If you have any Irish blood, you are going to LOVE today’s blog post because not only did Maura and Joe have an Irish American Heritage Center wedding, but every little detail about their day was a tribute to their for all Irish things. I met Maura and Joe around this time last year. We met at the local Starbucks and sat down to talk about their wedding day. Maura and Joe began to tell me a little about how proud they were to be Irish and how they really wanted to include some of that for their wedding. We brainstormed some ideas for their engagement session and it only made sense to have a St. Patrick’s day themed wedding. We took some great pictures outside the Irish American Heritage Center as well as at Cheif O’Neill’s Pub in Chicago. In retrospect, it was just perfect that we did that because the timing of a November evening wedding didn’t allow for us to get pictures outside much. Don’t worry though, that didn’t stop Erica and I from capturing some gorgeous shots of these two!

The ceremony was held at St. Juliana’s Catholic church, this was actually my second wedding there this year! This church is absolutely stunning! Maura and Joe decided to do their first look in the balconies. This ended up working out perfectly because we got some beautiful light coming through those lovely stain glass windows. During the ceremony they had someone playing some Irish music on the flute and violin. It was just perfect!

The reception of course, was at the Irish American Heritage Center. We took some fun bridal party pictures inside and then headed upstairs for the party to begin. I always enjoy shooting weddings that include unique cultural traditions. Much like this wedding I shot a few years ago, that include Ukrainian dancing, Maura and Joe include some Irish dancers from U of I. There was also some amazing Irish line dancing happening later on that evening! I hope you can see just how amazing this wedding was!

Reception: Irish American Heritage Center| Ceremony: St. Juliana’s Catholic Parish | Flowers: Romance in Blooms | Cupcakes: Molly’s Cupcakes| Irish Musician: Kathleen Keane | DJ: Priority Entertainment| Bridesmaid dresses Alfred Sung purchased on Weddington Way| Bride’s Dress by Casablanca