This Firehouse Chicago Wedding was the PERFECT summer celebration! Amazing food, perfect weather– what more could you ask for!

Their Story

In April 2017, Alex was on a road trip with his best friend Nick to see the Cubs play at Fenway and Sarah was living in Boston. Alex messaged Sarah on Tinder (complimenting her taste in music from her profile) and asked her for fun things to do in the city. Sarah immediately had the list ready to go and after talking for a while, Alex invited her to join them at Trillium Brewery and grab some lunch. So, their first date was also with Nick.

They continued to text throughout the day and decided to meet up after the game. Sarah conveniently had plans to meet friends at the bar right across the street from Fenway Park that night. Alex met every single one of Sarah’s closest friends on their second date. He was a hit. (Nick was the best man, and those friends were in Sarah’s wedding party!)

After Alex left to head back to Chicago, the nightly 8-9 hour phone calls started. Within a week, Sarah told her friends she was going to marry him. After many Southwest flights and weekend trips, Sarah moved to Chicago in summer of 2018. In 2020 they adopted their dog Joey, and on October 24th, 2021, Alex asked Sarah to marry him.

Getting Ready + First Look

The couple both got ready in the upstairs area of Firehouse Chicago but in separate rooms. Once Sarah + Alex were dressed, we set them up on the epic staircase on the side of the venue for their first look. Good thing we have fast shutter speeds on our cameras– Alex BOLTED up the stairs the moment he saw his bride! The two then shared private vows with each other before taking some family photos in front of the venue.

Firehouse Chicago Wedding

Sarah + Alex were married by Sarah’s younger brothers, a personal element to their wedding that I thought was incredibly touching. At the very beginning of their ceremony, it was announced that all of the guests would have 10 seconds to take whatever photos they wanted on their phones before putting them away. Definitely one of the cutest photo ops I’ve experienced! After they kissed and walked back up the aisle, the newlyweds spent some time together on the back deck while their friends + family enjoyed cocktail hour. Before their reception started, the couple made an epic entrance through the front double doors before giving a thank you speech. Dinner was provided by Wooden Paddle, a company that specializes in wood fired pizzas. They are one of my FAVORITE caterers in Chicago!

After everyone ate, guests came outside for a few speeches while the Firehouse Chicago team flipped the room. It was such a cool experience to have everyone come outside and listen. Although there were 100 people there, it felt like a very intimate experience. We then went back into the venue for the couple’s first dance + parent dances. The rest of the evening was a fun blur of donuts and Taylor Swift songs.

I loved spending the day with Sarah + Alex at their Firehouse Chicago wedding. Their day was a BLAST!

Venue: Firehouse Chicago / Hair + Makeup: Pin Me Up Chicago / Florals: Flowers for Dreams / Dress: Essense of Australia / Suit: Indochino / Catering: Wooden Paddle / Dessert: Do Rite Donuts