DIY Wedding, DIY Wedding, LGBTQ Wedding, Queer Wedding, Wedding

Meli & Steve @ Navarro Farm

This nontraditional farm wedding in the south Chicago suburbs had everything: beautiful views, delicious food trucks, and goats on a roof!

5.24.24

Meli and Steve’s wedding at Navarro Farm was completely unique. For one, Navarro Farms is a nonprofit organization and not a wedding venue. The couple were lucky enough to know the owners who agreed to let them host their wedding in their space. It made for a one-of-a-kind backdrop for their ceremony and reception. I’ve known Meli personally for nearly a decade, so when she asked me to shoot her wedding (and engagement session in Chinatown), I was thrilled! The couple chose not to see each other until Meli walked down the aisle, but Meli did have a first look with her bridesmaids and her dad. Meli’s bridesmaids wore pastels that were a tribute to the characters in Sailor Moon, and Steve’s groomsmen donned grey suits with pastel ties.

The couple had their ceremony in front of Navarro Farm’s beautiful red barn, and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. When Meli walked down the aisle, Steve looked completely in love. After a mutual friend shared some opening remarks, they both read personal vows and shed a few tears in front of friends and family. After their shared their first kiss as a married couple, their wedding party popped biodegradable confetti shaped like hearts.

During cocktail hour, we took family and wedding party photos. As we wrapped up, the food trucks pulled up! The couple’s menu included street tacos, rice and beans, and elotes. While the guests finished their dinner, I took the couple aside for golden hour portraits. We walked all around Navarro Farm and snapped some of my favorite moments of the year. I don’t think there is anything more adorable than a newly married couple and farm animals!

As the sun set, Meli and Steve cut their wedding cake and a few friends and family gave toasts. The couple had their first dance under a dusky sky. It was so picturesque. Finally, the dance floor opened up and everyone let loose! We snapped some night portraits in the barn while guests danced below. Everything about this day was completely special and unique, and it was one of my favorite weddings of the year.

Congratulations Meli and Steve!