Wedding Guest Info: Hotel Recommendations

Most of our family and friends will be staying at the historic Hotel Baker in downtown St. Charles along with Hemal and I for the night of our wedding. To make your reservation for Friday, June 12th, book online or call 800-284-0110.

If for some reason, the hotel is booked or the room rate isn't suitable, there are other hotel options that are less than 5 miles down from our hotel. I have selected these various hotels below based on reviews from hotels.com.

• Holiday Inn Express (1.2 miles away)
  
  1600 E Main St, St Charles, IL, 60174
  For reservations: 866-767-0278
  
  
• Courtyard by Marriott (1.9 miles away)
  
  700 Courtyard Dr, St Charles, IL, 60174
  For reservations: 866-539-0036
  
  
• Country Inn Suites (2.4 miles away)
  
  155 38th Ave, St Charles, IL, 60174
  For reservations: 866-925-8676

Wedding Guest Info: Directions to Hotel Baker

The directions that I have provided are the most direct, simplified route and they do include tollways. Please contact me if you need a more detailed, or alternate route.

From O'Hare Airport to Hotel Baker (50 minutes, 35 miles):

1. Merge onto I-190 E
2. Merge onto I-294 S via EXIT 1D toward Indiana (portions toll)
3. Merge onto I-290 W toward US-20/Rockford/IL-64
4. Merge onto I-355 S via EXIT 7 toward Joliet
5. Keep LEFT at the fork to go on I-355 S (portions toll)
6. Take the North Ave/IL-64 EXIT
7. Merge onto IL-64 W/W North Ave
   
8. End at 100 W Main St

From Midway Airport to Hotel Baker (1 hour, 45 miles):

1. Merge onto I-55 S/Stevenson Expy S
2. Merge onto I-294 N via EXIT 277A toward Wisconsin (portions toll)
3. Merge onto I-88 W toward AURORA (portions toll)
4. Merge onto I-355 N toward Northwest Suburbs (portions toll)
5. Take the North Ave/IL-64 EXIT
6. Take the ramp toward Carol Stream
7. Turn LEFT onto IL-64 W/W North Ave
   
8. End at 100 W Main St

From Ft. Wayne, IN to Hotel Baker (4 hours, 200 miles):

1. Merge onto I-69 S/US-30 W toward Indianapolis
2. Merge onto US-30 W via EXIT 109B toward Goshen Rd
3. Merge onto I-65 N toward Chicago
4. Merge onto I-80 W via EXIT 259A toward Chicago (portions toll)
5. Take I-294 N toward Wisconsin (portions toll)
6. Merge onto I-294 EXPRESS N (portions toll)
7. I-294 Express N becomes I-294 N (portions toll)
8. Merge onto I-88 W toward AURORA (portions toll)
9. Merge onto I-355 N toward Northwest Suburbs (portions toll)
10. Take the North Ave/IL-64 EXIT
11. Take the ramp toward Carol Stream
12. Turn LEFT onto IL-64 W/W North Ave
    
13. End at 100 W Main St

From Indianapolis, IN to Hotel Baker (4 hours, 220 miles):

1. Merge onto I-65 N
2. Merge onto I-80 W via EXIT 259A toward Chicago (portions toll)
3. Take I-294 N toward Wisconsin (portions toll)
4. Merge onto I-294 Express N (portions toll)
5. I-294 Express N becomes I-294 N (portions toll)
6. Merge onto I-88 W toward AURORA (portions toll)
7. Merge onto I-355 N toward Northwest Suburbs (portions toll)
8. Take the North Ave/IL-64 EXIT
9. Take the ramp toward Carol Stream
10. Turn LEFT onto IL-64 W/W North Ave
11. End at 100 W Main St

Parking Options
– on local streets
– free parking garage (across from Hotel Baker)
make left on S 1st Ave, immediately on the right-side

Hotel Baker (on right-side of Main St, along Fox River)
100 W Main St, St Charles, Illinois 60174

My Wedding Inspiration Board

It's a June wedding! And it's time to be outside in the yellow sunshine and blue skies. Below you'll see a collection of images that I have drawn together to give you an overall mood direction that I am going for on our wedding day.


