Armin + Mike: Ceremony and Reception

Yesterday, I posted about Armin and Mike getting ready and taking photos around the city. Now, I am sharing their two ceremonies and reception at Loyola University.  Armin and Mike began with a non-traditional ceremony outside and then moved indoors for a Persian ceremony.  The cocktail hour followed immediately after.

All photos taken by Averyhouse.



Armin and her father waiting to walk down the aisle.


A beautiful view of the lake and ceremony. Although it was a little windy, the view was stunning.



You may kiss the bride!



As the Bride and Groom exited out of the first ceremony, they immediately headed inside to begin the Persian ceremony.



There are many traditions that take place during the Persian ceremony which involve these sweet treats made by Armin’s family.



The ceremony decor was beautiful. All the guests gathered around in the small room to make for an intimate ceremony.



After the second ceremony, the guests enjoyed cocktails and hors d’oeuvres before heading over to the reception.



The reception was at a different location than the two ceremonies. Because it was on Loyola’s campus, guests took a short 5 minute walk to get there. On a gorgeous October day, it was very enjoyable.



The bride fell in love with these balloons and had them line the walkway to help the guests find their way.


Armin even gave her guests flip-flops so they didn’t have to walk in heals…she thought of everything!



The stunning 4-teir cake with the touch of turquoise and flowers.

The escort card table was decorated with family wedding photographs from both Bride and Groom’s family.



A full room shot!



The centerpieces consisted of short and tall flowers in turquoise and silver vases.

Armin made sure that everything was the same font, including the table numbers.

The first dance as Mr. and Mrs.!



After a few toasts and great 4 course dinner, the dance floor was packed the entire night!


Congratulations Armin and Mike!

Lisa + Chris: Part 2

In my last post, I shared the beginning of Lisa and Chris’s day, including getting ready and the ceremony. I’m so excited to share the rest of the day!
On top of being absolutely gorgeous, the Madonna della Stada Chapel on Loyola’s Roger’s Park campus is right on Lake Michigan. Which of course means that immediately after the ceremony Lisa, Chris and their wedding party were able to take some gorgeous pictures!



While the ceremony was taking place, I was at the reception site making sure every last detail was perfect. Because guests just had a short walk after the ceremony from the chapel to Loyola’s Crown Center for the reception, I only had an hour to get everything set!
One of Lisa’s wonderful bridesmaids wrote out all of the escort cards. She has lovely handwriting!

Lisa and Chris used vintage playing cards as their table numbers, and Tina and Dollie provided the beautiful centerpieces.

Because Lisa and a few other guests have a gluten-free diet, Lisa’s aunt made the cutting cake. It was adorable!

To add a special detail to the reception, Lisa and Chris convinced Kate and Rachel from Toast & Jam to bring their collection of vinyls to play during reception!

As guests made their way from the ceremony to the cocktail hour, they were able to enjoy the patio at the Crown Center. Fortunately it was a gorgeous day!
After dinner, Lisa and Chris shared their first dance and dances with each of their parents.


And then it was time to cut the cake!

This could have gone one of two ways…

But fortunately it didn’t get too messy!

I have a lot of couples who choose not to do a bouquet and garter toss, so I was excited that Lisa and Chris chose to do so and that they had so much fun with it!


As the sun went down the glow in the room was gorgeous, especially with all of the tea lights lining the windows.

It was finally time for everyone to dance!




Congratulations, Lisa and Chris! I had so much fun being a part of your wedding day!

Lisa + Chris: A Loyola University Wedding

At our first meeting, Lisa was super sweet and very laid back as she shared her wedding plans. She told me that she was going to wear her grandmother’s wedding dress and that there would be a vintage feel to the day. I was so excited to work with her and her soon-to-be husband Chris!

Ceremony: Madonna della Strada Chapel, Loyola University
Caterer: Aramark
DJ: Kate + Rachel from Toast &; Jam
Florist: Tina and Dollie, LTD
Hair + Makeup: Morgan Blaul
Photographer: Maggie Rife
Reception: Crown Center, Loyola University

Transportation: West Suburban Limo

Lisa got ready at her and Chris’s house, which was such a fun, personal start to the day. Chris even made an appearance or two as we finished a few projects (including the frantic printing and folding of ceremony programs!).
It was so special seeing pictures of Lisa’s grandmother wearing “the” dress…

…and then seeing it waiting for Lisa to wear! She’d had it beautifully restored for the day.
Brides should always brush their teeth before getting dressed! Lisa also learned the hard way the onions on your sandwich are not a good decision on your wedding day.
The fabulous Morgan Blaul put the final touches on Lisa’s makeup…
…and her gorgeous hair!
All of Lisa’s awesome friends and family came together for the little getting ready details.
They buttoned all of the teeny, tiny buttons.
They helped with the jewelry.
The veil was steamed.
One dutiful bridesmaid even ironed an extra shirt for Chris to wear!
The finishing touch? The veil, of course!
Lisa was the perfect picture of a bride as she left the house. It was time to get married!

Madonna della Strada Chapel on Loyola’s Campus is simply gorgeous! Lisa and her father shared a special moment right before the ceremony. Then, it was time for their walk down the aisle.

Lisa’s three flower girls did such a fabulous job with the processional!
Lisa and Chris opted to do a full mass. It’s so fun how Lisa snuck a look at her wedding guests during the ceremony.
Lisa and Chris are officially husband and wife!

Next up I’ll share Lisa and Chris’s wedding party photos and reception, including the fun little details of the day!