A Green, Gold and Ivory Wedding at the Peninsula Chicago in Chicago, Illinois

Katie Sholom (a retail development representative) and Scott Arnoldy (president of the Triten Corp.) met through mutual friends while living in Chicago, Illinois, so they wanted to highlight the city for their wedding day. An all-in-one ceremony-and-reception space became important during their venue search, as did the need for a beautiful outdoor space. The Peninsula Chicago provided that and more: a beautiful rooftop terrace for the ceremony, cocktail hour and after-party (“It felt like a rooftop garden in the middle of the city,” Katie says), an elegant indoor space for the dinner and dancing, incredible service and a convenient location for visitors. Wanting to provide guests with a true Windy City experience, the festivities kicked off with a private architecture boat tour, lunch at two of the couple’s favorite restaurants, Big Star (for the men) and Fred’s (for the women), a rooftop welcome party at Zed451, details for guests about the Cubs game, and late-night deep-dish pizza at Giordano’s. Rain was in the forecast for their wedding day, but the weather cleared up just in time. A palette of white orchids and ivory roses, with pops of metallic to complement Katie’s gown, set the tone for a sophisticated soiree. Nearly 250 guests attended the rooftop ceremony as the couple exchanged vows and blessings under a beautifully decorated chuppah—incorporating aspects of both the bride's and groom’s faiths. Afterward, guests enjoyed dim sum (Katie and Scott had their first date in Chinatown), fortune cookie favors (with funny and sweet personalized messages), crab cakes, gazpacho soup, classic buttercream cake, a memorable groom’s cake shaped like Scott’s family’s barn and custard cup ice cream from Katie’s hometown of Champaign, Illinois. The Ken Orlen Orchestra played a mix of classic and current music, infusing the crowd with a high-energy vibe. It can be overwhelming to host a wedding for out-of-town guests, but try to keep your normal routine as much as possible, Katie says. Every morning she had a smoothie and sneaked in a run, just as she always does. “I even found $100 on Lake Shore Drive the morning of the wedding, which was a good omen,” she says. —Chrissy Sorenson