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!
Click here to see the entire gallery of images!
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
Wow I love what everyone is wearing!!! The bride looks stunning in Lazaro. And I just love the veil. Who is it by?
The groom and groomsmen look great in their tuxs and I just adore navy bridemaid dresses!
Can we please discuss the sparkly elephant in the room?!? That ring is uh may zing. So much so, I am typing this with my jaw, which is hanging open on my keyboard. Everything about this wedding is elegant and tasteful. Love.
i was lucky enough to attend this event and katie was the most beautiful bride. her elegance and class were carried out in every detail of the event...it was truly a fantastic wedding and beginning a beautiful marriage.
Gorgeous. Who makes the bridesmaid dresses?
Oh my goodness...the veil! It's perfection...Where is it from?
Oh my goodness...the veil...it's perfection! Where is it from?
Thanks everyone! Your comments are so sweet! The veil is by Haute Bride and the bridesmaids dresses are by Lela Rose.
Katie! Beautiful pictures! Beautiful story! I love all the details about your dad! What an amazing tribute to him!!
Allerton Park looks like an amazing venue. The grounds look like they could be part of any stately home in England. Stunning !
Beautiful! Where did you get the "Candle" Table #'s- they are beautiful! Thanks!
Thanks for the nice comments! The table numbers and placecard votives came from www.etsy.com. The shop's name is Illumienate.
I love Allerton Park. What a romantic setting!
Being the photographer for this wedding I can honestly say this was on of our two or three favorite weddings of the entire season. Katie and her mother did a fantastic job of planning. Allerton Park is such a great location in any season for a wedding. We always come back with great photos from here.
About
Press
Advertise
Submit A Wedding
Contact
Terms Of Use
[...] to my great helper Jess, she did a great job, as always! Here is the link to the blog post SMP: Katie and Jared Please feel free to leave a comment on the blog post about the wedding and/or photos. We love [...]
[...] are excited to announce that Katie and Jared wedding have been featured on the StyleMePretty wedding [...]