The more I see of Chicago’s amazing weddings, the more I’d like to hop aboard the next available flight to see that elegant skyline and gorgeous city for myself. And when it comes to this wedding at the Conrad Chicago, I can’t decide what I love more, if it’s those angelic images of the Bride and her Groom gazing out of the window from Kristin La Voie Photography or if it’s the magnificent balcony reception with the to-die-for views of Chicago’s greatest architecture. Either way, it’s all wrapped in glamour and grace and can be seen in the gallery right here.
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From the Bride… By the time our wedding date arrived, Kurt and I had been together for six years. We wanted our wedding to be a fun celebration for our closest friends and family who have been with us through our relationship and to reflect an understated, intimate elegance. Although work has brought us to Cincinnati, Chicago will always have the top spot in our hearts. Since we were engaged at the Conrad Hotel in Chicago, we decided it would be the perfect location to celebrate our big day.
And perfect it was! The wedding weekend also coincided with my 30th birthday, so we kicked off the weekend with all the girls at the Princess Nail Lounge. They have private space on the second floor for parties, which for us meant mimosas and Sprinkles cupcakes. Then instead of a traditional rehearsal dinner, we prepared an Italian feast with all of our guests at the Chopping Block in the Merchandise Mart. Everyone had a great time cooking and celebrating. As our wedding favor, we gave each guest a customized apron and created thank you cards letting them know they were our favorite people in the world.
I can’t say enough about how wonderful the service was at the Conrad, especially our wedding planner, Kate, who assured us we wouldn’t have to worry about anything, even the weather! Our ceremony was held indoors and to help carry out the intimate feeling, we kept the bridal party to just my step-children. A special moment for me was when my 7-year old step-son, Cooper, walked me up the spiral staircase and down the aisle. The wedding was then officiated by my father-in-law, which was also special for all of us. Following the ceremony, guests were ushered to the 16th floor Grand Terrace Suite, where the cocktail hour, dinner and dancing were held on the private terrace overlooking the city. The views were magical, especially after the sun set and we only had candles for lighting. It was wonderful to not have a care in the world that day, as all of our vendors did an amazing job! Our photographer, Kristin, who I found on Style Me Pretty, was a joy to work with capturing each moment. We exited to sparklers, which was a perfect ending to a truly magical evening.
Wedding Photography: Kristin La Voie Photography / Wedding Venue: Conrad Chicago in Chicago, Illinois / Floral Design: Ashland Addison Florist / Wedding Cake: Bittersweet / Linens: BBJ Linen / Wedding Dress: Augusta Jones via Fabulous Bridal / Hair + Makeup: Vanessa Valliant of Vanessa’s Art of Beauty / Groom’s Tuxedo: Jos. A. Bank