The Peninsula Chicago Hotel Wedding | Downtown Chicago Elopement | Luxury Chicago Elopement Photographer
The Peninsula Chicago Hotel Wedding | Downtown Chicago Elopement | Luxury Chicago Hotel | Chicago Elopement Photographer
Karina and Matt started their elopement in downtown Chicago by doing a champagne toast in their suite at The Peninsula Hotel on Michigan Avenue. After they opened a few gifts, Matt saw Karina in her dress for the first time, they headed down Michigan Avenue for a stroll to meet the officiant and say “I do!”
Karina had a beautiful bouquet of jewel toned flowers that matched her chic and jewel toned green dress. I loved how minimal yet beautiful it was! Once we met up with the officiant at the Fourth Presbyterian Church, she led them in their vows and exchanging of rings. After they committed to spend the rest of their life together in the stunning church courtyard downtown, they signed their papers and were officially newlyweds!
We took a few more portraits in the courtyard and then strolled back down to The Peninsula Hotel, where we parted ways and they continued onto a beautiful and private evening together. I honestly love when couples do what feels right to them on their wedding day.
All of this to say, if you want to wait and spend your day with your loved ones, then do that, because it’s important to you and that definitely matters. And in the same vain, if you want to take your next step into married life with just your fiancé by your side, then do it! either way should be celebrated and I am here for all of it! I personally eloped to St. Lucia this past November with my husband and can really appreciate this kind of wedding day as well as the larger ones, because we also still want to have a larger wedding with all of our family and friends in the years to come!
I truly loved how romantic this day was and am so grateful for every couple who asks me to document their day, no matter how large or intimate! x
Chic Downtown Chicago Micro Wedding | Madelyn + Paul | Elopement Wedding Photographer
Chic Downtown Chicago Micro Wedding | Madelyn + Paul | Elopement Wedding Photographer
Elopements at city hall are some of my favorite! And Madelyn and Paul truly did it right! They started the day getting ready with their favorite people, and then did their first look just outside of the Thompson Hotel in the center of downtown Chicago. They then hopped in a limo with some bubbly and headed off to the Chicago Cook County Marriage Court. After they went in with their marriage certificate in hand and their masks on their faces, they came out with their arms in the air and rejoicing as they just got married during this craziness of a year! They had their parents and siblings waiting just outside the courthouse doors to cheer them on right after they left the courthouse and to give them all of the hugs!
Then the newlyweds went for a limo ride through Chicago and we stopped by a few of their favorite neighborhoods and some beautiful streets downtown. We ended up in the fashion district of downtown and roamed around the streets by shops like Dior and Versace, before heading to Gibson’s Steakhouse, where their immediate families were waiting to celebrate and enjoy a meal with them upstairs in a private dining room. All in all, this was a simple day, filled with beautiful little details that all focused on the bride and groom! In the car ride they opened up a bag of gummy bears their friends gave them, popped champagne and took Fujifilm Instax photos to have little take aways straight away from their special day!
This day was such a memorable one, and not just because of the beautiful bride and groom and their amazingly city chic attire, but because they just did what they wanted! These two, just like many couples had another plan before this one, and when this year became what it became, they just had to figure it out. And in the end, when you want to get married, you just figure out a way to make it happen, even if that means just the two of you in your city at the courthouse, dressed in your best! Madelyn and Paul were so relaxed all day long and were truly just so happy to finally become husband and wife and to start their “forever” together. I loved being able to witness their joy on this day. From start to finish, there was just so much love, joy and laughter, and that, to me, is what makes a wedding day the most beautiful of all! x
Dress - Sarah Seven // Hotel - Thompson Hotel // Wedding Reception - Gibson’s Steakhouse // Wedding Ceremony - Chicago Cook County Marriage Court // Flowers - Bride’s Mother (She did amazing!)