The day had finally arrived for Tommy and Raquel’s wedding! I was thrilled to be with this fun couple as they delivered their “I do’s” at one of my favorite venues: A New Leaf. The celebration began in the bridal suite with Raquel, as her stepmother and bridesmaids helped her get ready. I was in love with her dress (and all of the other details), and I don’t see how she could have looked any more gorgeous.
When Raquel was ready to go, the bridal party piled into the bus and made the short trip to the designated first meeting spot.
Tommy was already in the Art Institute Garden, anxiously awaiting Raquel’s arrival. A few moments after this picture was taken, Raquel was tip-toeing up behind Tommy. His face lit up when Tommy saw his bride, and after they exchanged looks (as well as a few kisses), our pre-wedding photo shoot was underway. We took full advantage of the Art Institute’s fantastic garden for the first round of pictures.
The bridal party jumped in for a few portraits as well, with both Raquel and Tommy posing with their attendants to wrap up our time in the garden.
Next stop: the La Salle Street bridge. We had a lot of fun shooting at this classic scenic spot.
Just a few blocks away from the La Salle Bridge is the Board of Trade, where Tommy went in for a big kiss!
For our next location, we moved away from downtown and into Lincoln Park. It was a gorgeous day and the lake was calling our name, so we made the short walk over to the lakeshore.
It was almost time to walk the aisle! The group made its way back to A New Leaf.
There are so many fantastic backdrops to photograph at A New Leaf. If you have a green thumb, you should check it out sometime!
Finally, the big moment had arrived. Tommy took his place at the front of the room and the processional began. After the ring bearer and flower girl made their walk, all eyes turned to the aisle to watch Raquel’s big entrance.
Raquel was escorted down the aisle by her father who gave the bride a big hug before he took his seat. Tommy and Raquel joined hands and the ceremony began. And what a perfect ceremony it was, too! There was a lot of love and emotion (and more than a few happy tears!).
With rings and vows exchanged, Tommy and Raquel were married! The newlyweds made their way down the stairs and out in to the courtyard, where the guests joined them soon after to enjoy cocktails.
Guests enjoyed drinks and appetizers as they visited with each other. But the party was just getting started!
Everyone moved inside for dinner, which began with Tommy and Raquel having their first taste of their wedding cake. You can tell by their faces that it was delicious!
Tommy’s brother kicked off the toasts and was followed by the Maid of Honor. Both speakers did a great job, getting a lot of laughs from the guests!
Then Tommy and Raquel shared their first dance as a married couple before having a dance with their respective parents.
When the parent dances were complete, everyone joined them on the dance floor! That’s when things really got wild, as you’ll see in these images from Tommy and Raquel’s dance party:
The party was raging, and I hated to take the couple away from it, but I wanted to take one last picture of the two of them outside of A New Leaf before taking off. Luckily, they were game for it!
Congratulations on your marriage, Tommy and Raquel! Thank-you for including me in the festivities!
