wow! i can’t believe it’s been five years since we’ve had our BEST day EVER! i say it every year and will always sing the same tune ~ our wedding day was seriously the best day. it’s the day where it all started. we professed our love, our unity, and commitment in front of God and kicked off our journey as husband and wife with a fabulous party!
i loved our wedding weekend. period. from the fun rehearsal dinner, to the most beautiful day ever, to a lovely morning brunch with everyone, and a farewell dinner at my parents before we ran off on our honeymoon.
i remember being so nervous that it was going to rain {darn weather forecast said rain all day for a freakin’ week before the wedding}. i prayed that it wouldn’t because we had planned so much for the outdoor space! i woke up bright and early on saturday and the weather app said bright, sunny, and a high of 73 degrees…holy cow! that started my wedding day out just right!
what ensued after that was nothing but goodness. our day was perfect. we were surrounded by so much love, happiness, friends, family, and fabulous electricity. i am so thankful we were able to celebrate our love the way we did. the wedding was so ‘us’ and the elation that you feel on this day is indescribable.
i am thankful for my husband…he is the love of my life and the most wonderful, patient, forgiving, and loving man. he is a wonderful father and the best partner and friend anyone could ask for. happy anniversary my love! cheers to 50 more years!
[husband and wife!]
[i love christian]
[wedding program]
[the best girls in my life]
[first dance]
and of course…our short, impactful, beautiful, fun wedding clip!!
the day had finally come! dana and scott got married!
gosh, i have known dana for a long time and i just absolutely love this girl. i recall dana saying something like it’s been almost 10 years since we’ve met; we totally clicked instantly! i love dana for her quirky nature, her love of sharks, unicorns, rainbows, and the most outrageous, cheesy movies. she is kind, oh so funny, and a complete sweetheart. she is such a laid back girl and because i am so crazy and type a…we have a wonderfully balanced relationship! ha!
we were asked to be there early because i was a chuppah holder. i was beyond honored when dana asked me to be a part of the ceremony. it meant so much to me when she asked me to hold the chuppah. i love weddings, i love dana, and i loved that i was able to be involved in such an important part of her day. i just waited around until i was summoned…it was her uncle david that came up to me and asked me to step up to get ready to hold the chuppah.
it was a circus trying to figure out where i fit in on the holding part of the chuppah. very comical. first, no one let me pick it up {being nine months pregnant}, then there was an issue with me standing in the sunlight, so they moved me from the left side to the right side. then the wedding coordinator thought that me being up front would hinder the bride and groom from getting around my belly, so then they moved me to the back left and that was my final position. hahaha!
i was the talk of the ceremony and reception. it was hilarious. everyone was so concerned, rightfully so…i guess. i am very pregnant but it wasn’t a big deal to me to hold up the chuppah! i was so grateful and excited to do so! dana’s aunt laurie came up to me to make sure i was ok and told me if i needed to sit down, all i needed to do was to wave her down and she would take my place. everyone was so sweet about it, though.
the ceremony was absolutely beautiful. i cried, dana cried, and i loved all the jewish traditions within the ceremony! i had the best seat in the house. front row, right next to them. i couldn’t have been more blessed to have witnessed them joining together as husband and wife.
after the ceremony, we headed back to the building for drinks and apps. after an hour, we were summoned inside and i loved all the decor. dana had succulents everywhere. it was so darn pretty! it was simple but impactful. i loved the classy simplicity of her decorations and details. dana has such a love for bright rainbow colors, i loved how neutral and muted everything was at the reception!
we seriously had such a great time! we sat at the best table with the best guests and enjoyed every minute of her wedding. we took advantage of the photo booth, we ate way too much food, and scarfed up the amazing dessert table! their dessert bar was heaven on earth. there was a plethora of choices and they had a freakin’ smokes bar! you roasted your own marshmallows and an attendant assembled it for you! whaaaaaa? amazeballs.
dana and scott, we wish for your marriage lots of love, honesty, laughter, love, silliness, discovery, forgiveness, love, and a lifetime of friendship. we love you both and we are so excited to see you both begin your life long journey together as husband and wife!
[loved their cute, modern program]
[it explained some jewish traditions within a wedding]
[chuppah holding diva]
[scott and his parents, gail and derek]
[the beautiful bride with her parents, marcia and jeff]
[oh so beautiful]
[first kiss as husband and wife!]
