James and Gretchen’s November wedding at Sarabande Chicago was one for the books. When I first heard from these two, they told me about they met during the pandemic, their mutual love of reality TV, and James’ bait-and-switch surprise proposal when Gretchen thought she was treating him to a birthday dinner. All of this, along with the warm way the interacted with each other (and entertaining proposal story) had me convinced: their wedding day was going to be AWESOME. And guess what? It was!!

The day began with Gretchen getting ready at Hotel Zachary across from Wrigley Field, and James at their home nearby. I loved photographing all their little details – and little pearls! – before James joined us at the hotel for their sweet first look! Before long, these two were ready to get the party started. We were out the door and headed to Lincoln Park for photos with the wedding party!

Lincoln Park Wedding Photos

As you may know, Lincoln Park is Chicago’s largest and most visited park – and for good reason! The central location, stunning Nature Boardwalk, and skyline view cannot be beat. Because of this, a photography permit is required to take wedding photos in the park. If you’re dreaming of your own Lincoln Park wedding photos, you can find more information on obtaining a permit here!

When we arrived at the park with the wedding party, we headed straight to the Honeycomb. This crew was a blast to hang with – I could have spent the entire afternoon with them! All of a sudden we noticed a few raindrops (it was not in the forecast, I swear!!), but luckily we had brought our collection of umbrellas, just in case! I may be biased, but I always love the way the clear umbrellas look in wedding photos… especially when you have your heart set on outdoor photos. Plus, rain on your wedding day is good luck, of course!

Sarabande Chicago Wedding

That afternoon we arrived at Sarabande with just enough daylight for more photos of the crew. It had stopped raining (yay!), and we got some outdoor playtime before guests began to arrive. Later that evening, James and Gretchen were married by candlelight surrounded by their loved ones. A dear friend officiated the ceremony, and we learned of a bet that James made with his friend Tony that he’d never get married. The wager: 12 cases of beer! Gretchen and James said “I Do” and the celebration continued well into the evening… including Tony’s payment (which resulted in numerous shotgunned beers during dinner, oh my!). 

We couldn’t say goodbye without a night photo, my favorite way to end a wedding day. Our good luck raindrops came back for one last dance… with the happiest Newlyweds you ever did see! I absolutely loved being part of this day, and am excited to be back at Sarabande Chicago later this year!

Gretchen and James: Thank you again for having us last year!! Your wedding day was a joy to capture, I wish you nothing but happiness in your future together!