Aeleise was one of the sweet brides to join us for our Virtual Soiree last year.  Her ideas were beautiful, and the planners that attended the soiree were all impressed with her style and grace.  Everything about Aeleise’s wedding– from the intricate details to the unique venue that had exposed brick and huge scenic windows, had us all eager to see how her event turned out. She was wonderful enough to share her pictures with us as well as give us a closer look into her planning and special day.

I loved all of the emotion (and attitude!) from their special day. It was like being there and enjoying the party along with them.

And wait until you hear about the menu! The ladies spared no expense– it was like reading something out of Top Chef!

How did you choose your venue?
When we decided to have the ceremony in Chicago we knew we wanted something that reflected our urban South Side Chicago roots.  Before we told many people about the ceremony, a friend of Joy’s mom told us about a party she went to in this loft space and we thought it might be cool to check out.  The minute we walked into the space that was it.  We just knew that this was the place we would be getting married.  It fit our style and budget perfectly and they were used to throwing music industry parties not weddings, which was great because we wanted it to be a great big party, not a stuffy conventional wedding.

I know you loved the food at your wedding, can you share your menu?
Guacamole con Totopos
Avocado puree with chile serrano, cilantro, tomatoes and crispy tortilla chips
Camarón en Jicama
Shrimp wrapped with sliced jícama and Mexican cocktail sauce
Empanada Potosinas
Empanadas stuffed with asadero cheese and fresco cheese, corn, poblano rajas; chile de árbol-tomatillo salsa
Salbutes de Pollo
“Little tostadas” topped with achiote marinated chicken, pickled purple onions, black beans and sour cream
Taquitos Tronadores
Crispy taquitos stuffed with potato mash, asadero cheese, tomato sofrito; chipotle salsa and fresco cheese
Scallop Ceviche

What was the hardest part of planning?
Not having a planner! We discussed having a day of coordinator but Joy was not too keen on that idea and our budget was limited. I work part time and Joy works beyond full time so I put my time and previous event experience to work. It was so hard because getting married is one of the most emotional times in a persons life.  Add those emotions to the stress of vendor research, selection, negotiating, decor design, and trying not to loose my mind at the same time. Then December was a busy month for me as a makeup artist so I only had 4 days off that month before the rehearsal.    I was a basket case with the tendency to not show my emotions so by the day of I had a permanent stress ball in the middle of my back and an ugly case of hives on my face.  Thank goodness Joy’s mom took over the rehearsal dinner responsibilities and my corporate event planner mother handled the day of. Without our mothers, Joy’s loving encouragement, and my best friends/attendants antics I would have made Bridezilla look like a CareBear.

What was your favorite part of the day?
I had the most insane day! It was 63 degrees in December in Chicago, my hairstylist got stuck in 0% visibility fog, I had hives completely covering my face, and I couldn’t remember my vows. The best part though, was the ceremony.  The moment I fell in love with Joy last February, she could read every thought and emotion on my face and a few weeks before that she predicted we would get married. Our vows recaptured and enhanced those moments one hundred fold and created an incredible bond before God between us.

You must dish about the honeymoon!
Ooooooh, New Orleans was just fat!  The whole honeymoon was centered around food and liquor.  Nothing beats the 25 cent martinis and turtle soup for lunch at Commander’s Palace and Cafe Adelaide.  Our hotel was in the Warehouse Arts district, so as an artist I was in heaven and loved visiting all of the galleries with Joy.  Emeril’s was a block away and somehow I had the best pad thai in the place that created Creole food, go figure. We watched the New Years fireworks from our hotel window with a half bottle of Moet and got to experience the French Quarter the night before the Sugar Bowl which was totally bananas!

We wish we had made it to the Ninth Ward more, but we got to see the Lower 9th ward leg of the citywide Prospect.1 art exhibition.  It is amazing and disheartening to see that although much of the rest of the city was thriving but the Lower 9th is still reeling from Katrina.  Houses still had the markers from the first days after Katrina and many were in varied states of disrepair and the residents, artists, and musicians are still scattered.

New Orleans just has this great vibe to it and we’re toying with the ideas of moving there in a few years.

Venue- Pressure Point Recording Studio :: Cake by Bittersweet Bakery :: Flowers by Fragrant Design :: Photography by Kelsie Kliner :: Food by Adobo Grill ::