“After spending the day with Ian + Erica earlier in the Summer on their urban Chicago high-fashion engagement photography session, we could hardly wait for their unique and modern Chicago wedding date at The Stan Mansion to arrive. First off, we loved working with Erica + Ian they are such a cool couple ( and not to mention the beautiful Erica is so easy to photograph… her daughter Meriah is a mer clone of the same beauty. ) But secondly, we LOVE unique venues and weddings which our couples are overly excited about. Which was exactly what I+E’s wedding was. It was distinctive and modern incorporating tons of contemporary mixed with romantic wedding details… With a number of Erica and Ian’s fellow music industry friends + DJs joining in on the festivities alongside both of their families from the Crystal Lake and the Naperville / Aurora burbs all in the City, we knew it would be a truly memorable wedding affair. If you weren’t at this wedding… you missed out on some fun.

 

Ian + Erica booked The Stan Mansion, a historic mansion located in the Logan Square neighborhood for both their reception and romantic wedding ceremony. The Stan Mansion is an open canvas and a wedding planners dream where couples bring in to the space their own decorating style making it their own. I+E loved the historic mansion and the flexibility of the space ( you can hire any caterer of their choice and even have the flexibility of saving money by bringing their own liquor. ) The historic mansion boasts of their relaxed atmosphere. The mansion is dark and moody, club like as Erica described it with rich colored carpets, textures, added luxurious renovations, modern brick, and an opulent ambiance. It’s the perfect venue for a musician and artist like Ian who’s a DJ. The venue is a mix of old fashion with the ornate stage and attached open banquet room, tied with an urban flair, as the attached brick bar section and outdoor front courtyard spaces invite guests to roam around the venue like a Chicago bar. For Ian and Erica, with The Stan Mansion’s being located in Logan Square it was especially an ideal location, as it’s also the neighborhood where Ian + Erica live.

 

Envisioning filling the space with awesome acoustics, bumping music, lights, and rich fabrics and with so many creative directions in front of Ian + Erica, they decided to hire the wedding planning and coordination expertise of Anthony Navarro from Liven It Up Events who appointed the idyllic setting artistry of Deborah Weisenhaus of Art of Imagination… we highly recommend contacting Liven It Up Events for day of coordination or for full wedding planning. Anthony’s personality and talents make any room light up. On your wedding day, having all the events of the day organized, set ups running smoothly, the room convert and a seamless coordination of vendors becomes easy and uncomplicated when Anthony is there to put all the artistry together. He’s super creative, high energy, and passionate about his job and most importantly transforming your wedding vision into life. We have worked with Anthony prior to I+E’s wedding and were excited to work with him again at the mansion wedding. From vendor suggestion, table decor, to large and small details, Anthony is a man of organization and tons of inventive ideas.

 

A few things we especially loved about their day, beyond the already discussed unique music, friends and guest DJs, Ian + Erica kept things modern + simple choosing quite a few vendors they personally knew. Loved Erica’s Mia Solano dress, the bridesmaids feather bouquets and the custom bridal bouquet. Ian + Erica prepared touching, personally written wedding vows to each other – it was a short, but an emotional ceremony on stage with a close friend of Ian’s officiating the ceremony. We loved the topsy turvy wedding cake and cute penguin toppers… I think just about everyone in the reception room took a photo of it. We always love added up lighting at weddings and for their reception + ceremony it provided the bold bright green color which reflected throughout the room. So glad we squeezed in just enough time on the venue’s stage for some dramatic wedding photos of the bride and groom for the first time, officially as a married couple. With the groomsmen and Ian prepped and waiting for his bride, the guys posing by the bar became the perfect photo to close with… we love it. And not to mention our time outside the Mansion for a few romantic and high-fashion wedding day shots in Logan Square amidst the local summer festivities that were taking place, memorable.

