Pazzo's

Ok, I will start with the normal disclaimer that I am not a professional photographer but I hope the photo above will, if you have never been to Pazzo's located at 311 South Wacker Drive, give you an idea of the space with its very high ceilings, fountain at the front, palm trees and the sense that Pazzo's is a stunning venue for weddings. Fay Sweeney, the catering director was great to work with and attended and helped at both the rehearsal and the wedding itself. Fay can be reached at 312 913 6096 or ppazzos311@aol.com.

Deanna from Deanna Mandarno was shooting the photos. I just received a link to the slide show Deanna has prepared, check it out there are many wonderful shots.



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Chicago Mart Plaza

Linda and Michael were married yesterday at the Chicago Mart Plaza, which is a Holiday Inn located across the street from the Merchandise Mart. If you are looking for a venue with an outstanding view, recently remodeled room and a catering department that is outstanding, don't rule out the Chicago Mart Plaza simply because it's a Holiday Inn.

The actual room is on the 15th floor and looks south along the Chicago River and Wacker Drive. Check out their website for some very accurate photos of the room. After sunset the view is as good as any I've seen in Chicago. Take my word for it, this is one very nice place. Barbara Martin is the director of catering sales and she does an excellent job for her clients. You can reach Barbara at 312 529 1124 or bmartin@martplaza.com.

I haven't seen the photos from yesterday but the photographers were from Timothy Whaley & Associates and I've worked with them in the past and seen their photos. They too are very good.

David Adams from Chicago Style DJ's provided most of the music for the wedding. They apparently don't have a webpage but you can reach them at 847 366-0656 or chicagostyledjs@sbcglobal.net

Weddings in Old Town

Yesterday I conducted two weddings in Old Town, walking distance from my home.

Fran and Quincy were married at the Hansen House Mansion, a bed and breakfast they own. They had gone to grade school together but not seen each other for many years. Last year they met at a reunion in New York and now they are married. Their 35 guests were a combination of family and friends from all over the US, many of them friends since grade school. The Hansen House would be a very nice venue for small weddings and out of town guests could stay right at the house. You can contact Fran or Quincy at HansenMansion@aol.com


Georgia and Frank were married at New Leaf, 1818 North Wells Street. This is a popular venue and works well for smaller weddings. New Leaf has three different levels and no elevator so if you have elderly or disabled persons participating or attending there are lots of stairs to deal with. It is however a very attractive setting.

Sofitel Chicago Water Tower

The Grand Ballroom of the Sofitel, with a 20-foot-high window and a spectacular view was the venue for Rob and Andrea's wedding and reception last night.

Marcia Hemphill and her staff from An Urban Affair coordinated all the events of the day. Kristine Semanic from The Brass String Chamber Ensemble provided the music and Brian Kinyon Photography was the photographer.

It was my first wedding at the Sofitel but I have another one coming up in January. The ballroom is stunning and the staff of the hotel were helpful and pleasant to work with. There were about 160 guests but the information on the website says the room will accommodate 270. As I was leaving the ballroom was being reset for the reception and it looked very classy.

Independence Grove - Indoor Wedding

I have conducted several weddings at Independence Grove but they have all been outside.Last night Kellen and Kevin's wedding was inside in the Audubon Hall. It was a cold November evening but the room was beautiful and the fireplace burning in the front created a warm and inviting atmosphere. It was dark at 6:30 when the wedding started but if it had been light we would have also enjoyed great views of the marina, lake and beach. Audubon Hall is constructed with cedar, stone and glass and the high ceilings and the spacious design make it a wonderful setting for a wedding. You can contact Tania Paez, tania@eventsig.com or Beth Beringer, beth@eventsig.com, 847 247-1111 for more information.

Paul and Kerena Moeller of Moeller Music provided the music for the ceremony and also accompanied the soloist. I love working with Kerena and Paul and think the music they provide is absolutely wonderful. The combination of cello and guitar is such an usual sound and their ability to play all types of music from classical to the solo last night, The Power of Two by the Indigo Girls provides couples with limitless options. Contact Paul or Kerena at (224) 535-8932 or through the contact page on their website.

Visual Image Photography, Inc 414 456-0848 were the photographers. Their website indicates they do a variety of kinds of photography including weddings. Obviously I haven't seen the pictures they took last night but they were great to work with.

