Romantic and Fun Wedding at Goose Island Barrel House in Chicago, IL Wedding Feature: Hayley and Henry

Real Weddings
Written By Firmly Rooted Events

Hayley and Henry had such a picture-perfect wedding day in Chicago. As they are currently living in New York for work, they were really excited to bring all of their family and friends back together in the place they were born and raised.

They actually got married on a Memorial Day on Monday because it was the only day that Henry could get off as an actor on Broadway along with many of their friends, so it worked out perfectly! It was the perfect day because the weather was beautiful and they were able to take photos in the city (and the Theatre District!) and have their ceremony and reception both at Goose Island Barrel House tucked away in the city. We provided day-of coordination so that Hayley and Henry could soak up their time together and truly celebrate with their family and friends.

The day started at their hotel where they were able to slowly start the day and get ready. We absolutely loved the photos of all of the details - you also will see a similar detail throughout their whole day so keep you eyes peeled!

Hayley’s dress had some of the most unique and beautiful texture we have ever seen. The lace was raised and fit her so perfectly - we absolutely adored her soft, romantic look!

They had their first look in the beautiful city that we all know and love and Henry’s reaction was just so precious! The area was perfect for wedding photos and we are so glad they found some peace and quiet in the Couch alley area that they were heading to from here.

Hayley and Henry made sure to take some photos in Couch alley by Nederlander Theatre. It only made sense that they got to take some photos that were both artistic and theatre-focused! The photos by the Chicago Theatre were also so classic and we loved that it really tied into their lives as a couple.

Once they finished their photos in the city, Hayley and Henry went back to the hotel to pick up their wedding party. They were running a little late, but thankfully we added in a lot of buffer time so it didn’t delay anything too badly! We also get to see that detail we talked about earlier again throughout the decor - the coupe glasses were so classy and elegant and we love that it lasted in so many details of their decor and planning!

Goose Island is of course known for their beer, but in the Barrel House we had a unique setup for the ceremony where all of the guests were seated at their dinner tables for the ceremony. We actually didn’t light all of the candles until the cocktail hour because we needed to fix the bases of the long, taper candles so they didn’t damage the tables. We were glad though that we were able to get it resolved so that for dinner we had that perfect, romantic dinner lighting!

When the wedding party arrived, we were able to take them into the back of the Barrel House and do all of their photos where you would tour the space. We absolutely loved the mismatched dresses with the greens and the groom’s suit being the opposite of the bride - they all were SUCH a hoot and it was such a hyped crowd!

The ceremony was SO perfect - everyone laughed, cried, and truly enjoyed the whole thing!! The vows they had written for each other were incredibly sweet and it really stood out to us as a memorable one.

The guests during cocktail hour finally got to enjoy the hand-selected beers and everyone really enjoyed them! It was so unique and fun for everyone to be in-house of such a tasty brand.

Family portraits took a while but it all got done on time - the tiny cake topper was cute!!

What also was unique about Goose Island Barrel House as a wedding venue is that they were able to take a bunch of guests on tours of the warehouse during cocktail hour! The family photos took a while but it was a great time to “flip” the reception area with their water, lighting the candles, and putting out the cake with the CUTEST, tiniest replica of the couple and their pup.

Once the photos were done and the guests were seated, the wedding party all did their entrance to the Chicago Bull’s intro song which really got everyone hyped and ready to party. Hayley and Henry cut their cake and it was time to eat!

The speeches were SO incredible - especially Henry’s twin best friends that did an “Eras” tour of Henry’s life including props!

We knew that Hayley and Henry had choreographed their first dance, but truly watching it in person was something out of a movie. It was so elegant and of course they did an amazing job!!

It reminded us of a Disney princess and prince - it was absolutely one of the best first dances we have seen because they didn’t seem nervous about it at all. If you are thinking about a choreographed dance, we highly recommend doing a few moves that won’t make you stressed on your wedding day. But of course with their backgrounds they were the best people to pull it off!

The dance floor filled up SO quickly and was so much fun!! Truly everyone let loose and had a ball and we loved watching it all unfold. Before our amazing photographer left, they did some night shots and were on their way. It was such a perfect day from start to finish and it was all captured SO perfectly!!

Overall, we couldn’t have had a better day because Hayley and Henry were both SO happy and in love. It was clear from the start of working with them that they were going to have an amazing wedding day because they were so excited to say “I do”. We are so grateful to have the opportunity to work with such amazing couples and this wedding definitely will stand out because of how happy they were and how much they were able to celebrate!

Our wonderfully sweet review from Hayley and Henry:

“Rachel and team were fantastic partners to work with for our wedding. We used their day-of services, but they were a constant support from the moment we signed our contract. They made us feel so secure as we navigated wedding planning and supplied dozens of resources and tips to help us execute our vision. On the day, it was amazing to see what the team pulled off at the venue once we arrived. They kept us on schedule all night and handled the small stuff which allowed us to fully enjoy our event. I recommend that everyone hire a day of planner for their wedding, especially the team at Firmly Rooted!”

Firmly Rooted Events

If you’re looking to have a wedding where you can focus on the fun and not on the details, reach out to us at our contact page and we would be happy to help you have a great time on your wedding day!

Explore More Day-of Wedding Coordination Wedding

Browse the Portfolio
Firmly Rooted Events https://firmlyrootedevents.com
Next

TIP BLOG