The scenic beauty of our location certainly made things easy for us.
Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love…
Connor and I live in Lincoln Park in Chicago with our 1.5-year-old Goldendoodle, Henry! I work as a Physician Assistant at a children’s hospital, and Connor runs his family’s contract packaging company. We love to travel (planning to go to Mallorca for our 1-year anniversary coming up) and love to cook/try new restaurants. We love to host family and friends at any occasion!
How/where/when did you meet – and what were your first impressions?
We met the first week of freshman year of college! We went to the University of Wisconsin-Madison (Go Badge!) and met in one of the freshman dorm rooms. First impression of Connor was that he was handsome, somewhat reserved, but easy to crack, and had good banter. First impression of Simona was that she was beautiful, very easy to talk to, and kept you on your toes.
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).
The scenic beauty of our location certainly made things easy for us. But we couldn’t have done it with Silvia from Studio MIIA and Barbara from Coselli Collection. We had countless Zoom calls going over florals, tablescapes, ambience, etc. They were the biggest help and the masterminds behind it all!
What did you enjoy most about the planning process, and do you have any tips for couples starting their wedding planning journey?
Something I enjoyed about the planning process was just letting go. I’m a very Type A person, but once I found my incredible vendors, I knew I was in good hands. I could trust their advice and decisions, and the planning process became so fun and manageable at that point!
Tell us about your vendors. Were there any standout suppliers you would like to make special mention of?
We hit the jackpot with our vendors. People still talk about the gorgeous photos and videos, the amazing florals, the high-energy band, and how beautiful the location was. Every member of the team was so incredible. I want to make special mention of Barbara from the Coselli Collection and their whole team there. Barbara was the in-house wedding planner, but felt like family by the end. Urska and Domen, our photographers, were unbelievable! They knew how to make us feel comfortable in front of the camera and be confident. They delivered the most amazing wedding photos!
Tell us about your main outfits, what was unique, and is there a story?
I never knew what I wanted for my wedding dress. After one weekend of trying on dresses, I found the one. It felt extra special that the salon is a Ukrainian Bridal Shop, and my dress was handmade in Ukraine. It felt like a sign from my grandparents, who had passed, that this was the dress. When I put on the dress, there wasn’t an outburst of tears or screams, just quietly smiling harder than I ever had. I felt so comfortable and like myself. I knew it was the one after that.
Tell us about your wedding and engagement rings.
My engagement ring is a 2.5k natural round brilliant diamond set in platinum on a gold band with a hidden halo. The gold band on my ring was repurposed from my mom’s original wedding band. My wedding ring is a gold band with 7 round diamonds in a half pave. Connor’s band is a classic 18k gold 4mm 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?).
Band and photo/video! Connor and I love music and concerts, and feel live music really elevates the day. The photo and video you will have forever, so that was really important to us as well.
Was there a favourite moment (or two) that you will treasure always?
The morning of our wedding, we had a private breakfast just the two of us, just like any other day. We read our vows to each other in private, and it was so special to share that moment. We read a portion of our vows during the ceremony, but it feels so special that the rest of the vows were just between the two of us. Private, meaningful, and full of love.
Welcome Dinner
What does being married mean to you, and are there any special rituals you have that you would like to share?
As we both said in our vows, the wedding day is absolutely beautiful and amazing to celebrate with family and friends. But we always looked forward to being married. We’ve been together for almost 10 years and truly watched each other grow up. Being married means starting your own family, prioritising your future together, and continuing to build the life we’ve been talking about since we were 18 years old. The best is yet to come!
LOCATION Villa Lenka from Coselli Collection, Lucca, Tuscany, Italy, @cosellicollectionvillas BRIDE Simona, @simonaknop GROOM Connor, @connorknop PHOTOGRAPHER Urška & Domen, @urskaanddomen VIDEOGRAPHER Saturn Films, @wearesaturnfilms PLANNER Barbara – Coselli Collection, @cosellicollectionvillas FLORIST Silvia of Studio / MIIA, @studio.miiaevents CELEBRANT Bride’s brother – Nathan ENTERTAINMENT Claudio with Sugar Rain Entertainment HIRE, CATERING & CAKE Coselli Collection, @cosellicollectionvillas STATIONERY & SIGNAGE Wildflower Estudio, @wildflowerestudio RINGS Private jeweller OTHER SIGNIFICANT JEWELLERY Bride’s engagement ring – Gold band was repurposed from the bride’s mom’s first gold wedding band; Blue sapphire pendant on bouquet – Bride’s grandmother’s BRIDE’S DRESS Viero Bridal, @vierobridal BRIDE’S SHOES Jimmy Choo, @jimmychoo BRIDE’S ACCESSORIES Earrings – Studio Bride, @studio.bride; Tennis bracelet and rings – Private jeweller HAIR & MAKEUP Alessandro Mancio Studios, @alessandromancinostudios BRIDE’S FRAGRANCE Wood Sage & Sea Salt – Jo Malone, @jomalonelondon BRIDE’S PARTY DRESS Reformation, @reformation GROOM’S TUXEDO Custom Made – Daniel George, @dgcustomsuits GROOM’S SHOES Crockett & Jones, @crockettandjones_official GROOM’S ACCESSORIES Cufflinks & Handkerchief – Turnbull & Asser, @turnbull_asser
