LoftyWeddings Photography documented the wedding of Adrienne and Erin in November with both still images and video. 

 

The weather had been freezing with threats of snow, but the day of their wedding was the sunniest day in a long while. We met both brides at the Crowne Plaza where they were awaiting their “first look.” These shots are the most fun to capture from a photographers perspective. Erin met Adrienne in her suite and from that point on all the stress flew out the window.  We took this fun bridal party on a real Chicago city adventure!

We boarded a bus to the Chicago Theater. There we bumped into "Tina Turner"  who dedicated the Etta James song “At Last” to Adrienne and Erin. This unplanned event was a real highlight of our walk around the city. Then we were off to Michigan Avenue to capture some shots by the river.

Autumn is such a beautiful time for weddings with the rich hues of fall. These bright red trees added a striking backdrop for this shot of the bridal party. 

After location photos we headed to Loft on Lake where the ceremony and reception were held. 

The ceremony was wonderful. Lighting is so important to photos and the light quality inside Loft on Lake is fantastic. All lights are on dimmers and can easily be adjusted to enhance. The additional lighting provided by Art of Imagination really drew the attention to the couple. 

Afterwards we took advantage of the ceremony curtain and used it as a backdrop for formal photos. Guests enjoyed having formal family portraits taken during the cocktail hour.

Adrienne and Erin added many personal touches to the decor for their reception, they made centerpieces themselves!

All the while photos were taken the video team was shooting footage as well. Look for video highlights of this wedding very soon to be posted to our website. 

We are also proud members of STAND UP for marriage equality and were so happy to share the wonderful day with Adrienne, Erin and their family. 

To find out more about STAND UP please visit the website.

www.i-standup.org. and to inquire about Loft on Lake visit www.loftonlake.com

 

Make sure to “like” us on Facebook as well!

 

Vendors: Loft on Lake, Art of Imagination, Lofty Weddings Photography and Video, 

Who popped the question and how?

He did, of course. After returning from a fishing trip, Michael told me he had brought back some special gifts. Expecting to open a silly gift or cheesy t-shirt I was presented with a tiny box with a beautiful bow. The presentation caught me off guard, but it wasn’t until I saw a one of a kind “Michael Foster” designed engagement ring that I freaked out. The proposal was perfect- very us; simple yet personal and unforgettable. After slipping the rock on my finger we headed to my parents house to share the exciting news. When we turned onto the street all the trees were wrapped in pink tulle, as we pulled up we were greeted with friends and family waiting to join in on the celebration.  The champagne -filled day was perfect!

What was the inspiration for your decor or styling?

It was important to me that everything be personal at the wedding. I wanted their to be pictures of us and family everywhere. When guests walked into the reception there was a table with a variety of wedding photos of family member including parents, grandparents, siblings, and friends. This component added a unique touch and set the tone ; letting our guests know how much they were loved and how personalized we wanted our wedding to be. In addition, it also served as a subtle way to honor those who weren’t able to be there in person. I wanted the wedding ceremony and celebration to reflect who we are as a couple. Most people approach their wedding by picking a color- for me it was picking a fruit ;lemons. With the creative help of both my mom and sister the day was classically designed with lemons, splashes of yellow and natural greens as well as a whimsical yet personal touch.

When I walked into the room and saw huge lemon trees and bowls overflowing with lemons and gorgeous yellow roses, hydrangea, and candles everywhere I was stunned. It was the perfect balance of whimsy and elegance and definitely captured our personalities. The head table was a bright yellow staggered with tons of flowers, trees, lemons, greenery and candlelight and was such a gorgeous focal point. Over the dance floor we carried through the shape of the lemons with big chinese lanterns that added and extra pop of fun. The whole day was centered around such fun- from the Cubs band at the house, to the trolley all the way to the fun menu we chose- we really wanted it to feel upscale but super comfortable.

What was the most memorable part of your day?

- getting reading, walking down the aisle, seeing mike, etc.

That’s hard- there was so many perfect moments during the day. I loved the process of getting ready in the morning with my sister. Because I didn’t want to look like a “made-up”bride we opted to do our hair and makeup ourselves; if Kate Middleton can do so could we! The moment before walking down the aisle was perfect; with my teared filled dad in one arm and a stomach full of butterflies I couldn’t wait to get to my awaiting fiance. Seeing Michael was the ultimate moment in the ceremony- I was simply overjoyed.

What was your favorite detail?

There was a tremendous amount of detail that went into our special day. The programs may have been the greatest detail of ANY wedding. Due to our shared profession of being teachers we created a yearbook program. We had pictures of our wedding party as kids and aptly named each of them with  “most likely to” or “voted best.”  We even had a special inset that you could pull tissues from with a clever snoop dogg quote. My sister worked with our great family friend who also happens to be an incredibly gifted designer which made them even more special.

My other favorite moment was surprising Mike with a Cubs Dixieland band back at my parent’s house before the reception. We took his love of baseball and created a “Day at the Ballpark” themed cocktail hour with mini chicago hot dogs, peanuts, popcorn and Old Style. It was a nod to his love of sports and his job as a Coach, so I just loved that we were able to surprise people with a fun little party in between!

What was the funniest memory from your wedding day?

