Modern Micro Wedding | Destination Wedding Photographer | Celeste Chicago Wedding | Modern Rooftop Restaurant
Modern Rooftop Restaurant Bar Venue | Celeste Chicago Wedding | Destination Wedding Photographer | Best Downtown Chicago Micro Wedding Venue
Alyeesha and Joe started their wedding day getting ready in a beautiful suite overlooking Millennium Park at the Chicago Athletic Hotel on Michigan Avenue. I absolutely love the details and vendors they chose for their wedding day. By starting at a historic hotel in the center of downtown, they were able to do their first look with the backdrop of the bustling city streets behind them. We then strolled around downtown Chicago for bridal portraits all along La Salle to the Board of Trade. After wrapping up the portraits of the two of them we headed in car over to the venue, where they had their intimate ceremony and reception at the enclosed rooftop of Celeste.
The Florist for the wedding day was Asrai Garden. I’ve done quite a few weddings with them now, and their floristry always amazes me. They not only choose unique and beautiful combination of flowers, but are so good at creating a beautiful space for your personal vision. Alyeesha curated all of the pieces for her long bridal dining table and the florals fit into the table scape perfectly. Her candle and vase options she collected were just lovely together. As for the food, the lovely team at Celeste could not have done a better job. I mean, I’m already a huge fan of fried chicken, but especially when you put it in a beautiful plating and stunning setting… bon appétit!
Between their ceremony and reception, they went down to the second story to have canapés and a champagne tower with their loved ones. While they were all catching up with each other and congratulating the bride and groom, the team over at Chicago Vintage Weddings was busy flipping the space upstairs into a stunning room to dine. When everyone came back upstairs the whole space was transformed into a dinner by twilight, candles and string lights above them. The rest of the evening of was full of laughter and joy as speeches were made, desserts were eaten and endless shots taken. All in all, this micro wedding was filled with all of the love that one would wish to be surrounded by on your wedding day. So incredibly grateful to be a part of this memorable day. x
Wedding Venue - Celeste / Wedding Photographer Melody Joy Co. / Hotel Bridal Suite - Chicago Athletic Hotel / Wedding Dress - Galvan London / Bridal Hair Stylist - Hannah Aubrey Hair / Wedding Makeup Artist - Shannon O’brien Weddings / Henna Tattoo Artist - Henna Tattoo Chicago / Wedding Planner - Chicago Vintage Weddings / Custom Wedding Florist - Asrai Garden / Venue Restaurant Group - Bonhomme Group
Romantic Micro Wedding in Chicago | Amina & Vinnie | Chicago Elopement Photographer | Melody Joy Co.
Romantic Micro Wedding in Chicago | Amina & Vinnie | Chicago Elopement Photographer | Melody Joy Co.
Amina and Vinnie revived my love for intimate micro weddings! This wedding day started with Amina and Vinnie getting ready together in their downtown high rise flat. We then walked around downtown Chicago to take portraits in some of their favorite pieces of architecture. The first stop was The Chicago Theatre, next was The Board of Trade building on La Salle, then there was The Art Institute of Chicago on Michigan Avenue. We must have walked a couple of miles downtown, but we had so much fun together strolling around and Amina was extra impressive with how good she was at walking long lengths in heels! She said her Thunder Heel Pumps from Prada were plenty comfy!
After we took their portraits we walked up Michigan Avenue to the ceremony and reception venue, The Skyline Club. The Skyline Club is the Penthouse of a high rise overlooking the Chicago River. If you are looking for a stunning rooftop view surrounded by skyscrapers as your outdoor rooftop wedding ceremony backdrop, then The Skyline Club would be the perfect fit for you! You can also have indoor or outdoor seating for your cocktail hour or reception!
The night resumed with endless family time, a thank you speech, their cake cutting, a delicious meal and a table of homemade desserts! All in all, I would say having a micro wedding with just twenty of your closest family and friends is the way to go to be able to enjoy these season, specifically with the laws in different countries, or if you simply want to provide a higher quality of celebration for your loved ones. The less people you have attend your micro wedding as well, the more time you have to have full conversations with all of them too! Overall, it’s a sweet way to have a celebration while still making it feel intimate and just about you both. If you ever need any advice on elopements or a micro wedding, I would be happy to share my thoughts on venues, styles, details and timelines that will work well for a beautiful micro wedding day! x
Wedding Dress - Emilia Wickstead Bridal // Wedding Shoes - Prada // Wedding Head Piece - Jennifer Behr // Wedding Portraits - Board of Trade Building and Art Institute of Chicago // Wedding Florals - Design de Flores // Chicago Wedding Venue for outdoor Ceremony and indoor Reception - The Skyline Club //
Varca Bridal | Chicago Wedding Dress Designer | Melody Joy Co.
