It was important for us to get married somewhere that felt like home
Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love…
Hannah: I am a tax attorney. I love the outdoors – skiing, hiking, fishing, walking along Lake Michigan, live music, animals, my dogs, a great movie, red wine…
Rowan: I spent my childhood in South Africa, lived in the UK for 10 years, and then moved to Chicago just before COVID. I was making plans to move back to London until I met Hannah…and here we are. I am an aspiring retiree who works as a strategy consultant out of financial necessity. I love being in the African bush / on safari – there is nowhere in the world I would rather be. I love being outdoors and spending time in nature – I grew up sports mad, and enjoy fishing, hunting and recently, learning how to ski (a condition of my marriage to Hannah). Other things I love: travelling, cooking and red wine (they go hand in hand), hosting dinner parties, playing devil’s advocate, spending time with my friends, reading, my dogs.
How/where/when did you meet – and what were your first impressions?
Hannah: We met in the lobby of our apartment building in early autumn 2020—peak COVID! The government had recently announced one of those short-lived periods where we could socialise outside again, and I (Hannah) was headed out with some friends. I passed Rowan chatting with the receptionist and recognised his South African accent from my time abroad in Cape Town in college, and decided to say hello. I tapped him on the shoulder; we exchanged numbers and went out a few weeks later (and the rest is history…).
Rowan: Hannah is not one to die wandering (there is not an ounce of fear in her body), so being tapped on the shoulder followed by a very confident introduction was the perfect first impression – completely true to character. More importantly, she also had a puppy, who was so taken by me after our first date that he peed all over me when I met him. He’s been obsessed with me since…
What styling and visual elements worked best for you? (could be things, the florals, particular hire products or your marquee, etc., something the stylist created or simply just the scenic beauty of your location or the existing design of your venue).
Hannah: The location in Lincoln Park was the best part for me! Our ceremony was at the “Honeycomb” pavilion next to the South Pond in Lincoln Park, on the same grounds as Café Brauer and just a short walk from our apartment. I loved having some time to be outside and watching our guests walk through the park back to the reception.
Rowan: Hosting the ceremony in the middle of Lincoln Park with the pond, trees and Chicago skyline in the background doesn’t get any better – who needs décor? The reception was at Café Brauer, which is also unique – it is such a beautiful old building with so much character. We didn’t even consider other venues. We grew up in different places, so it was important for us to get married somewhere that felt like home for both of us. Turns out that a 5-minute walk from our apartment was ideal. I (Rowan) also had friends visiting from all over the world and wanted to show them Chicago at its best so they could get a feel for the city. It didn’t disappoint.
What did you enjoy most about the planning process, and do you have any tips for couples starting their wedding planning journey?
Rowan: I don’t think we enjoyed anything enough to want to do it again… We did do dance classes for several weeks leading up to the wedding, which were surprisingly fun. In terms of tips for other couples, I (Rowan) would recommend starting with what is most important to you and anchoring from there. For us, this was the band and the venue. We knew exactly which band and venue we wanted and then made everything else fit around them. Also, I would 100% recommend a day-of coordinator.
Tell us about your vendors. Were there any standout suppliers you would like to make special mention of?
All of our vendors were fab –
Brad is so level-headed and blends right in with a camera; I love his pictures, and he did a great job of documenting the moments and people that I was worried would not make it into the more traditional “wedding photos.”
Joey is one of the best of the best and exceeded expectations not just for me but for the moms and my friends! He’s also very fun. (He and Brad are actually a dynamic friend duo and I cannot recommend this pair enough—for your wedding, at your dinner parties, etc…)
Haley was essential! She pulled all of our vendors, décor, etc., together so seamlessly and designed and implemented a schedule in a spreadsheet that probably would have taken me days (or weeks, honestly). She also had the expertise to flag and prevent potential hiccups that I never would have seen myself (all with a smile and very positive attitude).
