Classic Chicago Autumn Wedding

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!

Tara and Sam had an ivory and gold vintage-inspired wedding at the Eaglewood Resort and Spa in Itasca, Illinois. The amazing florals by the always drool-worthy Stems incorporated some more traditional flowers such as roses and lily of the valley, but paired them with vintage chandelier table centerpieces, gold chargers and accents, and tons of candles. I love the idea of incorporating deep purple into a fall wedding, it’s so rich! Such a romantic, elegant fall wedding with beautiful photos by Heather Parker Photography!

I may be a bit biased, but Chicago’s skyline is absolute perfection. And it’s on full display in Sarah and Greg’s gorgeous May wedding at the Millennium Knickerbocker, planned by Lola Event Productions. Almost all of the couple’s guests traveled to Chicago for the wedding, so they wanted to plan an elegant urban wedding showing off the best the city had to offer! The Michigan Avenue hotel’s ornate Crystal Ballroom was home to both the elegant ceremony and the reception, which featured an array of classic floral arrangements by Exquisite Designs atop glitzy gold linens. Pretty pink napkins folded into bows dressed the hotel’s traditional art deco inspired china. We adore the traditional vibe of the long, stunning head table for the wedding party, which was awash in a sea of candles in front of dramatic ivory draping. Ending the evening? A delectable buffet of traditional Chicago treats, including deep dish pizza, mini hot dogs, and Italian beef sandwiches. This quintessential Chicago wedding is one of our favorites, and we love each beautiful image from Emilia Jane Photography!

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!

There’s so much cultural tradition in Becca and Nenad’s wedding ceremonies, and we just adore every aspect! An outdoor Jewish ceremony, a traditional ceremony at Serbian Orthodox Diocese of New Gracanica, and a reception at the Chicago History Museum are all spilling over with gorgeous details. These stunning images from Jen Lynne Photography and AE Stelzer Photography captured lush blooms by Scarlet Petal, a rustic but elegant birchwood chuppah, and Becca’s gorgeous tiered-skirt gown. We just can’t get over the intricate paintings inside the church or the soft pastel colors of the bridesmaids dresses and gray suits with those plaid ties. We’re thrilled to share Becca and Nenad’s day with you!

When it came time for Nina and Eric to choose a location for their “simple yet elegant” wedding festivities, the New York City-based couple knew they wanted to celebrate in Chicago, where they grew up, met and fell in love. The W Chicago – City Center had just the right amount of ornate architecture and modern design they wanted. Nina and Eric called on Clary Photo to document their day, and we love how the images capture all of the details and romantic moments of the affair. Soft flowers in shades of ivory, pink, and gray—plus a touch of orange—from Fleur anchored the ceremony and reception; the bouquets were a sophisticated accent to the gray bridesmaids dresses from J.Crew. Nina chose a classic Anne Barge gown with a jeweled waist, but as a nod to her Korean heritage, the couple’s mothers were traditional Hanboks during the ceremony. Alliance Bakery continued the sophisticated theme with a four-tier wedding cake topped with more sweet blooms, while Nina and Eric added a punch of fun color with pink and orange serving pieces from Leif.

Joanna and Erick were determined to find a serene setting in Chicago for the backdrop of their wedding, and they sure found the perfect oasis with Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum. The couple brought casual elegance to this refreshing venue with vintage accents like mason jars and milk glass vases bearing pastel flower bouquets created by Fleur for their outdoor ceremony and reception. To go along with their “loose and natural” theme, the bride and groom encouraged their bridal party to embrace their unique sense of style by assigning a color scheme and allowing their friends to choose their own attire. A variety of pies replaced the traditional wedding cake, and hand-sewn teabags were given as favors to all the guests at the end of the evening. We love with the heartfelt touches incorporated into this wedding and Jaclyn Simpson did a fantastic job capturing the day!

Meredith and Matt’s Chicago wedding, photographed by the talented Melissa Hayes, was so very elegant. From the bride’s crystal-encrusted Priscilla of Boston gown to the couple’s classic “just married” flags, there isn’t a single detail we don’t love from this day! The bride said she asked florist Cornelia Mcnamara to use “springtime in Paris” as the inspiration for her floral design, and the round arrangements of roses, dusty miller and dahlias don’t disappoint!

I’m so completely in love with Danielle and John’s Chicago wedding. Personalized details filled the day from their monogrammed accessories, to the all-over use of lavender (a nod to Danielle’s French roots), to the cannon that John’s grandfather fired at the end of the ceremony (a tradition in their family)! They’re a stunning couple with impeccable taste and the absolute cutest and hands-down best idea for a card box ever!! It’s no surprise the bride is an event planner herself. I adore every single detail about their modern elegant wedding and every wonderful photo by Paul Gero!

