One of my beautiful couples on Upworthy!

This morning, as I was wasting time online, I came across an article on Upworthy about the new Catalyst Wedding Magazine, and the fact that they feature REAL couple.. 

Scrolling through the photos, I came across Lisa and Maria, who I married in 2013. 

Photo by Oriana Koren

Published!

So.... my niece is getting married and she's been checking out the wedding magazines lately. Here's a photo she sent me when she was paging through ChicagoStyle Weddings magazine. 

This is the lovely feature on Sara and Missy's wedding, which was also on the website. Click HERE to see more of this gorgeous wedding, captured by the fantastic Rebecca Marie Photography. 

Margaret & Erin's Wedding at Salvage One

The moment I spoke to Erin and Margaret on the phone for the first time, I knew I was meant to marry them! They were so sweet and funny and we hit it off immediately. 

Their wedding at Salvage One ( a favorite venue!) was beautiful and intimate - with a ceremony that had lots of laughs and tears. They included two readings - "A Slippery Weasel," a wonderfully warm and irreverent piece by Ariadne Cass-Maran, and a love letter written by Johnny Cash to his wife, June. These selections were perfect for these fun, brilliant, and literary brides. 

And did I mention that we also included a reference to Bob's Burgers?  See why I liked them so much!

Here's a photo taken just before the ceremony (with my phone). Head on over to the Jill DeVries Photography blog to see the real (gorgeous!) photos. 

Love is Love

So excited to be attending the Love is Love event tonight at Cafe Brauer. It's not too late to get your tickets! Join me and the other members of Stand Up tonight to celebrate marriage equality and help support Equality Illinois. Get your tickets HERE.

Katrina & Amanda's Vow Renewal

The rain may have dampened the garden, but we hardly noticed - there was too much love and laughter surrounding us! 

On July 1st, I had the joy and honor of doing a vow renewal ceremony for one of my favorite couples and sweet friends, Katrina & Amanda. They were a part of the Under a New Moon civil union wedding three years ago. This summer, on their anniversary, their civil union became a legal marriage! We celebrated with a ceremony - and their sweet little boy was there to make it that much more special.

Visit the Amanda Megan Miller Photography blog for more beautiful photos by Julia Franzosa. 

Photo by Julia Franzosa Photography

Congratulations, Millers! I am so happy to have been a part of your special day - and to be a part of your lives!

Missy & Sara's "Big Love Party!"

Photographer Rebecca Marie posted a lovely write-up about Sara & Missy's wedding earlier this month at Columbus Park Refectory. I was really looking forward to seeing this post, because I knew the pictures would be amazing. 

I was right! The photos are just breathtaking - especially the First Look shots.

Not only were Missy and Sara both gorgeous brides, their wedding was such an incredible celebration of love and support. They have a wonderful community and dubbed their wedding "The Big Love Party." 

I may be biased, but I just love this picture from the ceremony. That smile on Missy's face is just perfect!

Be sure to check out Rebecca Marie's blog for more photos!

Happy Anniversary!!

Happy Anniversary to the Under a New Moon couples! Congratulations to Ron & Jason, Kimm & Jo, Sam & Chris, Amanda & Katrina, Steve & Felix, and Esther & Kati! 

So thrilled that today, on their third anniversary, they are celebrating their MARRIAGES!!

Photo by Jeremy Lawson Photgraphy

Modern Family Wedding Photo Shoot!

So excited to see our Modern Family wedding photo shoot featured on the Sassy Chicago Weddings blog! Be sure to CLICK HERE to see all the shots of this incredibly happy and colorful event.

Below are photos, courtesy of Ocken Photography, of rituals that were included in the ceremony part of the stylized shoot. 

First, the couple participated in an adaptation of a food sharing ritual known as the Tasting of the Elements. In this ritual, various foods represent the "for better or for worse" of married life. In our version, the couple shared a variety of candies - including Hot Tamales to represent the heat of an argument 

As you can guess, the candy was a big hit with the kids!

We ended with a family sand ceremony. The dads and each of the kids picked a color to be layered in a tall vase. Not only was this fun for all the participants, the results yielded a bright and beautiful keepsake.

It was so much fun working with this couple and their adorable kids. And it didn't hurt that I had the opportunity to be back at Catalyst Ranch.

Thank you to Kerrie of Citygirl Weddings and Lauren from the Ranch for including me in this wonderful celebration of marriage equality! 

And a huge thank you to Ocken Photography for the wonderful photos!

The Chicago History Museum Celebrates Marriage Equality With ONE LOVE!

Join me on April 10th at The Chicago History Museum for a wonderful evening dedicated to marriage equality! And don't forget to stop by and say hi to me! 

Q & A: How Do I Get a Marriage or Civil Union License in Cook County?

Answer: Here's a video that explains how to get a license!

Marriage Equality in Illinois!

I have literally not been able to express my joy out loud because I keep crying. And there I go again.

So, this says it all:

Wonderful, Intimate Wedding

I had the great joy of participating in this incredible inspiration photo shoot of a beautiful, intimate wedding, which was featured on Style Me Pretty! It was so lovely, I had to share a few of the gorgeous photos by Julia Franzosa Photography.

The ceremony included a handfasting.

The grooms also participated in a Blessing Stone ritual.

And look at this hot cocoa bar!!

