Afton Vangsness

Mar 7, 2023

Christina + Jack: Tropical-Inspired Wedding

The summer wedding of Christina + Jack combined different cultures, love of travel, and gave Chicago a tropical touch. These jetsetters brought their family and friends from around the world together to celebrate!

All photos courtesy of Rachael Kazmier Photography

We spent almost a year and a half planning this wedding, and over the course of that time, focused on not just uniting Christina and Jack, but also finding ways to meld their differences in culture and in style to create a cohesive day suited just for them.

Christina is half Filipino and half Chinese, and she grew up in Illinois. She is a lover of bright, bold colors and tropical styles.

Jack is from Liverpool, England. He is more traditional, and had only one color in mind for their wedding - royal blue to represent the Everton Football Club (his favorite team).

Together, they love to travel, are total foodies, and wanted the day to represent them both.

The day started with Christina getting ready at her and Jack's Chicago condo with her bridesmaids and family. Hair and makeup was provided by Glam Atelier.

The bride wore an elaborate Valentini Spose bridal gown from Dimitra's Bridal Couture.

Valentini Spose wedding dress from Dimitra's Bridal Couture

In the meantime, Jack got ready at Palmer House Hotel with his groomsmen.

The ceremony took place at St. Alphonsus Church. We incorporated floral arrangements and programs in keeping with the tropical theme.

They included the Filipino tradition of having numerous sponsors, and we also had MDM Entertainment live stream the ceremony overseas to family and friends that weren't able to attend in person.

St. Alphonsus Church in Chicago, Illinois

Wedding ceremony at St. Alphonsus Church Chicago

Husband and wife!

Wedding by Afton Events Chicago Wedding Planner

The bride, groom, and their wedding party then rode around throughout the city on transportation provided by Signature Transportation Group to take photos with Rachael Kazmier. 312 Films was there to document the entire day as well.

Wedding party on lake michigan in Chicago

We really brought some color into the day with the wedding party. The ladies had mismatched bridesmaids dresses from The Dessy Group in vibrant colors to match their vibrant bouquets.

The bouquets from Juliet Tan Floral Design were tropical, unique, and fun!

The guys all rocked the royal blue ties and navy suits from Formally Modern desired by Jack, but his grey Hugo Boss suit let him stand out from the crowd.

Chicago wedding photography by Rachel Kazmier

The reception took place at Venue SIX10. A sleek and modern venue, it worked as a blank space for us to create anything we wanted. We transformed the space into a tropical party with bold blues, giant palms, and modern elements.

Wedding reception at Venue SIX10 in Chicago

Wedding floral by Juliet Tan Floral Design

I've said it before, and I'll say it again - if you have a bunch of banquet rounds in the room, make it interesting by having some variation in your tablescapes! We had three different table designs for guest tables, and a different design for the head table.

The large reception space featured extremely tall ceilings, so we filled that height with the large palm centerpieces that gave the illusion of full palm trees.

The shorter arrangements were lush and brightly colored.

The tables were all named after different places around the world that the couple had traveled to, featuring a photo of them.

The cake from Vanille Patisserie was adorned with greenery, brightly colored floral, and fun citrus pieces.

The cocktail hour space actually overlooks the reception space at this venue. It also has an outdoor space overlooking Michigan Avenue, Millennium Park, and Lake Michigan!

We of course included more tropical elements, with a modern pop of black to tie in their invitations.

Catering was provided by Food For Thought who featured some of the couple's favorite cocktails and foods.

As the sun set, the evening continued with toasts, dinner, and the first dance for the bride and groom.

The floor to ceiling windows offer a wonderful city vibe as the lights from outside illuminate the reception space. It also offers a view of the Navy Pier fireworks!

The Shout Out band from Maggie Speaks got everyone out on the dance floor for an amazing party! The guests also had fun with the photo booth from Shutterbooth. The final little personal detail was the late night snack - fish and chips to represent the groom, and steam buns to represent the bride.