“OUR MEETING was not your fairy-tale, love-at-first-sight kind of story,” Annie says with a laugh. Instead, she met Eric at an uneventful work event in 2012; they reconnected in San Francisco three years later and, six months after that, began dating.
But their wedding this summer was straight out of a fairy tale. Every detail was executed to perfection, thanks to intense planning by the bride, her mother, a stellar vendor team led by Kara Superfine—and even the groom: “I was surprised at the level of detail he paid attention to,” Annie says. “[Suggesting] a dramatic pause before I walked down the aisle, for example.”
Rightfully so: Annie’s Monique Lhuillier gown was worthy of a showcase. Her mom had seen the gown on Instagram and sent Annie a picture saying, “This is so you.” “It was the first dress I tried on and we knew it was the one right away; everything about it just made me feel good.”
The floral gown and garden setting served as a jumping-off point for decor—the color palette alone had more than 10 jewel tones—brought to life by HMR Designs event designer Jessica Griffin Pfluegl. “The color theme was really a reflection of my personal style; my closet is full of color and pattern,” Annie says. “The vibe was all about joy.” Fifteen bridesmaids’ bouquets were coordinated to match their unique dresses, each hand-selected by the bride; an ultra-lush tunnel of greenery was created for the bride’s grand entrance; and colorful florals curved in a rainbowlike arch as a backdrop for “I do.” At the reception, chic paper flowers served as place cards, thousands of blooms hung overhead, and the couple’s watercolor monogram appeared on the dance floor, bags boards and more.
Even among all the beauty, what mattered most to the couple was the connections with guests. “We had waited two years to celebrate with everyone and wanted [them] to feel overwhelmed with happiness,” Annie says. “The joy was contagious.”
Each of the 15 bridesmaids’ bouquets was created specifically to match her dress. Photographed by Liz Banfield
The welcome bags. Photographed by Liz Banfield
Even the refreshments offered a burst of color. Photographed by Liz Banfield
Annie’s Monique Lhuillier gown was ethereal in the garden setting. Photographed by Liz Banfield
Centerpiece florals included delphiniums and dahlias. Photographed by Liz Banfield
A bridesmaid’s bouquet in blue. Photographed by Liz Banfield
The couple’s monogram featured on mini Champagne bottles. Photographed by Liz Banfield
Place cards were tied up with paper flowers. Photographed by Liz Banfield
The ceremony setup featured a rainbow floral arch dreamt up by Jessica Griffin Pfluegl at HMR Designs. Photographed by Liz Banfield
An emerald-green credenza held refreshments. Photographed by Liz Banfield
The orange almond cake had Italian meringue and strawberry creme. Photographed by Liz Banfield
Venue Chicago Botanic Garden, chicagobotanic.org
Wedding Planner Kara Superfine Events, karasuperfine.com
Bride’s Gowns Ceremony: Monique Lhuillier, Bridal Galleria, San Francisco, bridalgalleria.com; Reception: Mira Zwillinger, Marina Morrison, San Francisco, marinamorrison.com
Bride’s Accessories Earrings: custom, Fred Leighton, fredleighton.com; Purse: custom, Anya Hindmarch, instagram.com/anyahindmarch
Bridal Styling The Wedding Dresser, theweddingdresser.net
Bride’s Hair & Makeup Reiman Condron Beauty, rcbeauty.com
Groom’s Tux Knot Standard, knotstandard.com
Rings Hers: Zameer Kassam, zameerkassam.com
Florals HMR Designs, hmrdesigns.com
Catering Culinary Landscape, culinarylandscape.com
Cake CAKE, cake-chicago.com
Invitations & Calligraphy EJD Design, ejddesignllc.com
Paper Flowers Posy Rae Paper Goods + Design, posyrae.com
Rentals The Festive Frog, thefestivefrog.com; Hall’s, hallsrental.com; Nüage Designs, nuagedesigns.com Linens BBJ Linen, bbjlinen.com
Lighting FROST, frostchicago.com
Entertainment The Chicago Players, Gold Coast Events, goldcoasteventschicago.com
Videographer Mirar Weddings, mirarweddings.com
Accommodations Deer Path Inn, thedeerpathinn.com
Hanging florals created a magical moment for the newlyweds’ first dance. Photographed by Liz Banfield
Photography by: Photographed by Liz Banfield