The vows for sure. Our priest insisted that we memorize our vows, in addition to writing and reading aloud a love letter to one another. Initially I was concerned about it , however it turned out providing the ceremony with a sincere and personal touch. When asked to recite the vows Michael started stating the exchange of rings vows. I gave a funny look and before you knew it was giggling out loud; everyone joined in on the moment and it the picture ended up serving as the cover to our thank you cards.

Where did you go for your honeymoon?

Maroma Beach. After doing our homework we booked our stay at Secrets Maroma Beach and oh my was it wonderful. It was a small slice of paradise where we stayed for a week soaking up the sun, and taking advantage of the spa, beach, speciality drinks, food, and adventure.

Credits:

Dress: Reem Acra, from Bella Bianca

Bridesmaids: BCBG

Florist: Dennis Kovar

Video: Rogie Cruz of RAC Visual

Menus/ Programs: Joe Kessen

Invitations: Kimberly Fitzsimons Letterpress

Venue: Midlothian Country Club, Doug Shiple

Band: The Glen Traeger Orchestra

Rentals: Classic Party Rentals Chicago

Dixieland Band: Banjo Buddies

David & Andrew decided to wed at Loft on Lake and chose us to photograph their special day! They were both so easy to work with, allowing us to take them outside and walk around the block for pre ceremony shots. Loft on Lake is surrounded by such visually rich backdrops which is perfect for the urban couple. Under the famous EL track, interesting red doorways, brick walls, cityscapes, you name it and it is most likely in walking distance from our venue. 

Lofty Weddings Photography is also a proud member, of "STAND UP," a Chicago Business Professional for Marriage Equality organization which spreads the word, support and knowledge about Marriage Equality. You can learn more by visiting the website at www.i-standup.org. 

Through STAND UP couples can find vendors and businesses that outwardly support marriage equality. 

They exchanged beautiful bands from Tiffany & Co. Nothing says I love you like that little blue box!

Then it was time to walk down the aisle!

Everyone was so supportive and happy to see them united. 

Everyone loves how the Loft on Lake space transforms from day to night under the huge skylight. Art of Imagination added the fabric backdrop and extra blue and orange lighting to create a fun party effect.

The lighting looked great in photographs and made the dance floor come alive!

It doesn’t take much to put a smile on Katie or Marks face. We could  automatically feel the irresistible bond they share. They are truly meant for each other. 

It was a pleasure having the opportunity to photograph them on their special day. We met Mark at his house and took a bus with all the groomsmen to Rockefeller Chapel. We always get such fun shots when we get to travel in the bridal party car.

Katie and Mark met on campus 10 years ago, so they decided the chapel located on the U of C campus was the perfect place to exchange vows.
Mark’s first roommate, Phil Hayman, married them!

The chapel was breathtaking and filled with so many details to capture. The architecture was visually stunning. The high ceilings, stained glass windows, and natural light made it a wonderful place to photograph in. 

The couple held their reception at Loft on Lake, the perfect venue for a Fall wedding. Timber beams and brick walls make for wonderful backdrops and interesting contrast to the formality of the event. 

Speeches were delivered and toasts were made...

and laughter and smiles were all around. We captured the unforgettable moments.

Miranda and Justin were married in April at Loft on Lake. Before we made our way to the venue, we got some great shots prior to the ceremony. Our favorite shots were the "first look photos". There is just so much emotion and intensity to capture at that point and it really makes for wonderful photographs.

We love this park art with the large metal structures that look like oversized picture frames. 

We decided to take the couple to the Museum of Contemporary Art.

We had so much fun with these serious poses in front of contemporary art canvases. 

We attempted to recreate the movie scene from Ferris Bueller's Day Off and we were pretty successful! 

We loved the strong horizontal lines of the art complimenting the layers of Miranda's gown. 

Grant Park, a classic spot with a great city view. 

We all had a great time traveling around the city looking for interesting and fun areas for photo opportunities. Chicago is a wonderful city for photo opps... We encourage our future brides to venture outside with us!

It was finally time for the couple to say "I do" at Loft on Lake. Each wrote extremely heartfelt vows and Justin added a bit of his witty personality to his delivery. 

We heard some of the best speeches that night. 

Justin's famous saying was "I'm winning" and it is safe to say that everyone was a winner at this wedding. The couple was great to work with and their families were wonderful. They love, love, love all the photos and we wish them all the best!

We decided to take the girls outside for some group photos before the boys showed up.  This was a fun group of girls that were ready to strike a pose at anytime. We love the white brick as a background. It was a great contrast against the red dresses and we wanted to create more edgy and urban photos. 

The ceremony was held at Loft on Lake and Jon was all smiles!

We love Michelle's gaze toward Jon in this photo! This is one of our favorites!

Weddings are also about details and we made sure to capture those shots as well. From her tying the ribbon on her dress to the intricate bouquet she carried around with her all day. 

The timeless and classic shot right under the El on our street -- nothing says Chicago West Loop more than this!

After our fun photo session, we ventured back to Loft on Lake and loved seeing the transformation  of the space from ceremony to reception.  Jon and Michelle created these custom centerpieces themselves! It was such a cute way of adding a personal touch. Cork catered the food and did a great job with resetting the space for dining. 

We wish them and their new family lots of luck and happiness in the future!