Happy Anniversary: Ellen & Nick
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- posted in: Client Wedding
It was a gorgeous October day in Ravenswood, a laid-back neighborhood on the North side of Chicago. The sun shined exuberantly in honor of the day Ellen and Nick would tie the knot at Architectural Artifacts. Relive their day through these photos by Shane Welch Photography:
The couple wanted their wedding day to be a joyous and intimate occasion, so they invited eighty of their closest friends and family to gather in one corner of the world for the ultimate dinner party. Ellen’s family traveled across the globe from Australia; it was only fitting that their wedding be lightly travel themed.
The groom’s grandfather provided his own vintage suitcase to serve as the cardholder, and next to it was the escort card modeled after a flight map.
The sweet and personal ceremony was officiated by a friend, held beneath glistening bistro lights provided by Atmosphere Events Group. Entering the venue after the ceremony, there were beautiful floral arrangements featuring amaranths dispersed throughout the room, which added to the soft, romantic mood.
Each table was distinguished by framed airport codes containing a photo of the couple behind it. The table setting featured blue and white table runners, while individual place-settings had a silver tray holding a menu, napkin, fork and beer coaster place card creating a modern, picnic feel.The gorgeous floral centerpieces by Fab Flora really softened up the room.
The reception fostered many sweet and unforgettable moments. Once a professional singer, the bride surprised the groom with a beautiful song while a bridesmaid accompanied on guitar. There was not a dry eye in the room.
Nick and Ellen are craft beer enthusiasts, so they hired Goose Island Brewery’s catering group to provide appetizers, salad and, of course, beer. The beer (“Matrimony Ale” and “Hoppily Ever After”) was brewed and named specifically for Ellen and Nick’s wedding.
We organized an unorthodox dinner service to reflect the couple’s laid back dinner party vision, while emphasizing the theme of multiculturalism and travel: the main course was served by local food trucks. The venue had a lovely outdoor space perfectly sized to fit four trucks encircling its perimeter. Each truck offered a diverse array of cuisine: Mexican tamales (The Tamale Spaceship), Argentinian empanadas (5411 Empanadas), and American barbecue (Lillie’s Q) and sliders (The Slide Ride). The outside space included a vintage furniture vignette provided by Shadow Box Dreams punctuated by delicate bistro lights, creating a relaxed, urban vibe.
The tenderness continued with their first dance, to one of their favorite songs, “Rivers and Roads” by Head and the Heart. Nick had proposed to Ellen while listening to this particular song- the words speaking to them because they crossed the world to be together. Gold Noise DJs provided the tunes.
The loveliest and most prominent aspect of Nick and Ellen’s wedding was not tangible, however overwhelmingly evident: love emanated amongst everyone there. Guests laughed, cried tears of joy, and looked endearingly to the perfect match before them. The love between the bride and groom alleviated any doubt that soul mates really do exist. Our team at Naturally Yours Events felt lucky that Nick and Ellen entrusted us to help create the perfect setting in which to promise the rest of their lives to one another.