Swissotel Chicago

The Swissotel was the venue for Rekha and Sujit's wedding in late September. It was a large rather formal and traditional wedding with about 200 guests, five bridesmaids and groomsmen, a right bearer and three junior bridesmaids. There were also five ushers and like Sujit and Rekha, they were all M.D's. If anyone had become sick or had a heart attack they would have been well cared for right on the spot.

Michael Mitloff, the senior catering manager was a huge help during both the rehearsal and the wedding itself. The room where the wedding took place is in the lower level of the hotel as is the large separate room where the dinner was held. It's nice when there are separate rooms for the wedding and the reception so the room doesn't have to be changed over. It just feels less rushed.

If you are interested in the Swissotel you can contact Michael at 312 268-8220 or michael.mitloff@swissotel.com

The Narnia Estate

The Narnia Estate is a 55 acre venue located in Lemont, 30 miles southwest of downtown Chicago. They promote themselves as the newest and most exclusive private event locale in the greater Chicago area. The Estate was the venue for Julia and Michael wedding on a beautiful evening last August.

The wedding took place outdoors at the site shonw in the photo below.

The cocktail hour was held in the front of the house shown in the first photo and the reception took place in a large airconditioned tent adjacent to the house.

Couples looking for a venue far from the city and a beautiful setting should consider Narnia Estates.

Technorati Tags: Wedding, Minister, Spiritual, Chicago, Non-Denominational, Wedding Officiant

Park Hyatt Wedding

Lori Stephenson of Lola Event Productions served as the coordinator for Julie and Jason's wedding last month at the Park Hyatt, 800 North Michigan Avenue. Lori is great to work with and her clients are always well served.

I have conducted a number of weddings at the Park Hyatt and I am always pleasantly surprised how the coordinator and florists are able to make the room look entirely different for each wedding. Lori and her florist had designed and built the long plastic light boxes (my name for them) and then covered them with fabric. As shown in the photo above, they were placed on each side of the aisle and created a very dramatic affect. I also loved the candles, barely visible in the photo, hanging from the canopy. The contact at the the Park Hyatt was Virginie Bishop vbishop@hyatt.com. Virginie was there for the rehearsal and she and the other staff were most helpful on the day of the wedding.

The other participants in the wedding were:

Music provided by Mary Monica Thomas, contact Mary at marymonicamusic@sbcglobal.net

The photography and video team were from Studio This Is. Sarah Parsons who is the studio manager and lead photographer can be contacted at, sarah@studiothisis.com

West Loop Studio

West Loop Studio was the venue for Steve and Sarah's wedding last night. The studio is owned by Steve Ewert who along with Jamie Kelter, the studio manager, were the photographers. My photo above does not do justice to what the room looks like so be sure and click on their link for some really good photos. The room is on the third floor of the building, has very high ceilings and is what you would expect in a loft. The 100 guests fit nicely in the space and although there were only about 60 chairs to use during the ceremony, it was only about 12 mintues long so those who had to stand were not inconvenienced. Contact Jamie for more information, 312.733.5762 tel, jamie@westloopstudio.com

Blue Plate did the catering and Jessica McLean, was the person in charge. Jessica was there just when I needed her help and she and her staff remained calm and helpful during the 20 minute delay while we waited for several members of the groom's immediate family to arrive. The food and service was excellent. During the delay Jessica told me that even though Blue Plate is a large organization, she is part of a special group who only work on weddings. That allows them to provide all the resources of a large catering company but the attention of a small group of consultants who focus only on weddings. You can contact Jessica at 312.239.2844 or jmclean@blueplatechicago.com


Erik Friedly and Brent Rolland from Fig Media were the DJ's for the reception. They were friendly, helpful and very professional. In my experience, Fig Media always does good work.

I am not exactly sure why but I had an exceptionally wonderful time at this wedding. Sarah and Steve were a lot of fun to work with. They had specific ideas about their ceremony but they weren't demanding or difficult. Right before we started they were both relaxed and obviously excited about the ceremony. When Sarah walked down the aisle with her father her face lit up with a huge smile. Steve had not seen her before the ceremony and when he saw her that first time, his eyes filled with tears of joy. After her father had presented her Sarah gave Steve a tissue to wipe his eyes and when he finished he tucked it back in the top of her low cut dress. My only response was, "Ok then, let's get started." Everyone in the room seemed really happy and excited about this wedding and at the very end when I presented Steve and Sarah for the first time as husband and wife, everyone erupted in cheers and clapping.

