Autumnal Chicago Wedding

Looking through these images from Olivia Leigh, I don’t think my smile ever left my face. There seriously isn’t a more beautiful place to get married in the fall than the Midwest! Meagan, a schoolteacher, and Drew are two of the most fun-loving people we’ve seen, and it shines through in every photograph. Prepare yourselves for some serious wedding dress envy from Lazaro (that corset is beyond, people):

From the bride, Meagan: Our goal was to keep the details tasteful and stylish with an element of playfulness. More than anything, Drew and I wanted to create a feeling of merriment throughout the whole weekend. We wanted our friends and family to be participants in our celebration rather than observant guests. To accomplish this we chose a band and caterer that would keep things fun, fresh and seamless. There was dancing between courses and we opted for an ice cream sundae bar instead of serving cake.

We didn’t choose a set theme or colors for our wedding; instead we drew inspiration from autumn colors and textures. We considered the groomsmen’s grey suits, the bridesmaids’ blue dresses and the chocolate brown linens as ‘neutrals,’ and let the flowers become the focus. The beautiful arrangements tied everything together with rich fall colors like cranberry, orange and goldenrod.

Though we opted not to have an overall theme, the personal banner Drew sketched for our website become a link between the little details. Drew is from the East coast and I’m from the Midwest; we met while living in NYC and now live in Chicago. In his sketch, the New York and Chicago skylines are united by a heart. We took the opportunity to compare Chicago to New York in small ways, like showcasing a Brooklyn Lager vs Chicago’s 312 at the bar and a New York-style hot dog vs a Chicago hot dog for the late-night snack. Our vendors were incredible, and we also had tons of fun designing DIY ‘extras’ to personalize our day. We made cootie catchers to lay at the bars, ‘worst wedding song’ lists to display in the bathrooms, and table numbers out of our favorite song lyrics.

Meagan + Drew | Vintage Teacher's Fall Wedding

Our families and friends helped us assemble wedding programs, menus, escort cards, Chicago-themed hotel guest bags and the animal crackers we gave away at the end of the night (our venue was next door to the zoo!). We also designed and assembled all of the church decor and florals. It was tons of work but a great way to spend time with everyone!

Any advice for brides planning their weddings now? Our ultimate goal was to have a blast and feel relaxed on our wedding day. To do this we knew we needed to be organized and prepared. We did a lot of research and enlisted the help of our parents for advice and guidance. We educated ourselves with magazines and websites to figure out what we wanted, how to access it, how to budget for it, and how to achieve it. When decisions got a little stressful we’d ask ourselves: “On the day of our wedding, what will actually matter? What will we remember most?”

View all images from this wedding in the gallery

From the photographer, Olivia: Meagan and Drew are two of the sweetest, most fun people I’ve ever worked with. Their day was beautiful and chic but throughout it all, it was their humour and happiness that shone most brightly! Meagan looked SO beautiful in her gorgeous whimsical tulle wedding dress. It was, of course, a very windy day in Chicago, and it was a riot throughout the day watching the dress do its own thing, eventually enveloping Meagan in a tunnel of tulle on Michigan avenue. Later into the night, they actually ended up cutting the dress with scissors on the dance floor to ensure maximum party capabilities. :) They decided to go back to Meagan’s hometown of Western Springs, Illinois, for a ceremony at the quaint church where her dad directs their incredible music program. A reception followed at the historic Cafe Brauer, a Prairie Style gem in the middle of Lincoln Park in Chicago. This building is just stunning and the perfect setting for a true Chicago wedding with its rich history and beautiful skyline views!

Wedding Vendors (Chicago, IL):

Ceremony Location: First Congregational Church of Western Springs / Reception Venue: Cafe Brauer / Wedding Photographer: Olivia Leigh Photographie / Wedding Flowers: Stems / Wedding Dress: Lazaro, “LZ3061″ / Wedding Shoes: Caparros / Bride’s Hair: Eli Mancha / Makeup: Elana Darrus / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: J. Crew / Groom’s Attire: Jos A. Bank / Wedding Caterer and Cake: Jon Wool of Finesse Cuisine / Wedding Musicians: Bradley Young Orchestra / Wedding Invitations: Minted / Wedding Officiant: Rich Kirchherr / Transportation: Trolley Car & Bus Co. and Windy City Limos

April 25th, 2012 | 5 Comments | Email to a friend
Category: Real Weddings

Pin It

Twenty Pages

Have you ever dreamed of being a magazine editor? Or maybe have your honey and yourself on the cover of one? With Twenty Pages, you get to be both! Twenty Pages was created as a fun and unique way to share the personal story that is inherent in every couple. The months in between the moment you say “Yes” until you say “I Do” are quite often the time you will receive a flurry of questions about your wedding, why not hand deliver the FAQs in a fun go-to guide?

