I first met Ellen & Andy about a year ago…and if I remember right, it was Andy who had done lots of research on photographers and had come across my website. I really love it when you have a groom that takes a real interest/responsibility in the wedding planning process! Its rare.
This turned out to be another one where it was nearly impossible for me to narrow it down to an acceptable sized blog post. Every detail was lovely and cohesive (my favorite kind of wedding to shoot)…a lot of this had to do with the fact that Ellen is a gifted designer. To give you a taste of her abilities, below is some of the work she did on personally designing all of the paper products for the wedding:A dress and shoes to die for….loooove the shoes.We did the first look at the MCA downtown…here’s Andy waiting for his brideThe lace on Ellen’s bouquet came from her grandmother’s wedding dress.After photos we headed to the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, which was the venue for the entire event. This was my first wedding there, and I had been looking forward to it all season!Ellen created the design/concept for the entire day, and did plenty of the work herself…including hand making each of the paper poms you see. She also had an amazingly talented florist from Zu Zu’s petals, and planner Shannon Gail to pull every detail together perfectly.This was the first time I had seen this alternative to a guest book. Each bottle represents a year/anniversary of marriage…guests were invited to share a bit of advice to Ellen & Andy that might come in handy during that time! Love!Wow. Right?! That was the first thing that came out of my mouth when I saw the beautiful decor for the reception.
I’ll apologize in advance for the excessive detail shots to come!
Natalie of Zu Zu’s Petals really out did herself…the bouquets and table tops were amazing, and I think everyone was blown away by the room decor.
One of the most beautiful cakes I’ve seen, made by Amy Beck Cake Design.As a surprise to their guests, Ellen & Andy brought in a Hula performance during dinner. A lot of Ellen’s family is from Hawaii, so this was a way to honor that heritage.I couldn’t resist ending on this one:Ellen & Andy, you two are awesome. I loved every minute of working with you, and your wedding blew me away…such talent! I hope you’re having an amazing time in the South of France.

Vendor Contacts:
Venue: Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum: http://www.naturemuseum.org
Florist: ZuZu’s Petals (Natalie) http://zuzuspetalsfloral.com
Planner: Shannon Gail http://www.shannongail.com
Videography: Ben Mahoney Productions (Aaron & Meg) http://www.benmahoneyproductions.com/
Caterer: Blue Plate Catering www.blueplatechicago.com
Cake: Amy Beck Cake Designwww.amybeckcakedesign.com