Chicago wedding reception: Room 1520 | Ceremony- Holy Family Church | Tressa & Noel
Some weddings are so fun that I can’t believe that this is actually my job. Tressa & Noel are two of the most fun, genuine people I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting. Their crazy friends and sweet family made this an incredible day. I hope you enjoy the photos.
Shoes: Badgley Mischka from Nordstrom
Getting ready and first look took place at the gorgeous Wit Hotel.
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Dress: Glamour Closet (River North, Chicago, IL)
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So yeah, um, never mind…look at the bridesmaids reactions 😉
Tressa and her dad at the Church.
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Church: Holy Family Church (Chicago, IL)
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I love all the photo ops this great City gives us 🙂
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Heloooo handsome 😉
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Reception: Room 1520 (Chicago, IL)
Donut Cake: West Town Bakery (Chicago, IL)
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One of the best parts about having your wedding at Room 1520 is the rooftop photos!!! 🙂
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Catering: E&O Food and Drink (Mt. Prospect, IL)
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Band: One Night Band
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From the Bride…
‘Wedding Coordinators/Decor/Invites & Programs/Floral Wall/Sweets Table: Lil Epic Event Design (Chyrel and Megan Banias)
– There are not enough words to say how much we love Chyrel and Megan. They were complete lifesavers from start to finish. Noel and I knew we wanted to throw a party but neither of us had ever been to a wedding that was structured the way we imagined ours to be. Chyrel and Megan really put our minds at ease and took our visions and ran with them to create a supper club vibe. They decorated Room 1520 in a fun, yet elegant way with a focal point on their beautiful floral wall. They also added texture and shine with sequins tablecloths and tons of candles. Their best idea was the design of our sweets table to incorporate our bulldog, Bubba, since he couldn’t be at the reception with us! They are a full service company from invitations to day of coordination and we highly recommend them.
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Church: Holy Family Church (Chicago, IL)
– The church is just beautiful. There was no need to add any extra decor. Our priest, Father Mike, was really great and made everything so easy.
Reception: Room 1520 (Chicago, IL)
– We would have never guessed that we would be married in the city until we found Room 1520. This space is simple, beautiful, and tucked away where you wouldn’t expect it to be. We were lucky to have our wedding after they did some updates (new chandeliers, bar, and floors). What we loved about this place was their furniture options, layout, and bridal suite (which we turned into the kids room). We also loved the fact that it is a BYOB space and of course, the roof was a definite plus. We were able to get some really neat skyline shots up their before dusk and at night. Celeste, the venue manager, worked with us and Chyrel to make use of every inch of the space. I think our party of 225 was the largest that they have accommodated so far!
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Catering: E&O Food and Drink (Mt. Prospect, IL)
– Chef Rod Aglibot was the mastermind behind our fabulous menu. We pretty much gave him full reign to create a unique menu that catered to our foodie taste buds along with some of the older Filipino guests that we had. We ended up doing hors d’oeuvres and stations rather than a sit down dinner so we could get the dancing started earlier. From the sushi and summer rolls to the pork belly and late night tacos, Chef Rod and his team really delivered on presentation and flavor. They even worked with us to create some unique signature drinks that really showcased our personalities.
Alcohol: Binny’s
-Binny’s was so easy to work with. We told them how many guests we were having and the types of alcohol we wanted and they recommended the quantities. They delivered everything but the best part was we were able to return any unopened bottles so we ended up not spending as much as we thought!
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Donut Cake: West Town Bakery (Chicago, IL)
– We are HUGE donut fans. We’ve attended Donut Fest in Wicker Park for the past two years where West Town has won the coveted best donut prize and we knew that we had to have them for the wedding. At our tasting, we were able to try about 8 of their donuts plus other desserts just in case we wanted more of a variety but we ending up with the 2014 award winning maple/beer frosting donut that was topped with crushed pretzels and filled with speculoos (cookie butter). We served them warm and our guests still talk about them!
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Ceremony Musicians: Gemini Strings
– Noel really wanted strings at the ceremony. He found Gemini Strings and booked them right away. They play a variety of songs, from traditional wedding marches to contemporary songs. I walked down the aisle to “A Thousand Years” by Christina Perri. It was truly beautiful and a moment we will never forget. They were really easy to work with and even coordinated with our good friend, Joanna Hidalgo, who was our Cantor at the ceremony.
Band: One Night Band
– They are the BEST BAND EVER! They play anything from Motown to Country to today’s Pop. Marty worked with us to come up with the perfect playlist to cater to all of our guests and the lead singer, James, has a range that is out of this world. They kept the dance floor going the whole time they played. I can’t wait to watch them at events around the city.
