Marissa and Will’s brunch wedding was full of bright colors, eclectic details, and summery fun. From 300 feet of tissue paper garland draping the intimate space and the balloon ceremony-turned-sweetheart-table backdrop, to menswear-inspired napkins and the hand-painted cake toppers made by the bride and groom, we love how every detail came together to create a cool outdoor summer wedding.

Jayne Weddings & Events created some serious magic in not only the guidance and structure they offered this couple, but also in the creative design they pulled together. They pulled together a killer team that pulled off a beautiful rooftop celebration that created an experience that was surely memorable for every guest.

Beyond their colorful style captured so beautifully by Christian Wilson Photography, this couple filled their wedding day with a sweet surprise that you’ll have to see for yourself.

Tell us a little a bit about your wedding (your vision, color, style, and location choices).

We knew we wanted to go for a super non-traditional wedding and we knew we wanted to plan for a daytime/brunch wedding. We envisioned a wedding that was a SURPRISE for our guests. Something intimate and non-traditional. We wanted to celebrate our union in marriage in the summertime, outdoors on a rooftop with our closest friends and family at a location that was meaningful to us!

What was the most important to the two of you while planning? Was there anything that you chose to splurge on or skip?

We knew we couldn’t do this without a creative and fun wedding planner who could see our vision come to life, and hiring Katie and her team at Jayne Weddings was very important to us!!! We cared very much about the romantic and fun elements that bring together both our style and personalities. Wedding details and decor and awesome photographs (especially of the surprise reveal) were what we decided were important elements for our day!

We absolutely loved every detail we splurged on… from the balloon wall as the backdrop behind the sweetheart table to our fabulous donut wall, and the lovely hand-scripted, marble place cards and paper goods, every little detail was so important to us!!

What were your favorite parts of the day? (memories and stories)

The wedding reveal & ceremony!! It was E V E R Y T H I N G and more!! Only our immediate family knew what we were planning, but the surprise wedding reveal was what made our wedding so meaningful & special. Looking back at the pictures of how surprised and emotional our guests were when they opened the card that revealed our surprise is so heartwarming to see!!

Please describe any DIY, handmade, or personal details.

All the materials for the personal details of our wedding were purchased with Jayne Weddings and/or handmade by Jayne Weddings or our vendors. Katie and her team helped create and put together ALL the crafts—from the streamers, to the donut wall to the Polaroid photo booth! Will and I hand-painted our cake toppers.

Do you have any advice for couples planning their weddings now?

Planning a surprise wedding gave us the freedom to make decisions that were special and unique to us and that represented both our likes and personalities. We did not have anyone’s advice or suggestions sway our own, and it made our wedding details that much MORE special!!

My advice to couples would be to plan all the details of your wedding around what makes you, the wedding couple, happy!! Do not spend any time stressing about what you “should” include to make your guests happy or to include elements just for tradition’s sake… unless these things truly mean something to you, and makes you feel joyful and completes your vision…do it!! <3

What (or who) helped you most in your planning process and/or on your wedding day?

OMG!! We could NOT have done this without Katie Jayne Sprenkle and her wonderful team at Jayne Weddings!! We are SOOO thankful for her enthusiasm, heart, and creativity!! She is so great at what she does, and since our wedding was a surprise and couldn’t talk to anyone for advice, she really came through and found us some wonderful vendors and created lovely pieces for our special day!! She really helped us pull off an absolutely AMAZING SURPRISE WEDDING!!!!

What an incredible way to celebrate! We love everything about this joyful wedding day, but the reactions of guests as they learned about the surprise was absolutely priceless.

We are terrible at keeping exciting news like this to ourselves, and so admire people that can hold back on these types of fun secrets. Would you ever consider throwing a surprise wedding?

VENDORS WHO MADE IT ALL HAPPEN…

Photography: Christian Wilson Photography // Ceremony Venue: Homestead on the Roof // Event Design + Planning: Jayne Weddings & Events // Floral: The Foxglove Studio //
Stationery + Calligraphy: EJD Design // Wedding Cake: West Town Bakery // Rentals: Tablescapes Event Rentals // Linens: BBJ Linen // Hair + Makeup: Debra Petrielli // Wedding Dress + Headpiece: Anna Campbell // Groom’s Attire: Alton Lane // Bride’s Shoes: BHLDN // Bridesmaid Dresses: Eva’s Bridal of Chicago // Veil: Mignonette Bridal // Balloon Installation: Luft Balloons