’s dad went. The guys are still good friends!), Chris’s high school alma mater. For their wedding reception, they dressed up The Hellenic Center in shades of soft blues and pinks, and organic-style blooms designed by Chris’s sister-in-law, Teresa. Weddings like these that are centered around family and steeped in tradition always leave such a feel-good warmth to our day.

Elise and Michael’s wedding showcases the stunning city of Chicago almost as well as it illustrates their love for each other! An interfaith ceremony at Old St. Patrick’s Church brought together both families’ traditions, and their Chicago Cultural Center reception—planned and designed by Beth Bernstein of SQN Events—is the epitome of classic sophistication. The stunning Preston Bradley Hall, with its ornate dome and stately marbled walls, was the perfect backdrop for a reception featuring elegant calligraphy details, centerpieces of greenery, candles, and soft white blooms from Flora, and a rocking party set to the tunes of Matt Lewis and The Union. Each and every image from Olivia Leigh Photographie is perfection!

We adore the relaxed, casual vibe of Meredith and Graham’s summer backyard wedding! With a ceremony at the intimate Smithfield Church and a reception held at Graham’s family’s New York country home just one street away, these two brought all of the comforts of home into their celebration. Meredith is radiant in a demure Lela Rose gown, and we love that although she wore a chic chignon for the ceremony, she let her hair down (literally and figuratively) for the outdoor reception! Bridesmaids in simple white dresses, simple centerpieces of daisies and greenery topiaries, and pretty runners with pops of blue complement the garden setting under the tent. After a family style dinner by , guests danced the night away to John Ragusa Music. Sit back and enjoy the beautiful images from Charlie Juliet!

Katie and Dan planned their nuptials in just four months, but these images from Two Birds Photography show flawless touches and attention to detail that belie the couple’s short engagement! Says bride Katie, “There were three main feelings we wanted our celebration to evoke: a classic feel, a cozy environment, and a fun atmosphere.” We think it’s an absolute success, starting with the venue, Chicago’s The Rookery. “It is such an amazing space with an incredible history that is deeply intertwined with the city,” says Katie. “Both grand and cozy.” From there, the couple looked to Exquisite Designs for florals that would accent the existing decor, including white roses, anemones, ranunculu, sweet peas, and hydrangeas.  In keeping with the chic, sophisticated feel of the day, bridesmaids wore black dresses by Amsale. Katie’s lace Rafael Cennamo gown from Dimitra’s bridal salon is stunning, and we love the edginess her black Jimmy Choo heels provide. Vintage decanters from Rent Vintage Chicago add a sparkle to the reception’s cream and gold decor, as does the gold bride and groom topper set on the cake from Sweet Mandy B’s. How we adore this elegant affair!

You know when two wedding photographers are getting married, it’s bound to be spectacular! And such is Sarah and Matt‘s magical affair at Salvage One. The industrial, whimsical locale was perfect for pastel florals from Fleur, romantic candlelight, and vintage decor from BHLDN. We adore their invites, elegant but fun with silhouettes, from Love vs. Design. Sarah said no to traditional bridesmaids and matching dresses, and instead focused on a gorgeous classic gown from J.Crew for herself paired with glittery Kate Spade shoes. Special touches at the event, coordinated by Liven It Up Events, included desserts from Molly’s Cupcakes, mini burgers from The Slide Ride food truck, and custom cloth napkins by Dot & Army. We’re swooning over the amazing images by Pen / Carlson and we know you’ll agree that it’s one of our favorites of 2013!

Lauren and Zach’s Chicago wedding is just as elegant as can be, with soft and sweet details that will be in style forever! The breathtaking Saint Clement Parish served as the location of the Catholic ceremony before the couple’s reception at Galleria Marchetti. Unique bouquets from Cornelia McNamara that included poppies and dusty miller are one of our favorite details of this affair, and the alternating pastel floral and baby’s breath arrangements at the reception have us drooling as well! Pretty pink bridesmaids dresses from Jordan are lovely, and the silhouettes complement Lauren’s Kittychen Couture gown, which she paired with a mantilla veil from Veiled Beauty. In a departure from typical fondant cakes, Lauren and Zach chose a buttercream frosted confection from Alliance Bakery, festooned with lush blooms in shades of pink and peach.The entire scheme is stunning, as you can see in these amazing images from Justine Bursoni!

From the story told in these images from Blue Rose Photography, Ariel and Collin couldn’t have chosen a more perfect, light-drenched place for their wedding than Sun Mountain Lodge in Winthrop, Washington! The mountains in the backdrop are majestic and gorgeous partnered with the mossy orange and gold fall florals from Patti Bosket Au Naturel, especially the wreaths hanging on freestanding doors that “open” up to the ceremony. The rust-orange color repeats on stationery from Carlson Craft. Navy bridesmaids dresses from H&M are a great alternative to black and look fabulous paired with the bold flowers. Ariel was practically floating in an Essense of Australia gown—we love the tiers of ruffles on her skirt! Stop by the gallery to enjoy all of the images from this stunning autumn wedding!

It’s no wonder that classic style rules the day at Meghan and Aaron’s Chautauqua, New York, affair–after all, the wedding was held at The Hall of Philosophy at Chautauqua Institution, an education center and summer resort where Meghan’s family goes back generations. To set the tone for their day, the couple sent out vintage-style stationery designed by the groom, Aaron Fetter. Following the outdoor ceremony, where bridesmaids wore short pink Jenny Yoo Collection dresses that sweetly coordinated with hydrangea bouquets by Francesca’s Floral Design, guests headed to the resort’s Athenaeum Hotel for a laid-back reception that included a buttercream cake from The Cakery, plenty of dancing, and the release of paper sky lanterns, which lit up much the way Meghan did in her Watters gown! We love these images from Hunter Photographic and can’t get enough of all of the beautiful details waiting for you in the gallery!