Drake Hotel Wedding — Kacie and George

I absolutely love getting to work on weddings that have a personal connection — and this one was no exception! I’ve known the groom, George, since he was young (he’s one of my dearest friend’s cousins), and when he proposed to Kacie, they came to Five Grain Events to get some assistance with the planning process. It was so much fun getting to know George and his incredibly lovely (and oh-so-organized) bride-to-be, Kacie a bit better; not to mention, their wedding plans sounded like a dream come true! They wanted to play up the classic Chicago feel, creating the kind of event Frank Sinatra might perform at (or maybe event attend!). We had a blast choosing the vendors and finalizing the details, and as winter started to turn to spring, it was time for their big day!

All their print pieces — beautifully crafted by the talented Meredith of Studio M Creations — were a nod to the classic style of their wedding, and their invitations were elegantly calligraphed by Write by Mike.

Kacie and her bridesmaids got ready in the Princess Diana suite at The Drake Hotel, an incredibly spacious and sun-drenched suite overlooking Lake Michigan. Kacie’s cousin, Gina Main of Salon G, brought a team for hair and makeup, and the ladies had a relaxing morning getting ready. After Kacie put on her gorgeous dress, the second most important love of her life, Bentley (Kacie and George’s dog), came by to see how beautiful she looked!

Meanwhile, George and the groomsmen met for brunch at Southern Cut, then returned to The Drake and donned their tuxes. They made their way to the Gold Coast Room, where Kenny of Nakai Photography made use of the “behind the curtain” feel of the room pre-setup.

Kacie and George chose Fourth Presbyterian Church for the ceremony, where George’s parents were married and he grew up attending services. It’s an incredibly striking building with a reverent and regal feel, perfect for an elegant wedding like this one.

After the ceremony and some formal family portraits, the wedding party took photos in the surrounding streets with Kenny as their guide. Bentley joined in for the fun as well — looking dapper in his custom-made bowtie.

The group returned to The Drake to take a break and freshen up before cocktail hour. Kacie and George took some fashion-spread quality portraits in the lobby of The Drake Towers, before having a moment to themselves to enjoy a few hors d’oeuvres and champagne before their cocktail hour began.

Fleur masterfully designed the floral arrangements to reflect the old-Chicago elegance and complement the intricate beauty that is the Drake Hotel interiors. We were smitten with this place card arrangement that just perfectly set the tone for the beauty of the event.

The reception floral arrangements were equally as beautiful! Elegant Event Lighting added a few soft uplights to ensure the gold details of the columns were lit to perfection.

After cocktail hour, guests made their way into the gilded and gorgeous Gold Coast Room. One of our favorite Drake Wedding traditions is the Champagne Parade — service at its finest!

The mother of the groom also surprised the couple with a few treats, including a few specialty linen upgrades from BBj Linen for the place card, sweetheart, and cake tables as well as gorgeous Murano gold glassware from Halls Rentals. The cake, beautifully crafted by Cake Chicago, featured a design that perfectly fit in with the grandeur of the Gold Coast Room.

Kacie and George were treated to some truly thoughtful toasts from their loved ones; I love how these reaction photos solidify that Kacie and George were obviously made for each other!

Kacie and George had a few surprises of their own planned for their guests, including a smoke machine to use during the mother/son dance! Kacie and George had also secretly been taking dance lessons to show off a perfectly choreographed first dance. At the end of their spin around the dance floor, their charming pup Bentley joined them and hung out with the wedding guests before retiring for the night.

Where do we even begin to recap the amazing musical talent that we witnessed for Kacie and George’s wedding day? Larry King Orchestra pulled out all the stops: from Sinatra song master Paul Marinaro accompanied by a trio during cocktail hour, to a delightful quartet for dinner, and an absolutely incredibly performance by Larry King and his orchestra that had everyone dancing all night long. Working with Larry is always a treat, and this amazing event was no exception.

All the photos from the day that Kenny Nakai of Nakai Photography captured are stunning, but these night shots of Kacie and George outside The Drake are some of our favorites. While it’s hard to take a couple away from the excitement of their dance floor, iconic images like these will be treasured forever.

Special thanks to Rhys McIntyre Videography for their wonderful video recap of the day!  It was truly a pleasure being a part of your celebration, Kacie and George: congratulations!