Chicago Summer Wedding at River Roast & St. James Chapel

Wedding

When one of Chicago’s finest gets married, Chicago’s finest show up to celebrate!

Alison and Jordan’s early summer Chicago wedding was filled with so many of the things that make photographing weddings in this city so special: iconic architecture, incredible city views, a beautiful church ceremony, a few unexpected Chicago moments, and a whole lot of people who love these two.

We started the day at the Ambassador Gold Coast, one of my absolute favorite getting-ready spaces in Chicago! Their corner suites are classy and elegant, with gorgeous natural light and private balconies overlooking the city. They are such a beautiful option for getting ready photos, a first look, private vows, or simply taking some time for portraits before heading into the rest of the wedding day. There is something about starting a wedding day surrounded by those city views that just feels so quintessentially Chicago.

St. James Chapel Wedding Photos

From there, we headed to St. James Chapel for Alison and Jordan’s wedding ceremony. The chapel is such a beautiful Chicago wedding ceremony location, with its classic architecture and intimate atmosphere. But one of my favorite details from their Mass was a little nod to the fact that these two live in a house divided. Alison is a Cubs fan, while Jordan cheers for the White Sox. So, naturally baseball had to make an appearance on the wedding day! Father Brandt worked their rivalry into his homily in a light-hearted way, making a playful comparison between baseball and married life that had the entire congregation laughing.

And then came one of those moments that could only happen at a Chicago wedding!

When Alison and Jordan made their grand exit from St. James Chapel, a mounted horseback patrol was waiting outside to greet them. As they posed with the horses, one of them even gave Jordan a little congratulations nuzzle right on the neck. As a Chicago police officer, Jordan is certainly used to seeing some incredible things around the city. I definitely think that one might have been a wedding-day highlight!

After the ceremony, we took advantage of some of Chicago’s most iconic portrait locations for their newlywed photos. We made stops at Olive Park, the Chicago Board of Trade, and the LaSalle Street Bridge. I love that this gave Alison and Jordan a collection of portraits that feel unmistakably Chicago. From lakefront views to downtown architecture, there is no shortage of incredible backdrops when you have an entire city as your portrait location.

A Chicago River Roast Wedding to remember!

Then it was time to celebrate at River Roast!

If you have been looking for a Chicago wedding venue with incredible city views, a riverfront atmosphere, and that Chicago feel, River Roast is a perfect option. Located along the Chicago River, it gives couples a beautiful setting for a wedding that feels both elevated and relaxed. I love how River Roast weddings have the city woven into every part of the celebration.

And Alison and Jordan’s wedding was especially exciting because River Roast had just completed a major renovation over the winter. Their wedding was actually the very first wedding celebrated in the newly updated space. Talk about making the day even more memorable! Being there to photograph the first wedding in the renovated River Roast space was such a fun little piece of Chicago wedding history.

Cocktail hour brought even more Chicago moments. Bagpipes welcomed the newly married couple into the celebration with another grand entrance. Then, a river patrol boat cruised past during cocktails. And I learned that Jordan has a rule that he has to wave to all of the river tour boats that pass by… So, of course, we had to capture that moment, too!

Those are some of my favorite wedding days to photograph. The ones where the timeline and details are beautiful, but the little unscripted moments are what you remember most. A horse nuzzling the groom. Bagpipes playing as a newly married couple enters cocktail hour. A river patrol boat passing by at exactly the right moment. A priest making an entire congregation laugh over a Cubs vs. White Sox rivalry.

Congratulations, Alison and Jordan!

Alison and Jordan’s early summer wedding at St. James Chapel and River Roast was a perfect reflection of this couple and the city they love. It was elegant, joyful, distinctly Chicago, and filled with so many people who were thrilled to celebrate alongside them. I could not have asked for a better way to spend a summer wedding day in the city!

If you’re dreaming of a Chicago wedding at St. James Chapel, a River Roast wedding, or wedding portraits at some of Chicago’s most iconic locations, Alison and Jordan’s day is a pretty perfect example of just how much personality you can weave into a Chicago wedding.

Kim Ritchie Photography is a wedding and portrait photographer based in Chicagoland, specializing in weddings, seniors, and corporate headshots captured in a timeless style. Want to work together? Reach out here and follow along on social to see what’s happening behind the scenes!

St. James Chapel Wedding Photos | Chicago River Roast Wedding Photos | River Roast Wedding in Chicago | Chicago Wedding Photographer | Kim Ritchie Photography

weddings

families

seniors

Headshots

Navigate