Ashley and Zach’s Chicago Wedding

Last month was Ashley and Zach’s wedding. Ashley is one of the most stylish people I know, and her wedding reflected that. Every detail, from the venue to the lighting, decorations and the gorgeous floral arrangements - was carefully considered, and the overall effect could not have been more beautiful. They also thought of ways to make the celebration very personal; the friend who originally introduced them officiated, Zach designed the wedding invitations and in lieu of traditional wedding parties, both bride and groom’s respective brothers served as the “Man of Honor” and “Best Man”.

Ashley and Zach’s mothers, Betsy and Meredith, oversaw the entire day and made sure everything came together seamlessly. They also provided tons of little details that I loved: black and white baby photos of Zach and Ashley to label the men and women’s bathrooms, glasses of champaigne for when guests first arrived and bouquets of baby’s breath to decorate the bridal suite.

The ceremony and reception were held at Ignite Glass Studios, a stunning and modern space, and the ideal layout for a hip city wedding. Immediately after the ceremony, guests were ushered to the rooftop deck for cocktails. The weather was perfect, 64 degrees, and Ashley was a stunning bride. Her makeup and hair were flawless and her dress was detailed with a beautiful black sash around the waist. At the reception, the three toasts, given by the father of the bride, the best man and the man of honor were some of the best I’ve heard. They were the perfect blend of funny and heartfelt.

Although Max didn’t make it through the entire ceremony, he got to meet a lot of Aaron’s relatives throughout our visit. Initially I was nervous about how well he would do with so many new faces, but he soaked it in and was more well behaved than I could have imagined. Here are a few photos.

Wedding pictures by Meredith Donnelly Photography. Family pictures by Aaron Wolen.