You get 20 glossy pages to to share your unique story and wedding information, all written in a magazine editorial style! You can share the fun stuff like your love story and funny childhood snapshots, introduce your guests to the fabulously fun wedding party, and write a heartfelt (or funny) Letter from the Editor! Of course there is also room to share all the practical stuff too like maps, accommodations, the wedding schedule and your wedding registry. There are two different magazines to choose from, Whim and Spark, so you can select whichever one best suits you.

Twenty Pages is a great idea whether you are having a destination wedding or a backyard wedding and can complement your wedding invitations and programs. They are based in New York City, but the magazines are designed in none other than in Paris, France. Click here to create your very own issue!

No related posts found

April 25th, 2012 | 1 Comment | Email to a friend
Category: Sponsored Posts

Pin It

Intimate Adelaide Wedding

Nothing brings us back as to why we love weddings so much as a beaming bride and groom who can’t stop laughing, smiling and crying on their wedding day. These images made giggly and teary all at the same time, and soon you will see why. Photographer Jonathan Ong captured Josie and Josh, who undoubtedly fall into this category. Bride Josie shines in her sparkly pink Jenny Packham wedding gown topped off by a blush pink corsage from Adelaide Flower House.

From the bride, Josie: I don’t think I could have ever imagined that my wedding would be so much fun! We had the most amazingly wonderful week away in the most beautiful location, surrounded by the most fabulous people. I don’t think I stopped smiling and laughing from the moment we landed in South Australia. And when we weren’t laughing, we were crying, from pure joy and happiness. I am so thrilled to be married to my husband. Our wedding was the perfect celebration of the life that we share and I would do it all over again in a flash!

View all images from this wedding in the gallery

Wedding Vendors (Adelaide, Australia):

Wedding Photographer: Jonathan Ong / Wedding Dress: Jenny Packham / Wedding Flowers: Adelaide Flower House / Lighting: LUSH Lighting / Wedding Favors: Seeds from Sow’n Sow

April 25th, 2012 | 16 Comments | Email to a friend
Category: Garden Weddings

Pin It

DIY No Sew Table Runner

Inspired by this morning gorgeous tablescape designed by Belovely Events that Jillian McGrath Photography captured, we created a mini table runner round up. Along with a no-sew tutorial, you can whip up these pretties in a jiffy!

DIY no sew table runner:

Step 1: Measure the width of your stitch witchery (about 1/2″ — you can find stitch witchery here). This will be your “seam” allowance.
Step 2: Iron the edge to mark where the stitch witchery will go. This gives a straighter edge. Then iron on the stitch witchery.
Step 3: Repeat the same on the other sides. Stitch Witchery is also washable, so you can use them again at home!

We created a mini round up with some of our fabrics that would make great runners. Better yet, they are mostly under $12/yard! Since most fabrics are about 54″ wide, you can make 2-3 runners.

1. black and white stripes, 2. Dwell Studio 3. Giraffe print 4. Chipper Ikat dots

1. Aqua square pattern, 2. Chipper Pink (as seen on this wedding we featured), 3. Robert Allen Yellow and Gray “Modernista” Fabric , 4. Amy Butler Love Sandalwood

1. Kimono Snorkel, 2. Navy polka dots, 3. Greek Key pattern, 4. Dwell Studio Bella Porte

Last, but not least… Burlap. It’s the darling of textiles in weddings, and we love the idea of stenciling the ends of a table runner like we’ve seen in our past real weddings:
stencil wedding initials table runner><span class=
Image above on the left from this Illinois wedding shot by Jennica Jo; right photo from this rustic wedding shot by Vitalic Photo
burlap table runner silhouettes
Image above from this wedding we featured shot by Our Labor of Love