I really love conducting weddings and feel so privileged to be a part of weddings like Sarah and Steve's.

One final thought, recently both a coordinator and a photographer told me that in their experience couples who take most of their photos before the ceremony are much more relaxed at the start of the wedding. Frankly, in my experience I am not sure that's the case, for instance, I can't think of a more relaxed couple that Sarah and Steve. But then, I am a traditionalist and I like it when the bride and groom have not seen each other before the ceremony. I feel very tender when I see the bride look down the aisle and see the groom waiting there for her. I love to watch the expression on the grooms face when he sees his future wife enter the room and walk down the aisle. Most often they are just like Steve was last night, their eyes well up with tears and I can see the love and tenderness they feel for the bride.

Obviously the decision about photographs is up to the bride and groom but I had to add my two cents worth.

Technorati Tags: Wedding, Minister, Spiritual, Chicago, Non-Denominational, Wedding Officiant

Wedding at The Knickerbocker

Ursula and Matt had a large wedding on Saturday at the Knickerbocker Hotel. I had never conducted a wedding at this venue. If you are having a larger wedding with 200 or more guests and want the feel of one of older grand hotels I would highly recommend the Knickerbocker. My photo isn’t great but you can I hope get an idea of the room as it was done up on Saturday. I really liked the groups of candles along the center aisle.

Here is the cast of characters:

Ali Phillips of Engaging Events By Ali was the coordinator and the person who introduced me to Ursula and Matt. I love working with Ali because our styles seem to match so well. You can contact Ali at ali@engagingeventsbyali.com

Lauren Haver at the Millennium Knickerbocker Hotel, located at 163 E Walton Pllace, Chicago, IL 60611 worked closely with Ali and behind the scenes during the wedding, cocktail hour and dinner. You can contact Lauren at Lhaver@mill-usa.com

The string trio from Belle Music were wonderful too. I’ve worked with several of them in the past and they are always a delight, easy to work with and provide excellent sounds.

The florist was Blumen Design, as you will see from my photo, they did a fantastic job with the flowers. I thought the ballroom where the wedding took place looked amazing. For more information about Blumen Design you can email them at info@blumendesign.com

Kurt Gerber of Gerber and Scarpelli was the photographer as he has been at several weddings I’ve conducted this year. It’s always good to see him in action again. Gerber and Scarpelli can be reached at 312 455-1144 or info@gerberscarpelliweddings.com

Technorati Tags: Wedding, Minister, Spiritual, Chicago, Non-Denominational, Wedding Officiant

The Ivy Room

Emily and Jason were married last night in the Courtyard of Trees Studios in what will probably be for me the last outdoor wedding of this year. The reception was held in The Ivy Room. The wedding was a 7:30 pm and it was dark here in Chicago so my outdoor photos didn’t turn out however the website contains some excellent photos of both the courtyard and the actual Ivy Room. Donna Albertson, director of marketing and special events donna@ivyroomchicago.com was a wonderful and helpful hostess for the wedding and reception. There were about 150 guests who comfortably filled both the courtyard and the Ivy Room.

Mary Nisi, president and disc jockey of Toast & Jam provided the music for the reception. I’ve worked with her staff in the past and they are first rate. You can contact Mary at Mary@toastandjamdjs.com



Technorati Tags: Wedding, Minister, Spiritual, Chicago, Non-Denominational, Wedding Officiant

The Three Minute Wedding

It happened again this past Saturday. About 20 minutes after the ceremony I went to the bridal room to personally congratulate the bride and groom. The first thing the bride said was, "I can't believe how short the ceremony was, it must have been three minutes long!" The groom started to laugh and said, "That's exactly what Bruce told me before the ceremony, it will feel like a three minute ceremony."


