A September Day in French Blue at the Historic Armour House in Lake Forest

[section title=”The Planning”]
[field title=”Wedding Colors”][/field]
[field title=”Design / Vibe / Vision”]

In everyday life, I lean very neutral. My closet is mostly black, and our home is mostly white. But something about this wedding felt like it called for color. I didn’t want to rush right into a fall palette, given our September date, but didn’t want anything too light or summery, either. We quickly landed on a French Blue that pulled ever-so-slightly gray that felt classic and expressive. The hue reminded me of Jack’s vivid blue eyes — one of my favorite things about him — and paired beautifully with the gray veining in the marble throughout our venue. I got confirmation I made the right decision when the ink shade our stationer recommended for our invitation suite was called “Hydrangea Blue,” fitting given my favorite flowers that were the floral focus of our wedding.

Jack and I were married at the historic Armour House at Lake Forest Academy — a breathtaking estate on Chicago’s North Shore and just a few minutes from where I grew up. Built in 1908 by J. Ogden Armour as a summer retreat, the home is steeped in history and feels suspended in time, with formal Italianate gardens, dramatic staircases, and ornate plasterwork. As an art history major with a particular affection for classical architecture, I fell head over heels for every detail. We were inspired to create a wedding that felt just as timeless and elegant as the venue itself. But more than anything, we wanted the day to feel deeply personal. Despite hosting loved ones from near and far (London! Florence!), it felt intimate — like one big, joy-filled dinner party with all our favorite people. We layered in thoughtful touches everywhere we could — little details that told our story, celebrated our families, and made the evening feel personal despite the scale. The venue itself has so much character. The 300-foot garden aisle ends with a dreamy reflection pool and pagoda. Inside, the Great Hall is anchored by a grand curved staircase — originally designed so Mr. Armour’s daughter could descend on her wedding day (talk about legacy!). Our reception took place there, followed by dancing in the garden room, which features romantic latticing, abundant cornicing, and a cherub-topped fountain. Later, guests lingered into the night in the wood-paneled library, enjoying cake and conversation under the warm glow of sconces. And the weather? Utter perfection. I checked the forecast obsessively leading up to the big day, terrified of rain. But the universe delivered the most spectacular September weather: 80 degrees, clear blue skies, and an ethereal golden hour that lit up the garden during cocktail hour like a dream. We still talk about how lucky we were.

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[field title=”Proposal Story”]

Jack and I met on the first night of college at Miami University in 2015 and have been best friends ever since. I think we’re the perfect clichéd example of “if you know, you know.” Getting engaged was never really a question of if — just when. Fast forward eight years, one long-distance relationship between Chicago and Washington, D.C., and countless flights and FaceTimes later, Jack still managed to completely surprise me with the sweetest proposal. He picked an unassuming Sunday evening — which happened to be the same day we started dating years prior — to pop the question after a drink at one of our favorite neighborhood spots, Coq d’Or. It’s a cozy wood-paneled bar tucked underneath the stairs at The Drake Hotel, a place that means a lot to me. I have fond childhood memories of afternoon tea there with my mother and my late grandmother, hence why Jack thought to propose there. I love that he wanted to honor the women I love so dearly in that special moment. The proposal was very “Jack” — thoughtful, quietly confident, understated, and private. He got down on one knee in the stillness of the tea room — empty at that time of day — and asked me to marry him. I could feel my grandmother’s presence there with us. I remember the rush of adrenaline, the sense of calm, the shock (yes, even after eight years!), and the overwhelming joy. The night was pure magic thanks to Jack and will be one of those memories I’ll think about for the rest of my time. I loved that it was just the two of us basking in the moment. Our faces hurt from smiling.

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[board_carousel title=”Bridal Portraits”]

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[section title=”The Fashion”]
[field title=”Wedding Gown”]For as long as I can remember, I’ve thought Grace Kelly was the pinnacle of bridal perfection. The moment I put on Sareh Nouri’s Mary Catherine design — a taffeta ballgown with a high neckline and long sleeves made of delicately embroidered rose lace, accented by a cummerbund and back button detailing — I knew it was “the one.” I loved how light and airy the taffeta was, knowing I would never want to take it off because it was so easy to wear, and it turns out I was right. I had originally planned to change into a reimagined Oscar de la Renta gown — my mom’s wedding dress, which we had beautifully updated — but I couldn’t bear to take off my Sareh Nouri. I wore it all night.

