I was very excited to travel to Michigan to shoot Elizabeth and Jeremy’s wedding at The Lakeside Inn. Jarrod and I went the afternoon before the wedding to shoot the rehearsal dinner.
Elizabeth, who is the owner of Asrai Garden here in Chicago, was busy preparing the flowers for the wedding.
When she finished up, she had a quick sit-down with her staff to go over details for the next day.
Time to chow down.
Hot Chocolate in Wicker Park grilled burgers and served up some of their delicious sides.
And they made sure Elizabeth’s favorite condiments were there as well.
Here’s Elizabeth’s mom, waiting for her burger to come off the grill.
It was a beautiful night for a cookout.
When people were done eating, they were encouraged to grab a lantern…
…and a s’more (also made by Hot Chocolate), then make way to the beach.
Elizabeth’s mom led the way.
The guests grabbed their gear and followed. Lanterns, s’mores…
…beer, sticks for s’mores… all the essentials.
It was a beautiful walk, and there were plenty of stairs. The little ones with more energy beat us old dogs to the beach.
The fire was roaring and the marshmallows were melting.
Here’s Jeremy, savoring every bite.
Don’t mind if I do…
Some of the adults enjoyed stogies…
…while the kids enjoyed the beach.
And I enjoyed this shirt.
Elizabeth’s dad lit up his celebratory cigar.
Elizabeth and Jeremy show off their muscles.
Things really got gorgeous as the sun began to set.
Everything about the evening was perfect.
With just a little bit of daylight left, Elizabeth broke out the sparklers.
Elizabeth and Jeremy made sure the path back to the Inn was well lit for their guests. How pretty is that?
What a great night. After that awesome rehearsal dinner, I was even more excited for the wedding. Check back soon to see the pictures of the big day!