 

Ian and Erica… as always, Ryan and I had a blast spending the day with the two of you, photographing and helping to celebrate your day. We hope you enjoy our featured pictures from your wedding. The season and things are starting to slow down, so we’d love to meet up at one of your club DJing events… Many thanks again in hiring us as your engagement and Chicago wedding photographers. Hope you enjoy and talk to you soon.”

 

 

 

Have you catched a glimpse of Ian around town? He’s a Chicago Hip Hop DJ who frequents venues like Angels & Kings and the Roof @ the Wit Hotel in Chicago. For more information about his music and upcoming shows visit www.bigonce.com

 

Ian + Erica’s wedding day consisted of many friends contributing to their day. Below are a few of their hired Chicago wedding vendors and selections which they praise:
Ceremony + Reception: The Stan Mansion www.stanmansion.com in Logan Square, 2408 N. Kedzie, Chicago, IL
Hotel Prep Locations: Crowne Plaza Chicago Metro www.thechicagometro.com, Chicago
Couture Wedding Dress: Mia Solano www.miasolano.com
Bridal Shoes: Aldo Shoes www.aldoshoes.com
Wedding Planning + Coordination by: Anthony from Liven It Up Events 773-727-4929 www.livenitup.com, Chicago
Make-Up Artist: Leah Berman www.loveleah.com
Florist: Fleur Inc. www.fleurchicago.com 3149 W Logan Blvd., Chicago (773) 395-2770
Officiant: A close friends of Ian’s and DJ www.bigapoc.com
DJ: Two friends of Ian’s
Catering: Natalie from D’Absolute Catering, Chicago
Wedding Cake: Yudycakes 630-803-4127 www.yudycakes.blogspot.com , Aurora | Oswego | Chicago
Event Fabric: Supreme Novelty Fabrics 312-226-1030 www.supremefabrics.com, Chicago
Idyllic Setting and Event Design ( including Draping, Hanging Flowers + Lighting ) by: Deborah Weisenhaus www.artofimagination.com, Chicago

 

Want to see more… have you already viewed our blog post featuring our photographs of the beautiful Erica + Ian in and around Chicago, by graffiti and amidst urban decay? Take a peek at I+E’s urban high-fashion Chicago engagement session. Don’t forget to leave us, and the bride + groom a comment. : )

“Do you remember Julia + Shaun’s Spring, vintage Chicago engagement shoot we posted a few months back? That was just a small taste of the vintage style these two had planned for their vintage decorated wedding day! Wow, we… loved… this wedding, their awesome venue, and artsy unique style! In gathering words to describe the awesomeness of this wedding, I could write a novel. : ) As a little recap here are a few distinctive parts of our day with Julia + Shaun.

 

First, we loved the Chicago wedding vintage venues Shaun + Julia chose. We spent some time when we first arrived on their wedding day with Julia at Chicago’s Hilton Palmer House Hotel, a world renown landmark hotel with French Baroque styling and metropolitan flair. A historic, grand and beautiful Chicago hotel… one we recommend staying at for future brides on their morning of the wedding or in booking for a reception. Julia, family members, and her bridesmaid ladies were finishing prepping and getting dressed at the historic hotel in one of their large suites with adjoining parlor room. The room was unbelievable with touches of luxury and warm tones of gold, yellow and carmel colored leathers. After Julia put her wedding dress officially on for the first time, both Ryan and I captured pre-ceremony bride wedding pictures of the glowing Miss Julia in the Palmer House Hotel Lobby and in the Palmer House Empire Ballroom. With the hotel complementing Julia’s yellow wedding color palette, she pre-planned continuity in selecting both venues. We love catering to each of our bride + groom’s wedding day distinctively, discussing and providing our Chicago wedding photographer services per each couples wedding day’s events. Staring the day with Julia at the hotel was a great idea… thanks Julia!

 

The second vintage venue of Salvage One, located in Chicago’s West Town Neighborhood is an unbelievable warehouse loft space where both Julia + Shaun’s ceremony and reception took place. The ceremony was a mix of both Shaun + Julia’s family cultures and incorporated were a few traditional Persian wedding elements. Their late afternoon summer ceremony proceeded in front of the west facing venue’s stained glass window, casting beams of sun, and a warm glow over their vows. A beautiful and picture perfect setting for their matrimonial moments!

