The perfect fall wedding doesn’t exi– YES IT DOES! Jessie + Shawn’s Revolution Brewing Wedding at the Taproom was a literal dream. Holy Moly.

Their Story

“While on a visit to DePaul University in 2013, my friend Greg introduced me to his childhood friend Katie,” Shawn told me. ” I also met her roommates, Margo and Jessie. I was immediately taken aback by Jessie’s beauty and grace! She, of course, has zero recollection of this encounter. Fast forward about 6 or 7 months and the whole gang ends up living in the same on-campus housing facility. What luck! Thanks to Nick’s penchant for social interaction, Townhome 17 became our home-base for the group’s budding collective friendship and our blossoming love story. I played Jess one of the 3 songs I knew on guitar (not Wonderwall, one of the other ones) and she was done for. Hook line and sinker.

Over the subsequent 8 years, Jess and I have traveled the world together far and wide. We’ve seen some of the quintessential live music acts of our time (e.g T-Pain), eaten some damn great food, parented 2 wonderful furry sons, and shared an incalculable amount of laughs and good times.”

Getting Ready, First Look + Portraits

Jessie got ready with her bridesmaids at The Claridge House in Old Town while Shawn and his friends hung out at their apartment in Lincoln Square. Once Jessie’s mom helped put on her dress and shoes, she did a first look with her girls and then another with her dad + brother. Meanwhile, Shawn and the boys had some cigars in the backyard before heading on over to the Garfield Park Conservatory.

We made sure that Shawn was in the exact right spot so he wouldn’t see Jessie entering. Doing a first look at a public place can be tricky, but with the right amount of planning it can be absolutely MAGICAL! We let the couple have their moment together then took more photos around the conservatory. You might notice that no one has their flowers for the photos– that’s because the Garfield Park Conservatory doesn’t allow outside florals in most of the rooms. But no complaints here! The scenery was beautiful enough on its own.

Revolution Brewing Wedding at the Taproom

Jessie and Shawn were married by their friend Nick in Revolution’s Taproom on Kedzie. Their ceremony included the traditional Celtic wedding custom of knot tying, a nod to their families’ ancestry. The conclusion of their ceremony led to cocktail hour, where guests enjoyed hors d’oeuvres and brewery tours. The reception kicked off with some incredible wedding party entrances followed by speeches from friends + family. Jessie + Shawn cut their cake and danced with each other and their parents before taking some creative portraits in the back of the brewery.

I cannot stress this enough– I love photographing Revolution Brewing Weddings at the Taproom. But I am also super biased because I used to work at the Revolution Brewing Brewpub. I’m friends with all of the staff and will promote their incredible services forever. I am SO glad that Jessie + Shawn decided to get married at this gorgeous venue!

Venue: Revolution Brewing / Getting Ready Location: The Claridge House / Hair + Makeup: Blush and Braids Beauty Bar / Florals: Flowers for Dreams / Dress: Diana’s Bridal / Suit: The Black Tux / Cake: Bittersweet Pastry Shop / DJ: Greg Corner