Ryan + Travis : Chicago Wedding at South Branch

Ryan and Travis’s Chicago wedding at South Branch was colorful, detailed, personal, and fun! Just like so many others, these grooms had to make the decision to push their nuptials back 1 year due to COVID. I truly think it all worked out how it was meant to, though, as we had the most beautiful day on the lake for their engagement photos, and their wedding day could not have been prettier. They described their decision to push back the wedding when I sent over my wedding blog survey :

“Pushing it out to summer 2022 was our best option. We gave ourselves time to enjoy the engagement and started planning pretty quickly into the new year. We did our venue first to nail down a date and then moved to the other two major pieces: photos and music. We knew Liz was a great fit for us because of the referrals from friends, but also our zoom meeting that seemed like we were talking to a friend. It started with us and not our wedding. Liz then was very helpful and we found our DJ through the recommendation list she provided.” – The sweetest! We really did talk for quite a while on that Zoom call and it truly felt like I was chatting with old friends. 🙂

The weather was perfect! And that is especially needed when you plan lots of photos outside (which we did!) AND an outdoor ceremony. After a few photos of each groom getting ready at the W Chicago, Ryan and I jumped in an Uber to meet Travis at the south garden by the Art Institute. I had Ryan wait behind the gate entrance and made my way towards Travis to turn him around and get ready for their first look.

When you are ready, turn around Travis. 🙂 They both looked so amazing in their suits and immediately rushed to each other for a big hug and kiss. The rest of the afternoon was filled with the most joyous wedding party, walking all around Millennium Park, and ending at the iconic Buckingham Fountain, where I don’t know how it was possible on such a gorgeous day in June, but we had or photo spot all to ourselves!

Off to South Branch for family photos and lots of water before the guests began to arrive. Then, as the sun peeked through the surrounding buildings, Ryan and Travis made their way down the aisle surrounded by all their family and friends to officially say I DO. The ceremony was short, sweet, and emotional, officiated by close friends, and before we knew it, it was time to party!

Ryan & Travis’s Wedding Creative Team :

Wedding Venue : @southbranchchi
Florist : @catherinesgardens
DJ : @toastandjamdjs
Hair/Makeup : @blushandbraidsbeautybar
Suits : @suitsupply

The best day! Love ya’ll! 😉

A little more about Ryan & Travis :

When did you meet? Where?
A. We are one of the Tinder success stories. We were talking for a bit before agreeing to meet up in person. We had our first date at a bar in Lakeview and it’s been great ever since.

When did you get engaged? Where? How did the proposal happen?
A. We got engaged in October of 2020. We had just closed on our first place together and Travis made an off the cuff comment to Ryan about how getting out of a mortgage was harder than getting out of a marriage. A day later, Ryan proposed as Travis “unpacked” a very important box.

What was the most important aspect for you two when planning your wedding?
A. For us, we wanted our guests to have a great time. We had a lot of friends from out of town come in and we wanted to not only showcase the city of Chicago, but also our life there. Our rehearsal dinner was at our local bar (shout out to Toons!) and then opened it up to everyone to just enjoy time together. We really enjoyed this extra time to be with our guests. After that, our venue being on the river and outside for most of it really helped sell the case of why we live in Chicago. The food/drink/music combo was also excellent, so that helped our guests have a good time.

How did you choose your wedding venue(s)? (Price/location/availability/etc.?)
A. We got married at South Branch Grille and Tavern and we really enjoyed the option to be outdoors for most of it while being surrounded by the downtown buildings.They were great to work with and we enjoyed everything about the venue. Being a restaurant, it’s our plan to go there for dinner on our anniversaries.

What was your favorite thing about your wedding day?
A. We loved how our worlds collided and everyone matched so well. This was a time where two families (and yes, our friends are included in that) really became one.

What were the first dance songs?
A. We danced to “Take the World” by JOHNNYSWIM. The song doesn’t hold anything particular meaning, but does have some beautiful lyrics.

Where did you (or plan to) go for your honeymoon?
A. We were fortunate enough to spend a good amount of time away because of Ryan’s teaching schedule and Travis holding onto some vacation time. We spent about 16 days in France and Morocco. It was such a great time to be together and experience new parts of the world.

What is one thing about your spouse that many people might not know? Any funny, sweet, silly stories?
A. Ryan – There’s a lot of great things about Travis, but one of the things I love the most is how great of a friend he is to everyone. He is great at keeping in contact with people and keeping up with them. He truly feels honored to have these people as his friends and works hard to keep them in his life.Travis –

– Ryan can anticipate (and prevent!) problems better than anyone I know. He has like a sixth sense for being able to think things out fully and completely and is always prepared. All weather, all scenarios, all contingencies – he’s undeterred.

Can you give any advice for future couples planning a wedding?
A. Something will go wrong and no one will notice. Don’t stress about the day being “perfect.” There were things at our wedding that didn’t go as planned and no one noticed until we brought it up to them. People will remember the great memories, not the tiny mishaps. And make sure to eat!

THANKS FOR SHARING!