I did an earlier post about my wedding planning process about a month ago. Now that our pictures are in, I want to share them. While I absolutely believe food and atmosphere are the top priorities of a wedding, hiring a talented photographer is not far behind. I received the full copy of the pictures after we had been in Germany for a few weeks and it was so fun (and funny!) to go through the pictures of all of our friends and family. I absolutely love the photos.
The week leading up to the wedding Tom (repeatedly) told me rain was expected that Saturday. Okay... What am I going to do about that? At least I went into the day knowing rain was a possibility, but as the sun came out while my bridesmaids and I were getting our hair and make up done the morning of, I assumed we were in the clear.
My lovely mom zipping my dress up.
Once hair and make up were complete, we loaded up in the limo van, hopping over puddles leftover from earlier rainstorms and were on our way to the 1:00 pm ceremony.
My brother walked me down the aisle, and he did a great job. The aisle is notoriously long and while I didn't want to take five minutes getting to the front, I didn't want to run up there either. He takes cues very well and knew when to slow down a bit for my short legs.
We were married at Queen of All Saints Basilica on the far north side of the city. We had a catholic ceremony without a mass and it was really beautiful. One of my cousins is a flawless opera singer and she was kind enough to sing before and during the ceremony. Her vocals were absolutely beautiful.
Once the ceremony was through, we took a handful of pictures with family and the wedding party in front of the alter. I knew some guests were waiting on us to do our send off with bubbles, so I rushed everyone out saying we could do lots of pictures outside. Because, you know, the sun was out and I was looking forward to taking advantage of the church's beautiful outdoor space.
As we settled into our getaway Audi (Thanks, Julie!) and pulled away, a huge boom of thunder came through. We were in a convertible, driving away from cover, and it was going to rain. Tom was a life saver and quickly figured out how to put up the top, we made it back to our limo bus with the wedding party and photographer and were closing the doors as a torrential downpour (no exaggeration) came through.
What is a wedding party to do in this situation? We had three hours until cocktail hour, a bus full of people, and no real game plan. First stop, liquor store.
One of our lovely groomsmen took one for the team and sprinted in and out with some beverages for the group. Thankfully, the bus was fully stocked with water as well, which is what I sipped on while we drove around. Our attempt to get into the Chicago Botanical Gardens was not successful as they were not letting people in during the storm. A brilliant idea came from the Best Man. He knew of an area by the lake where there also might be some cover if it rained.
As we approached, the weather cleared. My long train was not going through the water (imagine how heavy it would become!) so my MoH bustled my gown before we even left the vehicle. This made me late to pictures, and I do not like to be late! So, naturally, I ran to catch up. Not always the smartest idea on wet pavement in heels, but it did make for an entertaining picture!
The photographer captured some amazing shots before the rain set in again, this time it was a lighter drizzle! We sent the wedding party to the bus while Tom and I did additional pictures in a covered area. The rain made everything so wonderfully vibrant and green, I even love how the wet road looks in the pictures.
A lot of work had occurred since breakfast, and I was quickly becoming hungry, borderline hangry (so hungry you're angry) to be exact. I am a planner and had made perfectly portioned healthy snacks for all of us. Almonds, trail mix, fresh fruit, water, yum! However, in the rainstorm turmoil, they were left in another car. We all needed food, and soon. After some brainstorming, we called ahead to a bar near to our venue. The place was called Tommy Nevin's, I had not heard of it before but they were open, available, and we put in our order over the phone so I was greatly looking forward to my first visit!
I did not want red anywhere near my dress so I had a vodka tonic while
the girls had vodka cranberries.
I have no idea how I got up there, but it made for a great picture!
We ordered hummus with vegetables and pita bread, sliders, and drinks. The food was delicious and the patrons and staff were very congratulatory to us, albeit a little confused. It's kind of fun to go to a totally normal place in your dress and just relax, to be able look around at some of your closest friends and family laughing and having a good time during an unpredictable day. I will certainly remember that moment for years to come.
Around 4:45 pm we left for the venue, the Hilton Orrington. Since our cocktail hour didn't begin until 6:00 pm, we hung out at the bar on the first floor of the hotel and it really grew into quite a gathering of all of the wedding guests! Once cocktails began in the smaller ballroom, we all made our way up and I made a beeline for the bacon wrapped dates.
Dinner was at 7:00 pm and we made our super skilled grand entrance before it began. We decided to slide in from behind the wall for a dramatic effect. They're dancing in from the side of the staircase??? Who knew! Really, I was glad to simply make it down the staircase without face planting.
Salad was delicious and a healthy necessity post bacon wrapped dates. Tom didn't ruin my face or dress while cutting the cake, proving he is a smart man. My entree was the basil and pine nut salmon, but the other options were pesto and arugula french chicken and root vegetable risotto. Everyone's speeches were really heartfelt and touching, including Tom's thank you speech before our first dance.
Picking out our cake flavors was one of my favorite parts of wedding planning. I gave the bakery, Bittersweet, a rough idea of the design I wanted and told them to put their own spin on it. I think it looked quite lovely, and it tasted amazing. We were both served the German chocolate cake with creme cheese, but we also managed to get our hands on the almond cake with salted caramel and vanilla bean brulee. The second was a huge crowd favorite.
Tom's suspenders came down once the party began, maybe they were impairing his awesome dance moves. The floor was flooded with dancing, laughing, and singing people until midnight. We played our final song "The Parting Glass" and the group demanded an encore. Luckily the staff and DJ were in a jovial mood and allowed everyone to rock out to "One More Time" before leaving for the night.
A year and a half of planning went into this wedding and I find it hard to believe it's already over! I am unbelievably grateful to have had such supportive friends and family to get us through the process, and the curve balls that came our way the day of! I was truly able to enjoy my wedding day and have vivid memories of every last detail, even though it feels like it flew by! Every wedding is beautiful, but mine was my absolute favorite and the ideal beginning to my life with such an amazing man.
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