Summer Wedding at The Joinery Chicago — AJ Abelman Photography

The Joinery Chicago has a unique take on the industrial-space-turned-wedding venue. The bright indoor reception space, lush patio, and tucked away rooms with vintage decor make it a versatile place to capture amazing wedding photos. Emilie and Lia’s summer wedding at the Joinery was cozy, creative, and full of surprises.

The Joinery Chicago

The Joinery Chicago is situated among the thriving bars and restaurants of the formerly industrial Bucktown and Logan Square neighborhoods. The building itself has lived many lives that show up in the eclectic decor. It has been the site of manufacturing everything from mop handles to millwork. Now the intimate wedding venue features a ceremony and reception space, a patio, rental unit, and even a speakeasy. This space, called the Safe House in reference to the mob’s rumored use of the building, is perfect for a pre-ceremony cocktail. Details, such as an antique letterbox and elaborate pink wallpaper, add character and color to the space.

glass doors open to ceremony space at the Joinery Chicago

What makes the Joinery Chicago such a flexible, adaptable venue are the main reception and patio areas. The main space is used for ceremonies and receptions. It has a huge skylight over white walls and natural wood floors. Iron and glass doors make it so that the room could easily feel as much like a greenhouse as a former warehouse depending on the decor.

getting ready for wedding at the Joinery Chicago

The patio area is lovely for cocktail hour too. The Joinery Chicago maintains walls of flowers that give the space a lush, natural touch despite being in the middle of the city. A charming mural of roses and daisies adorns the wall of the building beyond the fence and manages to feel as much a part of the decor as everything else.

As a wedding photographer, I absolutely love this venue. The windows and skylight let in so much natural light. This worked well with the extravagant flowers Lia and Emilie chose. The ceremony and cocktail hour areas really are my favorite in Chicago! It’s cozy, beautiful, and ideal for photographing before guests arrive. Since the Safe House has a completely different ambiance upstairs, the Joinery Chicago is so versatile for capturing creative and varied images.

A Floral-Filled Ceremony

The Joinery Chicago was just the right venue for Lia and Emilie’s intimate wedding. This couple has refined taste but knows how to have fun too! Both are surgeons and met as interns. Lia proposed to Emilie over a game of cribbage.

Like many marriers, Emilie and Lia were forced to postpone their wedding from its original 2020 date due to the pandemic. Since then, work took them away from Chicago. They still wanted their wedding to be in this amazing city with a priority on working with local, queer-affirming vendors.

walking up the aisle at the Joinery Chicago

Creative and considerate details characterized this wedding. Lia comes from a family of photographers. While she’s not a photographer herself, she has a great eye for art and creativity. This really shined through in the couple’s florals. From the wild, lush triangular arch to Lia’s floral bracelet, the florals transformed the Joinery Chicago into a festive garden.

holding hands during the wedding ceremony

Their flowers were just one way that Emilie and Lia designed a wedding day that reflected their incredible styles. They made several thoughtful choices to customize their wedding ceremony as well. With fewer than 70 guests and no wedding party, the wedding was very intimate. Their moms walked them down the aisle, and their fathers served as ring bearers. It was a special way to include all of their parents that didn’t rely on traditions that didn’t suit them.

Emilie and Lia’s Intimate Dinner Reception

As beautiful as the ceremony was, the cocktail hour and reception was equally stunning with flowers everywhere. Emilie and Lia kept the reception simple by skipping toasts. Instead, they had a first dance followed by a delicious dinner catered by Lula. This Logan Square restaurant is a local favorite and turned out incredible fare for the occasion!.

Lia’s dancing was another highlight of the reception. Before becoming a surgeon, she was a championship dancer. She showed off her phenomenal skills during the reception. I was blown away right along with the guests. Lia’s moves were so good that I felt like I should have paid for a ticket.