Real Wedding: Teresa Rodriguez and Bryan Bolton

"I’ll never forget the first day I saw Bryan. He was this adorable, thirteen year old, red-headed boy standing outside of our middle school and I was nervous to talk to him. We had only previously talked through AOL Instant Messenger, as we had some mutual friends. How we ended up falling in love is a miracle because we were so awkward and so nervous to even approach each other on that first day of 8th grade. Though we went to colleges four hours apart, our love grew stronger as we went from teenagers to adults and we knew we would want to spend the rest of our lives together.

"On February 22nd, 2014 we had reservations at a favorite Mexican restaurant of ours. Bryan told me he would be picking me up a bit early because his parents had a surprise for us for our upcoming Florida vacation. As soon as I got into the car, I was blindfolded and told we were instead going to a special location. We drove around for about ten minutes when he finally let me out of the car. I was led a couple hundred feet away before I was allowed to take the blindfold off. I was standing on the very same swing set where Bryan had given me my very first kiss ten years earlier. He was down on one knee with the most gorgeous ring, and I gladly said, 'Yes!' to spending forever with him.

"We wanted our wedding to be very personal and centered around not only us, but the family and friends that helped us get to that point. We are very attached to our hometown of Downers Grove, IL, and have had the same group of friends since high-school. Our bridal party alone was 23 people! Since Bryan and I LOVE country music and everything rustic, our fabulous wedding planner, Jennarose Mostacchio, helped us to create a very rustic chic ‘Wine and Whiskey’ theme to our day.

"We said ‘I Do’ in the Catholic Church where I grew up and I was escorted down the aisle by my big brother, as my father passed away a month after I met Bryan. It was emotional, but perfect nonetheless.

"Our reception at Carriage Greens Country Club was everything we could have dreamed of. We started the evening with a performance by the Trinity Irish Dancers since I have been dancing/teaching at Trinity most of my life. It was a proud moment to see my students dance for me and my new husband. It is something I will never forget. The Italian string lights above the dance floor, the ‘Jack Daniel’s’ themed menus, the gold glitter accents, and the rustic tree slices as the bases for our centerpieces fit together perfectly and truly captured the ‘Rustic Chic’ feeling. Our signature drink was called the ‘Honey-B’ (a play on our favorite country song by Blake Shelton and my excitement for my new last initial) and guests ate, drank, and danced the night away until the last song was played." -- Teresa

Vendors:

Ceremony: Holy Trinity Catholic Church // Reception: Carriage Greens Country Club // Photography: gina&tony Photographers //Videography: Perkins Productions  -- Click here to see Teresa and Bryan's video // Officiant: Fr. Rafal Wasilewski // Wedding Consultant: A Family Affair 2 Remember // Bride's Gown: The Crystal Bride // Hair: Serenity Salon // Makeup: Angela Makeup Chicago // Bridesmaids' Gowns: The Crystal Bride // Formalwear: Men’s Wearhouse // Stationery: Deborah Grace Creative // Flowers: Floral Delights // Catering: Carriage Greens Country Club // Entertainment: Trinity Irish Dancers and DJ Ralph Alvarez // Sweets: Smallcakes Cupcakery and Creamery // Transportation: Midwest Transit System

Real Wedding: Christine Minyo-Berger and Michael Berger

"Our love story began as a simple 'happy hour' excursion with coworkers. Who knew I would end the night on a yacht, kissing my future husband, as he claimed his friend’s “pleasure boat” was his own?

"After continual courting, our chemistry was fully actualized, and we began a secret office romance. Unfortunately, our relationship was discovered one evening at 'Movies in the Park.'  From that point on, we embraced our passion publicly, and annoyed all those who were forced to witness it.

"In November of 2012, after a long day at work, I walked into our West Town home to find it full of luminescent candles. I heard my favorite band playing on the stereo, noticed flutes of sparkling wine, and witnessed my soon-to-be fiancé in the kitchen preparing shrimp cocktail, steak, lobster, pecan pie, and more. Of course I knew what was about to happen. And sure enough, after an incredible dinner, in the middle of our living room, he got down on one knee and proposed in the sweetest, most vulnerable way possible. The rest, as they say, is history. 

"The early part of the wedding day was fairly stressful. Luckily, my bridesmaids were by my side, calming my last minute nerves, and serving me champagne. But as my dad took my arm, and we proceeded through the curtain, to the music of Sigur Rós, all anxiety disappeared. The ceremony was intimate, spiritual, and 100% transcendent. There was a magical flow of energy between my husband and me that we still talk about today. 

"Because both my husband and I are transplants, about 85% of our guest list was out-of-state. With that being said, our mission was to make the experience of attending our wedding the simplest adventure possible. We decided to have the ceremony and reception at the same location, with hotels directly across the street. The reception was romantic and classic (full of candles and rose petals) with a total of 60 people. Family had a great time reconnecting, friends had an easy time mingling, and everyone expressed how smoothly things went. All in all, it was the most enchanting night of my life." -- Christine Minyo-Berger

Vendors

Ceremony + Reception: Maggiano's Little Italy, Chicago // Photography: Furla Studio // Officiant: Pastor Peter Nickel // Bride's Gown: Weddings 826 // Hair: Robyn Tornabeni // Makeup: Dori Mae Makeup // Bridesmaids' Dresses: David’s Bridal // Formalwear: Men’s Wearhouse // Stationery: Invitations by Dawn // Flowers: Anthony Gowder Designs // Sweets: Maggiano's Little Italy