This gorgeous private estate Lake Forest wedding was inspired by the bride’s wedding venue/ parents’ family home, Fairlawn and it has all the feels of whimsy, magic and love. The bride, Courtney, wanted the grounds of Fairlawn, imagined by the great landscape architect Fredrick Law Olmsted, to speak for themselves. For her, this meant making everything look lush and feel slightly whimsical, like Alice in Wonderland. And boy oh boy, did wedding planner, Bianca of Estera Events and the dreamy team from Life In Bloom deliver on this vision. Courtney really wanted the vibe to have an “old growth” feel for her garden party meets 1800s estate wedding vision, and I must say I was totally smitten with everything the team created.

From the gorgeous hanging floral cake to the mismatched chinoiserie to the abundance of topiaries to the modern blue tent, this garden party wedding was simply stunning. Courtney wore a gorgeous Monique Lhuillier gown which was transformed from a timeless long-sleeve lace gown into a fun, relaxed short-sleeve gown following the ceremony. The blue color palette was inspired by the bride’s love of the effortless eclectic-ness of assorted classical chinoiserie and was the color direction for the mismatched bridesmaid dresses.

This dreamy private lake forest estate wedding was featured on both Style Me Pretty and Over the Moon.

Photography: Brittany Bekas | Event Planning: Estera Events | Wedding Dress: Monique Lhuillier | Cake: Cake | Invitations: whodrew | Catering: Truffleberry Market | Calligraphy: Bien Fait Calligraphy | Lighting: Elegant Event Lighting | DJ: DJ Bryen Hall | Groom’s Attire: Tom James | Tent: Blue Peak Tents | Wedding Dresser: Caroline Shaw | Rentals – Lounge Furniture: Chicago Vintage Weddings | Musicians: Elan Artists | Dinner Rentals: Festive Frog | Wedding Crest: Happy Menocal | Beauty: Le Blowout Bar | Reception Floral Design: Life In Bloom | Ceremony + Cocktail Floral: M on the Square | Beauty: Magda Rod Makeup | Dinner Rentals: Nuage Designs | Beauty: To Have and To Glow | Ceremony Venue: Bride’s Family Home – Fairlawn | Reception Venue: Bride’s Family Home – Fairlawn

Looking for more wedding planning advice and weddings?

+ Is a destination wedding right for you?

 + How to create the perfect wedding day timeline (according to a wedding photographer)

+ Why is wedding photography so expensive?

+ What Brittany Bekas clients say about their wedding photography experience

Are you planning at an estate wedding in Chicago or Florida? If so, I might be the perfect wedding photographer to document your wedding. Hi, I am Brittany, and I am a fine art film photographer specializing in lifestyle wedding photography. I travel worldwide photographing beautiful weddings, elopements, proposals, and engagements, but most of the time you can find me in Southwest Florida (where I am based) or in Chicago (my hometown). My light and airy editing style and candid, joyful photos are what I am best known for. Interested in working together? Contact the studio for more information.