After visiting more than 25 bridal salons, Kerry selected an ivory gown by La Sposa that she purchased at Bridal Mansion in Lisle, Ill. The simple gown allowed Kerry to accessorize (for her reception she tied a lush chocolate-brown satin sash around her waist) and make the dress her own.
Real Weddings
Kerry and Justin in Burr Ridge, IL
Published on January 23, 2008
A vintage-inspired affair is ornamented with natural details
After dating for 11 years, high school sweethearts Kerry and Justin said "I do" near their hometown right outside Chicago. The bride's love of old black-and-white movies inspired a classic and elegant reception that mixed Hollywood glamour with natural decor.
The couple chose a rustic color scheme of chocolate brown, bronze and dark green. "We originally wanted to get married in Colorado," says Kerry, "so we decided to bring an outdoor feel to our reception." Kerry wore a self-designed bolero jacket and blusher for her ceremony at St. Mary of Gostyn in Downers Grove, Ill., and rode around in a vintage Rolls-Royce for a taste of the fabulous life.
Votive tea lights illuminated the reception tables at the Chicago Marriott Southwest at Burr Ridge, giving the celebration an intimate glow. A 28-person king's table featuring 10-foot birch trees, which towered over Kerry and Justin's guests, was the focal point of the room.
Wedding Dress
La Sposa, Bridal Mansion, 630-852-1956
Bridesmaid Dresses
Vera Wang, Macy's, macys.com
Ceremony Site
St. Mary of Gostyn, stmarygostyn.org
Reception Site
Chicago Marriott Southwest at Burr Ridge, marriottburrridge.com
Flowers
Jane's Blue Iris, 630-325-2983, janesblueiris.com
Ribbons
JKM Ribbon & Trims, jkmribbon.com
Escort Cards
Paper Source, paper-source.com
Cake
Rolf's Patisserie, rolfspatisserie.com
Groom's Cake
Amy Beck Cake Designs, amybeckcakedesign.com
Photographers
Melissa Photography, melissaphotography.net
Kelley Demas Photography, kelleydemasphotography.com
The bride worked with a seamstress to create a throwback look that included a bolero jacket with silk douppioni ruffles and a simple blusher adorned with Swarovski crystals.
The bridesmaids wore knee-length chocolate-brown dresses by Vera Wang, purchased at Macy’s, and carried bouquets of lotus pods, celosia, brown hypericum berries, cream lisianthus, chocolate calla lilies, bupleurum, ferns, grasses and brown vines.
The ceremony programs, which matched the invitations, included a green satin bow from JKM Ribbon & Trims and a skeleton leaf—a motif that was used throughout the wedding.
Justin’s nieces passed out wedding wands to guests as they left the church. Each wand was adorned with a bell and a note with the bride and groom’s names and the message: "Wave this wand to wish them well."
Justin arranged for himself and his bride to ride around in a vintage white Rolls-Royce with red interior on their wedding day. "It was classic without being over the top," says the bride. "And it was nice for us to have some alone time in the car during such a hectic day." On the car rested the bride’s bouquet of lotus pods, succulents, ivory hypericum berries, Hocus Pocus gerber, red kangaroo paws, ivory lisianthus, mango calla lilies, celosia, euphorbia, green mist, herbs, and ferns cradled in a nest of brown vines.
The bride created the escort cards, which matched the programs and invitations, from products she found at Paper Source.
The couple framed wedding photos of their parents and grandparents in brushed-oak wooden frames. "It was important to us to pay tribute to those who could not be there," says the bride.
Brown satin linens and gold-and-bronze charger plates adorned the reception tables. Green satin ribbons were tied to the back of the chairs to mimic the neckline angle of the bridesmaid gowns.
The bride and groom, along with their wedding party, sat at a king’s table that featured three identical arrangements of 10-foot birch trees, green amaranthus, grasses, ferns and arisaema set in clear glass cylinders.
An innovative drink menu included the couple’s signature cocktail, the Amato-tini, which was Kerry and Justin’s version of an apple martini. The menu also offered something old, gin and tonic; something borrowed, red wine and coke (inspired by the bride’s trip to Italy); and something blue, electric lemonade.
Made to look like the bride's dress, the wedding confection of white cake with vanilla and chocolate butter cream and double devil's food cake with strawberry butter-cream filling was wrapped in a fondant bow and featured edible buttons running down the back.
Kerry surprised Justin with a groom’s cake by Amy Beck Cake Designs. The "cigar box" was made of chocolate cake with strawberry ganache filling and was covered in fondant.
Favor boxes, featuring the same skeleton leaf design featured on the programs, were filled with green and brown M&M’s to complement the wedding’s color scheme.
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