Melissa and Andrew’s elegant and glamorous Civic Opera Chicago Winter Wedding

Have we got a treat for you today! Melissa and Andrew had a GORGEOUS Wedding day. You really can’t beat the setting of the Civic Opera in Chicago. When you combine the amazing setting with the adorable glances Melissa was giving Andrew all night, Andrew’s impeccable tux, the unique and beautiful decor, the perfect Ceremony, and the super fun reception, you get gold! Enjoy the SUPER q&a with the Couple, and then check out some of my favorite shots of the day!

Where and how did you & Andrew meet?

Andrew and I met at work, on my first day back in the office after moving back from London in April 2012 (interestingly, finding a husband was on my list of reasons to move back!).  It’s a funny story, I had been brought on to manage the project on which Andrew had already been working for the previous two weeks; he did not know who I was and did not know I was his new project manager (aka boss).  When we had our first meeting, he could not pronounce my last name and I had to give him a business card and it was only then that he realized his mistake!  He loves to tell people that I was his boss, it’s cute.

Initial thoughts/impressions when you met each other for the first time:

I did not like Andrew very much (probably due to initial meeting), although did concede he wore nice suits.  After time, we became friends, and I reported to my bff that I thought he had a crush on me.  Little did I know, I was harboring a growing crush myself, which only did we act on once his project was over!

Describe the proposal:

Andrew did a spectacular job with the proposal and engagement day.  Andrew told me to pack my bags for a last minute trip to visit his parents for Memorial Day 2015 – I found this very fishy and did some sleuthing (to no avail).  So I packed my bags and stomped around angrily since I thought it was going to be engagement weekend.  The morning of our “flight” Andrew turns to me and says, surprise! No flight! I have a picnic for us instead!!  But it was 7am so we had to watch tv until it warmed up and it was a proper time to go for a picnic (9am).  We walked to Montrose Harbor on Chicago’s North Side; the sun was shining in a cloudless, blue sky, and we spread out the picnic blanket and then Andrew got down on one knee to propose.  Afterwards, he took me to one of our favorite restaurants, Bistro Dre, where our parents (Andrew flew them in from the East coast!) and friends were waiting to celebrate with us over brunch!  This was then followed by a barbecue with even more friends.  It was perfect!

Describe the wedding planning process:

Let’s just say, we are so glad we had a short engagement.  Wedding planning is hard!

Describe the wedding day:

We got married in December in Chicago, so all signs pointed to horrible weather – luckily, we had another day of blue skies and sun!  We woke up and got ready separately, anxiously awaiting our “first look”.  I had so many friends and family in my suite, it felt more like a slumber party than anything else!  We couldn’t wait to get everything started!  Funnily, I cried before walking down the aisle, but not because I was scared to marry Andrew – only because I had messed up my hair putting on the veil!  My mom called me a month later to make sure I was still happy with my decision because she didn’t know why I was crying…oops!

Describe the ambiance of the wedding reception, décor, food, special touches and special moments:

Andrew and I were looking for that feeling of “gravitas” when we searched for our venue.  We only saw 4, and the last one was perfect for us: Chicago’s Civic Opera House.  We were so excited to be in a historic building and a cultural institution, in the center of an urban environment.  The Grand Foyer, where we held the ceremony and reception, is gorgeously decorated in art deco style, which we decided to use as our theme.  We did not have to do much to the space at all, but we had some gorgeous candle and feather centerpieces, and our reception materials also reflected that jazz age vibe.  With everyone in tuxedos and floor length gowns, we hope the ambiance exuded that special, magical, glamour of the 1920s.

Describe overall feeling at the end of the wedding day:

At the end of the day, we were still so amped up – not tired at all!  We were happy to be married and excited for the honeymoon and our life together.  I remember wearing slippers though on the street because my feet hurt – flats are my best advice!

Include any additional information you may want to share, such as humorous stories that might have happened, obstacles you may have had to overcome such as weather, transportation, or anything else you feel may be of interest.

One thing of note is that Andrew and I both have opinions about things (I think only once I got “whatever you want is great!”), so almost every time we had to make a decision about a vendor or idea, we opened Excel and created a spreadsheet, with individual and combined rankings, to help us decide!