An Intimate Chicago Ceremony that Feels like a Private Party: The Real Wedding of Brennan and Kelsey Halliday

When Brennan matched with Kelsey on a dating app in 2018, she was looking for something casual and never imagined that two and a half years later, she would be proposing to Kelsey. Since Kelsey's family are snowbirds, Brennan knew that her winter proposal would have to take place in Florida if she wanted Kelsey's family to be there for it. So, Brennan proposed on the beautiful Marco Island, Florida!
 

Even though Brennan wasn't sure what she wanted her dress to look like, she knew she wanted to be able to dance in it. Instead of going to a traditional bridal shop, Brennan found a store that sells dresses that were used for floor models or photo shoots. They are unaltered gowns that were gently used/worn. "I didn’t know what I was looking for and tried on a few different styles and ended up with mine because it was the easiest to dance in," Brennan explains. We love how Kelsey mixed navy and gray for her suit as well, and her socks are a fun addition!
 

"The planning process really kicked off when we found our venue," Brennan shares. Due to the expenses of Chicago, Brennan and Kelsey weren't sure they'd be able to get married until this year. Instead of going with a popular wedding venue in Chicago, Brennan's mom was able to find a website that functions like Airbnb but for venues. There was a small, multipurpose venue available in 2022 that fit what both Brennan and Kelsey's budget and their vision for their wedding.
 

Brennan is actually a corporate event planner, so they were able to plan the wedding themselves. Instead of having an official theme or color scheme, they both just picked things they wanted to include in their day. The venue was an elegant and award-winning house, so Brennan and Kelsey didn't need to add any extra flourishes to it. Bringing in a caterer was the only thing they needed to make their day a success!
 

 

What We Love

Not being ones for traditional practices, Brennan and Kelsey's celebration was full of unique and personal touches. The venue they rented had a back alley entrance that made the ceremony feel like it was a secret, exclusive party. Brennan and Kelsey also created their own ceremony that included sage blessings, personal vows and affirmations for one another. The photographer they chose was also a special touch. "My best friend of twenty-five years photographed our wedding, and this was definitely one of our favorite decisions," Brennan gushes. "She knows my style better than I do and since we are so comfortable with her, she was able to capture very authentic moments of my wife and me."
 

 

Advice from the Couple

Brennan and Kelsey advise, "Leave behind all your ideas of what you think you 'ought to do', especially if those ideas come from outside yourself (family, friends, social media, movies, etc.). Our caterer gave us the best advice, plan a party for yourselves and the five people closest to you. We are a group who prefers to graze on food and doesn’t like having to sit down for an hour-long dinner when we could be mingling and dancing, so we had heavy passed hors d‘oeuvres and charcuterie platters all night long. We are all tired of the same wedding reception music, so we brought in a DJ who played our favorite tunes, from early aughts pop, to throwback emo, to Cardi B, and a whole lot of Taylor Swift."
 

 

 

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