Holly & Mike’s Amazing Allure on the Lake NYE Wedding
New Year’s Eve weddings are some of our favorites, we truly love ending our year and kicking off a new one with our Something Blue couples!! We knew that Holly and Mike’s NYE wedding would be extra special after their amazing engagement session at . . .
New Year’s Eve weddings are some of our favorites, we truly love ending our year and kicking off a new one with our Something Blue couples!! We knew that Holly and Mike’s NYE wedding would be extra special after their amazing engagement session at the Lyric Theater in Blue Island. Holly and Mike have a special connection and are the kind of people who make you can immediately make you feel like close friends; we are so grateful for their genuine warmth and kindness!
Holly and Mike were introduced by their mutual friend who thought they would be a good match. They had their first date at Dog Haus in Lincoln Park and spent the evening talking and getting along splendidly. After that night they quickly became inseparable and soon had a shared catchphrase "well.. just one more…." Holly and Mike share a love of sports, travel and Taco Bell, and before long they both knew that they would be together forever.
Leading up to New Year’s Eve it had been painfully brown in the Chicago area, but that day flurries started to fall leading up to Holly and Mike’s wedding. The snow made our drive to Indiana that much more picturesque, and the beautiful Allure on the Lake looked so pretty as we arrived. Holly and her girls were cozy inside getting ready, Holly looked SO amazing thanks to the glam squad at Primp Studio. After a few fun shots with the girls and their cute disco ball champagne glasses Holly slipped into her gorgeous gown from Here Comes the Bride.
While Holly and her bridesmaids were getting ready, Mike and his guys were waiting across the way with their elderly dog (who was just THE sweetest!) Holly and Mike had their first look near the chic and spacious bar inside the reception space, with the snow falling and wind blowing we were really thankful for that beautiful area to take photos! After their sweet first look (where Holly playfully grabbed Mike’s butt!) they exchanged private vows near the windows, it was a beautiful and tender moment. From there we ventured outside so that Holly and Mike could add their “love lock” to the fence outside near the water. We love when both old and new traditions are incorporated into a wedding day!
We didn’t last long outside in the blowing snow while taking pictures, but we are happy to have taken some in the flurries. After coming inside we finished near the beautiful bar before heading in to the ceremony. Holly and Mike’s wedding ceremony was filled with touching moments, and before long they were officially husband and wife! Right after the ceremony a guest approached me to tell me to take a picture of the gift she had brought for Holly and Mike – it was a bottle of champagne from the “Condom” region in France. We both got a good laugh and I was delighted to later see this same guest up front for the New Year’s countdown, sipping champagne with her festive sunglasses on! It’s so much fun for us to celebrate with you and your guests, and this amazing wedding was one we will never forget!
Congratulations, Holly and Mike, we love you and wish you a lifetime of happiness together!
To see all of Holly and Mike’s beautiful wedding photos, click here
VENDOR DETAILS
PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEOGRAPHY
Something Blue
FLORIST
Town & Country Florist
HAIR & MAKEUP
Primp Studio
BRIDAL DRESS BOUTIQUE
Here Comes the Bride
MENSWEAR
Formally Modern Tuxedo
Nicolle & Billy’s Picture-Perfect NYE Wedding
Nicolle and Billy are beautiful both inside and out, two souls destined to be together forever. They first met in college but took some time getting to know one another. Once they officially connected they became inseparable . . .
Nicolle and Billy are beautiful both inside and out, two souls destined to be together forever. They first met in college but took some time getting to know one another. Once they officially connected they became inseparable, they moved in together in the Fall of 2019 and welcomed the cutest little Covid puppy in the Spring of 2020. Billy proposed to Nicolle at the stunning London House Chicago on their third anniversary.
I had the best time with Nicolle and Billy when we met downtown for their chilly and romantic engagement session. They are both so kind and easy to be with (not to mention incredibly photogenic!) I loved spending that time with them and was so excited to end our 2022 wedding season by celebrating with Nicolle and Billy on New Year’s Eve!
