A Chicago Field Museum Wedding, Featured in Brides

Daisy Foko and Kylen Granson got married on July 12, 2025 at the Field Museum in Chicago, and the images are unlike anything else in our portfolio. Abby Jiu and Keila Bottiglieri both photographed the day, which was featured exclusively in Brides Magazine. 140 guests gathered in Stanley Field Hall beneath the museum's towering Titanosaur cast for a ceremony officiated by New York Times bestselling author John Green, followed by a reception that turned the same space into one of the most visually striking wedding environments we've ever worked in.

What Daisy Wore: A Ball Gown Built for the Moment

Daisy knew from the start that she wanted a full skirt. "I knew I wanted it to be big because you only get to do the big dress once," she explained. She ultimately chose a strapless ball gown from Nicole + Felicia, featuring fluffy three-dimensional flowers on the skirt. For hair, she wore it down and described the look she wanted as clean and classic with a touch of Lana Del Rey. She finished the look with a gold tiara from Maria Elena Headpieces & Accessories with pearl details, a nod to Kylen's favorite gemstone. Later in the evening she changed into a mini dress, also by Nicole + Felicia, paired with a shoulder-length veil and ballet-inspired shoes.

Kylen went the custom route entirely. Working with designer Josh Kercher, he arrived at the idea of a Mandarin-style suit with a cape, driven by his love of sci-fi and fantasy. "I felt like all of the suits I was seeing online weren't really me," he said. He accessorized with his Tiffany "Bird on the Rock" watch, which he described as his something blue and his first major purchase from his NFL career.

Before the Ceremony: A First Look Worth Telling

Daisy surprised Kylen during the first look. She had her father stand outside wearing a makeshift veil so that when Kylen opened his eyes, he saw his father-in-law instead of his bride. The prank landed. By the time Daisy appeared, Kylen shifted from laughing to happy tears on the terrace. It was exactly the kind of moment that makes first looks worth photographing.

The Ceremony: Vows Beneath a Titanosaur

The ceremony was held in Stanley Field Hall, a massive marble space that the Estera Events and HMR Designs teams made feel intimate through drapery and lush floral arrangements. A mirrored aisle ran between smoky gray acrylic chairs, with floral installations lining the path and climbing the museum's stairs. The Titanosaur cast stood overhead as the defining element of the space.

John Green wrote and delivered the ceremony. Daisy and Kylen both wrote their own vows, though Daisy ultimately spoke from the heart at the last moment. "I felt a lot of pressure between Kylen going first and our officiant being John Green. I panicked last second because I'm dyslexic and I was worried that I would get up there and not be able to read what I wrote, so I ended up speaking from the heart, and I'm glad that I did because it ended up being perfect," she said. After being announced husband and wife, they recessed to "The Man" by Aloe Blacc and then used the empty ceremony space for a private portrait session before the reception began.

The Reception: Green Linens, Pastel Color, and Fossils

While guests moved outside for cocktail hour with signature drinks and a summer sunset, the Estera Events team flipped the ceremony space into the reception. Tables of different shapes, including long, round, and a curved head table, were arranged beneath the Titanosaur and the museum's taxidermy African elephants. Green linens, colorful pastel centerpieces from HMR Designs, black chargers, and pink napkins with calligraphed place cards dressed each setting.

The seating chart was its own detail: guests found their table by using a fossil brush to sweep away sand, a motif that first appeared in the boxed invitation suite by Maison Blanche Lettering, where a similar fossil-inspired insert had guests brushing away sand to reveal wedding day details.

Because all guests were dressed in all-black black-tie attire, Daisy and Kylen wanted their wedding party and families to stand out. Daisy's family wore maroon and Kylen's wore navy. Each bridesmaid was assigned an individual color chosen to complement the day's florals and to flatter that specific person. The groomsmen were paired with matching shades. The maid of honor and best man both wore pink. The result was a colorful array against white bridal attire and the museum's marble architecture.

Aragon Artists provided a DJ-band hybrid for the evening. The newlyweds shared their first dance to "Talking to the Moon" by Bruno Mars. Dinner included whole roasted tenderloin, cacio e pepe, Caesar salad, hickory smoked pork rib, and colossal shrimp. The wedding speeches ran with a running joke all night: because John Green was the officiant, guests felt their speeches were being graded. He eventually started handing out grades.

The wedding cake was a long, low design topped with fresh flowers with layers of marble cake and raspberry whipped mascarpone inside. Mini desserts included cookie dough squares, s'mores tartlets, and brown sugar cake.