In fact the ceremony was nearly 20 minutes long but almost every couple tells me afterward that it seemed like three minutes. I guess it's understandable from their perspective and I often wonder what is going through their minds as the ceremony progresses. Certainly they are listening and when we get to the exchange of vows it always gets serious and usually emotional in some way. But, the fact remains, regardless of the length from the perspective of the bride and groom it always feels like a short ceremony.



Technorati Tags: Wedding, Minister, Spiritual, Chicago, Non-Denominational, Wedding Officiant

Wedding at the Metropolitan Club

Alexis and Sam got married this evening at The Metropolitan Club on the 66th floor of the Sears Tower. It's an outstanding venue and Joe Flynn, the private event director and his staff were wonderful to work with and very professional in the best sense of the word. Of course the views from the Sears Tower are amazing and it was a clear night so the views were exceptional both in the room where the wedding was held and in the dining room.

Lori Stephenson from LOLA Event Productions LLC was the coordinator. Lori and I do one or two weddings a year together and I always appreciate her thorough preparation and skills at guiding the ceremony from beginning to end. I don't have first hand knowledge of the other things she does to assist the bride and groom but I have no doubt her same attention to details comes through in all of her services.

If you want a photography team of three who advertise they take 1,200 to 2,000 photos at each ceremony and for a good part of the time, even though I asked them not to, stand next to me, like a member of the bridal party, then I would be happy to provide you with their contact information.

For more information on The Metropolitan Club, contact Joe Flynn at joe.flynn@ourclub.com or 312 993-2506 and Lori Stephenson at lori@lolaeventproductions.com or 773 942-6172. You can contact me at botto@SpiritedWeddings.com or 312 671-1804

Technorati Tags: Wedding, Minister, Spiritual, Chicago, Non-Denominational, Wedding Officiant

Great Photos from Notebaert Nature Museum

Last August I wrote about working with Sylver McAllister, from Sylver Studio at a wedding at Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum. Syler has graciously provided the photos shown above, I really like them.

If you like what you see, you can contact Syler at syler@sylerstudio.com or 847 416-7343





Technorati Tags: Wedding, Minister, Spiritual, Chicago, Non-Denominational, Wedding Officiant

Photographs from White Pines Country Club

I was just reviewing the results of Google Alerts and discovered some wonderful photos from the wedding I conducted for Jennifer and John in August at White Pines. Gina, Matt and Amy of Imaginative Studios were the photographers. The photos of the wedding are posted on their Blog, check them out, I think you will be impressed.

I am so happy I found this blog and can share these great photos with you.

Imaginative Studios can be contacted at info@imaginativestudios.com

Technorati Tags: Wedding, Minister, Spiritual, Chicago, Non-Denominational, Wedding Officiant

White Pines Golf Club

My first visit to White Pines Golf Club was two years ago when Denise and Joe were married there. Last year I conducted a wedding for Joe’s sister Bernadette and Reginald, who were married at Promontory Point, part of the Chicago Park District. This year a mutual friend of both couples, John and Jennifer were married at the White Pines. They have a charming outdoor area for the wedding and the inside reception area is also very nice. Call the banquet manager, Ginger, at 630-766-0304, ext.2 or email banquetoffice@whitepinesgolf.com for more information. I found Ginger was delightful to work with and I look forward to my next visit to White Pines.

It's always rewarding to have couple refer me to their friends and family. I joked with Denise, Joe, Bernadette and Reginald, Jennifer and John about which one of their family members or friends would be contacting me about conducting their wedding in 2009. I hope it happens!

Technorati Tags: Wedding, Minister, Spiritual, Chicago, Non-Denominational, Wedding Officiant

Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum

Katherine and Ryan chose the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum on Cannon Drive and Fullerton in Chicago as their wedding venue. I think I conduct about one wedding there each year and it is a excellent venue. Normally the weddings are outside in what the Museum calls the Ravine. It‘s adjacent to the lobby, is equipped with a sound system and can accommodate almost 200 guests.

Mary Kehoe the special events manager and her staff were fantastic to work with. They gave good advice and stepped in just when we needed them most. You can contact Mary at 773 755-5154 or mkehoe@naturemuseum.org. Be sure to check out the special events brochure on their site, it is very well done.

