Danielle and Mark’s Fun-Loving Festivities

Photos by Alison Woomer for Lily and Lime

Danielle & Mark wanted their wedding to be unapologetically them. From the attire to the food, every piece was as unique as the couple.

The bride started her wedding day in a traditional white wedding dress by Allure Romance purchased at Here Comes the Bride Bridal Boutique in Glendale Heights. But once she and her father finished up their father-daughter dance, she achieved a dramatic outfit change, donning a black Portia and Scarlett gown purchased at Peaches Boutique. Talk about against the grain.

As for the groom’s attire, he wanted to commemorate his late father who had an impeccable style and was sometimes known as a “fashionista.” To do this, he pulled something straight from his father’s closet. What they found was a shimmery black dinner jacket with matching pants in his closet. To bring the look into the modern age, the couple had custom black tuxedo trousers created, incorporating his father’s pant fabric into the new pants’ piping. An added bonus: to avoid the remaining fabric going to waste, the bride surprised her groom and his brother with ties sewn from the same fabric.

In addition to the fantastic wedding attire, the couple also had a very specific idea when it came to food. They’d been to enough weddings and were bored with the typical wedding fare. Plated steak with seasoned veggies and duchess potatoes was the last thing these two were going for. They shared a mutual love for their favorite restaurants and wanted their guests to enjoy the same. When seeking a venue, they had two objectives in mind: can it accommodate the guest list and can we bring in our own food? The BRIX on the Fox was a dream come true for those two reasons and then some. Danielle and Mark hired True Cuisine Catering to manage the food and presentation but ultimately solidified dinner from all their favorite restaurants. As born and bred Chicagoland area residents, the Italian beef and Chicago-style hot dogs from Portillo’s were a given. Chipotle is a frequent restaurant for the couple and the Sofritas from Chipotle is the bride’s favorite entrée selection! The couple loves to go to their local Aurelio’s Pizzeria in Addison, Illinois and the lemon chicken is their go-to every time. Lastly, when the bride was completing her law degree at Northern Illinois University – Naperville Campus, she would order the lentil soup for lunch at Arbor Vitae, as the owner Ashrov, would say “almost every day.” All these options made up various action stations throughout the reception hall and guests were wowed with the creativity and presentation.

The BRIX on the Fox is known for their A/V equipment that comes with the rental of the space. This includes elevated house speakers and a light system. With the entire venue space completely lit up in neon purple and other fun lights, the bride was inspired to take it one step further and add “glow up” elements like neon dessert stands, foam light sticks, light up glasses and even glowing ice cubes for the cocktails. The entire place turned into a club-like scene when the DJ started his set, and the dance floor was packed.

The wedding was executed true to the couple. Every facet of the day truly reflected the couple and every guest in attendance left with a renewed excitement surrounding weddings, which was ultimately Danielle & Mark’s goal.

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