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: Jacque and Tom Knack

"While I was in school I was serving at a new bar where, coincidentally, Tom and his friends just started to hang out at on Friday nights. Tom was pretty shy but I could tell his eyes kept seeming to find me as the weeks passed.

"One night, he came up to me and asked me to order him some food after hours, and hold it for him until he went home. I thought this was a strange request, but I did it and when he came to pick it up he said, 'Thanks, Jacquelyn.' I had no idea how he knew my name. 

"The next week I saw him and gave a wave. I finally thought, 'Okay, he's not saying anything so I need to.' I saw him come in for dinner, but I was busy and noticed he left. That night I remember thinking, I may never see this guy again, and lucky enough he came back! I went right up to him and asked how he knew my name (it was on his receipt, ha!) and gave him my number. He texted me that night and we haven't gone a day since without talking.

"We developed traditions over our three years of dating, including runs by the lake, hiking Starved Rock, and a lot of traveling. On one of our annual Starved Rock hikes, we came to sit at a rock by the river (which had become 'our spot'). Little did I know this is where he would pop the question! After he proposed, a videographer came out of the bushes. It was the greatest treasure to have that all on film and truly tell our story. Later that night he surprised me with an engagement party on the patio of the bar where we met. It was the perfect day!

"Tom and I knew we didn’t want our wedding to have the same stale feel as most. We wanted something unique, private and special. Since we got engaged at Starved Rock, the woodsy feel of the Hyatt Lodge seemed to fit our theme. I can’t say enough great things about the vendors we worked with. Father Mark made our ceremony personal, relatable, and sacred. Annie was our wedding coordinator there, and she made sure that no one missed a beat.

"Our outdoor cocktail hour was honestly probably my favorite part. Tom, myself, and our parents did a receiving line outside and our guests walked up a long, winding, brick pathway which parted at a point to either come up to the terrace or head out to the bridge over looking the water. All I can say is walking up that pathway was magical. I will never forget it -- it took my breath away.

"Inside our room, the backlit trees stole the show, so I opted for low floral centerpieces. We had something for everyone at our wedding. Our DJ was amazing, so whoever wanted to dance could all night long! In the foyer area we had the fireplace lit along with a sweet table, lots of photos of us, guest book etc so there was plenty of room for people to gather and then we still had access to the outdoor terrace. It was nice for people to have options where to hang out!

"We did the Lodge’s specialty 'cheeseburger in paradise' as a late night snack, where the DJ played "Cheeseburger in Paradise” and they came out serving them on gold trays. People were honestly running in from outside to grab one! They were a huge hit!

"I planned this wedding on my own, so to have everything go off without a hitch made me so happy. I have never seen my husband as happy as he was and having as much fun as he did on our wedding day. Above all else, that is the one thing I will never forget. The love and support that filled our room was overwhelming. It truly was the best day of my life to date!" -- Jacque

Vendors:

Ceremony: St. Alexander Church // Reception: The Hyatt Lodge at McDonald's Campus // Photography: Jill Tiongco Photography // Officiant: Fr. Mark Cote // Bride's Gown: The Crystal Bride // Hair: Michelle LaMantia // Makeup: DeShawn Bowman // Bridesmaids' Dresses: The Crystal Bride // Formalwear: GQ Formalwear // Stationery: Rachel Lizabeth Designs // Flowers: Quasthoff's // Entertainment: All Events Entertainment // Sweets: Lezza's Spumoni & Desserts, Inc. // Transportation: Celeb Lux Limos