Chicago Weddings Blog

Bride's Choice Award for 2012

2012-01-17T19:45:00.002-06:00

I have been awarded the WeddingWire Bride's Choice Award for 2012. This means we are in the top 5% of Wedding Pros nationwide! The WeddingWire Bride's Choice Awards™ recognizes the top local wedding professionals from the WeddingWire Network that demonstrate excellence in quality, service, responsiveness and professionalism. Unlike other awards in which winners are selected by the organization, the WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards™ are determined solely by the reviews from over 1.2 million newlyweds.

Charmagne and Ross Sutherlin

2011-10-22T13:12:00.002-05:00

Charmagne and Ross were married on Saturday, July 9, 2011 at the Hard Rock Hotel on Michigan Avenue. Miller and Miller posted photos of the wedding on their website, check them out

Style Me Pretty featured a wedding I conducted at Trees Studio

2011-08-15T20:12:00.004-05:00

I conducted Ariele and Nick wedding at The Ivy Room at Tress Studios on Saturday, May 7. Amanda Hein photos are featured on Style Me Pretty.

Venue for a small Wedding

2010-12-28T12:50:00.003-06:00

Perennial located at 1800 North Lincoln Avenue was the venue for Catherine and Jerry's wedding last night at 6:00. It was a small wedding with less than 30 guests and the room provided by Perennial was perfect and felt very intimate.

Contact their special events and catering department at 1633 North Halsted Street, Chicago IL 60614, 312.640.0640, email, info@bokagrp.com.

Amy and Dan's Wedding

2010-12-27T14:08:00.001-06:00

Amy and Dan were married at the Hyatt at the MacDonald's campus in Oak Brook. I was invited by there photographer Hilda Burke to become a friend and then I noticed on her blog that she had photos of the wedding and of me.

Thank you Hilda for inviting me to be your friend and also for posting some of your wonderful photos.

Lynne and Garrett's Wedding

2010-10-15T19:36:00.004-05:00

I was listed on on June Bug Weddings as one of the wedding team for Lynne and Garrett's wedding at Wicker Park Lutheran Church on July 18, 2010.

The church is one of a very few churches that allows couple who are not members to be married in their church and also allows Officiant's to conduct weddings there. If you want to be married in a church check them out.

Video from Leah and Jake's Wedding

2010-08-08T19:51:00.002-05:00

Leah and Jake were married on May 15 at the Rookery. Olivia from Olivia Leigh Photographie and her boyfriend shot this video of the wedding. Olivia, Jake and Leah have all graciously allowed me to post the link the the video here, http://vimeo.com/13238088, please check it out.

Venues that were new to me

2010-08-08T19:27:00.002-05:00

Over the past six months I have conducted weddings at four venues that were new to me. I enjoyed all of them for different reasons and would encourage brides and grooms to check them out. All of these venues have wonderfully representative photos of their space.

Kathy and George were married on Valentine’s Day at the River East Art Center, 435 East Illinois Street, 312.321.1001. It’s really quite a stunning venue and their 130 guests nicely filled the area where the wedding took place.

Anthony and Erika were married in the second floor Tasting Room at Randolph Wine Cellars, 1415 West Randolph 312.942.1313. They had about 120 guests, most of whom stood during the 20 minute ceremony. Nick Luedde, director and he and his staff was helpful and attentive to everyone’s needs.

Sharon and Jeff were married on July 9 at Salvatore's Ristorante 525 W Arlington Place, 773.528.1200. Amra Custic was the event coordinator that evening and she was a delight to work with. The room was lovely and just the right size for the 80 guests in attendance.

Mason and Emily were married on August 7 at Gallery 1028, located at 1028 Hooker Street on Goose Island. It’s a very cool venue which is operated by Calihan Catering, 312.587.3553. The space has vaulted ceilings, exposed brick and skylights as well as well work wood floors. A talented florist or designer would be able to create some very creative designs in the room. Nitin Vyas, from Calihan, was in charge last night and we recognized each other from past weddings at the Chicago Botanic Garden where he has concentrated his efforts. Nitin was extremely helpful.

More Photos from Greg and Maria's Wedding

2010-07-04T15:06:00.001-05:00

Erica Rose, sent me some of her photos from Maria and Greg's wedding in May. Thank you Erica

To contact Erica go to: http://www.erosephoto.com/ or http://www.ericaroseblog.com/

Style Me Pretty - Little Black Book

2010-06-13T19:59:00.003-05:00

Style Me Pretty’s Little Black Book is a highly edited collection of wedding service providers – from mom and pop boutiques to A-Listers. Bottom line, these vendors are the best of the best. For more information about the Little Black Book, including a detailed description of how vendors are selected and get listed, see our Little Black Book FAQ

Sandra and Nate's Wedding at Prairie Productions

2010-05-25T19:43:00.000-05:00

Olivia Leigh Photographie provided these wonderful photos for me, thanks Olivia.

Prairie Productions is a very popular venue, the owner told me he has booked over 50 weddings in 2010. As you can see from Olivia's photo above, the room is large with a lot of natural light. The ceremony and reception is usually held in the same room but there is another space and an outdoor patio for cocktails following the ceremony.

I've conducted several weddings at Prairie Productions and the room has looked entirely different each time. It must be fun for the florists to design how to use the space and the results are often striking.

Other vendors included in Sandra and Nate's wedding were:

Park West Strings

Food for Thought Catering

Kloeckner Preferred Flowers

Columbus Park Refectory

2010-05-22T14:08:00.010-05:00

Maria and Greg were married on Friday, May 21 at the Columbus Park Refectory. Located at 5701 W Jackson the Refectory has three porticos that fill with sun during the summer. The grounds, created by the dean of prairie landscape architecture, contain two natural looking waterfalls, stratified stonework ledges and abundant native plant life.

Inside, Spanish-influenced architecture, arched entryways, and ornate terra cotta are quite lovely and the generous-sized Dance Hall has magnificent windows that overlook a lagoon and comes complete with a grand piano.

The photos taken with my IPhone don't do it justice but that's what I have for now.

Don't write off the Chicago Park District sites for your wedding venue, at least check out their website, they have some very nice sites.

Erica Rose of Erica Rose Photography was the photographer. I have not worked with her in the past and it was good to get to know her and I hope she will send me some professional photos later that I can post here.

Jill and Mark's wedding on January 1, 2010

2010-01-24T18:00:00.011-06:00

Jill and Mark were married on January 1, 2010 at Trump International Hotel and Tower. Aristene Aurand, is the wedding specialist at the Tower and weddings there are always very special.

Tara Swift Moser from LOLA Event Production (312.513.6531) was the planner and florist and was great. It is always a pleasure to conduct weddings with the team from LOLA!

Andre LaCour was the photographer and provided these excellent photos to. Andre is the director of photography at Edward Fox Photography and can be reached at 773.794.5149. Thank you Andre.

Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2010

2010-01-19T20:46:00.002-06:00

Spirited Weddings has been chosen to receive the Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2010. This award recognizes the top 5 percent of local wedding professionals from the WeddingWire Network who demonstrate excellence in quality, service and professionalism.

The Bride’s Choice Awards™ are determined exclusively by recent newlyweds (brides and grooms) through extensive surveys and reviews, which means my past clients have spoken on my behalf and selected me to receive this honor.

I am honored to receive this award again this year!

One of my favorite readings

2009-11-18T07:36:00.001-06:00

Sonnet XVII – Pablo Neruda

I don’t love you as if you were the salt-Rose, Topaz

or arrow of carnations that propagate fire:

I love you as certain dark things are loved,

secretly, between the shadows and the soul

I love you as the plant that doesn’t bloom and carries

hidden within itself the light of those flowers,

and thanks to your love, darkly in my body

lives the dense fragrance that rises from the earth

I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where.

I love you simply, without problems or pride:

I love you in this way because I don’t know any other way of loving

But this, in which there is no you, or I

so intimate that your hand upon my chest is my hand.

So intimate that when I fell asleep it is your eyes that close

Mindy and Eric - James Hotel

2009-11-15T18:44:00.003-06:00

This was my first wedding at the James Hotel and I was impressed. The staff were really helpful and great to work with and the room was especially attractive. Here was the team, at least the ones I met.

Venue: The James Hotel
Hillary Cavan, services manager and her staff were there to help throughout

Photographer: Pamela Luedeke Photography
Pamela has promised to provide some photos and I will post them later in a new post.

DJ: Toast and Jam
It is always a delight to work with the folk from Toast and Jam, this was no exception.

Planner: Here Comes the Party
This was my first time working with Marcy Alspach and Meghan Martinez, what a great team.

Florist: Dilly Lily
Usually the florist is gone by the time I get to the venue but this time I got to meet a couple of the people and compliment them on their arrangments.

I think Eric and Mindy were very happy with their choice of vendors and they are certainly worth your consideration.

The School of the Art Institute of Chicago's Ballroom

2009-10-18T10:58:00.004-05:00

Allie and Nelson were married yesterday at the Art Institute Ballroom. Their web site says the room has won several architectural awards. The high ceilings, impressive grand staircase and balcony do make it a beautiful venue. The area where the ceremony takes place needs to be reset for the reception so there are some decorating challenges but creative florists have made it work.

In my experience yesterday and in the past, the Ballroom is one of those venues that is very hands off in its approach. In other words there doesn't seem to be anyone their from the Art Institute to provide assistance. I am not saying this is bad but it does mean that couples need either a wedding coordinator or someone like me who will coordinate the ceremony for them. For instance, yesterday the band that was to play for the reception got a late start setting up and were still at work at 6:00 when the wedding was to begin. I asked them to finish after the ceremony and then got the musical prelude started, family members seated and processional started. I think Allie was completely unaware of issues with the band, and I am happy that was the case.

Dave Johnston of Chicalba Bagpiping Service played out on Michigan Avenue as the guest arrived and then he played as Allie and her father walked down the aisle. He also played as Nelson and Allie processed out at the end of the ceremony. You can contact Dave at 630.534.4964 or dave@chicalba.com. If you are looking for a bagpiper for your wedding or event Dave is an excellent choice.

Food for Thought provided the catering and Abby English was the person in charge last night. Abby and her crew did an excellent job.

Green Dolphin Street

2009-10-11T17:27:00.004-05:00

Stephanie and Rob were married yesterday at the Green Dolphin Street located at 2200 North Ashland Avenue. I remember this place when it was a car parts dealer and I've been there recently to hear some jazz but this was my first wedding. Jessica Bergman one of the event planners told me that they have weddings there most every weekend. Be sure to look at the photos on their web site because from the outside Green Dolphin Street may not look like a place to have your wedding. However, the inside is nice, some of the rooms have a lot of natural light and they do have a very beautiful garden in the back. They also have a big parking lot and lots of on street parking, both of which are unusual for a venue in the city.

Jessica was very helpful and easy to work with, you can contact her at 773.395.0066.

Zed 451

2009-10-11T17:00:00.008-05:00

Dora and Diego were married in August on the roof top at Zed 451 located at 739 North Clark Street in Chicago. Heather Parker was the photographer and we exchanged business cards and I asked if I could post some of her photos on this blog. She send them last week. You can see Heather's website and read her blog by clicking here.

Thank you so much Heather for the photo. She actually sent several more but they are all of me and I think one is enough for this blog. Go to her web site and her blog and you will see some great photos of Diego and Dora and Zed 451.

First and Last

2009-10-01T06:00:00.001-05:00

The day began with a 12:30 wedding on the Trump Terrace on the 16th floor of the Trump Tower. It has very dramatic views of the Wrigley Building Clock Tower, Tribune Tower and the riverfront looking east on to Lake Michigan. I noticed that as the guests arrived and walked out on to the terrace many of them took out their cameras and started to take photos of the view, it is pretty amazing. I only had my IPhone so the quality isn't very good but at least you can get an idea of the view east.

Lin of Lin and Associates was the real photographer and I am hoping she will share some of her photos with me so that I can post them here. You can contact Lin at 77.727.9494.

Monika Lotter, who is Director of Catering at Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago told me after the ceremony that this was the first ever wedding on the terrace. As I have mentioned in a previous blog Monika and the staff at the hotel are just wonderful. You can contact Monika at at 312.588.8059 or trumpchicago@trumphotels.com

The day ended with another wedding at the Shedd Aquarium for the last wedding of the year on their new outdoor terrace. I can't find it described on their website but let me add that the views of downtown Chicago are wonderful. Again, my photos don't do it justice but you can at least get an idea.

Tara Moser of LOLA Event Productions was the wedding coordinator, you can reach her at 312.513.6531 or tara@lolaeventproductions.com. LOLA always does excellent work and I think couples who select them are well served with the right mix of attention to all the details and the ability to be flexible when last minute changes happen.

Courtney Lawhn of Chicago Harpist provided the music. We have worked together in several weddings and it's always a delight to see her again. You can reach Courtney at 847.826.5067 or at
courtneylawhn@yahoo.com.

I don't often see or interact with florists but I have come to recognize the work of Keho Designs. There designs are always both beautiful and distinctive. Check them out, I don't think you will be disappointed.

Wedding at Wicker Park Lutheran Church

2009-09-27T17:54:00.003-05:00

David and Janeen were married on Saturday, September 26 at Wicker Park Lutheran Church, located at 1502 N. Hoyne Avenue in Chicago. In my experience it is unusual for a church to let an outside minister conduct a wedding in their church but this church just did just that. In fact I never did meet or talk to anyone from the church. The building was open and prepared when I arrived for the rehearsal and the wedding itself. It's a lovely old church and for couples looking to be married in a church with no apparent strings attached I would highly recommend Wicker Park Lutheran, their telephone number is 773.276.0263.

