Couple: Sara and Nick
Venue: The Glen Club Wedding
Style/Inspiration: Classic and rustic
Your proposal: I love flowers and we had not gone out on a big date in a while since we were saving money. But, Nick told me he had found a Groupon for the Flower and Garden show at Navy Pier. And thought it would be a nice treat for me. Being the dork that I am, I excitedly scoped out the website and picked out a whole bunch of potting classes – hours apart. Really, I had no idea that Nick was going to be proposing. I was just excited to be there! I kept asking if he wanted to check his coat so that he didn’t have to walk around all day with it. But he was adamant that he did not. I had no idea there was a ring in his coat pocket. In retrospect, you couldn’t convince me to check it either. I dragged him around all day – taking pictures of plants and my potting classes. I bought half of the flower show!
After we finished the last class, we went outside to walk along the Pier. He told me he wanted to take a picture of me with the arrangement I had just made and I obliged. Then he asked me to take a picture of him with the flowers he picked out for me. I turned around and was fidgeting with the camera. He took advantage of my blind spot also to practice opening and closing the box. Right when I turned around, I found him down on one knee. “Will you marry me?” came spewing out of his mouth. So fast I barely heard it but I was already giggling and saying yes. He just kept shoving the ring box toward me after he put the ring on my finger. It took a good 5 minutes before I stopped giggling and kissing him enough to say – “Wait, I did say yes, right. Because, YES!!” (Ring already on my finger though).
So he managed to surprise me, which is pretty darn hard to do!
Style/Inspiration for your wedding: Classic and traditional with slightly rustic and vintage elements. Inspiration was trees and roots and their reflection of family and friends. You are a defined of them, they keep you grounded, and safe. But, they also help you grow and create a future.
Details that mattered to you: We took great care with little details like the Ketubah (with falling leaves), the fingerprint sign-in tree, and the apple butter. To really tie all of those elements together in subtle ways that we can keep with us. As I mentioned above in our proposal story, I also really love flowers. So, that was a splurge for us. I cared about every color and type of flower and all the locations in the arrangement. Finally, the pieces of jewelry that I am wearing are a really important detail to me. My necklace is my mom’s. And my earrings were given to me by my grandma almost 20 years ago. I could not wear them until my wedding so they would be my something new. My bracelet was my great-grandma Lily’s.
What you love about your dress: I love how it is so detailed and yet so traditional. The top was meant to be an add on that could be taken off. But I fell in love with it and slowly but surely the seamstress and I built it together. We would literally pick out tiny lace pieces and place each where we wanted it. And come up with other ideas, and on and on. Also, there is a tiny detail, that is now more prominent on the top. Originally it was just in a few places, that I really love. In fact, I was between two dresses and when I noticed this, my mind was made up. There are tiny 4 leaf clover flowers made of hearts hidden throughout.
Vendors:
Second shooter: Sonce Landa
Preparation: Sheraton Northbrook Hotel
Ceremony and Reception: The Glen Club
Florist: ArtQuest, Ltd.
Wedding Planner: Florie Sagett
Cake: Oak Mill Bakery (cake and cupcakes)
Wedding Dress Designer: Essence of Australia
Bridesmaid Dresses: Wtoo and Seahorse (by Watters)
Makeup/Hair: Makeup: Courtney Waldon, Hair: Jackie Newman
DJ/Band: Ben Swislow, Diamond Event Group
