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Robyn and Michelle’s winter wedding completely slayed us with all their gorgeous rustic touches and the practically palpable cozy intimate ceremony. The two brides exude so much love not only for each other but also for all their guests. They hiked the romance factor up 1,000 degrees with more than 400 candles, worked with eco-friendly vendors and handcrafted much of the decor themselves. What’s not to love? We know you’re going to fall for these women’s love story.

 Chicago

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lesbian brides

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From Robyn and Michelle:

We are a lesbian couple who got engaged in early 2014 and knew we wanted to seal the deal before the end of the year with a winter wedding in Chicago. We knew we were going to be planning this on our own on a budget—as we were paying for everything ourselves. Another priority for us was to work with ecofriendly vendors and vendors who gave back to the community. We also knew we wanted special DIY projects and personal details throughout the ceremony and reception. 

We picked our venue, Gallery 1028, because it is a raw, open warehouse space—lofty and full of original old wood. The venue also working with a catering company that accommodated our request for comfort food: BBQ chicken and BBQ salmon with green beans and sweet potato fries. 
 
December in Chicago is typically FREEZING, so we wanted to create a warm, cozy feel throughout the venue. We used over 400 candles. Yes, 400! We had votives lit around the entire perimeter of the room, and each centerpiece included a cluster of candles with varying heights. We used mercury glass to create an added sparkle and glow. Pine was used throughout the venue as additional decor to fill up the space with a fresh, wintery smell. Each table setting included a sprig of pine, as well.
 We opted for a small wedding cake to cut that had buttercream frosting and rainbow layers inside. For guests, we had a variety of our favorite cupcakes from Courageous Bakery, which donates 10 percent of its proceeds to Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
 
Advice for couples currently planning their wedding:
The planning process will be as stressful or as fun as you allow it to be. We honestly didn’t stress about anything throughout the entire planning process.. We found fun ways to include personal details, and we spent time finding the right vendors to work with so our experience was completely enjoyable. We consider our vendors our true friends now!
 

VENDORS + VENUES:

Venue: Gallery 1028 | Photographer: Erin Hoyt Photography | Videographer: Charlie Hilbrant Films | Cupcakes: Courageous Bakery | Catering: Calihan Catering | Florist: Heather Fields Floral
 | Wedding Planner: Naturally Yours Events  | DJ: Gold Noise DJs | Hair: Meghan Piironen |Makeup: Allie Long | Lighting: AEG Production | Hotel: Thompson Hotel