Afton Vangsness
- Dec 14, 2020

Liz + Joe: Timeless Chicago Wedding

Liz and Joe got married on a gorgeous fall day in Chicago, Illinois. Between the stunning city views and the glamorous outdoor affair, their timeless wedding day is guaranteed to never go out of style.

All photos courtesy of This Is Feeling

Glamorous Chicago bride and groom on wedding day

We began the sunny Saturday at the Kinzie Hotel, where Liz and Joe both got ready with their bridesmaids and groomsmen. With all of the windows, the hotel offers the perfect light for photos.

The bride wore a lace embellished dress from Weddings 826 designed by Madison James. Her classic bridal shoes were by Badgley Mischka.

The ladies had their hair done by 'I Do' Hair by Kimberly May and their makeup done by Angela Michelle. This group was so much fun and had music blasting all morning, which turned into a full on dance party.

Liz's sweet mom was there to help her into her dress, while looking out onto all of the amazing Chicago views.

Bride and mother of the bride at the Kinzie Hotel

Joe wore a classic black tuxedo from none other than The Black Tux. His brother was his best man, and he and his groomsmen spent the morning hanging out together (and enjoying some drinks of course).

The bride and groom exchanged heartfelt cards that morning, which already had the emotions going before they even saw each other!

Liz and her dad had a first look prior to her seeing Joe, which was just so touching. Her dad is a ball of energy and was so much fun all day long.

Then it was time for the couple to see each other for the first time! Liz warned me numerous times throughout the planning process that she was the emotional one, while Joe was the stoic one. She emphasized over and over that she would be crying throughout the day, but he would not. Little did she know...

They both cried! Some couples worry that a first look won't be as emotional as waiting to see each other when walking down the aisle, but I can say with certainty that is not the case! First looks are just as special and are more intimate than having an entire audience. Plus, you have so much more time for photos, which is exactly what happened next.

Look at how beautiful this couple is!

Liz and Joe then joined the rest of their wedding party to take a trolley from Premier Trolley and Limo around the city for photos. This is a quintessential Chicago wedding staple. They got to all have a fun time enjoying drinks while stopping at locations throughout the city to get shots with all of the dazzling backdrops.

Wedding party in front of Board of Trade in Chicago

The Board of Trade is such a beautiful location for wedding party photos. The bridesmaids wore dresses from David's Bridal and held bouquets by Trablume. The groomsmen wore tuxedos from The Black Tux.

Wedding party photos in downtown chicago

Liz and Joe only had eyes for each other.

Wedding portraits on Kinzie Bridge Chicago

Let's dive a bit more into this couple. It is so important for me to get to know my couples, and truly get a feel for their personalities. Liz is a teacher and is warm, bubbly, and extremely organized. Sometimes I think people that are Type A think that they don't need planners, but I can tell you from experience, they need it more than anyone! There is no way a Type A person can relax without having someone they truly trust to take care of things. (I am extremely Type A, so trust me, I get it!)

Joe is an attorney and is clearly a perfect complement to Liz's personality. He is her rock, loves to have a good time, and is a bit of a rule breaker in the best way possible. He looks at her with love in his eyes, and throughout the entire day and night, you could really see how much fun they have together.

This Is Feeling went all around the city with the couple and their wedding party and got some seriously amazing shots!

How fun are these wedding photos?

While they had all of this fun, the Afton Events team and the rest of the vendors were getting everything ready at Galleria Marchetti for the ceremony and reception.

The ceremony took place outside in the courtyard, which is filled with large trees wrapped in twinkle lights as well as their signature ivy covered walls.

A birch arch with draping and floral from Trablume was framed by the venue's pergola with lush greenery and white garden chairs for the guests.

The bride walked down the aisle with her dad to a violin cover of 'Can't Help Falling in Love.'

Wedding ceremony under trees in chicago illinois

The ceremony was officiated by someone close to Liz and Joe, which was personal and heartfelt, incorporating elements from both the bride's Greek heritage and the groom's Irish heritage.

Directly following the wedding ceremony, cocktail hour continued outside in the courtyard. Twinkle lights were in every tree, which created such a magical setting as the sun set.

Couple popping champagne on their wedding day

The newly married couple didn't want to miss out on the fun, so they joined their guests for cocktail hour after popping a bottle of bubbly!

The reception took place in the The Pavilion, a white draped tent. We kept all of the walls open, so we had a covered outdoor reception.

The ivory draping, ivory linens, gold accents, and neutral floral created a glamorous setting. The giant sparkling chandeliers really make a statement!

Of course we had to have candles throughout the space, which included floating candles and antique votives.

The beautiful and classic cake was from Molly's Cupcakes, set on a gold stand with a cake topper donning the couple's name.

The reception was warm, fun, and filled with heartfelt and hilarious toasts to the new husband and wife.

Under the sparkling chandeliers, the couple danced their first dance as husband and wife to 'You are the Best Thing' by Ray Lamontagne played by DJ-Chicago. He then kept the party going all night long!

The night went on to be quite the celebration. We had music, fire pits, a sweets station, and late night pizza from a wood fired oven. Of course, the drinks were flowing, and everyone had an amazing time celebrating Liz + Joe (including the Afton Events team)!

Check out the video from Love.Fire.Shoot. to see the full day!