Intentional Wedding at The Highland Loft in Elgin, IL | Rachel + Trevor

3 min read

For their wedding day at The Highland Loft in Elgin, Illinois, Rachel and Trevor went all out in creating a day that perfectly reflects their love, while also giving them space to enjoy this time with their friends and family. From the countless small details included to give the day a personal feel, to the intimate moments shared between the two, everything felt SO right for them ! I’m so glad the two chose me to document their day, and I’m beyond excited to be sharing it here on the blog today !

A wedding day flat lay consisting of soft red and pink invites, shoes, a watch, and other wedding day details sit on a soft backdrop

Getting Ready for Their Wedding at The Highland Loft

From the very beginning of the day, The Highland Loft in Elgin seemed like THE perfect fit for Rachel and Trevor’s wedding day. The Highland Loft features multiple floors and getting ready spaces, allowing Rachel and Trevor to spend more time with their loved ones as they got ready on location. Minimizing travel time on your wedding day is one of the best ways to get more quality time with your people, and that’s exactly what these two wanted ! After they were ready it was time for their first look, which we chose to do outside.

It was about 10°F outside, but these two weren’t about to let that stop them from sharing this incredible moment together ! Both Rachel and Trevor lit up with joy upon seeing one another, immediately forgetting how cold they actually were. We took some outdoor portraits along with their wedding parties (shoutout to Rachel’s mom who made the amazing shawls for all the gals to wear !), before heading inside for the rest of their portraits.

A bride and her bridesmaids sit together on a bed in the getting ready space of their wedding venue, the Highland Loft

Bride in white wedding dress getting buttoned up by her mother in one of the brick walled getting ready spaces of The Highland Loft

A group of bridesmaids smile at the bride in her wedding dress for the first time in the getting ready space of The Highland Loft

A father helps the groom adjust his tie while getting ready in the brick room of his wedding venue The Highland Loft

A bride and groom hug one another while outside of The Highland Loft after seeing one another in their wedding attire for the first time

Wedding party members all cheer as the bride and groom kiss while all standing outside of The Highland Loft

An Intentional Wedding Day in the Chicago Suburbs

The interior of The Highland Loft is one of my favorites for indoor portraits, which worked out perfectly for this frigid November day ! The warm brick walls provide a beautiful, welcoming, and earthy feel to the industrial space that is just SO much fun to work with. After spending time with their wedding parties Rachel and Trevor took a moment to share their vows privately with one another before their ceremony.

It’s sweet moments like these that were so important for these two to include into their day, and it really did make it that much more special. Soon was their ceremony, which was a short and sweet moment where all of their friends and family were able to share in the love between Rachel and Trevor. The two said their I Do’s amidst the beauty of The Highland Loft’s ceremony space, which meant there was only one thing left to do: Party !

A bride and groom kiss one another after reading their vows in a private brick room of their wedding venue, The Highland Loft

The bride's hand rests atop the groom's while showing off their wedding rings

A bride and groom kiss while their wedding party members surround them and cheer while inside The Highland Loft

A bride stands with her bridesmaids while they all adjust her dress and look her over at the ceremony space of the wedding venue, The Highland Loft

A groom and groomsmen walk towards the camera while adjusting their suit coat cuffs in the getting ready space of the wedding venue, The Highland Loft

A groom and groomsmen all raise their beers up together in a circle for a toast before the wedding ceremony

A groom and his groomsmen stand side by side with hands clasped in front of them in the ceremony space of the wedding venue, The Highland Loft

2 wooden triangle archways sit at the center of a the indoor brick wedding ceremony space of The Highland Loft

Wedding sign surrounded by pampas grass, candles, and wooden barrels in side the warm-lit Highland Loft

A groom walks down the aisle together with his parents as seated guests watch during a wedding ceremony at The Highland Loft

A groom smiles softly while standing during his wedding ceremony at The Highland Loft

A bride walks down the aisle of her wedding ceremony with her parents as guests stand and watch inside of The Highland Loft

A groom stands anxiously as the bride approaches during the wedding ceremony inside of the brick walled Highland Loft

A bride and groom hold hands while standing facing one another during their wedding ceremony inside the brick walled Highland Loft

A bride and groom kiss one another as wedding party members cheer during their ceremony inside the brick walled Highland Loft

A bride and groom excitedly raise their arms as guests cheer during their wedding ceremony inside The Highland Loft

A bride and groom kiss as they walk down the aisle together and guests cheer after their indoor wedding ceremony at The Highland Loft

A bride and groom kiss one another while standing at the center of the indoor wedding ceremony space of the brick walled Highland Loft

Celebrating Their Wedding at The Highland Loft

With many of the portrait photos already taken care of, Rachel and Trevor were immediately able to enjoy themselves with their guests during cocktail hour. These two LOVE their people, so being able to actually spend time with their loved ones meant the world to them.

The reception would begin soon after, and there were SO many fun moments and details from the night. Be it the Lou Malnati's personal pizza in place of a wedding cake, or the blown up faces of their cats that got used on the dancefloor, so much of their night felt tailor made for these two ! One of my personal favorite moments though was when Rachel, Trevor, and I snuck out of The Highland Loft once more for some nighttime portraits in Elgin. It was an unforgettable evening for them and their loved ones, and I’m just SO glad I was able to be a part of it all !

A bride and groom raise their arms together as they enter their wedding reception while guests cheer inside of The Highland Loft

A bride and groom feed one another pieces of a small pizza in place of their wedding cake during their reception inside of The Highland Loft

A bride and groom hold hands as they look towards one another while dancing during their wedding reception inside of the brick walled Highland Loft

A mother smiles while dancing with her son who is the groom of a wedding at The Highland Loft, the bride sits and smiles in the background

A bride smiles while dancing with her father inside of the brick walled wedding venue, The Highland Loft

A bride and groom sit at their wooden head table and raise glasses for a toast during their indoor wedding reception at The Highland Loft

Neon sign reading "The Konrads" on a rustic brick wall. Warm lighting creates a cozy ambiance.

A bride and groom with blown up cat faces on sticks dance with their guests during their indoor wedding reception at The Highland Loft

A bride and groom in hoodies smiling, stand against a brick wall with a neon sign that reads "The Konrads." above them on a brick wall

That’s the story of Rachel and Trevor’s beautiful and intentional wedding day at The Highland Loft in Elgin, IL. If you’d like to see more of this amazing space check out the highlights from Alaina and Dakota’s day, and if you’re looking to have me document your day be sure to send me an inquiry ASAP !