[the happy couple]
[independence grove]
[38 weeks pregnant and fabulous]
[the cutest little cheeseburger ]
[irina and patrick]
[gorgeous succulents on the card table]
[gift table]
[welcoming the bridal party]
[the happy couple…mr. and mrs.!]
[how gorgeous is this cake?? love!]
[cutting of the cake]
[dying over the centerpieces…so beautiful!]
[my name is finally right!]
[love this girl!]
[how cute is this pic? love her dad!]
[mini milkshake…seriously so yummy]
[with the handsome groom, scott]
[the horah]
[the s’mores table was divine! we roasted our own marshmallows!]
[the gorgeous bride and with her friends, lindsey, alyssa, and lashawn]
so here we are…celebrating our fourth anniversary! wow, i can’t believe it’s been four years since we were married. here it goes, my broken record recollection to this day. i will say it over and over again, it was the.best.day.ever!!! i loooooooved our wedding day, our wedding weekend. it was so amazing.
hc and i had the best time celebrating with our friends and family. our rehearsal dinner, our wedding day, our day after brunch was so perfect. you dream of your wedding day and imagine what it will be but to live it and it was really a dream come true is phenomenal.
our day started out beautiful {despite the night before with a forecast of rain all day!}…the weather app is a bride to be’s best friend. i was a bit nervous because if it really was going to rain on our wedding day, that nixed soooooo many things. our pictures outside, our venue’s outdoor space, etc. rain can literally put a damper on anything! alas, it was a beautiful sunny day and the weatherman said sunshine and even temps all day long! woo hoo!
the whole day started out amazing. it led to one fabulous moment after another. all the work, all the planning, all the diy i did for the wedding fell into place and i couldn’t have been happier.
our marriage has been a lot of give and take. especially since olive has been born. being strong, understanding, respectful, loving, humorous, selfless, vulnerable are some of the elements of a successful marriage. do we succeed? sometimes. but that is where the commitment comes into play. i am committed to being there for him, to doing my damnedest to be a good partner, because sometimes i fail {but try try again}. i am committed to always putting us and our family first. i am committed to our marriage. you have to want to be married to be able to make it work. he’s my best friend and there is nothing better than that.
[laying eyes on my groom]
{all photos and 8mm film by kate headley}
happy four years of marriage to my amazing, wonderful, kind, loving, patient husband! i love you soooooo very much. i am blessed & grateful to have you as my partner. cheers to many, many, many more years of happiness!
i am soooooooooooo excited for my dear friend dana’s recent engagement! like so psyched for them. goosebumps, tears, joy, elation is what i felt when she told me…i was like damn, way to go scott! heehee!
of course, this calls for a celebration {indeed!}. i whipped together an engagement gift basket for the lovely dana. we already had plans to see one another, so it was fitting to present her with a fun arrangement of goodies!
i purchased a pretty, little wooden basket {about 15″x8″ in size} from a craft store {it fits everything down below perfectly}, filled the bottom of the basket with some dunnage to perfectly arrange the gifts inside and keep them a bit elevated so the items don’t drown behind the basket’s walls. ta da! a gorgeous little engagement gift for your friend!
1. first things first…wedding magazines! a must for a newly engaged fille and duh, of course one of them has to be martha stewart!
2. what’s a joyous occasion without some bubbly?! veuve clicquot is my favorite champagne. cheers!
3. a crystal ring holder is a must for any engaged gal!
4. a lady has to keep her tips in top shape at all times with a bling, bling ring adornment! i love essie nail polish.
5. i love this wedding planner. it’s compact, simple, and a perfect go to for all the info you need to plan a fabulous wedding!
6. yes, that was pretty much my reaction when dana called me and told me that she just got engaged! a fitting card, i must say.
7. mexican wedding cookies…honestly, they are my favorite kind of cookies but i know dana would like them too. i just couldn’t find jewish wedding cookies…hahahaha!
