A Romantic Wedding at The Drake Hotel in Chicago

The Drake has been hosting weddings since 1920. A century of vows, first dances, and the particular kind of quiet that settles over a ballroom when something important is about to happen. Sofia and Andre added their names to that list on a Saturday in September, and we were there to make sure the day looked exactly as it felt.

"We wanted classic. Not trendy. Something we'd look at in thirty years and it would still feel right."

Why The Drake

Sofia grew up hearing stories about The Drake from her grandmother, who'd attended a debutante ball there in the 1960s. Choosing it wasn't just about aesthetics — it was about continuity. The connection between generations that a family event can carry when you choose a space with that kind of weight behind it.

The Gold Coast Room, where the ceremony was held, has eighteen-foot ceilings and light that comes in at an angle in the afternoon that flatters everything it touches. We always prefer to scout a venue before a wedding day, and The Drake rewards that extra time — there are details in every corner that only become visible when you're looking for them.

The Portraits

We had thirty minutes between the ceremony and cocktail hour. Enough time, if you plan it right. We took Sofia and Andre to the grand staircase, to the lobby, and finally outside to the lakefront for the last of the golden light. Thirty minutes, and the portraits that came back from those thirty minutes are the ones they've printed and framed.

The Evening

Andre surprised Sofia with a custom song performed live during the reception. He'd commissioned it months earlier from a musician she'd never met. The room didn't see it coming. Neither did we — which is the best kind of surprise to capture. Authentic reactions to things nobody rehearsed. That's what makes a film worth watching again.