I’m pretty sure when Chris first saw Catie walk into a room he took a deep breath as he admired her sparkling eyes and golden hair, but he probably had no idea he would be the lucky one to call her his bride. And he couldn’t have been more excited to see her coming down the aisle! They are a striking pair, full of kindness and charm, and all eyes were on them as they said their vows. Their happiness is sincere, they love the simple things like taking long walks together, and their wedding was about what matters most- being with the ones you love. Congrats Catie and Chris!
Chris and the guys huddled up before heading to the church.
Time to get married!
The money shot!
Hair and makeup: Hair: Lauren Cullen. Makeup: My super-bridesmaid Kaelin Zawilinski.
Florist: Mann’s Greenhouse & Floral Shoppe in Morris, IL
Ceremony location: Immaculate Conception Church in Morris, IL
Reception location: Syl’s 150 West in Joliet, IL
Event Planner: The whole family!
Cake: Yvonne Foss
Caterer: Syl’s Restaurant
Dress: Tara Keely 2052, purchased from Schaffer’s in Des Moines, Iowa
Accessories: My veil was the veil my mother made for her wedding (we adapted it slightly). Hair clip was a vintage pin found at the Morris Antique Emporium, two days before the wedding. Earrings were from Macy’s. Rosary bracelet was made by our priest, Fr. Dominic Garramone, from my great-grandfather’s First Communion rosary. My beaded belt was custom-made by Etsy seller: Icing101 (HannaH). My navy heels were Kelly & Katie, and my sparkly flats were Chinese Laundry.
DJ/Band: Sound Sonic Entertainment
First Dance: “The Best Thing” by Ray LaMontagne
Father/daughter: “Sunshine on My Shoulders” by John Denver
Mother/son: “What a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong
Q&A with the bride and groom:
What was the most memorable moment of your day?
Catie: Taking deep breaths with my dad moments before walking down the aisle. Locking eyes with Chris and neither of us being able to stop smiling when saying our vows. The realization, throughout the ceremony, that I wasn’t as weepy as I thought I would be because the biggest emotion I could feel was pure joy. Also, the moment we walked out of the sanctuary and all the parishioners gathered for 5 o’clock Mass erupted in spontaneous applause.
Chris: The whole wedding ceremony was my most important memory of the day. My most memorable moment was when I saw Catie at the back of the church as she prepared to walk down the aisle. It had been a big thing for me to not really know anything about her dress or her hair or anything. I knew that she would look beautiful … but she looked even better than my wildest dreams. I really recommend grooms stay away from knowing anything about the look beforehand. Even if you don’t believe in superstitions, it’s just a wonderful thing to witness when she finally walks down the aisle.
What was your favorite detail?
Catie: The striped ribbon on the bridesmaids’ bouquets.
Chris: We loved the photo booth. And I’m not just saying that because it was asked by the photographer. It really gave our guests another opportunity to have some fun together. The props were great. And our idea to use the pictures as our guest book was perfect. It really left us a memory that maybe going into the event I didn’t think we would have.
Funniest memory from your wedding day?
Catie: When all the guys rolled up their pants and sleeves during the last song . . . then looking over and seeing my dad, uncle, and older generation of guys doing the same!
Chris: The craziness of our friends. They were pretty wild on the dance floor. Plus, they were having a good time at the photo booth. Probably the giant collapse when one of the bridesmaids tried to carry one of the groomsmen in a picture was the funniest moment of the night.
Any advice for future brides/grooms?
Catie: Wedding planning is not inherently stressful. If you’re not someone who normally gets worked up over the small stuff, there’s no reason you have to be that way when wedding planning. Your guests will remember the feeling of the day more than anything else. Long, short, sweet, full of rituals, modern, traditional, don’t feel the need to apologize for your ceremony. It will be the most meaningful part of the day for you and your spouse, and you should make it be whatever moves you the most.
Chris: Do what makes you happy. You hear that a lot but it’s very important. If you want to spend the evening visiting with family, do that. If you want to spend the evening dancing your butt off with your bride/groom, do that. What worked for us was to spend the evening before the wedding with our extended family. That way we got to talk and chat with those who came from out of town. Then the night of the wedding it was all about the party. I think everybody really enjoyed that way of doing things. Also, I really recommend doing a fall wedding. We had a beautiful day and it wasn’t too cold or too warm. Just picture perfect weather.
If you could do it all over, would you change anything?
Catie: I would make sure that someone brought us some hors d’oeuvres. I was pretty excited about the prosciutto-wrapped shrimp, and sad we didn’t get any.
Chris: Not really. I’m sure there were little details here and there that we might tell people to try differently. But I can’t name anything off the top of my head. Our goal was to have a memorable ceremony, some great food and a rocking party. And I know we accomplished all three. It’s pretty safe to say our guests felt the same way.
Where did you go on your honeymoon?
Chris: We went to Gran Bahia Principe Coba in the Riviera Maya section of Mexico. I would recommend it for anyone that wants to stay away from the hustle and bustle of Cancun.