Music was provided by Thomas Yang, executive director of Chicago Musical Connection, a string quartet that was just wonderful to work with and did a truly outstanding job. There is no email or web page information on his business card but you can reach Thomas at 847.256.6610. I Googled him and there was a long listing of articles about this well known and respected musician.

A great venue, wonderful music and a memorable wedding for Janeen and David

Prairie Production

2009-09-20T18:45:00.005-05:00

This was my second wedding at Prairie Production which seems to have become a very popular venue.There is a good photo of the space on the website and as I walked in I was struck with the fact that it looked entirely different than it did at the last wedding I conducted there.

After the ceremony I met Michael Roberts who owns the space and was also the photographer for the wedding. He hosts private events in there and also uses it as a daylight studio for photos.

EventCreative was the caterer and I suspect, based on their website they were also the florist and did the room decor. It was very impressive.

It's always a pleasure to work with Fig Media, this week Megan Taylor was the Deejay. The room presented some challenges for her but she was right on top of it and did a great job. She was also a huge help to me when the musicians performing the processional and recessional started the recessional before the ceremony was over. Megan responded quickly and saved the day and part of the ceremony.

If you are looking for a venue that's like a blank canvas because you want to do some creative decorating be sure to check out Prairie Production.

Trisha and Stephen chose not to hire a wedding planner or coordinator and not to have a rehearsal so I was happy I could step in and coordinate the ceremony for them. We had worked through ahead of time some tricky seating arrangements for family members as well as all the other pre-ceremony details like the seating order of grandparents and parents, order of the processional and how the groom, groomsmen and brides maids would process it. I think the entire ceremony came together well and Stephen and Trisha were please.

Park Hyatt Weddings

2009-09-15T19:16:00.001-05:00

Lori Stephenson of Lola Event Productions served as the coordinator for Pari and Edward wedding last month at the Park Hyatt, 800 North Michigan Avenue. I always enjoy working with Lori and her clients are always well served.

A week before Eugenia and Myat were also married at the Park Hyatt. Darcey Lohman from Big City Bride was the coordinator. This was my second wedding with Darcey and she was a life saver for me.

Both weddings were in the same room but the set up was entirely different for each one. It is a great credit to the hotel, the planners and florists that they can make the same room look so different.

The contact at the the Park Hyatt was Virginie Bishop, vbishop@hyatt.com and Maria Farrell, maria.farrell@hyatt.com. Virginie was there for the rehearsal and she and the other staff were most helpful on the day of the wedding.

The hotel offers the couple two complimentary nights at any Park Hyatt or Hyatt Resort worldwide when their wedding is at Park Hyatt Chicago. That seems like a very nice perk.

Swissotel Chicago

2009-09-10T18:53:00.001-05:00

I have conducted several weddings at Swissotel Chicago but they have been two levels down from the street entrance in the Alpine Room. Shawna and Robert's wedding was on the 43 floor and had magnificent views of the city and the room worked perfectly for their 100 guests. After the wedding the guests adjourned to an adjacent room for the cocktail hour and the hotel staff set up the room where the wedding had been for the dinner.

Erik Friedly aka, dj erik, from Fig Media was the DJ and Billy Rood, also from Fig Media was the photographer. These guys were great to work with.

Budi Tanzil, director of catering at the hotel was very helpful with the multitude of last minute details. Budi can be contacted at

budi.tanzil@swissotel.com

Trees Studios

2009-09-07T18:13:00.007-05:00

Monica and Frank were married on Friday of Labor Day weekend in the Courtyard of Trees Studios. It had been almost a year since my last wedding at Trees Studio and it was good to be back. Be sure to check out the web site, it has some great photos of the courtyard set up for several different weddings.

Donna Albertson, is the director of marketing and special events for Tress Studios and she was as helpful and wonderful to work with as I remembered. Donna was joined by Lauren Knuepfer, from LK Events who was Monica and Frank's coordinator. Donna and Lauren were a great team and made my job very easy and enjoyable.

You can contact Donna at The Ivy Room at Tree Studios, 12 E. Ohio, Chicago, IL 60611, 312.645.7760, info@ivyroomchicago.com

Lauren from LK Events can be contacted at lkeventschicago@gmail.com

Chicago History Museum

2009-08-05T20:05:00.017-05:00

.The Chicago History Museum is a great venue for weddings whether they are indoors or outdoors. The staff is wonderful to work with and extremely helpful throughout the entire wedding. I will be back for another wedding this Friday evening and I am looking forward to it.

Cathie and Rich were married there on June 20 and Chris Ocken of Oken Photography sent me these photos last week. I know Cathie and Rich were pleased with the photos and after seeing a few I am sure you will see why. Chris can be reached at 312.238.9188 or chris@ockenphotography

You may also want to check out their facebook gallery of this wedding.

Hotel Monaco

2009-07-26T14:52:00.006-05:00

Kristian and David were married on July 25 at Hotel Monaco. This was my first time at the Hotel and the wedding took place in an attractive room on the third floor.

Carrie Collins of Wed-Chicago was the coordinator, it was fun to work with her again and I really like the way she works with couples. Carrie seems well organized but also laid back.

James Knabe, trumpeter and two other musicians did a very nice job with the music.

Kristian and David did some editing of my materials and came up with a great Declaration of Consent combined with a Guest Blessing, they also used some traditional vows. I really like the Guest Blessing because it gives the guests a role in the ceremony as opposed to just sitting there passively.

Kristian and David did some editing of my materials and came up with a great Declaration of Consent combined with a Guest Blessing, they also used some traditional vows. I really like the Guest Blessing because it gives the guests a role in the ceremony as opposed to just sitting there passively. Here is what they came up with we called it the Declaration of Consent and here is how it went.

Kristian will you have this man to be your husband; to live together in the covenant of marriage? Will you love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, be faithful to him as long as you both shall live?

Kristian, I will.

David, will you have this woman to be your wife; to live together in the covenant of marriage? Will you love her, comfort her, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, be faithful to her as long as you both shall live?

David, I will.

Will all of you witnessing these promises do all in your power to uphold these two persons in their marriage? Will you, the family and friends of David and Kristian, you who know and love them best, pledge to them your honesty, compassion, and support? Will you continue to be quick to encourage and slow to criticize, ready to share both tears and laughter? Will you continue to share with them the deepest concerns of life-- whether in grief or in joy-- and so receive and give the love of the truly abundant life? If you will, with God's help, pledge these gifts to David and Kristian, answer: "We will."

Latest in Processionals

2009-07-26T10:09:00.004-05:00

Ok, check out this link for the very latest in Processionals.

Prairie Production

2009-07-12T19:06:00.001-05:00

This was my first wedding at Prairie Production which seems to have become a very popular venue. It's located on Randolph between Halsted and Ogden. Parking was easy and there wasn't much traffic.

This is not your typical hotel or banquet type venue. My pictures aren't the best but I think you can get an idea. There is a nice out door area for people to gather in before and after the ceremony. The room is reset after the wedding for the reception. The whole place has a very urban feel and I think Michelle and Shaun were very happy with the venue selection.

