Fall Micro-Wedding in Chicago

April 1, 2021

August 30, 2022

How about we time travel back to 2020, the year that was wildly surprising and unpredictable from March onward. Amidst the craziness, we were always so honored to still be part of someone’s big day, however that might look. Katie and Tim had their wedding planned for late March 2020 so when the world shut down a few weeks before their wedding, it was a rush to find a new date. No one could conceptualize how long Covid-19 would last so naturally we thought it would be safe to postpone their wedding until October 2020. We were clearly proven wrong but the happy couple still wanted to make it official and have a micro-wedding using most of their original vendors. They dwindled their 200+ guests down to their favorite 12 people for the most lovely Fall celebration downtown Chicago. They started at the Talbott Hotel with mimosas and brunch, and made their way to the St. James Chapel (just a few blocks away) for their ceremony. Katie and Tim saw one another for the first time as Katie walked down the aisle with her Dad. After a memorable and safe ceremony, everyone headed to the Washington Square Park for photos. The trees were just turning gorgeous hues of orange and yellow on October 31st which made for the perfect backdrop. Shortly thereafter, the group headed over to Katie & Tim’s condo for a dinner prepared by Cuisine with Colleen, a private chef from Michigan, which was the couple’s favorite part of the day because it was full of delicious drinks, food and their favorite company.

What was your favorite part of your wedding day?

“My favorite part was the intimate dinner at our home. We truly were able to connect with all our guests in a way that we couldn’t have at our big reception. It was a beautiful meal and also kind of fun to get to transform our condo.“

What was the best part about having an intimate ceremony & reception, knowing your wedding “party” would be the following year?

“Having the small ceremony & reception definitely cut down on the nerves a TON. It was a much more relaxed day than our original plan would’ve been. We were able to take our time during pictures — not worrying about rushing to cocktail hour — and really experience the full day rather than have it whizz by in a blur. And we are excited that when it comes time for the reception (hopefully this fall), it will just be a fun party without the stress of the ceremony tacked on. Finally, due to the change in plans, our wedding guests will now get to meet the newest member of our family at the reception: baby boy McLaughlin, who will be about 3 months old on our new date!“

Is there anything you would have changed about your micro-wedding, now looking back?

“No — we couldn’t have asked for a better micro-wedding!“

Did you feel your guests felt safe the day of your wedding?

“Yes. We took a lot of precautions to make everyone as comfortable as possible. For the two nights leading up to the micro-wedding, we had outdoor dinners at restaurants with outdoor seating (the Warbler (North Center/Lincoln Square) and Recess at City Hall (West Loop/Fulton Market area)). At the ceremony, our guests were masked inside the church. For transportation for pictures and the dinner, we rented a 40-person bus so that our 10 guests could spread out. All our group pictures were taken outside. At dinner, we sat people with their immediate families and maintained space in between the different groups. And most of our guests had quarantined or been COVID tested just before the wedding. We felt like we took all the steps we could to minimize the risk, and that everyone felt comfortable as a result. And we are so grateful that none of our guests contracted the virus!”