Justine and Jesse were married earlier last month. Their ceremony was to be outdoors, so everyone was keeping one eye on the weather as they got ready.
Justine’s shoes were laid out and her dress was on. Sonia Roselli finished her make-up and Red 7 Salon was putting some finishing touches on her hair. Her bridesmaids were standing by, patiently waiting to help her into her dress.
Justine loves nature, science and dinosaurs! This is her buddy, T-Rex.
When Justine was ready, she left the hotel to meet up with Jesse. They had their first meeting in a cab and Jesse was resisting every temptation to look early.
Jesse got a good first look at his bride and then the cab sped off for some location shooting around the city. We began at the LaSalle Street bridge, which wasn’t far from where Justine had gotten ready.
After shooting around downtown for a bit, we headed out towards North Pond, the restaurant in Lincoln Park where they were holding their ceremony and reception. We popped open the umbrella and headed out into the park for some more photos.
Jesse surprised Justine with this… it’s a photo of Justine’s dad who had passed away, stitched into the lining of his jacket.
The rain wasn’t stopping us as we hiked through the park.
And neither were the geese. Those things can be scary! Have you ever had one hiss at you? Yikes! But Justine, ever a friend of nature, was happy to see them.
The wedding party joined us as we got closer to the restaurant. The ladies kicked off their shoes and joined us (and the geese) in the grass for some group shots.
Almost time for the ceremony…
Justine took a picture with her brother…
…and last-minute cigarettes were smoked.
The crowd was optimistic as the ceremony, scheduled for 6 pm, was forecasted to be rain-free.
It didn’t work out that way, but Jesse and Justine were too focused on each other and their special day to let a little rain bring everything down. Here’s Jesse, watching for Justine, who was escorted down the aisle by her mother.
The sprinkles and the clouds stuck around as the officiant began the ceremony.
And then the skies opened up and the rain poured down. If rain on your wedding day is lucky Justine and Jesse have a lifetime of fantastic luck ahead of them.
Jesse’s dad and stepmom cozied up together under the umbrella to watch the ceremony.
And Justine’s mom’s friend snuck under the cover of her umbrella.
Justine was so happy to be sharing the day with Jesse and their family and friends. As the ceremony went on, there were special readings by her brother, Jesse’s mother and a few others.
Under the cover of umbrellas, Jesse and Justine exchanged their vows and their rings.
I really loved shooting the ceremony in the rain. The umbrellas made everything so intimate.
Congratulations! Justine and Jesse led the crowd back into the shelter of the restaurant for cocktail hour, where the chefs at North Pond were just finishing up with dinner prep.
And I ran ahead to take pictures of all the details.
Justine gave all the bridesmaids one of these- beetle hair clips!
She also incorporated her love of dinosaurs into the table markers. Here, the mighty triceratops roams the park, making his way to table 10.
And watch out for the velociraptor at table 2.
All the flowers for the day were designed by Asrai Garden.
The college where they met!
The sun began to set as the guests enjoyed cocktail hour.
Big smooches from Jesse.
Justine’s brother grabbed his guitar and played a song for his sister and new brother-in-law.
Then Justine’s mom led off the speeches by thanking everyone for coming.
Jesse’s dad.
Jesse’s best man was up next with a congratulatory speech for his friends.
The maid of honor wrapped up the toasts with a loving tribute to the newlyweds.
After speeches, Justine and Jesse shared their first dance as man and wife together.
Jesse gave his uncle, with whom he’s very close, a big hug after the dance.
And then he spotted someone else he needed a picture with.
He spent some time living overseas, and while he was there, these were his host parents.
Meanwhile, Justine was tearing up the dance floor with the guests.
Jesse’s dad and stepmom enjoyed a slow dance together.
The guests were loving the music that Sabertooth Organ Quartet was playing.
The dancing continued, but it was time for me to go.
Thanks for sharing your big day with me, guys. Despite the clouds and rain, the day was a big success and a lot of fun. Best wishes to you both as you begin your married life together!
