Brenda and Joe are a crazy fun couple! I had the best time getting to know them over the course of the planning process. Lucky for me, one of my past clients (who got married at The Shedd Aquarium October 2010) referred them to Clementine!
Here is a sneak peak into their fantastic wedding day, which was filled with style, love and lots of laughs!
Thank you to the talented Jason Brown of J. Brown Photography for providing these amazing photos.
Brenda and Joe got married on September 10, 2011 (also known as 9.10.11). They had their ceremony and reception at Gallery 1028 which is located on Goose Island in Chicago. When I took them out to look at venues I had a feeling they would fall in love with the space because it has both modern and rustic elements . It was actually the very first space we saw and they ended up comparing every venue the rest of the day to it… so they decided it was the perfect spot!
They had chosen to take their pictures before the ceremony and boy did they have a good time gallivanting all over Chicago in their party bus, provided by Classic Chassis!
When they arrived to Gallery 1028, guests were already seated and ready for the ceremony. The mini bus pulled right up to the venue and we lined everyone up on the bus for the processional. The parents and grandparents were already lined up in the front room of the venue so it was very easy to get things started.
Brenda and Joe knew from day one they wanted a chic, modern wedding but they didn’t want it to feel cold. They wanted guests to feel welcome so we landed on yellow, green, gray and white was the main colors. Erin Foster from A Stem Above wowed us with her ideas to bring their vision to life. Brenda knew she loved a lot of rustic materials like natural grass, moss and branches and with Erin gave her exactly what she wanted!
Brenda and all the bridesmaids walked down the aisle on a fresh grass aisle runner which looked awesome on the original wood flooring of the venue.
After the ceremony, guests were invited into the front room where a custom bar and lounge vignettes waited for them, provided by PJ Acosta of Studio AG. Nicole Fitzpatrick from Calihan Catering created an amazing menu including passed hors d’oeuvres of Moroccan spiced lamb pizza, pear and brie quesadillas and spicy chicken wontons.
Erin from A Stem Above created this stunning arrangement to hold all the place cards so guests could easily find their way to their seats for dinner.
While the guests were enjoying cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, the Clementine team, A Stem Above and Calihan Catering flipped the room from ceremony to dinner. A Stem Above provided three different centerpieces and even custom made real moss table runners.
Naomi Levine from Tipsy Cake provided this adorable cake and the flavors included: carrot cake with cream cheese filling, almond cake with raspberry filling and chocolate cake with peanut butter filling.
As a surprise Brenda had these bobble heads made! They look just like them and the guests loved it!
During dinner their friends and family gave many amazing toasts to the newly wedded couple. Between the toasts they dined on cedar planked salmon with risotto cakes and flat iron steak with scallion buttermilk mashed potatoes. Needless to say, nobody left their event hungry!
Spencer from Style Matters DJs kept the dance floor packed all night. Everyone had a blast and everyone partied until the very last song. It was truly a great time.
As guests left the event they were given glass bottles filled with spices as a party favor. Brenda and Joe love to cook together and wanted to share their love of cooking with all their guests.
Brenda and Joe were truly worthy of the paparazzi on their big day! They are a wonderful, loving and fun couple and I’m thrilled I was able to be a part of their special day.