The Armour House’s epic aisle called for an equally dramatic veil: five meters long, with horsehair trim to mirror the dress and give it that cloud-like float as I walked. I couldn’t resist a blusher either — is there anything more quintessentially bridal?![/field]
[field title=”Bridesmaid Dresses”]

The lovely ladies in my life wore a selection of Alfred Sung gowns in the colorway “Mist,” a dreamy, clouded French Blue that echoed our palette perfectly. The structured silhouettes each bridesmaid chose were perfectly simple, elegant, and feminine — some with bow details, others with small trumpet flares — and complemented each other beautifully in different ways. I gasped when I saw them all dressed as we were getting ready. A cloud of true blue perfection! They were all as pretty on the outside as they are on the inside.

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[field title=”Groomsman Attire”][/field]
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[board_carousel title=”Ceremony”]

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[board_carousel title=”Cocktail Hour”]

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[section title=”The Details”]
[field title=”Food & Drink”]

Signature cocktails were one of my favorite ways to inject personal details for our guests to enjoy. I worked with my dear friend (and talented graphic designer!), Emma Lorenzen, to create a custom bar menu that told little stories from our lives. The lineup included: – The Miami Merger Martini, a nod to the Miami University tradition (and the fact that so many alumni marry each other — us included!) – The Brick Street Spritz, named after the bar where we first met on our very first night of college, and – The Honey Buzz, a tribute to our Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Honey, who is our child and our mascot. Some of our bar signs featured an illustration of Honey that read, “Drinks on Me! Love, Honey.” It was such a light-hearted, playful moment. As for the food, Jack stepped into the spotlight during this part of the planning. We had so many incredible options during our tasting at The Armour House, but ultimately went with elevated American classics. Guests enjoyed hors d’oeuvres like mini beef Wellingtons, lobster rolls (our favorite!), bacon-wrapped scallops, and caramelized onion and goat cheese tartlets during cocktail hour. Our dinner began with a fresh orchard pear salad topped with goat cheese, cranberries, and pecans, followed by a tart lemon sorbet intermezzo. Entrées included grilled filet with peppercorn crust and bordelaise, Chilean sea bass with lemon beurre blanc (inspired by our go-to dish at RL in Chicago), and a roasted vegetable Wellington with mushroom duxelles. Each plate was served with dauphinoise potatoes, haricots verts, and heirloom carrots — artfully arranged and delicious.

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[field title=”Florals & Decor”]

The decision was easy: hydrangeas, hydrangeas, hydrangeas! I am utterly obsessed with hydrangeas and always have them in our house. Deciding to use them in our wedding was a no-brainer. There’s no better flower, if you ask me. Beyond being beautiful, hydrangeas are an impactful choice: they are voluminous and can be sourced year-round, so they’re also fairly cost-conscious compared to other harder-to-find, seasonal florals. We were lucky enough to work with a very talented florist, Amy Crum, who kindly honored all my type-A meticulousness. I wanted everything to feel clean, structured, and classic, so we used tightly shaped hydrangea spheres in our bouquets and arrangements, with no filler or frills. It created a sense of timeless symmetry and softness all at once. I didn’t want anything too frou-frou or over the top. Amy remarked throughout the planning process that our wedding was “the pearl necklace of weddings” — the ultimate compliment, if you ask me. Blue toile table linens we sourced from a vendor, Urquid, in Los Angeles, outfitted cocktail hour tables in the garden and garden room. My mom and I both love toile, which we featured as a design element in our invitation suite, so to carry that motif through to day-of, it only made sense to pick this patterned choice for tables, too. For dinner, we transitioned to BBJ La Tavola’s “Lake” faille tablecloths, which added a soft, moody elegance to the Great Hall. At the reception, flickering candlelight showcased round menus that doubled as place cards, created by our wonderful stationer, Empress Stationery, which acted as an additional layer of visual interest. The menu card pattern mimicked the floral “Versailles” motif (which has a sweet little bow at the very bottom of the floral wreath) featured in our invitation suite to tie the elements together. My mom has “more is more” taste with a keen eye for detail, and wanted a very layered table look. We added mercury glass votives and silver julep cups with two to three hydrangea puffs, along with tapered candles on silver pillars, and accented place settings with blue toile napkins from the same linen vendor. Our bars felt like an easy, impactful moment to layer in personal details (just think how many eyes are on a bar throughout the night!), so I had silver julep cups engraved with “From Lake Forest With Love” that held custom matchbooks featuring our monogram in a French Blue foil for guests to light their cigars. Footed crystal spoon holders that I nabbed from my late grandmother’s stash of entertaining ware held drink stirrers that featured Honey’s sweet little face. Originally intended for signature cocktails, they eventually found their way to the pockets of guests’ tuxedos, making playful appearances throughout the evening — one of my favorite memories. There were sightings of little Honey faces everywhere! I couldn’t stop smiling, seeing her peeking out when and where we least expected her.