Nicolle had always dreamed of a New Year’s Eve wedding, and with the help of the amazing Rosanna & Co. Nicolle put together the most perfect day. The weather was gorgeous, plenty of sunshine and just enough warmth to make it possible for us to take plenty of pictures outside. Nicolle looked absolutely stunning in her chic Madi Lane gown, but for us the real star was her insane Jimmy Choo pearl wedding heels. After the sweetest reveals with her bridesmaids and Dad we went outside with Nicolle so she could have her First Look with Billy. From that moment these two were inseparable for the full 13 hours that we were at their wedding. After their First Look at the Westin Chicago Lombard we made our way to Visitation Catholic Church in Elmhurst for their traditional Catholic ceremony.
After the ceremony we traveled to the Wilder Mansion for wedding party photos. Nicolle and Billy have the absolute nicest friends and family, they were such good sports posing in the cold (even with the sun it was still December in Chicago!) Billy and his groomsmen made a quick dash for the nearby playground when they finished with their formal photos, we love a group of guys who are still kids at heart!!
When we returned to the Westin the Junior Ballroom was gorgeously decorated and ready for one of the most EPIC wedding receptions we have ever been a part of. Nicolle had thought of every detail to make the party perfect – we celebrated all night long with sparklers, a live wedding painter, cigar rollers, a CO2 cannon, a stylish outfit change and epic NYE countdown. It was the amazing way to usher in the New Year, an absolutely unforgettable night!!
Congratulations, Nicolle and Billy, we love you and wish you a lifetime of happiness together!
To see all of Nicolle and Billy’s gorgeous wedding photos, click here
VENDOR DETAILS
PHOTOGRAPHY
Something Blue
VIDEOGRAPHY
Weddings With Motion
WEDDING COORDINATOR
Rosanna & Co.
RECEPTION VENUE
Westin Chicago Lombard
FLORALS
Carousel Flowers
WEDDING CAKE
The Baking Institute
LIVE PAINTER
Rosemary Fanti
MAKEUP
Artistry by Francesca
HAIR
VonKarl Bridal
WEDDING GOWN
Madi Lane
BRIDAL BOUTIQUE
Weddings 826
WEDDING SHOES
Jimmy Choo
BRIDESMAID DRESSES
JJ’s House
MENSWEAR
Mens Wearhouse
Julie and Michael’s Perfect New Year’s Eve Wedding
Life is full of choices. Taking the second chance is harder than taking the first. Julie and Michael met on the dating app Hinge – they hit it off and planned to meet for sushi. But Julie let her overthinking get the best of her and cancelled the date. Michael was bummed but took it gracefully . . .
Life is full of choices. Taking the second chance is harder than taking the first. Julie and Michael met on the dating app Hinge – they hit it off and planned to meet for sushi. But Julie let her overthinking get the best of her and cancelled the date. Michael was bummed but took it gracefully by responding “let me know if you change your mind.” As fate would have it, almost a year later Julie and Michael matched on Tinder. This time around they actually made that first date happen. Something about Michael immediately felt familiar to Julie, and from the very beginning he gave her a sense of peace and comfort. The feeling was mutual, and soon the two became inseparable, bonding over music, nights out, great food, family, friends and travel. Michael helps Julie not take life too seriously, and is always looking for his next way to make her laugh. He appreciates her attention to detail and never-ending planning, and describes her as “beautiful inside and out.”
Julie’s attention to detail really paid off for their beautiful and unforgettable wedding day. She thought of everything for her and her bridesmaids to make their New Year’s Eve wedding extra special.. We had so much fun with this crew at the lovely Hyatt Lodge in Oakbrook – as the girls got ready they made time to sip champagne and pop plenty of confetti, the New Year’s Eve party started early and went strong all day and night!
