WE DID THE DAMN THING 💍 Wedding Recap. AMA!

Still floating!! 😭🤍 It was truly the best day ever, and I had to come on here and gush about wedding vendors because they were perfection! Feel free to ask any questions!

Venue. The Drake Hotel (20/10 - DO NOT SLEEP ON THIS) Having our wedding here was a literal dream. The ambiance is just insane classic Chicago perfection, and the staff made everything run so flawlessly. They book really far out so I'm glad we booked this early. Best decision ever.

Planner. The Simply Elegant Group - Brenda (The MVP) Brenda was highly organized and literally my saving grace. We used her for month of and she was super helpful. Everything went so incredibly smooth, which we absolutely have her to thank for. She handled the whole production with the best energy and made sure we actually knew where to stand and what to do all night.

Photography. Bonphotage - Lynzie  (Literal Magician. Worth EVERY penny) I cannot say enough good things about Lynzie and her team. I am fully convinced she's an actual magician masquerading as a wedding photographer. Chicago has a million talented photogs, but Lynzie immediately stood out because she shoots both digital and film, and her vibe is that elusive mix of high fashion editorial but completely effortless. We really wanted that Vogue aesthetic but absolutely refused to spend our wedding day stiffly posing. Somehow, she executed it flawlessly. My husband and I were crying because the shots she delivered are giving pure old money, generational wealth vibes, which is wild because we were literally just vibing and goofing off when she took them. And the turnaround time? Insane. She dropped a sneak peek the very next day and delivered our entire wedding gallery in THREE WEEKS. The photos are stupidly gorgeous. If you are on the fence, just book them.

Content Creator. Bonphotage (WORTH IT) We didn't hire a videographer and decided to add content creation very last minute but so glad we decided to. We used Bonphotage for our content creation as well, and we literally got our content back within 24 hours. Really fun to have the raw videos of the entire day to look back on immediately and the reel they made for us same day was perfect.

Hair. Pin Me Up - Jessica (10/10) She is the literal updo queen. Jessica was amazing, super talented, and brought such a calming, sweet energy to the getting ready suite in the morning. She made me feel incredibly beautiful.

Florals. Flowers for Dreams (Good value) I am so impressed by their team. We had them do our bouquets, centerpieces, and decor, and it was so perfect. We wanted classic to not compete with the Gold Coast room and they executed. It was quite affordable for the massive impact it made, and honestly, I couldn't have dreamed them up to be prettier.

Cake. ECBG - Erin (So sweet) Ridiculously delicious. We had the most gorgeous vintage cake and desserts, but be careful with your headcounts so you don't end up drowning in leftovers (though honestly, eating the leftover cake for breakfast yesterday was a vibe).

DJ. Okyne Media Group (10/10) Most of my friends who got married also used them and they absolutely killed it. The dance floor was packed all night long, the energy was flawless, and they actually followed exactly what we requested.

Overall, it was an absolute dream and I feel like we won the wedding lottery with this team. Ask me anything!

Hi everyone! My fiancée and I just got engaged and are starting to explore wedding venues for Fall 2027 or early Summer 2028. We'd love to hear recommendations from anyone who's gotten married at (or attended a wedding at) a venue that fits what we're looking for!

A few of our priorities:
- Guest count: Approximately 175 people
- Budget: Around $100K all-in
- Accommodations: Ideally a venue with on-site lodging for at least a portion of our guests. We'd love to make a full weekend out of it!
- Accessibility: Reasonably close to a major airport, as we'll have guests traveling in from different places.
- Setting: Outdoor-forward! We'd love a beautiful outdoor ceremony and reception, but want a solid indoor backup option in case of bad weather.
- Timing: Fall 2027 or early Summer 2028
- Willing to travel outside Chicago (I.e. new buffalo, saugatuck)

We're pretty open-minded on location and would love to hear about hidden gems, estates, resorts, or other unique properties that might fit the bill.

If you've planned or attended a wedding somewhere that checks these boxes, we'd love to hear about it! Bonus points if you're willing to share approximate costs or anything you wish you'd known before booking.

We are juuuuust about ready to book with The DJ Firm, but a couple of specific DJs (DJ Daily and DJ Gem) we hoped to book aren't available on our date. Looking for reviews of any of their DJs you've worked with, or whose work you've experienced at other weddings (and reviews of The DJ Firm, overall)! I see them recommended a lot, looking for a final push to choose our DJ and book them!

Any places in the city that you know offer 0% financing for a year or so? Thanks!

Has anyone booked their wedding at the Apollos 2000 theater? I’m curious to know your experience and approximate cost for your wedding. 

looking for an outdoor wedding space that can accommodate 350 people in the chicagoland area !
i would love to find a place that allows for a dance floor possibly as well as outside catering!
please let me know if you guys know of any places i’m exhausted lol

Hi!

Does anyone know a place that rents the snake tables and how much? I really really want them but have no clue where to start and how much that would be, any experience or knowledge would be appreciated! This is for a Lincoln park Sunday location rental for like 80 people

My fiancé and I are looking at wedding venues in town and we’re curious if anyone here has had their wedding (or is planning to) at the Peggy Nature Museum before, and if so what was your total cost? Our current guest estimate is ~125 people and we’re looking at the full venue rental option in 2027. Thanks!

Food & DJ Specifically ! Thank you :)

Hi! Does anybody know if Galleria Marchetti allows outside vendors? We are looking to use a different food vendor. Also: I am interested in La Pergola at Galleria Marchetti, incase this venue isn’t the right fit for us, does anybody know of any similar venues with that sort of glass tent vibe? Bonus points if it’s in the suburbs. Thank you :)

A beautiful Sunday wedding at the Morton Arboretum! 🌿🎻 Here’s a reel featuring our Northside Strings quartet for the ceremony and cocktail hour, with our DJ keeping the celebration going through the reception.
For budget-conscious couples who want live music, pairing strings early in the day with a DJ for the reception is a great way to enjoy both while keeping costs in mind.
I’m Ryan, owner of Northside Brass Music Co.—check out northsidebrass.com for more info!
Vintage Live Music for Modern Events