Stephanie & Chris, Morgan Manufacturing

It was an honor to help plan Stephanie and Chris’ April Wedding last year. Stephanie and I have known each other for years as she used to be the events coordinator at the Chicago History Museum while I was working at Food For Thought. Together, we planned countless weddings and became fast friends. When she got engaged to Chris, needless to say, I was ecstatic. Stephanie has impeccable taste and after choosing Morgan Manufacturing for her wedding venue, I knew this was going to be an incredible wedding weekend.

Food was one of the most important parts of the wedding planning process to them since they had traveled all over the world (and would soon be living in China) so we wanted to create a menu that was a reflection of their travels but also unique and fun for their guests. Food For Thought designed Stephanie and Chris’ worldly menu that consisted of a Dim Sum Station with bahn mi’s, shu mai and pot stickers served in mini bamboo plates with chop sticks and accompaniments, a South American Station with skewers, mini chorizo sandwiches, rice and beans and plantain chips served on a black griddle top and a Middle Eastern Station with shawarma, gyros, gnocchi and a traditional Greek salad. We ended the evening with mini Chicago style hot dogs and fried cheese curds (thanks to Chris’ alma mater), Madison, Wisconsin style….with Tiger Sauce. Chris also flew in Milkbar (the bride’s favorite bakery in New York City) to surprise her with her wedding cake and cake truffles. Stephanie was so surprised and loved it!

Revel Décor provided a gorgeous landscape of botanical based floral that was seasonal and organic – exactly what Stephanie had envisioned for her wedding day. Stephanie carried a lush white bouquet with herb elements and black ”berry” accents (navy centered anemones and black seeded eucalyptus). The bridesmaids wore varying shades of grey and held red anemones and red ranunculous. They looked amazing all put together!

The ceremony was held inside Morgan Manufacturing and Revel hung a cluster of natural Manzanita branches showcasing draped greenery that hung behind the couple. We lined the aisle with pedestals and candles adding a glow to the walkway. We had three looks for the reception design each on wooden rectangle dining tables. One table had a greenery garland with botanical elements, votive candles and mixed metal candle holders. The second look had a collection of candles and botanical elements that included lisianthus, anemones, white roses, black berries and greenery. The third design had a knotted drift wood piece on the dining table with succulents, airplants and white floral finished with an ambient glow from the candles. The reception looked stunning and we finished the look by hanging a large Edison bulb chandelier over the dance floor. The room looked amazing! Amanda Hein captured this day beautifully while the Gold Coast All Stars kept the dance floor packed all night!

Stephanie and Chris met in graduate school at Northwestern. They are two of the funniest people I know and they were always making each other laugh. We had the best time together but more importantly I was honored to be a part of a dear friend of mine’s wedding. Stephanie and Chris are a perfect match and I am so excited to see where life takes them. For now, they are beginning their life as a married couple in China.

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