Downtown Chicago Wedding - Margaret & Kyle
I'm not sure words can express how excited I am to finally be writing this blogpost. Let's put it this way: My body naturally woke itself up this morning an HOUR BEFORE the alarm was set to go off. THAT is how excited I am. If you are a lucky person who regularly gets the recommended 8 hours of sleep and thus always wakes up before your alarm, making that reference pointless, then check out this image to understand how crazy excited I am...YAWZA! Told you this was going to be awesome :)Margaret & Kyle love each other exactly how they are - height, "nerdiness," killer dance moves and all. Surrounded by family, friends, and the backdrop of a wonderful city, their picture perfect wedding couldn't have reflected that beautiful love any better. Last Saturday was a quintessential crisp Fall day. A little threat of rain clouds gave way to beautiful blue skies that kept the girls and their classy blue dresses (with pockets!) warm in the sun while the boys stayed cool in the shade. Not only were Margaret & Kyle's family and friends a blast to be around, these two put together an out-of-the-park team to help create their perfect day as well. With the artful floral stylings of Scarlet Petal, addictive sugary creations of Sweet Mandy B's and stunning backdrop of the School of the Art Institute Ballroom, I could have photographed for days and still found more. Thank goodness I was joined by the outstanding Becky Brown! But before we can get to Kyle's killer "lawn mower dance" (Oh yea Kyle, you know we caught that!) first comes getting ready at the always classic Palmer House Hilton.
While Becky hung out with the boys near the church, the ladies and I got our Vogue on before heading to the ceremony.
Married!
After the ceremony we had an awesome chance to take the bridal party around the city (via a seriously decked out tour bus) for a couple hours before heading to the cocktail hour. First stop, the gorgeous columns of the Federal Reserve. Just in case you were wondering: Yes, this is a fairly common spot for bridal parties in the city. Yes, I did walk at a very "brisk" pace from the bus to these columns to claim my spot as I saw another bridal party begin to exit their own mode of transportation. A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do :)
Eskimo kisses!!
Onto one of my favorite downtown spots to photograph.
LOVE this one. So comfortable and completely content.
While Millennium Park is a common place for both tourists and Chicagoans alike to request photos, I like to stay on the less-crowded south end and catch the unique dichotomy of nature and skyline.
Then it was time to head a block south and into the gorgeous ballroom at the School of the Art Institute. Speaking of gorgeous... Check out this shot Becky snagged of Margaret (insert whistle).
Holy smokes. I could say a million things about this ballroom - the stunning curves of the staircase, the scalloped second floor seating, the lit ceiling - the details just don't end!
A tribute to her grandmother, Margaret included some of her favorite things for a delicious cup of tea as a favor for all the guests.
Now here is a primo example of why choosing to have a 2nd photographer is a fabulous idea. While I stayed down on the dance floor to capture this...
Becky captured THIS. Margaret: You are STUNNING!!
It took all of 2 seconds to get this dance floor going :)
Well, look who I found… A recent RMP couple, the new Mr. & Mrs. Yan!
Remember that "lawn mower dance" of Kyle's a mentioned at the beginning? Drumroll please...
Last but certainly not least...
Congratulations Margaret & Kyle! Thank you so much for inviting me into your special day. You two are the sweetest people and your wedding couldn't have been any more perfect. A huge thank you to Becky of Becky Brown Photography for joining me on this day and being a rockstar. Leave some love in the comments for these two newlyweds to return to after soaking in the Grecian sun for 2 weeks.
Ceremony: Assumption Catholic Church Chicago, IL | Reception: School of the Art Institute Chicago, IL | Floral & Linens: Scarlet Petal | Music: Deja Vu | Cake: Sweet Mandy B's | Catering: Kenmare Catering | Gown: San Patrick Bella Bianca Bridal Couture & Formal Wear | Hair & Makeup: Bridal Beauty Chicago | Jewelry: Charles Horberg Jewelers Inc. | Invitation design: Ashley's Custom Stationery