Ashley & James
HAROLD WASHINGTON LIBRARY | CHICAGO, IL
When a couple chooses the Harold Washington Library Winter Garden as their reception venue, they are already making a statement. They know what they want. They have strong opinions. And they are not interested in a design that tries to compete with soaring glass ceilings and neoclassical marble floors.
Ashley and James were exactly that couple. They came to Wedicity with a clear brief: white and ivory, no color except fuchsia for the bridesmaids, and a reception that looked like it belonged in the space rather than on top of it. Their instincts were right, and it was our job to sharpen and execute them.
Their ceremony was at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church in Lincoln Park — a gilded mosaic dome, ornate white marble altar, jewel-toned stained glass windows. The kind of church that makes you lower your voice the moment you walk in. Our design philosophy there matched the architecture: enhance what is already extraordinary, and do not get in the way of it.
The rest of the day moved across Chicago like a portrait of the city itself — portraits on the Riverwalk with the Wrigley Building and the Tribune Tower behind them, a stop on LaSalle Street beside the white Rolls Royce with the Chicago Board of Trade framing the shot, and a long afternoon at Buckingham Fountain before the evening began. By the time guests arrived at the Library for the reception, the room was ready for them.
The florals, designed by Life in Bloom, were built for the room. Tall arrangements of white hydrangea and roses gave the Winter Garden vertical drama without overwhelming the scale of the space. Gold x-back chairs and iridescent charger plates caught the candlelight. On marble floors like those, every candle multiplies — and by the time the sun went down and the room was fully lit, the effect was exactly what it was supposed to be.
Ashley wore the Catalina collection by Galia Lahav — the intricately appliquéd gown, its voluminous overskirt, and a cathedral-length veil that trailed behind her on a downtown Chicago crosswalk in a way that genuinely stopped traffic. The stationery told the same story as the dress: a watercolor envelope liner depicting the Chicago skyline and Cloud Gate, gold script typography, a monogram wax seal, and an ornate die-cut menu card at every place setting that guests tucked into their pockets to keep.
When dinner wrapped, the Winter Garden changed. An espresso martini on tap kept the energy going. A s'mores dessert cart made a brief, joyful appearance. A speakeasy-style lounge gave guests somewhere to land between songs. And then there was the dance floor — full, loud, and exactly the kind of after-party that is still being talked about. Ashley had changed into a strapless silver beaded mini dress by that point, and she used every inch of that dance floor.
This is one of the most architecturally significant event spaces in Chicago. To design a wedding inside it well requires knowing when to hold back. That is the work, and this is what it looks like when it is done right.
VENDOR CREDITS
Planner & Design: Wedicity | Ceremony: St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church | Reception: Harold Washington Library — Winter Garden | Photography: Megan Kay Photography | Florals: Life in Bloom | Gown: Galia Lahav | Entertainment: Gold Coast Events | Invitations: Amore Creative | Stationery: Lively House and Home | Cake & Desserts: ECBG Cake Studio | Beauty: Glam Atelier | Menswear: Tom Barnett | Lighting: Elegant Event Lighting | Linens: BBJ La Tavola
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