Betsy + Sean at The Blackstone Hotel // A Fresh Event

A Classic Wedding in the Historic Crystal Ballroom

Betsy and Sean were married last spring at St. Josaphat’s Parish and celebrated at the Blackstone Hotel, one of our favorite Chicago venues for an evening that feels as though you’ve just stepped back in time! The event featured a timeless blue and white color palette with a modern twist, bringing in Steve’s Flower Market for floral and accenting the tabletop with mismatched water goblets from Chicago Dish & Decor. Nicodem Creative was there to capture the incredibly joyous celebration — from walking down the aisle to heading down to the after-party, you could feel so much love in the room for one of the kindest couples we’ve had the pleasure of working with. We’re so happy to be able to share a few images of their incredible day!

We were thrilled to join Betsy and Sean’s planning process after they had laid the groundwork themselves, with regular check-ins and a few recommendations to round out the stellar team they were already putting together. When the new year arrived and it was time to begin coordinating, we had the pleasure of also meeting their families who were a key part of the process — it’s such an honor for us when we are welcomed an important time in a family’s life! We loved that they chose to not only put their own personalities into the wedding day, but also honor their communities and loved ones through special details and moments together: they even organized a fleet of trolleys to take a scenic journey around the city after the ceremony, to make sure guests could see both local landmarks and places that were important in Betsy and Sean’s life together.

Kind Words from the Bride

“After reading such positive reviews, it was clear that AFE was our dream team. We were paired with Rachel as our main coordinator, and enjoyed our monthly calls and AFE’s planning tools to really keep us on track. As the wedding inched closer, we unironically started calling Rachel our fairy godmother, because there really is no other way to describe how she helped us. There was not a single call, text, or 7th email of the day that Rachel so much as batted an eye at. I never knew that I would be SO calm on my wedding day, because I never imagined that every minute detail would truly be accounted for; Rachel made this our reality.” Read Betsy’s full review and more on The Knot!