Tag: Jewish wedding

Alison + Mitch: Part One

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I first met Alison and Mitch at a Starbucks in River North. Although Alison have been engaged for only a month, she had a binder filled with wedding plans. One of her wishes was to make sure someone was there to allow her to relax and be in the moment. I am so glad I could be apart of their special day and fulfill her wish!
Ceremony and Reception: The Museum of Contemporary Art
Catering: Wolfgang Puck
Florists: A Stem Above
Hair + Make-Up: Beauty on Call
DJ: Okyne Medialab, Inc.

Photography: Artisan Events
All photos by Artisan Events.

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Alison with her sister before she put on her dress. Alison’s sister was a wonderful matron of honor.

Alison and Mitch each carried a monogrammed handkerchief to wipe their happy tears throughout the day.

After getting dressed, it was time for the first look.



The first look was in Olive Park. Their wedding was over Labor Day weekend and the weather could not have been better!


After Olive Park, they were off to get a classic city line picture.
It was was finally time to get married. The ceremony in the gardens behind the MCA was beautiful!


Following the ceremony and formal pictures, Alison and Mitch met alone with their adorable dog, Monster. They had their dog walker drive him to Seneca Park to have a quick moment. Being a dog love, this was my favorite detail!

And then one quick photo to enjoy the artwork out front of the Museum before the reception.


I will post about the reception tomorrow!

Merritt + Steve: The Details

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Yesterday I posted from photos from Merritt and Steve’s ceremony and reception. Now for the details!

All photos by Brian Kinyon.

I loved how light Merritt’s dress looked.

Bouquets were white with green accents.


I know I’ve said this before, but I adore a colored shoe!

Merritt wore a beautiful, elaborate headband.


The programs explained the components of the ceremony to guests.

The beautiful ketubah.

These seats are reserved for the Bride and Groom!

Mixed shades of green brightened up the escort cards.

Instead of a cake, they served yummy cupcakes in a variety of flavors.

The tables were named after famous Chicago places.

Mazel Tov, Merritt and Steve!

Merritt & Steve

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I met with Merritt and Steve about five months before their wedding. They were a very organized yet low key couple and just wanted someone to run the show the day of the wedding. That’s what I’m here for!

Band Maxwell Street Klezmer Band
Cupcakes Phoebe’s Cupcakes
Caterer Hearty Boys
Ceremony and Reception Temple Sholom
Florist Blumgarten
Makeup Jill Gosser
Photographer Brian Kinyon
Photobooth Chicagoland Photobooth

Toasting the beautiful bride.

Merritt and Steve opted to meet for the first time in their home.

The whole bridal party took some photos around their neighborhood.

They also visited one of their favorite local hangouts.

Isn’t this such a cool photo?

Off to the ceremony!


Merritt gave the ladies some great practical gifts
that matched the overall color scheme of the wedding.

Signing the ketubah with family.

The bride and groom were beaming throughout the ceremony.

Merritt’s Dad gave a heartfelt toast to the newlyweds.

I love to see couples enjoy the party!

Tomorrow, we’ll look at some of the details.

Ali + Josh: The Details

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Yesterday, I posted about the wedding. Here are all of the fabulous details.


Ali’s wore sparkly pink heels that complemented her dress.
Her romantic bouquet included peonies, hydrangeas and ranunculus.


The Ketubah was a whimsical painting of the bride and groom.


The aisle was dotted with bunches of pale pink hydrangea. Flowers also decorated the four corners of the chuppah.

Their programs were printed on fans and accented with a pink ribbon. Luckily it was a beautiful September day, though Chicago weather is fairly unpredictable. (It was almost 90 when I got married in May!)


Ali’s mom brought these candies from Cincinnati. Plates were placed on each dinner table.


An artist created canvases with each guests’ name and seating assignment.
The bride and groom asked me to create maps in calligraphy illustrating the location of each table.

Their cake featured beautiful brooches and bows.


For centerpieces, milk glass vases of various sizes were clustered on each table. A coordinating canvas illustrated the table name. A pale pink ribbon was placed on each plate below the napkin.


Who doesn’t love a late night snack? The couple offered cupcakes from Sweet Mandy B’s. Yum!

Ali + Josh

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It’s such a great compliment when a couple refers you to a friend! Meagan, whose wedding I coordinated in June, referred me to her bridesmaid, Ali. It was great to be able to hang out with Ali and Josh and get to know them a bit better before their own big day. They were a great couple to work with!
Cake: Cake Girls
Ceremony + Reception: Museum of Contemporary Art
Caterer: Wolfgang Puck
Photographer: Agnes Malorney
Videographer: Megan McDonough
Hair: Kiva Salon
Makeup: Adriana Aude
Musicians: Dave Ivaz Music
Florist: Asrai Gardens
Lanterns: Event Creative

All photos by Agnes Malorney.

Many of our couples meet for the first time before the ceremony begins. These private moments are very sweet. And, from a practical standpoint, you often have more time for photos. Here they are in the honeymoon suite at the Ritz-Carlton.


The ceremony and reception were held at the Museum of Contemporary Art. The front steps make a bold backdrop.



Each of Ali’s bridesmaids purchased their own short black dress, one they truly will wear again! The variations make for some interesting pictures. (Have you noticed that I love photos? If I were only a bit taller, I may have become a photographer!)


This looks like it was taken on a romantic tree lined street somewhere in Europe.


How adorable is this?!


Ali and Josh chose to get married in the garden behind the museum. The rocks are laid out in a geometric pattern. We actually had an aerial view from the suite at the hotel. The cocktail hour was held on the patio above.


This was the guests’ view during the ceremony. I heart Chicago!


Can we discuss Ali’s fabulous dress by Amsale? Pale pink, shorter in the front with a beautiful brooch… I’ve never seen a dress like this before. Not off the runway, at least.



The dinner took place in an exhibit hall featuring color panels and light installations. Ali also had some paper lanterns strung throught the space. It created a softer, more intimate feel perfect for dinner.



Josh’s siblings gave a joint “toast”.
Their funny skit explained to the guests how the bride and groom met and fell in love.


They shared their first dance as husband and wife to “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”.



Tomorrow, I’ll highlight some of the details from their wedding.