Wedding Venue: Lincoln Park and the Girl and the Goat restaurant
Style: Intimate outdoor wedding with a foodie reception.

How you both met: We met at DePaul University; I was the president of Residence Hall Council and Cathy was the president of her residence hall. We attended the Illinois Residence Hall Association conference together at the start of February and we had our first date on Valentine’s Day that year, in 2008.

Your proposal: We did not have a formal proposal. During our relationship we have discussed marriage and a wedding and certain things have been in place for years (such as wanting to marry at the Zoo & for delicious food to be served at our venue since Cathy is an adventurous cook).

Style/Inspiration for your wedding: We are going for a romantic whimsical style wedding. We are pairing our classic and elegant full length dresses with pops of color in our flowers set in an intimate venue where we can authentically celebrate our relationship among friends and family.

Details that mattered to you: Our photographer, food and location are the most important elements of our wedding. Since we love exploring our city and value delicious food bringing people together, we wanted these elements to be part of our day. We wanted our relationships to one another and to our friends and family captured candidly so finding the right photographer was critical in making our wedding day remarkable.

What you love about your dresses: We both love the fit and flare and classic look in our dresses. They match our individual personalities (mine shows off my eccentricity with crystals and Cathy’s her softness with the lace appliques). They also accentuate our features and body shapes.

Vendors:

Preparation: Bride’s home
Ceremony: Lincoln Park Nature Walk
Reception: The Girl and the Goat
Venue Coordinator: Carrie Woods; Lincoln Park Zoo
Ceremony Coordinator: Wendy Mathewson (Ceremony Officiant/close friend)
Caterer: Patrick Macellaio; Girl and the Goat
Florist: Joanne Leiman; Flowers Flowers
Cake: Girl and the Goat
Wedding Dress Designer: Monique Lhuillier and Liancarlo
Makeup/Hair: Makeup: Nika Vaughan Bridal; Hair: Diem Angie
Shoes:  Benjamin Walk and Cole Haan