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Real Weddings: J. Lauren + Thomas

The adorable J. Lauren and Thomas were married on a gorgeous summer Chicago day and their ceremony and reception contains so many personal and handmade details!  I absolutely love it when couples incorporate special memories into their day and J. Lauren and Thomas’s wedding is full of them.  The beautiful images are by Ryan Timm Photography for Two Birds Photography.

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Hand-stitched ceremony programs and a hand-painted sign greeted guests as they arrived at the Byron Colby Barn and pointed the way to the ceremony under the gazebo.

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J. Lauren’s beautiful gown is from the 1800s and belonged to her great-grandmother.  Her mother also wore the gown in her parents’ wedding.

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Mason jars from J. Lauren’s great-grandmother’s kitchen were filled with flowers from Trader Joe’s, and J. Lauren and Thomas grew the rye grass for the escort card display.

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Lawn games were a perfect way for guests to relax and have some fun!  J. Lauren’s mother made a bean bag toss game, and the croquet set is J. Lauren’s grandparents’.

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J. Lauren’s maid of honor works with sculpture and helped to cut the tops off of Bombay Sapphire gin jars.  The beautiful blue glass was filled with sand from Assateague Island, MD, where J. Lauren has camped each summer since she was five years old.

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Thomas and J. Lauren met while working on the cast of an Alice in Wonderland production; to celebrate, many details, including the cake created by Thomas’s mother, were Alice in Wonderland-themed.

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The following Chicago wedding vendors contributed to Thomas and J. Lauren’s wedding:

Photography – Ryan Timm Photography for Two Birds Photography
Location – Byron Colby Barn
Catering – Maravelas
Cake – Groom’s mother and friend
Lighting – Party Lights
Gown – great-grandmother’s and mother’s gown, altered by The Dress Doctor

For more Chicago wedding inspiration and to follow EAD’s two Chicago bride bloggers, visit the Chicago local weddings guide!