8. anthropology initial mugs. need i say more?! dana and scott…two love birds who will forever think of me as they drink their morning coffee together. buwahahaha!
well, there you go lovies! a fun little basket to give your newly engaged friend. i hope this has inspired you with some fun ideas to create your own personalized gift for your bestie! i can’t wait to gift this to my girl {bling, bling she got the ring!}!
oh my! it’s been three wonderful years of marriage for me and the hubs! wow, it feels like yesterday that we were just married! and now…we live in the ‘burbs {bye bye chicago}, we have a lovely house {hello downers!}, and we have a beautiful daughter named olive harper {our love and joy}. our world has changed so much and all for the better.
our wedding was amaze. yes, yes, i say it all. the. time. annnddd i say it all the time because it was. i tell everyone i could relive it over and over. it was the best time evah with our friends and family. the whole weekend was surreal. from our rehearsal dinner, to our wedding day, and our post wedding brunch. it was a whirlwind of happiness, joy, love, laughter, and great food. what a wedding and wedding weekend should be!
i am so blessed to have hc in my life. i am so lucky to have found him or did he find me?? we are total opposites with a common bond for life, love, and happiness 😉 i’m fiery, he’s calm. i’m crazy, he’s sane. i’m speedy, he’s slow. i’m loud, he’s quiet. but we love each other to no end. i can’t imagine my life without him and i am so thankful and grateful to God for leading our paths into one another. we were meant to be and my life has been so much fuller since he’s been in it.
thank you hc for always being so understanding, supportive, kind, thoughtful, loving, patient, and forgiving for all of our relationship’s ups and downs. you truly hold us together and i love you to bits!
[handmade boutonnières with bike gears // hc’s love of bikes]
[husband and wife! //st. clement church]
[chicago fire department // his dad is a retired fireman]
[cutting the delicious cake //how sweet it is!]
[handmade invites // drawings by olivia g & personally curated vintage stamps to represent me & hc]
[alone time during the reception]
last but not least…our lovely 8mm wedding film. relive the day! enjoy!
even though the planning process was quick, their wedding day was a long, anticipated wait! i was so excited this day had come!
hc and i dropped olive off at my parent’s house and we headed into the city. we went in early to set up the venue for them. i was super excited to do so…i love stuff like that! andrea and i had been in close contact during this entire planning process, exchanging ideas and thoughts around the wedding decor. she had decided to go with a map theme. since jamie currently lives in san francisco and andrea lives in chicago, it was fitting for their situation.
i volunteered to be their ‘day of coordinator’! so, with that, hc and i got there to set up her place cards, table signs, sign in table, favor table, and random decor. super easy! i was in contact with the harpist, the photographer, and the manager at the venue. making sure they were on time, able to find the place, get them paid, and making sure things were running in order. it was fun!
i had made the boutonnieres for ollie and jamie. i used feathers, twine, stamens, green twigs, and accented them both with vintage compasses. they turned out soooo stinkin’ cute! unfortunately, i should have hot glued the twine a little more because it unraveled mid way through the day 🙁 i was so sad to hear & absolutely disappointed!! the good news was that they totally got all the pics they needed! phew!
i made their favor sign and provided the paper tassels for their ceremony site. the tassels looked so pretty for the ceremony and looked magical at night during the reception.
[the ceremony site with the pretty silver, grey, and pink tassels]
[the welcome table]
[guest sign in poster with their engagement photos and book]
[place cards that hc alphabetized and i helped set up]
[the ‘at last’ banner with the map background]
[katheryn and me, excited for the ceremony!]
[me and the beautiful bride]
[favors with the ‘take me home tonight’ sign]
[with love from san francisco to chicago // a + j 8.31.14]
so, it was time. we gathered the guests to the courtyard and had them form a walkway for andrea to walk down. we didn’t plan for the sun to be so strong, so i moved the guests over so jamie, andrea, and johnathan weren’t directly in the sunlight! once all at the guests were in place, i cued the harpist and andrea and ollie walked down the aisle. so perfect!
[here comes the bride!]
[their friend, johnathan, was the officiant! so awesome]
[look at ollie! so cute]
[exchanging of vows and rings]
[husband and wife!]
once they were married, the party really began! we mingled around the cocktail area a bit more {while the delicious hor d’oeuvres were being served}, before we sat down for dinner. i was so excited for the food! boka has received michelin stars in the past and if the hor d’oeuvres were any indication how the amazing the food was going to be…we were in for a treat!
[wowza! super bling!]
[the happy couple]
[literally chillin’ at the bar]
[the beautiful ginger and gorgeous nikki flanking my hubs]
[selfie!]
