Our Kind Of Place...REVISED

Choosing the right venue for your wedding ceremony and reception may seem easy, but that was not the case for us at all.  We really wanted to have a city wedding, in an urban setting, that was not too stuffy or too casual.  We looked at a number of loft spaces, art gallery style venues, a conservatory and even an old firehouse...with each of these places they all had their own character, style and setting for the right person-but not for us.  We need a central location, with convenient parking, that could accommodate our 150 person wedding list (doesn't seem impossible, right?!) , that felt outdoor-sy, yet modern in it's own way. 

After doing walk-through, after walk-through we finally found our match, The Newberry Library!  The historical library was built in 1893 as a research library and host of rare manuscript collections, maps and history and culture of Western Europe and the Americas.  The old-school essence, location and overall appreciation of the space made it a winner for us. (and of course not to forget the wedding planners Karen Aubrey and Karen Skubish, love them!) 

We will be having our actual ceremony in the adjacent, Washington Square Park making it an easy transition to the library. The over-sized stone fountain and lush gardens create an intimate place for us to say for vows and for guest to experience a tiny piece of what this city is all about. 


(We are in the process of getting our permit application evaluated, so cross your fingers in hopes I don't have to edit this posting...)

Okay, so we had to edit this posting-no biggie...

We did submit and get our application accepted, but after much deliberation we have decided to simplify (my favorite practice) and have the ceremony in the Newberry Library's gorgeous lobby-did I mention the long winding staircase?!  With weather consistantly playing a role in Chicagoan's lives each day, why stop there-one can never be safe planning an outdoor ceremony or any celebration for that matter, anytime if the year in this city-what were we thinking? 

I had a nice pep talk with Karen Aubrey today and she has big plans for our "big day" as she does for each client she meets.  For some reason, she has had this way of making me feel like she has nothing else in the world to think about (which is of course, not the truth) and for that very reason-we knew we couldn't go wrong.  I am thrilled to be moving forward on all the details of the day, finally!

I love this picture...

The front of the building where guest enter

(Walton Street and Dearborn)