1. Real Weddings

A Modern Wedding in Chicago, IL

The Bride Amy Cole, 29, a print developer at McMaster-Carr The Groom Terry Thomasson, 28, an English teacher at Youth Connection Charter School The Da

The Bride Amy Cole, 29, a print developer at McMaster-Carr The Groom Terry Thomasson, 28, an English teacher at Youth Connection Charter School The Date October 16 To celebrate their city, Amy and Terry wanted their wedding to be “modern, elegant Chicago.” They went with a color palette of black, white and golden yellow, and embraced the city (and its skyline) throughout the day’s details.

Guests sipped a drink called The Gold Coast, a blend of tequila, triple sec, pineapple juice, lime, sugar and ice.
Black ribbon trim and a mix of fresh and sugar flowers decorated the three-tiered cake, and the wooden topper resembled the newlyweds.
Each table was named after a Chicago neighborhood.
Manzanita branches and yellow orchids decorated the escort card table. The cards themselves were printed with the Chicago skyline, and Amy’s dad hand wrote guests’ names.
Terry wanted a modern look for his groomsmen, so they all wore black Converse sneakers.
Amy and Terry wanted a fun, quirky song, so they chose “The Most Beautiful Girl (in the Room)” by Flight of the Conchords.
For their evening ceremony, Amy chose a strapless ball gown with jeweled accents.
These cocktail napkins were custom-printed with the couple’s names, the date and the city skyline.
After the ceremony, Amy slipped into suede sandals for dancing at the reception.
Guests took home Garrett Popcorn packaged in white paper bags labeled with “Thank You” tags.
To incorporate all the day’s colors, the flowers included black-centered anemones, yellow orchids, and white hydrangeas and roses.
Amy and Terry exchanged vows on the hotel’s 39th floor, with two tall floral arrangements and a fabric draping marking the altar. Mid-height columns draped with fabric and topped with flowers lined the aisle.