Katie Kozlowski, the owner of Dettagli Weddings was the coordinator and she and he staff were a delightful to work with.

2009-06-08T20:54:00.000-05:00

Bonnie and Charles were married in May at the Omni Hotel, 676 North Michigan Avenue, in the Picasso ballroom that features floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Huron and Rush Streets. The room accommodates up to 160 guests and is a stunning and memorable Chicago wedding reception site.

For more information or to schedule a consultation, contact their wedding specialist at 312..944.6664 or visit their wedding site.

Hotel 71

2009-06-01T19:58:00.007-05:00

The 39 floor penthouse at Hotel 71 was the venue for Angela and Dave’s wedding last month. The room has incredible views and Rebecca from the hotel was wonderful to work with. Dave and Angela had a little over 100 guests and it was a prefect fit for the room. As is often the case the room was reset after the wedding for the dinner, there is a adequate space with more great views on the same floor for the cocktail hour. If you look on Yelp you will also find 37 reviews on the hotel and weddings there.

Kathleen Carter, 585.590.0154 provided the music. I wish I could tell you who the photographer and the video guy was but neither of them had their business card

Pulaski Park

2009-05-28T18:18:00.000-05:00

Elaine and Greg were married in the park house at Pulaski Park, 1419 West Blackhawk in Chicago. The room was nice and not fancy. I suspect it is an affordable space for a lower budget wedding. I think the bride and groom rented the chairs and they had their reception elsewhere but as you can see, it was a nice setting.

Greg and Elaine chose to do the sand ceremony and they purchased vases online from Things Festive.

The sand ceremony is often done at outdoor weddings but it works fine inside too. I really like these particular vases. Often couples will get sand that has special meaning for them. In a wedding a couple of years ago the bride and groom who lived in Hawaii brought different color sand from their favorite beaches to use in the vases.

Michelle Morales was the cellist. She can be reached at 773.910.8690 or azcello@gmail.com. The wedding was nearly 30 minutes late and she provided wonderful prelude music the entire time.

Newberry Library

2009-05-25T18:50:00.004-05:00

I conducted a wedding at the Newberry Library on April 14 and a couple of days ago the photographer Ana of anamiyares.com sent me a link to her photos,. Check it out they are great!

Ana can be reached at ana@anamiyares.com or 773.852-376

Grand Piazza Weddings

2009-05-25T17:16:00.009-05:00

I had never been to the Grand Piazza or even heard of it for that matter and then I had two weddings there on the same weekend. The Grand Piazza located at 1431 West Taylor Street Chicago, IL 60607 and is home to the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame, a museum that pays tribute to athletic greats such as Joe DiMaggio, Tommy Lasorda, and Mary Lou Retton. Natalie Arakelian is the contact person and she can be reached at 312.226.5566 or kperez@levyresturants.com

One of the best features of the Grand Piazza is its rooftop terrace, the views of the downtown skyline are incredible.

But, with outdoor weddings there are a lot of things that can go wrong. The first wedding was on a Friday night and it rained almost all day and evening. So, the wedding had to be moved inside into the ballroom. The space was nice and worked well but it would have been nicer outside.

The wedding was about 30 minutes late because I had not carefully thought through how to get the guests up to the third floor on a very slow elevator and then how to get the bride, who had not seen the groom that day, off the elevator without being seen by the groom. She ended up riding up and down the elevator for about 20 minutes while the groom waited patiently at the front. Nevertheless, I think they were happy with how the ceremony turned out.

The second wedding did take place on the terrace but in the midst of gale force winds. You can't see them in the photo above but there are actually guy wires holding down the hupa. The aisle runner had been tapped down but as the wedding party walked to the front it sort of billowed up in front of them. The ceremony however came together beautifully and the bride and groom were cheered as they walked down the aisle as husband and wife.

Marcia Hemphill and her staff from An Urban Affair coordinated the Saturday wedding, they are always a pleasure to work with.

The other cast of participants included:

Daniel Gin, photography, 312.285.0388 and dg@dangin.com
Kate and Rachel from Toast & Jam provided the music for a wedding and reception. I’ve worked others from staff in the past and they are first rate.

Newberry Library

2009-04-26T17:54:00.005-05:00

The Newberry is an interesting setting for weddings. If you were to walk into the lobby during the week when the security desk and guard rail are in place it would be difficult to envision having a wedding there. But, when the desk and railing are removed it looks much different. The lobby has been restored and an art-nouveau chandelier creates a dramatic affect. The marble staircase and ornate banister become the focal point of the room and a dramatic way for brides to enter.

A separate room, Rugles Hall has large windows facing both Washington Square Park and Dearborn Parkway and is ideal for the wedding dinner.

Another room, the Towners Fellows' Lounge has oak paneling and works well for small more intimate weddings.

The staff in the office of events can be reached at 312 255-3595 or via email to skubishk@newberry.org

Anne and Michael were married at the Newberry last Saturday. Once again I enjoyed working with Ali Phillips of Engaging Events by Ali. I've mentioned Ali in many previous blogs and it continues to be delightful to work with Ali. You can contact Ali at ali@engagingeventsbyali.com

Ana of anamiyares.com was the photographer, she can be reached at ana@anamiyares.com or 773.852-3761. I am hoping Ana will share some photos with me to post here or perhaps a link to her site with photos of Michael and Anne's wedding.

Keith Jorgensen was the video guy. He is the co-founder of Poetic Productions a professional videography company. Keith is also involved in the wedding website called the Daily Bride. You can contact Keith at info@poeticweddings.com or 312 863-4007

Back at Bond Chapel

2009-03-01T13:12:00.002-06:00

Bond Chapel at the University of Chicago was the setting for the wedding of Elizabeth and James last week.

Lori Stephenson of Lola Event Productions was the wedding planner and the person who introduced me to James and Elizabeth. Lori is a delight to work with, she is very well organized and detail orientated but she is also laid back so things get done well but without the stress that sometimes happens in weddings.

Intercontinental Hotel Chicago

2009-03-01T12:34:00.005-06:00

Amy and Sandro were married last night at the Intercontinental Hotel in the King Arthur Court room that features an entire wall of original stained glass and intricately carved wooden pillars, cast-iron chandeliers and a hand-painted ceiling. Christopher Schmidt, associate director of catering and his staff were great to work with. I really like the rooms in these older hotels, they just seem to have more character that many of the new places.

Sandro's father Dalmo who is a professional pianist played Chopin Nocturne in E Flat, Opus 9, No. 2 which was a wonderful addition to the ceremony. Sandro's brother Gian-Carlo read Love written by Roy Croft, a really beautiful reading.

Mike Stoklasa of Red Letter Weddings was the videographer and Toni DiDonato of Indigo provided the music.

Matt of Imaginative Studios was the photographer. I have had the pleasure of working with them several times recently. Be sure to check out their webpage to see their outstanding work.

It was a great team to work with and the wedding was a lot of fun for everyone.

