Chicagoland Ballroom Wedding – Jackie and Uriel

May 6, 2022

Jackie and Uriel’s Orland Park wedding at Georgio’s banquet hall in Orland Park was SO sweet, I LOVED being a part of it. Jackie and Uriel met each other when they were 10 years old!! They describe their love story as being an “I fell for my best friend” scenario and I am obsessed with it. Uriel proposed to Jackie in the sweetest way and planned EVERY little detail of it! Between inviting her family and proposing at her favorite restaurant, to say these two are thoughtful would be an understatement. Jackie and Uriel’s Chicagoland ballroom wedding was JUST as thoughtful and well planned out, I am so happy I was able to be a part of their day.

Photo of wedding rings, earrings, shoes, flowers and a wedding invite on a table

A wedding dress hanging in front of a window

Shoes, earrings and flowers on a wood table

White shoes with a wedding invite behind them places in front of a window

Getting Ready

Jackie is SO close with her family, and has been a part of every aspect of her wedding, from the proposal to saying I do! She spent her morning getting ready in her room surrounded by family and her best friends. After she slipping into her wedding dress at her hotel, her family put on the final pieces to her wedding day outfit.

I LOVE when couples incorporate their families into their wedding day festivities. It’s such a special way to show your family some love and document this huge transition that you’re going through in getting married. When putting together Jackie and Uriel’s wedding day timeline, we knew we wanted to make sure that Jackie’s family and wedding party were in their wedding attire before Jackie put on her dress.

Jackie had her family zip up her dress and fix her veil before calling in the rest of her family into the room to have a first look with Jackie. The moment was so sweet and emotional, these are the moments I live for in documenting your stories. After everyone was dressed and ready we headed to Georgio’s Banquet Hall for the rest of the Chicago wedding day.

Bride sits in bed with blowup balloons before getting ready for her wedding

Bride shares drinks in bed with bridesmaids before wedding

Bride and bridesmaids sit in bed and wave to the camera with balloons

Mother helps bride zip up the back of her wedding dress in front of a window

Bride and bridesmaid hold hands in front of a window before wedding

Black and white photo of a close up of a bride and her sisters matching tattoos on their wrists

Bride putting on an earing while in her wedding dress in front of a window

Bride poses in her wedding dress and looks at the camera in front of a window

Father sees his daughter in her wedding dress and smiles while getting ready in a hotel room

Father holds hands with his daughter in her wedding dress in front of a window

Georgio’s Banquet Hall in Orland Park

Georgio’s Banquet Hall in Orland Park has a traditional ballroom setup. The reception rooms have so much space, perfect for medium to larger weddings. Jackie and Uriel, planned their wedding day to take place exclusively at this Chicagoland ballroom. They had a staircase that we were able to use for their wedding party photos. Following their wedding party photos, we took some family photos before continuing on to the rest of the day’s festivities.

Bride poses with bridesmaids behind her on staircase prior to wedding

Groom poses on a staircase with his groomsmen around him

Groom and groomsmen line up on railing of staircase

Bride smiles at the camera in her wedding dress surrounded by flowers

The First Touch

Jackie and Uriel opted for a first touch on the day of their wedding. The two of them knew they wanted to spend some time with one another prior to their wedding ceremony. At the same time though, they didn’t want to actually see one another until they walked down the aisle. So, instead of a first look, the two opted for a first touch! We met in the ballroom. From there, I positioned each of them on either side of a corner, so they could stand “back-to-back”.

I love when couples opt for a first touch on their wedding day. Spending time with your soon-to-be spouse on your wedding day is SO important. Outside of couples portraits, oftentimes couples don’t have any other alone time on their wedding day! A first touch offers them a moment to slow down and enjoy each other’s company before heading to your ceremony!

Bride and groom share first touch around a corner in their ballroom wedding venue

Closeup of bride and groom holding hands around a corner

Bride and groom holding hands around a corner without looking at eachother

Chicagoland ballroom set up for a wedding ceremony

Guests seated in a ballroom for a wedding with a large glass chandelier overhead

Groom enters Chicagoland ballroom wedding ceremony escorted by his mother and father

Groom starts to tear up as he sees his bride enter the ceremony space while standing next to his best man

Bride enters her ballroom wedding ceremony escorted by her father while holding a bouquet of flowers

Black and white photo of a bride carrying a bouquet of flowers while being escorted down the aisle

Bride and father walking down the aisle together at her Chicagoland ballroom wedding

Father lifts the veil over his daughters head as she prepares for her wedding ceremony as her soon to be husband looks on

Bride and groom holding hands during their Chicagoland ballroom wedding with wedding party standing on either side of them

Bride and groom exchange rings during their wedding ceremony as the pastor watches

Bride and groom share first kiss during wedding ceremony

Bride and groom walk down the aisle of their Chicagoland ballroom wedding after officially being married

Wedding Portraits

Though there was another wedding happening simultaneously, we were able to work with the space we had. Luckily, this Chicagoland ballroom wedding venue had a couple of indoor options that were great for photos. We found a spot upstairs to take some gorgeous wedding portraits. Jackie and Uriel were so excited to finally celebrate with one another! Couples’ portraits are often one of the only times you spend alone together on your wedding day. This is why we took our time and put together some fun and creative portraits for the two of them.

Groom puts his hand on the shoulder of his seated bride as they pose and look at the camera

Groom stands behind seated bride as she looks away while he looks at the camera

Seated bride looks back and smiles at groom standing behind her

Closeup of bride and grooms hands with their wedding rings on

Bride and groom seated with each other looking at their wedding rings together with a window behind them

Bride and groom kiss while seated in front of a window while it rains outside

Bride and groom kiss while seated in front of a window as it rains after their Chicagoland ballroom wedding

Chicagoland Ballroom Wedding Reception

Jackie and Uriel’s wedding reception took place in the ballroom at Georgio’s Banquet Hall. Like their proposal, Jackie and Uriel incorporated the things that matter to them the most into their reception. Each detail celebrates their relationship in different ways, and it was so much fun seeing everything put together. From their Jenga guest book to the time spent with each of their family members, you can tell they thought through every aspect of their day. I LOVED celebrating with these two the rest of the night and I am so lucky they trusted me to document their day!