Mae at Flowers for Dreams also deserves a shout-out – I was more nervous about the flowers than anything because I thought it was tough to describe what I wanted and to envision how everything would come together in the space. Mae really nailed it, and I was so impressed and relieved at our sample meeting where she managed to turn my input into a beautiful and comprehensive design.
Carla at Vwidon (see below).
Tell us about your main outfits, what was unique, and is there a story?
Rowan: Nothing special – I wore a 5-year-old tuxedo and a 15-year-old bow tie that has miraculously survived since my first year of university in Edinburgh. It has seen a lot of bad behaviour and even more bad dancing! I wore an old pair of cufflinks that are shaped like a buffalo, which remind me of my childhood in South Africa. They are from a Zimbabwean jeweller (Patick Mavros).
Tell us about your wedding and engagement rings.
Rowan: Nothing special about mine – it is a very simple platinum band.
What were one or two elements that were most important to you both that you were happy to spend a little more on? (food, photography, florals, the venue, your outfits?).
Rowan: The band! We both love live music, and a great band was non-negotiable. It is not a real party without a band. It was also important for us to have good food, an open bar, and a photographer who made us feel at ease and blended into the party (Brad was brilliant!).
Was there a favourite moment (or two) that you will treasure always?
Rowan: Watching Hannah walk down the aisle (as cliché as that sounds), seeing how happy my parents were during the ceremony, walking out with Hannah after the ceremony and singing along to Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen (the song always takes me back), and then standing on a bridge with our dogs and watching all of our guests walk back to Café Brauer through Lincoln Park. And then the dance floor! My family and friends are very dispersed all over the world, and I will always treasure having them all in one place – likely for the only time in my life.
What does being married mean to you, and are there any special rituals you have that you would like to share?
Rowan: Nothing has changed from before we were married. I love spending time with Hannah. I still make the coffee in the morning (most of the time), and I still haven’t won an argument.
CEREMONY LOCATION Honeycomb Pavilion, Lincoln Park, Chicago, USA RECEPTION LOCATION Café Brauer, Lincoln Park, Chicago, USA BRIDE Hannah GROOM Rowan PHOTOGRAPHER Bradley Moss, @bradley_moss PLANNER Haley Ford Dummett – Plan and Gather, @plan_and_gather_events FLORIST Mae Rodovich – Flowers for Dreams, @f4dweddings CELEBRANT Close Friend ENTERTAINMENT Band – Gold Coast All Stars, @goldcoastallstars HIRE Linens – BBJ La Tavola, @bbjlatavola; Tableware – Tigerlily Events, @tigerlilyevents CATERING Tigerlily Events, @tigerlilyevents CAKE Vanille, @vanillechicago STATIONERY Save the dates, invitations, order of events & menus – Papier, @papier; Matchbooks – GB Design House, @gbdesignhouse; Table numbers and name cards – By the bride, modifications to Papier, @papier RINGS The Classic Gem, @theclassicgemjewelry BRIDE’S DRESS Vwidon, @vwidon BRIDE’S PARTY DRESS Nadine Merabi, @nadinemerabi BRIDE’S SHOES Dolce & Gabbana, @dolcegabbana BRIDE’S ACCESSORIES Earrings – Pearl Paradise, @pearlparadise_official MAKEUP Joey Claeyssen, @joeysoluvly HAIR Harmony Bussman BRIDE’S FRAGRANCE Combination of Bulgari, @bvlgari, and a fragrance my mom and her friend made at an atelier in Mexico GROOM’S TUXEDO Charles Tywhitt, @charlestyrwhitt GROOM’S SHOES Patent leather Oxfords – Allen Edmonds, @allenedmonds GROOM’S ACCESSORIES Portofino Watch – IWC, @iwcwatches; Silver Buffalo Head Cufflinks – Patrick Mavros, @patrickmavros BRIDE’S GIRL FRIENDS Own outfits GIFT REGISTRY The Knot, @theknot