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[field title=”Wedding Cake”]

I love cake — especially wedding cake. I’ll always say yes to a piece. So when it came time to decide on ours, I was overwhelmed by choice. Ultimately, we stuck with the classics — a yellow cake with buttercream frosting. My parents couldn’t believe it, but oh well, call me basic! Design-wise, I wanted something tall-ish and tailored. We opted for several tiers to give the cake some stature, and kept the look minimal, letting one detail speak for itself: a structured fondant bow, affixed to the top and cascading gracefully to the bottom. It was a nod to the bow featured in the Versailles motif from our paper suite — a quiet through-line that felt intentional and refined. I loved how architectural it was: clean, classic, and quietly dramatic. A figure of our beloved Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Honey, topped the cake. She’s the sweetest girl, so it only felt right to have her crown our sweet treat.

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[field title=”Readings, Ceremony Music, Reception Songs”]Our September 21 wedding date could have only been complete with a profuse amount of Earth, Wind & Fire. The celebration ensued as “September” belted while Jack and I descended the Great Hall stairs into our reception, signaling a start to the party. Everyone rose, sang, and danced along with us as we made our way to our table, no small feat given how long and narrow the space is.

We had the time of our lives dancing our way into forever — some of the pictures that came out of those few minutes are hysterical! The energy our guests gave us that evening was the greatest gift. They made it a night we’ll never forget. Looking around the room and feeling the amount of love was a true “pinch me” moment. No, I’m not crying as I write this… Okay, maybe a little. [/field]
[field title=”Special Detail #1″]

Ceremony: From start to finish, we poured ourselves into the details to make our day feel uniquely us. Our ceremony was one of the most meaningful parts of the entire weekend — officiated by family and friends who feel like family. We wanted it to reflect our roots and the new family we were forming — because that’s what a wedding is at the end of the day, right? We didn’t want to lose sight of that. My parents walked me down the aisle, and in a completely unscripted and touching moment, walked back up arm in arm with Jack’s parents, now family too. Jack walked down the aisle with his mom and dad — such a sweet, grounding way to start the ceremony. Our nephews, in matching suits and French Blue ties, held hands and stole everyone’s heart as ring bearers. Jack’s great uncle — a Rear Admiral and the patriarch of his family — officiated our ceremony with grace and wisdom. We included an excerpt from a traditional Jewish ketubah read by our dear friend and husband of my maid of honor, honoring my heritage, and Jack’s father read an Irish blessing, May the Road Rise to Meet You, paying tribute to his. There wasn’t a dry eye in the garden, and for good reason. Those thirty minutes were some of the most meaningful moments of the life of Jack and me, and our families now share. There was simply no better way to start a marriage than that. We feel so incredibly lucky. As guests entered the garden ahead of our ceremony, we found ourselves with an opportunity to make an impactful, “set the stage” moment, both in terms of personal detail and decor. We styled a long table draped in blue toile linen (of course) with a collection of our family’s wedding photos — from grandparents to parents on both sides. It was a beautiful, grounding way to greet guests with the beaming faces of loved ones who were there in spirit, and really set the tone. We sourced three-dimensional white hydrangea frames to echo the lush arrangements on the terrace. A French Blue Petite Keep trunk held white parasols to shield guests from the sun, and our silver monogrammed champagne bowl from Mark & Graham was filled with fans — thoughtful touches with both form and function in mind. Our string trio played Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker from prelude to postlude — a small detail many probably didn’t notice, but one that held so much meaning. It was a nod to my recently departed grandfather and his love for classical music, as well as to my dad. We spent many holiday seasons watching The Nutcracker together as a family, and my dad loves the score, so sweet memories all around.

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[field title=”Special Detail #2″]

I had a lot of ideas in my head that no one seemed to offer prefabricated, but luckily, my parents are creative and don’t shy away from a challenge. They brought my dream to life with their own hands, much like they have my whole life. My dad made a latticed seating chart display — a nod to the abundant latticing in the garden room — with a planter box for hydrangeas anchoring the structure, which he covered in leftover fabric from the blue toile table linens. He also sewed a little evening bag for me to tote my lipstick around in using leftover fabric from my dress alterations that he managed to convince the seamstress to give him at our last fitting appointment (he joined me for every single one). That’s one of my favorite memories from the wedding planning process — he was truly there every step of the way. My dad is the most handy person I know and is meticulous about details, so he joined me for the dress shopping and alterations process from start to finish. He has an excellent eye and knew every question to ask — he even bustled my dress. And on the morning of the wedding, I finally opened the last full bottle of Chanel No. 5 that belonged to my late grandmother. I’d saved it for years, waiting for this day. As I spritzed it while getting ready, I felt instantly connected to her — grounded, loved, and ready to marry the love of my life. What more could you ask for? For our welcome boxes, we included a bag of my late grandmother’s lemon shortbread cookies, along with her recipe. It was my way of letting her travel home with our guests — a little piece of her love sent out into the world. She would’ve been tickled.

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