Meet the Curators

Can you believe CHI thee WED has been live for three weeks now?! We want to celebrate by introducing you to our Curator team! Our Curator team is made up of several different industry professionals that operate in Chicago and the surrounding area. Each month our Curators will be creating posts from real weddings, styled shoot inspiration, as well as giving you tips and tricks for planning your own wedding! We are so excited to represent Chicagoland weddings brought to you by Chicagoland wedding professionals!

Co-Founders

Jeff and Nicole are the co-founders of CHI thee WED. They were inspired by Burgh Brides while planning their own wedding in Nicole’s hometown of Pittsburgh. Fun fact: 95% of their wedding team were Chicago based and traveled to Pittsburgh to celebrate with them! (shout out to our “friendor” team: Sean Cook Weddings, Ramsey Prince at Ashland Addison Florist Co, Kice Akkawi at Treblemonsters, Jeannie at Simply Scripted, Jenny Yoo Chicago, XO Marshmallow, Knot Standard, Calligraphy by CT, Nick Kinsley at Floyd’s 99, Grace and Hudson Jewelry and MORE!

Check out their wedding, as featured on Style Me Pretty.

Curators and Authors

Featured

Owner and Editor: Michelle Cox-Vergara

For over 12 years Michelle has owned Michelle Cox Photography, a wedding photography business in the Chicagoland area. In early 2022, she took on the role of Managing Editor for CHI thee WED and in Sept of 2023 she became the owner of CTW. Michelle manages the day to day operations, supervising the publication schedule, content calendar and all communications. Her goal when coming on board was to focus on our mission statement, and sharing advice and inspiration to all of the many couples that are in the Chicagoland area. As a wedding photographer, Michelle has a keen eye for editorial content and wedding imagery which makes this position a great fit for her.

Website: www.michellecoxphotography.com
Instagram: @michellecoxphotography

Curator: Erin Martin

My name is Erin Martin and I am the owner of ECBG Cake Studio. At our brand new permanent cake studio in West Town, we make custom luxury wedding cakes for the best couples in Chicago. While keeping a personal, custom and modern touch in mind, our promise is to create delicious and beautiful wedding cakes made with high quality and ingredients that are worthy of your celebration. We promise to strive for excellence in our designs, recipes, and customer experience and cannot wait to work with you!

Website: www.ecbgstudio.com/
Instagram: @ecbg_studio

Curator: Tina Wong

Tina Wong is the Founder and CEO at Grace + Ivory, a modern, curated try-at-home brand of customizable, made-to-measure wedding dresses. After seven years working in foreign aid and business development for non-profits in DC, she took the leap to fulfill her passion for business done better and launched her social enterprise in 2017. She lived in China for four years, which is where she got to develop relationships with the talented women who would become the dressmakers for Grace + Ivory. Tina believes that social enterprise is the future of good business and is the way forward to address local community social issues, so a portion of each dress purchased supports women’s programs. Tina is a proud Chicago native (go Cubs!), dog lover, and Loyola Chicago alum who loves travel (she’s been to six continents!), hiking, wine, and finding ways to support other ambitious women in the Windy City.

Website: www.graceandivory.com
Instagram: @graceandivoryofficial

Curator: Kari Thirsk

Hello! I'm the proud owner of Wedding Day Chicago, a boutique wedding services company specializing in wedding coordination, Chicago elopement planning, and officiant services. I’m passionate about all things weddings, and nothing brings me more joy than helping couples celebrate their love in unique and memorable ways. When I'm not coordinating or officiating a wedding, you’ll likely find me exploring new destinations around the globe or spending time with my family and friends.

Before launching Wedding Day Chicago, I owned a tour company that specialized in neighborhood and food tours, where I had the privilege of sharing my deep love for Chicago with others. While showcasing this fabulous city was a thrill, I discovered my true calling in the world of weddings. Being part of such a momentous day in people’s lives is both an honor and a joy. And yes, I might be biased, but my couples truly are the best!

Curator: Emma Mullins

Hi! I'm Emma, owner and lead photographer of Emma Mullins Photography. I've been capturing wedding day memories for over a decade and truly love what I do!

Over the years I've been lucky enough to work alongside some of Chicago's top industry professionals, and have built my own team of talented photographers and videographers. We specialize in contemporary, documentary-style imagery that looks and feels true to life. Besides wedding photography and videography, we also offer film photography, custom wedding album design and a (super fun) photo booth.

Emma Mullins Photography has been part of the CHI thee WED community since its inception in 2018. I'm thrilled to join the team as a curator this year!

Curator: Alison Grossman

Hey there! I'm Alison, the proud owner of Designed & Detailed Event Management, which I opened right here in Chicago back in 2016. In the heart of this vibrant city, my diverse team of wedding and event planners bring dreams to life, one celebration at a time.

Designed and Detailed Event Management is a boutique wedding and event planning firm where sustainability meets luxury for ANY event! We specialize in creating unique guest experiences for weddings, parties, galas, corporate events and beyond.

Curator & Co-Founder of CHI thee WED: Nicole Fauls

I am the Founder & Owner of Urban Allure Events, an award-winning event planning & design firm that has been featured in The New York Times, Forbes, Martha Stewart Weddings, and more. Additionally, I co-founded CHI thee WED and remain a curator on the blog.

With over 15 years of experience in the event planning industry, I specialize in crafting unique and memorable celebrations for my clients.

Beyond event planning, I have a strong background and interest in the veterinary field. I've worked as a technician, scheduling manager, and event manager for various veterinary emergency and specialty centers. I've also provided veterinary consulting services, managing regional conferences, company presence, visibility, and attendee experience, as well as aiding in the opening celebrations of new locations nationwide.

Known for my leadership, creativity, and problem-solving skills, I am committed to continuous learning and growth in both my professional and philanthropic endeavors.

Curator: Kate Johnson

For the past 12 years Kate Johnson has owned one of Chicago’s most loved bridal beauty companies. Originally it was called Kate Johnson artistry and as she started bringing on other talent adding the words "Bridal Team" But in 2019 after many requests to work in Wisconsin Kate developed a team in Milwaukee to service the entire state and changed the name to The Bridal Beauty Team.

After Covid several of the team moved to Nashville TN and a team was formed there as well.

With a focus on developing a strong talented team who love working on weddings, Kate and her right hand Gina know that couples will look their best and feel so confident after working with the team.

Website: www.thebridalbeautyteam.com/
Instagram: @bridalartistryteam

Curator: Lisa Kathan

Tiny weddings have exploded over the last couple years, but I’ve always specialized in photographing intimate weddings.

Why? Because the focus is all about celebrating love: the love you have for each other and those closest to you. And at the end of the day, when you tell me how much fun you had, and that we created forever memories together…that’s what makes me happiest in all the world.

Website: https://lisakathan.com/wed
Instagram: @heylisakathan

Meet the Curators

Co-Founders

Curators and Authors

We are proud to be Chicago’s first local inclusive wedding blog and vendor directory. We are committed to showcasing a variety of WEDDING STYLES, budgets, and locations. we want every couple to find inspiration on our website.

Love is love and we want to celebrate IT!