I had been looking forward to Jassimine and Luke’s wedding almost as much as the bride and groom! These two have the best meet cute story, which they shared with me at their engagement session earlier this year. Jassimine and Luke are a fun couple with a lot of style, and I was excited to see what they had planned for their big day.
Things began, of course, in the bridal suite, where Nicole from Trianon Salon had finished styling the bride’s hair and Mandy from Mandy Made Me was putting the finishing touches on makeup. There was a lot of energy in the room, too, as Jassimine was surrounded by her bridesmaids and other loved ones.
Jassimine’s mother was smiling every time I saw her- she was so happy for her daughter and looking forward to formally welcoming a new son into the family.
Jassimine’s grandma helped out with a few important details, and then the bride stepped into her beautiful dress. Take notice of Jassimine’s stylish and fun shoes- perfect for traveling around town taking pictures!
Meanwhile, Luke was getting ready with his groomsmen. After donning his suit, the groom sat down to open the gift given to him by his bride. He received the most thoughtful gift from Jassimine: the first time they met, Luke offered to carry a pink bag for Jassimine. She made Luke cufflinks from that very bag!
Luke put on the cufflinks and another special accessory… this mini camera that took POV shots throughout the day. Such a cool idea!
With gifts opened and everyone gussied up, it was time to meet up with Jassimine. After a little bit of confusion around a mix-up of jackets, the guys were out the door.
Jassimine had a gift from Luke, as well.
Everyone watched with breathless anticipation as the bride unwrapped the box and gasped in surprise when they saw what Luke had gifted:
He upgraded their honeymoon tickets to First Class! Wowza! The newlyweds would be flying to Paris to celebrate their marriage- and now they were truly getting there in style!
Jassimine tucked the tickets safely back into the decorative box they came in, and the suite cleared out. It was time to meet up with Luke!
Luke was waiting for his bride in the Art Institute gardens. When Jassimine arrived, she quietly walked up behind Luke and tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around, admired his beautiful bride for a few minutes, then the two gave each other big hugs before we set up a round of portraits in the garden.
And we were just getting started! Jassimine and Luke rounded up the troops and we headed down the road toward the LaSalle Street Bridge, being mindful of the gown. There was a lot of wedding day left, and we didn’t want it getting dirty!
After shooting on the bridge, we piled onto the party bus and headed to the West Loop. The ceremony and reception were held in one of my favorite places, Salvage One, so you know we had to stop at one of my favorite places: the train tracks!
The group began to make the short walk back to the venue. Family members were beginning to gather in the courtyard for portraits, and we didn’t want to keep them waiting for too long. But you know how I work… I couldn’t stop myself from setting up a few pictures in front of the great graffiti work that we walked by.
A few minutes later we were back in the Salvage One courtyard, where we began group portraits with the wedding party. Jassimine and Luke greeted their close family and friends as they took their turn in front of the camera, and then the couple and I snuck back inside to take a few pictures around the venue.
Jassimine, Luke and I caught a ride on the freight elevator up to the second floor where we began taking some fun pictures around the antiques. This is why I love Salvage One… there are so many unique and cool corners for taking photos.
I could spend all day taking photos of couples inside Salvage One, but the time had come for Luke and Jassimine to walk the aisle. He headed down the steps and met the groomsmen at the bar, where everyone enjoyed one last drink before prepping for the ceremony.
Luke couldn’t keep his eyes off of his bride as she walked down the aisle, and Jassimine couldn’t keep the smile off her face as she looked at her groom. The ceremony was absolutely beautiful. Presided over by a family member, the proceedings included a traditional knot-tying and, of course, rings and vows.
His mom
The ceremony ended with a kiss. Congratulations, Luke and Jassimine! They left the ceremony area, met by the applause and cheers of their guests, then slipped away for a few moments alone together before joining the reception.
Guests mingled in the courtyard, enjoying cocktails and appetizers prepared by Calihan Catering…
…but Leah and I found one guest who needed some down time. I get it. Gotta save up your energy for the dance floor!
Everyone made their way back inside the building and headed upstairs for the reception. Everything looked gorgeous as Luke and Jassimine made their entrance. They greeted their wedding party and guests, then moved right into their first dance.
Speeches were kicked off by Luke’s dad, then the Maid of Honor and Best Man took turns toasting the newlyweds. The honored couple took the microphone last, as they thanked their loved ones for spending the day with them.
Dancing kicked off with parent dances, as Jassimine and Luke shared a few special moments with their mothers.
Finally, Luke and his Grandmother got the party started with a few spins on the dance floor. It wasn’t hard to get the other guests to join them, as band Recycle the Day played all the best party hits. There was a lot going on on that dance floor, and I’m happy to share some of my favorite moments with you:
Whew! What a party! Luke and Jassimine were exhausted but unbelievably happy as I left them for the evening (happy to be married, not that I was leaving, that is). Congratulations to them both on saying “I do” and many thanks for sharing the day with me!
