[section title=”The Planning”]
[field title=”Wedding Colors”]black and white[/field]
[field title=”Design / Vibe / Vision”]Early in the planning process, we each wrote down our top 3 goals for our wedding and were pleasantly surprised when we realized we wrote down the exact same things: a fun time, good food and a beautiful view. We decided on the Adler Planetarium early on and knew that we wanted our design to complement and enhance an already beautiful venue with a city and lakefront view. We kept our decor simple and timeless, with black and white as our main colors and touches of gold to add a classic elegance. Our wedding was relatively small at 72 guests so we wanted lots of candles to create an intimate feeling.
Our wedding took place at the Adler Planetarium, where Holly spent a significant amount of time volunteering during high school. We both love space and science and wanted to get married somewhere that represents the pursuit of knowledge that we both value. In this regard, we felt the planetarium represented our values and beliefs better than a traditional church setting. Holly’s experience volunteering at the Adler Planetarium was also the basis of her college essay to UChicago (which is known for its quirky essay prompts), where the couple met! The beautiful view of the city skyline and lakefront made the Adler Planetarium the perfect venue.
We chose the University of Chicago campus for our portrait location because we met while we were college students there. We both had a wonderful experience as students at UChicago. In addition to meeting each other there, we both met some of our closest friends on campus, including our officiant, Neaka Mohtashemi. The ivy covered, neo-Gothic architecture was a beautiful backdrop for our photos. As we took our photos, we were also able to reminisce on all the early memories of our relationship.[/field]
[field title=”Proposal Story”]After spending four years in Los Angeles while Holly attended medical school at USC, we decided to take a road trip across California before making our big move back to Chicago for Holly’s surgery residency. We drove up the Pacific Coast Highway from Los Angeles to the bay area and then visited Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks as well. During our stop at Big Sur, Cristian proposed on the ocean cliffside. Holly was surprised by a musician pretending to pose for an album cover that serenaded the two with La Vie en Rose. Afterwards, we enjoyed the beautiful vista with a charcuterie and champagne picnic that included Holly’s favorite food: Funyuns. The celebration continued with dinner at Aubergine in Carmel-by-the-Sea.[/field]
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[board_carousel title=”Getting Ready”]
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[board_carousel title=”Bridal Portraits”]
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[board_carousel title=”Flat Lays”]
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[board_carousel title=”First Look”]
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[section title=”The Fashion”]
[field title=”Wedding Gown”]I’m very detail oriented so I ended up trying over 70 wedding dresses before I found a dress that matched my vision of a timeless strapless gown that had enough detail to keep it from being boring but not too frilly that it would be uncomfortable. I ordered a dress almost a year in advance with some customizations. Unfortunately when the dress arrived, the customizations did not match what I had requested. Neither the bridal shop nor the many tailors I reached out to could fix the mistake, so a few months before the wedding, I had to start the search over again. I was thrilled to find a beautiful Lazaro gown from Aisle Chic that I ended up loving more than my original dress. I love that it has a classic bridal ball gown silhouette but the 3D lace makes it a little more modern.[/field]
[field title=”Bridesmaid Dresses”][/field]
[field title=”Groomsman Attire”][/field]
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[board_carousel title=”Ceremony”]
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[board_carousel title=”Cocktail Hour”]
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[section title=”The Details”]
[field title=”Food & Drink”]Food was very important to us, so we were happy to work with Food For Thought who has a lot of experience with Adler and serving up delicious and fun presenting food. We incorporated dishes from our culture in the hor d’oeuvres, like ceviche, a “beef and broccoli” short rib, and pork belly satay. For dinner, we went with a plated dinner, serving traditional dishes like flank steak, white fish and gnocchi. We love risotto and made sure to include it in both options. We opted for an open bar, going heavy on the Tequila. Since our wedding was during Memorial Day weekend, we wanted summer-y specialty cocktails and went with a smoky pineapple Tequila drink and a refreshing cucumber lime and Vodka drink. We ended the night with a delicious dessert bar, incorporating Cristian’s love of chocolate and Holly’s tooth for mango and passionfruit desserts.[/field]
[field title=”Florals & Decor”]Holly and Cristian’s vision of fresh white florals focused on their love of seasonal sweet peas that floral designer Trablume mixed with big garden roses, peonies and hydrangeas. The contrast of delicate sweet peas dancing above the big blumes with warm candlelight created a romantic mood set against a stunning lake backdrop.[/field]
[field title=”Wedding Cake”]We went with a pistachio cake with pistachio buttercream from Sugar Fixe Patisserie. We went to Italy last year and fell in love with all the pistachio desserts. Cristian loves pistachios so much that Holly’s parents bring him a big jar of pistachios almost every time they see him. The cake design featured fresh flowers and a custom acrylic double happiness sign, a Chinese symbol for marriage as a nod to Holly’s heritage.[/field]
[field title=”Readings, Ceremony Music, Reception Songs”][/field]
[field title=”Special Detail #1″]Holly’s family is Chinese and Cristian’s family is Mexican so it was important to incorporate elements from both cultures in the wedding. Our ceremony featured a Mexican lasso ceremony. The lasso, or “el lazo,” is a loop of cord that is placed around the shoulders of the couple, forming the infinity symbol. Cristian’s parents picked out our lasso during their most recent trip to Mexico. This act represents the infinite bond and love that they share, as well as the support and commitment they offer each other as they embark on this journey together. During the ceremony we had our parents place the lasso over us as our officiant shared words on commitment and love.
During our reception, we incorporated another Mexican tradition called “el muertito.” During this tradition, Cristian was carried around the room by the men at our wedding and then tossed in the air. This is supposed to symbolize the “death” of his single life and was a fun way to start our reception.[/field]
[field title=”Special Detail #2″]We also included a Chinese jiao bei ji, or “wine sharing” toast in our ceremony, where the bride and groom traditionally cross arms as they drink. The Chinese word for wine (jiu) sounds like another Chinese word (also pronounced jiu) which means a long time, so the toast symbolizes being together forever. We toasted with a Chinese rice wine called “nu er hong.” In ancient China, when a daughter was born, the parents would carve or paint jars of nu er hong and bury them underground, unearthing it on the daughter’s wedding day. Our wine glasses were red, which symbolizes good luck in China, and also featured the Chinese double happiness symbol, which was again used on our wedding cake.[/field]
[field title=”Special Detail #3″][/field]
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[board_carousel title=”Couple Portraits”]
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[board_carousel title=”Reception”]
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Photography: Lexi Benjamin Photography | Event Planning: Event Shoppe Chicago | Floral Design: Trablume Floral Design Studio | Wedding Dress: Aisle Chic (Alvina Valenta) | Wedding Dress: Lazaro bridal | Cake: Sugar Fixe | Invitations: Minted | Catering: Food For Thought | Groom's Attire: The Black Tux | Wedding Venue: Adler Planetarium