Chris + Kristen’s Hotel Baker Wedding St. Charles
“Chris + Kristen have been featured on our blog before… you may remember them from our blog post of their high-fashion photography style engagement session. We photographed C+K early in the Spring season with a session both in and outside their historic home. So on the morning of the wedding, we met again at a familiar place… at the couple’s home. During the engagement, Kristen was telling us about her dress, her first fitting, invitations, and described her developing wedding’s style which was a “victorian theme with a touch of vintage” with a neutral color palette in ivory and white with black accents. Kristen’s dress selection was an elegant gown featuring french lace from top to bottom. the victorian and luxurious lines of the dress, helped to set the tone for the wedding. On the wedding morning, there was a threat of an afternoon thundershower or two, but we optimistic and kept our plans for outdoor photos in between the couple’s ceremony and reception, and we luckily dodged the rain. The couple incorporated a vintage church ceremony taking place at a small little white church in the country. Kristen and Chris discussed location ideas for the in between photos and Kristen was reminded of the old world windmills along the Fox River within the valley area, so she proposed to us the idea of shooting portraits by them.
Chris + Kristen’s St. Charles wedding reception at Hotel Baker was a memorable event, gorgeous venue, and an amazing evening soiree. We highly recommend to newly engaged couples, searching for unique historic wedding venue with a small to medium sized guest list, to definitely to take time to visit this hotel! With a number of luxurious rooms to photograph inside, we simply fell in love with the setting… as did Chris + Kristen upon their first hotel visit. We arrived at the venue early and before the cocktails began, setting a side time and a few photos up top the hotel above C+K’s room which had a private rooftop balcony. The room’s outdoor terrace overlooked the Fox River, Route 64 and downtown St. Charles.
Hotel Baker’s luxurious ballroom called the rainbow room has notable historic significance and impressive architectural details. At first sight, the two-story rainbow room provides an ultimate first impression, sophistication and the room serves as the perfect setting for an intimate reception. The circular room has dark wood, classic columns and is highlighted with an illuminated dance floor… we easily understood why Chris + Kristen choose this venue. It is a suburban gem, perfect if searching for a vintage and historic reception venue outside of the City of Chicago. Events were held in several rooms… cocktails were sipped by guest’s who enjoyed the fresh Spring air and grand views of the Fox River while mingling outdoors in the venue’s outdoor rose garden and courtyard. While the waterfront room served as the guest’s indoor option for during the cocktails. The waterfront room is another visually captivating room with architectural details reminiscent of a classical European courtyard. The Hotel Baker is truly an incomparable setting in the Chicago west suburbs for a wedding. We can’t wait for our next visit!
Kristen and Chris we enjoyed working with you, meeting your family and close friends, and we have enjoyed becoming new friends over the past couple of months. We are very thankful you found our wedding photography blog and booked us as your engagement and wedding photographers. Hope seeing these photos take you back to your May wedding day. Enjoy and talk to you again soon!”
Kristen + Chris’s wedding included many DIY and these details:
Ceremony: Sugar Grove United Methodist, Sugar Grove
Wedding Reception: Hotel Baker, St. Charles, IL
Bridal Dress Designer: Allure Bridal Designs
Dress Shop + Feather Hair Accessory: House of Brides
Hair: Lauren Marie Simmons, Oswego
Makeup Completed on Location by: Laura Schmidt, Aurora, IL 630-433-0118
Jewelry: Borrowed from Family
Maid of Honor Dress: The Prom Shoppe, Oswego
Maid of Honor Shoes: DSW
Tuxedos: American Male, Oswego
Catering: Hotel Baker, St. Charles, Illinois
Menu: Chicken en Croute, Filet Mignon
Flowers: The Wild Rose Florist, North Aurora
Honeymoon: TBA
Ernesto + Erika’s St. Charles Wedding Photography
“Fall is a scenic time of the year for outdoor pictures in Illinois and a very popular season to get married. Picking apples, carving pumpkins, the changing of the leaves… Erika + Ernesto thought of all of these activities in deciding on their October date and decorating details for their wedding events. E+E went with a elegant and traditional Fall color palette incorporating vibrant oranges and yellows.
