Howells and Hood — Alison and Spence

There’s no greater compliment for a wedding planner than a referral that turns into a new client! We were thrilled to get the chance to work with Alison — a good friend of a client of ours from a few years ago — for her wedding at Howells & Hood at Tribune Tower. We were definitely impressed when we found out that the bride and groom designed and printed their invitations themselves!

Alison got ready in the couple’s suite at The InterContinental Hotel. The location was just what they wanted — something right at the heart of Michigan Avenue, with a great view of the venue (Tribune Tower) to boot!

Alison and her bridesmaids were treated to the stellar talents of Lauren of Lauren Ashton Makeup and Amanda Jochino. Both have known Alison for a long time (Lauren went to high school with her!), making the morning even more relaxed and comfortable.

Meanwhile, Spence and the guys had a low-key morning getting ready at Alison’s parents’ condo and arrived at the hotel looking sharp and ready for photos!

Ryan of Ryan Damman Photography and Jacob of Jacob Durbin Films made sure to capture all the moments, big and small, throughout the wedding day. While we were working with the team at Howells & Hood to get everything ready for the ceremony and reception, the wedding party took a spin around the city in style thanks to Chicago Trolley & Double Decker Company.

The beautiful bouquets of flowers from Bloom 3 perfectly complemented the pale blush and pink dresses Alison and her bridesmaids chose.

The ceremony space (The Crown) at Tribune Tower was stunning! We were sad to learn that this space is no longer available for wedding ceremonies as the building is turning residential, but consider ourselves lucky to have been able to experience it in all its glory. The views were incredible, and the architecture made for an amazing backdrop for Spence and Alison’s wedding ceremony.

While the ceremony itself was short and sweet, the meaningful words shared by the couple’s friend and officiant were perfect. The sweet and loving vows between Alison and Spence gave way to their first kiss as husband and wife, and then it was time to party!

The wedding party all shared a toast together immediately following the ceremony, and guests enjoyed the view while sipping a range of craft beers. (One of the reasons the couple chose Howells & Hood for their reception? A great beer selection!)

Before we knew it, it was time to invite guests downstairs into the reception space for dinner. DJ Mike of Lucky Entertainment set the tone for the evening with some delightful dinner music, and helped us keep things moving along as we listened to heartfelt toasts and speeches from some of Alison and Spence’s closest friends and family.

As dinner ended and the partying began, guests were delighted to don some props and get in front of the photo booth by The Hipstr Company to add some silliness to Spence and Alison’s guest book.

Another gorgeous benefit of Howells & Hood was the outdoor patio with fire pits that guests could enjoy while enjoying their end-of-night cocktails and mini bundt cakes from Nothing Bundt Cakes.

DJ Mike broke out one of the most unique musical elements we’ve seen at a wedding reception — Karaoke! This is a musically talented couple, so we were not the least bit surprised to see a strong turnout for people ready to take the mic and belt out their favorite tunes.

As the evening started to draw to a close, we got to work setting up the favor display — a four-pack of craft beers home-brewed by none other than the groom himself! They used the old wedding adage “something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue” to inspire their flavors, and Alison and Spence designed the labels.

We really enjoyed working with Alison and Spence, and hope that they are continuing to enjoy their married life together! Thanks again to Ryan Damman Photography for the beautiful photos and Jacob Durbin Films for putting together a short highlight video of the big day!