Michelle + Matt’s Ovation Chicago wedding was absolutely unforgettable. These Seattle residents came back to party in the city where they first fell in love!

Their Story

“We met in the most ‘normal’ way possible… through an app,” Michelle told me. “In our case it was Coffee Meets Bagel. We had our first date at Ipsento 606. Funny enough, we only had a couple months of dating before the world shut down March 2020. We went from casually dating to cross-country dating in the middle of a pandemic to moving cross country to live together to getting a dog together and moving again up the West Coast. We’ve been through a lot of different phases of our relationship already. But the constant has always been supporting each other in the big and small. Whether that’s moving a couch upstairs that two different moving crews said was impossible or finding new jobs in new cities we’ve always been there for each other.”

First Look + Portraits

From the very beginning, Michelle + Matt made sure that every detail surrounding their wedding felt true to them as a couple. They told me that getting ready photos were not at the top of their list, so we only did a few for Michelle. We met up with Matt and his groomsmen at the Garfield Park Conservatory for the first look in my favorite space in the building: the desert room. After a few other portraits around the conservatory, we all hopped on the bus and made our way over to Ovation Chicago.

Ovation Chicago Wedding

The couple were married by Matt’s grandfather (how CUTE!) with the assistance of other family members. After their ceremony, Michelle + Matt went out to the venue’s Rolls Royce to spend some alone time together before joining their guests for cocktail hour. Once it was time for dinner, everyone grabbed an envelope with their name and table number. The couple had actually taken the time to write every person in attendance a personalized note! Honestly I wish more folks would do this. What a sweet touch.

The newlyweds entered the reception with a first dance to “L-O-V-E” by Nat King Cole. After a few speeches, everyone was invited up to the buffet to grab dinner. Someone from Ovation Chicago told me there was a rainbow outside, so I FLEW over to the couple and told them we should take advantage of the rare opportunity! It was so cool. After a few more speeches + cake, Michelle + Matt kicked off the rest of the party with parent dances before opening up the dance floor.

This Ovation Chicago wedding was definitely one I won’t soon forget. Congrats to Michelle + Matt!

Venue: Ovation Chicago / Coordinator: Plan and Gather Events / Hair + Makeup: Blush and Braids Beauty Bar / Florals: Sprout Home / Catering: Honey Butter Fried Chicken / Dress: Eddy K (La Belle Elaine Bridal) / Bridesmaids Dresses: Reformation / Suit: Hall Madden / Groomsmen Suits: Suit Supply / Cakes: Aya Pastry / DJ: Style Matters