Sylver McAllister from Sylver Studio was the photographer and when I asked about including some of their photos in this blog she handed me a beautiful business card that said, “Ryan & Katherine. Proofs will be available 09.06.08. Event id: 2776.” She said, just let us know what photos you want to post and I will send them to you. I will do that after September 6 and then update this post. I thought the preprinted card was a great idea, it was the first time I had seen something like that.

Another thing impressed me about these photographers, they were very courteous. They were not standing next to me taking pictures during the ceremony, in fact I can’t remember where they were but I bet they got some excellent photos. Check them out and see if they are a good match for you.

Emanuel Ban and the Wellington Strings provided the music. They have a nice website filled with helpful information and audio samples of music they play. I find that frequently couples don’t have ideas for music beyond the Canon by Pachelbel so their list is helpful. You can contact Emanuel at 847-347-1127

Technorati Tags: Wedding, Minister, Spiritual, Chicago, Non-Denominational, Wedding Officiant

Wedding Vendors for a Wedding at Hotel Allegro

Jaime and JT had their wedding and reception at Hotel Allegro, 171 W. Randolph Street, Chicago, IL 60601, 312 236-0123. I’ve blogged about Hotel Allegro in the past and their level of service is unchanged. I do want to comment on three of the other people that I had the pleasure of working with.

First, Ali Phillips of Engaging Events by Ali . Ali is one of my favorite wedding planners and when she or her staff are involved I know that things are going to run smoothly and on time. Erin Dahl, one of the very capable young women who work with Ali worked the rehearsal and the wedding. Ali can be contacted at ali@engagingeventsbyali.com.

Keith Jorgensen is the co-founder of Poetic Productions a professional videography company. Keith is also involved in the wedding website called the Daily Bride. I had spoken on the phone to Keith in the past and it was a pleasure to meet him at the wedding. You can contact Keith at info@poeticweddings.com or 312 863-4007

Kurt Gerber of Gerber and Scarpelli was the photographer, we worked together at a wedding last month and it was good to see him in action again. Gerber and Scarpelli can be reached at 312 455-1144 or info@gerberscarpelliweddings..com.

To view a cool video of the wedding photos check out this link http://www.gerberscarpelliweddings.com/braun

Technorati Tags: Wedding, Minister, Spiritual, Chicago, Non-Denominational, Wedding Officiant

Wedding in the Rotunda at Orchestra Hall

The Rotunda at Symphony Hall was the venue for Elizabeth and Peter’s wedding on Saturday evening. It’s hard to describe the room and its long spiral staircase and skylight and my photo doesn’t do the room justice but I think you can get an idea. Michael Lewis, rental events manager worked behind the scenes to handle the details.

Anne Harman, private event consultant for Rhapsody, and her staff attended the rehearsal and then coordinated the details of getting the ceremony underway. They also were responsible for the reception that followed. It was a pleasure to work with Anne and her staff.

JD Music, which for this event included James Hahn on the violin and a cello and piano, provide the music for the ceremony and they did a superb job. I’ve worked with James at other weddings and now with this Blog it’s fun to be able to tell my readers about the really good people that I have the pleasure of working with.

Aaron Rojas of Aaron’s Photography took the pictures, not the ones on this Blog but the official ones, which we haven’t seen yet.

Couples looking for a non-traditional setting will find the Rotunda is a good choice and then coupled with excellent service provide by Michael Lavin, lavinm@cso.org and Anne Harman, aharman@rhapsodychicago.com, this venue is a true winner in my book. I hope I have the opportunity to conduct another wedding their soon.

Technorati Tags: Wedding, Minister, Spiritual, Chicago, Non-Denominational, Wedding Officiant

University of Chicago, Bond Chapel

Bond Chapel located at 1050 West 59 Street in the University of Chicago was the setting for Sogol and Aren’s wedding on Friday afternoon. Earlier in the day they had a Persian ceremony led by Sogol’s uncle, then their guests boarded a shuttle bus to the chapel for the 2:30 ceremony. The chapel is small and although their webpage says it seats 300 people that seems hard to believe. There are beautiful stained glass windows in the front of the chapel, above the altar but other than the window the rest of the chapel is rather unadorned.

There is a small balcony with a pipe organ but Aren and Sogol had hired Parkwest Strings. They were very professional and easy to work with. I think you will find their website contains a wealth of helpful information. They can also be reached at 773 412-7753.

