Classic Kimpton Gray Chicago Wedding

November 20, 2019

November 20, 2019

Nicole and Patrick’s city summer wedding was the epitome of city-esque. Their varying shades of gray and white mixed with touches of greenery screamed elegant summertime Chi. When we originally met Nicole, we met her along with her sister, Taylor, and their mom. Both Nicole and Taylor are twins and were getting married in 2019. It was so fun to hear how their weddings were predicted to be so different, and after getting to know them both on a personal level and experience their big days, it was evident each wedding truly was uniquely them. But lets start with Nicole & Patrick’s wedding first, because it happened 3 months before Taylor & Mitch’s!

The day began with sunny skies, and a small percentage of rain. After doing the rain dance many (many) times, it seemed to work! The bridal party and guests got to and from Old St. Pat’s without a drop on them. Mother nature was on our side this lovely July afternoon! After their lovely church ceremony, guests returned to the Kimpton Gray for cocktail hour and dinner while the bridal party took some of the most adorable, bright, and airy photos ever!

After a delicious dinner, heart warming speeches, and a personal gift from the Father of the bride to his new son-in-law, guests moved over to Kimpton Gray’s rooftop bar – Boleo. This incredible rooftop bar isn’t just beautiful and new, but to put a cherry on top… it has a retractable roof! As Nicole and Patrick were introduced into Boleo and began their first dance, the roof opened up to expose the city night sky. It was magical!

We HAVE to bring up one of the most comical moments of the night. This group of party-goers have a tradition where you use the groom’s shoe and have shoe beer. Shoe beer, what is that may you ask? We had no idea either. You put an entire beer in a shoe (yes, dirty shoe) and drink it all up. Now, Patrick may or may not have gotten a clean shoe that wasn’t his actual wedding shoe for the shoe beer drinkers but it still had the same affect. Lots of chanting, lots of laughs, some spilled beer here and there, and we saw it again 3 months later.

The night finished off with lots of dancing, custom drinks, mouth watering dessert table, an assorted mini dessert station, midnight sparklers AND Patrick’s surprise banjo performance! He knows how to play…. very well…. and he got on stage with the band (we figured out those logistics in advance) and Nicole got up there with him for a song. The crowd literally went wild, it was so fun and sincere to experience.