This lovely wedding has me gazing in awe at each and every beautiful image from Cristina G Photography. Detail after detail is rooted in the couple’s travel adventures and impeccable style. From assigning each table by cities these sweeties have visited together to the incredibly gorgeous Lazaro gown to one of the most original escort card displays, this fete at the luxurious Renaissance Blackstone Hotel has me completely captivated. Visit our gallery for even more photos!
And don’t miss this great wedding film by Blu Couture Wedding Films:
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Click here for the FULL wedding!
From the Bride… The instant Alex and I got engaged, we knew we wanted to have our wedding in Chicago — it’s where we met, fell in love and live. We knew that it would make for a memorable and romantic night. We were married at the very beautiful Assumption Catholic Church, followed by the reception at the Renaissance Blackstone. When we visited the Blackstone, it was love at first sight. Our search for a venue stopped then and there. The beauty of the hotel was overwhelming with its perfect blend of old charm and new updates, but once we stepped into the ballroom, we were sold! It is one of the most breathtaking ballrooms we have ever seen. With the ballroom being as stunning as it was, we kept the color palette soft and simple, using blush and ivory for the flowers and platinum and white for the linens. Our pop of color came from the bridesmaids’ dresses, which were royal blue. I picked out the fabric and the color, then let each bridesmaid pick out her style of dress so that they could all let their individuality shine!
Throughout the planning process, we were constantly thinking of ways to make the wedding really feel like “us.” One way we did this was by incorporating our love of traveling. Instead of having regular table numbers, each table was named after a city we had traveled to with a picture of us from that trip. For the escort cards, we used blank cardboard luggage tags, labeled each one with the guest’s name and their “destination” table, then completed the look with a passport-style stamp. Each luggage tag was placed in a bed of grass alongside a few large vintage-style suitcases as the centerpiece. We also used a suitcase as the card holder on the gift table to tie it all together.
The most important aspect of our reception was that we wanted our guests to have a night they wouldn’t forget — having the right entertainment was key. First on the checklist was finding the perfect band. We chose Bradley Young Orchestra, and boy, did they deliver! The dance floor was packed the entire night, and we even had to extend the party at the end. They learned our first dance song, as well as our cake cutting song:”Grow Old With You” by Adam Sandler (an inside joke between Alex and me). Next, we hired Beyond the Booth to provide their version of a photo booth, which was more like a little studio with lots of fun props. This also functioned as our guest book and our guests’ party favors, as a copy of each picture would go in our book along with their signature and a message, and another copy would go to each person in the picture. We loved coming home on Sunday and looking through the album to see how creative people were with their pictures! All in all, our vendors were absolutely incredible and were so great to work with. We knew that we were in great hands leading up to the big day, and we’re so thankful for the amazing work they did!
Looking back on the process, we would not want to change a single thing. We had an amazing time and will forever cherish the memories made that day! Thank you to our outstanding photographer, Cristina G, and cinematography, Blu Couture, for capturing the most amazing day of our lives!
Wedding Photography: Cristina G Photography / Wedding Venue: The Renaissance Blackstone Hotel in Chicago, Illinois / Floral Design: Blu Oasis Floral (312-241-5570) / Wedding Cinematography: Blu Couture Wedding Films / Wedding Cake: Cake / Band: Bradley Young Orchestra / Transportation: Second City Trolley / Wedding Dress: Lazaro “LZ3962” / Hair + Makeup: Enrique Enriquez / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Caroline Lowery of Bella Bridesmaid