wedding details reveal part one: the venue

i am super excited to introduce a new series today - wedding details reveal! over the coming weeks and months,i will be sharing details about our big day (without giving away the whole enchilada) and today i have for you... our wedding venue!


neither j or i are from chicago originally, but having the wedding here is so meaningful for us. it's where we met, fell in love, and now live. it's where we'll start a life (and maybe a family??) together and i couldn't imagine getting married anywhere else.

the ceremony will be held at the historic assumption catholic church in downtown chicago. the church was built in 1881 and was the first church specifically geared toward the italian-speaking catholic population. the church itself is beautiful, with traditional stained glass windows and a long aisle.

j and i are both catholic so choosing a church for the ceremony was a must. we wanted something downtown and close to the venue, but the priest from our neighborhood parish will be presiding, which means so much to us. the church is beautiful and just over a mile from the reception site!

the reception will be held at hotel monaco, a boutique hotel overlooking the chicago river. i actually found the hotel on the knot (where we also found our photographer). side note: i consider myself to be a pretty savvy researcher, especially with something as important as our wedding vendors, but the knot turned out to have great, affordable, under-the-radar recommendations that yelp and industry magazines did not. anyway, j and i fell in love with the venue right when we walked in. the whimsical decor is french-inspired - elegant, yet fun at the same time. it's a mix of warm lighting and rich, gold hues with pops of color, pattern and modern touches.

just looking at these pictures again has me giddy about next may. stay tuned for part two of the wedding details reveal! i'll give you a hint: april showers bring may...