This is the kind of wedding that I live for. That traditional meets whimsical meets all kinds of romantic wedding that you Chicago bride and grooms have down pat. The sort of affair that stops your day in the best kind of way with crazy gorgeous DIY details, glittery gold accents (YES) and moment after moment of pure perfection planned by Sweetchic Events. This, my friends, is take your breath away pretty and you can see it all captured beautifully by Dawn E. Roscoe in the full gallery.
From Dawn… Karen and Steve wanted a fun, light-hearted wedding where they didn’t take themselves too seriously and where there would be a lot of dancing. The two met in NYC where they currently live, but coincidentally were both from Chicago. Wanting to share the hometown they love with their guests, the city of Chicago was their inspiration. In addition to choosing an iconic Chicago venue for their wedding, bits of the city showed up in their wedding details, and the night concluded with surprise Chicago deep dish pizza and hot dogs for their guests and a love-filled sparkler send off for the newlyweds. The entire day was full of personalized details that really showcased the couple’s story, love for Chicago and cute surprises along the way.
A few highlights…
Cake Topper: Karen ordered this as a surprise for Steve, who loved that the topper was wearing one of his straight brim hats and his favorite sneakers (which have the Chicago skyline on the sides).
Mason Jar Centerpieces: The centerpieces and all the frames were spray painted by Karen & Steve in his parents’ garage (his parents would come out from time to time and wonder what the heck we were doing). We then also took the encyclopedia set at their house that Steve never used as a child.
Paper Suite: The escort cards, invitations with the Chicago skyline envelope liners, programs, photo bookmarks and menus were made by Karen and her sister.
Dessert Table: The dessert table let people “Choose their city” with both NY and Chicago themed cookies and also featured Steve’s favorite Peanut M&Ms (totally ruining our color scheme)!
Coasters: The coasters told their story in a short and sweet way.
Ring Pillow: The ringbearer’s pillow was a football, again due to Steve’s obsession.
Lots of pics: Instead of a slideshow, our baby pictures were incorporated throughout the card table and above the bathroom signs. The photo locations we chose also were to feature Chicago – the Chicago L stop, LaSalle Street bridge, Art Institute Gardens, and Merchantile Exchange on LaSalle Street.
DIY: Lots and lots of DIY inspired elements made the day!
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Photography: Dawn E. Roscoe Photography | Wedding Dress: Monique Lhuillier | Cake: Luscious Layers| Bride’s Shoes: Jimmy Choo | DJ: Music Masters | Ceremony + Reception Location: The Rookery | Getting Ready + First Look: JW Marriott | Getting Ready Location: JW Marriott, Chicago | Makeup + Hair: Sonia Roselli | Second Photographer: Torie McMillan | Wedding Planner: Sweetchic Events | Floral Design: Vale of Enna Flowers