3 min read

Timeless Wedding at The Highland Loft in Elgin, IL | Alaina + Dakota

Even though most of my weddings now take place in Kenosha, Lake Geneva, and the surrounding areas of Wisconsin, I do still make it down to Illinois from time to time to document some beautiful celebrations ! Today’s wedding is one such occasion. Alaina and Dakota chose to have their timeless, black tie wedding at The Highland Loft in Elgin, Illinois. This is one of my all time favorite wedding venues in the greater Chicago area, and after seeing the highlights from their day I’m sure you’ll understand why !

Starting Their Wedding Day at The Highland Loft

One of the things that I love the most about The Highland Loft is their on-site getting ready spaces for both wedding parties. Alaina and Dakota were both able to prepare for their wedding day with their favorite people at their sides, hyping them up to no end. The beautiful brick walls, huge mirrors, and abundance of natural light make the space an ideal getting ready option, and kept things SO simple for Alaina and Dakota. Once they were ready it was time for some first looks.

Alaina shared first looks with her bridesmaids, her father which was SO sweet, and finally Dakota ! To make the moment even more special, Alaina and Dakota chose to share their vows after their first look. This was easily one of the most emotional points of the day, and it was so apparent how much Alaina and Dakota had been looking forward to this day ! After their first looks we had some time for newlywed and wedding party photos using the beautiful brick exterior of The Highland Loft, another benefit of this phenomenal wedding venue.

A Timeless Indoor Wedding Ceremony at The Highland Loft

Up next was Alaina and Dakota’s wedding ceremony, which was inside The Highland Loft. I adore this interior space, it’s legitimately one of my favorite ceremony spaces I’ve had the pleasure of photographing. The brick walls, string lit ceiling, and modern industrial feel of the building all make it a dream space for moments like these. With their family and friends all there to support them, Alaina and Dakota officially became newlyweds which meant it was time to celebrate ! After a few family photos in the ceremony space, Alaina and Clayton snuck away to practice some dance moves prior to their reception. Having this extra time on their wedding day was only possible thanks to their first look earlier in the day, which is one of the reasons why I love when my couples include them into their day.

An Epic Night of Celebration

It was time to get this party started, and these two kicked things off in THE coolest way possible ! After their parents and wedding parties entered, it was Alaina and Dakota’s turn. They immediately went into their first dance, which they actually had choreographed by the incredibly talented Debbie from Lux Dance Studio. These two absolutely crushed it, and just like that the celebration had begun ! After some lovely toasts, some delicious food, and a bit of dancing, Alaina, Dakota, and I decided to sneak out for some evening portraits out on the town. These were SO much fun to document. Alaina and Dakota were such a vibe, and practically radiant in their wedding attire while strolling around downtown Elgin. We made our way back to The Highland Loft to end their wedding day with a night of dancing and good times with those they love most.

There’s so much to love about Alaina and Dakota’s wedding at The Highland Loft. From the impeccable style of the day, to the incredible venue choice, and of course the love they share between them, everything felt exactly as it should for a celebration between these two wonderful people ! If you’d like to see more wedding day inspiration be sure to check out some of my other articles, and to have me document your wedding day be sure to send me an inquiry ASAP through my contact page !