Wedtoberfest combines wedding planning with craft beer

CHICAGO - What do you get when you combine a wedding expo with Oktoberfest? Wedtoberfest, of course. 

Couples can sample craft beers while perusing a slew of fun and funky wedding vendors on Oct. 2 at Artifact Events on 4325 Ravenswood Avenue.

"Yes Ma'am Circus" offers aerial performers to entertain guests or even provide bartending services on a "lollipop" apparatus. For transportation, "Second City Tuk Tuk" provides a quirky alternative to a horse-drawn carriage with its urban rickshaw vehicles.

The event also features food, chocolate, and clothing vendors. Couples seeking an extra touch can connect with "The Kitchen Witch," a cheese-based fortune teller, or "The Jaime Elaine Creative," which offers live-painted wedding keepsakes.

"I paint live at weddings, so I can come and experience it with your guests, paint decor, and details, so anything you want personalized I can paint for you," said owner Jaime E. Raglow Gannon.

She can paint the ceremony on canvas or even the bouquet, offering a more practical way to preserve wedding flowers.

"We are so excited to be in our 10th year of Wedtoberfest," said Carleen Heartline of Naturally Yours Events. "We have a ton of great vendors. We’ve got Tytin Jewelry, and we are raffling off one of her diamond rings."

Tickets to the event, which also features live music, are $20 per person and $35 per couple if purchased in advance at wedtoberfest.com and $30-$50 at the door.