A Suprise Wedding

2009-02-16T20:31:00.003-06:00

Becky and David were married Friday evening at Mrs. Murphy and Sons Irish Bistro

They had invited about 100 guests to what they described as an engagement party. After an hour or more of food and drinks a video of them as kids and then adults was shown on the video screens at the Bistro, the video ended by inviting everyone to the next room for the wedding! Becky's mother and grandmother, and brother knew about the wedding but no one else did including David's mother.

During the video Becky slipped away and changed into her wedding dress, when she walked in with her brother everyone stood and applauded. They were obviously surprised and delighted.

The wedding itself was a lot of fun, with laughter and a few tears all around.

2009 Bride's Choice Awards

2009-02-14T17:02:00.002-06:00

WeddingWire, a wedding technology company, just announced that Spirited Weddings has won the 2009 Bride’s Choice Awards™!

In its inaugural year, the Bride’s Choice Awards recognizes and honors vendors from the WeddingWire Network that demonstrate excellent quality of service, responsiveness, professionalism, value of cost and flexibility. This year’s recipients represent the top three percent of WeddingWire’s vendor community, which includes over 100,000 wedding vendors from across the US. That means Spirited Weddings is one of the very best Officiants.

Unlike other awards in which winners are selected by the company, the Bride’s Choice Awards are determined exclusively by recent newlyweds through surveys and reviews.

“We are excited to launch this annual award program to honor high-performing vendors based solely on the experiences of our WeddingWire community,” according to Timothy Chi, WeddingWire’s Chief Executive Officer. “This year’s recipients have set the bar high, exhibiting excellent service and expertise in the wedding industry.”

I would like to thank our past clients for speaking on our behalf and helping us win the 2009 Bride’s Choice Award!

Trump International Hotel & Tower

2009-02-10T19:42:00.003-06:00

Keith and Kelly were married in the Skyline Room at Trump Tower located at 401 North Wabash Avenue, in downtown Chicago. Monika B. Lotter, Director of Catering, 312 588-8000 and her staff were fantastic to work with. I was truly impressed by their willingness to help with the smallest of details and I was especially impressed that it seemed like every staff person in the hotel looked me in the eye and greeted me.

This was my first time working with Debi Lilly, Chief Eventeur, at A Perfect Event, Inc. Debi was clearly on top of every detail and provided a calm but professional presence during the rehearsal, wedding and reception. You can contact Debi at 773 244-9333 or debi@aperfectevent.com. Debi and Monica were a great team.

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

Wedding at Pazzo's

2009-02-07T17:33:00.005-06:00

Deanna from Deanna Mandarno has graciously provided these photos for me to post here. The wedding was in December at Pazzo's, 311 South Wacker. Enjoy.

Sofitel Hotel

2009-01-04T19:03:00.003-06:00

The Grand Ballroom of the Sofitel Water Tower Hotel , with a 20-foot-high window and a spectacular view was the venue for Lauren and Michael's wedding on Friday evening.

This was my second wedding at the Sofitel and as I said before, the ballroom is stunning and the staff of the hotel were helpful and pleasant to work with. They reset the room for the dinner and it looked like an entirely different room.

Courtney Lawhn and a violinist provided the wonderful music for the ceremony. You can contact Courtney at courtneylawhn@yahoo.com. John Straus was the photographer and his business card says the photograph proofs will available on his sight in three weeks. The room was decorated beautifully, I bet the photos will be outstanding.

Michael and Lauren included the Polish wedding tradition of having their parents share bread, in hopes that they will never hunger or be in need, salt as a reminder that their life may be difficult at times and they must learn to cope with life's struggles and wine, in hopes that they will never thirst and will have a life of good health and good cheer and share the company of many good friends. It was a lovely and tender moment in the ceremony.

Pazzo's

2008-12-18T12:46:00.004-06:00

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.

http://

Chicago Mart Plaza

2008-12-14T16:25:00.005-06:00

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

2008-12-07T12:14:00.003-06:00

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

2008-11-16T14:06:00.005-06:00

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

2008-11-15T10:52:00.009-06:00

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

2008-11-07T17:28:00.007-06:00

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

2008-11-06T15:53:00.000-06:00

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

2008-11-04T17:25:00.011-06:00

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

2008-11-02T14:20:00.009-06:00

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

2008-10-31T13:32:00.014-05:00

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

2008-10-19T16:00:00.006-05:00

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

2008-09-22T15:54:00.002-05:00

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

2008-09-20T20:52:00.006-05:00

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

2008-09-19T13:54:00.012-05:00

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

2008-09-14T18:15:00.005-05:00

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

2008-09-04T13:00:00.001-05:00

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

2008-08-24T20:04:00.004-05:00

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

2008-08-09T15:58:00.013-05:00

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

2008-07-27T13:30:00.012-05:00

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

2008-07-26T15:22:00.008-05:00

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

2008-07-20T15:07:00.017-05:00

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

2008-07-07T20:30:00.006-05:00

Emily and Ben were married on Sunday, July, 6^that, 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

2008-07-05T17:12:00.004-05:00

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

Joe's on Weed Street

2008-07-03T20:06:00.010-05:00

Carol and David got married last Sunday at Joe’s on Weed Street in Chicago. I talked to Katelyn Lobascio, the special events manager after the ceremony and she said they have had three or four weddings at Joe's but this was the first wedding that she had been involved in. It seemed like the perfect venue for David and Carol and I think the 150 or so friends and family that were there enjoyed it as well.

The ceremony itself was fairly traditional and included a reading by Carol’s daughter, her maid of honor and David’s son, the best man. David wore a tux and Carol a white wedding dress. The rest of the wedding party was dressed casually, with the men in matching Hawaiian shirts.

Music was provided by David and Carol’s favorite band, Mr Blotto. Apparently the band is well know in Chicago and has a devoted following and David was afraid that their fans would crash the wedding so all the guests had to be checked off of the guest list prepared by David and Carol.

I think that couples looking for a informal setting for a wedding would be well served at Joe’s. They also have an outside patio that would be great for weddings. Unfortunately the weather didn’t cooperate last Sunday so plans were changed and we moved inside.

You can contact Katelyn at partyjoes@comcast.net or at 312 337-8818.
Technorati Tags: Wedding, Minister, Spiritual, Chicago, Non-Denominational, Wedding Officiant

A Small Wedding at Rosebud Prime

2008-06-27T17:15:00.005-05:00

Darcy and Adam had a small, mostly family wedding in the private second floor room at Rosebud Prime, 1 South Dearborn on Friday at noon. Rachel Flores, the manager told me after the wedding that it was their first wedding and they would welcome other small weddings there. Rachel and the staff were certainly helpful and even though I did not stay for lunch, the restaurant has some very positive reviews on Yelp.

