Believe it or not, this bride’s grandmother was about 90 years ahead of the whole colored wedding dress trend. Seriously! This is her grandmother’s handmade wedding dress from the 1920’s, that’s as stunning today as it was back then. Paired with a vintage hat, the Groom’s seersucker suit, and lovely pictures from Jennifer Kathryn, and we have a brunch garden party wedding worth fawning over. Check out the gallery for the full bloom.
From the bride: Matt and I met online, on OKCupid. I was Matt’s first ever Internet date! :) When we met in person for the first time, we met at Maxwell’s, a famous music venue and bar near my apartment. We we’re having a great conversation, and all of a sudden Matt stood up and said, “I have to go! I’m late for rehearsal!” I have often teased him that you’re supposed to have an exit strategy in case the date is not going well, not somewhere you have to be even if it is going well! :)
The first thing I noticed was his nose. He has this lovely Roman nose, but he didn’t post any profile shots on his OKCupid page, so it was a surprise to me. I love his nose! What he noticed about me was my optimism. On our first date we talked about Israel, and I told him one day I’ll take him there and show him the country from the locals’ perspective. He loved that I was already making world travel plans on our first date. We’re actually living in Israel together now, so I came through on my promise!
Matt will tell you that when he left our first date he thought, “I should call my mom and tell her I met the girl!” He’ll tell you (as he told me when he proposed) that he loved me from the moment he saw me. For me, it took longer. I needed to get to know him before I gave my heart away. But once I did, there has never been a doubt in my mind. I don’t think there was “a moment” when we knew we were in this together forever. As we got to know each other we learned that we were two strange peas in a strange pod, and we wanted to sign up to spend a lifetime together in that pod. We are in “mutual weirdness,” which is love, according to Dr. Seuss.
The brunch at the Cheney Mansion was Matt’s parents’ idea. Because we were having a very small wedding in Connecticut, they wanted to throw a party to celebrate with Matt’s friends and family in Chicago, where he grew up. They, along with Matt’s sister, Joan, owner and lead planner at Five Grain Events, chose the venue and planned most of the details. Matt’s mother even potted lovely flowers for the tables. But, I am totally obsessed with the 1920’s and 1930’s, so as soon as Matt’s parents suggested a brunch I said, “Garden Party!!!” We bought Matt a seersucker suit and boater hat. I wore my great-grandmother’s handmade wedding dress (circa the late 20’s or early 30’s) and made a hat to match. Matt made a custom playlist of Jazz Age songs, and we let the guests know that hats and parasols were welcome. Matt is down for whatever makes me happy; I’m a lucky lady!
Photographer: Jennifer Kathryn | Event Planner: Five Grain Events | Catering: J And L Catering | Wedding Venue: Cheney Mansion