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DJ: Mode Events (Rex Balcita)
– Rex was awesome. He worked with One Night Band to coordinate all of the emcee duties and music. He ended up playing our cocktail hour since we requested 90s R&B, and he also did the first dances, set break, and last hour of the night since we wanted to incorporate hip hop, reggae, and Chicago House with the band’s live music. Between he and the band, the dance floor was never empty.
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Photographer: Angel Eyes Photography
– I have stalked Hilda since I did makeup for a wedding she shot back in 2010 and she is the first vendor that I knew I wanted for the wedding. Her vision is amazing and her work is one of a kind. She has such a fun attitude and I knew it was going to be a good fit with us and our guests. She and Carol did such a great job taking charge of our rambunctious bridal party and huge family. I know we are going to love every photo.
Videographer: Skyline Multimedia (Antonio Torres)
– The videographer was something that we kept going back and forth on, but we are so glad we chose to have them. Tony was great to work with and we can’t wait to relive the day and watch all the craziness that happened.
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Dress: Glamour Closet (River North, Chicago, IL)
– This is a boutique outlet for wedding gowns. I had previously tried on some styles at another store, but wanted to see if I could get a good deal. I would recommend a bride to go there if she knows what type of fit she likes. I went to the boutique with my cousin (MOH) and a few friends. When I tried on THE dress, it was the last one of the day and it was so pretty, but I was still unsure if it was the one. After I was put in a veil and a sash, there was a song that was playing in the background by the band Chicago that happened to be my mom and dad’s song. My mom passed away when I was little, but at that moment when the song came on, we all knew it was a sign that she loved and approved of the dress and of course I said Yes!
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Alterations: Fifi’s Bridal (Elmhurst, IL)
– Since I bought a sample dress, it was about 5 sizes too big so Fifi had a lot of work to do. I even had her add buttons to the zipper. She did an amazing job and it turned out to be my dream dress. I wish I could wear it all the time. 🙂
Veil, Earrings: The Left Bank (Chicago, IL)
-This store sells all things bridal. They have beautiful jewelry, sashes, and veils. I went there about 3 weeks before the wedding and they helped tie my whole look together.
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Belt: Mignonette Bridal (Chicago, IL)
– The belt I wore was sold as a headband, but we ended up putting ribbon on it to make it a belt. It added a touch of bling to my all lace dress.
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Birdcage Veil: David’s Bridal I changed from my long veil to a birdcage for the reception.
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Hair: Jamie Chatman and Staci Leedy
They were awesome. I didn’t have a hair trial so I wasn’t sure what my hair was going to look like, but Jamie did a great job!
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Makeup: Kristina Magda
I’m a bridal makeup artist so it was strange to be on the other side. Kristina did a fantastic job on all of the girls. Everyone looked stunning.
Bridesmaid dresses: all of the girls got to pick and buy their own short, black dress based on their own style, comfort level, and price point. I didn’t know what they looked like all together until the wedding day. They ended up looking great because they all had different fits and textures.
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Groom’s outfit: David Donahue jacket from Nordstrom, Tommy Hilfiger tuxedo pants from Macy’s, shoes from Paolo
-Noel didn’t tell me what he was wearing so his outfit was just as much of a surprise to me as my dress was to him. I was a little worried but he’s got great style and we ended up matching perfectly.
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Groomsmen and Ushers: all of the guys purchased their own Tommy Hilfiger tux from Macy’s so they could wear them again
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Alterations: Willowbrook Tailor (Willowbrook, IL)
-Tina has been Noel’s tailor for years. She did all of the groomsmen/ushers tailoring. They all looked so dapper!
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Brooch Bouquet: made by me with most brooches purchased at the Antique and Resale Shoppe (Chicago, IL) or gifted from family and friends.
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All bouquets/boutonnieres: made by Noel’s mom, Naty Alcantara and aunt, Marina Vianzon| Limo: Elite Chicago Limo
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Favorite Wedding Purchase: we have so many things so it’s hard to pick just one, but probably the donuts!
Favorite Memory: There are so many, but I would say walking down the aisle was the best moment
Something we wished we could have done differently:
– Nothing, except we wish we could’ve eaten a little more of our delicious food before getting pulled in a 100 directions.
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Advice:
1) When wedding planning, pick a day of the week where you don’t talk about the wedding at all. It’ll keep you sane during the process!
2) Take some time during the wedding to be together to take it all in. Time flies so it’s nice to have a moment and stare at all of your friends and family who are there to celebrate the two of you.’
