Tell us a little about yourselves!
John and I are both creative people. I’m a creative director working in advertising and John is a UX designer and we came together over our love of art, music, fashion and food. Living in Chicago, we have a very fast-paced life filled with work, family, friends, and our dogs.
Why did you decide to get married where you did?
We met in Chicago and we wanted to start the next chapter of our lives here.
How many guests did you have?
None! We will have a larger party later on to celebrate with friends and family, but we wanted this moment to be between us and to not be influenced by what others may have wanted or expected us to do.
What was your budget? (If you are comfortable disclosing)
$1,500. It was important to us to look and feel our best on this day but within reason.
Tell us about your outfits.
This was one of the most important parts to us! We are both fashion lovers and we wanted to make sure our outfits were timeless, chic and classic (but also achieve that on a budget as mentioned above).
For me (Randie), I wayyyy over ordered dresses, shoes, accessories, etc. to make sure that I had the perfect outfit and that it fit with my vision. I ordered 8 pairs of shoes, thinking each time I found the perfect pair and then when I’d try them on with the dress, they’d fall short of what I had expected. I also had a bunch of accessories — earrings, purses, gloves, veils, etc. and would mix and match until I found the perfect combo. In the end, I opted not to wear some of the accessories as I felt it detracted from the elegant/classic look. I was scouring the internet for the perfect dress as well. I had a strong vision of wearing something that felt a little bit vintage, but was having trouble finding something that still felt modern. Once I found the Zenni dress from Reformation, it was sold out but I realized there was one dress left in store and it happened to be in my size. It felt like a sign that that was the dress I was supposed to wear. The coat from 4th + Reckless was a last minute addition as it was a little bit chilly in Chicago that day, but I’m so glad I found it because it perfectly rounded out the aesthetic.
What was the most important aspect for you, in terms of planning your wedding?
Making sure that it is a reflection of who we are as people. It is so important to us that the day felt authentically like us and no one else.
Were there any elements that were important for you to incorporate?
The city of Chicago, but not in the way most people expect to see Chicago when it comes to wedding photos. It’s not just a pretty backdrop and staged photos on the iconic bridges or at the lakefront. We wanted the photos to feel like just another day in the city. There’s always so much happening in Chicago and we are only two people of the millions that live there. Our story is unique, but it exists among millions of other stories happening at the same time. We wanted to be sure our photos captured the energy and pace of the city but also depicted a lot about us as a couple and what the city of Chicago means to us.
Any tips for couples getting married?
There is so much pressure around planning a wedding - feeling like you have to follow to all these traditions and other details can be overwhelming. It often feels like the actual marriage comes second to all of that. At the end of the day, it is about becoming a life-long partner with your person and nothing else. Do what makes you happy and makes you feel the most connected to your partner as you start the rest of your lives together. Don’t lose sight of that.
Are there any vendors that you would like to tell us a little more about?
I’d love to touch on working with our photographer Frankie Isabel. As our day was very scaled back, the photos were the most important part. Being creatives, it was so important to us that these photos were works of art that told our love story and captured our love for the city of Chicago. We wanted them to feel authentically like us and the moments she captured went above and beyond our biggest expectations. We brought a very strong vision to her and she respected it and built upon it. We actually booked Frankie before we were even engaged — when I saw her work, I immediately knew that she would understand how to capture our day authentically. There was no comparing photographers and no hesitation. Working with her has been a dream.
Photographer : Frankie Isabel @frankieisabelphotography | Ceremony Location : City Hall Chicago. | Flora : Exfolia Botanical @exfoliabotanical | Makeup. : Alyssa Diana Makeup @alyssadianamakeup | Randie's Dress : Reformation @reformation | Randie's Jacket : 4th + Reckless @4thandreckless | John's Suit : Express. | Engagement + Wedding Rings : Vrai @vraiofficial | Shoes : Badgley Mischka @badgleymischka | Earrings : Gorjana | Veil : Amazon