Orso's, Chicago, IL Wedding | Jon & Sarah
Orso's, Chicago, IL Wedding
Sometimes photographing a specific wedding feels meant to be, and that was certainly the case with Jon & Sarah’s Chicago wedding. They contacted me 2 1/2 weeks before their wedding date after having some photographer troubles (Sarah shares those below!) and thankfully I was free! And as if booking a photographer 2 weeks before your wedding isn’t stressful enough, Sarah and Jon had the added bonus of a tornado warning and torrential downpours to contend with the day of their wedding, which caused their transportation to run 2 hours late, which meant that all of the backup rain locations they’d planned for photos were a no go. To say this day was one giant pivot after another is an understatement, but Sarah and Jon handled every turn and change with so much grace and flexibility.
There was so much to be thankful for in spite of all of the uncontrollable circumstances: I’m thankful for the hotel room balcony at the Waldorf Astoria that was just big enough for Jon & Sarah’s first look. I’m thankful for the beautiful lobby of the Waldorf and the staff who allowed us to do all of our family photos there while we were stuck inside during the rain waiting for the bus to arrive. I’m thankful for the divine break in the rain that allowed us to step outside for a few minutes to grab some lovely romantic city photos. I’m thankful for the intimate indoor ceremony location at Orso’s and the partially covered outdoor reception area they have there. Most of all, I am filled to the brim with gratitude for Jon and Sarah for allowing themselves to be present and enjoy their day in spite of the craziness!
And now, enjoy some of my favorites from their day, along with some words from Jon & Sarah sprinkled throughout!
Hair & Makeup: Jacquee Meller-Vogt
Florist: Natalie Kremer from Fabbrini’s Flowers, Inc.
Wedding Dress: The Altar Bridal in Barrington, IL
Shoes: Nine West
Bridesmaid's Dresses: David’s Bridal
Suits: Everyone either bought their own or is wearing what they had
Getting Ready: Waldorf Astoria Chicago
Ceremony & Reception: Orso’s Italian Restaurant
Cake: Sheila Perri at Dearfields Bakery
Second Photographer: Seth Deming
The Dress:
I’m not a shopper, so unlike most brides I wasn’t looking forward to shopping all day. After trying on about 12 dresses and nothing was working I started to feel defeated. I tried on a dress and thought ok finally a contender. Then I tried on THE dress. I finally knew why all those brides in “Say Yes to the Dress” would cry, I felt like a bride! It was all lace and other than length it fit perfect without any alterations. I felt absolutely perfect on my wedding day and I knew Jon would love it.
The Groom’s Suit:
I loved most that my son and I matched. We wore traditional black suites/black ties. Cameron and I also got “ special haircuts” at the same place downtown which added to an already great experience.
How they met & got engaged:
Jon and I met at a mutual friends house who was hoping we would hit it off, which we did. Jon asked me on a date 6 months later. After that we were together every chance we got. 8 months later on February 12th, Jon and his son Cameron planned an amazing proposal which tied into our favorite movie, Moonstruck. I of course said YES! One year from our first date we tied the knot!
The Photographer:
Our photographer is hands down the best! Our original photographer had to cancel last minute to due to medical reasons. Our second photographer went MIA and left us high and dry. Chrissy and Seth came in 2 weeks before and saved the day! They reassured us all along the way that we would have an amazing day. When tornado warnings, flooding and tons of rain all hit the day of our wedding they were quick to come up with solutions and assure us everything would be fine. I can’t say enough good things about them!
How they chose their venue:
Our ceremony/reception venue was the restaurant we went to for our first date!
The Ceremony:
Our ceremony was perfect. We had originally planned to have an outdoor ceremony but due to lots and lots of rain we moved indoors. It ended up being even better. The backup indoor area was very elegant and even more beautiful than I could have imagined. Jon’s good friend who I love hanging out with married us, making the ceremony very special and personal. Of course my favorite part was that our son, Cam was the best man and ring bearer!
The reception decor:
We picked our venue not only because it was our first date location but also because it has an adorable very simple and elegant patio with flowers. We had minimal added decorations, simple greenery with small flowers and lanterns for our centerpieces which our florist provided. Then we had a few added in DIY decorations.
The Party:
We kind of made our own party! Due to Covid we weren’t allowed a DJ or dancing so we made our own playlist and ended up staying way past our scheduled time just hanging out and catching up with close friends and family. It was great!
The Honeymoon:
We will go on a family honeymoon to Palm Springs, CA in late July. It’s nice that we have some time in between to rest up and it gives us something to look forward to now that our big day is over.
Anything you would have change:
There is nothing I would have done differently. Our day was ours and I will never forget it. Any hurtles that were thrown our way just showed us that we can stick together and get over it. Our day was perfect!
Advice for couples currently planning their wedding:
Try not to stress, which is kind of impossible. If you can take some time after the ceremony and before the reception for just you and your significant other.
