And we’re back for Part Two of Leah and Matt’s amazing wedding day!
***
Following the wedding ceremony, the bridal party met up with their dates while the bride and groom took some formal photos with their families at the church.
I was happy to be reunited with my hot date!
Once the formal photos were done, Leah and Matt arranged for a bus to take the bridal party and all of their dates on ride through downtown Chicago for some picture stops before heading to the reception site for the remainder of the evening.
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The bus was stocked with subs from Jimmy John’s, snacks, beer and champagne.
And someone snuck some Four Lokos and Mad Ballers on the bus…
What? That’s totally neon-green champagne in my glass. 
And I’m not quite sure where the gang signs came from…. Leah’s brother-in-law told us that they were the “third loko.” They just come out of nowhere! 
Clearly it was a fun bus ride!
The first stop the bus made was on Michigan Avenue, and we all got out for a photo op in the middle of the city.
And then it was back on the bus!
Before we knew it, we arrived at Scoozi, an Italian restaurant in downtown Chicago for the reception.
The Reception
The reception site was so, so neat because Leah and Matt rented out the entire restaurant. The reception felt like a hoppin’ Saturday night at an intimate Italian restaurant, only you knew all of other restaurant guests!
We were able to sit with our dates for a delicious sit-down dinner which was really nice.
I literally ate everything off both of my plates!
And you better believe I had room for wedding cake.
It was the perfect dance-floor fuel.
The dance floor was where we spent the vast majority of the night!
Leah and Matt selected the BEST music. The DJ played songs that made me want to sing and dance like “Call Me Al,” “Build Me Up Buttercup” and “Dancing Queen.” The music was happy music and the dance floor was packed the entire night.
Ryan and I had a great time doing some interpretive dancing and pretending to booty dance to oldies songs. I could not stop laughing!
I loved how everyone seemed to have the best time on the dance floor and you could tell Matt and Leah were having a blast.
About an hour before the reception was scheduled to be over, Matt and Leah surprised everyone by bringing out pizza! It was welcomed nourishment after breaking a serious sweat on the dance floor.
At midnight, the DJ announced that Matt and Leah decided to extend the reception for another half hour, which kept the party going and got everyone on the dance floor together.
The night ended with the song “American Pie” (Leah’s parents’ wedding song!) and everyone linked arms around the happy couple as they danced together one last time on their wedding day. It was so special and I felt honored to be a part of their special day. It was a wedding I will never, ever forget!
Congratulations Matt and Leah! I know you two will have the most amazing marriage and a wonderful future together and I hope you have the BEST time on your honeymoon. I love you both. Thank you again for including me in your special day.
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What a cool idea renting out a small restaurant! Definitely different from your typical reception-hall party, but I love what an intimate and fun feel this has to it.
Love the idea of renting out a restaurant! Looks like it was all so much fun 🙂 Oldies songs are still the best if you ask me
I have always loved reading about weddings but now that I am engaged I find I enjoy it even more 🙂 It looks like you had a blast!!! Congratulations to the happy couple!!!!!
That’s such a large wedding party! It must have been so much fun hanging out with everybody. It looks like you had a great time!
Were the bridesmaid’s dresses from LulaKate? I found them when I was MoH-ing for my best friend whose wedding is in September, and we thought they were so wonderful and different!
yes they are!
that looks like so. much. fun… and I don’t think I’ve seen bridesmaids dresses I’ve loved so much!
when I get engaged.. do me a favor and remind me how much I love those, k? (…we’ve got a while)
and four lokos on the bus? just mah style.
We were in Chicago over the holidays and had Christmas Eve dinner at Scoozi! The food was fantastic! 🙂
And yes, the bridesmaids dresses are amazing!
I love her dress! It’s like the illusion of strapless with the comfort of straps. I
Looks like such a beautiful and fun wedding! I love the personal touches they added to their Mass and the bridesmaid’s dresses are so pretty 🙂
Looks like a great time! Although I now live in Orlando, I was born in Chicago, and I often go back to visit family. It’s such a great city!!
