Kristen & Mike, Greenhouse Loft

Kristen and Mike were such a sweet couple and I knew from the first day I met Kristen, we were going to have a blast working together. I loved working with the two of them and every detail that went into this wedding was so memorable and made for such a great planning experience. Kristen and Mike were married at Greenhouse Loft in Chicago, a venue that had recently opened and was under complete construction when Kristen and Mike first chose it for their wedding venue. Greenhouse Loft is located in the historic Green Exchange Building and it was extremely important to Kristen and Mike to incorporate green details into their own wedding day. Kristen and Mike wanted to incorporate their alma maters into their wedding day as well, as both of their college experiences were so important to them.

Kristen spent four years on the cheerleading team at the University of Michigan and ended up finding her dress at a boutique in downtown Ann Arbor. That was so special to Kristen as her college town is so very dear to her heart. She incorporated the beautiful lace detail from her dress into her Amy Beck wedding cake as well. We also had the Wolverine Bride and Redbird Groom as their cake topper! Navy was one of her wedding colors, she wore a UMichigan Garter and her mother sewed UMichigan charms onto the heel of her Kate Spade shoes – “Go Blue!” At the reception, we served Bride and Groom specialty cocktails, Blueberry Vodka and Lemonade called “The Maize N’ Blue” and to represent Illinois State for Mike we served Red Sangria, “Redbird Sangria.”

We had a beautiful ceremony in the courtyard of Greenhouse Loft and Dolce Strings performed music that was meaningful to the Bride and Groom. Songs included, Coldplay’s “Paradise,” and Journey’s, “Don’t Stop Believing.” Kristen and Mike’s ring bearer carried an adorable wooden sign that read, “Uncle Mike, Here Comes Your Bride!” We hung stem-less wine glasses on shepherd hooks (that Kristen’s dad drilled holes in!) that we used as floral vases.

Guests enjoyed reading wooden signs that Kristen had made and we placed them all around the Loft with lyrics to their first dance song, Adele’s, “Make You Feel My Love. Kristen spent time creating all of her own personalized invitations, place cards and guests’ favors which were mason jars guests could use to fill up their own candy from a personalized candy station that filled the center of the room. Kristen’s sister designed the table numbers and head table place cards and signage. The entire family played such a role in all the planning for Kristen and Mike, which made the day so intimate and meaningful. Hearty Boys created ethnic food stations from all over the world that symbolized Kristen and Mike’s heritage and favorite cuisines. DJ Chris Vittorio with Spin Productions kept the dance floor packed all night long and Heather Parker Photography captured every moment and every personalized detail of Kristen and Mike’s wedding day!