Bridgeport Art Center Wedding–Rachel and Matt

Rachel and Matt are not only a beautiful couple, but two of the most genuine, kind hearted people we’ve ever met. Working with them and their families throughout the wedding planning process was an absolute joy, and their big day was as charming and fun as they are. Though they lived in New York at the time, Rachel and Matt decided to get married in Chicago, where Rachel’s parents reside. Their wedding announcement was posted in the New York Times – read it here! 

Rachel and Matt got married on Sunday, July 1st, at Bridgeport Art Center. The bridesmaids started the morning gathered at Rachel’s parents’ condo downtown, where they got their hair and makeup done by Livia Caporale and Andie Cumber.

The groomsmen started off at the Westin, and then headed over to Rachel’s parents’ building, where they continued casually hanging out in the recreation room for the rest of the morning. Matt then put on his tux from The Black Tux and got ready with a little help from his friends.

Rachel put on her stunning Isabelle Armstrong dress and then headed over to the building’s terrace for her First Look with Matt. 

The wedding party departed via Windy City Limo for the Art Institute Gardens, where they took photos with Rebecca Marie Photography and video with SocialArt Cinema.

While the wedding party took photos, the Five Grain team headed over to Bridgeport Art Center to get everything ready. In addition to the lovely floral arrangements that Life in Bloom displayed throughout the loft, they also suspended an elegant floral structure below the sky light that added even more life to the space. 

Before the ceremony began, Rachel and Matt had their Ketubah Signing, led by Rabbi Ari Moffic.

Their ceremony was short but oh so meaningful. Rachel and Matt recited their own vows to one another, and the love for the couple radiated through the room of happy tears.

During cocktail hour, everyone was in for a big surprise: One of the “guests” turned out to be magician Sean Masterson! Everyone who encountered Sean was both shocked and delighted with his close-up magic. In lieu of a guest book, Rachel and Matt’s friends and family were encouraged to sign a jenga piece. They also got to enjoy His and Hers Drinks provided by Venue Logic, and a spread of Rachel and Matt’s favorite foods, such as reuben sandwiches and pretzels, provided by Blue Plate.

After cocktail hour, the 200+ guests headed into the dining room for dinner. The space was absolutely stunning with the beautiful flowers, warm glow of the candles, and colorful table numbers and menus by Sarah Drake Design.

Between the delicious meals by Blue Plate, guests enjoyed thoughtful speeches from the bride’s parents and best man.

During their thank you speech, Rachel surprised Matt with a gift: a baseball cap with a bowtie on it (an homage to his love of wearing backwards caps), which Matt would go on to wear for the second half of the evening. After everyone had a few good laughs, the couple went into their cake cutting, followed by their first dance.

In addition to the wedding cake, there were ample yummy desserts that had everyone going back for seconds and thirds!

The party got kicked into high gear when open dancing began. Everyone immediately flooded the dance floor and The Gold Coast All Stars were absolutely phenomenal.

There was a short break from open dancing for the parent dances. In keeping with the laid back nature of the latter part of the evening, both Rachel’s dad and Matt wore backwards caps during their dances.

The newlyweds, Rachel’s parents, and Matt’s mom all went up for the hora, which was a blast as always!

Towards the end of the night, the guests were given glow sticks to crank up the party even more! The night ended with the song “Country Roads,” which was fitting given Matt’s West Virginia roots. Everyone joined together and belted the song, and it was a powerful and euphoric way to end the night.

Thank you, Rachel and Matt, for including us during this important time in your life! We loved working with you and wish you a lifetime of laughter and adventures together.

Check out Matt and Rachel’s beautiful wedding video, courtesy of Social Art Cinema.