Caroline and Tyler had such a perfect day that we really wanted to showcase!! The ceremony was at Most Holy Redeemer Church in Evergreen Park and the reception was at The Hyatt Lodge in Oak Brook. They had a lot of rain in the morning and afternoon, but it cleared up just in time for the ceremony. It was a little hot and humid from the rain, but if that’s the only thing that was a problem, we are in great shape!

We were there as Caroline and Tyler’s day-of wedding coordinators to make sure everything was running as smoothly as possible. They wanted to make sure to enjoy their time getting ready with their family and friends, they wanted a classic look at each other down the aisle for the first time, and they wanted to make sure they could actually enjoy their time with their favorite people.

The day actually started at the same place it was going to end - at the Hyatt Lodge hotel. They had a large suite for Caroline and her crew and Tyler and his side gathered in another hotel room. We absolutely loved their detail shots too to kick things off with their classic, timeless look!

Caroline’s dress was so elegant and classic too - we loved the simple, sleek design, the flowing train, and of course the beautiful bride in it! Her hair style and makeup both complimented her theme for the day and we were so excited to kick things off! The guys took the bus first to the church, but we wanted to make sure they all stayed dry with our clear umbrellas.

Caroline and Tyler did not want to do a first look before the ceremony. They opted to see each other down the aisle for the first time, have a gap between the ceremony and reception for photos, and still make it to cocktail hour. We always recommend some time built in between the ceremony and reception if you’re planning on having no first look before the ceremony so that you can still mingle with your guests at cocktail hour!

The ceremony service was so sweet - we stayed through the service (we often leave after the processional to make sure things are good at the venue but we had plenty of time in between to ensure the ceremony ended smoothly) and were surprised that their first kiss happened near the middle of the service instead of at the end! The photographers were amazing though and they have probably seen it all so that was no problem for them.

After the ceremony, the wedding party went back to Hyatt Lodge for photos throughout the grounds. It was thankfully lovely weather as far as the lighting goes and the humidity didn’t damper their looks too much!

We also LOVED the bridesmaid dresses - the floral print, floor-length, slightly different colored dresses were so elegant and beautiful! It was nice that they each had their own necklines too that complimented their style really well.

Once the photos finished, we had it timed pretty well for a little bit of a break for the wedding party before cocktail hour began. At the Grand Oaks Pavilion, you’re able to have your cocktail hour on the terrace if the weather is going well so thankfully we were able to re-set all of the outdoor area for use!

Our favorite part about the Grand Oaks Pavilion ballroom are actually two features - the floor-to-ceiling windows that wrap around the majority of the space, and the unique lighting fixtures from above! It is such an elegant space and it’s really unique from most ballrooms with the windows overlooking so much nature. Caroline and Tyler got to do a room reveal to see it before the cocktail hour finished and all the guests started flooding in and waited for the grand entrance.

Caroline and Tyler picked a great venue - Hyatt Lodge is AMAZING at keeping dinner running quickly so we could have the dances start right on time from our predicted timeline.

The rest of the evening, everyone danced the night away! Our DJ, Chris, did an amazing job keeping the party going all night and people were enjoying everything about the wedding. We love seeing the couple on the dance floor with so many of their family and friends and it looked like such a good time!

Right before it got dark, Caroline and Tyler took some beautiful sunset photos on the patio terrace. Katherine and her team did an amazing job with the wedding gallery - all of the photos look like they are out of a magazine and we had a great time working with them too!

Overall, Caroline and Tyler’s wedding day was so sweet, elegant, and fun just like they imagined. They had been able to really enjoy themselves from the start while getting ready all the way through the end of the night with all of their decor packed and stored away for them. It was a pleasure getting to be a part of their wedding day and it was so lovely to see them smiling all day long, despite the threat of rain in the beginning! We are so thankful they were both able to focus on the fun and not on the details and logistics.

Our incredibly sweet review from Caroline and Tyler:

“We really enjoyed working with Rachel! It was so nice not having to worry about anything on the day of the wedding because we knew Rachel and her assistant Jazz had it covered! Hiring Rachel really took the work away from us/our moms/other family members - everyone was truly able to enjoy themselves the morning of and throughout the day. Rachel is very organized and didn't miss a single detail when preparing the timeline for our wedding day. She is also so kind and easy to work with. You can really feel the passion she has for her business and we were very impressed with her communication throughout the whole process! Even before the wedding day, it was helpful having her at the final walkthrough a few weeks before the wedding - from there she took over vendor communication so I did not feel stressed about any details the weeks leading up to the wedding. It was also helpful to have Rachel at our rehearsal to coordinate the processional and go over last minute items for the next day. If you are looking for a day of coordinator, I highly recommend Firmly Rooted Events! Hiring Rachel ensured we were able to enjoy our wedding day.”