Gorgeous Green & Pink Chicago Ballroom Wedding

Gorgeous Green and Pink Chicago Ballroom Wedding – Clary Pfeiffer Photography – LOLA Event Productions 5

Winter proposals, winter decor, winter alpacas – we’re all about winter weddings right now and today is no exception.

Whenever we think of Chicago we imagine piles of fluffy snow, ice skating on the lakes & keeping cozy by the fire – so it’s fitting that this Chicago wedding takes place in the frostiest time of year. Luckily, the Windy City has no shortage of gorgeous indoor event spaces that make you forget about the frigid temps outside. Brad and Jen booked perhaps one of the prettiest wedding venue of all for their winter wedding day – the Chicago Cultural Center.

You’ll see why it was such an easy choice when scrolling through Clary Pfeiffer‘s gorgeous wedding photos. The grand ballrooms, incredible artistry, ornate ceilings & art deco tiles is a wedding couple, photographer & planner’s delight! The couple’s planner took cues from the glorious green & pink rooms & let the venue’s natural beauty shine with more complementing hues of drapery and florals.

Our Love Story

Jen and Brad connected on Bumble while living in New York City. Jen had just moved to the Big Apple, and being the lover of bagels that she is, asked Brad for a list of his recommendations. Brad replied he’d be happy to share his favorites over dinner. By their fourth date, they became virtually inseparable.

After eight months of dating, Brad moved to Chicago for a new job, and another three months later, Jen followed suit. At that point, knowing Jen was “the one,” Brad began planning his proposal. On the day of the proposal, two of Brad’s future groomsmen chauffeured Jen around Chicago, stopping at six landmarks representing her and Brad’s first Chicago experiences. At each stop, Jen was surprised by one of her future bridesmaids, and between stops, the remainder of their wedding party who couldn’t fly in gave Jen a call. At the fifth stop, Jen was met by her parents, who gave her their blessing, and at the sixth and final stop, Brad asked her to spend the rest of their lives together.

Brad had Jen’s engagement ring custom designed by family jeweler Eitan Borochov. Engraved inside is a special message just for Jen. Eitan also crafted both Jen and Brad’s wedding bands.

The Dress & Attire

Jen and her maid-of-honor Kelley visited five bridal boutiques before finding the perfect dress at Mira Couture. As Jen tried on the gown, she and Kelley both began to cry, knowing their search had ended. The winning dress was designed by Netta BenShabu, who Jen had the privilege of meeting in-person during her final fitting. To complete her look, Jen wore Jimmy Choos and diamond and pearl earrings, which are family heirlooms.

On their wedding day, Jen also wore Brad’s great-grandmother’s gold wedding band, which is over 100 years old. Every bride married in that ring has enjoyed a long and happy marriage. Brad wore a custom-made tuxedo he had designed while traveling abroad with Jen. Because their sweet miniature schnauzer Winston couldn’t attend the wedding due to previous obligations, Brad wore around his wrist Winston’s light-blue baby collar, the one he had on the day Jen and Brad picked him up.

Jen’s bridesmaids wore light French grey gowns from Weddington Way. Each selected the dress style that spoke most to them. Brad’s groomsmen and ushers all wore black tuxedos.

“As you can imagine, getting married in February in Chicago can be chilly. But for Jen and Brad, it was one of the warmest days of their lives, as they were surrounded by their favorite people.”

Gorgeous Green and Pink Chicago Ballroom Wedding – Clary Pfeiffer Photography – LOLA Event Productions 2

The Wedding Party

Jen’s bridesmaids included her two sister-in-laws, as well as childhood best friends from Winter Park, FL; her freshman-year roommate; and close friends she met post-college while living in Washington D.C. Brad’s 14-year-old brother served as his best man. His groomsmen and ushers were comprised of best friends made during during college, post-college in Chicago, and while earning his MBA in Boston.

The Planning

Jen and Brad were blessed to have an all-star cast of vendors. First and most fortunately, they met Michelle Kurinec of LOLA Event Productions, who was the best planner they could have ever asked for. She was patient, thoughtful, and creative, and helped make Jen and Brad’s wedding truly magical. They feel fortunate to now call Michelle a dear friend.

Soon after, Jen and Brad visited the Chicago Cultural Center, a historic former library near Chicago’s Millennium Park and instantly fell in love. After weeks of research, they then selected Clary Pfeiffer and her husband Travis as their engagement and wedding photographers. Clary’s reputation precedes her, and her photographs exude a timeless beauty that captures the moment exactly as her subjects would like to remember it. She and Travis are a dream team, and the couple will forever cherish their photographs.

Gorgeous Green and Pink Chicago Ballroom Wedding – Clary Pfeiffer Photography – LOLA Event Productions 4

The Ceremony

After Brad, the wedding party, and Jen’s young niece and nephew made their way down the aisle, a string quartet played “Stand By Me” as Jen was accompanied by her father. For many of Jen and Brad’s 225 wedding guests, this was their first multi-faith wedding. Rabbi Michael Sommer and Father Jef Johnson combined to lead a heart-felt ceremony during which the bride and groom exchanged personalized vows under a contemporary chuppah embedded with ivy green and blush floral.

Gorgeous Green and Pink Chicago Ballroom Wedding – Clary Pfeiffer Photography – LOLA Event Productions 6

The Reception

Following the ceremony and cocktail reception, one of Brad’s best friends introduced the parents, wedding party, parents, and newlyweds, as well as a surprise guest – Jordan Haller, Jen’s favorite YouTube artist, who sang a cover of “Safe and Sound” as Jen and Brad danced their first dance as a married couple atop a brilliant black-and-white checkerboard floor. Jordan then sang “The Same,” a song he and Brad co-wrote for Jen that documented the couple’s love story and journey.

Shortly thereafter, the bride, groom, and guests enjoyed a spectacular dinner, as well as appetizers earlier in the evening, prepared by Jewell Events Catering. Following dinner, all in attendance danced the night away to Lakeshore Encores, one of Chicago’s premier wedding bands. As the clock struck midnight, Jen and Brad headed back to their hotel suite, changed out of their wedding attire, and headed toward an after-party hosted by close friends and guests.

The Honeymoon

Jen and Brad were fortunate to travel to two places they had never been before. They spent five exciting days on safari at Mala Mala Private Game Resort in South Africa. They then spent a blissful six days soaking up the sun at the Amari Havodda resort in the Maldives.