Varca Bridal | Chicago Wedding Dress Designer | Melody Joy Co.
I’m always amazed at the detail that Sarah puts into her gown collections. Varca’s latest bridal collection has so many interesting sleeves, cuts, fabrics and even removable extensions! So anyone from the more minimal to the more extra bride has something they can relate to! Varca names all of her gowns after names of women who has inspired them and her! Go check out Varca’s Instagram to see the names for each individual gown. Below are a few of my favorite images of each wedding dress, taken in her new studio space.
Sarah, of Varca Bridal, designed and is making me a custom wedding dress! I could not be more excited about having one of her custom pieces. Ever since she reached out to me about a shoot a few years ago, I instantly fell in love with her style and her as a person! If you’re looking for someone to make you a custom gown that will feel 100 percent like you mixed with Sarah’s creative energy, then definitely reach out to be one of her few custom brides that she takes on each year. I feel so honored to be one of them for this year!
Let me know if you all have any favorites, my favorite from her collection is definitely the VERONICA, and not just because I grew up collecting and ready Archie Comics endlessly. The sleeves are just amazing and totally give the dress that 19th century glam. The earrings that Sarah paired with each dress for this shoot were handmade by Ashley Jordan, of the Fashion Collective. Her earring line is called Akin Studio. Ashley’s statement earrings are all made of polymer clay and compliment Varca’s wedding gowns beautifully.
The hair for this shoot was done by Juan José of Hair by Juan José. His personality is exactly what you want on your wedding day, smiley, fun, just a joy to be around! And of course he created the perfect relaxed updo’s to compliment these beautifully detailed and structured gowns. All of the makeup for this collection shoot was done by the lovely Alyssa of Makeup by Alyssa Cruz. Her soft smokey eyes and natural tones are exactly what a bride should want on their wedding day so they feel a bit done up, but also feel like themselves. These soft hair and makeup I believe are the perfect way to feature your Varca dress or any wedding dress on a wedding day. I’m just all about the natural hair and makeup look for any occasion, personally.
Well enough of my words and badly written sentences, enjoy scrolling through all of the beauty that Varca has created for her brides this year. Truly honored to capture such beautiful works of art, as that is exactly what they are. x
Wedding Dress Collection - Varca Bridal / Makeup - Alyssa Cruz / Hair - Juan José / Photography - Melody Joy Co. / Wedding Jewelry - Ashley Jordan of Akin Studio, Fashion Collective / Models - Vinithra + Leilani
VARCA | A Bridal Atelier
Chicago Wedding Dress Designer | Varca Bridal | Chicago Wedding Photographer
Sarah Varca is the boss lady behind the Bridal Atelier, Varca Bridal! She designs all of her gowns in her Chicago studio, in Logan Square, providing dresses for “the woman on her own level'“ all over this lovely planet. Sarah Varca’s bubbly yet sassy spirit really comes out in all of her gorgeous gowns. If you want to have fun and be seen feeling your best, go set up a consultation for an original gown by Varca or visit one of her stockists around the world! If you are ever in Chicago trying on wedding dresses, you can try on her beautiful wedding gowns over at Honey Bridal!
The two Varca wedding dresses below are called “The Nikki”, where the lace neck and puffy sleeved cape is removable, and the “Arabella Gown”, the one with all of the fluffy layers and white leather! These are part of Varca’s latest collection and I’m just amazed at the detail that went into them!
I’m just so grateful to photograph entrepreneurs, like Varca Bridal, who are doing amazing things, and creating beautiful masterpieces by hand and businesses from the ground up. So enjoy these beautiful bridal looks below and be on the lookout for future features on creative entrepreneurs that I am inspired by, coming to my website soon!
If you are ever in need of someone to help you plan your Chicago wedding day, I will happily refer my favorite Chicago wedding planners in the city! Chicago has such a good range of wedding dress boutiques, but Varca Bridal is one of my favorite designers in Chicago, and you must look at her gowns at Honey Bridal while you are dress shopping! You won’t be disappointed! Varca Bridal also designs custom wedding gowns for anyone who has shopped around and hasn’t quite found what they are looking for! You can find the store stockists on Varca Bridal’s website to see where you can try on her fabulous wedding dresses! And if you need any other Chicago vendor referrals, from Chicago wedding florists to Chicago wedding venues to Chicago wedding videographers, I’m more than happy to send over my referral list! Cheers to wedding planning and the start of a beautiful new beginning with the one you love! And make sure to go visit Varca Bridal’s website above to browse her gorgeous wedding dresses!