Christina and Jimmy's Modern Chicago Wedding

The Stationery Suite

Christina loves shades of pink, and Jimmy favors blue and orange—so they combined their preferences to form their colorful palette, which was first showcased on their invitation. They chose a contemporary and geometric design by Precious Bugarin called "Shindig" from Minted that would go well with the style of their reception.

The Fashions

Jimmy went with a classic tuxedo, by Black by Vera Wang, and Christina wore a Chantilly lace Augusta Jones dress with beading and an organza belt. She completed her look with Eliot Danori earrings and a Givenchy necklace.

The couple took portraits around the city, with many in front of a row of brownstones in the Old Town neighborhood of Chicago.

The Bridal Bouquet

Life in Bloom created the bride's bouquet of garden roses, spray roses, dahlias, seeded eucalyptus, ranunculus, and tweedia.

Pretty in Pink

Christina's bridesmaids sported two different Donna Morgan dresses and carried petite bouquets of garden roses, dahlias, seeded eucalyptus, eucalyptus, pincushion protea, spray roses, and craspedia.

The Little Ones

Jimmy's godson, Lucas, and niece, Madeline, served as ring bearer and flower girl, respectively. He wore a The Baxter Boy bow tie with his suit, and she donned a sweet dress from Bella Bianca.

The Church

Wanting to wed in a Catholic church, Christina remembered Saint Clement Parish, which she had gone to several years prior. The building dates back to 1905.

The Ceremony

Christina was escorted down the aisle by her father for the two o'clock Catholic ceremony, which was witnessed by 230 of the bride and groom's loved ones.

The Newlyweds' Exit

Their wedding occurred the day before the Chicago Air and Water Show, so the Blue Angels were rehearsing. When Christina and Jimmy came out of the church, they flew overhead. "Everyone joked that we had arranged it because the timing was perfect," Christina says.

Cultural Music

With both the bride and groom being Irish, it was a natural decision to have a bagpiper play to honor their roots.

The Cocktail Hour

Guests arrived at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago for the reception, which kicked off at six o'clock with a cocktail hour on the lower terrace at the back of the venue. A three-piece jazz ensemble played.

Cocktail Hour Fare

Passed appetizers included watermelon with feta cheese, tarragon, and balsamic syrup; Chinois chicken salad in a crispy wonton shell; truffle goat cheese and caramelized onion turnovers; and Spago's signature spicy tuna tartare in a sesame miso cone.

The groom's love of craft beer was spotlighted with local brews on hand, with a signature gin and tonic rounding out the cocktail hour.

An Artistic Moment

One of the exhibits on display during the wedding was Simon Starling's Flaga installation, in which he hung a vintage Fiat. The couple took time to snap a few photos in front of the piece.

The Reception

"We picked the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago because we wanted to have an outdoor reception and it was one of the few venues in Chicago that had outdoor space," Christina says. "It would accommodate our large guest count, and we also liked that our guests would be able to go through the exhibits."

Tables were set up on the upper terrace at the rear of the museum, with views of Lake Michigan and the Windy City's skyscrapers.

The Tables

Gunmetal shantung linens anchored the tables, which were a mix of farm tables with runners and rectangular tables with full cloths covering them. Peach napkins, aqua votive holders, and centerpieces of roses, craspedia, dahlias, and pincushion protea added lots of color.

The Table Names

In lieu of traditional table numbers, the couple picked 23 of their favorite bands and had illustrator Sarah Zimmer create signs that related to each. Her geometric designs tied into the theme, and honored the groom's passion for music.

The Head Table

Two large tables were put together for the bridal party and their significant others. To set it apart from the other tables, it was decorated with smaller floral arrangements and geometric terrariums with succulents and air plants.

The Dinner

There were four options for the entrée at the seated dinner. As a late-night snack, guests nibbled on Wolfgang Puck's signature pizzas: grilled vegetable with fresh herbs, and four cheese, tomato, and basil.

The First Dance

As a nod to the couple's first concert together, the couple danced to "California Stars" by Wilco, a Chicago-based band.

A Keepsake to Display

Instead of a traditional guest book, the newlyweds asked their attendees to sign an oversized poster. The globe illustration by Sarah Zimmer was drawn to show Africa, where the couple went on their honeymoon.

An Edible Work of Art

In keeping with their geometric theme, the cake (by Amy Beck Cake Design) boasted hexagons on the top and crisscrossed lines at the base. The lines matched one of the art installations inside the museum.

The four-tier cake boasted four different flavors: red velvet, passion fruit with passion fruit filling, chocolate ganache with strawberry and vanilla filling, and lemon cake with raspberry filling.

Sweets to Go

One of the first things the couple booked after finding their location was a special treat for their guests—a Jeni's ice cream truck. Since Christina and Jimmy love visiting the Chicago store and getting scoops of the cold stuff, they picked their favorite flavors (brambleberry crisp for her and Ndali Estate vanilla bean for him) to have on hand at the end of their reception. The truck was parked outside of the museum, and guests brought a little "ticket" given to them at dinner to exchange for a special treat before heading home for the night.

Everyone also received little cards announcing the sparkler sendoff. Both pieces were designed by pal Kim Gatenby of Needle and Bread, and were intended to make sure that attendees knew what was happening and didn't leave before all of the fun was complete.

The Sendoff

Guests gathered on the steps to hold sparklers and wish the couple well at the conclusion of the reception.

Sources

Locations: Saint Clement Parish; Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago

Event Planning: La Belle Fleur Events

Catering: Wolfgang Puck

Flowers: Life in Bloom

Photography: Olivia Leigh Photographie

Cake: Amy Beck Cake Design

Music: The City Lights Orchestra

Videography: Leap Weddings

Photo Booth and Lighting: MDM Entertainment

Hair and Makeup: Vanessa Valliant

Transportation: Second City Trolley

Linens: BBJ Linen Rental