There were so many fabulous details, thanks to the creative genius of Greatest Expectations Special Events & Weddings. The delicious sweets were created by Truffle Truffle, with beautiful flower decor by Pistil and Vine. Be sure to check out all the photos in the complete gallery!

Maria & Lisa's Intimate Backyard Ceremony

I had so much fun working with Lisa and Maria as we created their ceremony!

Their wedding day started off being pretty wet, especially after the previous day's storms. But, a little drizzle wasn't going to stop us! Despite it being cool and a little misty, we had the ceremony in the garden, with a beautiful flower arch as a backdrop. 

Maria and Lisa included a flower-gathering ritual, during which family members came forward to present them with flowers to create a bouquet. It was so sweet to see their loved ones come up, especially when Maria's little nephew announced with a big grin, "Here you go!" You could definitely feel the love surrounding them!

Now I'm just dying to see all the gorgeous photos by the amazing Oriana of Okrfoto. I know they'll be fantastic!

Hanging out with Lisa and Maria before the ceremony

Following the ceremony, guests joined the couple at a neraby restaurant for a reception, and then came back to their house for cake. Look how sweet that cake looks! And since it's from Luscious Layers Bakery, you know it was delicious! And from what I'm told, there wasn't a single crumb left over. 

Fabulous cake by Luscious Layers Bakery

Congratulations, Maria and Lisa! Thank you for letting me be a part of your wonderful wedding day. You're the best!! And now that I've sampled the results of your amazing baking skills, you'll never get rid of me. 

Today is the day, Illinois!

I Wanna Marry You - a Group Effort.

A beautiful marriage proposal. I'm still in tears. Enjoy.

Marriage Equality in Illinois

Please contact your legislators and voice your support for marriage equality. 

Not sure who to call? Click HERE for quick links to your representatives!

You can also check in with Equality Illinois for the most up-to-date information.

Let's go, Illinois!

Luis & Dan's Incredible Wedding Photos - with Bacon and Eggs Socks!

This past fall I officiated Luis and Dan's wedding ceremony at Uncommon Ground (known as the "Greenest Restaurant in America.")

They were lucky enough to hire the amazing Hilda of Angel Eyes Photography. Not only is she always fun to work with, I knew there would be amazing photos. Boy, was I right! 

Be sure to check out her blog post about the wedding. Don't you just love those bacon and egg socks? 

Here are a few photos in the meantime, but be sure to go to the blog for more!

Breakfast footwear

Handfasting during the ceremony

Luis and Dan light up the night!

If you need a photographer for your wedding, Hilda is fantastic. But you can already see that from her work. And did I mention how much fun she is??

Support Marriage Equality in Illinois!

Happy New Year! 

And the best possible New Year's wish may come true very soon. Illinois legislators may be voting on a bill to finally legalize same-sex marriage - possibly this week!

Please, please contact your state senators and representative right now to voice your support for marriage equality. 

Not sure who to call? Not sure what to say? Visit the Equality Illinois Marriage Equality page for sample phone scripts and contact information for your legislators.

Go! Let's not just cross our fingers and hope it happens. Let's MAKE it happen. Now.

Eleven Eleven Giveaway - Connie and Jessie's Big Day!

Woo hoo!! Connie and Jessie are married!!

 I think I was just as excited as they were about their big day! I am happy to report that we made it through the ceremony without any crying or other disasters (see, Jessie, I told you so!) and had a great time. 

Here we are right after the ceremony at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum. They were absolutely gorgeous in their custom-made dresses by Mignonette Bridal. 

They walked down the aisle to "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun."

See more of the gorgeous pix by Amanda Hein Photography on the Eleven Eleven Wedding Giveaway's page by clicking HERE.

Congratulations, Connie and Jessie. So glad to have been a part of your day - and to have you both in my life. I wish you a lifetime of joy, laughter and being right. And I will be around to make sure you're BOTH right sometimes. 

Ron & Jason's Wedding at Pazzo's

Yesterday I had the honor of officiating the wedding of Ron & Jason, one of the couples from the Under a New Moon Wedding Giveaway from last year. 

As one of six winning couples, they were limited to a few guests. Ron and Jason really wanted to share a wedding with their family and friends, so they planned a fantastic wedding at the wonderful Pazzo's in downtown Chicago. 

ceremony at the fountain

Their ceremony took place in front of the impressive fountain in the atrium, which is just gorgeous.  Really, everything was fantastic - from the delicious dinner, tasty signature cocktail, great music played by David from MDM Entertainment and the delicious cupcakes by Luscious Layers. 

Ron and Jason included so many personal touches and details. They channeled their love of trivia games into creating a fun trivia challenge with questions about the two of them. Our table (Team Cilantro) didn't know many answers, so we just made them up. Wait till they find out they have a fish named Rocco. 

I also loved that they named each table for a different herb and used seed packets as place cards. However, I confess to initially (at first glance) thinking that they had a guest named "Rosemary Seeds." 

I had so much fun working on Ron and Jason's ceremony and it was wonderful to be a part of their special day. I danced, ate cupcakes, danced some more, talked with great people, laughed until I cried - and did I mention the tasty cupcakes? 

Thank you, Jason and Ron, for fabulous evening. And thank you for letting me be a part of it all. I wish you both all the best in the world.

The impressive atrium at Pazzo's

Congratulations!!

At the cilantro table with the Under a New Moon gang!

Cupcakes by Luscious Layers Bakery