Seth & Jaleen chose to have their destination wedding in a city that was close to their hearts, full of fun things to do and unique ways to hold a wedding! Both of them being from different states, they felt like why not have a cool location for their families and friends to visit!  So Chicago was their wedding choice!  And they certainly took advantage of the beauty of the city and options for their wedding that were uniquely them!

The weekend began with their rehearsal dinner at a quaint Air B&B hotel.  Jaleen’s brother made an authentic middle eastern dish, that had everyone watching in amazement!  Baklava was served for dessert and then everyone just enjoyed the time visiting with family and friends that had all travelled so far.  The next day, wedding prep began at the ceremony location, The Royal Sonesta Chicago Riverfront.  We found it hard to not stare out the windows as we photographed the details!  What fantastic views the hotel has!

The ceremony had even more amazing views from all directions, because it was on the rooftop patio. Such a dreamy location to exchange their wedding vows.  Following the sweet and heartfelt vows, the couple had an intimate cocktail hour with their guest.  Just as they were finishing up, the rain started moving in!  We photographed quickly on the patio and then they actually took a lunch break.  We met back up with them after the rain and about 45 mins before their reception boat was to depart.  We had so much fun running around the Chicago waterfront with this laidback couple and just capturing a few candids and loving Jaleen’s adventurous spirit! From climbing up on a bridge to removing her shoes and relaxing with Seth, these two were a dream to work with!

All that fun and we still had the riverboat reception to attend!  Eating delicious food and drinks, cruising along the Chicago River and lakefront, was so incredible special.  From their first dance with the Chicago skyline in the background, to the  fireworks right above our heads, Jaleen and Seth had thought out exactly what they wanted for their day and made it all come true!  What a awesome time everyone had!

Thank you Seth and Jaleen for entrusting us to capture your beautiful relationship and all the fun of the weekend!  Congratulations on a truly unique and personal wedding!

Venue-The Royal Sonesta Chicago Riverfront

Makeup-Jordan Faulkner

River Cruise-Chicago’s First Lady Cruises

Florist-Trish Barner extraordinaire

Catering-Entertaining Company

Video-Shutter and Sound

DJ-DJ Bliss

Seth to the rescue!  Funny thing was that he brought along a few bouquets because he wasn’t sure which was the bridal one!