A pop of color for Monday! When we saw Mary & Dan’s wedding, we fell in love with all the thoughtful, sophisticated details and comfortable party atmosphere—a brilliant balance. Olivia Leigh Photographie captured the day and the shots are so fresh. The bright clarity with the meaningful literary details—love that Chicago chic!
“Dan and I got married on September 26, 2009. We met at a Decemberists concert on April Fools Day in 2004, and we got married five and a half years to the day after we met. We liked the idea of a fall wedding with crisp air and vibrant color.”
About the day’s schedule, Mary told us, “Our ceremony was at 5:30, which meant we had a leisurely morning together before we split up to spend the day with our respective families. I went to get my hair done around 2:00 by the fabulous Jennifer at Sine Qua Non in Lakeview. Then I headed to Volo to get ready in their private wine cellar with my mom and sisters around 3:30. After that Dan and I wandered around Roscoe Village to take some portraits with Olivia, and then it was on with the ceremony on the terrace and the reception immediately followed. I think we managed to find a good balance of alone time and together time—with each other and with our families and guests. The day went by quickly, but not so quickly that I can’t remember it or felt like I missed it. ”
“My dress was from Dame Couture, a custom dress shop in Evanston. Holly was so down-to-earth and friendly, and I never doubted for a minute that the last minute alterations would be done right and on time. I can’t recommend the shop highly enough.” Such a gorgeous dress—the flower accents are so sweet!
“My little sister made my fabulous feather fascinator. Roscoe Blooms did our flowers. I want to recommend Steve Quick Jeweler which was the first jeweler that was receptive when I said I didn’t want anything with diamonds. Etsy and eBay were great resources for things like hand-lettered labels for favors and vintage stamps for our invitations.”
“I was never a girl who dreamed about her wedding day or had any idea what it would look like. When people asked me what my colors were even a few weeks before the wedding, I didn’t have an answer, though I suppose the autumnal reds and oranges that I naturally gravitate towards became our general color palette in the end. More than any particular aesthetic, we wanted our wedding to be intimate, a time when we could be surrounded by our closest friends and family and make this huge and wonderful commitment to each other without worrying about some checklist of things that we had to have.”
Mary’s advice: “Don’t stress out too much about your wedding! It’s easy to get caught up in the details and the planning and worry about getting everything just so, but weddings have a way of working themselves out in end. Make sure to include your fiance in the planning. So often we think weddings are all about the bride, but of course it’s really about the couple. My life got so much easier when Dan and I divided up the work of planning and making the arrangements. Don’t feel like you need to have something just because a lot of other people do it. It isn’t a competition, it’s a party. Remember that this day is for you and your fiance, so enjoy it! And please, go on a honeymoon! Even if it’s just for a few days. It’s so important to get away from everything and just revel in being newlyweds.”
“We’ve both lived in Chicago for more than ten years. It’s where we’ve made our lives together, and there’s something special about getting married in a place that feels like home to both of us. He’s from Vermont and I’m from Michigan, and we wanted to give our far flung family and friends, some of whom had never been here before, an excuse to come visit this world class city. It was great to have the city’s resources available for planning and shopping—I didn’t feel like I needed to visit some faraway metropolis for anything because everything we needed we could find here.”
More from Mary & Dan’s delightful day coming up…one charming wine bar reception!
Tags: chicago wedding, handmade wedding, heirloom wedding, illinois wedding, modern wedding, real midwest wedding, wedding photography