[her amazing swarovski christian louboutins]
[the lovely sunset during cocktail hour]
[ginger, me, and nikki]
[selfie with ginger]
as the food was being served, in between courses, hc and i were mingling with the other guests. we were having a grand ‘ol time. it was fantastic to be able to visit with everyone and meet new people.
the first course, the heirloom carrots, were amaze. no, seriously delicious. hc was in love. but he does love cooked carrots in general. a fave vege of his. it was a lovely hearty dish that was so flavorful.
my fave…the ricotta gnudi. oh. my. goodness. i could have eaten several plates of that. i loved the bits of corn in it and the sauce was so tasty.
[heirloom carrots were amaze]
[grilled spanish octopus]
[katrine, andrea, and moi]
after the wonderful dinner, the desserts were served {hello! macarons!} and the first dance ensued. so sweet…um, referencing to both! the macarons were decadently sweet and their first dance was sweet {until by swan dive}. perfect combo.
[any wedding or occasion is not complete without macarons!]
[first dance]
[the end]
after that, the dance floor opened up and everyone got groovy on the floor. it was such an awesome time. the wedding venue was beautiful, andrea and jamie are now husband and wife, the food was amazing, and the whole night was absolutely wonderful. we had the most delightful time celebrating their sweet union.
annnnddd, wasn’t boka amazing?? what a great venue for a wedding. it was ethereal, organic, modern, and cozy. such a great pick and find to celebrate their nuptials. the staff was so accommodating and friendly, the food was beyond delicious, and the aesthetics of the restaurant were so lovely.
thank you so much andrea and jamie for letting us be a part of such a beautiful moment in your lives. we feel so blessed to have shared it with you both. many wishes to a marriage filled with love, happiness, charm, and laughter.
we were so excited and touched to be a part of matt and johann’s special day!
words cannot express how absolutely amazing it is and how wonderful it feels to know that two people, who love each other no matter what the case may be, can join their hands together in marriage.
the institution of marriage is an endless debate. i am in favor of it. i love being married. i am old fashioned in my thinking around it {not about who but about what}. i believe in it. it is a different plateau to be on. it feels special. my relationship with hc changed for the better after we were married. it felt solid and secure…for so many positive reasons. we made that commitment to one another, we said our vows. we promised to never leave each other’s side. we believe in making each other a better person. you have to be selfless and realize that you have to give but you will get in return. all this sounds great in words but it’s definitely hard work and never ever perfect.
i think the hardest part about getting married is the work you have to do before it happens. it’s about finding the right person. how do you know it’s the right person? it sounds cliche but it’s about getting each other to a better point. you are on each other’s side, you pull one another up when the other is down. finding the right person is tough work but once you realize you are both in it to win it, it’s all worth it.
so, that morning, we got ourselves ready for the big day. we packed up olive’s many, many things. got ourselves dressed, packed up our stuff for the day, and headed out to matt and johann’s home. we cruised there! we got inside, dropped off our stuff, chit chatted for a bit with them, matt’s mom & stepdad, and then headed our way downtown to the courthouse.
[matt, peanut, and rich before we head out to the courthouse]
[cutie stella playing]
[olive totally intrigued by stella from afar // burberry dress]
[the crazy fog that blanketed the city]
we scored a close parking spot and trekked our way into the building. we got there before them {even with a pit stop to nurse olive!} and waited in the lobby. apparently, we were in the wrong building! it was so comical getting around with a stroller, not every area had an elevator, so we literally carried the stroller up escalators and through revolving doors! what a debacle.
we finally made it to the destination. everyone was already there. matt and johann invited a few select people to witness their marriage. we were so honored to be asked. hc and i have never witnessed a city hall marriage so it was interesting to experience it. it was quite a small waiting area, you have to sign up on a list, and wait until your group is called. it was so intriguing to watch all the folks who were there to get married. some were dressed up, some were dressed down, overall, a lot of unique characters.
[olive waiting for the ceremony to begin]
[engraved with the words panda and bamboo]
[pre-ceremony with the handsome couple]
[with james and daisy]
[the family…josh, liz, stella, matt’s mom, and cliff]
our group was finally called. i was so excited! we filed into the room, the judge was so cool and relaxed. she started the process and i started to cry. i was so, so happy for them. it truly was a beautiful moment to witness.
[exchanging of vows and rings!]
after the ceremony, we were all so ecstatic! lots of hugs, congratulatory words, and tears.
[husband and husband!! they are married!]
