Cake Cutting at Adler Wedding

Joe and Lena have a bite of wedding cake with the fantasic Chicago skyline behind them during their wedding at the Adler Planetarium.  Click here to see more pictures from their lovely wedding day.

Wedding Creativo Photography

Perks of a Winter Chicago Wedding

Yes, many people dread the Polar Vortex monster that sweeps through northern and Midwest states during winter, but if you are planning a December, January, or February wedding, there are some perks to embrace as well.

© Wedding Creativo Photography

Seven Chicago Winter Wedding Perks:

1. Early sunset and twilight between 3:30 - 4:30 p.m. means you can get beautiful twilight portraits, like the one shown above, well before your cocktail hour typically starts at 5:00 or 6:00 p.m.

2. Fancy coats, furs, shawls and other warming accessories can be warn during winter for not only practical reasons, but to also add variety to your winter wedding look.

3. Seasonal reduced rates are sometimes available at some venues and with some vendors and services that are not offered during warmer months.

4. Venues and vendors often have more available dates or have last-minute availability during this time of year compared to higher demand warmer months.

5. Cranberries, pinecones, poinsettia, holly, hot toddy, mulled wine, and other winter seasonal favorites make special appearances this time of year.

6. If you like snowy landscapes, there is plenty of it for your winter wedding portraits.

7. Close snuggles with your sweetheart to keep warm.

Polish Wedding Sweets

Chicago has a rich multicultural melting pot, and one great culture to find wonderful wedding inspiration is from the Polish.  If you are Polish, or if you've ever been to a Polish wedding, probably one of the big things you remember (or look forward to) is the very looooong table of decadent desserts at the reception.  You don't have to be Polish to appreciate the abundant sweet table, which typically is a very important part of Polish wedding receptions.  Some favorite traditional Polish desserts include:

-- pączki, which are kind of like doughnuts (but better! ... in fact, if you can't get your hands on the latest craze ... "cronuts" .... these old-school Polish pastries are pretty darn close in taste and texture)

-- fruit gelatin covered sernik (Polish for cheesecake)

-- delightful fruit jelly filled kolaczki cookies

With such a large Polish population, Chicago is fortunate to have dozens of wonderful Polish bakeries throughout the city and suburbs, so it is not hard at all to include these popular traditional treats at your wedding. These delicious sweets pictured below were made by Central Continental Bakery in Mt. Prospect, IL.

Photos: Wedding Creativo Photography