A Sophisticated Secret Garden Wedding at Artifact Events in Chicago, Illinois

Birch tree stumps, potted succulents, lush ferns and lanterns transformed Shelby Montague (27 and a social worker) and Tom Campobasso’s (33 and a software developer) loft venue into a sophisticated secret garden.

Fern-filled metal buckets lined the alfresco aisle, which led to a wrought-iron altar draped in fauna. “We wanted to create a woodland look within the city,” Shelby says of their overgrown aesthetic.

Shelby wore an ivory, embroidered sheath, while Tom accessorized his gray suit with a custom tie clip made from leather found in his grandfather’s workshop.

After the ceremony, partygoers moved to the venue’s atrium for dinner and dancing, where all the antiques for sale served as built-in décor. “Our guests loved browsing all the items the store sells by day,” Shelby says.

As a nod to Shelby’s Southern roots, a bluegrass band played while guests indulged in truffle mac and cheese, fried chicken hors d’oeuvres and signature mint juleps. Because Tom proposed on a hot-air balloon high above Tuscany, the couple’s caterer baked balloon-shaped sugar cookies that served as sweet favors.

The couple chose “Coming Home” by Leon Bridges for their first dance as newlyweds.