Sue & Ruben’s Intimate Chicago Backyard Wedding

How to Throw A Simply Wonderful Backyard Wedding

Creating a Backyard Fairyland

Since the bride loves whimsical fairies, we carried this gentle theme throughout the summer wedding. The backyard was filled with a green, purple and white color scheme, the perfect natural backdrop for the flower girls that floated around with fairy wings. Sue said, “The backyard was like stepping into my perfect dream. It whisked me away.“ Our Chicago Catering team relieved the bride of any stress, which gave her the freedom to frolic in her wonderland.

Creating the backyard wedding fairytale started with the event setup and décor. A trellis on the backyard patio was the main feature of the ceremony. We coordinated rentals of linens, tents, tables and chairs through Blue Peak Tents. Stunning purple tablecloths perfectly accented the light floral centerpieces as guests enjoyed delicious Chicago wedding food.

Personalizing The Backyard Wedding Venue

Choosing a private residence as your Chicago wedding venue is a great way to make guests feel comfortable. The bride and groom took this idea a step further by handcrafting nearly every aspect of their backyard wedding. Love filled the air with these personal touches, handmade by family members:

• Wooden welcome sign: Guests were greeted with a welcome sign bearing the message: “Today I marry my friend, the one I laugh with, live for, dream with, love. 6-14-15.” This set the perfect tone for the intimate backyard wedding.
• Invitations, programs and signage: Designed and printed by Sue’s niece
• Wedding dress: Handmade by Sue’s sister

Involving the Family

The private residence set the stage for other family members to display their support in the ceremony with these roles:

• Officiants: Bride’s nephew and niece-in-law
• Music: Played by bride’s niece and nephew
• El Lazo: Groom’s parents assisted in the El Lazo ritual, where they placed a form of tied rope know as a “unity rope” around the necks of the couple to symbolize their deep bond.
• Flower Girls: Bride’s great nieces

Filling Up on Good Thoughts and Food

Following the ceremony, the wedding party took photos and guests were treated to some of our top wedding cocktails. Adding another personal touch, special Ontanon red wine bearing the groom’s last name was added to the menu. After this short break, guests settled in for a family prayer, speeches and this selection of delicious wedding food:

• Chicken champagne: Sautéed chicken breasts in a delicate champagne sauce accented with sun-dried tomatoes
• Salmon fillets with white wine and dill sauce: Roasted Atlantic salmon fillets with a white wine and lemon-dill sauce
• Mixed bread basket: Assorted bread rolls served with butter and country crock cups
• Strawberry spinach salad: Baby spinach, sliced strawberries, almond slivers, red onion and dried cranberries served with poppyseed dressing
• Herb roasted potatoes: Baby redskin potatoes with garlic, rosemary and parsley
• Sautéed green beans: Green beans with organic carrots and roasted red peppers
• Penne pasta: Pasta with tomato-basil marinara sauce

Guests could also choose from these additional items:

• Boneless skinless chicken breasts: Keeping special dietary preferences in mind, we also cooked some roasted chicken breasts with garden herbs and vegetables.
• Warm bread baskets: We set these at each table before the speeches.
• Extra desserts: A platter of cookies and the message “Love is sweet, so take a treat” encouraged guests to enjoy an additional dessert.
• Joyous beverage station: “Cheers to love, laugher and happily ever after” invited guests to choose from some of their favorite refreshments.

Let The Family Frolic

Once everyone took a seat, the cake cutting and first dance ensued. At 3 pm, a mariachi band started playing in honor of the groom’s Mexican heritage, and the Bride’s nephew sang Frank Sinatra. This boosted guests’ spirits even more that the celebrating held strong for several hours. Fortunately, with this backyard wedding checklist in mind, neighbors were aware of the occasion and happy to hear the cheerful sounds.