Medinah Country Club Wedding: Lily & Chris’s Black-Tie Celebration

A Medinah Country Club wedding offers so much more than a beautiful setting. For Lily and Chris, this Chicago-area venue was part of their family history, so it was the perfect place to celebrate with the people they love. As a Chicago wedding photographer, I loved how they combined the venue’s architecture with custom decor, thoughtful guest experiences, and a packed dance floor. Their black-tie wedding was a great example of how much a well-planned day can shape the experience for everyone! 

Lily & Chris’ Story

Lily and Chris met on Hinge and quietly got to know each other. During one of their dates, they ran into two of Lily’s girlfriends, one of whom would later serve as her maid of honor. Chris quickly became a staple not only in Lily’s life but in her whole village.

Lily is the oldest of five sisters, and Chris is the younger brother to Alex. They are now homeowners in Medinah, and they are the type of people who would invite me over for dinner even though we have never spent time together outside of work. They also have a pug who made an appearance at the reception on some massive cardboard cutouts.

Medinah Country Club has been part of Lily’s life for as long as she can remember. She spent Thanksgiving there with her four sisters, parents, and grandparents every year. Hosting her wedding there felt like a natural extension of that tradition.

Their wedding was full of that same warmth. Before the ceremony, Lily’s grandfather, Papa, hosted the bridal party and guests for a few rounds of golf and showed them around the property. It was a fun way to welcome everyone and give guests a chance to experience a place that meant so much to the family.

Getting Ready and Portraits at Medinah Country Club

The morning of the wedding ran right on schedule. Lily decided to skip pajama photos and go straight into first looks with her bridesmaids, her dad, and Chris. After her first look with Chris, we took a few golf carts and found a shady area on the course. We had plenty of time for classic portraits. Plus, we had some flexibility to reference a Pinterest board Lily and I had put together ahead of time. I only reference a Pinterest board when the timeline allows for it. You need at least nine hours of coverage, if not ten, to make room for that kind of flexibility.

The week leading up to the wedding had been very rainy in Chicago, so the grass was still wet. I let the bridesmaids know they could take off their shoes and go barefoot or embrace the fact that their heels might sink into the damp grass. Everyone kept smiling, and we got some beautiful portraits.

Because Lily and Chris chose to do a first look, we were also able to finish all their family photos before the ceremony. This meant they could spend more time with their guests afterward instead of stepping away during cocktail hour.

There are certain things you have to be willing to let go of on your wedding day. Guests started arriving well over an hour before the ceremony, so some saw Lily before she walked down the aisle. She did not let that cut our photo time short. She also got lipstick on her dress early in the day, but trusted me when I said it would not show in the photos and that I could remove it if needed.

The grass was damp, heels were sinking, and a planned first look with the groomsmen to “ice them” with Smirnoff Ice had to be scrapped because the drinks were forgotten. Lily quickly pivoted, and we moved on to wedding party photos.

These moments might sound small, but they say a lot about how a couple experiences their wedding day. Things will not always go according to plan. Being willing to adjust makes a huge difference.

A Medinah Country Club Wedding Ceremony Overlooking the Pond

Once it was time for the ceremony, guests got to see some of the larger decor pieces Lily and Chris had planned. A custom white aisle led to a beautiful 14-foot flower arch on a stage overlooking one of the ponds on the property.

The ceremony took place out on the green, with Medinah’s golf carts helping transport guests to the location. This was a thoughtful detail that helped keep things on schedule and made the walk to the ceremony easier for everyone.

Lily and Chris were married by Billy, Lily’s former bar manager, who has since become a close family friend. That felt fitting because, to know these two, is to want to be friends with them. Everyone laughed and cried as they exchanged vows. When they kissed and walked back down the aisle, guests threw rose petals around them. It was a joyful start to the rest of the celebration.

Cocktail Hour at Medinah Country Club

Cocktail hour took place around sunset, with both indoor and outdoor spaces available to guests. I think this is one of the things that makes Medinah Country Club such a great wedding venue. Everything is in one location, but moving between spaces gives the day a different atmosphere.

Inside, guests could visit the custom bar, which had two service areas to help keep lines short. There was also a charcuterie station and passed hors d’oeuvres. Outside on the patio, a jazz band played while guests visited the cigar-rolling station. The setup gave people plenty to do and encouraged them to move around, talk to different groups, and enjoy the property while waiting for Lily and Chris to make their rounds.

The venue itself also offers plenty of options for photos. The large trees across the grounds gave us shade even on a bright, sunny day. Inside, the golden rotunda is covered in hand-painted artwork and makes you feel as though you have stepped into a building somewhere in Europe rather than the Chicago suburbs. We were able to use it for first looks and portraits, and its architecture created beautiful natural framing.