I had talked earlier with Darcy about what she wanted included in the ceremony and emailed a full script to both she and Adam for their review. Because those attending were very close family and friends, we included a Pledge of Support in which I asked, “Will you, the family and friends of Adam and Darcy, you who know and love them best, pledge to them your honesty, compassion, and support? Will you continue to be quick to encourage and slow to criticize, ready to share both tears and laughter? Will you continue to share with them the deepest concerns of life—whether in grief or in joy. If you will pledge these gifts to Darcy and Adam, answer: We will." Everyone enthusiastically responded, “We will.”

So if you are planning a wedding for around 20 people, check out Rosebud Prime.

Wedding at Independence Grove in Libertyville, IL.

2008-06-25T20:20:00.002-05:00

Anthony and Gina were married on Friday evening in The Native Garden at Independence Grove. It is a pleasant setting for an outdoor wedding if the weather cooperates. A major storm front had moved through the area earlier in the afternoon but it cleared up nicely for the wedding. The reception was held later in Audubon Hall.

It was a large wedding party, eight bridesmaids and seven groomsmen, a ring bearer and two very cute flower girls who had been in four other weddings and were I think more calm about their role than some of the bridesmaids. Premier Events were the DJ’s and were extremely helpful and attentive, a delight to work with.

Independence Grove is a popular venue for weddings. The catering manager told me that they had two weddings on Saturday and two again on Sunday, he was hoping for more good weather because they were all going to be outside. It’s a long drive from downtown Chicago and with highway construction everywhere what should have been an hour drive was more than double that. Even the guests from the suburbs were commenting on the traffic. If you are looking for a pleasant setting for an outdoor wedding, lots of free parking and a good setting for your reception I would encourage you to look into Independence Grove, Call Events at Independence Grove at 847-247-1111 or visit their website.

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

Weddings at A Tavola

2008-06-22T19:26:00.004-05:00

I had never heard of A Tavola, located at 2148 W. Chicago Avenue until I was asked to conduct a wedding there in January when Marge and Rick got married in their favorite restaurant. I looked it up on Yelp Chicago and they have 39 rave reviews. Normally I don’t attend receptions but Marge is the sister of some friends that I don’t see very often so when I had the opportunity to catch up with them and have a great meal, I just couldn’t pass it up.

There were about 30 guests and the ceremony was short and intimate. Rick’s four children from his previous marriage and Marge’s three daughters also from a previous marriage were their attendants. Wow, what an attractive group they were! The meal was fantastic if you want more details look at the Yelp website.

A few months later another couple asked me to conduct their wedding at A Tavola and I was thrilled to say yes. So yesterday Lindsey and Trajan had a 6:00 wedding with ten guests in the small and intimate upstairs room at A Tavola. I arrived before anyone else and was greeted by the friendly staff. I ended up talking for about 20 minutes to the chef/owner, Dan Bocik who was having a salad before the start of a busy evening. I discovered that they have a charming outside patio in addition to the first and second floor rooms. It was a perfect evening for dinner outside. I enjoyed a plate of cheese, bread, olives and olive oil while Dan and I talked.

I didn’t stay for dinner last night but I had been back in May for another great dinner with some good friends. So, if you are looking for a place for a small and intimate wedding in a charming setting with food that is outstanding I would strongly encourage you to contact A Tavola. They have a small and selective menu always based on fresh ingredients and in addition to their menu, shown on the website, they have daily specials. Call them at 773 276-7567 for reservations.

Fulton’s On the River

2008-06-01T20:49:00.007-05:00

I first visited Fulton’s, located at 315 N. LaSalle Street, a couple of years ago when The Knot sponsored a party there for its Chicago vendors. The party was hosted on the outdoor patio which looks out on the Chicago River with great views of the loop.

Recently I have conducted two weddings at Fulton’s. Carolyn and Tom were married there in April and Hanh and John were married there this afternoon. Jamie Patrick, the sales manager was wonderful to work with and made my job much easier.

The wedding was held in a long narrow room with views of the Chicago River and cocktails and an endless supply of wonderful appetizers were served on the outdoor patio along the river. It was a perfect spring day in Chicago and setting could not have been better. I didn’t stay for the reception but I did peek into the spacious lower-level dining room that was elegantly set for dinner.

It was a genuine pleasure for me to get to know Hanh and John as we prepared their unique ceremony. It is rare when a bride and groom memorize their vows but John and Hanh did just that and it added a very special touch. I also had a great time talking with some friends from Washington DC who used to attend the church where I was a pastor here in Chicago. Barbara had worked with Hanh in DC before she moved here. Barbara had introduced me to Hanh and John which led to the honor of conducting their wedding. Glen Abog was the photographer and I have asked him for one of his professional photos to post here later.

Couples who are looking for a waterfront wedding and reception site will I think be very happy with Fulton’s On the River, give them a call at 312 527-1417

Chief O'Neill’s Pub on a beautiful Saturday afternoon.

2008-05-31T15:24:00.010-05:00

I had never been to Chief ONeills’s Pub before and was happy to see that when I walked in it felt like an authentic Irish pub but there was also an attractive outside garden which turned out to be a great setting for the wedding of Angie and Tom.

Apparently Francis O'Neill, who was born in Cork Ireland was the chief of police in Chicago for 32 years and was responsible for 3,300 officers (2,000 of them were Irish). The pub was named after the Chief and is know for its good food, proper pints and airs, reels and other grand Irish music.

Tom and Angie’s ceremony was brief just as they wished and at the end I introduced them as husband and wife and also introduced the new family as Delany, Angie’s daughter, joined them to walk out together. It’s always an honor and great fun for me to be a part of weddings, this one was no exception.

A Wedding at W Chicago City Center

2008-05-28T04:45:00.014-05:00

Jessica and Brian got married in January at W Chicago City Center, 172 West Adams Street, Chicago. I have conducted several weddings at the W recently and always find that they provide a warm and inviting venue.

Jerry from Timothy Whaley & Associates was the photographer and they have graciously provided me with a couple of photos to share with you. I know that Jessica and Brian were delighted with the pictures and I found that Jerry was easy to work with.

I really enjoyed helping Brian and Jessica create their ceremony and then conduct it for them. They are both warm and outgoing people and they brought that into the ceremony they created.

As part of the ceremony I asked Jessica and Brian’s parents to stand and then asked them, “Will you gladly and freely bless the marriage of Brian and Jessica? Do you accept them as members of your family and pledge your supportive love to them in their new life together? If so will you please respond by saying, “We do.” Both sets of parents immediately responded with a strong and obviously heart-felt, “We do.” It was one of those tender moments that I have blogged about in the past. For more information about wedding ideas please look at my website, or contact me at botto@spiritedweddings.com

Weddings at The Peninsula in Chicago

2008-05-27T15:26:00.001-05:00

Recently I conducted two weddings at The Peninsula in downtown Chicago. One was a Saturday evening black tie affair for about 170 guests. The other was on Sunday at noon and included about 70 guests. Jennifer Clarke, the catering sales manager and her staff did an exceptional job with both of the ceremonies and they are a delight to work with.

