July 21, 2022

Rachel & Diana’s wedding day felt nothing short of a TON of love and adorably cohesive details. They started the day in separate rooms at the Renaissance Hotel off of Wacker. When it came time for their first look, they wanted a private moment away from the foot traffic and hotel guests because it was over Labor Day weekend. They met in each other’s suite and turned around at the window sill. It was the perfect way to start photos, which then continued on the river. The forecast was supposed to rain during photos so the original plan was to take photos in Lincoln Park but to be safe, they kept close and under cover and it ended up being a beautifully lit location.

The wedding party headed over to the Joinery for the remainder of the wedding. Ceremony was inside, guests were then invited outside for cocktails, then back inside for dinner and dancing. They had an epic ceremony backdrop which we later hung the ladies’ last name from for a fun backdrop throughout the evening. They had an adorable photo booth guest book that looks like a coffee table book but opens up to regular photo strips inside (from Crate & Barrel). The night was full of a hot pretzel wall, delicious cake and lots of dancing!

And of course, a few words from our brides!

Are there any stores (online or virtual) that you purchased wedding-related items (guest book, signage, etc.) that you’d like to recommend?

Rachel learned calligraphy before our wedding so she could make our table numbers, seating chart, and various signs. She was not ready to take on the welcome sign. She stumbled upon a local Chicago artist, Kathryn Allbright (Kathryn Korff Designs), that does acrylic signage. She made our welcome sign everything we would have asked for. We absolutely loved it. She is incredibly easy to work with, responsive, and her work is impeccable. (www.kathrynkorffdesigns.com insta- kathrynkorffdesigns).

We also had success with our bridesmaid dresses online through Revelry. You are able to try on a few different styles and sizes in your home to see if you like the dress prior to purchasing. Our bridesmaids each picked a different style but the same color and fabric. We had difficulty finding a store that could match our dark teal color theme, but they offered many options and made it easy!

When did you start dating? When did you get engaged? When did you get married?

After seeing Rachel’s profile on Hinge, which included a picture at an escape room, Diana had questions. Specifically “did you escape? I don’t accurately know how to judge you.” And with that great pick-up line, their story was off. After properly vetting that meeting in person would not result in anyone appearing on a Dateline episode, on September 3, 2019, they had their first date at Old Irving Brewing Company. 

On August 28, 2020, Rachel fulfilled what Diana had suspected from the start – that Rachel wouldn’t be able to wait a year to propose- by asking Diana to marry her in an elaborate escape room proposal. With bars closed, they celebrated with a parking lot party with their siblings. Two weeks later, Diana proposed to Rachel at Old Irving Brewing Company.

September 3, 2021 marked two years since we walked into a bar on a random Tuesday and the beginning of our married life. 

Did you know what one another was wearing or was it a total surprise? 

We tried to keep this a complete surprise. Rachel is the first to spill a secret, but surprised us all with not sharing. However, Rachel’s Mom accidently showed Diana a picture of her dress when she tried to show her another picture instead. Rachel’s Mom tried to cover it up by saying “That might now be her dress.” Although, it was the exact picture where Rachel was holding a sign that said “I said yes to the dress!” 

After Diana and Rachel went to brunch on a Saturday morning and split a kraf of bubbly mimosas, Diana spilled to Rachel what her dress looked like. We bought our dresses at the same bridal store. What Diana did not know is that Rachel followed the bridal store on instagram. The day before the brunch, they posted a picture of Diana’s dress and Rachel knew exactly which dress she was talking about. 

So, we accidently shared our dresses before walking down the aisle. 

What was your favorite part of the wedding weekend / wedding day?

I think one of our favorite wedding-weekend parts was we did a boat tour the night before for friends in town/family.  We thought it was going to be on the river … ended up being in Lake Michigan.  We learned about portrait photos that night!  So they turned out great.  I think the best part of this is maybe the opposite of my #2, but it was nice to see people not in the context of the wedding day and make sure that we got to spend enough time with everyone without it being rushed.

Favorite parts of the wedding day would be two, same idea to both.
1) The first was having the trolley ride over to the venue and having time to sit and hang out with Rachel before the wedding.
2) The second was the time waiting for the other trolley to arrive in the speakeasy.  Just some calm before the storm time was nice.

VENDOR LOVE:

Venue & Bar // The Joinery
Catering // Jordan’s Food of Distinction
Photography // Photography by Lauryn
Florist // Thistle and Plume
DJ // Cage and Aquarium
Bakery // ECBG
Lighting // Elevated Event Design
Hair // Kirk That Updo
Makeup // Makeup Artistry by Lauren
Hotel // Renaissance
Gowns // Lovely Bride
Engagement Rings // Hamilton Jewelers
Paper Goods // Minted
Guest Book // Crate & Barrel

– Ohana Events