Category Archive

chicago

Bringing Santa Barbara to Chicago at this vineyard-inspired wedding

Bringing Santa Barbara to Chicago at this vineyard-inspired wedding

Chloe and Hiro created a stellar Santa Barbara winery-inspired wedding right the South Loop at the fab Chicago Illuminating Company.

Think eclectic and lush florals, colorful and rich decor, a delish dessert table,a family-style meal, and 1000 paper cranes danced in the air above the dance floor — a symbol of good luck in the groom’s Japanese culture. Don’t miss the hilarious dancing shots and donut truck!

Cheers to this low-key handmade brewery wedding in Chicago

Cheers to this low-key handmade brewery wedding in Chicago

Both the ceremony and reception were very focused on family — our siblings were standing up with us on our respective sides, and our parents and siblings were at the "head" table (which was located in the middle of the room). We ditched several traditions (cake-cutting, bouquet toss, etc.) that would eat up time so we could get straight to eating and dancing.

Our getaway car was my motorcycle — my husband jumped on the back and held my dress as we rode away with cans sounding the alarm of our nuptials.

A retro drive-in meets cocktail party prom

A fabulous retro drive-in meets cocktail party prom

There wasn't a real theme for the wedding, other than "Let's Duerr It," based on our last name. It was our URL, hashtag, and was prominently displayed in large balloons on stage. One friend had made the comment that she felt like she was at a prom, "in the best possible way." We got married at an old drive-in hot dog stand called Superdawg, where we had one of our first dates. Our friends Kate and Pete chauffeured us in their '61 Lincoln Continental and the officiant was our friend Louie. The guest list was about 15 people (plus our dog, Stanley) and the ceremony lasted about five minutes.

This fun Chicago wedding and rock show

A hip Chicago wedding and rock show (with comic book & movie cameos!)

Matt and Kelly’s hip Chicago wedding had a private ceremony in the lounge at Logan Theatre in Chicago, and then a giant party/rock show with their favorite soul band The Hemispheres. They even flew in guest lead singer Todd Hembrook for the event!

Their mutual affinity for comic books and sci-fi appeared in a few places including Kelly’s custom-made comic book shoes. Matt’s cousin officiated the ceremony, incorporating their love of movies. Let’s see how these two comic book and movie nerds rock out in Chicago…