Chicago Conservatory Elopement with a Leopard Print Dress & a Surprise Act of Kindness

Kat

Emily Gualdoni

August 21, 2020

They were always going to elope and luckily, even though a lockdown was imminent, Jodi and Terry were still able to go ahead with their intimate March wedding. They'd booked into have their quicky ceremony at Garfield Park Conservatory in Chicago (which was free!) and a friend, who got ordained especially for the event, hosted the proceedings. They had no guests at the ceremony, which was always their plan. They really didn't want a big wedding or any fuss. The idea was for it to just feel like a fancy day out.

Tattoos, Smoke Bombs & Pups: Trash The Dress Wedding in Chicago

Erin Balfour

Ed and Aileen

May 20, 2018

If this is how you do weddings in Chicago, I want in. Let me just list the boxes Brandi and David ticked on their incredible day: a romantic rooftop first look, getting hand tattoos in their hotel room, playing with smoke bombs against the backdrop of a spectacular rainbow, and their two pups were the ring bearer and flower girl! Then, as if that wasn't kickass enough, a week later the bride contacted photographers Ed and Aileen Photography to do a 'trash the dress' session, which took place in Lake Michigan on a 2°C day! That's not just setting the bar high, that's sending it stratospheric.

Goodbye San Francisco, Hello Chicago!

Kat

Kristin Cofer

May 15, 2014

Hello beautiful! This update comes to you from a very chilly Chicago, where I'm sat in my Air B&B digs with Gala and Shauna, hiding from the weather and planning our adventures in this brand new city.

Bright Red Wedding in Chicago: Grayson & Gareth

Kat

Sean Dorgan

January 15, 2014

Grayson and Gareth wanted a colourful wedding and opted for a bright red theme. The bride's dress, bouquet and nails were crimson red and there were flourishes throughout their reception décor too. The day was held at the Waldorf Astoria hotel in Chicago.

Party Backstage with Jason Kaczorowski Photography in Chicago

Kat

February 12, 2013

With a background in music photography and a passion for wedding imagery, Chicago based photographer Jason Kaczorowsk is combining the two and having one hell of a party to celebrate... and he wants to see you there!

Chicago Boat Wedding: Sonia & Balthazar

Kat

November 20, 2012

Sonia & Balthazar's wedding was anything but typical. This casual couple turned up late, got ready in minutes, sailed off on a boat for the ceremony and had a meal at a Russian restaurant for their reception. "My husband and I are in love with the sea - the smell, the mystery and the expansiveness", began the bride. "We feel most comfortable near large bodies of water, so the idea of getting married on a boat seemed like the most appropriate. We had sailed on the Red Witch in 2009 with Balthazar's aunt and uncle in Port Washington during a tall ship festival. We overheard the Captain saying that they host parties and weddings and looked at each other simultaneously, with the same thought in mind: this is our vessel of love."

A Doggy Ringbearer, A Slimed Wedding Cake & An Epic Dance Party: Jen & Nick

Kat

November 7, 2012

Having never been to a traditional wedding as adults, Jen & Nick really had no preconceptions about what should happen at a wedding. Instead they took to it as they might when planning any party...and they did what they wanted!

A Woodland Party Wedding: Kat & Mat

Kat

October 31, 2012

"Woodland party circus!" replied newlywed Kat when I asked her to describe her wedding. "At least that was the three things we kept saying to people when they asked what our wedding was going to be like." Kat & Mat were married at The Hideout, a bar and music venue in Chicago. "We really didn't want to have a traditional banquet wedding, and we both wanted something that was very relaxed", the bride continued. "The ceremony was an important part of the day for us but we also knew the party was equally important! We saw the reception part of the evening an opportunity to really celebrate with all the friends and family who had come from both close (a few blocks away) and far (as far as Australia). We racked our brains and both of us have some great memories of The Hideout. We spend a lot of time going to shows there and we even first met at one, so it seemed like a natural fit. I think the venue was what really made our wedding special and started to really define how we were going to work in the rest of the details."

Batman, Fish & Beards – A Party-Hard Nightclub Wedding: Dustin & Morgan

Kat

April 30, 2012

You'd be shocked at the number of emails I recieve from brides-to-be who tell me they love my site and the weddings I feature but that they're worried that their wedding will somehow not 'measure up' or be 'as cool' as the weddings they see online. My response to these girls is always the same: your wedding is not a 'coolness' competition or a chance to show off. Your wedding is for you and your partner and it will be awesome because you are awesome. The love is the most important thing, not the amazing centrepieces, the quirky stationery or the beautiful dress. These things are meant to enhance your day for you, to be fun and exciting, they do not and will not define anything other than that. So why did I want to mention that again today? Well Dustin & Morgan's wedding is pretty much the epitome of Rock n Roll awesome. It wasn't detail-heavy or wedding blog pretty - it was just a seriously awesome party! It celebrated their love in their way and they were 100% unapologetic about that fact... And you know what? It's one of my favourite weddings that's I've featured in a long time! So, forget about the bunting, the mason jars or the designer frock and focus on what's important - the LOVE (and in this case, the dancing)...

Back to School – A Madmen & Book Themed Wedding: April & Zdenko

Kat

September 13, 2011

As a high school teacher, getting married at the school she taught at seemed like the perfect idea to April. The venue also gave them a really great starting block for a totally unique and awesome wedding - Back to School! "I'd say our wedding was a mix of Madmen style with a book theme," April explained. "I am a high school English teacher and my husband is a graduate student at University of Chicago with plans to be a professor. A book theme just seemed natural. I immediately knew I wanted books as our centerpieces and since our names are April and Zdenko, A to Z bookends were perfect. Then I thought of personalized pencils and it all started to come together."

