Gorgeous Royal Blue Conservatory Wedding in Chicago

Posted on January 25, 2013 by Kate

Today’s wedding is filled with thoughtful, diy details! Captured by Keren Sarai Photography, Libby and Ryan were married last September on the grounds of a beautiful, historic conservatory in Chicago, Illinois. Surrounded by greenery, the couple exchanged vows under a sun-filled sky. After the ceremony, the couple and their guests headed inside the conservatory to celebrate. A rich, royal blue was used to accent creamy whites throughout the attire and decor. I love how Libby incorporated four generations of family wedding gowns!

A few words from the bride:

Ryan and I wanted our many out-of-state guests to experience all that Chicago has to offer, so it was important for us to choose a venue that reflected Chicago’s vibrant history. Garfield Park Conservatory, built in 1906, was the perfect place for our big day. I really wanted to incorporate family history as well, so we displayed my mother’s, grandmother’s, great-grandmother’s, and great-great grandmother’s wedding dresses, which date back to 1890! One of my favorite moments was spending time with my mom and grandmother taking pictures with the dresses from their 1979 and 1948 weddings. I also made table numbers using pictures of Ryan and me at every age so our guests could see how we became the people we are today. We wanted our wedding to be intimate and charming with a natural feel, and the greenhouses and gardens of the Conservatory made it happen. To keep with the natural theme, I made DIY jars of organic honey for the wedding favors, and used corks to display the guests’ place cards and table numbers. Because we were surrounded by flowers in the greenhouse, I decided not to use floral centerpieces and instead placed lanterns on tree slabs with spanish moss, and accented them with mason jars filled with candles. The twinkling lights of the greenhouse, mixed with the candles on each table, made our reception a magical event that we will never forget!

Photographer: Keren Sarai Photography
Videographer: Adebowale Adesuyi
Ceremony + Reception Venue: Garfield Park Conservatory
Catering + Rentals: Harry Caray’s Catering
Bridal Gown Designer: Justin Alexander
Bridal Gown Store: Weddings 826
Bridal Shoes: Forbes by Nina
Bridal Veil/Headpiece: Weddings 826
Engagement + Wedding Rings: New York Jewelers
Bridesmaid Dress Designer + Store: J.Crew
Tuxedo and Mens Attire: Jos. A. Bank
Groom’s Shoes: Jos. A. Bank
Cake Designer: The Baking Institute
Floral Designer: The Village Flower Shop
Makeup Artist: Benefit Cosmetics
Hair Stylist: Vanessa Love
Invitation Designer: Patti Herioux of With Love Bridal
Wedding Planner: Patti Herioux of With Love Bridal
DJ + Lighting: MDM Entertainment
Officiant: Tony Johnson of Cornerstone Evangelical Free Church

All images by Keren Sarai Photography
Submitted via Two Bright Lights

Intimate Chicago Wedding with Stunning City Views

Posted on January 23, 2013 by Kate

The city views that surround this ceremony are spectacular! Photographed by Emilia Jane, Sabrina and Kris were married last September in an intimate ceremony on a rooftop in Chicago, Illinois. With a small gathering of their closest family and friends, the couple had a truly unique wedding that fit their personalities. Sabrina had even decided not to have flowers, but her bridesmaids convinced her to purchase a simple, white bouquet form Chicago’s French Market. This wedding focuses on Sabrina and Kris’ love, their family and friends, and food!

A few words from the bride:

We are the cliche couple that have been engaged for 2+ years and have tried to plan our wedding 3 times but life got in the way. We met in Tampa, FL over 5 years ago and knew early on that something was different with our relationship and that we wanted to spend our lives together. We moved to Chicago about a year ago when my husband-to-be got a great job opportunity. After things here settled down a bit and I found work in Chicago-metro we decided to plan the wedding yet again. We knew we wanted something small, simple and intimate. We had a total of 23 guests (including our photographer) at our wedding – only close famly and friends. We both knew that we wanted to have the wedding in downtown Chicago with views of a city since the typical wedding in Florida is on the beach, a hotel, banquet hall. We didn’t want the typical wedding and being foodies we also knew that we wanted to have great food. We chose Zed 451 on Clark and Superior because they were extremely easy to work with, and the menu was outstanding. We didn’t want a DJ, dance-floor, or anything else you would find at your typical wedding. Just great friends, food and atmosphere. Our ceremony was held at 4:00 on a Saturday, and our guests typical comments were that we couldn’t have ordered better weather, the food was outstanding, and the atmosphere was relaxed and intimate.

Photographer: Emilia Jane
Ceremony + Reception Venue: Zed451
Bridal Gown Designer: Eden Bridal Black Label
Bridal Gown Store: Wedding Belles
Bridal Shoes: RSVP via Zappos
Bridal Veil/Headpiece Store: Wedding Belles
Bridal Jewelry: Givenchy, Carolee
Bride’s Engagement Ring: Family heirloom “Old European Cut” diamond in a Tiffany setting
Bride’s Wedding Ring: Persin & Robbin Jewelers
Groom’s Wedding Ring: Titanium ring from Triton via Keswick Jewelers
Bridesmaid Dress Designer: Bridesmaids each selected their own dresses in black
Tuxedo and Mens Attire: Hugo Boss via Nordstrom
Groom’s Shoes: Florsheim
Cake Designer: Sweet Mandy B’s
Floral Designer: Les Fleurs
Hair Stylist: Abeille Bridal
Invitation Designer: Hello Lucky
Officiant: Sheri Reda of Flow Ceremonies

All images by Emilia Jane
Submitted via Two Bright Lights

City-Chic Chicago Engagement Session

Posted on January 14, 2013 by Kate

I love the urban atmosphere of today’s engagement feature! Captured by Emilia Jane, Mallory and Matthew began the session with a cocktail at Sixteen in the Trump International Hotel in Chicago, Illinois. Next, the couple strolled the streets of Chicago for several warm, urban images. I especially love the last few images outside of a vintage movie theater!