I think it’s finally safe to say it… Fall has officially begun! (Yay!) And what better way to welcome the brand new season than with a stunning Gallery 1028 wedding by the oh-so-amazing Heather Parker Photography? Trust me, you’ll be craving hot cocoa and a warm fire the very second you lay your eyes on the beautiful florals by Studio AG, the breathtaking lighting and design by Ted Van Hyning (Brother of the bride!) and that oh-so-chic wedding gown. Fall never looked so very, very good and thankfully, there’s an entire gallery of images just waiting to fill your day with warm and cozy. Join me there for so much more!
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From the Bride… The most important feature of our wedding was having a unique location to set the theme of an urban, non-traditional, intimate wedding. After looking at a few other loft spaces, the Millenium Park Jay Pritzker Pavilion, the Art Institute and a hotel, we found Gallery 1028 to be the perfect lay out and raw space to create a beautiful ceremony and amazing reception dance party. We also had a great first impression of the venue manager and catering manager, who became wonderful, supportive resources during our wedding planning. My brother, who is a professional lighting designer, designed his own wedding a few years ago. The wedding was breathtaking in that it was an outdoor setting with a tent, but the coolest lighting décor Mike and I had ever seen. As soon as we became engaged we knew we wanted a wedding that was just as stunning as my brother’s. We knew we wanted to transform a space as opposed to just ‘decorating’ a space with flowers and loved the idea of incorporating natural light from candles and artificial lighting design. Our vision was focused on featuring a fall theme of branches, ranges of color and a few chic touches such as modern centerpieces and chandeliers.
Our design was centered around the fall season, which was carried through in every detail from the invitations to the dark orange ink on the name cards. Our wedding was a collaborative effort of both of our families! We thought through all the talents of our family that we could incorporate into the wedding. One brother of mine is an artist who sketched the save the date for us. Both sets of parents and my brother met in Chicago to view the venue and create the vision for the design. My other brother designed the lighting, while my sister in law helped with flower decisions from her knowledge of working with a florist for many years. We also relied heavily on vendor recommendations. We learned planning a wedding long distance relies on building trust with vendors through conference calls – not in-person meetings. Our venue recommended the florist. Our caterer recommended our photographer. Our photographer recommended our dj. Our friends recommended the photo booth. We also relied on Yelp reviews to guide us through some decisions. Mike and I wanted our marriage ceremony to be focused on the coming together of our families and to be as simple and intimate as possible. We decided not to have a bridal party, wrote our ceremony with Mike’s godfather, the officiate, and ate dinner at a table with our immediate family members, all of which made it so focused on our family and the new family we were creating.
From Ted Van Hyning, Event Designer and Brother of the Bride… I knew that Laura and Mike were looking for a wedding that blended a contemporary feel with classic sensibilities and that reflected Chicago, the city where they met and fell in love. As soon as I saw the venue, Gallery 1028, I knew that we could deliver on their vision. By blending modern elements such as LED-lit bars and moving lights with timeless touches such as crystal chandeliers, organza linens and chivari chairs, we were able to create an immersive environment that spoke to Laura and Mike’s personalities. One of my favorite elements of the reception was the “movie theater” that we created in a corner of the space. We edited video of Chicago landmarks together with photos of Laura and Mike and projected it on the raw brick walls for a different take of the tried and true wedding slide show. I think that the fall color scheme, along with the amazing florals from PJ at Studio AG, the lighting provided by Automated Lighting Designs and the fabulous food from Calihan catering also contributed to this being one of my favorite events that I’ve done. I was honored to work with my sister and the man she has chosen to spend her life with on a tribute to their love and their future together.
Wedding Photography: Heather Parker Photography / Wedding Location: Gallery 1028 / Caterer: Calihan Catering / Officiant: David Fisher, Godfather of the Groom / Makeup: Rebecca of Sonia Roselli Weddings / Hairstylist: Stephanie of Sonia Roselli Weddings / Flowers: Studio AG (773-327-0200) / Lighting + Event Design: Ted Van Hyning / DJ: Spencer Lokken of Style Matters DJs / Transportation: Think Green Limousine / Gown: Avant Mariée by Winnie Couture via Weddings 826 / Suit: Hugo Boss / Groom Shoes: Ecco USA / Wedding Invitations: Wedding Paper Divas / Save the Dates: Original Sketch by Peter Van Hyning / Photobooth Company: The Traveling Photo Booth