Tag: Take the Cake

Jaisa + Charlie: The Morning and Ceremony

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Cafe Brauer has been a long time favorite venue of Chicagans. After seeing these gorgeous photos, it is very apparent why brides swoon as soon as they walk up the stairs to the main room. Jaisa and Charlie hired Shelly almost immediately after booking the venue.  We really enjoyed working with this delightful couple.

DJ: Toast & Jam
Florist: Kloeckner Preferred  Flowers
Hair: Dave Fonseca Stylist
Make-up: Laura Black
Ceremony: Saint Michael’s Church
Cake: Take The Cake
Photographer: Jeremy Lawson  Photography
Reception: Café Brauer
Transportation: Windy City Limo
Caterer/Linens: Blue Plate


The gorgeous dress hanging up in the hotel suite.

Jaisa’s lovely bouquet. I love the texture given by all of the different flowers.

St. Michael’s is such a beautiful church!


Shelly carries that gorgeous train!




I love that Jaisa carried her bouquet to the side so that you can get a full view of her stunning dress.


Gorgeous picture of the couple at their church.
Jaisa’s cathedral length veil drapes the floor.

I love how the guys not in perfect order.  Don’t they all look so happy (and handsome)?


City photos!

The bridal party!  Do you prefer photos will the bridal party is staggered?

Or, do you prefer the symmetry of guys and girls?





Jaisa takes a lovely bridal portrait.


Jeremy is always great at taking shots of the tiny details, like cuff links.


I love Jaisa’s necklace.  Diamonds are very traditional but the key is unique.




I will be posting more photos of this lovely wedding tomorrow!

Mariana + Matt – The Ceremony and Reception

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Mariana and I met over lunch almost a year before her wedding. Like many of my brides, she was in control of all the planning, but wanted to be able to hand everything off for the day of the wedding and just enjoy being a bride. Perfect!

Cake Take the Cake
Ceremony Christ the Savior Church
Ceremony Chairs Classic Party Rentals
Cocktail and Reception Music Style Matters
Florist Golden Leaf
Hair and Makeup Mario Tricoci
Photographer Rachel Owen of Modern Image Studios
Reception Sofitel Hotel
Videographer Multihead Productions

All images by Rachel Owen of Modern Image Studios.

Mariana and her bridesmaids got ready in adjoining suites at the Sofitel. She left this note so the girls would know which door to use!


Putting the finishing touches on her ensemble. (I needed to get up on a chair for some height!)


Mariana was escorted down the aisle by her dad. The light in the church was so pretty.


Their sponsors took part in the Orthodox ceremony.


Chicago bridges are always popular photo locations.


I love the vibrant purples in Mariana’s bouquet.



The couple opted to sit with their immediate families at dinner.


They chose a classic song for their first dance: “Can’t Help Falling in Love” by Elvis.


Everyone loved posing in front of this great skyline painting.


In our next post, we’ll highlight some details from their wedding.

Alma + David: The Details

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Yesterday, I posted about Alma and David’s wedding. Here are some of the unique details.


All photos by One Love Photo.

Alma’s dress looks like it glows in front of the silver wallpaper.

The bride carried a traditional bouquet of dark pink roses.

Each child had their own personalized mini-suitcases, filled with goodies such as coloring books, candy and puzzles. Kids always feel special when they receive gifts like these.

The ballroom is a gorgeous space with french doors that open to views of Grant Park and Lake Michigan. The vivid carpet showcases a chrysanthemum, the official flower of Chicago.

Guests had a blast taking photos in the photo booth, and helped to create a memorable guest book for the couple. Alma and David provided personalized sleeves so guests could take copies home.

Some more playful touches: guests wore pins that explained how they knew the bride or groom. Alma and David also dressed as a pilot and flight attendant for this photo!

The simple white cake displayed a plane resting atop billowy clouds.
Alma and David were thrilled when they first saw the cake!

Sweet Home Chicago!

Instead of table numbers, each table was labeled with the number of a plane and the corresponding model plane.

“Cake is good for you!” I certainly agree!

Guests and the bridal party joined in on the game show fun. It was a big hit.

Desserts included mini cupcakes and fruit tarts. The couple also offered sliders and french fries as a late night snack.

Thanks for letting me be part of such a fun wedding!

Alma + David

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Alma and David were not looking for a traditional wedding; instead, they wanted to create a fun party atmosphere for their guests. As employees of Boeing, they chose to have their wedding the weekend of the Chicago Air & Water Show. All of these thoughtful touches added up to an event that was uniquely “them”.

Cake: Take the Cake
Ceremony + Reception: Blackstone Hotel
Florist: Goldie’s Flower Shop
Hair + Makeup: Morgan Blaul
Music, Game Show and Video: Sounds Abound
Photo Booth: Shutterbox Photobooth
Photographer: One Love Photo
Wii: Chicago Sports Games

All photos by One Love Photo.

Alma was probably one of the calmest brides I have ever worked with.


Crossing Michigan Avenue for some photos.

The girls took pictures right across the street at Grant Park.
Each wore a black cocktail dress of their own choosing.

Alma was smiling all day!

The guys strike a pose in the famous Barbershop. The Blackstone is full of history!

T
Theirs was the first ceremony to take place in the Art Hall.

Alma and David wrote their own vows. While touching, they also had a sense of humor. David pledged to support “your crazy marathon training schedule, your unhealthy addiction to TiVo, and your insistence on taking bites from anything I try to eat.”

Cutting their cake airplane themed cake. Look for a shot of the topper tomorrow.

The bride and groom snuck out during the reception for a few city photos.

I generally try and stay out of photos as much as possible, but this picture makes me laugh as it is really a snapshot of working as a coordinator. I am carrying my emergency kit on my shoulder and my small bag which holds necessities like my cell phone and tip envelopes, while trying to navigate through the room to get the big cake knife away from the little kiddies – all with a smile on my face!

When Alma and David said they wanted their guests to have fun, they meant it. They hired a company to bring in four flat screen televisions and Wiis. Alma’s niece is playing Guitar Hero – the guitar is almost bigger than she is!

The reception also included trivia about the bride and groom in a game show format.

Tomorrow I’ll showcase some of their fun details!