An Elegant Sophisticated Wedding at JW Marriott Chicago in Chicago, Illinois

Heather Rafferty (25 and an elementary school teacher) and Larry Milstein (27 and a financial associate) wanted their wedding to be the perfect combination of elegance and airy romance. “The inspiration for our wedding started with finding the perfect venue,” Heather says. “We both have an appreciation for Chicago architecture, particularly the work of Daniel Burnham. The stars aligned when we ventured into the JW Marriott Chicago. After experiencing the magnificent lobby, winding staircases, hand-blown chandeliers and the incredible staff, we had pretty much decided this would be our venue. It wasn’t until then that we were told the gorgeous arched ceilings of the ballroom were the original work of Burnham himself.” They decorated the ornate ballroom with towering floral arrangements by K La Designs to add dimension to the room and add an ethereal garden aura. The lush flowers perfectly complemented the white, blush, gold and dusty green color palette, and Agnes Malorny Photography beautifully captured all the details of the day. One of our favorite parts was Heather’s stunning Allure ivory lace trumpet gown. She knew she wanted something romantic, fitted and lace, and she found exactly what she wanted at Weddings 826. The belt and veil were her "something borrowed" (from her maid of honor), and they perfectly matched her look. Heather and Larry loved the luxurious black-tie feel of their wedding, but they also wanted to incorporate their personalities into the day. So they added some ultra-fun details, such as boozy milkshakes, Chicago-style hot dogs and truffle fries to the menu. Yum!