[the happy couple…look at the shadows of everyone taking a picture!]
we had some time before lunch, so we made a stop at field’s on state. we shopped around, some people grabbed a snack, and of course we made a starbucks run. it wouldn’t be an outing with me and matt without a starbucks stop!
[field’s on state]
[never without a starbucks stop // look, i match the straw!]
[starbucks]
[thanks jenny for randomly taking this photo…i love it!]
after field’s, we walked over to the restaurant, petterino’s. we had a nice, little, private corner of the restaurant. here we relaxed, mingled, reveled in the excitement, and truly enjoyed each other’s company. i was so hungry! i was excited to manger some food! the bread basket was bad news…hc called it crack bread. there were so many yummy varieties of bread to consume.
[her naps were so limited…too much excitement // holding on tight to the carrot rattle]
[the ‘crack’ bread]
[stella loving her salad]
after lunch, we headed back to matt and johann’s abode to continue the celebration. there, a lot more folks were able to join in on the festivities. i helped them host their guests…i wanted matt and johann to enjoy themselves and spend time with their friends and family. it was their day and they definitely should revel in every minute of it.
they ordered brisket from mariano’s, josh and liz took care of all the beverages, and hc and i brought the wedding cake and desserts. everyone slowly trickled in, we served drinks, set up the food, and enjoyed the company.
there were quite a few kiddos at the party. josh and liz have stella, vicki brought 8 month old eric, and alison brought her little dude. it was fun to see the little kiddies interact! olive and eric had a great time playing together. it was so sweet. they were both really calm and curious. there was a lot of staring, maybe some slight grabbing, but nonetheless…a heart melting moment to see the babies interact. so adorbs!
midway through the party, we popped some veuve clicquot and toasted the beautiful couple. johann said a few words and then liz made a lovely toast to the couple! cheer cheer!
[getting ready for a champagne toast to the happy couple // vintage champagne glasses…over 70 years old!]
[liz giving a heartfelt toast]
after the toasting, matt and johann cut the cake! woooo! it was so cute. the cake was such a hit…everyone loved the rainbow layers. so fitting. it was a picture frenzy. the cake was the celebrity and we were the paparazzi!
it was such an incredible day. the beginning of a beautiful marriage. the wonderful company of friends and family. it seriously flew by so fast. olive was such a good little gal all day. we had the best time celebrating their beautiful union. cheers to marriage equality and cheers to the fact that love is love!
i am so excited to have our wedding featured on refinery29!
almost three years later and it’s pretty awesome to have our wedding still talked about. it was, seriously, the best day ever. without that wonderful, euphoric, romantic, amazing, whimsical, lively, dynamic, exciting day…there wouldn’t have been the next best day ever…giving birth to miss olive!
our wedding was like a dream come true. so cliche right?! but it was. everything was perfect. celebrating our union with our friends and family was a recipe for unparalleled goodness. hc and i had the best time reveling in the love and joy of our guests…how could it not be fabulous when everyone is celebrating, eating, and drinking? best combos ever.
from our rehearsal, to our rehearsal dinner, to the wedding day, the sunday brunch, and then onto an alfresco dinner at my parent’s with our family’s out of town guest, it was a whirlwind of delight. the next morning we sped off on our honeymoon floating on cloud nine, full of happiness.
i am always so thankful to everyone who helped make our day so magical, from our amazing, prompt, creative vendors to our friends and family who helped make this moment so special. i am forever grateful because i will always claim this day to be the best day ever!
on a friday several years ago, 9.9.11 to be exact, hc and i started our celebratory wedding weekend with our friends and family!
it was a start of, still hands down, the best weekend of our lives!
i absolutely love this photo of us at our rehearsal dinner. we were having the best time and we were looking forward to the next day…getting hitched in style {best day ever!}!
i am still thankful and grateful to dick and jane for hosting this memorable, wonderful event! they are the best in laws anyone could ever ask for!
with that fun walk down memory lane, happy friday and good friday everyone!!!
“It’s a party, and you’re both talking to other people, and you’re laughing and shining, and you look across the room and catch each other’s eyes but not because you’re possessive or it’s precisely sexual, but because that is your person in this life. And it’s funny and sad but only because this life will end, and it’s this secret world that exists right there in public, unnoticed, that no one else knows about. It’s sort of like how they say that other dimensions exist all around us, but we don’t have the ability to perceive them. That’s what I want out of a relationship. Or just life, I guess.”