Love all of your posts! Makes us feel like we’re right there with you! Looks like so much fun..love weddings of best friends!! Tomorrow you’ll wake up wishing that you were still celebrating, but you also get to wake up to a great online support community 🙂
That is so cool that you got to take pictures in the middle of the city! Sounds like a fun weekend!
omg julie you were literally right next to me for the last 2 days. i was at seasons, marios and shopping on michigan ave all around the same times you were.
must have just kept missing you!
haha so weird!
hope your having fun in chicago!
What a fun and beautiful wedding. I love little touches like pizza at midnight for your guests! What a great idea. I was at a wedding a couple of weeks ago and they brough out tiny little burgers at midnigh for everyone! Y’alls bridesmaids dresses are seriously the cutest I have ever seen!!
Fun! I love “Build me up Buttercup”!
I’m glad you all had a great time!
wow i love it Julie 🙂 you looked like you had a great time! i love the bridesmaid dress you had on! Where did you get it from? It looks exactly like something I would love to have mine wear! xo
Aw that sounds like an amazing wedding reception! I always hope that my wedding reception will be really fun whenever I get married:)
Your dress is so beautiful, Julie! That’s totally a perfect dress.Four lokos are scary. 🙂
Wow – That is basically my wedding cake – love it! But honestly, that looks like such a blast! Woohoo!!
Wowza! I love love love the dress(es) and cake 🙂
Glad it was a blast, Julie!
Glad the weather here in Chicago was gorgeous for you guys! You looked like you had F-U-N!!
That wedding cake looks amazing! sounds like a bomb.com time 🙂
Looks like an awesome wedding! Call me Al is an amazing song 🙂 I just made a top 5 80’s music list and that one was on there.
Aw that looks like such a fun reception! You look gorgeous :). And I love that they brought out pizza for you guys- that’s such a good idea!
Looks like SUCH a fun night!!!! So neat that y’all stopped around town for some pictures beforehand, too.
That looks like one heck of a wedding: the dresses, the cake, the food, the dancing! What a memory they must have made for themselves!
love the color of those bridesmaid dresses!
Looks like an absolutely gorgeous and fun wedding! Love the colours of the dresses and the flowers. The photos make me even more excited for my big day on October 1st!
Sounds like you guys had an amazing time. What a fun wedding!
What a lovely wedding 🙂
This post is so sweet, and the wedding and reception were both so obviously carefully planned. I’m heading home for my best friend’s wedding in the beginning of September, and your post totally got me pumped! I can’t wait!
That wedding party looks so much fun, what a wonderful way to spend you weekend – partying it up with loved ones and celebratign LOVE, lol! 😉 How gorgeous is the colour of the dresses- is that cornflour blue? It’s STUNNING! 😀 xyx
Pizza at the end of the night is a fabulous idea! I love the dresses too – great simple style.
Wow those are some beautifull bridesmaids!
This post has me even more excited for my upcoming wedding! 🙂
I love weddings! It looks like you had a fab time!
Just tried Mad Baller for the first time this weekend. Not a total replacement for the original Four Loko, but pretty intense to say the least haha!
Funnnn! I love weddings where you’re close to the bride and groom and the people at the wedding 🙂
GAHH! looks like so much fun!! u gettin me in da party moood!
I am obsessed with all things wedding… and that looked like a perfect one! 🙂
Looks like it was a great wedding and reception! I absolutely adore Chicago, so really loved seeing your pictures from there. 🙂
The limo ride looks like a fun time! I think having the reception in a restaurant is so unique! It looked like a beautiful wedding! Congrats to your friend! 🙂
Those pics on Michigan Avenue are breathtaking! And their reception site looks adorable!
Adore the royal blue dresses! So gorgeous. Looks like you had a great time! I haven’t been to Chicago, but it is on my list to do soon.
what an AWESOME reception! So cool that they rented out the restaurant! Definitely have to say that one of the best ideas was to get pizza!! I know after all of the dancing & drinking pizza must of been VERY appreciated 😉
I LOVE those bridesmaid dresses!! So pretty!!
The bridesmaid dress looks so pretty on you. That color is stunning!
OMG i love your bm dress!! That blue really pops and i love that it is short & you can probably wear it again.
I also love that they rented out a restaurant. What a great idea! And i sorta just got chills reading about how you all linked arms and danced to their parents wedding song – something about weddings man! They get me every time! Much luck to the couple!