A couple of weeks ago Kristin & Jeff asked me to photograph their Secret Practice Wedding at the Chicago Cultural Center.  What do I mean by Secret Practice Wedding?  Well, Kristin and Jeff are planning a big traditional wedding later this year but decided to do a civil ceremony now for practical reasons.  So if you are a friend of Kristin and Jeff, it was just a practice wedding, the real one is yet to come!

Anyway, Kristin and Jeff had planned their Secret Practice Wedding at the Chicago Cultural Center.  Now, if you are considering doing a Civil Ceremony in Chicago, this is a great option.  As you know, the Cultural Center is GORGEOUS, and you can get married on a Saturday morning in a civil ceremony.  This is how it works.  You sign up for a time slot on Saturday morning and show up.  They basically provide 15-minute time slots for a number of couples who show up with their friends, families, and photographers.  When you’re ready, they send you in to one of their great halls where an officiant is ready to marry you.  It’s a beautiful place, everything is planned for you, and it couldn’t be more affordable.  LOVE the Cultural Center.  It’s also neat to see all the different couples there with their families.  🙂

Kristin and Jeff hit trouble on the way, though.  When Jeff couldn’t find his wallet in the morning he went down to the car to look for it, only to discover that his car had been broken into the night before.  He figured his wallet was gone and he would have to call the police to check out his car.  But FIRST, they had to get married today.  So despite the stress they headed downtown.

Once they got to the Cultural Center, though, everything else melted away.  They were getting married!  See, does this look like a couple under stress?

Kristin and Jeff enjoyed every moment of their ceremony.

 

Isn’t Kristin gorgeous?  Work that camera.

 

We bopped around the Cultural Center for a bit to get some portraits of the couple on their wedding day.  Kristin has those beautiful eyes that just leap out at you, don’t you think?

I think, somewhere deep inside Jeff is a model waiting to break free.

Kristin and Jeff were goofy, sweet and loving.  And oh so happy.

Congratulations, Kristin and Jeff, I can’t wait until the next one!