Adler Planetarium Summer Chicago Wedding

Love, Weddings

April 12, 2023

Space and time couldn’t keep these two apart and now here we are celebrating Julia and Chris’s love story at their Adler Planetarium Summer Chicago Wedding.

How Julia & Chris Met

Julia and Chris’ love story started online. Through their virtual connection, they then decided to meet in person for their first date. They went to Dusek’s and it was almost immediately that they knew they were special to one another. It was instant that they realized they had a strong bond over their fluffy cats and other common interests. Both Julia and Chris are passionate about their work and animals. From that first date, their relationship thus developed even further over that summer. Now, over 7 years later, they added their Australian Shepard, Chance, to their small family and awaited until the moment they could continue building their lives together.

The Proposal

Now, onto the juicy details… the proposal! One summer, Julia and Chris traveled to Breckenridge, CO where Chris’s dad owns a condo. It’s there that they both enjoy nature and doing outdoor activities together. On that trip, they spent the first few days biking, hiking, and water rafting. One morning, Julia, Chris and Chris’s brother Matt, and his girlfriend went hiking Mount Quandry. Did I mention it is a 14,000′ mountain? It took nearly 4 hours to reach the summit but was well worth it. Surrounding you were breathtaking forests, lakes, and mountains. Once they reached the summit, Chris pulled Julia aside to show her panoramic views of the mountains. It was here that he got to his knee and proposed. Chris’s brother Matt and girlfriend Sam were there to take photos and videos and even with a celebratory bottle of champagne. It was a purely perfect proposal.

Adler Planetarium | Chicago Museum Wedding

For Julia & Chris’ Summer Chicago wedding, they chose to have it at the Adler Planetarium. Julia and Chris chose this venue for multiple different reasons. One, they absolutely loved that the Adler Planetarium showcased the natural beauty of Chicago (i.e. the lakeshore), while simultaneously having panoramic views of the city. Secondly, this Chicago museum is incredibly versatile so they were able to really make their wedding day personal and unique to them. They both really wanted the strong architectural features of the Adler Planetarium to shine through, so letting the venue speak for itself was *key*.

While the Adler Planetarium may just look like your ordinary astronomy museum, it is so much more. It is the absolute perfect Chicago wedding venue if you’re looking for some unique and different for your big day. You have beautiful spaces, amazing food, and a view of Chicago’s skyline. Whether you’re having a small wedding of 50 or need a reception space for 1,200, the Adler Planetarium can host it all.

Read more about having your Chicago wedding at the Adler Planetarium here.

Adler Planetarium Summer Chicago Wedding

To stick with the overarching astronomy theme, Julia and Chris stick to an elegant and minimal color palette. They incorporated tones of white, black, navy, gold, and a bit of silver as well. As mentioned before, they really wanted the Adler Planetarium to speak for itself and boy did it really show up.

Julia and Chris both got ready in their own individual suites at the Union League Club of Chicago. The getting ready process before your wedding is an incredibly important moment on your wedding day. It’s the time to unwind, relax and calm some of those wedding day jitters that you may have. Really soak in this moment that in just a few short hours you’re going to be getting freakin’ married!!

First Looks

When it came down to planning out the day, Julia really wanted to make sure that she not only did a first look with her future hubby but with her dad as well. First looks are the perfect opportunity to create more intentionality on your wedding day and I am all for it. Before heading out to meet up with Chris, Julia first did her first look with her dad. Shortly after, we arrived at the Lurie Garden at Millennium Park for Julia & Chris’s first look.

Portraits at Millennium Park and the Art Institute of Chicago

For portraits, we first wandered a bit through Millennium Park before heading to the bridge at the Art Institute of Chicago. Both of these locations make for fabulous backdrops for portraits, which is no wonder Julia and Chris chose to get their photos taken here.

Ceremony & Reception at the Adler Planetarium

It wasn’t long until we made our way to the Adler Planetarium for their ceremony. Julia and Chris chose to have an unplugged ceremony which I always love recommending to couples. At the end of the day, you can do whatever you want for your wedding celebration. However, an unplugged ceremony allows your guests to feel more present and in the moment and allow for fewer distractions. It also gives your professional photographers/videographers the space to be able to capture and document your day as authentically as possible. During their ceremony, Julia and Chris exchanged vows and did a poetry reading as well as a tree-planting ceremony. All small intentional bits that made their day just that more special and unique to them.

As for the reception, now this was a *major* wow factor. Their reception space was held inside one of Adler Planetarium’s domed theaters. The dance floor was held underneath the dome and a projected nebula. It was one of the coolest reception spaces I have ever seen and surely a unique one to wow any wedding guest. It truly was a breathtaking reception experience that made Julia and Chris’ wedding that much more special to them. I can’t believe how stunning it all perfectly came to be, and I feel honored to have been there to document every moment.

Cheers to Julia & Chris!