Hello ballroom! This stunner by yazy jo is the epitome of classic chic and represents a ballroom reception done oh-so right! Lush flowers, shimmery metallic and crystal touches and perfect lighting that transforms the space into an elegant wonderland. Everything about this celebration is dripping with luxurious and stylish details. See them all in the full gallery!
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From the Bride…Vince and I met in September of 2006. My cousins and I were in Las Vegas for my 21st birthday at the same time as Vince was there with his friends visiting from Italy. Although we had been to two of the same weddings earlier that summer in Chicago, Vince and I did not have a formal meeting until this night out in Vegas. We hung out, got to talking and clicked right away. Vince asked if we could hang out again at home and I said yes. Once we were back in Chicago, Vince and I went on a few dates a couple of weeks later. It was easy for us to see that we had many things in common and had instant chemistry. We have been together ever since.
For our big day there were many things that were a must. My sister Rita passed away five years ago and it was the most important thing for me to keep her close to me throughout my wedding day. My cousins gave me a locket with my picture and Rita’s picture in it. I decided to pin it to my wedding bouquet so I could hold her in my hands and remember my angel watching over me. We also lit a candle in her memory at church and had a poem in our program to remember her by. Besides this, Vince and I wanted to make sure that our guests had a great time and enjoyed themselves at our reception. We had a band as well as a DJ to play a variety of classic and contemporary songs. We both come from large extended families and we wanted to try to make our wedding as intimate as possible given the size of our event. We had over 550 guests. We also wanted to highlight our Italian background – we had an English and Italian ceremony and food at our reception was extremely important. We put much thought into our cocktail hour, our reception dinner menu, and our sweet table room.
It really is all about the details when creating an elegant event – and there were so many details to think about when planning a wedding! As a bride, I always envisioned an elegant formal affair. One of the most fun parts of wedding planning was picking out my wedding dress. I ended up picking out the first dress I tried on – as it was everything I had wanted. It was full at the bottom with a beaded belt. The look on my mother and aunt and cousins’ faces when they saw me in this dress helped me know that this was the one. I felt like a princess in it! The flowers were also a big part of the planning. We used huge white bouquets of flowers with hanging crystals and hints of pale pink that matched the color of the bridesmaids dresses. The up lighting in light purples and pinks also set the tone of the wedding against the sleek white dance floor with our wedding “logo” on it. We made sure that every detail matched the look we were going for – classic yet chic, elegant yet fun.
Wedding Photography: yazy jo / Flowers, Lighting + Drapery: Yanni Design Studio / Venue: Donald E. Stephens Convention Center / Invitations + Ceremony Programs: F.U.N Cards and Gifts / Wedding Dress: Kenneth Pool via Ultimate Bride Boutique / Linens: Covered Affairs / Band: Soco 7 / DJ: Jojo and Gizep / Wedding Videography: Watermark Studios / Wedding Planning: Tracie Simkin of Partie Girl Inc.