Liz Schrenk 2/7/24 Liz Schrenk 2/7/24

Holly & Mike’s Amazing Allure on the Lake NYE Wedding

New Year’s Eve weddings are some of our favorites, we truly love ending our year and kicking off a new one with our Something Blue couples!! We knew that Holly and Mike’s NYE wedding would be extra special after their amazing engagement session at the Lyric Theater in Blue Island. Holly and Mike have a special connection and are the kind of people who make you can immediately make you feel like close friends; we are so grateful for their genuine warmth and kindness!

Holly and Mike were introduced by their mutual friend who thought they would be a good match. They had their first date at Dog Haus in Lincoln Park and spent the evening talking and getting along splendidly. After that night they quickly became inseparable and soon had a shared catchphrase "well.. just one more…." Holly and Mike share a love of sports, travel and Taco Bell, and before long they both knew that they would be together forever.

Leading up to New Year’s Eve it had been painfully brown in the Chicago area, but that day flurries started to fall leading up to Holly and Mike’s wedding. The snow made our drive to Indiana that much more picturesque, and the beautiful Allure on the Lake looked so pretty as we arrived. Holly and her girls were cozy inside getting ready, Holly looked SO amazing thanks to the glam squad at Primp Studio. After a few fun shots with the girls and their cute disco ball champagne glasses Holly slipped into her gorgeous gown from Here Comes the Bride.

While Holly and her bridesmaids were getting ready, Mike and his guys were waiting across the way with their elderly dog (who was just THE sweetest!) Holly and Mike had their first look near the chic and spacious bar inside the reception space, with the snow falling and wind blowing we were really thankful for that beautiful area to take photos! After their sweet first look (where Holly playfully grabbed Mike’s butt!) they exchanged private vows near the windows, it was a beautiful and tender moment. From there we ventured outside so that Holly and Mike could add their “love lock” to the fence outside near the water. We love when both old and new traditions are incorporated into a wedding day!

We didn’t last long outside in the blowing snow while taking pictures, but we are happy to have taken some in the flurries. After coming inside we finished near the beautiful bar before heading in to the ceremony. Holly and Mike’s wedding ceremony was filled with touching moments, and before long they were officially husband and wife! Right after the ceremony a guest approached me to tell me to take a picture of the gift she had brought for Holly and Mike – it was a bottle of champagne from the “Condom” region in France. We both got a good laugh and I was delighted to later see this same guest up front for the New Year’s countdown, sipping champagne with her festive sunglasses on! It’s so much fun for us to celebrate with you and your guests, and this amazing wedding was one we will never forget!

Congratulations, Holly and Mike, we love you and wish you a lifetime of happiness together!

To see all of Holly and Mike’s beautiful wedding photos, click here

VENDOR DETAILS
PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEOGRAPHY
Something Blue

FLORIST
Town & Country Florist

HAIR & MAKEUP
Primp Studio

DJ
Sonic Sounds Entertainment

BRIDAL DRESS BOUTIQUE
Here Comes the Bride

MENSWEAR
Formally Modern Tuxedo

Liz Schrenk 1/31/23 Liz Schrenk 1/31/23

Nicolle & Billy’s Picture-Perfect NYE Wedding

Nicolle and Billy are beautiful both inside and out, two souls destined to be together forever. They first met in college but took some time getting to know one another. Once they officially connected they became inseparable, they moved in together in the Fall of 2019 and welcomed the cutest little Covid puppy in the Spring of 2020. Billy proposed to Nicolle at the stunning London House Chicago on their third anniversary.

I had the best time with Nicolle and Billy when we met downtown for their chilly and romantic engagement session. They are both so kind and easy to be with (not to mention incredibly photogenic!) I loved spending that time with them and was so excited to end our 2022 wedding season by celebrating with Nicolle and Billy on New Year’s Eve!

Nicolle had always dreamed of a New Year’s Eve wedding, and with the help of the amazing Rosanna & Co. Nicolle put together the most perfect day. The weather was gorgeous, plenty of sunshine and just enough warmth to make it possible for us to take plenty of pictures outside. Nicolle looked absolutely stunning in her chic Madi Lane gown, but for us the real star was her insane Jimmy Choo pearl wedding heels. After the sweetest reveals with her bridesmaids and Dad we went outside with Nicolle so she could have her First Look with Billy. From that moment these two were inseparable for the full 13 hours that we were at their wedding. After their First Look at the Westin Chicago Lombard we made our way to Visitation Catholic Church in Elmhurst for their traditional Catholic ceremony.

After the ceremony we traveled to the Wilder Mansion for wedding party photos. Nicolle and Billy have the absolute nicest friends and family, they were such good sports posing in the cold (even with the sun it was still December in Chicago!) Billy and his groomsmen made a quick dash for the nearby playground when they finished with their formal photos, we love a group of guys who are still kids at heart!!

When we returned to the Westin the Junior Ballroom was gorgeously decorated and ready for one of the most EPIC wedding receptions we have ever been a part of. Nicolle had thought of every detail to make the party perfect – we celebrated all night long with sparklers, a live wedding painter, cigar rollers, a CO2 cannon, a stylish outfit change and epic NYE countdown. It was the amazing way to usher in the New Year, an absolutely unforgettable night!!