Chicago Wedding with a Peacock Theme

I love this wedding!  The couple is darling, the details are unique, and the venue is so sparkly!  Elizabeth and Sasha chose to have the peacock as their main inspiration ... and some of their details reminded me of this peacock wedding cake and these peacock wedding invitations!  Hope you love this one!

XO~ Heather

There was no choice when it came to my photographer. We got engaged and I immediately thought I have to make sure Just Love Me Photography is available. This was one of the most important parts of my wedding for me. After everything is said and done our photos will be a memory of that day forever. Jessi and Julie are incredible, they captured everything I was looking for and more. As my wedding day came closer it was apparent that it was going to rain. Jessi was already ahead of me in finding a solution as I was looking forward to taking pictures outside. One look at our photos and you would never even notice. I have become an instant lifetime customer. I can not wait until I have the opportunity to use this team again!

My husband is from the Balkan and so I wanted the ceremony to be as familiar and true to form as if we were actually in Serbia. There is a beautiful tradition that as each guest arrives at the church the woman are given a small handmade wrist flower and the men are given a small handmade boutonniere that the guests wear for the rest of the day. This is a small symbol that we are all becoming one family. The service itself has been untouched for generations including the actual tying of our hands and wearing full regal crowns as we entered God's Kingdom through marriage.  Even though this is common place for most Orthodox people (I grew up as a Lutheran) this was very exciting and moving for my family and friends to see!

We choose Belvedere Banquets and Events for a few reasons. The fact that I was given a personal consultant was a huge help as I did not hire an actual wedding coordinator. Caroline was amazing, she took all of the worry out of planning my reception. She also worked great with my other vendors and made sure that all of the "day of" set up went off with out a hitch. I also really liked the idea that there was an onsite catering option, we did not have to hire another vendor for dining. Everything was delicious and they were attentive to our guests who had allergies and food sensitivities. Oh, and the venue is gorgous! The entrance and lobby are very impressive and inviting all at once. Our space had everything I was looking for, clean, interesting lines, soft, flattering coloring, and a beautiful staircase for a grand entrance. We loved every moment of our reception.

At first I did not have a theme, just the idea of using the natural colors found in the peacock feather. My engagement was a little over a year long and during that time I received so many gifts of actual peacocks that I decided that was a sign. I carefully began to use the whole bird as inspiration, taking care not to allow the idea to become too kitschy, just small subtle hints.

Everyone will all of a sudden become a wedding expert, which can he helpful at times and will try your nerves other times. My biggest piece of advice is to remember that this is your wedding. Talk to your groom, make sure his wants are heard. Once you have everything that is important to the two of you, then you can start to branch out and listen to other peoples wants, and believe me, it might surprise you how many people around you will want something. Just stay calm and smile, your day will be amazing!

My florist was Jim Fabbrini of Fabbrini's Flowers. I just LOVED my flowers! The colors were so vibrant and true. He created a beautiful cascading bouquet for me and gorgeous clutch bouquets for my bridesmaids (along with all of our centerpieces and flowers for my groom, groomsman and all of our special guests) Jim was so patient as both my mother and I had many questions for him. He answered each email and voicemail very quickly and with simple exact answers (just what a bride needs!). The day of our wedding our flowers were dropped off at each location exactly when they were promised. I could not have been happier!

Photographer: Just Love Me Photography

Venue: Belvedere Banquets and Events

Floral Design: Fabbrini's Flowers

Catering: Belvedere Banquets and Events

Bride's Dress: LJM Bridal

Bridesmaid Dresses: Bella Bridal and Formal Wear

Reception Music: A Touch Of Music

Wedding Stationery: Majestic Mills Engraving Company

Linen Rentals: Titas Linens by Claudia

Comments

[Miami Wedding Photographer]

Beautiful details and congrats to the bride and groom!