Erika with her family and bridesmaids prepped for the day at Erika’s family home in Geneva. The bride selected modern and simple bridal party fashion in simplistic black to offset the vibrant florals. The morning rain and wind subsided in just enough time for Ernesto + Erika’s ceremony to begin. E+E chose one of the most beautiful of all churches in Illinois Baker Memorial United Methodist Church to exchange vows in. The sanctuary is amazingly gorgeous and a popular location for ceremonies in the Western suburbs of Chicago. Baker Church is located in downtown St. Charles a convenient few minutes away from both the nearby Fox River and their reception venue of St. Charles Country Club.
Always difficult to predict exactly which October weekend each year the leaves changing will be at their peak, E+E really lucked out. : ) Their wedding day had the most vibrant leaves of the entire season! So capturing photos of them amidst nature was a definite must do. When Ernie and Erika’s vintage Rolls Royce rolled up to the entry of their reception venue’s clubhouse, we all noticed the mix of yellow and orange leaves beyond the course which was glowing with bright colors. The St. Charles Country Club sits on 140 acres of magnificent rolling hills the perfect setting for a luxury wedding, and as we predicted the nearby the clubhouse had a dense amount of trees in a fiery mix of orange and yellow. We captured a mix of some softer romantic photos in the wooded forest setting and a few of our distinctive high-fashion wedding photography style not only in the woods, but also in front of their vintage white Bentley.
Inside, the luxurious reception’s rooms were decorated to the season with candles, colorful leaves, and carefully placed floral embellished pumpkins scattered around the ballroom. The tables featured soft golden colors and floral centerpieces in varying heights with floating pumpkins, and rather than orange pumpkins selected were white pumpkins enhanced with metallic gold paint. Beyond the room’s already well stated elaborate chandeliers, warm wood burning fireplace, this was a luxurious and sophisticated reception setting. The burning fireplace was the centerpiece of the room located just beyond the dancefloor. After the wedding, I asked Erika about an extra special event at the reception… it was her unique daddy daughter dance. Erika surprised her dad with a video of her and him dancing together, previously recorded when she was 2. Their dance was playing on a large screen simultaneously, as they were dancing to the same song. It was truly memorable.
Erika + Ernesto getting to know the two of you more and spending the day with you the two of you was great. We enjoyed your enthusiasm and dedication in working with us to capture some unique pictures… hope you enjoy the unique + fun, added bonus “end of the night photos” with the cigars. We had fun composing those with you guys! You both looked stunning on your wedding day and we had a blast venturing around St. Charles with you and your families. Enjoy the photos, hope they take you back to the moments of your beautiful day. More photos will be coming soon.”
Ernesto + Erika selected a group vendors to work together on their exquisite ceremony + reception events:
Ceremony: Baker Memorial United Methodist Church, St. Charles, IL
Reception: St. Charles Country Club, St. Charles, IL
Couture Gown Shop: Veiled in Elegance Bridal Store in Geneva, IL
Hair by: Christy Schobert from Eddie Caruso Hari Salon, Saint Charles, lllinois
Makeup by: Nichole Clemens from About Face, Geneva
Tuxedos + Bridesmaids Dress: The Crystal Bride, Geneva, IL
Menu: Pretzel Crusted Chicken, ( Lobster and Filet for Bride + Groom )
Cake: The Artful Baker, Naperville
Flowers: All Flowers by Marissa, Wheaton
DJ: Keith Christopher Entertainment Group
Daddy Daughter Dance Song: “You Got It” by Roy Orbison
Awesome photos, great looking couple. Congratulations.
Thank you sooo much Kristen for leaving such AMAZING words and this blog comment. We are so grateful you guys found us, and were there to capture you and Chris on your wedding day. We loved Hotel Baker and loved you guys… a great combination. Best wishes to you. Sarah + Ryan
The pictures turned out AMAZING!!! It’s so fun to look back at such an important day through the eyes of two of the most talented photographers I know. Living the day as the bride is obviously amazing and special, but looking at the day in pictures is a whole other experience, and I am soooo greatful that I was lucky enough to have such amazing people provide me with the most beautiful pictures of the one of the most important days in our lives. We will, without a doubt, be able to look through our wedding album and truly be able to experience the love, excitement, and beauty of May 6th, 2011 for the decades to come. Thanks to you both Sarah and Ryan! We are forever grateful. Muah!!
–Chris and Kristen ;)