I have never seen two people light up a room quite like Alyce and Shane. I had the wonderful pleasure of meeting them both at a wedding earlier this year, Shane confided that he planned to ask Alyce to marry him the following week (and of course I eagerly gave him my business card!). Their plans to keep things small, possibly even elope, changed quickly as their guest list multiplied. The next thing they knew they were planning a wedding in 4 short months. Everything fell perfectly into place, although no one would of noticed if it hadn’t. They were all too busy gazing at this perfect pair, a truly beautiful couple on the outside and in. I can’t help but gush over this wedding, everything about it makes me smile.
The Chicago Illuminating Company is a great place for a wedding.
Warning: reading these vows might bring a tear to your eye.
Alyce’s mom was getting some extra “oomph” added to her lashes.
Her cousin was busy trying to figure out how to turn the iron on.
Her sister-in-law was catching up on some emails while getting her hair done.
Her mom helped her into her dress.
Her dad was very impressed!
They headed downstairs to the ceremony.
Shane was so excited to see his bride.
The guests were gathered around the couple in a circle creating a perfect intimacy.
Shane’s beautiful vows caused some waterworks.
Gorgeous!
We snuck away to the now empty Room 21 next door for some photos.
Some of the old passageways are still intact (this building used to be an Al Capone brewery).
I’m in love with this shot.
Kehoe did a wonderful job on the flowers and centerpieces.
Alyce’s brother and fiancé were all smiles (they were getting married the following month).
Alyce’s dad surprised everyone during his speech by demonstrating what makes a marriage successful.
The Nellie Travis band was ready to get the party started.
The photo booth was a hit. (I made a special enclosed version just for Shane)
Good Humor ice cream cart for desert, yum!
We ended the night with a few photos under the tracks.
The very biggest of congratulations to Alyce and Shane- let the golden age begin!
Hair and makeup: Makeup: Rachel Reiman, Hair: Ashley Condron
Florist: Kehoe Designs
Ceremony location: The Chicago Illuminating Company
Reception location: The Chicago Illuminating Company
Event Planner: We didn’t have a specific planner, but all of the vendors, including Marta from CIC, worked together really well to help the day run smoothly.
Cake: We opted out of a traditional cake and had a Good Humor ice cream cart instead
Caterer: Food for Thought
Dress: Nicole Miller (bought online for a steal!)
Accessories: pin worn in my hair–family heirloom (worn by every woman in my mom’s family on their wedding day)
DJ/Band: DJ:Cage and Aquarium, Band: The Nellie Travis Band
First Dance: “Golden Age” -Beck
Father/daughter: “Daughter” -Loudon Wainwright III
Q&A with the bride and groom:
What was the most memorable moment of your day?
Alyce: Seeing Shane for the first time at the end of the aisle is something I will never forget. It sounds like a cliche, but everything really did fade away for me. I don’t even remember hearing the music after that! I also loved that we decided to have our guests stand around us during the ceremony. It felt so supportive and meaningful as we shared our vows.
Shane: Seeing my beautiful wife for the first time as she walked into the ceremony. I cried….like a baby.
What was your favorite detail?
Alyce: I loved that the whole night just felt like a party..it wasn’t so much the little details, but the general feeling of the day. I’m so happy we kept it simple without assigned seating so that everyone could mill around.
Shane: The Photobooth! It was a hit, everyone loved it! We had a great time looking at all the photos later that night!
Funniest memory from your wedding day?
Alyce: It’s a tie: looking at all of the photobooth pictures at the end of the evening, or maybe when my dad surprised my mom by grabbing her and making out with her at the end of his speech. Everyone died of laughter, and my mom was really freaked out 🙂
Shane: Would have to be me completely forgetting to wait for the officiant to tell me to kiss the bride. I just got caught up in the moment and went for it, I think I took Alyce a little by surprise.
Any advice for future brides/grooms?
Alyce: You really can plan an amazing wedding in a short amount of time! We were only engaged for 4 months, and we actually found that the time crunch helped us make decisions easier. It also made us figure out which elements were important, and which didn’t mean as much to us.
Shane: After the ceremony, we went upstairs and spent 15-20 minutes alone. Your wedding day can be so hectic and it was great just to take a little time to step back, decompress a little and take it all in. It was also pretty much the only time we were able to eat anything the entire night!
If you could do it all over, would you change anything?
Alyce: Not a thing. I loved every minute of it!
Shane: Does anyone really say yes to this?
Where did you go on your honeymoon?
Alyce: Barcelona, Spain.
Shane: España