It was about a year ago that I first met Dana and Eric for their engagement session in Chicago’s Old Town neighborhood. They got married at the Four Seasons Hotel on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, May 28, 2016.
The couple’s ceremony blended traditions from both of their faiths, Jewish and Christian. From the Christian tradition, they lit a unity candle during the ceremony, and they ended the ceremony with the Jewish tradition of breaking a glass under the Chuppah. The Chuppah was a modern design with hundreds of orchids cascading down a large screen designed by The Flower Firm. The couple looked stunning for their Black Tie affair, the bride wore a Vera Wang mermaid dress and the Groom wore a custom-tailored suit. I loved the perfect makeup from Stella Mikhali and her beauty team. Everyone’s hair was stunning thanks to Erin Ahern. The couple’s “first look” took place on the grand staircase in the hotel’s beautiful lobby. The couple chose twenty-six people for their wedding party, a mix of close friends and family. It made for a very stylish photoshoot. Hope Weis Consulting and the Fours Season Hotel kept the lively party running on time with their amazing teamwork. Ken Arlen kept the party jumping and had everyone dancing the night away with a hora and tarantella. The couple celebrated their first dance to The Red Hot Chili Peppers song Hard To Concentrate. The videographer Jeff Goldstein of Express Video had a fun time filming this beautiful wedding. Congratulations Dana and Eric it was a wonderful wedding!
The Bride Dana shared her memories from the Wedding Day:
“Everyone says when looking for a photographer for your wedding to make sure that you ‘connect’ because that’s very important for engagement photos and the day of. I never really understood this, until we met with you. My family and I automatically felt like you were a perfect fit. You made sure I looked my best by letting me know to put my shoulders back, stand up straighter, put on more lipstick, etc… Also, I liked the guidance and ‘calmness’ that you provided throughout the day, you were the expert and helped keep things on track and make sure that there was enough time allowed to capture everything that we wanted to do. The day was everything we could have hoped for and more.“
Some of my favorite moments were: waking up all excited with my maid of honor/sister, getting ready with the bridesmaids/groomsmen, getting dressed and looking in the mirror for the first time in my wedding dress and Eric in his tux, my dad and my first look, followed by Eric and my first look, pictures that captured the most important people to us- our family and close friends. It’s fun that during the family & close friends photos a lot of good laughs are generated, and the fast-paced energy helped loosen up the situation/nerves.
The trumpets that “popped” up to play during the recessional song, “All you need is love” was a surprise for Eric & I that my family planned ahead of time with Hope and Ken Arlen. Both the song and trumpets were a surprise, so it was really cool for Eric and I to realize what the surprise was and be stunned by the trumpets as we were walking down the aisle to cocktail hour.
Also, the anticipation and excitement that occurred when Eric and I got announced as Mr. and Mrs. Glaser right into our first dance. Our families speeches that made us feel so lucky and proud! One specific thing that really stood out was not only my dance with my dad but then seeing Eric dance with his mom and his grammas.