Their Medinah Country Club Wedding Reception

As the wedding party lined up for the reception, I pulled Lily and Chris away for less than five minutes. We headed outside to take their golden-hour photos. Lily’s bustle had broken, but she knew she was about to head straight into dancing. She kicked the train of her dress around and refused to let it ruin her night.

That attitude carried right into the reception. Lily and Chris entered the ballroom and poured a champagne tower. They had fun with it instead of worrying about getting a perfect picture.

The ballroom has a hand-painted ceiling, dark green draping, and a beautiful stage. Lily and Chris added custom decor that made the space feel personal, including a custom stage, dance floor, bar, and flower arch. These visual pieces tied the whole day together. Even with all the decor they brought in, the room still had its own presence.

I also loved that Medinah has a balcony overlooking the ballroom. Having a second photographer on the upper level allowed us to capture the couple’s entrance from another perspective. We could photograph Lily and Chris while also showing the energy of their guests as the celebration began.

Then it was time for toasts. Lou, Lily’s dad, kicked things off. Despite the fire alarm going off during his speech, which turned out to be a false alarm, his toast was a hoot and a half. He is the father of five girls, and Lily is the first to get married. You could tell how much fun the wedding and planning process had been for him and the whole family.

After dinner, the co-maids of honor and best man shared stories that gave everyone a glimpse into who Lily and Chris are individually and as a couple. Before long, the dance floor opened.  Blue Water Kings Band brought everyone out to dance, and guests of all ages joined in. Lily and Chris had also bought multicolored sunglasses for everyone, which made their way onto the dance floor throughout the night. 

The wedding was fun because so much thought went into it. The details mattered, but Lily and Chris never let them matter more than the experience itself.

What Makes Medinah Country Club a Great Chicago Wedding Venue?

Medinah Country Club is an internationally recognized property that has hosted major events, including the Presidents Cup. But it also has the spaces and flexibility to create a memorable wedding experience.

Here are a few things I loved about photographing Lily and Chris’s wedding there:

• The architecture: The golden rotunda, hand-painted artwork, and ballroom ceiling give the property a distinctive look.
• The outdoor ceremony space: The green overlooking the pond creates a beautiful setting for an outdoor ceremony.
• The variety of spaces: Guests can move between the ballroom, indoor cocktail areas, and outdoor patio without leaving the property.
• The grounds: Mature trees offer shaded portrait locations, even on sunny days.
• Guest transportation: Golf carts help guests get around the property, including traveling to the ceremony location.
• Room for creative design: Custom decor can complement the existing architecture while giving the wedding its own identity.

Medinah also offers practical benefits for couples hosting guests from out of town. It is less than an hour from O’Hare International Airport, and there is plenty of on-site parking for guests arriving by car.

A Note on Letting Go on Your Wedding Day

I tell all my couples this: You are spending a lot of money on one day. It is not going to be perfect, but it is going to be yours. If you decide a little makeup on your dress is going to ruin your day, it will. If it rains and that was not what you had on your Pinterest board, it does not change the fact that you are getting married. Lily and Chris had plenty of moments that did not go according to plan, but none of those things defined their wedding.

When I describe their day, I talk about how incredible the guest experience was and how much fun Lily and Chris had. That was possible because they wanted to enjoy themselves.

As your photographer, I can find a beautiful backdrop and work with the light. But I cannot make it look like you are having a good time if you are focused on everything that went wrong. The best thing you can do is give yourself permission to enjoy the day you have, rather than the one you planned on paper!

Planning a Medinah Country Club Wedding?

Lily and Chris’s wedding is a great example of how a venue can shape the entire guest experience. Medinah Country Club offers a distinctive setting, while thoughtful planning and personal details make the day feel like the couple.

If you are planning a Chicago wedding and want wedding photography that balances classic portraits with genuine moments, I would love to hear what you have in mind. As a Chicago wedding photographer, I help couples make room for beautiful photos without losing sight of the people and experiences that make the day meaningful. Get in touch to start planning your wedding photography.

Vendors:

Photo: Megan Magee Photography 
Content: Maison of Details
Videographer: Oakhouse Wedding Films
Venue/Catering: Medinah Country Club 
Decor: Yanni Design Studio 
Band: Blue Water Kings Band 
Desserts: Sweet T’s Bakery & Cake Studio
Wedding Dress: Bella Bianca Bridal Couture 
H&MU: Windy City Glam
Makeup: Glam by Celeste 
Hair: Reyna the Stylist