Almost two years ago to the day, this Wedding Journey (my daughter & now son-in-laws’ wedding) is at its culmination.
Here’s a look back at some of the details for their wedding ceremony.
Sometimes…
~ It’s the smallest of details that can take your wedding from ordinary to extraordinary ~
We awoke to a beautiful fall day in Chicago – blue skies and mid-70’s temperatures. Perfect for guests walking the short distance between the church and reception, and perfect for wedding party photos on the lakefront after the ceremony and before the reception.
EARLY MORNING HAIR & MAKEUP
Just like many weddings today, my daughter hired her hair stylist, and a makeup artist to style hers and her bridesmaids’ hair, and have their makeup done – even Grandma and I were included. I never had the luxury before of having my hair and makeup professionally done for any event.
If possible, I would highly recommend it for all Mothers-of-the-Bride or the Groom. My appearance far exceeded anything I could have achieved on my own (love those false eyelashes), made me feel so much more confident, and was great for a long day of photos.
My niece took this cute picture of her daughters’ (junior bridesmaids) hair after getting it styled that morning.
THE CHURCH
My daughter got married at St. James Chapel. My daughter and her then-fiancé found the chapel in their initial search for a church & reception venue. St. James Chapel is affiliated with Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago. The Chapel is located in the Archbishop Quigley Center, the former minor seminary of the Archdiocese of Chicago.
St. James is available for weddings. However, they have strict rules for wedding ceremonies held there: no flowers or decorations allowed in the aisles, on the pews, attached to railings, or on the altar. Also, you are allowed only 20 minutes max of photo-taking after the ceremony.
Having beautiful flowers for my daughter’s wedding was very important to me. So when my daughter told me the archdiocese’s rules back then, I was very disappointed.
But then…
I saw photos of the chapel, and went to see a wedding performed there.
St. James Chapel is not only quaint and charming, but truly gorgeous. St. James Chapel is a French Gothic Revival design. It was completed in 1919 and inspired by Paris’ Sainte Chapelle. Just like Sainte Chapelle, it has stunning stained glass windows!
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All photos unless otherwise noted were taken by our wedding photographer, David Turner
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Take a look at some other magnificent photos of St. James Chapel…
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Dazzling stained glass windows…
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CANDLES
After my disappointment learning no flowers were allowed for weddings, I was ‘over the moon’ to find they did allow candles on the altar!!
This photo was taken earlier in the day, but by late-afternoon during their wedding ceremony, the glow of the candles was quite dramatic.
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FLOWERS / BOUQUETS
A peek at some of the wedding party’s beautiful bouquets (arranged by
~ The Bride ~
My daughter’s bouquet contained the special brooch (it had been her grandmother’s) that she received as a gift from my sister-in-law at the Bridal Tea she had given her (click here to see the exquisite The Bridal Tea)
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~ Bridesmaids ~
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~ Junior bridesmaids ~
Love the pink nail polish that matches their bouquets…
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LOVE BLOOMS
Here’s a look at a couple of our guests sharing in this celebration of love…
(Again, the idea for the Love Blooms was to have single flowers available for all guests to wear one in their hair or pinned to their clothing to further include them as part of the celebration.)
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The remaining blooms were taken to the Drake and put out for guests that weren’t able to attend the ceremony earlier.
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He said, “I do”…
& So Did She!
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And now we’re ready to party at the Drake Hotel…
Photo source: bing images
Inspirational Details 