Kurt Gerber from Gerber & Scarpelli.was the photographer. Kurt and I have worked together in the past and just a couple of weeks ago I worked with another of the photographers from the firm. Their website is very nicely done and you will find all the information that you need about them there. They can also be reached at 312 455-1133.

I also worked with a very nice and extremely helpful “Day Of Coordinator” whose name was Kerry. Unfortunately she didn’t have her business card with her so I don’t have her full name of the name of her company. She promised to email her contact information to me and when it arrives I will add it to this posting. I am finding that a increasing number of brides are using a “Day Of Coordinator” so Kerry’s information may be helpful to you.

Technorati Tags: Wedding, Minister, Spiritual, Chicago, Non-Denominational, Wedding Officiant,

Weddings in Chicago Parks

We have had beautiful weather for the last two weekends in Chicago which has worked well for the couples who chose to be married out doors.

Yasmin and Scott were married at the Grant Park South Rose Garden, which is located just south of Buckingham Fountain, it provided a magnificent backdrop for their ceremony. Yasmin had secured a Chicago Park District permit, hired two security guards, rented chairs for the 100 plus guests and a PA system. Symphony Sounds provided the music and they did a great job. Their site contains detailed information on all of their musicians, musical services, fees and forms to use to book them for a wedding or other event.

Wendy and Eric were married at the Cancer Survivor's Garden in Grant Park, 337 E. Randolph Street. The garden is a very nice venue for weddings, it’s kind of off the beaten track and so it feels private even though it’s in Millennium Park.

Eric and Wendy had worked hard to include Wendy’s daughter Payton in the ceremony and at the end of the ceremony I was pleased to introduce this new family to their guests. Carol Kalvonjian a violinist and leader of Artistrings

Mara and Charles chose Buffalo Park, located at 4501 North California, in Ravenswood Manor for their wedding. It’s a tiny little park in a residential neighborhood but it was a perfect setting for this small wedding. It had been raining earlier in the day and they had set up an umbrella but the sun came out just as we were about to begin their wedding.

Technorati Tags: Wedding, Minister, Spiritual, Chicago, Non-Denominational, Wedding Officiant

Galeria Marchetti

Emily and Ben were married on Sunday, July, 6^th at, Galleria Marchetti located at 825 West Erie Street, Chicago. Galeria Marchetti was founded by the late Joe Marchetti of Como Inn fame. It was located nearby but closed a few years ago. Joe's wife, Mary Jane, and their only son, JP, now operate the Galleria.

The wedding itself took place in The East Courtyard where Ben and Emily’s 150 guests waited for them to arrive in a vintage convertible. Emily’s mother Betty and Ben’s father Ghansham stood up with them. It was a warm and sunny day so as soon as the wedding was over we all moved to the shade. The music was provided by Joe Marino and Lugig Lenzi, who call themselves the, “Complete Italian—American Experience!” Joe plays the accordion and Lugig sings, with great passion I might add.

The dinner reception was held in The Pavillion which is actually a huge tent that is very stylish and quite beautiful. I’ve conducted several weddings at Galleria Marchetti and each time the Pavillion looks entirely different.

I think the people at Galleria Marchetti do a nice job; you can contact them at 312 563-0495 for more information.

Technorati Tags: Wedding, Minister, Spiritual, Chicago, Non-Denominational, Wedding Officiant

Wedding at the Caldwell Lily Pool in Lincoln Park

Joyce and Pedro and a small group of family and friends, including Pedro’s father from Madrid, Spain gathered this morning at the Lily Pond, 2391 North Stockton Drive, to exchange vows and rings. I’ve lived in Chicago for 30 years but I had never been to the Pool.

After being there this morning this is what I learned, Alfred Caldwell designed the Lily Pool in the late 1930s as a refuge from the city. With his prairie style Caldwell redeveloped an old Victorian pond to one and one-half acres of naturalistic sanctuary. After years of neglect it was recently restored and was a beautiful setting for Pedro and Joyce’s wedding.

Couples looking for a beautiful setting in the heart of the city that creates a feeling of being miles from civilization should check out the Caldwell Lily Pool.

Technorati Tags: Wedding, Minister, Spiritual, Chicago, Non-Denominational, Wedding Officiant