I have had the honor of working at the Allerton Park Mansion in Monticello IL a handful of times, and this venue never disappoints! It is a beautiful historic building of expansive size, yet is incredibly warm and welcoming. There are several rooms on the main level, including a cozy two story library, exquisite wood floors, marble fireplaces, elegant furnishings, and breathtaking views of the surrounding meadow, reflecting pond, and woodlands. The upper floors are stately bedrooms dressed in rich antiques and serene color palettes.
Layne & Sam took advantage of having the entire mansion for their celebration. With family & friends staying in some of the available rooms onsite, it made their winter wedding feel less stressful, for traveling.
The Couple chose to see each other before their ceremony, to calm the nerves. We kept the reveal private and stayed in Layne’s bridal suite. This room has a wall of windows, dressed in floor to ceiling silk drapes and antique crystal chandeliers. Antique furnishings and an elegant four poster bed, make the room incredibly romantic, thee perfect reveal location. We took advantage of the space and did a few photos of the two of them before they went to the lower level for their I DOS.
They had their ceremony in the two story library, a stunning room. Dressed in rich wood and antique paintings, and of course layers upon layers of books. Their wedding party stood opposite of tradition, the men on Layne’s side, the women on Sam’s side. LOVED that break from tradition. The purpose of that was so the each group could actually see the Bride’s and Groom’s face. Just loved it. The vows were so sentimental and the couple was absolutely giddy! Layne is not shy with showing her emotions and as you will see in the photos, she made it known how happy she was!
We ventured outdoors afterwards, for a few bitterly cold portraits (all done super quickly lol!) then ran back inside for cocktail hour followed by dinner and dancing the night away.
