I am so excited to share this sweet spring wedding from Cassandra Photo today! With an effortlessly chic blend of vintage and modern, then touches of handmade details, this wedding is a do not miss. Add in some gold glitter, and I’m obviously smitten. Seriously, this couple is so adorable you can feel the happiness and joy emanating from them into the details to make a fun and fresh springtime wedding.
My husband, Zach and I were married on May 24, 2014 at The Byron Colby Barn in Grayslake, Illinois. My sister and her husband had first toured the barn as a potential venue for their winter wedding but felt it did not quite match their season. She instantly told me about it and said it would be the perfect place for our spring wedding. When Zach and I first saw the barn, we could not agree more.
It was important to us to invest our time and effort into creating the details for our special day, to reflect us as a couple. We wanted to have a celebration of our love and bring our family and friends together by throwing a party with delicious food, great dance music, and tasty drinks. An important element and a favorite moment of our wedding day was when we invited Zach’s daughter to be a part of our ceremony. Above everything, marrying my soul mate and finally being able to call him my husband was the best part!
Byron Colby Barn as a venue definitely caters to the DIY enthusiast and was the perfect backdrop for incorporating elegance and modern elements into a rustic setting. Planning our wedding and involving our loved ones in the process was a really fun and meaningful experience. We loved the many nights we spent crafting together in preparation for the big day. Zach was such a trooper as he helped execute my ideas and some of his own projects, such as the bar menu sign and our ceremony program that was written on a window from his childhood home.
We had the best team of family and friends helping to make our dream wedding a reality. It was hard to imagine my “vision” coming together but in the end, it was exactly how I wanted it! I designed our own invitations, menus, escort cards, and other various signs throughout the barn and ceremony. We repurposed my sister’s ceremony backdrop to make it our own, enlisted my friend’s sewing talent to make our table runners, used gold glitter as much as possible without being gaudy, and made ribbon wands for our guests to wave as we walked down the aisle as newlyweds.
We were blessed with great weather for our ceremony and cocktail hour, which were both held outside in the courtyard behind the barn. The reception was directly following indoors. We strung white lights inside the barn along with many candles for a soft and intimate feel. From our head table and across the dance floor was one of my favorite details; a table filled with a variety of beautiful cakes and cupcakes with a vintage marquee light, that Zach’s parents gave us, hanging on the wall above to signify our last name. I will always remember sitting together at our table, listening to the speeches and enjoying dinner, gazing in that direction and just feeling very proud of all that we have accomplished.
Photography | Cassandra Photo | Venue | Byron Colby Barn | Florist | Julie Heinz | Caterer | Francesca’s | Desserts | Delicious Designs by Samantha Duffy | Gown | Weddings 826 | Bridesmaid Dresses | J.Crew | Hair | Hairfire Style by Kyla Blum | Makeup | Julie Munn Professional Makeup Artist | Groom’s Suit | Sebastien Grey | Jewelry:Anthropologie | DJ | Style Matters DJs
