A Lush Summertime Wedding In Chicago Full of Gorgeous Greenery

Kristin + Tyler’s meant-to-be meet cute is the kind of thing everyone out there on the apps is daydreaming about at this very moment. 

“We met as neighbors on our shared back porch,” the couple remembers. “As time went by in the summer of 2020 we spent more and more time on that porch together. Ultimately we started dating, and at that point we didn’t know if that was going to be the best or worst decision we would make as neighbors. In the end it was the best decision!”

Having soulmate-level chemistry with your cute neighbor is beyond aspirational, and when Kristin + Tyler planned their Chicago wedding, they created a lush, greenery-filled celebration as dreamy as the tale of how they found each other. 

“Our main emphasis was our love of plants and greenery paired with a simple yet unique venue, and Bridgeport Art Center was able to deliver on all of that,” says the couple. “We wanted a simple venue with character that could stand on its own.”

Together with Wedicity they embraced the atrium vibe of the venue and showcased ferns and gorgeous green foliage of all sorts. They even added a photo stop at the greenhouses of Garfield Park Conservatory to make the most of the Chicago summer.

And Ian Rempel was there taking tons of beautiful photos along the way that we can’t wait to show you. Cause Kristin + Tyler are our new favorite rom com. So cue up “It Had To Be You” from When Harry Met Sally or “Kiss Me” from She’s All That, and let’s get into it!

Amore Creative used rough edge paper, muted green font, and embossed fern patterns in the invitation suite to set the day’s botanical tone.

How stunning is Kristin’s solitaire engagement ring from Brilliant Earth!!

Before heading to the celebration, the couple started their day at Nobu Hotel Chicago.

Also, we’re loving this sheer bodice deep teal mother of the bride dress!

Pin Me Up created Kristin’s elegant Old Hollywood down do and organic-yet-glamorous makeup look.

There’s just something special about being super intentional about what you’re wearing on your Big Day. And custom wedding suits like the one Tyler created with Indochino are such a great way to do that. That leafy lining! A brilliant nod to the horticultural vibe of the day.

The First Look

Check out the 8 reasons we love a first look if you’re still deciding whether you’ve got room for a meaningful moment like this beyond-romantic rooftop meet-up in your wedding day timeline.

Quick Stop For a Photo Op!

On their way to the venue, Kristin + Tyler worked in a side quest to Garfield Park Conservatory to snap some pics surrounded by beautiful plant life.

We are so in love with the stunningly simple wedding gown by Alexandra Grecco that Kristin found at Alice in Ivory.

To complete the look, Kristin paired her dress with wedding shoes from Dolce Vita.

Even the wedding earrings were on-theme! Very into those gold leafy studs from Elise Tsikis.

Tyler’s sage green tie was the perfect way to tie his look into the day’s color world.

Look at that glorious fern-filled bouquet from Ashland Addison! Just the beginning of the celebration’s verdant + summery arrangements.

Kristin’s whole crew got their bridesmaid dresses from Show Me Your Mumu!

If you simply adore this muted green mismatched bridesmaid palette like we do, you definitely need to take a look through our list of the best sage green bridesmaid dresses.

Who says you need to pick between light and breezy neutrals or classic black when it comes to groomsmen suits? Go with a mix of both like Tyler’s crew did!

Loving the idea of “I do’s” that include some time in an enchanted plant-filled greenhouse? Good news: We rounded up all of our favorite greenhouse wedding venues for you to look through!

Love that Tyler kept his look summery + chic with these suede loafers from Gordon Rush.

These two lovebirds had to steal a few more sunny greenhouse smooches before hopping back in their wedding day trolley transportation provided by The 312 Limo.

The Ceremony

The climbing, mossy greenery added so much immersive charm to this elegant mirror wedding sign.

Look at all these fabulous ferns!

The song you walk down the aisle to is a great opportunity to add some significance to your ceremony. “We incorporated Tyler’s favorite band Blink 182 into the ceremony as Kristin and her Dad, Larry, walked down the aisle to ‘First Date.,” the couple remembers. “To commemorate this Tyler and Kristin had a lyric to that song “Let’s Make This Last Forever” stitched into the lining of his suit jacket and her veil.”

Our Favorite Memory
In honor of Kristin’s late brother Danny we had a candle in a vase filled with chess pieces as he was an avid chess player. That candle stood in line with Tyler’s groomsmen.

Tyler’s Dad, Michael, was the officiant of the wedding.

We also had a ceremonial wine box made by Tyler’s uncle that we put our vows in with a bottle of Pinot Noir from a vineyard in our favorite wine region to visit, Willamette Valley. Each year we plan to open the bottle of wine and reread our vows to each other while restocking the box with a new bottle for the next year.

All of these gorgeously overgrown arrangements have us remembering of this bespoke garden wedding in Florida!

Cocktail Hour

The guests at Kristin + Tyler’s wedding absolutely slayed the “floral semi-formal” vibe. We love all of these looks, especially that Rita Floral Ruffle Maxi Dress by Saloni and Amren Floral One-Shoulder Tiered Asymmetric Dress by Petal & Pup!

Check out our semi formal wedding guest style guide to choose your next wedding-ready look.

“Instead of the traditional signature drinks we wanted to truly capture both of our personalities by having her drink be a Vodka Martini with a lemon twist and his drink being a Bud Light,” say Kristin + Tyler of their carefully chosen wedding cocktails from Venue Logic.

How’s this for a creative guest book idea!! 🥹 “We had our guests sign a plant pot instead of a guest book,” says the couple, “so that we’re able to remember our wedding day and everyone who attended on our porch where we first met.”

Snag a white stone planter and some Sharpie markers to recreate this meaningful + botanical guest book idea yourself!

The Reception

Fern fronds created a lovely + leafy green backdrop for Kristin + Tyler’s glass frame wedding reception seating chart.

String lights undoubtedly up the romance factor of any reception setup, and this pic is the proof.

The day’s delicious fare was created by caterers Food For Thought.

“Our favorite part was the consistent fern/greenery theme paired with handmade paper stationery used through the whole wedding process from invites to day of decor (seating chart, bar signs, table settings, etc.) to our thank you notes,” say Kristin + Tyler of the wedding’s cohesive botanical design.

Our Advice
Hire a bomb ass wedding planner like Kristina and a professional/fun photographer like Ian to lead you through your day. Kristina is so proactive, organized, and truly made our vision come to life and seamlessly managed 1.5 years of coordination amongst 12+ vendors. Ian’s energy is unmatched - he was able to not only corral a large group throughout the day, but also had a knack for capturing candid moments that we’ll cherish forever.

But more generally our biggest advice is stay true to what you and your partner want to do. It doesn’t matter what others think it is your day so orchestrate it as you want. We had “non-traditional” components to our wedding and those were some of our as well as our guests favorite parts because they held a special meaning to us.

Not every wedding needs a cake cutting moment! Kristin + Tyler swapped theirs out for this champagne tower pour + toast with their wedding party.

One of Kristin + Tyler’s favorite details of the night? The fact that Kraneil Fine Art was there live-painting a scene from their gorgeous greenery-filled ceremony.

You don’t want to miss the beautiful footage that Old North Film Company captured of Kristin + Tyler’s celebration, so make sure to press play below!

Congratulations, Kristin + Tyler! Your lush + lovely Chicago summer wedding was a botanical dream. GWS wishes nothing but the best for you both!