A Monet-Inspired Private Estate Wedding in Mettawa, Illinois
Chanel and Mike’s wedding was supposed to be in Napa. When COVID shut that door in 2020, they called The Creative Planners and asked us to rebuild their wedding — at her family’s estate in Mettawa — in six weeks.
We said yes.
Chanel and her mother both love color, and Monet’s garden — the waterlilies, the riot of blooms at Giverny — gave us everything we needed as a starting point. From there, the whole day was built around painterly, saturated florals: lining the aisle, surrounding a large tree at the front of the property that anchored the ceremony, and woven throughout the clear top tent at the reception. After the ceremony, the aisle arrangements were moved and repurposed around the stage — no detail wasted, no budget left behind.
The tent itself was printed linens and color from end to end, with white paper lanterns overhead that fit the family’s personal aesthetic better than any chandelier would have. Furniture from the pool house was pulled in to create lounge vignettes, which kept the space feeling like a home rather than a rental setup. It did, because it was.
Our favorite detail was the place card sign: a large, custom-painted floral canvas that Chanel and Mike now have hanging in their home. A live painter was also hired to capture their first dance — so they left with two original works of art, made on the day itself.
Six weeks is a short runway. What made it work was that Chanel and her mother already knew what they wanted — they just needed a different address. The day didn’t feel like a pivot. It felt like the plan all along.
Planning a private estate wedding in the Chicago area? At-home weddings are some of our most personal work — we’d love to hear about yours.
