Mike and I actually grew up minutes from one another, we later found out. We went to the same high school, but we didn’t really meet until our first year at university about 10 years ago. Actually, we had one exchange in high school in our maths class – Mike came up to me and said, “I like your style,” and that was the end of it until we were formally introduced by a mutual friend.
We are both pretty simple people and enjoy simple things. We tried to reflect this in our wedding. We wanted a location that reflected our personal style, had great food and an outdoor space for the ceremony. Also, since I’m a graduate student, cost was a big factor for us. We didn’t want to start this new chapter of our lives in debt. Everything went quite well! In all honesty, I think my only complaint would be the fact neither of us got enough sleep the night before.
We are both procrastinators, so we had a lot of details still being finalised right up to the day, which was stressful at times. I’m in a full-time graduate program, so I was taking courses over the summer, and actually, the morning of our wedding, I was at a coffee shop finishing a research proposal. Luckily, we went for a ‘no frills’ approach, so many of the details were taken care of for us.
I know for many brides buying a wedding dress is a big ordeal. For me, it was just the opposite. I went to one bridal shop with my mum, and after about 15 minutes, I walked out and never looked back. As our wedding day approached, I realised I needed to act fast, so one day while we were in bed, I went on the Nordstrom app and purchased my dress. Even though we’d been together for eight years prior to the wedding, we both experienced some wedding day nerves. I think we’d both agree our wedding ceremony could be described as somewhat of a blur. It was short and sweet, and it was over before we knew it. The most memorable moment for us was the time we got to spend together alone as a couple, walking around the streets of Chicago with our photographer. I have to admit, there was a pseudo-celebrity feel as we walked around in full wedding regalia that we won’t soon forget!
Photography by: Anna Zajac / Location: Chicago
See more of this wedding inside issue three available to purchase here: issue three