It only takes a few moments to see how comfortable and compatible Jaina and Costa are with each other. From our first Skype conversation I could see how they would finish the other’s sentence, and during the whirlwind of the wedding day they always smiled the most when in each others presence. And did I mention they have great taste in music?! They had the most creative and diverse playlist I have heard all year, from Muse to Radiohead (and Jaina’s mom even knew all the words!). Bringing two lovely traditions together (Greek and Jewish), there was no shortage of laughter and merriment. Jaina and Costa were already perfectly happy together before the wedding, so I guess this just means that now its forever. Congrats Jaina and Costa, may you always “stay young and go dancing!”
Darcy McGrath is a makeup genius.
Stephanie Mueller (Epoch salon/Leap Weddings) has mad hair skills.
The girls tried to figure out how to bustle Jaina’s dress.
Time for the first look!
(If you look closely you might see Ben Mahoney behind the glass)
Then we were off to the West Loop and downtown Chicago for some photos.
Costa looking particularly badass.
Yes we did.
The view from the Tower Club.
It’s official!
I love the parent’s wedding photos, classic sixties!
The appetizers were very popular.
Bubbles for the first dance.
Jaina’s best friend gave a theatrical speech.
The sisters were hilarious.
I have no explanation for this.
Are those cake servers or weapons?
Congratulations! What a great night.
Hair: Stephanie Mueller (Leap Weddings)
Makeup: Darcy McGrath
Florist: Hello Darling
Ceremony location: The Tower Club
Reception location: The Tower Club
Cake: Flour Cake and Pastry
Caterer: The Tower Club
Dress: Jewel by Priscilla of Boston
Accessories: earrings borrowed from Aunt, necklace from Macy’s
DJ/Band: Kate Bilinski of Toast and Jam DJ’s
First Dance: Death Cab for Cutie “Stay young, go dancing”
Father/Daughter: Paul Simon “Father and daughter”
Mother/Son: James Taylor “How sweet it is”
Q&A with the bride:
What was the most memorable moment of your day? Jaina: This is hard to pick just one! I’d say one of my favorites was the yichud. It was so nice to be able to take a few minutes to be alone together after officially becoming husband and wife.
What was your favorite detail? Jaina: I’m going to surprise myself a little bit here and say the flowers. Maybe it’s just because I didn’t care that much about them at first and didn’t really have a vision for them, but as I kept looking around all night I kept thinking about how great they looked. So they were at least the detail I enjoyed the most that I wasn’t expecting to. Also, the music was absolutely stellar. Kate did such a great job of incorporating our music tastes throughout the evening and keeping the dance floor packed.
Funniest memory from your wedding day? Jaina: Probably my dad’s bizarre take on the robot, and how he got a good percentage of the dance floor also doing it alongside him.