We get a lot of amazing stories from brides, but I kind of love when grooms include their little bit too. It’s usually short and sweet, but packed with a whole lotta heart like this one. From his first time meeting his lovely (and absolutely stunning) Bride-to-be, to the sweet at-home coffee mug proposal, they are the cutest. Clary Pfeiffer made sure to snap every moment of their day and you can see it all here.
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From the handsome Groom… At the time we met in March 2012, Erica was working in New York with one of my best friends. They were both in town for work and I tagged along with my friend to a Chicago bar where he and his coworkers were meeting up. I sat next to Erica and became increasingly intrigued by her loveliness (especially after learning that she shared a last name with one of my favorite University of Michigan football players – Tyrone Wheatley).
The following morning I woke up to an email from my friend, who had forwarded me a message from Erica the night before with the subject “Fw: Your Friend”, the body of which simply stated, “Is really cute. Single?”
Erica and I began a long-distance “flirtship” shortly thereafter. We officially began dating about a month later and when she transferred to Chicago for work a few months later, our lives forever became intertwined. The two of us (and my dog and her cat) became inseparable. I proposed to her in November 2013, gently waking her up with a fresh cup of coffee in a new mug with my the initial of my last name on it and a ring loosely tied to the handle by a pink ribbon. That evening Erica and I dined at our favorite Chicago restaurant, Balena, which, even before we knew it, started us down the path of creating a vision for our wedding.
From the beautiful Bride… Jonathan and I wanted our wedding day to be intimate, warm, but above all else, fun. The team from Estera Events helped us come up with an “Industrial Italian” theme, inspired by our recent trip to Italy, our shared love of travel and our favorite Chicago restaurant, Balena.
We chose Gallery 1028 in Chicago as our venue because of its rustic exposed brick and weathered wooden beams. The venue evoked memories of walking through Tuscan villages on our trip the previous year. Estera Events worked with Fleur to infuse fresh herbs into all elements of the floral décor, including hand-tying sprigs of rosemary to each placecard, incorporating fresh sage and bay leaves into each centerpiece and incorporating olive branches and seeded eucalyptus into my bouquet. Each table shared the name of a town we had visited together (Rome, Reykjavik, San Francisco, etc.) and was marked by an Instagram picture from our trips. Our guest book was a collection of vintage postcards, which our guests used to share travel stories, advice, love and best wishes.
Spencer from Style Matters spun fun tracks throughout the night, ensuring we and our guests never left the dance floor. Clary Pfeiffer Photography and Emily Hard Films each captured the warmness, love, laughter and fun that permeated the day. Our memories from that uncharacteristically warm and gorgeous day in September will live forever through Clary’s exceptional photographs and Emily’s touching video.
Photography: Clary Pfeiffer Photography | Videography: Emily Hard Films | Coordination: Estera Events | Event Design: Estera Events | Floral Design: Fleur Inc | Wedding Dress: Jenny Yoo | Invitations: Ruby The Fox | Bridesmaids' Dresses: BHLDN | Catering: Calihan Catering | Lighting: Studio AG | DJ: Style Matters DJs | Wedding Venue: Gallery 1028 | Rentals : re:find Joy