I was impressed at what appeared to be the ease at which the staff handled two very different styled weddings back-to-back. While they were always ready to assist and fill in where needed they were not overbearing. They were there to help in any way possible and that made it an easy and enjoyable ceremony and reception for me and I am certain for all the guests.

I highly recommend The Peninsula, if you are interested you can contact Jennifer at (312) 573-6701 or JenniferCLARKE@peninsula.com

Classical Guitar and Cello Music

2008-05-24T09:40:00.009-05:00

Last Sunday I conducted a wedding where Paul and Kerena Moeller of Moeller Music provided the music. They describe themselves as a, “rare and beautiful combination of the classical guitar and cello” which is a perfect description of what I heard.

They have a repertoire that covers a range of musical styles and they were able to provide a seamless flow of music while the guests were being seated through the processional. The piece that they played for the recessional, "Bridal March" by Felix Mendelssohn sounded so amazing that it startled me. Here’s what happened, I introduced the bride and groom to their guests as husband and wife, everyone applauded and then the music began. The music they played sounded to me so much like a pipe organ that I looked over at them to see if they had brought in an organ or keyboard when I wasn’t watching. No, it was them still playing the cello and guitar. It was absolutely beautiful!

Paul and Kerena stayed to play during the cocktail hour too. Here they switched musical styles to create a more contemporary mood. You can hear samples of what they can play during receptions here.

If you would like them to provide beautiful cello and guitar music for your wedding and reception you can reach them at (224) 535-8932 or through the contact form on their webpage. I know that I am looking forward to working with them, hopefully soon.

Things I’ve Learned the Hard Way

2008-05-20T16:43:00.006-05:00

I went to seminary but we never had a class on conducting weddings and as a result over the last 30 years of doing weddings I’ve learned some things the hard way. For instance, during the second meeting with couples I always ask the bride if she has a train on her wedding dress. It’s not that I am nosy it’s that I want to avoid an embarrassing moment for the father of the bride.

Here’s what can happen. The bride walks down the aisle with her father and she is walking on his left side. They come to the front, stop and I ask, “Who presents this woman to be married to this man” and he says, “I do” or “Her mother and I do.” Then he kisses her, shakes the grooms hand and then walks around behind his daughter to his seat on her left. The problem is he forgets about her train and either just tromps across it or if the bride and groom are walking forward by then she will come to a sudden stop because her dad is standing on the train. It’s very embarrassing for dad, who often has worried himself about walking down the aisle and if he will remember what he’s supposed to say but stepping on her dress is a mistake big time. So I’ve learned to ask about the train and then remind dad about it at the rehearsal and just before he walks in. Nine times out of ten, he will remember and often has a proud little smile on this face because he avoided the train.

Another little thing I’ve learned is that it’s best for the Best Man/Person to take the rings out of the box and put them on their finger prior to the ceremony. First, those little black boxes are difficult to open, I’ve seen the Best Man turning them around and around trying to figure out how to open them while I am standing with my hand out ready to receive them and the guests are snickering out loud. The other thing is that it’s easy to drop the rings while taking them out of the box. In one wedding the Best Man dropped a ring and it bounced off the carpet into a potted plant. The next thing we knew he was down on his hands and knees digging through the pot trying to find the ring. It was very funny and we made some jokes about it but the poor guy was pretty embarrassed.

What humorous thing happened at your wedding? All of us reading this would love to hear so please post your own story. Please also look at my website, www.SpiritedWeddings.com

Tender Moments

2008-05-20T15:47:00.005-05:00

At the end of my second meeting with the couples I describe to them, based on what they have selected to include in the ceremony and other details that I have helped them make, how the ceremony will flow from the moment their guests start arriving until the end when they walk out as husband and wife. While I am walking them through the ceremony in this way, almost without exception both of them get very tender expressions on their faces and frequently one of both of them tear up. One bride in her own blog described it this way, “It was almost surreal to talk through the sequence of the ceremony. D and I had of course talked through all of this together as we wrote/crafted the ceremony but there was something different about it when your Officiant mentions that 'you will be emotional during the vows.' I almost started tearing up right there.”
I don’t know exactly what is going on in these moments but my hunch is that after months, sometimes more than a year of planning and dreaming about their perfect wedding ceremony when I describe it to them it comes alive. They feel in those moments the excitement, happiness and tenderness that they will feel even more fully on their wedding day.

One of the suggestions that I make to every couple is after they recess out from the ceremony they go to a room where they can be together for a few minutes before joining their guests. Some venues will provide champagne and food for just the bride and groom. I am not there in the room with them but I think that those moments together are also filled with a lot of tenderness. I learned recently that in the Ashkenazi Jewish Wedding ceremony this time alone is called the Yichud. The newly married couple publicly seclude themselves in a closed room for several minutes.

I would love to hear from other couples if you are planning a Yichud or if you have other comments about tender moments in your ceremony. You can post a response to this blog or contact me at botto@SpiritedWeddings.com or visit my website, www.SpiritedWeddings.com

Chicago Wedding at the Mid-Day Club

2008-05-19T13:59:00.007-05:00

Benita and Ken got married last fall at the Mid-Day Club on the 56th floor of the Chase Town in downtown Chicago. I have conducted several weddings there over the years and feel sad that the club closed on January 1 of 2008. The closing is truly unfortunate because it was a great venue for weddings and the views from all four sides of the building were tremendous plus the staff was very attentive and helpful and the food was always good.

As you will see in the photos, Ken’s father Paul and Benita’s mother Sandy stood up with them. The selections they made for their ceremony made clear their deep love for each other. In their vows they said, “When you fall, I will catch you. When you cry, I will comfort you. When you laugh, I will share your joy. No matter what lies ahead for us. I will see it as a journey. I know that all their family and friends wish them well on their journey.

These photos from the wedding were taken by Artisan Events, you can contact them at their toll free number, 877 227 WEDD

Wedding at Hotel Allegro

2008-05-15T11:06:00.012-05:00

Amanda and Christopher were married in the Oak Room of the newly remodeled Hotel Allegro. The hotel has done a wonderful job of restoring the Oak Room and it is a beautiful setting for a wedding. The cocktail hour takes place in the second floor lobby and the food was outstanding.

The DJ was Roberto Monastero who is a delight to work with. He is professional, easy to work with and when I see him at a wedding I can always relax knowing that the music is in good hands. I have also worked with Nicholas from Clark Photographics and he too does an excellent job. The flowers were provided by Ray Hoffman and Aly Kurti from Aly's Posey Patch and they were strikingly beautiful.

Unfortunately I don’t have any photos of this wedding but I plan to begin including photos from future weddings. If you have questions about your wedding or are looking for vendor recommendations please contact me at Spirited Weddings, 312 671-1804 or at botto@SpiritedWeddings.com

Later I received a note from Amanda and Chris saying, "Thank you so much for Officiating at our wedding. The ceremony was absolutely beautiful and we have gotten so many compliments from our guests on what a great job you did!" As usual, I had a wonderful and rewarding time conducting their wedding.

