Rehearsal Day, Part Two - Rehearsal Dinner

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**Read Part One from the day of our Rehearsal Dinner here!**

The drive from our ceremony space to the rehearsal dinner was about 30 minutes with traffic, so we all split up into various cars. My then-fiance was heading home in between to change clothes,  but my bridesmaids, some of their dates, and I arrived at Fulton's On The River at about 6:30 for our 7:00 Rehearsal Dinner.

The event planner was still putting the finishing touches on the space, so we ordered a drink at the bar while we waited. I had something called the Kurt Cobain. I have no idea what was in it, but I liked the name, so I guessed. It was delicious.

One of my bridesmaids ordered a drink that had champagne and elderflower liqueur. So delicious. Reminded me of a cocktail I had at Old Oak Tap over Memorial Day Weekend.

Champagne and elderflower liqueur. Winning.

It wasn't long before they were ready to bring us to our event space. One of the employees came down with a framed sign for us and then lead us to our space.

Inside, the room had been decorated beautifully as per my Mother-In-Law's specifications. The room, which started out being pretty plain, had a beautiful pop of color, with the turquoise linens and bright flowers.

I had coordinated with my MIL to wrap the gifts in a way that complimented the decor. So, my gifts were wrapped in natural wood colors with turquoise accents (Curious about what we gave as gifts? That's a separate post, because it was awesome. Coming soon to a blog near you...).

After getting situated and checking out the space, we snapped a quick pic of the ladies in my bridal party. I am so lucky to have such awesome and gorgeous ladies in my life. #Spoiled

After dropping our purses and checking out our private room, we headed outside to the terrace for passed appetizers. Servers came outside to pass around bruschetta...

...and some delicious crustinis with brie and jam (among other things). It was so nice that the apps were passed, because it allowed us to keep socializing and focusing on each other without breaking off to get finger food. This meant more time to talk to our favorite people.

It also meant we could hang out on that beautiful terrace! Fulton's On The River is exactly where its name suggests: On the Chicago river. Because it is right in the middle of downtown, there is a really special feeling of being on the water yet in the middle of huge skyscrapers. It had a magical, energetic feel to it.

Just like our hotel rooms and the ceremony rehearsal, this area has such great city views and wonderful natural lighting that almost every picture looks amazing. I have a minor photography obsession and my MIL does, too (she probably loves it even more than I do!), so it was the perfect setting for our families to celebrate in!

Wearing: Dress, Victoria's Secret. Shoes, Nina. Pave Bracelet, J. Crew. Earrings, Tory Burch.

We eventually headed back inside for dinner. I was very much looking forward to having dinner here, because it has a great reputation as a steakhouse and their food is always delicious. I had the house salad, steak (other options were provided, but I have a personal rule that when filet mignon is an option, I choose it!), and a fruit plate for dessert (though some other options included chocolate cake or a banana cream pie!).

Personalized menu for the win!

As we sat down, my almost Father-In-Law got up to give a little toast and a prayer. He is extremely eloquent in his speech and it was so tastefully done, as always. In fact, it was so well done that one of my bridesmaids later asked me if he was a preacher! #PreachIt

As the main course was being cleared, Justin got up and told everyone that we had a few gifts to distribute. We gave gifts to our bridesmaids, groomsmen, and Justin's mother and father. Better pics to come later... can't ruin the surprise!

After dinner and gifts, we spent a bit more time chatting with friends and family, and hung out on the terrace a bit more. I am still a little bit in awe of how perfect the terrace area was. It was just so full of city vibrancy that it only enhanced my excitement for the festivities! 

...to be continued...