 

Salvage One served as the perfect vintage plus modern loft style Chicago wedding venue for S+J. The venue provides the unique opportunity to utilize the store’s items for sale and architectural elements as backdrops, tables and chairs to define their own distinctive decorated wedding day style. This worked well in catering to both Julia’s vintage interests and the science fiction interest of Shaun. We loved shooting Chicago wedding photography at Salvage One one of the most unique chicago reception venue spaces. If you are a bride looking for a modern and vintage City wedding reception location, this vintage loft space offered S+J’s guests to move throughout two floors and with their inventory changing daily, we hear no two weddings are the same. Salvage One also offers an outdoor bonus space with their tucked away, outside courtyard which is a great space for either a unique Chicago outdoor ceremony or a location for the cocktail hour.

 

The decorated vintage theme was a mix of eclectic worldly with Persian inspired elements with lots of yellow + vintage items. Julia + Shaun provided some of vintage details, but most of the concepts were pulled together by Lauren Le Pine of Ryan Alexander Events. Lauren did an excellent job helping Shaun + Julia’s personalize the reception venue to their vintage styled wedding day tastes. With S+J moving to Chicago a few years ago from their home state of North Carolina and being newer to the Chicago area, hiring a planner to fill in the raw Chicago loft space worked out very well. Lauren Le Pine of Ryan Alexander Events selected items in a variety of earth tones which complemented yellow, the primary wedding color. The table decor elements displayed beautiful floral and vintage items in shades of yellow, combined with earth tones of blues, greens, browns and subtle softer shades of grays and whites. It was a refreshing color palette. Finding tons of reception wedding photography details to shoot was an easy job with such a beautiful table displays! Lauren provided a little extra fun for the reception guests by setting up an “in prompt to” vintage wedding photo booth in front of a chalkboard with a hand drawn robot. Bringing a little sci-fi touches to incorporate Shaun’s If you’re looking for a Chicago wedding planner, we highly recommend you check into Ryan Alexander Events.

 

Shaun + Julia are the sweetest couple! Both creative, they added a few personalized items to their wedding day. Julia is an artist in the kitchen… she prepared and baked her own wedding cake and the array of desserts for the wedding. Shaun created their custom invitations adding a touch his sci-fi interests as a personalized robotic theme. With under 100 guests, S+J’s reception was a fun and open atmosphere a bit dinner party like. The music was great and the food delicious! A buffet style and open seating, S+J offered heavy appetizers and h’orderves with various food stations. Signature dishes were provided by FIG Catering creating a mix of American, Middle Eastern and Latin American foods.

 

Congratulations Shaun + Julia and best wishes to the two of you! We hope you enjoy our selection of wedding day pictures and our favorites we highlighted above from your amazing wedding day! After the wedding ends, happily ever after begins. We hope are enjoying being married, creating your home in Chicago, and wish you the best in your future together.”

 

 

 

Shaun + Julia’s beautiful wedding day consisted of a group of amazing wedding vendors:

Ceremony + Reception: Salvage One, Chicago

Wedding Planner + Coordination: Lauren Le Pine of Ryan Alexander Events, Chicago

Couture Wedding Gown: Lezu Atelier from New York Bride & Groom, Charlotte, NC

Hotel + Bridal Photography Session: Palmer House Hotel, Chicago

Bridesmaids Dresses: Anthropologie, Chicago and Charlotte

Groom + Groomsmen Suits: J. Crew, Chicago and Charlotte

Buffet, Signature Dishes + Catering: FIG Catering, Chicago

Cake + Specialty Desserts: Julia Kazemian

Flowers: Asrai Garden, Chicago

DJ: Toast and Jam, Chicago

 

Revisit Julia + Shaun’s Chicago vintage engagement photography session and day around downtown Chicago back in April 2010.