Also, I failed to mention that Annie and Jared’s wedding was made famous by the gorgeous blog, Green Wedding Shoes. Check it out!
destination barn wedding at secrest 1883 octagonal barn
Annie and Jared were married in July at the Secrest 1883 Octagonal Barn in West Liberty, Iowa. It was a family and friend-filled affair to prepare for the big day and Annie really to DIY to a whole new level. The photos of this fabulous party certainly speak for themselves.
The ceremony included handmade fans, programs and lavender-sugar toss cones:
Annie and her mom walking down the aisle to a song that Annie’s late father wrote and sung. I can promise you there was not a dry eye in the house. Certainly Jared’s eyes were not dry.
Photo shoot with the couple, obsessed that their puppy dog came out to join them!
The bridal party looked amazing in their outfit picks.
Annie told me that night that the cake topper she made was her favorite thing. She said please PLEASE make sure we get a picture of it. I’d say Jagger Photography did admirable justice to that little cake topper.
The decor in the barn was absolutely stunning.
Annie and Jared moved to Iowa from the coast so many of their guests had never been to Iowa before. To give them a taste of the local flavor Annie and Jared hired a local band and square dancing caller to get the party started. Their guests really got into it.
Annie and Jared’s wedding was amazing and I was so happy to be a part of it. The entire weekend was full of family and friends, amazing food and lots of love…exactly what a wedding should be.
Annie + Jared’s Vendors:
Ceremony & Reception: Secrest 1883 Octagonal Barn
Catering: The Motley Cow
Cake: Friend of the couple
Photography: Jagger Photography
Florist: St. Bridget’s Flower Farm
Music: Goosetown Stringband
Day of Coordination: Anticipation Events
city chic wedding at the james hotel
Amy and Eugene’s wedding at The James Hotel in Chicago in July was in a word…legendary.
The beautiful bride Amy, wanted an extra pair of hands with her rehearsal and ceremony as well. The on-site coordinator at The James handled the reception, but Amy wanted to make sure the rehearsal wasn’t painful for anyone and that there was someone to oversee the ceremony. When you have a secular ceremony and a judge or friend/family member preforms it, they are not always willing to or have experience with coordinating getting guests seated, cuing musicians, getting the bridal party lined up and down the aisle, etc. and it’s definitely not something the bride should be doing on her own!
The James Hotel has some great places for pictures. Amy and Eugene, in the library, with the…bridal bouquet?
The James did a fantastic job of flipping the space while guests enjoyed cocktail hour.
And they lived happily ever after!
*all photos courtesy of Photography by Lin
Amy + Eugene’s Vendors:
Ceremony & Reception: The James Hotel
Catering: The James Hotel
Photography: Photography by Lin
Rehearsal and Ceremony Coordination: Anticipation Events
classic chicago wedding at st. linus church
Kate and Mark were married at St. Linus Church in June 2010. Kate was a super organized bride, she knew what she wanted and did all of the planning herself. She hired me to run the rehearsal for her (this is something I have found that almost everyone dreads) and then coordinate the ceremony and a cocktail party that Kate’s parents hosted in between the ceremony and reception. DiNolfo’s took care of the rest!
It was so fun to be at Kate’s parents’ house with them in the morning while Kate was getting ready:
This is Mark. This is how guys get ready for their wedding day. I am jealous. I actually met Mark last year at another wedding I was coordinating. Mark owns Trailing Edge Media and really saved the day when there was a big ol’ technological glitch at that wedding. He must of thought I wasn’t so bad myself–I was so happy to get an email from Kate a few weeks later about their own wedding!
Since they were both all dolled up and ready to go, we headed over to St. Linus in Oak Lawn. Kate had all the details ready to go:
It was one of the hottest, stickiest days of the year. Right about when Kate and Mark were saying I do, a monsoon started. Literally. A crack of lighting made the lights in the church flicker on and off and winds were throwing patio furniture around Kate’s parents’ backyard. But Kate and Mark just carried on.
I’m always amazed at photographers ability to catch these great expressions:
Congrats to the beautiful couple and thanks for letting me take part in your amazing day!
*Glossy photos courtesy of Danielle Aquiline Photography
Kate + Mark’s Vendors:
Ceremony: St. Linus Catholic Church
Reception, Catering: DiNolfo’s Banquets
Cake: Naples Bakery
Photography: Danielle Aquiline Photography
Videography: JJ with Orange Video Productions
Florist: ZuZu’s Petals
DJ: Spencer with Style Matters
Ceremony music: Panache Entertainment
Makeup artist: Maggie & Sonia with Sonia Roselli Makeup Studio
Hair: Holly Kasprisin & Erica Anderson
Transportation: Chicago Trolley
Day-of Coordination: Anticipation Events
outdoor wedding at a private residence
Ilena and Jack’s outdoor wedding at Jack’s parents’ house in June was the DIY wedding of our dreams.
Jack’s parents spent so much time getting the house and the backyard ready. A tent was set-up and family members from all over came in to help get everything ready: from making the seating chart, to bartending for the night and DJing. The day was incredibly humid but that didn’t stop the partying from going into the wee hours of the morning.
It was a family affair, Ilena’s almost sister-in-law Heather did the flowers for them. They were simply amazing.
Jack’s step-sister made them this awesome sign for bathrooms. With a backyard wedding comes LOTS of planning that you don’t have to think about in a typical venue.
While guests enjoyed cocktail hour, the bridal party slipped away for some glamour shots. Hot or not, it was a beautiful day!
*Photos brought to you by Grant Legan Photography
Ilena + Jack’s Vendors:
Ceremony & Reception: private residence
Catering: Enticing Cuisine
Photography: Grant Legan Photography
Florist: sister-in-law of the bride
DJ: friend of the couple
Cake: The Cakery
Transportation: Spare Wheels
Day-of Coordination: Anticipation Events