“I’m gettin’ married in the morning, the bells are gonna chime, get me to the church on time!…”
Hillary and Matt are a fabulous pair… from discussions of music or alternative medicine, to crazy dancing and drinking Malort, these two always have fun. Hillary got ready at the very cool Ruby Room spa, and as her mom serenaded us with songs from My Fair Lady you could feel the excitement building. Hillary and Matt couldn’t wait to get married! Both of their faces lit up as she walked down the aisle, everyone in the church was smiling. Hand-drawn programs and a hand-made cake topper by her dad, along with a home-made cake and gorgeous flower arrangements were just some of the many wonderful details, and when the music kicked in the entire room was out of their chairs and dancing! This wedding was truly a celebration, as well as an example of the amazing things in store for these two.
Hillary’s mom had brought a tube of her Grandma’s lipstick. She gave a little to Hillary so Grandma would be there in spirit.
Singing all the way to the church!
Dad was impressed.
Matt and the guys were getting dressed on the other side of the church.
The groomsmen inspected Matt thoroughly to make sure he was ready…
Matt was ready.
Time to get married!
So happy!
The guys were anything but serious…
We had just a little bit of time before the sun set…
Hillary’s dad is an artist and illustrator. He created this amazing cake topper, representing the bride and groom with their dog and two cats!
The centerpieces with roses and bell jars by A Stem Above were beautiful.
And a dance with dad.
Malort might be Matt’s second love…
Hillary and Matt- may you always be the life of the party and two peas in a pod!
Second photographer: Dana Loftus
Hair and makeup: Ruby Room
Florist: A Stem Above
Ceremony location: St. Gregory the Great
Reception location: Ravenswood Event Center
Cake: Friend of bride
Caterer: Ravenswood Event Center
DJ/Band: Toast and Jam (Carrie)
First Dance: I’ve Got You Under My Skin, Frank Sinatra
Q&A with the bride and groom:
What was the most memorable moment of your day?
Hillary/Matt: Aside from seeing each other for the first time, the most memorable moment for us was probably when our hotel accidentally gave away our bridal suite to one of our guests. We spent about 30 minutes in the lobby waiting for them to clear up the mess. After a night of a million emotions and hours of dancing, we were definitely grateful to have a room to rest our feet, go over the evening’s events and share a late night pizza. All worked out perfectly in the end.
What was your favorite detail?
Hillary/Matt: Our favorite detail was the cake. The cake was made by a dear friend of the bride and she did a beautiful job. The cake topper was made by the bride’s father and showed the two of us in our wedding day fashion with our dog and two cats in a row boat. It was comical and beautiful and meant the world to us. It currently sits as our centerpiece on our kitchen table.
Any advice for future brides/grooms?
Hillary/Matt: Relax and allow the day to unfold as it is meant to unfold. We both told ourselves that we would take a minute every once in awhile throughout the hectic day to just take a deep breath and absorb what was happening around us at that very moment. What they say is true, the day does by in a blur, those few moments of clarity became the greatest gift.
If you could do it all over, would you change anything?
Hillary/Matt: Not a thing.
Where did you go on your honeymoon?
Hillary/Matt: We got engaged along the Shawnee Wine Trail in Southern Illinois two years ago to the day. So we decided why not take the journey full circle. We spent a solid week drinking wine, hiking and relaxing. What more could a couple ask for?