Mr. & Mrs. Withers

In California, we never get to fully experience the Autumn season. Lucky for me, I spent my Halloween weekend in Chicago to coordinate Dawne & Mike’s wedding at the Cheney Mansion in Oak Park, Illinois. Everywhere the leaves were falling, covering the ground in vibrant colors of red, orange and yellow. This provided a perfect atmosphere for the Autumn wedding that Dawne and Mike have been endlessly preparing for!

The couple lives in Los Angeles, but since Dawne is originally from Chicago, they decided to get hitched in her hometown. We kept a close eye on the weather all last week. Dawne told me that it had to be at least 60 degrees for the ceremony to be held outdoors on the Cheney patio. At the Halloween Costume Dress Rehearsal, the sun was shining and the weather was absolutely perfect so we planned for the outdoor ceremony. Unfortunately, you never know in Chicago, and Saturday arrived with temperatures in the low 50′s. We quickly went along with “Plan B,” and the ceremony unfolded beautifully indoors.

The Cheney Mansion was decorated with Autumn floral arrangements created by Ebony Lashay Smith. I loved the Renaissance music that was provided by harpist Annette Bjorling and clarinetist Kurt Bjorling during the ceremony. Pianist Kathie Nicolet played on the grand piano for the rest of the evening. Catered by Design provided guests with a delightful buffet meal, including festive orange and black pumpkin ravioli and a mini mashed potato/mashed sweet potato bar that was heavenly! Bonnie from Catered by Design was so kind and generous to surprise the couple with the Champagne Tree, something that I have never seen before! It was definitely impressive. The “Cupcake Wedding Cake” and the Red Velvet cutting cake were ordered from Swirlz Cupcakes and were a big hit among the guests.

Congratulations, Dawne & Mike! Have a fabulous time in Antigua!

The following photos have been provided by Mike & Dawne Withers; photographed by Bella Photography.

Mr. & Mrs. Davis

I was especially looking forward to Jessica & Jason’s wedding because it would be my first wedding coordination in Chicago. Since Jessica had gotten in touch with me only six weeks prior to the big day, we tackled every last wedding detail by phone and e-mail.

The wedding took place at the beautiful Redfield Estate at The Grove in Glenview, Illinois. The venue is perfect for a small, intimate wedding. Jessica’s fabulous girlfriends arrived early to assist me with the setup. As Jessica would say, they are truly “indispensable.” Guests followed a candlelit path to the enclosed grassy area for the ceremony. Excerpts from E.E. Cummings, I Carry Your Heart With Me and Carl Sagan’s, Pale Blue Dot were read by the couple’s close friends, Anna and Ryan. As the sun began to set, guests mingled on the patio during cocktail hour. Everyone was encouraged to try the couple’s specialty drinks, which were named after their cat and dog, Ned & Lindy, respectively. So adorable!

The wedding was catered by Hel’s Kitchen. Hydrangeas, candles, and lanterns filled the place and created a warm, cozy atmosphere. Since Jessica has a gluten-free diet, the party favors were gluten-free cookies made by Whole Bakers. The wedding cake was also a flourless chocolate cake from Trader Joe’s. For everyone with a regular sweet tooth (including me!), a delicious assortment of treats was set up at the fruit and dessert station.

The couple was so sweet to send me home with a beautiful hydrangea centerpiece… Thank you, Jessica and Jason! Congratulations to you both! I hope you had a wonderful time in Italy!

The following photos have been provided by Jason Davis & Jessica Manvell; photographs taken by Michael Rastall Photography.