It’s not very often that a wedding leaves us weak in the knees and speechless. But THAT DRESS, those details, the love story… our hearts are a’fluttering! It’s the gorgeous bride twirling in her stunning dress that reminds me of Cinderella approaching her Prince Charming and one true love. It’s the sweetest first look and the prettiest cake we’ve ever seen. It’s the perfect mix of classic, stylish, modern, glamorous with a splash of balloon fun. It’s the picture of a fairytale nothing short of perfection from Luminaire Foto!

Our love story today begins (and also weds!) in Chicago, Illinois, in large part thanks to the Detroit Pistons. Becky and Alex were introduced at a house party early in 2004, but it wasn’t until the Detroit Pistons went to the playoffs that Alex plucked up enough courage to put the moves on Becky. Alex and some friends walked Becky home from the bar that night and as Becky turned to go inside, Alex, who wasn’t ready to say goodnight yet, ran after her… and asked for some Tums. He didn’t really want Tums, but it was the only thing he could think of at the time. When they were finally alone, he kissed her. They laugh to this day when people ask how the two met and they respond with “a bad pick-up line for Tums”. (giggles)

Becky and Alex dated for several years (surviving long distance, law school and a bar exam) before finally getting engaged in New York City. If there’s one thing that Alex knew about Becky was her love for NYC. They’d traveled the world together but never made it to the Big Apple. Alex knew that if he was going to propose, and do it right, that was where he had to do it. So he did. He spared no expense in planning a super romantic weekend where he wined and dined Becky before and after his proposal at Jean Georges restaurant.

{From the Bride} Alex and Becky got married during one of the rainiest falls in Chicago! During a period of almost 2 weeks of heavy rain, the weather finally cleared up by the start of the festivities. Needless to say, the sunny beautiful fall day that the couple envisioned during planning was a bit of a stretch for their wedding day, but the sun did come out for their nuptials and the couple stayed dry during photos.

Becky and Alex decided on a staged first look at Washington State Park and it was just as memorable as their snowball fight (on a date) from many winters ago. Alex arrived first via a vintage 1937 Rolls Royce and Becky met him there to share in a private intimate moment that they both spent countless hours imagining and planning. Words were truly not enough because the couple simply embraced one another when they saw each other.

After spending a few moments alone with each other, the photographers and closest strangers walking past the park, Alex and Becky met their wedding party at Millennium Park. Becky and Alex arrived a few minutes early and took some photos underneath The Bean. Much different than their private time at Washington State Park, tourists were eagerly taking photos of them and cheered for the couple as they embraced for a kiss under The Bean. It was a moment neither one will ever forget.

At the reception, Alex, Becky and their wedding party which included the world’s cutest ring bearers and flower girls kicked off the party with dancing. Alex and Becky love to have a good time and they thought the best way to show their guests a good time was to invite everyone onto the dance floor with them before the formalities began. Needless to say, it was a HUGE hit and many guests raved about the idea that their wedding coordinator recommended. Later, Alex and Becky danced again, and officially danced as a married couple to “That’s How Strong Love Is,” by Otis Redding.

{Advice for Couples} Capture you and your groom in the details of your wedding. Couples tend to get lost among the most popular venues, ideas or flower arrangements, and they lose the part that people love most about them because they forget to have their character reflected in their wedding vendor choices and instead choose the most popular things. We tried to stay true to things we loved and things we thought that our guests would love so that we could have a blast along with our guests! So far, the compliments have outweighed any criticism!!!

To date, Alex and Becky are more in love than ever and confident that not only will they celebrate their 72 day anniversary (yes, that was their dig at the Kardashian wedding), but grow old together. We don’t expect anything less from these two. Wasn’t their wedding day brilliant? Nothing less than honest to goodness perfection, I say. Thank you so much, Becky and Alex, for sharing your love story and special day with all of us. Congratulations and so much love in the years that are ahead! And a very special THANK YOU to Nanette and Karl of Luminaire Foto for leaving us speechless and weak in the knees! Your work is truly awe-inspiring! xoxo

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Photography: Luminaire Foto

Coordinator: Tara Moser for LOLA Event Productions

Reception: The James Hotel, Chicago, Illinois

Cake: Amy Beck Cake Design

Wedding Dress: Amsale through Boca Raton Bridal

Shoes: TOMS

Hair: Jessica Maxwell for Taylor Reese Hair Salon

Makeup: Krista O’Sada

Bridesmaids Dresses: Jim Hjelm

Men’s Attire: Hugo Boss, rentals from Joseph Abboud

Florals: Asrai Garden

DJ: Style Matters