“Sláinte!”

I love Spring weddings, especially in Chicago! With St. Patrick’s Day right around the corner, Heather and John’s Irish-themed wedding is a perfect way to usher in the season.

Set against the backdrop of the Erin Room at the Irish American Heritage Center, a beautiful turn-of-the-century building, their vision of celebrating family, their Irish heritage and Chicago’s diverse neighborhoods was brought to life by a fabulous team, including Liven it Up Events, Fragrant Design Florist, Art of Imagination and Dish Functions.
It was a day full of smiles, laughter, warmth and a whole lotta love. Thank you for letting me be a part of it!
Happy Anniversary, Heather and John!
Cheers,

We started the day at the always-lovely Hotel Sofitel Chicago.

It was a family-oriented day from the get-go, with this little guy joining us for the getting ready festivities. He wasn’t so sure about the tie…So cute!

The lace on Heather’s dress was so pretty and delicate!

Love these hair embellishments -Crystal at Red Salon 7 added just the right amount of sparkles!

A stunning Celtic Cross necklace from John to his bride-to-be…and the sweetest note!

That delicate lace – I couldn’t get enough of it!

And now…she’s a bride!

The little bow straps on her shoes are just adorable!

So lovely, everything comes together, the curly tendrils, beautiful make-up…and the necklace from John is the perfect accessory.

The architecture at the Sofitel is always a great backdrop for a bride.

Details, details…

The spring colors in the Fragrant Design florals were such a pretty pop of color, the greens were the perfect Irish accents.

John and some of his friends got together at their favorite neighborhood stomping grounds, Will’s Northwoods Inn, for a quick toast before heading to the church.

The couple’s First Look! They were both so excited!

The always-impressive St. Alphonsus Catholic Church in the heart of Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood.

Aren’t the little ones the cutest?! And how sweet that the couple walked up the aisle together.

Neither of them could stop smiling!

Officially Mr. and Mrs.!

The matching dresses – and tie and vest on the little boy – were just too adorable! So fun to include them all in the ceremony.

On to the Irish American Heritage Center for the reception. The bride and groom paid homage to their favorite Chicago Neighborhoods and to their love of wine with special food and wine pairings – so clever and fun! They made the reception their very own.

These florals, all the candles…simply elegant! And what a great head table.

Cool lighting by Art of Imagination and comfy sitting areas for chilling after dinner, a nice respite for guests. And how about those chandeliers?

A good Irish Tap!

How fun is it when you’re shooting a wedding and discover you know some of the guests?!

As a final gift to their guests, the bride and groom tied together their love of food and Chicago with personalized, neighborhood-themed spices from The Spice House. Such a fun, lasting impression!

And they danced…and they laughed…happily ever after!