Sunday Noon Wedding at Volo Restaurant and Wine Bar

2008-05-04T19:34:00.012-05:00

Victoria and Phillip had a small outdoor wedding in the cabana garden patio of Volo Restaurant and Wine Bar. It was a warm sunny spring day in Chicago with trees and flowers blooming and all of us wanting to be outside to enjoy the weather.

Just a week before the wedding, a fire nearly destroyed their home but Phillip and Victoria went ahead with the wedding anyway, Victoria’s father, who was visiting from Texas, brought some good humor to the day when he passed out red plastic fireman’s hats to everyone after the ceremony.

There was no professional photographer but a friend of Phillip’s promised to send me a few of the pictures that he took, I will add them to this blog when they arrive.

The staff at Volo was friendly and helpful and the array of food for the reception looked and smelled amazing. I wish I had been able to stay and join the reception but I hope to return for one of the frequent wine tasting events or maybe one of the special cocktail parties, or cooking events that they list on their website.

Small Intimate Weddings

2008-04-29T20:11:00.002-05:00

During April I have been asked to conduct four small intimate, and on two occasions, family-only weddings. This is unusual for me because most of the weddings I do are large formal ceremonies but I have to admit, I do like the smaller ones too.

Frequently a central part of the ceremony is acknowledging the couples’ children from prior marriages and finding meaningful ways to let them know how important they are to this new marriage. Often we acknowledge the guests and the role they have played in the lives of the bride and groom and then we ask them to publicly express their love and support. I like that we can give the guests a role in the ceremony rather than having them sit or stand passively just watching what is taking place.

These ceremonies are definitely more intimate and give us the opportunity to be creative in ways that are difficult in large formal weddings. So if you are a couple leaning toward a smaller wedding go for it, you can make them very personal and special.

Making Your Wedding Green

2008-04-23T10:47:00.003-05:00

I know that it’s terribly trendy but I have to admit that I really like the growing popularity of all things green. Several years ago my wife and I were in South Africa and they had just banned plastic grocery bags. We thought that was terrific and when we came back home we started bringing our own bags, including one that we bought in SA, to the store to carry home our groceries.

I just read a blog that Clair Goodman, a colleague of mine in Charlottesville, VA posted on her blog about green wedding resources. If you are interested in a greener wedding see what she has to say. You will also find a multitude of other helpful ideas in her Blog

Fears about what the Officiant will say in the ceremony

2008-04-20T19:10:00.003-05:00

Every once in a while when I am talking to a bride and groom about conducting their wedding they tell me a horror story about attending a wedding where an Officiant started making off-the-wall comments that were embarrassing to everyone present. Recently a couple told me that after looking at another local Officiant’s website they ruled him out because based on how he describe himself, they were scared he would turn their ceremony into an opportunity for him to perform. Several years ago, in a review of my services posted on a wedding blog a bride wrote that the groom, “was worried that he'd [she was referring to me] start going into some prayer we hadn't agreed on, but he didn't. I got many compliments about Bruce and how nice the ceremony was.”

My conclusion is that even though couples don’t tell me directly, they have fears about what I am really going to say during their wedding. That is perfectly understandable because they have opportunities to taste the food their caterer will prepare, hear the music played by their DJ or musicians, see photos taken by their photographer and see how their hair stylist will do the bride’s hair for her wedding. How will they know exactly what I will say during their wedding?

I am not alone in doing this, but the way I address this fear is by asking every couple to select from my planning booklet exactly what they want said in their wedding. At times they have very specific things they want said, for instance that the wedding is taking place where they met or in one instance a couple who loved animals changed a line in a prayer that said, “may they always welcome friends and strangers into their home,” to “may they always welcome friends and strange animals into their home.”

I provide them with at least two drafts of the ceremony script that they can review and edit until I get it just the way they want it. I offer advice or suggestions based on my experience but in the end the ceremony is completely personalized and uniquely theirs. Then as the bride who reviewed me said, I stick with the script.

My hope is that this process helps calm the fears of the bride and groom so that they can, as much as possible, relax and fully enjoy and engage in their ceremony.

January Wedding with a Hawaiian Theme

2008-04-17T13:43:00.002-05:00

Barb and Neal got married in their suburban home on one of the coldest days of the year but the atmosphere was warm inside. All of their guests received a beautiful and fresh Hawaiian lei as we walked in the door. We had been encouraged to wear summer clothing and many of us wore our favorite Hawaiian shirt or blouse. It was a stark contrast to step in from the cold weather outside and see a house full of people dressed in summer clothes and listening to Hawaiian music.

Barb and Neal had originally planned a destination wedding in Hawaii where they vacation every year but the realized that traveling that far would prohibit most of their friends from attend. So, they brought Hawaii to their home.

Their love and affection for each other was obvious through out the ceremony and as several friends and relatives made comments it was obvious that Neal and Barb were deeply loved by everyone there.

Once it was over it was back to the harsh realities of the Chicago winter but the wedding was a fantastic break.

Including Pets in Your Ceremony

2008-04-14T19:55:00.003-05:00

Are you like me and in love with your pet(s)? Would you like to include them in your wedding? If so, don’t’ hesitate to find a way to include them.

At one wedding several years ago, the groom’s dog, a black lab was one of the best persons. He walked down the aisle with a bridesmaid and wore white cuffs around his front paws and a white collar around his neck. During the entire ceremony he behaved perfectly.

In another wedding the bride’s dog was the ring bearer. He also walked down the aisle with a cushion, containing the rings, strapped to his back. It was an outdoor wedding and it was hot in the sun but he also behaved perfectly.

Last year at a small intimate wedding at the Park Hyatt on Michigan Avenue and Chicago Avenue in downtown Chicago, two of the bride and groom’s dogs served as flower girl and ring bearer. They were well behaved too and seemed to enjoy the attention.

Our pets are an important part of our lives and including them in the ceremony makes a lot of sense. Ask you Officiant or Minister to help you think about an appropriate way to include your special friends, be creative, have fun.

Saturday Wedding at The Tower Club

2008-04-14T19:02:00.002-05:00

On Saturday I conducted the wedding of Christine and Michael at the Tower Club which is located on the 39th floor of the Civic Opera building. It is a very nice, and I am told affordable, venue for weddings with about 125 guests.

The Tower Club is a great choice if you want everything you need in one place and lots of wonderful staff to help with every detail. It is also in a great neighborhood with dozens of restaurants, bars, shops and parking within a short walk from the front door.

If you think the Tower Club might be the place for your wedding visit their website The Tower Club or at 312 726-2410

Can I Help?

2008-03-01T20:10:00.000-06:00

Although I have been conducting weddings for over 30 years I am new to blogging and perhaps you are too but if you somehow found this Blog then you are probably planning a wedding in Chicago and you are looking for some helpful information here and at other sites.

I would be very happy to know what information would be useful to you and what kinds of information would be of use to you in planning your wedding.

Feel free to either submit a Comment to this post or contact me directly via email at, botto@SpiritedWeddings.com