Michelle and Nolan share an eclectic love of music and all things vintage, so choosing to throw their wedding celebration at Salvage One just made sense. The 60,000-square-foot vintage Chicago warehouse with exposed brick walls, expansive windows, and rich wooden floors, isn’t just a venue—it’s an experience. We knew after shooting Michelle and Nolan’s stunning engagement session at Salvage One last Fall that their wedding would be unforgettable.

Michelle and Nolan’s love story began as a classic tale of boy meets girl, but with a twist. Michelle's sister's boyfriend's brother's wife was the sister of Nolan. Confused yet? Don't worry, we were too! Their sisters thought they would make a perfect match and introduced them to each other at Frontier Days in the Summer of 2018. But, to start, they were not interested in each other at that moment. So, they said hello and went their separate ways for a year.

Fast forward to 2019 when Michelle and Nolan reconnected in the most beautiful way - through Tinder. Michelle's hands started sweating as soon as she got the notification of a new "match." She knew she had to come up with something hilarious and clever to impress Nolan, but Nolan beat her to it with a simple "Hi, Michelle!" From that moment on, they were inseparable. They started traveling together, attending concerts of all different genres, and watching sports on the couch all weekend long against Michelle's will. Four years later, Nolan decided he wanted to continue this trend for the rest of his life, so he proposed to Michelle.

Michelle and Nolan chose to celebrate their wedding at Salvage One, and honestly I’m not sure if there has ever been a venue better suited to the couple’s vibes. When we arrived at Michelle and Nolan’s place on their wedding day we found Michelle and all of her bridesmaids getting ready while wearing their favorite concert t-shirts and listening to records, and that fun, laid-back rock-star energy set the tone for the most amazing day. We were surprised to see our old friend Jaycie working her magic and doing hair and makeup for Michelle and her girls – Jaycie is Nolan’s cousin and we had no idea! She wove dainty white flowers into Michelle’s hair as the perfect boho finishing touch, Michelle looked absolutely perfect.

Once Michelle and the girls were ready we made our way to The Grove for her first look with Nolan. They shared a sweet and emotional private moment together there before riding together with their awesome bridal party downtown to Salvage One. After taking some fun wedding party photos on the second floor we made our way downstairs for their ceremony. Michelle’s brother in law served as their officiant during the beautiful ceremony; when Michelle and Nolan shared their vows with one another there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. They shared their first kiss as husband and wife and the celebration really began!

The reception space on the second floor looked incredible thanks to the amazing team at Salvage One and the gorgeous florals by the talented Flowers by Coll. Michelle had a custom stained glass motif created for the wedding that carried through the invitations and other wedding details. She even DIY’ed fun and funky cornhole boards for guests to play during the reception. This wedding was so cool that the newlyweds even had a custom concert poster produced for the occasion!

While the details for this wedding were all uniquely beautiful, it was the sense of connection and love that really made Michelle and Nolan’s wedding unforgettable. Their wedding party was one of the most fun and laid-back groups we have shot all year. It was fun to see Michelle’s teacher friends from Olive (where my kids go to school!) during the cocktail hour. As guests enjoyed dinner we were treated to several incredible toasts – Michelle’s Dad gave an amazing and thoughtful speech that ended with him gifting Michelle with her favorite snacks, a Diet Coke and Cheez-Its. Michelle later shared the sweetest dance with her Dad before Yazz Events kicked the party into high gear and filled the dance floor with revelry. It was the perfect celebration for Michelle and Nolan, we are so grateful to have been a part of it.