Meg and Kevin held an intimate and sophisticated wedding at one of Chicago’s most laid-back venues, Ovation. Theirs was a true Chicago wedding: their rehearsal dinner, welcome party, and wedding venue were all located within a half mile from their house! Inspired by Kinfolk and Anthropologie, they chose exposed wood, rustic tables, and a less is more vibe, which was beautifully carried out by their wedding planner, Laura Hayes of Anticipation Events. The couple decided to forego the traditional wedding party and had only a best man and maid of honor, but spent the morning getting ready with their closest friends. Meg donned a lovely Sarah Seven gown, accented with her favorite leather jacket! We adore the intimate and warm feel of every moment captured by Charming in Love!
In their own words
How did you meet?
We worked together at a fantastic cocktail bar in the Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago. Both early in our teaching career, we both had second jobs at the time. We met behind the bar and quickly hit it off.
What is your proposal story?
It was Kevin’s birthday weekend. We always love to do staycations downtown Chicago to celebrate big events once or twice a year. I had planned a weekend for us downtown. It was the first warm day of the season in mid April and we took a walk on the lakefront. Kevin took out a stack of every card I had ever given to him over the past ten years (birthdays, anniversaries, job interviews, etc.) to take me on a walk down memory lane of all we’d experienced together already. The last thing he took out of his bag was a ring. We blissfully walked back to the hotel and in a short amount of time our closest friends were waiting on the rooftop with cocktails to celebrate.
What was the most important to the two of you while planning? Was there anything that you chose to splurge on or skip?
We chose to splurge on the party – the venue, the music, the food, the booze. We wanted to throw a party that our friends would still talk about weeks and months after. Turns out, they do. We skipped favors and welcome bags – in our experience these are things that get left behind and are often forgettable, not to mention a big expense. We didn’t have a party bus – having the ceremony and reception all at the same venue eliminated the need to and being in the heart of the city, cabs and shared rides were abundant. You spend a lot of time worrying about what will be convenient for your guests, but for some of these decisions, you have to do what’s best for your wallet.
What were your favorite parts of the day?
We were married by our close friend and neighbor. It was the best decision we could have made regarding the actual wedding. The ceremony was so personal, with anecdotes about the two of us that only a close friend could know and share without it feeling like an inside joke to the rest of our guests. The processional music was also a great memory. The groom and our very small wedding party of family walked down the aisle to Tame Impala’s The Moment. It was like a big party. People were cheering! The dance floor was buzzing all night. It was never empty – and the two DJ’s were incredible at reading the crowd and mixing seamlessly. Friends and guests told us days and weeks after the wedding, how much they enjoyed the music and the dancing. We ended the night with a Chicago hotdog stand. People woke up the next morning with hot dogs in their suit coats. That’s a success in our book.
Do you have any advice for couples planning their weddings now?
Talk a lot about what you want before hand, what’s important to both of you. And then stick to it. Get comfortable telling people, “This is what we want and this is why we’re doing it this way.†Not everyone will remember your wedding and all the details – in fact, most won’t. But you always will. Do it the way you want it, because most of the other stuff doesn’t matter.