NYE 2018 in Chicago: Day 3 & 4

The rest of the recap from our trip to Chicago pretty much only includes Gina & Eric's wedding but I had so many pictures from the day, I wanted to split the trip up into two posts. It was hands-down, the nicest and, as everyone was saying that weekend, the most EPIC wedding complete with the most gorgeous bride, a 16 (I think if I counted correctly) person band, non-stop dancing on the dance floor, an endless amount of food & drinks (hors d'oeuvres, which included a raw bar, filet and halibut for dinner, wedding cake, Graeter's ice cream, cookie table, another dessert table, Chicago popcorn, and at midnight they brought out Chicago-style hot dogs and Italian beef sandwiches).  Todd & I really did have such a great time celebrating the happy couple as well as spending some quality time with a few of my friends and their husbands. Now that most of us have kids, we don't get a chance to spend time with everyone as couples so it was long overdue.  The trip flew by but we were excited to come back to see the girls and spend time with them before we all went back to school and work today.

Day 3: Monday, December 31

• Workout at hotel gym
• Blow out at Drybar with Katie & Lindsey
• Lunch at Centennial Crafted Brewery + Eatery with Katie & Jason
• Gina & Eric's wedding ceremony at Holy Name Cathedral
• Wedding reception at The Ritz-Carlton

Hotel gym was HUGE

My first blowout--this was the best picture I could get of the back of it but it was curled very loosely and partly pulled back

Katie, Lindsey, and I

Afterwards, Katie & I met our husbands for drinks & lunch; Todd is never one to turn down a taster tray

Ready to go to a wedding!

The decor at the Ritz matched our outfits perfectly

On the bus heading to the wedding ceremony

Todd & I

The cathedral was beautiful

Gina & her dad walking down the aisle

Her dress was gorgeous!

Classic fist pump

Gina was smiling ear-to-ear the entire day

At the hotel bar prior to the cocktail hour starting

The eight of us happened to walk over to the cocktail hour area right as the doors were opening so we were the first people in the space 

Raw bar  with monogrammed ice sculptures

Loved the lighting above the place card table

Table 20!

Enjoying his oyster

Group shot during the cocktail hour

One of just the girls...

and then we spotted the bride and hurried over to snag a picture with her

Cookie table....which were all made by Gina's uncle and brought over from Youngstown to Chicago via a limo

Loved the colors of the bouquets

Limoncello almonds for good luck...and don't mind the 3 drinks sitting at my place

View of the 5 tier cake with the band behind them (I wasn't kidding when I said I think there were 16 people in it!)

Gina & Eric walking into the reception

Todd took some candid pictures of the girls when Gina came over to see us

Dancing with the bride (we've come a long way from the days of making up dances to Britney Spears' songs in high school)

More dancing

Couldn't pass up Graeter's ice cream

Chicago-style popcorn

Table 20 with the bride and groom at the photo booth

Ready for the countdown to midnight with individual bottles of champagne

Ringing in the new year with this guy

Day 4: Tuesday, January 1

• New Year's Day Brunch at The Ritz Carlton
• Flew home late afternoon (after an 1.5 hour delay)