Tess & Ray’s Dream-Like Backyard Wedding

Kat

July 12, 2011

Tess & Ray's backyard wedding is pretty much what my dreams look like. Tess told me all about it and I swooned over every detail, "From the very beginning Ray and I knew that we wanted our wedding to be relaxed and FUN, but most importantly something we could be proud of. We wanted to stay true to ourselves and not worry about any kind of fuss or frill. We wanted to make our dream a reality without breaking our backs trying to pay for it."

Kennon & Bob’s “Double Rainbow” DIY Wedding

Kat

January 24, 2011

Kennon & Bob's "double rainbow" wedding is a perfect example of why less than perfect weather doesn't have to spell a disaster for your wedding or your wedding photographs! The wedding was held at South Shore Cultural Center, Chicago - the same venue that The Obama's held their wedding reception! The couple also loved the venue because all their rental fees are given to support arts and cultural programming in the area. "If you asked our family and friends, they'd say that we're Rock n Roll because we have tattoos and piercings, aren't traditional or religious, go a lot of concerts and love to throw parties," the bride told me. "Ok, we agree. We just didn't want a cookie-cutter wedding. We wanted nothing to do with dowries, religious figures or treating women as possessions. We wanted to share our beliefs in marriage -- love, respect, equality, friendship -- and to throw one hell of a party!"

Scott & Ashley’s Incredible DIY Picnic Party Wedding

Kat

October 19, 2010

I loved Scott & Ashley's wedding as soon as I saw it...and I loved it (and them!) even more once I got chatting to the bride and their photographer Jeremy Lawson about all the amazing little details of their day. "Our inspiration came from our love of the vintage," the bride began. "We listen to records at the house, shop for clothes at retro themed consignment stores, and stay glued to TCM. We sort of envisioned a party that looked like a party scene we saw years ago in the movie Mona Lisa Smile combined with the famous barefoot dancing scene from Big Fish in the town of Spectre. We wanted that easy, happy, homemade, and colorful party for our closest friends and family."

Dave & Kirsten’s Tattooed & Quirky Chicago Wedding

Kat

September 20, 2010

Dave & Kirsten's kooky and personal wedding was created as a perfect reflection of them as a couple. Their love of tattoos, fashion and all things vintage was their inspiration and what really shone through on their day. The bride knew she wanted a flattering tea-length dress but after a fruitless search in dress shops and even online, she decided the best way to get her perfect gown was to create it herself. She went to the drawing board and drew out her ideal dress which she then brought to a seamstress who worked with her to make it. She accessories with a blue birdcage veil which she picked up from a vintage shop in Chicago. She picked the colour to match her bridesmaid's dresses. Finally, to complete her look she wore one of a kind jewellery all made for her by friends.

Minimal Modern with Vintage Touches

Kat

July 2, 2010

I really love featuring weddings that I feel like I was in anyway a little part of shaping. Not only did the bride Carolynne read Rock n Roll Bride throughout her planning (yey!) but she even won one of my contests for a cute Lissita Treasure Ring by TokyoMade which she gave to her Maid of Honour to wear on the day!

Walking on Water

Kat

June 18, 2010

You are going to love Soumya & Anil's photo shoot. Not only is Soumya wearing some of the most gorgeous dresses, like ever, but the backdrop and setting - in particular the way they are reflected in the water, is nothing short of spectacular. Anil is really into working on cars so they had to get that into the shoot too and the contrast between the two themes works perfectly.

Fabulous Chicago Town, Quirky & Creative Wedding Fest!

Kat

June 7, 2010

Stop number two on our whirlwind tour takes us to the windy city - aka Chicago. I have always been a massive fan of photographer Jeremy Lawson so when I saw this latest wedding, in the same antique/salvage shop that we all fell in love with from his last wedding that I blogged, I couldn't wait to get him on board for another feature! Denise & Mark are both self-confessed quirky and creative types - she is an art director for a music and diy magazine and he runs his very own 'nerd blog' Wolf Gnards - so of course their wedding was going to be a super special one. "When it came to the wedding we wanted to create a fun, unique experience for our friends and family" the couple told me. "Our venue was an architectural salvage / loft space which ended up being the inspiration for the whole event-- everything from my dress to the centerpieces took on that unique, vintage, diy feel...Expect for the cake-- that was straight from the future! But it definitely was a crowd pleaser."

Antique Market Dreams

Kat

May 7, 2010

I have much love for Chicago photographer Jeremy Lawson and it's always a pleasure to feature his Rock n Roll weddings - especially when they are as awesome as the one of Mary & Alton. The wedding took place at the uber cool Salvage One, which, with it's awesome signage and rustic, almost derelict, antique market interior provided the perfect backdrop to the event. Mary's vintage look was provided by local Chicago design Jess Audey who custom made her beautiful dress and Antje Kastner at Tigerlilie who did her retro/rockabilly style hair and make up.

Celebrate in Style

Kat

December 11, 2009

I have rather a loving relationship with all the regular contributors to Rock n Roll Bride. After all, they are the ones keeping me going and sending me wonderful and inspiring content to share with you all. So when Jeremy Lawson told me that his love for me continued to grow...well I could hardly say no to featuring Melissa and Howell's fabulously chic wedding could I? (ps emails like this really make me smile so thank you thank you thank you!)

Til Death Do Us Part

Kat

November 26, 2009

This British groom and his Texan bride may have met at a Chicago Cubs game but flew back to Texas to get married. Both parties brought some of themselves into their day - most notablyin the cakes! Matt must certainly be a football (soccer) fan. I loving Holly's David's Bridal dress, the Rock n Roll graffiti portraits ('til death do us part' how perfect is that!?) and the masquerade ball-esque masks. Thank you to photographer, Belen for sharing these today