I want the day to visually summarize into these words: Classic, Rustic and simply Fun.

The traditional white, lace, and the bronze/gold hues represents Classiness. The Rustic appeal comes through with natural, outdoor elements – the twig branch, bird and grey tones. And what makes it Fun is the untraditional use of these intense, summer colors of yellow and cyan together. No pink hues here.

Just wait and see how all these details come to life on the day of the wedding...

The Hotel Baker

Everyone knows the wedding date is set, and we are very excited that it's at the historic Hotel Baker in downtown St. Charles along the Fox River. It didn't take us long to decide that this was the location of our big day since it had a gorgeous backdrop for every part of our day. The 1920's hotel has great architectural detail, unique settings, and it will certainly help set the mood for a timeless event.


The June wedding ceremony is right outside of Hotel Baker, on top of the boathouse with the Fox River as our scenic backdrop. Then the ceremony will be followed by cocktails & appetizers in the Rose Garden, and the party will end in the very classy Rainbow Room with its one-of-a-kind oval shape and floors that light up! The idea sounded "cheesey" at first, but in person, it was very striking especially since one of the colors that it lights to works in my wedding color palette – YELLOW.

{Images from hotelbaker.com}

There were some other unique, outdoor wedding/reception venues that I would've loved to have had the wedding at, but either logistical or budget issues came up that made Hotel Baker our winning choice. Here are my other favorite selections:

1. Garfield Park Conservatory
2. Chicago Botanic Garden
3. Galleria Marchetti
4. Elmhurst Art Museum
   

"NOT" The Dress

The hunt for the wedding dress was actually easier than I thought–only 2 bridal stores. Of course, you won't see it until the day of, but you can see the strong contenders and the not so strong ones. This first image was my 2nd choice, however, it was a little too on the formal, cathedral-like side for an outdoor wedding.


These were the not-so-flattering ones for a 5'2" female – TOO poofy and cuts my waste in half. Surprisingly, I was a fan of the poofy, long terrain. It certainly made a statement, but not the one I was going after...



I can tell you where I did find my dress, the House of Brides Couture in downtown Chicago. I read some of the reviews before I went there, some good and bad. Truly what made the difference is the wedding consultant. I highly recommend the girl I had, Vanessa. She knows the woman's figure and how a dress should shape any body type. The first dress that she selected for me, after I described what I was going after, was the one.

Some keywords for the dress that I did pick: simple, structured, textural, and flowy. (not a word, i know)

The Proposal

In case any of you haven't heard the story of our proposal, I thought I would share it. It only took eight years into our relationship. :)

Date: June 22, 2007
Location: Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Setting: Moonlit Beach

We just finished a nice dinner at our hotel and Hemal suggests a stroll along the beach. And what a night it was – a warm, breeze flowing through the air, a perfect moonlit beach, our hands destined for each other as we walked barefoot along the shoreline and the ocean waves were just crashing at our feet. Before I knew it, his hand suddenly broke away from mine so I quickly turned around to discover he was down on his knee holding a beautiful ring.

As I looked into his dark-brown eyes, waiting and hoping to hear those four glorious words. He awkwardly blurts out, “So, uh-uh...you wanna marry me?” What could I say, but "I g-guuesss." His nerves got the best of him.

Although the proposal was slightly botched and unexpected, it truly was a happy ending after all. His proposal was in character to who he was–nothing fake about it. Not to take it negatively, but I call it the "Homer Simpson Moment" as some of you may have already heard. What can I say, he always makes me laugh.

Well, the wedding date is getting closer, going on ten years into our relationship, a two-year engagement, I think we are ready to get married!