Winter Elegance in Chicagoland: The Real Wedding of Emily and Brandon Bernhard

In this modern world of dating, Emily and Brandon met like many other couples: on a dating app. They went to a local restaurant for their first in-person date. It went so well, they decided to spend the next two days together as well! "After day two, I knew Brandon was my husband," Emily admits. "One year later, we got engaged at the restaurant where we first met!"

When it came to dress hunting, Emily knew she wanted something with sleeves. She found dresses she liked at a boutique, but since they only carried each dress in one size, she didn't necessarily find the one as much as she narrowed her search. At the second bridal store, the dress she found on the rack did not have sleeves attached. What sold her was when the alterations team came and showed Emily what the dress could look like with sleeves. She knew then it was her wedding dress!
 

As a couple, Emily and Brandon lean more toward classic and vintage aesthetics, so they wanted to bring that same look to their wedding. Emily also wanted a winter wedding that wasn't centered around Christmas. They aimed for February and wished for snow—which they got. As soon as they had their venue, everything seemed to come together! Combining winter and vintage vibes, they settled on a color palette focused on pine and gold. We think they created a beautifully elegant wedding scene with just the right amount of winter touches!
 

Finding vendors came from a lot of personal experience. Emily got flowers from their florist as a kid and had makeup done by her beauty team at friends' weddings. The wedding venue was also a perfect find. They loved that it was a banquet hall with separate spaces that only hosted one wedding at a time, so they could utilize all of the areas on their big day. Danielle Schury Photography was also an ideal team member! She captured all of the beautiful details while highlighting the beauty and the love of their special day.
 

 

What We Love

Like many couples, Emily and Brandon put a lot of special details into their day. First, they did a  first dance wager to get their guests involved in the fun. Guests bet on which one of fifty choices would be their first dance song. The winner took home some cash and others contributed to their honeymoon fund. They also asked guests to fill out a card at their place setting to go into their wedding time capsule. Each table number would be opened on that wedding anniversary (table one would be opened on their first wedding anniversary, etc). For the ladies, Emily and Brandon provided slippers so they could bust a move on the dance floor without their heels but also without going barefoot.
 

 

Advice from the Couple

Emily and Brandon advise, "While planning can be so stressful, always be reminded how blessed you are to have even met your person and the privilege it is to have a wedding. With that being said, the work and details you put into planning minute to minute—down to the place settings—will make your day SO smooth. Remember, it's your day; opinions of others do not matter! Our family and closest friends helping us prepare for our wedding day insisted I was being 'over-the-top', but the amount of enjoyment and compliments I got during the day made it all worth it!"
 

 

 

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