We love this absolutely classic féte hailing from an illustrious museum in our nation’s capital today. This Washington DC wedding was photographed by one of our favorites, Lisa Blume, and it is elegant and so special and timeless. According to Kelly, she couldn’t take her mind off of the National Museum of Women in the Arts’s design and sweetly, how she could picture traipsing down the staircase to meet her dear dad at the bottom to walk her down the aisle to her beau Jamie (tears!). Speaking of tears, we had to mention this touching detail. Kelly needed to have her grandmothers there in some way, so to commemorate these wonderful women in her life, she shipped in two paintings from North Carolina of them and had her grandmother’s tea cup in her bridal suite. Endearingly, the teacup was a gift her grandmother gave to her sister for her wedding.

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!

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!

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!

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!

From the ceremony at Sts. Volodymyr and Olha Ukrainian Catholic Church to the reception at The Drake in Chicago, Stefanie and Matt’s weekend was filled with family, love, and lots of tradition the bride holds dear. “One of the many things that I love about Matt is that he has always embraced my Ukrainian heritage, which is a really significant part of my identity,” says Stefanie. The elaborate church ceremony included lush florals by Stems, with pale, mostly white bouquets that popped against taupe and black bridesmaids dresses from the Jenny Yoo Collection. Stefanie dazzled in an Oscar de la Renta gown that was topped off by a big, modern bow on the shoulder. Ukrainian custom called for an overflowing sweets table with desserts from family friends and Shokolad Pastry & Cafe, but the couple still offered a traditional tri-flavored cake made by Sarah’s Pastries & Candies. The lively end of the night included special dancing—the kolomeyka—by Stefanie’s family. We’re swept off our feet by this fun wedding documented to perfection by Melissa Hayes Photography!

I’m not sure I could envision a more beautiful lakefront wedding than Amber and Andy’s Michigan nuptials. The view was so gorgeous at their ceremony they were worried an arbor would distract from the view, so BLOOM created magnificent hydrangea-and-rose-filled urns to line the aisle. The perfect complement to such a beautiful ceremony! The elegant ballroom at The Inn at Bay Harbor was decorated with coral and peach flowers and touches of nautical details. Amber and Andy are the most gorgeous couple and we are utterly in love with these images from Amy Carroll Photography!

Pretty flowers, pale pink dresses, and an elegant outdoor venue… Laura and Steve’s Nashville wedding is garden party perfection! The details of their wedding truly couldn’t be prettier. They chose a palette of pale pink and mint green and selected hydrangea, peonies, and roses in arrangements by Enchanted Florist to decorate the outdoor gazebo at CJ’s off the Square. I love the paper flower escort cards and the gorgeous chandeliers but I can’t stop drooling over her amazing Louboutins! What a marvelous day with marvelous photos by Kristyn Hogan!

If Diana and Danny’s everyday lives are even half as chic as their Southern California wedding, they’re definitely some of the most stylish people ever! This beautiful couple was married at the Cravens Estate in Pasadena surrounded by friends and family from all over. There are many details about their wedding that I love (like Diana’s amazing shoes and accessories) but once I saw their colorful florals I was smitten! Rooted Harmony blended rich textures and colors to create bright and elegant arrangements that include peonies, roses, wax flower, astilbe, eucalyptus, and even succulents! What a gorgeous wedding with gorgeous photos by Connie Lyu Photography!

Sarah and Ethan’s wedding was personal, intimate, and infused with Southern charm. They incorporated family photos and mementos throughout the day, placing photos of themselves as kids on each of the tables, a large screen with family wedding photos at the reception, and (my favorite) Sarah pinned a brooch worn by Sarah’s great-great-grandmother and grandmother on their wedding days to her bouquet. I absolutely love the soft pink, peach and ivory color palette of the flowers by Jan Parker! Each and every one of these photos by Yellow House Photography is more beautiful than the next!

Elegant in every way with gorgeous silvery white details, Kara and Jason were married outside at the stunning Westin Kierland Resort & Spa. Hints of burlap and twine make this wedding just a touch rustic and I love the cool grey silver brunia and dusty miller within all the soft white florals by Camelback Flowershop. Their long wooden centerpieces work perfectly with the long tables for their outdoor reception. I absolutely love this wedding and all the beautiful photos by Gina Meola Photography!