We took Julie and Michael outside for their sweet and emotional first look on the bridge outside the Hyatt Lodge. After they saw each other they read beautiful letters to one another (one of our favorite “trends”) before connecting with their wedding party for photos. Julie and Michael and their friends were up for anything, they even let Conrad convince them to climb on some rocks for an epic wedding party photo reflecting over the water! Scroll all the way to the end to see how they rang in the New Year, it was truly the most perfect day!!
Congratulations, Julie and Michael, we love you and wish you a lifetime of happiness together!
To see all of Julie and Michael’s beautiful wedding photos, click here
VENDOR DETAILS
PHOTOGRAPHY
Something Blue
VENUE
Hyatt Lodge Oakbrook
FLORALS
The bride’s Mom, Patricia Goosetree!! SO impressed!
HAIR AND MAKEUP
Tamara Makeup and Hair Artistry
WEDDING GOWN
Pronovias Kimba
WEDDING DRESS BOUTIQUE
Bridal Boutique of Naperville
BRIDAL SHOES
Keds
BRIDESMAIDS’ DRESSES
Azazie
MENSWEAR
Gentlemen’s Quarters
WEDDING RINGS
Azar
WEDDING CAKE
Creative Cakes
WEDDING BAND
One Night Band
Heather and Daniel’s Covid-Style Anniversary Session
Conrad and I were super bummed when we realized that we weren’t going to be shooting a wedding this New Year’s Eve. We have two weddings to look forward to on New Year’s Eve in 2021, but thought it would be really nice to end 2020 on a positive note by hanging out with one of our favorite couples. Heather and Daniel agreed to do a sweet New Year’s Eve anniversary session with us; we started by photographing a slice of life inside their beautiful home and ended with a quiet celebration at their wedding venue.
On New Year’s Eve 2019 we celebrated Heather and Daniel’s elegant wedding at The Metropolis Ballroom in downtown Arlington Heights. We had the most amazing time at their wedding, and as we rang in 2020 with confetti and sparklers we had NO idea what the coming year would look like.
As 2020 unfolded and Heather and Daniel enjoyed their first year of marriage together, life wasn’t quite what any of us expected it to look like. But watching Heather from afar on social media showed that her and Daniel still found ways to find fun even in quarantine. They went to outdoor restaurants, took a little trip or two, and always managed to look VERY in love along the way.
Conrad and I were super bummed when we realized that we weren’t going to be shooting a wedding this New Year’s Eve. We have two weddings to look forward to on New Year’s Eve in 2021, but thought it would be really nice to end 2020 on a positive note by hanging out with one of our favorite couples. Heather and Daniel agreed to do a sweet New Year’s Eve anniversary session with us; we started by photographing a slice of life inside their beautiful home and ended with a quiet celebration at their wedding venue. While it wasn’t the epic New Year’s celebration we are used to, it was still a perfect way to quietly celebrate the love these two share.
After some Netflix and snuggles, Heather and Daniel tucked into an authentic Chicago deep dish pizza before a quick game of cards together (the deck has one of their favorite wedding photos on it!!)
The amazing team at Two Sisters Events created the florals for Heather and Daniel’s wedding last year, and they generously gifted them a fresh new bouquet and boutonnière for their anniversary session. We loved the dark and moody vibe of the flowers for this session, it perfectly fit the atmosphere of finding quiet ways to celebrate in the midst of a pandemic.
After playing dress-up in their wedding clothes at home, Heather changed into her sister’s beautiful Maid of Honor dress and we ventured outside for our NYE celebration. We played with sparklers and confetti (Daniel is president of their homeowner’s association so we had the green light!) before heading to The Metropolis Ballroom for our nightcap. Shawna, the amazing Director of Weddings at the Metropolis, kindly came and let us in, it was so great to see her and to be back at one of our favorite venues!!
Thank you for ringing in the New Year with us, Heather and Daniel!! Here’s hoping that 2021 brings you much love and many more adventures together!
To see Heather and Daniel’s New Year’s Eve wedding photos, click here