Aire Ancient Baths Chicago Wedding

When I got the inquiry for this wedding I was intrigued. I didn’t know what to expect and as we chatted I became even more intrigued. I’ve seen wedding photos in water at the beach or a lake, but even after extensive google searches I couldn’t find anything like what Karlee and Michael were planning. I couldn’t believe that they were actually going to have an Aire Ancient Baths Chicago Wedding. IN THE WATER. Not just around the pool, but IN THE WATER. It blew my mind, and even though I’ve been to places like Budapest – I had never actually been to a bathhouse. This entire thing was a new experience.

The wedding was built and planned around Karlee’s wedding dress. She found a wet dress and decided that a water ceremony was the perfect way to showcase it. Michael built his ceremony outfit around Gannon’s attire in Zelda, Tears of the Kingdom. Karlee walked down the aisle to the fairy song from the Zelda games, and the entire thing was a bit of a masquerade.

Logistically this was a hard wedding to photograph. Our camera straps were too long so in the water we had to handhold our camera gear. It was also extremely warm and humid in the bath area. We had to be careful because of all of the moisture in the air and our lenses fogging up. It was also pretty dark in the bathhouse and using flash would have killed the vibe. Not to mention I was around seven months pregnant at the time, and moving swiftly was not my strong suit. We did it though and it was one of the coolest experiences I’ve ever had at a wedding.

The night ended at Mott St with an intimate dinner and board games. Michael co-created the game Secret Hitler, which was left out for everyone to play. If you haven’t played it, I highly suggest you add it to your list.

The day could not have happened without the vendor team. If you’re in the Chicago area please be sure to consider most, if not all, of these vendors. And a special shout out to Ashley and Ben of Rosey Red Photography (and some of my closest friends) for coming all the way to Chicago to help photograph the day as well as be my videographers.

Planner: A Fresh Event Co
Ceremony Venue: Aire Ancient Baths – Chicago
Ceremony Dress: Di Petsa
Dress Shop: Belle Bridal Atelier
Reception Dress: Wiederhoeft
Grooms Attire: Wildwood Company
Hair: Deb Petrielli
Makeup: Joanna B Artistry
Catering: J&L Catering
Ceremony Music: Yazz Events
Reception: Mott St
Florist: Flowers By Stem
Production Company: Elegant Event Lighting
Invitations: Papira Design
Rentals: Table Scapes Chicago
Linens: BBJ Latavola
Custom Music: DJ Bryen Hall